“Right. If I start now—like right now, I can have the info for advertising by the end of March.”
“I’ll let you run with it. I’m going to put Freya on finding advertisers for your new podcast.”
“Podcast?”
“Of course. There’s plenty of demand for two shows.” She paused for a second. “You won’t have time to do much work for the original Short Shorts, but I’d love it if you’d continue to host. Would that be stretching you too thin?”
She thought for a moment, then jumped in. “I’d love to have one day a month in the city. I’ll make it work,” she said, reaching up to high-five Lisbet, who was unaware there was anything to celebrate.
***
Casey hadn’t been coming by as often ever since their fight, so Avery texted her to invite her to dinner. Inviting people to her parents’ house was a little ballsy, but she’d make up for it by stopping at the grocery store on the way to her mom’s. Delivering the raw materials for dinner had to trump the rudeness of inviting people without prior permission.
***
When Avery showed up at the house at the end of the day, a familiar warmth infused her chest when she saw Casey’s big truck parked in front of the house. Even though she was still coming by every two or three days, Lisbet clearly missed her on the ones she skipped. Her mom reported that the baby would start watching the door in the late afternoon, twitching with excitement every time she heard a big engine go by. But Avery didn’t relate that fact to Casey. If she wanted to be less involved, that was clearly her right, and making her feel guilty about it wasn’t kind.
When she entered the house, Lisbet didn’t even hear her, since she was too busy playing to notice. Casey was lying on her back, legs up in the air, with Lisbet lying on the bottoms of her stockinged feet, flying. She looked like she was about to pass out from laughing, with her arms and legs sticking straight out, her head held high, exhibiting her impressive neck muscles. Casey had a good hold on her, of course, but it was obvious Lisbet thought she was doing it all on her own.
Avery whipped her phone out of her pocket and took a movie, with neither the plane nor the pilot noticing her. After switching over to photo mode, she took a few snaps, thinking she’d make one her screen saver.
Casey finally turned her way, saying, “I’d wave, but this pilot hasn’t logged many hours in the simulator.”
“That’s one very happy pilot,” Avery said. The baby finally noticed her, squealing with delight. “I think she’s so happy because she thinks she’s really mastered something.” She tickled under her chin, with Lisbet shutting her eyes and sneezing, just like a puppy might.
“She has. It was a very short time ago that we had to hold her head up. Now she’s strong enough to fly!” She bent her knees and straightened them a few times, with Lisbet’s eyes growing wide at the changing altitude, but still laughing.
“Our little girl’s growing up,” Avery said, already feeling wistful for her infancy, which hadn’t even been gone a month.
“She sure is. Will you go into the kitchen and bring her something she really likes? A date or an orange slice or something? When I stop this, which I need to do in like two seconds, she’s going to cry her head off.”
“I’m on it,” Avery said, racing into the kitchen before the flight simulator collapsed.
***
Dinner was still a ways off, and Avery stayed in the living room with her dad and Casey so that Lisbet had more things to hold onto while she “walked.”
“Lisbet,” she said. “Where’s Fuzzy?”
The baby searched the room, seeing her teddy bear on the floor near the door.
“Go get Fuzzy,” Avery said. “She wants to play with us, I think.”
The kid took off, holding onto an end table, then the sofa, then a chair. She was about three feet away when she realized she didn’t have any more support. She dropped to her knees, then crawled the rest of the way before plunking down on her butt, then grabbing the toy roughly and clasping it to her chest, grinning with satisfaction.
“Way to go!” Casey said. She crawled over to the baby, waited until Lisbet’s hand was in the air, then high-fived her. “High fives,” she said, always naming her actions. Avery watched her, thinking she was training the baby just the way you’d train a dog. But it was super cute, and might actually work.
“She’s growing up too fast,” her mom said, coming into the room and gazing at the baby with a melancholy expression. “She’ll be walking within a week, then she’ll be in school. In Brooklyn,” she added, making a face.
“Um, the going to school in Brooklyn thing might still be true,” Avery said. “But I have some news on that front.” All eyes turned to her, with even Lisbet mirroring the others. “I can guarantee Lisbet will spend the summer right where she is.”
“All summer?” her mom asked.
“All summer. Helena loves the idea of Hudson Valley Short Shorts, and she’s assigning me a couple of interns right away. I’m going to be ridiculously busy, but we’ll be here.” She didn’t add that she might be in a different apartment, because that would send her mom on another campaign to get them to move back into the house. One thing at a time.
Casey reached out and caught Lisbet as she fell while trying to cruise around the room still holding her bear. She was smiling, and seemed happy, but she merely said, “She’ll love her first full summer here. Lots of pool parties at my place.” She leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll have to start shopping for a swim coverup.” She looked up at Avery. “So you’re happy about this?”
“Well, I feel awful about not being able to share childcare with Rebecca. She was really counting on me, and is having trouble finding anyone who wants the same setup.” Her mouth widened into a big grin. “But, yeah, personally, I’m very happy about it. I’m going to get a second try at something that means a lot to me, while getting to enjoy summer here.” She couldn’t stop herself from adding, “I hope I get one of those invites to the pool.”
