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“Yes, imagine if I moved out and gave him the power over me. How would I then be an example of a strong, independent woman to girls like Anne?” I asked as I smiled at the little girl, and she giggled as she tilted her head to the side. “I’m so strong,” I jokingly said, as I lifted the bags, and she leaned forward, revealing a missing front tooth.
“You’re funny,” she giggled, and my cheeks were starting to hurt because of how much I smiled. She was so precious! “I like your smile.”
“Aw, thank you, Anne. You’re gonna make me cry,” I pouted, and she giggled. I always received compliments about my work ethic and my services, but it was rare for someone to ever compliment my features, and I immediately felt shy when Anne complimented me.
“Aha!” Elise said excitedly. As she pulled the key out of her big bag, Anne and I looked at each other, laughing at how long it had taken her to find her keys, but honestly, it was relatable. “Would you like to come in for some tea, Brooke?”
“Uh, I have to g?—”
“Don’t let her in, or she just might burn your apartment too, Elise.” His voice immediately had me tensed up, while Elise’ smile remained the same, but what had changed was Anne.
She ran toward my nemesis with her arms wide open, screaming out his name in a word I would have never associated him with.
“Daddy!”
“Hello, sweetheart.” I turned around just in time to watch him pick her up with one arm, and press his lips against her temple while his other hand held onto Brady’s leash. “Were you good to Granny Elise?”
“She’s always an angel,” Elise chimed in as she opened her door and beckoned me to come in so that I could put her bags in the kitchen.
Asher was a father?
“And the arsonist?” he teased, and I had to bite my tongue, as I slowly turned around to face him. He has a child, Brooke. Be careful with your words.
“I’m not an arsonist. I almost burned down my apartment, but nothing happened,” I argued, and he put his daughter down as she immediately coddled and played with Brady, and Brady responded by licking her face.
How cute!
“Ah, right,” Asher’s tone was dry as he nodded his head and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at me. “Would you agree with ‘resident fire starter’?”
I hate you.
Elise broke out laughing, and I rolled my eyes, ignoring my embarrassment as I mimicked his posture, refusing to be made the fool in front of people I had just met, and people I would hopefully build a connection with in this lonely building.
“Come on, Asher, she isn’t as dangerous as you make her out to be,” Elise chuckled as she came to my defense, but I also couldn’t register how she just let me go on and on about how much her son and I didn’t get along.
“Yeah, right. She’s just another disaster waiting to happen.” He teased me as he dug around his own tote bag that was filled with groceries, and I stifled a laugh.
He really was a father. I wondered where his wife was. She had probably told him to go with the tote bag so that he wouldn’t have to spend so much money on paying for plastic bags at the store.
“Here you go.” He handed me a box of candles—the safe kind. It literally said so on the side of the box, and his humor was jarring! Just how long was he going to tease me? “Promise me you won’t find a way to make an accidental fire with these candles?”
Ugh! If Anne wasn’t here, or Elise, I would make my sure my fist met that fast mouth of his.
“Why’d you get me candles?” I asked him, his sudden act of kindness made me feel weird because I had no idea what he was planning. However, I simultaneously found it interesting because Asher wasn’t actually brooding.
Was he trying to start over with me again?
“I have a daughter in the building, and you like to burn candles. I’m ensuring her safety,” he said, and he pulled her back with her jacket as she headed for the window, staring intensely at a bug, and she wasn’t the only one. Brady stared at the window with interest, as well.
“Hmm, thanks, I guess. I’ll be sure not to burn down the building specially for you,” I forced a smile, and he smirked as he gave me a special nod. Oh, he was so proud of himself.
Elise patted my arm as she giggled, and I really couldn’t be mad at her for not telling me that I was shit-talking her son because she was so nice. They all were, so why was Asher such a pain in the ass?
“You are interesting, Brooke. I like you,” she said, and my heart fluttered at her kind words. Was that approval from her?
“I like you too, Granny Elise.” I winked at her, and she laughed as she threw her head back. I looked back at Asher and raised the box of candles as I pouted. “So does this mean you will redraw the petition?”
“Don’t be crazy; I still want you out of here.”
