The Right Move

by Amy Sparling

I want my house back but I’m not going to impose on the fun down there. Alexa can have her night, and tomorrow everything will be back to normal.

  The blonde chick really acted like she was hiding something shitty, a secret that threatened to push her over the edge. I could tell she was using incredible effort to shield her emotions and hide behind whatever troubles she had.

  I heave a dramatic sigh and lean back into the pillows, allowing them to swallow me while I watch the ceiling fan spin around. I don’t know why the cute girl is consuming my mind. I don’t have time to take on a charity case. Besides, with the way I’ve been screwed around lately, maybe she was only pretending to have a problem in the hopes that she could swoop me up and use me for all I’m worth.

  Yeah, that’s probably it.

  I guess I drift off to sleep for a little while because when I wake up, the TV is still on. One of those late-night talk show hosts is on, buttering up a celebrity I don’t recognize as they laugh hysterically at a joke that’s not even slightly amusing.

  Blinking, I rub my groggy eyes and turn over to check the time again. It’s after midnight. Surely book club is over by now. I smack my lips, feeling the parchment of thirst in my throat after my little nap. I need to grab some water, so I throw the sheets off and climb off the bed, relishing in a lengthy stretch.

  Yawning, I pull open my bedroom door and find the house quiet and still, completely empty at last, to my relief. I venture downstairs, flicking on the light above my head so I don’t trip and fall.

  When I get to the kitchen, the lights are still on and there is a fresh batch of cookies on top of a cooling rack on the island. Peanut butter cookies. The best kind. There is another gigantic tray of them on the opposite counter and I find Alexa not far off, scrubbing a few remaining dishes from her party.

  Before she notices me, I pop a cookie in my mouth and holy hell, it melts perfectly on my tongue. It’s the perfect blend of creamy peanut butter flavor and delicious sugar. I could live on nothing but these cookies for the rest of my life.

  Alexa’s talents exceed anything I’ve ever seen in my life, and I can’t believe how lucky I am to have scored her in the genetic gene pool as a cousin. Her back is turned away from me, and the water makes a hissing sound as it streams from the faucet above.

  I don’t want to startle her, so I glance around and notice that the kitchen is sparkling clean. I could probably eat a meal off the hard wood floors, they are gleaming so freshly. She wasn’t kidding about cleaning up after herself.

  I crane my neck to look into the living room and everything is tidy and put back in its place. The dining room chairs are neatly tucked back in their home under the table. Seeing my house so spotless like this is more than just a polite gesture on Alexa’s behalf. This kind of clever exertion can only mean one thing.

  Alexa wants something else from me.

  A smile stretches across my face. I’m not annoyed in the slightest. If anything, it’s entertaining and I appreciate Alexa’s initiative to take it that extra mile to get what she wants. I clear my throat to announce my presence and Alexa spins around after jumping an inch or so in the air.

  I grin at her. “I tried not to startle you, but I can see that idea didn’t pan out so well.”

  She places a shaky hand over her chest and takes a deep breath. “I’m not scared,” she says unconvincingly.

  “You are a great housekeeper. Maybe you should open a cleaning business instead of your bakery.”

  I’m only kidding, and Alexa recognizes my teasing by playfully splashing a few suds on me.

  “Hey there!” I exclaim and flick the ones that land on my bare chest right back at her.

  “I do appreciate you taking extra time out of your night to make the place shine like a new penny,” I tell her. “But you didn’t have to go to all this trouble. The place wasn’t super clean when you got it.”

  “I’m willing to go the extra mile for my cousin,” she says with a grin before turning back to the last few dirty dishes in the sink.

  “So, what’s the catch?” I smile at her and toss her a smug look while crossing my arms over my chest.

  “Catch?” Alexa doesn’t glance up and apparently is deciding to play dumb.

  I gesture around the immaculate kitchen. “Oh, come on.” I chuckle. “You can’t tell me you went the extra mile for nothing.”

  “Okay fine,” she says, caving instantly. “You got me.”

  Damn, I’m good at this game.

  “So…do I need to guess what this additional favor is going to be, or do I get some clues?” I joke.

  Alexa rolls her eyes and shuts off the faucet. She dries her hand on a dish cloth and turns to face me with a feigned look of annoyance on her face. She leans against the counter and places her hands behind her, propping them up on the ledge of the sink.

  “So, spit it out,” I grin at her. “What else do you need? It must be something epic, for all this cleaning.”

  “Oh, stop making fun of me,” she whines but she’s smiling.

  “You know I love messing with you,” I say.

  “Well…” Alexa begins. “I found a tenant for your old apartment!”

  I take a step backwards and shake my head. That is the last thing I would have ever thought she’d say. “No…” I say flatly. It’s not up for debate. “I’m not looking to rent the place out.”

  “Just hear me out…” Alexa says and leans in closer to me.

