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He draws me in tightly, like he did in the apartment, as if he thinks I should get used to having him around, having him to rely on. That kind of thinking will be the ruination of me. I force myself to stand away from him—or as far as he will allow, which is about a hand’s distance from his side.
“I don’t believe you,” Mindy retorts with narrowed eyes and a suspicious tone.
“It’s none of your business,” Cal replies coolly.
“It is if you’re lying about the marriage to get the co-op board’s approval.” Mindy juts out her chin.
“Are you seriously suggesting that I am engaged in a fake romance for an apartment here at The Grand? No offense, Gertie.” Cal shifts his attention toward the president instead of Mindy. “Because while this is a beautiful place, I do own my own home. Several, in fact.”
“Yes, yes. We all know you are Midas here in the city, but the fact that you are marrying actually gives me more concern than granting approval to Harlow as a single woman. You’re both going to live elsewhere, and the apartment will be left unoccupied. Upkeep of the apartment has always been our concern. Obviously Harlow has the means to take care of it now, but if it’s only going to be abandoned, it seems like it should be sold to tenants who would be better suited to live in our community.”
“I’m going to, I mean, we’re going to live here,” I interject. Cal has too much money to be going along with my fraud, and now it’s going to bite me in the ass. I’m going to have to break up with him and find a new fake fiancé, but that’s going to look even worse to the co-op board. How do I get myself into these situations?
“Let’s go inside and you can present your case to the board.” Gertie opens the library door and heads inside. Mindy follows with a triumphant look on her face.
“You’ve got some explaining to do,” I hiss to Calix, who won’t let go of my hand.
“I know. I’ll answer everything after the meeting. Stick with the plan for today. You can always say we broke up later.”
I hate that he makes sense. Calix doesn’t know everyone, but he greets Bob, Gertie’s rival, and talks some baseball with him. He’s at ease in this room while I feel like I’m at a baseball game dressed in glitter pumps and a tulle skirt. Maybe I should sell the apartment and move on. I could take that money and set up my own agency, like Ariel suggested. My stomach lurches at the thought. This place was my safe haven when I was growing up. Selling it would be like selling part of my soul.
Gertie sits at the head of the table and bangs an actual gavel that her dad used when he was a state court judge. That’s the story that she tells, at least. Grams said that Gertie’s dad had a reputation for being mean and handing out harsh sentences. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Grams had remarked more than once.
I hope that means people think of me as warm and kind since that was Grams’ reputation. I want to be seen as the fruit of her tree.
“We’re here for the regular meeting of The Grand Advisory Committee. Today’s agenda includes three items for voting. Because we have guests, we’ll address the last item first and vote on it. When that concludes, we will move on to the new recycling and trash contract bids as well as the outdoor landscaping services.”
“Why is 2B here?” asks Bob.
“It’s Mindy Morton, Bob. My Daddy owned Morton Spice, remember? And I’ve told you I hate being referred to by my number. I’m here to give statements in opposition to Agenda Item 3. Pursuant to Article 4 of the Homeowner’s Association, any member may attend a board meeting so long as they do not disrupt the process.” She sniffs and flips one long hank of hair over her shoulder. Mindy has some brains. I’m a little afraid.
Bob grunts and shifts away from Mindy to stare at Gertie. “Why is Line here?”
“He’s my fiancé,” I answer.
“Sounds fake to me,” Bob responds.
Mindy slaps her hand on the table. “Thank you. Since when is Calix Line getting married? He was named the most eligible bachelor just three months ago by Women’s Daily.”
“I never asked for that,” Calix murmurs. “No one asks to be put on that list.”
“Not true,” says Leila Frank. She lives two doors down from Gertie. “Men pay to be put on that list every year because they’re looking for marriage. I haven’t heard that about you, Calix, and really it strikes me more odd that Calix Line would be faking an engagement to help secure ownership of an apartment. He doesn’t need the money and would be able to gain our approval through an outright purchase instead of going through any tomfoolery.” She peers over her glasses at me. “When did you two meet because during the last co-op board meeting, you said you were single.”
Oh, nailed to the cross by my past misdeeds and my lies. “It was recent. We met at a café, and one thing led to another.”
“A café?” Mindy snorts. Even Leila has a slightly disbelieving look on her face.
“A café, Ms. Morton. I like coffee, and I certainly like Harlow.” Calix threads his fingers between mine. “I understand the desire to make sure all the owners of The Grand are financially capable of keeping up the property. No one here doubts that I have the wherewithal to maintain Harlow’s apartment in keeping with the standards expected. I also appreciate your desire to foster a community amongst residents that live here for a long time. The Grand has a history, and it’s partly kept that way by being strict about your rules.”
I find my voice. “Me keeping this apartment, wanting to live here, is exactly what you all want. This apartment has been in my family for thirty years, and I want to keep it for another thirty years and give it to my—our,” I correct with a smile, ”children.”
Calix’s hand tightens over mine, and for a moment, I forget that this is a charade. I let myself pretend that he’s really mine and that the hand squeeze is his way of telling me he’s dreaming the same things as me.
“I admit that keeping up Gram’s apartment may have been difficult for me if there was some major accident like the refrigerator died or the stove blew up, but I can make all the tax payments and maintenance fees without Calix’s help. I’ve got a full-time job, and sure, my income is small now, but it will grow.”
“I spend more on my dog than you make in a year,” Mindy snaps.
“Maybe you need to budget better then,” I return.
