Meeting The Unpredictable (4 page)

“I didn’t say it was my business. I just asked a question.”

“Which is none of your business.”

I laugh. “It’s been that long, huh?”

He groans in frustration. “Why are you here?”

“Why are you here?” I counter.

“I live here!” he shouts.

“Yeah, but why here?” I wave my hand around the room. “This apartment complex is like a retirement home. I went to use the pool yesterday and it was the ‘over fifty’ hour.” Tyler shakes his head and sighs.

“You need to be out having fun. Enjoying life and not surrounding yourself with people who are near death.”

“I enjoy my dull life. I don’t need you or anyone else messing with it.”

“At least you can admit your life is dull. That’s usually the first step in the right direction.”

Tyler takes a deep breath. “Why do you care?”

“Because I like you.” I pause while he watches me closely. “And I can tell when someone is living a lie. I don’t know what you’re afraid of, but I know it’s not worth the price you’re paying.”

His eyes flash, but he doesn’t argue with me.

I’ve mastered the art of hiding in plain sight. Spotting someone else doing the same thing is easy. I might not be in Dallas for long, but I plan to be here long enough to help my new friend figure out how to have fun.

I GREW UP WITH FOUR
older brothers. By the time I hit my teen years, my parents didn’t care what I did as long as it didn’t involve jail time. I’m used to slipping under the radar, especially since I graduated college. And to be honest, no matter how ridiculous it sounds where my family is concerned, I like going unnoticed.

“I’m taking off. I probably won’t be home until late. I have a client that can’t come until after she’s off work.”

“A client? Is that what you’re calling them now?”

Chad chuckles before he grabs his keys and opens the door, but within seconds, my peaceful morning is shot to hell.

“Good morning,” Lennie sings as she walks past Chad and into our apartment.

“Good morning to you.” Chad smirks. “I’d love to stay and chat, but work is calling my name. You two kids have fun.”

“Oh, we will. Have a great day.” Lennie smiles, like everything is perfect in her world.

“Why are you here?”

“I had some time to kill. I figured who better to kill it with than a friend.”

“I’m not your friend.” Even my harsh tone doesn’t cause her smile to fade. I lift my brows. “Seriously, why are you here? I have a lot of shit to get done today.”

“Oh, I’m sure the shit is piling up, but answer me this. When was the last time you asked your boss for a personal day?”

I rake my hand down my face. “I’m self-employed, and I really don’t have time to stand and listen to your...” I groan in defeat. “Whatever this is you’re trying to do.”

Lennie turns on the balls of her feet and walks straight to my couch. “Lennie, I’m being serious. I have work to do.”

“Okay,” she squawks. “Go work. I’m not stopping you.”

Without asking, Lennie picks up the TV remote and starts scanning the channels. “Does Jodi not have a TV?”

“Of course she does.”

I release a long, calming breath before walking over to my desk. Lennie is trying to be annoying, and it’s working like a charm.

***

BANG BANG BANG.

My fists clench as a ringing starts in my head. There’s no rhyme or reason as to when Lennie will suddenly appear at my door. The only thing I can count on for a fact is she will at some point barge into my apartment and do her best to annoy the ever-living piss out of me.

But not today...today I’m going to tune her out. With my headphones on and my music turned up, I pretend I don’t know she’s at the door. My plan was perfect until twenty minutes later when Lennie and the manager of the building unlock my door.

“Oh, thank God you’re okay. You had us worried.” Lennie winks at me.

“We don’t need any trouble in the building. If you have a problem, I suggest you get it taken care of and quick,” Frank, the daytime manager, says with a frown on his face.

“Don’t worry, Frank. That’s why I’m here.”

My eyes narrow as Frank walks out of my apartment.

“What in the hell?” I growl.

“What?” Lennie shrugs. “You didn’t answer, and I was worried about you so I brought in some reinforcements.”

“What the hell did you tell Frank?”

Instead of answering me, Lennie smiles. “Let’s get out of this retirement home and go do something fun.”

I glance around the room, trying my best to tamp down my anger. “Look, I live here, I work here, and I don’t need you attracting unnecessary attention to my life. Go back to...whatever it is you do.”

Instead of getting pissed, she laughs and wags a finger at me. “Tyler, you need to chill, maybe even get drunk and laid. It’s not healthy to leave yourself wound this tight.”

“You’re the reason I’m wound fucking tight,” I practically scream.

“Well, then maybe we should get drunk and screw.” Even pissed off, this woman has me fighting a smile.

“Go finish working. When you’re done, I’ll take you out for dinner.”

Like there’s nothing to debate, she drops down on my couch and starts watching TV. Getting this woman out of my life is starting to feel like a chore, and with every annoying encounter, my energy to fight her slips.

“I’LL TAKE THE DOUBLE BACON
cheeseburger with fries and onion rings.”

Tyler’s face scrunches up. “Just a regular burger and fries for me.”

