“It’s my pleasure, least I can do—”
“I didn’t raise you so you’d be grateful,” she cut in. “I love you to bits, little man.”
He grinned. That was what she’d called him his whole life, and it used to be more applicable than it currently was. Back then, it rubbed him raw since he was so freaking small, but now, he found it cute, a cornerstone of their history. She’d never meant it as an insult either, unlike the kids at school.
“Love you more,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “Now go catch a plane. New Mexico needs some of your energy.”
“I’ll text you when I land!” she called, falling in with the other travelers.
It was a little ironic for an avian shifter to get on a plane, but she couldn’t take her belongings if she flew all the way to Albuquerque in bird form. On that mildly amusing thought, Eli wheeled and headed to the parking garage. He lined up and paid to exit, driving on automatic. Good thing he knew the way back to Gamma’s—what used to be Gamma’s house—in his sleep because when he came to himself again, he was turning left off the interstate, reflexively taking the main road that led into town.
He’d been up early, and he could use a coffee before he went back to painting. The house was almost empty; they’d kept only enough furniture for staging, removing all the clutter. Eli had read up on what he needed to do to get the best price for the house, and he took such matters seriously. His earnestness had gotten him in trouble more than once.
Do you see everything as a major deal? Lighten up; it’s not that deep.
It was, though. To him.
Eli snagged a choice parking spot in front of Java House and headed in for an iced coffee. He got his usual—almond milk latte with a shot of vanilla. Perfect. Then he stopped, gaze locked on the person he most wanted to see and never thought he would again.
Before he could even call it a decision, his feet carried him over to her. Iris Collins.
She looked up with a brilliant smile. “You’re here about the ad, right? You’re a bit early, but that’s fine. I like your enthusiasm.”
Uh, what?
She carried on talking, not seeming to read his befuddlement. “Have a seat. I’ll be honest, I’m so new at this that I don’t know what I’m doing. But I have a few questions.”
Eli sat…because Iris was asking him to. He’d hardly spoken to her in his life, just…observed her from a distance. And having all her attention focused on him shorted out his brain. Her smile was bright, and her voice came across soft and smooth, like he could listen to her for days, even if he had no clue what she was talking about.
“Go ahead,” he said.
“Which room are you interested in? Since you’re the first person I’m talking to, you have your choice.” She ran down a list for him, summarizing amenities and related costs.
Honestly, the rates she was quoting for a monthly rental sounded low. Instead of clearing up the misunderstanding, he heard himself say, “That’s a bargain.”
She beamed. “The house isn’t fancy, and it needs some work, but it’s really clean, I promise. I guess I should ask, do you have any pets?”
He shook his head. “No, but I—”
“That’s great. I like animals, but I’d rather not bring in any right now.”
Her smile stole his breath, so wide and lovely, even down to the way one of her front teeth overlapped the other. Why is that so cute? He’d been about to crack a joke—I can turn into a bird. Probably just as well he hadn’t been able to finish. Most people didn’t believe in his abilities, and he didn’t care enough to prove them wrong.
After pausing to make a note, Iris went on, “Do you smoke?”
“No, definitely not.”
She brightened. “Excellent! The smoking is a deal breaker. We’re off to a great start.”
He blinked. What’s even happening here? What are you doing? Tell her—
“What’s your name?”
Shit. She doesn’t recognize me. That shouldn’t hurt; it had been ages, and she clearly hadn’t thought about him in all that time. It wasn’t like she’d been looking at his socials, making sure he was okay.
“Eli Reese.” He watched her face, but there wasn’t even a flicker of recognition.
Dammit.
She made a note on her tablet. “And what do you do?”
“Well, I was getting coffee. Before that, I was updating a house that’ll be sold soon.” Once the words were out, he realized that was probably not what she was asking. It had been a “source of income” question, and he’d kind of lied. Not on purpose, but she had his head in a spin.
“A house flipper! That’s so cool.”
“I do some freelance work online too,” he said, desperately trying to get back on top of the situation. “Coding—”
“Like websites? That’s awesome. You’re handy and techy! The total package.”
Wow. Nobody had ever said that about him, and he went silent, feeling heat sting his cheeks. “Uh. Yeah. I pick stuff up quickly when I need to learn, so…”
What am I even doing?
Just tell her who you are. Thank her. And get out of here. This is getting weird.
“You seem like you’d have your stuff together. Why do you need to rent a room at my place?” Iris asked.
“It just kind of…happened,” he heard himself say. “The house I’m staying at, it’ll be sold soon.”
That was all true, but he had other places to go. The condo. The vacation cottage. Yet he paused, staring at her, gauging her expression.
Her face softened, eyes getting a little brighter. “Yeah, I know how it is. Sometimes things don’t work out or your plans don’t come together.”
She asked a few more questions about his habits—clean or sloppy, drugs or alcohol, loud parties, overnight guests—and at the end of the quick interview, she said, “I’d be happy to have you as a roommate if you’re interested.”
She must need financial help if she’s doing this. One thing Eli had was money. He was great at coming up with app ideas, and when he got tired of managing them, he’d sell them for a tidy profit. Inspiration would strike again soon. He still hadn’t decided whether to sell Task Wizard or What’s Cooking?
“I’ll take the main bedroom,” he said. “Five hundred a month is fair. How much is the damage deposit?”
She blinked as if she’d never even thought of that. This woman was too soft to live in the real world. It made him want to protect her from those who’d take advantage.
“Is that…？” Seeming to think better of whatever she was about to ask, she stopped and changed directions. “Could you manage $250?”
“No problem,” he said. “If you give me your email, I can pay you online.”
“That’s perfect.” She asked for his number and texted him her email. Eli saved her information in his contacts right away.
“Anything else?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I’ll have the rental agreement ready to sign next time we meet. You can move in whenever you like—just give me a heads-up first. The rooms are furnished but not fancy. I hope you like living with me.” Then she bit her lip, eyes wide. “I meant rooming, I didn’t mean—”