  I take a deep breath and run a hand through my hair. This is just what I need right now, more bullshit and having to deal with a tenant who won’t pay. I’m not doing it.

  I bought the apartment a few years back after high school. It sits on the outskirts of town and is only one bedroom. It’s a craphole to put it nicely, but at the time of purchase, I was proud to call the place my own and ruled it like a bachelor pad.

  The intentions of buying the place was mainly for the sole purposes of impressing my high school sweetheart at the time. Yeah, it was totally a chick magnet and girls love it when guys are thrifty enough to fend for themselves. The fact that I had my own house that I actually owned gave me major props as boyfriend material.

  In my eyes, me and my new house were destined to have a perfect summer after high school graduation, that is until she cheated on me and shattered my heart.

  I hadn’t even moved into the place before I found out about her going behind my back with another guy. I was enraged. I had to move in by myself which was gut wrenching. I was heartbroken and reminded of her cruelty every night that I had to go to sleep there alone. I’d bought the place for us. Not for myself.

  I lived there a couple of years, until my twenty-first birthday and I got the enormous trust fund that I never knew I had until the day it landed on my doorstep. Now, the apartment sits vacant, as empty as my heart was when I left a few years ago. I stop by there every now and then to check in on the place and make sure there’s no squatters living in it or anything, but other than that it needs some TLC to say the least.

  It’s in poor shape, in disrepair and in desperate need for a renovation. I’m not talking about the kind of renovation where you slap a coat of paint on the walls and call it a day. It would be a massive undertaking to get the place back in a condition to where it would resemble anything like a decent place to live and not in complete squalor.

  I can’t bring myself to sell it and renting it out has never been on my agenda, much less ever grazed past as a thought in my head. I don’t know why it’s occurring to Alexa now.

  “The place is in bad shape,” I explain to Alexa. “To rent it out would mean I would have to go over there and put it back in working order.”

  “It’s for a good cause.” Alexa says, bracing herself for more protests from me as she wrings her hands together.

  “I don’t want to have to deal with the trouble,” I confess.

  “Please big cousin, help out your little cousin,” she begs with a pitiful expression on her face. “You can’t say no to me, I�
�m too cute and sweet.” She bats her eyes for added flare.

  I roll my eyes and shake my head…smiling at her because she knows she’s cracking me. “Alright,” I finally say after making her squirm for a few moments.

  Alexa squeals with delight and bounces up and down on her heels. “Thank you so much Mason. You will not regret this, I can promise you that much.”

  “Fine,” I huff back with fake annoyance. “I’ll rent it out, but the guy you have in mind better be good at renovations because the place is a mess. I mean, it’s a total wreck. I just hope they are handy because I’m too busy these days to fix it up myself.”

  Alexa smirks at me as if she’s got another trick up her sleeve. “I’m sure that she will be up for the challenge.”

  Chapter 11

  The next morning, I do as Alexa previously instructed and lug my belongings into my car to head over to her bakery. I have no idea what to expect or what she has in store for me, but I pray it’s something that will work out.

  To be honest, I’m plum exhausted and turning into an emotional wreck. I don’t recognize myself anymore, and I need a profound pick-me-up, something to boost my moral. For once, I don’t think a cupcake will solve this depression. I just hope that whatever Alexa suggests will be a venture I can get on board with, something reasonable and not outlandish, like couch surfing with strangers.

  Of course, I have no reason not to trust Alexa. She is so kind and compassionate, and her customers sure do seem to love her…along with anyone else whose path she lights up, including mine. She has a calming nature about her, a demeanor that reels you in. I’m going to implore confidence in her and hope for the best. Still, when you’re officially homeless, it’s hard to hope for anything.

  I heave my final bag into my car and get behind the wheel, ready to say goodbye to grandma’s house forever. I’m torn between staring at it in the rearview mirror and never looking back. Either way, it’s going to be painful.

  I take a deep breath and close my eyes, gripping the steering wheel before I crank up the engine and drive away. I just need a moment of silence for both myself, and for grandma’s estate. I just pray that whoever takes my place will care for the home the way I did, regarding its history and all the little quirks that make it such a great country home.

  I roll down all four of my car windows, not because I want to allow the gentle spring breeze to flow through, but because the air conditioner is broken, and I have no other choice. As soon as the heat of summer starts to pick up each year, I am totally screwed. My car makes damn sure that my makeup and hair will look horrible in the summer months.

  I hate being down on my luck, and as I drive the familiar roads to the bakery on Main Street, all I can do is keep telling myself it’s going to be okay. Something will work out. Something has to.

  There is still a part of me wondering if I’m crazy for doing this, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I have to go with the flow and it’s not like there are employers out there lining up to beg me to take a position. I’m a first year college drop out and have no experience other than caring for my grandma, and that doesn’t make a very good resume.