“If you’re happy, we’re happy. High fives!” she said, gently smacking Lisbet’s hand when she raised it.
Avery watched Casey when she could do so without making it obvious. She definitely seemed pleased, but not nearly as pleased as Avery had thought she’d be. Ever since their fight, she’d been a little tamped down. Avery had thought she might be imagining it, but tonight made it clear. Casey had started to pull away. No doubt about it.
***
Casey had taken to going out with the people from work on non-sports nights, meeting a couple of guys at one of the many bars and brewpubs in the Hudson Valley. Some of the guys swore these were professional events, checking out the competition. But she knew they were just twenty-something single guys who didn’t want to stay home if there was anyplace else to go.
Tonight they were going to a place in Catskill, and she was driving, as usual. Swinging by the family dining room to check in with her parents before she left, she heard her father say, “I’m trying to get her out, Marsha, but she’s paid me for February, so it’s not going to be as easy as I thought it was.”
Casey pulled out a chair and looked at her dad, who avoided her gaze. “Are you talking about Avery?”
“Uh-huh,” he said, reaching for another helping of string beans. “That house I’m going to build in Germantown might be ready to go in June. If I have time to squeeze in the upgrades at your grandmother’s place before I start on the new house, I can list it while all of the summer people are around to take a look.” He held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear your opinion, by the way. This is business.”
“I realize that,” she said, fighting to keep the anger from her voice. “When did you tell Avery you wanted her out?”
He shrugged. “A week ago? Maybe two? And before you get your back up, I offered the girl three free months of rent if she promised to leave by May.”
She stared at him, astounded. “You offered her three thousand dollars to leave early?”
<
br /> “I did,” he said, looking proud of himself.
“Why didn’t you talk to me about it?”
“I said it’s business,” he said, his expression turning into a glower.
“Great. What’s the business end of the deal?”
“What do you mean?”
“How much work are you planning on doing?”
“As little as possible. New kitchen, new bath. I’ll have to bring the wiring up to code, and there will be plumbing problems, since there always are.” His brow furrowed as he thought, and she could almost see the calculations adding up in his head. “I’ll have to do something to get the damn water heater and laundry out of the kitchen, but I’m sure the town won’t let me knock down a wall.” He mumbled, “I wouldn’t complain if the place burned down…”
“Ignoring the arson angle, what’s that going to cost?
He shrugged. “Doing the minimum, it’ll take eight weeks, and that’s if I’ve got all of my subs lined up.”
She stared at him for a minute, trying to figure out this new info. “Why are you doing the minimum? I thought the whole point was to lure some rich weekenders into overpaying.”
“Well, that was my plan, but then I had a real estate guy I trust run the comps for me. I wouldn’t be able to sell it for more than two fifty or three, and that’s if I refinished the wood floors and took the paint off the molding. The shell is historic, and that’s worth something, but the place has been ruined by renovations. That kitchen’s from the thirties, and there isn’t one single original element left. I guess I could luck out and find some idiot who’s willing to overpay for the exterior, but that would take a colossal dunce.”
“I had no idea,” Casey said, truly stunned. “I thought you were going to spend a few hundred thousand and be able to turn it around for a million.”
“A million!” He laughed. “Maybe you’re my dunce. No one’s going to pay that kind of money for a small house with no original elements, especially when the city will give them fits if they try to add onto the footprint. The house is only two thousand square feet, you know. Rich people won’t stand for less than three, preferably four.”
“But the plot is huge. Wouldn’t that interest some buyers? The privacy would be worth a lot…”
“Not important,” he said dismissively. “You’re stuck with a small house that you’ll never be able to make big enough to have lots of weekend guests and parties. Having land you can’t develop is the same as not having land. “
“Mmm. It would be to me,” Casey said.
“Well, you’re not a rich person from Manhattan, are you. Do you know the city won’t even let me build a garage unless I give it a stone face? Do you have any idea how much that would cost? Ridiculous,” he said, stabbing at his dinner angrily with his fork.
Her body began to tingle as she saw her future opening up for the first time in years. “What’s it worth now?”
“Mmm.” He thought for a minute, and she could see how much he loved stuff like this. He should have flipped houses full time, since he loved being able to turn a nasty little place into some quick cash without having a homeowner looking over his shoulder. “Exactly as it is now? Ninety-five. If I do the minimum, it’ll cost me about seventy-five in labor, and probably fifteen in materials. Add ten for cost overruns, and I’m out a hundred thousand.”
“What do you think you could sell it for then?”
“Two fifteen if I’m lucky. But since I’ll have only invested a hundred, I’ll be happy.”
She looked at her mom, who was playing a game on her phone, then turned back to her dad. She knew her voice would shake if she let herself feel the excitement bubbling just under the surface, so she tried to stay cool. “How much do you want for it—as is.”
He laughed, then took a bite of his chicken. “You don’t have the skills to fix it up. Trust me on that. I’ll admit you did a good job on the workshop, but your grandmother’s place will require serious skill. There aren’t many people around who could even give you advice on what to do, much less how do it.”
“You’re probably right. But I didn’t ask you if you think it’s a good idea. I asked how much you’d want.”
