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When I got home from Miss Nancy’s, I parked in my assigned spot behind the building and went in through the back door. I was planning to tiptoe past Dani’s door, so she wouldn’t stick her head out and ask me what I’d had for lunch, but I needn’t have bothered.
She was standing in the doorway of her apartment, chatting with Don. Look, even I can admit that, in his office clothes – slacks and a button-down – Don’s not half bad. You know, if you like tall, lanky guys with floppy hair. But he’s my best friend, and watching him flirt is kind of weird.
They both turned to look at me when I came in.
“Uh, hi, y’all,” I said, closing the door behind me.
Dani looked annoyed at the interruption – maybe she was finally getting somewhere. Don’s face was unreadable, and I thought I knew all his expressions by now.
“Hi, Jake,” Dani greeted me. She was friendly, but it was pretty clear I wasn’t being invited to join the conversation.
“Hey,” said Don, shifting his weight to lean against the wall. Okay, so he was settling in for a good long chat. Got it.
“I’ll, uh, catch y’all later, I guess.”
Awkward.
I forced myself to go up the stairs at a normal pace and not linger on the landing trying to eavesdrop. I had changed into shorts and a tank top, put some seeds out for Raymond, and already settled in with some reading by the time Romeo finally made his way upstairs. He knocked twice before opening my door.
“Well?” he asked, leaning in.
“Well what?”
He rolled his eyes and came in, dropping his backpack by the door.
“Don’t tell me you weren’t listening.”
“I wasn’t.”
He snorted and sat down at the other end of the sofa.
“Really! I’m giving you your space to, you know, do your thing, get your groove on, work your mojo. Whatever.”
“My groove? My mojo?”
“Geez, dude. I can’t remember the last time you actually chatted up a girl. It’s okay if you’re rusty.”
“I’m not rusty. I talk to girls all the time when I’m tending bar. I just never ask them out.”
“Ooh,” I said, sitting up and tossing my book on the coffee table. “Did you ask her out?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no.”
“No?! Why not? She’s totally into you, dude. Oh, wait, are you not interested in her? I just assumed you were. But if you’re not –”
He held up a hand and I shut up. “I don’t know. I’ve barely had three actual conversations with her. She’s cute, and she’s nice, but,” he shrugged. “I don’t know. Something’s just not quite... right.”
“Geez. Just take her out for a drink or dinner or something. Spend a little time with her and see if you can figure out what’s right or not.”
“Maybe. After I get my first paycheck, maybe I will. Where were you, anyway?”
“I went to see Miss Nancy, to ask her about Dad and tea and other things.”
“Yeah? She know anything about your dad?”
“Nope. She suggested asking Grandma Rosemary. Said she’d never noticed anything unusual, and Mom had never mentioned anything to her, so who knows?”
Don didn’t answer, but looked out the window where Raymond was finishing up his snack.
“I also ran your idea about the tea by her.”
“Huh?”
“Your theory that she put something in Mom’s tea that made me turn out all woo-woo?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“She said it was like I thought. That Mom just needed to relax and let nature take its course. What is with you? You still thinking about Dani?”
“Sorry,” Don turned back to meet my eyes. “No. It’s not about Dani. I’m just worried about Princess. It’s been over a week since she last came by. I just keep picturing her hit by a car or picking a fight with a raccoon or something.”
“I’m sure she’s fine. Maybe her owners have started keeping her inside so she doesn’t get hurt.” I managed to say it with a straight face because I am awesome like that.
“Yeah. Maybe. I’m thinking maybe this weekend I’ll check the Humane Society and some other places, see if she’s been turned in.”
Ugh. Of course he wouldn’t find anything. It would be a huge waste of time, but I couldn’t tell him so. And I couldn’t tell him the truth about Princess. I had to talk to Perez.
