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“Hm,” is all I say.
I go back inside and we do a quick tour of the house. It’s small, and in a perfect world, I’d get a standalone, rather than have to share a wall and a yard with a stranger, but it’s otherwise perfect and, best of all, affordable. Radha knows about my credit situation and thinks that as long as my tenant screening checks out okay otherwise, the owner will be willing to rent to me. The little duplex is about a fifteen-minute walk to the fire station and the price is right.
“One more thing… Pets okay?”
“Oh, you have a pet?” Rahda looks disconcerted. I haven’t mentioned a pet so far.
“Not yet. Sort of thinking about getting a dog.”
Christine and I always argued over whether to get a dog and if so, what kind to get. I probably could have talked her into one of those little toy dogs that fit in a purse, but I had my heart set on something bigger, like a lab or a golden retriever. Fortunately, we didn’t get around to getting one before everything fell apart.
But I still want one, and now seems like it’s as good a time as any.
Radha pulls a phone out of her purse and taps the screen. “I’ll call Noah now and ask.”
I wander back outside while she’s talking. The little grassy space is surrounded by flower beds that look well cared for. Hopefully, the nice, quiet woman next door and I can work something out about the yard. I don’t mind mowing, but gardening isn’t really my thing. Her patio has a small wrought-iron table with a couple of chairs and a lounger with a little side table next to it. On it, there’s a book. I take a step toward it, curious to see what the book will tell me about the occupant, but just then Radha steps outside, saving me from being a nosy neighbor.
“The owner says it’s fine to have a dog,” she says. “But because of your…” she pauses delicately, “situation, he’s asked for a couple of extra references.”
A tight ball of anxiety in my chest that I wasn’t consciously aware of begins to unwind. Since I took the job as station chief in Welkins Ridge, I’ve been renting a little house by the lake on a week-to-week basis. It’s pretty and comes furnished, but it’s pricey, and the rent will go up soon as we move into the high tourist season.
But the worst part is that it feels temporary. It was fine when I first got here, anxious to just get away from the past as quickly as possible, but now I’m ready to put my life back together for real. A year-long lease feels like the first step in putting down roots.
“Absolutely,” I reply. “I’ll send over contact info for the mayor of the town down in Massachusetts where I used to work along with a couple of others.”
References, at least, aren’t a problem. Aside from my disastrous taste in women, there’s not a lot bad to say—I’m a decent guy who works hard, doesn’t cause trouble, and pays his bills on time… when I know about them.
She looks very pleased. “Excellent. No history of evictions, right?”
I shake my head. Christine and I split the bills as long as we were living together and fortunately, rent was my responsibility. On that count, at least, my record is clean.
Radha’s face breaks out in a wide smile. “Wonderful! I just need you to sign a few things and I’ll get the background check started. Then once you pay the first month’s rent and a deposit, I can give you the keys.”
* * *
True to her word, Radha calls the next day while I’m grocery shopping at a big-box store in North Falls. “Your background check was fine and your references were glowing. You got the house if you still want it!” she says, triumph in her voice.
“That’s fantastic!” I tell her, relief sinking in. Take that, Christine.
Christine didn’t deliberately set out to ruin my life—she was too self-involved to realize that’s what she was doing—but every little bit of progress I make in getting my life back feels like I’m triumphing over her diabolical plans to destroy me.
“But there’s a slight catch.”
Radha explains that between the bad credit score and the potential dog, the owner is asking for double the standard deposit amount and asks if that’s all right. I can hear the hesitation in her voice—people with credit scores like mine rarely have a lot of spare cash on hand—but I agree immediately.
The upside of having my life shattered is that I’ve actually been able to save some money. Christine’s antics soured me on spending and I don’t have a credit card I can use right now anyway. The extra large security deposit means sleeping on a camp mattress for a few weeks until I have the cash for a real bed, but that’s not a big deal. I’m not planning on having company anyway.
“Excellent!” The relief in Radha’s voice is evident. She stands to make a small commission, of course, but she’s a nice lady who’s obviously invested in the community. I think she’s genuinely happy to have helped me find a place. “Drop by my office to sign the lease whenever you’re ready. You can move in on Saturday.”
“It’ll have to be Sunday. I’m on duty all Saturday,” I tell her. “But I’ll swing by your office right now and sign the lease. Thank you so much, Radha,” I add. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help with this.”
“I’m happy to help,” she says sincerely. “Have you found a dog yet?”
“No, but as soon as I’ve signed the lease, I’m going to start looking.”
* * *
The perky shelter volunteer’s name tag reads Nessa. She’s young, probably 19 or 20, skinny, with braces and spiky hair.