“For you?” He smiled, clearly finding this funny. “One twenty-five.”
“What’s one twenty-five?” her mother asked, looking up.
Her father pointed at her with his fork. “Casey thinks she’s going to take your mom’s house and turn it into Gerritsen Manor.”
“What?” her mom stared at her.
“I didn’t say that, and I wouldn’t even try. But I’d like to have my own place, and I think it would be cool to live in the house my ancestors built. Besides, I think Grandma would like me to have it.”
“Oh, honey, that place should be torn down! Why do you want to move? I’ve always assumed you’d take over this house after we’re gone.”
“Um, you’re not even sixty-five, Mom. You could live for another thirty years—easily. I appreciate the thought, but I’ve got to flap my wings at some point.”
“You’ve waited thirty-six years to flap ’em at all,” her dad said. “Sure they still work?”
“Only one way to find out. You’re overcharging me, which is kind of shitty, but if your conscience doesn’t bother you, have your attorney draw up the contract. I’m going to shorten your ‘to do’ list.” Her dad was looking at her like she’d lost it, but she added one thing. “Since you haven’t asked me to run to the bank for you, I assume you haven’t deposited Avery’s rent check for February.”
He just raised an eyebrow, not responding otherwise.
“I want to give that back to her.”
“Fine,” he said, giving her a smirk. “Now you owe me one twenty-six.”
***
On the first of March, Avery pulled the curtains in the living room aside to see Casey’s truck pull up. It was just seven in the morning, and she’d been feeding Lisbet some mashed avocado, which was now all over her cheeks. After tossing a throw over the baby to keep her warm, she opened the door, grateful to note the wind that rushed in was only moderately cold. “Hi there,” she said while Casey was still walking up the sidewalk. “What’s up?”
“Why didn’t you tell me my father tried to push you out of here?” She entered the house when Avery held the door open, then bent over and acted like she was going to nibble the avocado from Lisbet’s face, making her laugh and try to push her away.
Following her in, Avery said, “Um…he asked me not to?” She made a face, knowing her excuse wasn’t a good one. “It was the day I had to go into the city for my podcast, and I ran into him at the espresso place.”
“Uh-huh,” Casey said, gazing at her soberly while she took off her jacket, the army-green khaki one that made her shoulders look so broad. Then she took the baby from Avery, carried her into the kitchen, and wiped her face. She set her onto the floor, letting Lisbet grab one finger as they started to walk around the large, mostly empty rooms.
“Hey! We’re eating here. I just got about three calories into her, and now the battle’s lost.”
“She’s got energy, doesn’t she?” Casey raised an eyebrow.
“Yes,” Avery sighed. “She’s at the low end of the weight range for her age, but she’s got tons of energy. I should let her eat when she wants.”
Casey squatted down and made a silly face. “Your mommy gets malts and chili dogs, but you haven’t even had sugar yet. Since you’re fueling your little engine with healthy stuff, you don’t have the same cravings we do.” She looked up at Avery with a sweet smile on her face. “We should all model Lisbet.” She stood again and started to walk. “So…you met my dad having an espresso. What happened next?”
“Oh, right. He told me about getting ready to build a new house, and he thought he could renovate this place before he started on that. Eventually, he offered me three months free rent, and all I had to do was promise to be out by May. So tempting!”
Casey moved Lisbet closer, stand
ing right in front of Avery as her warm brown eyes bore into her. “That’s when you started to look at apartments in Brooklyn?”
“Uh-huh,” she said, always having a tough time staying on track when Casey was this close and giving her this much undivided attention.
“So you were just trying to cover your bases?”
“I guess so. I had lunch with Rebecca, and she’d been dreaming up this child care idea, something I hadn’t known she was doing. She’d found an apartment she thought I might like, and since I had the time I went over to look at it. My mistake was telling my mom, who blabbed to you.”
“And I jumped all over you,” Casey said. She looked like she was apologizing, but she didn’t say those actual words. The expression on her face was actually better than words, anyway, since the look in her eyes was more powerful than a prepared speech.
“I can still feel your boot print on my shoulder…”
Lisbet was tired of standing still, so she pulled Casey along, taking her into the completely empty dining room. She was tall enough to look out the windows there, and she planted herself to stare at the icicles dripping fat drops of melting water onto the ground.
“I’m sorry for jumping on you, Avery. Besides all of the other reasons I owed you an apology, I didn’t give you a chance to explain.”
“It’s all right.” Avery followed them into the dining room, and gave Casey a friendly scratch across her shoulders.
“It is now,” she said, turning to smile. “You’ve got a new landlord.” She took a slip of paper from her back pocket and handed it over. “I’m going to honor the deal my dad offered you. You don’t have to pay rent until May.”
“What?” She stared at the check, the one she’d given Casey three weeks earlier. “You’re my landlord?”
She put her hands in the pockets of her jeans and simply stood there, looking smug.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on? Or do I have to guess?”
“I’ll tell you, since I don’t think you’d get it very quickly and I’ve got to get to work.”
“What are you talking about?” Avery demanded, acknowledging they were playing a game, but being very uncertain of the rules.
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