Page 53 of My Best Friend's Dad

“No.” Mika points at the barn-find bear up on the bookshelf in the living room. The condo is small, and you can see from the door through the kitchen to the living room. The stairs to go to the second floor are right at the entrance. “No, don’t let the bear invade your soul and plant dark thoughts. Just a bike and some tattoos would do. No need to become a one percenter.”

How does she even know what that means?

“Don’t have a heart attack, Dad. I’m not interested in dating a biker or getting one for myself. I was joking. Mostly. Tattoos are great though.”

Mika will do what she wants to do, but I’m partly relieved. For now.

Bellatrix repours the one mug full of steaming water and then nods at the cups. “Matcha, so we have the energy to tackle this.”

“What’s the game plan?”

Bellatrix laughs. “First, I have to get changed. Second, I guess look at the inspiration photos, match what you bought, and give it a go.”

“Just like that?”

She visibly bites the inside of her cheek, putting on a brave face. “I think so. If it’s bad, we can always take it off and paint over it, right?”

“Right. And you said you wanted to do the flooring, so we don’t have to worry about making a mess.”

“I do. It’s just old roll laminate, and it’s not doing well.”

Mika walks over and wraps an arm around Bellatrix’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, babe. We’ve got this. When all thecolors are up, and the place looks like five billion dollars, we can go to the flooring store and pick something out.”

Bellatrix shakes her head. “I can’t let you pay for that.”

Mika shrugs. “You can. And you will.”

“Mika, I—”

“It’s all my dad’s money anyway. I have lots of it saved up. More than I’ll ever know what to do with. Let me spoil you. If you ever sell this place and make a profit because of the renovations, you can pay me back then. I’ll give you all the receipts.”

Bellatrix elbows Mika. “You know exactly what to say to make me agree.”

“That’s part of being your bestie. Mind reading powers and the sister soul-to-soul connection.” Mika pauses, and I can practically see it coming—the inappropriate ending she’s going to tag on. She cues me with a wink in my direction. “If you want one of those with my dad, I think that’d be awesome.”

Bellatrix sputters, coughing. “Sorry,” she rasps. “Lingering cough from the cold.”

“You’ve been over it for days.”

“It’s still lingering,” Bellatrix insists. “I’m going to go change.”

“I’ll start setting everything out where I think it will look best, and we’ll go from there. Is your ladder in the basement?”

“That’s right.” Bellatrix’s cheeks are pink. She ducks her face as she races past me and takes the stairs two at a time.

I give Mika my best stern dad look, but she sticks her tongue out at me and then says, “Be a darling and go down to the creepy unfinished basement of dungeon doom and get the ladder?”

I nod but walk over to the kitchen counter where Mika’s standing. “If this is going to happen, it has to happen naturally. No forcing it.”

“By that logic, you can’t force against it either then,” she insists.

It’s safer to get the ladder than to continue this conversation, so I do. The basement is fine and not scary at all. It’s pretty much empty but warm and dry, with a few boxes on a pallet in the corner and a pop-up table with a few toolboxes.

Bellatrix is back and helping Mika by the time I make my way up the stairs. The ladder is long and precarious, and I don’t want to punch holes in the drywall on the narrow staircase.

Bellatrix has changed into a pair of tight-fitting overalls that give her a wedgie. The attractive kind. She’s also got a short, fitting, cropped black tee on underneath that shows off the slightest scrap of creamy skin.

“Even Bellatrix has tattoos,” Mika drops as soon as I crest the landing and shut the door to the basement.