Once the waitress walks off, he turns his face to me. “Do you seriously eat like that?”

“No, not all the time, but when I’m in the mood I do, and tonight I’m in the mood.”

He nods his head with a serious expression. “Lennie, I think you need to understand a few ground rules.”

I tap my finger on the table. “That’s how you live your whole life, isn’t it? By a huge set of rules.” I tilt my head and smile.

“What? Wait...that’s not what I meant. I’m talking about you and how you think you can stop by anytime you want. Today you seriously crossed the line.”

I can’t stop myself from laughing.

“Tyler, if you had answered your door earlier, Frank and I wouldn’t have upset your work day, or better yet, you can leave your door unlocked. That way when I stop by, I won’t interrupt your work or cross any lines you feel you have.”

He’s already shaking his head. “No, you’re not understanding. I don’t want you coming over at all.”

His gaze immediately leaves me as he scans the restaurant.

“Why?” I question. His hesitant eyes come back to mine. “Do you dislike me personally or is it the interruption to your day that you don’t like?”

He clears his throat. It’s...it’s the interruption.”

“Problem solved. You can’t work around the clock. Tell me when you’re working and I’ll avoid stopping by then.”

The waitress arrives at the table with our food. I can tell Tyler wants to say something more, but he doesn’t. Having me in his space is interrupting his world, and I’ve forced him to either admit that or admit he hates me, but Tyler is too nice to do either.

***

I WAKE FROM A DEEP
sleep covered in sweat. My heart is beating a thousand miles a minute as the urge to be sick takes over. I barely make it to Jodi’s guest bathroom before I become violently ill.

I feel like I’m ready to die when I hear a knock on the door. “Lennie? Are you okay?”

I groan, “Yes. Sorry, I just had too much to drink.”

I can hear her mumbling something before she walks away. Once again, I’ve proven to my sister that I am and always will be nothing more than a screw-up.

***

“GOOD MORNING, CARLA.”

“Oh, sweetheart, are you feeling all right?”

“Of course,” I lie. Life has a funny way of giving you what you need exactly when you need it. As far as Jodi is concerned, I’m a screw up that went out and drank too much last night, therefore, she didn’t even consider feeling bad for me. Carla, on the other hand, gave me that motherly touch my fragile emotions needed.

“You look pale. If you’re not feeling well, you should go home and rest.” I don’t have a home, but I don’t say that aloud.

“Thanks, Carla, but I think being here will do more good than anything else.”

She smiles and nods her head. “You’re probably right, but if anything changes, you let me know, sweetheart.”

For the next five hours, I was given the best dose of unconditional love a person can receive. By the time I went back and crashed at my sister’s, my horrible day and mood were behind me.

“I’M HUNGRY. DO YOU WANT
a burger? I’m going out.”

Chad looks away from the TV. “Sure. I could eat.”

“I’m almost positive you’ve never turned down food.”

Chad laughs. “Whatever. I’ll take my usual.”

“I’ll be back,” I warn as I grab my keys and walk down to my SUV. I’m almost to my vehicle when I hear what sounds like people arguing. I do my best to keep my eyes from wandering when I hear Lennie’s voice.

“I don’t need someone like you in my life,” Lennie shouts at an older man who towers over her.

“Lennie, please stop,” Jodi begs.

“No, I won’t stop!” she screams. “I’m sick of this fucking shit. I’m not going to live under your thumb or play by your rules so you can butt right the hell out of my business.”

“Lennie,” Jodi says louder before tugging on her arm. “This is where I live. Keep your voice down.”

“I should’ve known you’d take his side.”

“If you didn’t act like a disrespectable brat she wouldn’t have to,” the man firmly says.

“You know what, screw you both. I’m out of here,” Lennie snarls before taking off in the opposite direction I’m parked.

I should walk away, but for some reason, I can’t make my feet move.

“Sorry, Dad. I was hoping this time would be different.”

Dad?
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that Lennie would talk to her own father that way. I haven’t always had the best relationship with my family, but I’d never talk to my mom or dad the way Lennie apparently does.

I shouldn’t feel disappointed, but for some reason...I do.

***

NOTHING I’VE DONE HAS MADE
Lennie Jacobs go away. I’ve tried being rude, I’ve tried ignoring her, but she doesn’t seem to care. I work from home rather than an office because I prefer being alone. Outside of when I’m forced to visit my family or when I go to get food, I rarely leave the apartment. I even put up one hell of a fight when Chad demands I go out with him, but I’ve embraced a smooth, quiet life that I do my best to keep far away from the turbulent outside world.

However, everything changed the day Lennie knocked on my door asking for oil. From that moment forward, my normal, peaceful life blew up in smoke. For some reason, she appears to be on a mission to
fix
me, although I’m positive I’m not broken.

She was nice enough to give me advance warning that she’d be by today to take me out. I cringe thinking about what she has planned. Normally, I work around the clock, including the weekends, but today I made sure I had everything necessary done first thing in the morning.