Page 2 of Extra Grumpy
“Goddamn it.” Rock sighs, like he knew it was going to happen. He doesn’t see the charm in my apartment—to him, it’s just an old building with old building problems. “Is your place okay?”
“I got a lot of the water cleaned up. But it sounds like repairs might take a while. It’s fine, though. It could have been worse.”
“Is that what your landlord said?” Rock asks, looking extra pissed.
“No.I’msaying it could have been worse.”
“He’s putting you up in a hotel while it gets fixed, right?”
“I’m going to stay with my parents.” I grab another lime and start slicing it. “They’ll love having me home for a while.”
Protectiveness flares in his eyes. “Em, you hate staying with your parents.”
“I’m sure it will only be a short while.”
“No. I’m not going to let you do that. You’ll stay with me.”
I throw him a bewildered look. “You don’t have a guest bedroom.”
“You can have my bed. I’ll take the couch.”
“Nope. I amnotkicking you out of your own bed.” I dry my hands and grab a stack of drink menus to put out on the tables. Rock follows close behind.
“You’re going to go crazy staying with them,” he says. “Plus you’ll have to commute all that distance to and from work. It makes way more sense for you to stay with me.”
“Wewill go crazy if I stay with you,” I point out. “We already drive each other crazy working together.”
“You don’t drive me crazy.” He pauses. “Is that really how you feel?”
The way his brows furrow so deeply, I can’t help but burst out laughing. “Rock! Weconstantlybicker about stuff. You’re my best friend, and I love you, butyes, you drive me crazy sometimes.”
“I don’t mean to.”
His voice is gentler when he says that. Apologetic. I set down another drink menu and throw him a smile. “I know you don’t. It’s just the way we are.”
When everything’s set up at the bar, I step into the back office for a moment to call my mom about staying with them. But before I can, I see the last text my mom sent me and it gives me pause. I love my parents dearly, but I’ve also been feeling pretty annoyed with my mom lately because of her relentless attempts at matchmaking.
Rock is right—staying with my parentswilldrive me crazy, even if it’s only for a few days. My mom has been bad enough with all the texts she’s been sending me; in person, she’s going to be even worse. Last time I had dinner with my parents it was all she could talk about.
Do I really want to deal with that? I know I could handle it if I had no other choice, but if Rock is giving me another option…
I put my phone away and walk out of the back office. Rock is checking our liquor bottles, a concentrated look on his face. I chew on my bottom lip as I think. I love that we get to spend our days together running a business, but when was the last time we hung out as friends away from the bar? This could be an opportunity for us to hang out the way we always used to, just enjoying each other’s company as friends.
Maybe thereisa silver lining to a burst pipe after all.
2
ROCK
I’ll never understand why Emily loves this damn apartment so much. I know she thinks it’s charming and shit, but old faulty pipes are exactly the kind of stuff you have to deal with when you live in an old apartment. And then her landlord doesn’t even offer to put her up in a hotel? For fuck’s sake. Ridiculous.
I need to stop glaring at the hole in her wall and feeling exasperated about her having to deal with shit like this. Pretty soon we’ll be over at my apartment and she’ll be safe and sound.
I turn away and shove my hands in my pockets. My fingertips brush against the short length of ribbon in my pocket and I rub my thumb over its satiny texture. It’s a wonder I haven’t lost it after all these years.
“Okay,” Emily calls from the other room, sliding a closet door shut. “I think I’ve got everything I need.”
I walk out of the bathroom and glance around her place, looking for anything she might have missed that she’ll want to have. My eyes land on the old stuffed teddy bear that’s sitting on her couch, and the corner of my mouth ticks up in a small smile.Some years ago, Em dragged me to a state fair. I won the teddy bear for her at a game of dart throw. That old thing has sure seen better days, but I’m glad to see she’s kept it.
