RUSH (City Lights, #3)(26)

“Uh, no. It’s not.”

“Then why are you wearing a rain jacket?”

I glanced down at my sleeve. “How did you know?”

Noah’s expression soured again, his voice hardened. “I can hear the whisper of nylon. Never mind. Go.”

Whisper of nylon? Who is this guy? “Okay. I’ll see you Monday.” I winced. “I mean, I’ll come back Monday. Eight a.m. sharp.”

I was nearly at the stairs that led down when Noah said, “See you then, Charlotte.”





Chapter Nine


Charlotte

The rest of the week flew past, and on Saturday I enlisted Anthony, Melanie, and Samneric to help me move. Between the five of us, we had my meager belongings moved into the first floor of the townhome before lunch. Out of respect for Noah, I kept everyone to the first floor and curtailed all talk about him until we were done and grabbing pizza at a local joint after.

“It’s so weird that he’s not a crazy old man,” Anthony said. “I thought there was a minimum age limit on shut-ins—sixty-five or older.”

“He’s not a shut-in. Not really. He’s just trying to cope with his blindness. The accident was so terrible and he lost so much…”

“I hope you’re careful,” Melanie cut in. “You hardly know this guy, and you’re going to live in his house?”

“He’s safe,” I said, “and I have a lock on my bedroom door. I’ll use it.” That was mostly for her, as I knew I would never need it. Noah was a rude jerk but he wasn’t dangerous. I couldn’t explain how I knew that so I didn’t bother to try.

My friends and I talked about my new duties, and how Annabelle’s and Lucky 7’s were going to get along without me. Turns out the answer was just fine on both counts. Harris was given two more of my shifts, Clara the third. At Lucky 7’s, Samneric told me that Janson had hired a “smokin’ hot blonde” who was basically their dream come true.

“We love you, Char,” Sam said, “but this chick…” He whistled low in his teeth.

“Tending bar was never your thing anyway,” Eric said a bit more diplomatically. “You always looked like you had something else on the burner. Win-win for everyone, right?”

I hoped he was right. Working for Noah could turn out to be just the thing I needed or a complete nightmare. I smiled thinly. “I’ll let you know.”

Anthony walked me back to the townhouse. “You’ll call me if things get weird, right?”

I hugged him, and was enveloped in his long-armed embrace. “I’ll be fine.”

“Annabelle’s is going to suck without you,” he said, a grin splitting his dusky face. “Scratch that: it always sucks. Now it’ll suck more. Promise you’ll visit?”

“Are you kidding? Given how often Noah orders from there, it’ll be like I never left.”

“I can live with that.”

I hugged him, and watched him stride away, a tiny twinge in my heart. I met Anthony when I was still shell-shocked from the double-whammy of Chris and Keith. Not for the first time, I wished I’d met him before Keith. Or instead of Keith. But people occupy certain places in one’s heart, and to try to cram them in somewhere else only causes misery in the long run. Anthony and I were friends and that’s all we’d ever be.

*

When I was finally alone in my new space, I smiled so long, my cheeks began to hurt. My bedroom here was the size of the living room in my old apartment, with plenty of room for my desk, dresser, and two side tables I’d picked up at a sidewalk sale. I had a bathroom across the hall with a bathtub and shower, and a living area that looked out onto a cute little backyard. The yard was a fenced-in patch of grass with a small patio and nothing more, but who cared? It was green space in the city, and if I needed more, Central Park was a mere fifteen-minute walk eastward. If I wanted a water view, the Hudson was right there, five minutes to the west.

I’ll bet Noah has a spectacular view of the river from his bedroom, I thought, and then remembered with a small pang that Noah didn’t have any kind of view at all.

I flopped on my bed and called Montana. My mom picked up on the second ring.

“Charlotte? Is everything okay?”

That was her new greeting since Chris was thrown. She said it with forced cheer, but I guess once you’ve lost one of your two children, you can’t really help but obsess a little over the remainder.

“I’m good, Mom. Pretty great, actually.”

I told her about my new job and living arrangements. She made a lot of noises that made it sound like she was listening, but I know she wasn’t truly there. They had her on all kinds of medicines. I was lucky I’d reached her on a more lucid moment. “How’s Dad?”

“What? Oh, fine. At work. Honey, it all sounds great but what about your music? Have you given any more thought to an audition?”

“Not yet, Mom. I’m just looking forward to some peace and quiet. And maybe a little extra money. Speaking of which, I can send you some…”

I hated to offer as much as I had ever hated to ask my parents for money. We weren’t poor but not exactly flush, either, and since my mom had had to quit her job two months ago, I figured things were tight back home.

But she declined and I could practically see her waving my offer away with her hand. “Oh gosh no, dear. You work hard but rest when you can. Will you be home soon?”