  My options are limited, and even though I don’t have any bakery experience, or register handling experience for that matter, I’ll make sure I learn quickly and do a wonderful job for Alexa. At this rate, I should be groveling at Alexa’s feet because she is coming to my rescue. I park my car on a side street because I don’t want all of my belongings to be exposed to all the people passing by. I also don’t want to take up a parking space that could be used for real customers.

  It’s not a far walk to the bakery, and once I get inside, I’m greeted by Alexa herself. She’s bright eyed and confident, looking beautiful in her seamless makeup and long floral print dress.

  “Good morning!” She beams at me and gives me a friendly wave from the back of the bakery.

  “Hi,” I wave shyly as the door chimes behind me.

  The bakery isn’t open to customers yet, and Keesha isn’t here yet so it’s just the two of us. I’m not normally a morning person, but I can’t complain if I’m going to be getting paid to rise and shine a little earlier than I’m accustomed to. This job is important.

  Alexa ties an apron over her dress and walks up to me. “Come on,” she says brightly. “I’ll show you around.”

  “That sounds good to me,” I say with a warm smile. “I’m excited to start working.”

  “I’m excited to have you. We are always in need of loyal, decent help around here. I do all the baking, which is what I’m good at, but everything else needs work.”

  “I’m happy to join the team,” I say with a grin. I’ve never been much of a baker, but I can clean, organize, and talk to customers. As far as I’m concerned, I can do anything she needs me to because I’m not losing this job.

  The bakery itself is adorable with cute, feminine accents and an overall cozy feel to it that makes me want to live here forever, surviving on baked goods and pastels.

  Alexa shows me around the front, but I’ve been in here as a customer so I know most of it already. Then we go through a set of swinging double doors that lead to the employee only section of the bakery. It’s just past the kitchen and looks clean and organized.

  Alexa points to a keypad on the wall, and next to it is a computer. “I’ll give you the code to get inside the store if you are on the schedule to open,” she instructs.

  I nod. “That sounds perfect.”

  “You’ll use this computer to clock in and out,” she tells me. “Your employee number will just be your birthday, the month and day.”

  “Cool,” I say and glance at the computer. “It looks easy enough.”

  “Everything will be a breeze, you’ll see.” Alexa is so smooth and friendly I know she must be right.

  “I bake my cupcakes fresh every day,” Alexa boasts proudly as we walk back to the kitchen. “So I’m usually here around six in the morning, but you don’t need to get here until a few minutes before we open. Oh, I almost forgot the best part!” Alexa chimes. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

  She jogs through the double doors again leading to the back and comes out a few seconds later carrying an apron.

  “For you,” she grins and hands it to me with a flourish. “Your fashion accessory to join the bakery team. As soon as you put it on, you will officially be one of us.”

  I place the apron over my head and tie the strings around my back.

  “How do I look?” I laugh as I do a little twirl spin.

  Alexa claps as if she’s judging a runway model. “Simply marvelous darling,” she croons in a fake British accent.

  I do a little curtsey bow before we head back to the front of the bakery.

  “So here is the cash register,” Alexa says and gives it a pat. “Her name is Sweetie.”

  I laugh. “That’s so cute. Of course, you would be the type to name your cash register.”

  “You know me all too well,” Alexa says with a giggle and then pats Sweetie again. “Now I must tell you, Sweetie may look intimidating, but you don’t need to pay attention to half the stuff on here.”

  “Okay,” I say and furrow my brow in concentration, ready to learn how to use the machine. It’s a newer technology, a cash drawer attached to an iPad on a swivel, so you swipe the credit cards and then turn it around to let the customer sign with their finger.

  Alexa gives me instructions on how to make the sales, open the drawers and give cash back. She says some days we go without ever using cash at all since most people use credit cards. It seems simple enough, just like she promised. By the end of the tour and the training, I’m sure I can do this job after all.

  By the time she’s finished showing me how the daily operations of the shop work, it’s time to switch the closed sign to open and start allowing customers inside.

  She stays with me at the register for a few sales, just until I get the hang of it. Most of the patrons are accommodating and patie
nt with me as I work diligently trying to learn my new trade. All of the people who come in the first hour seem like regulars, just like how Grandma and me used to be.

  A couple of hours later, I clock out for a minor coffee break. I’m in the back, pouring creamer into my cup when Alexa approaches me again. At first, my heart drops through my chest because I don’t know if she’s here to reprimand me or lecture me about something. It’s a little weird having a person go from friend to boss in such a short time.

  When I see that she’s smiling, relief washes over me.

  “Best coffee ever,” I say, stirring my coffee with a little brown stirring stick.

  “Tel me about it,” she says, patting her hands on her apron. “You are doing a fantastic job, I just want to let you know.”

  “Thank you. It’s just my first day, but I totally love it here.”

  Alexa’s eyes sparkle, and I don’t think it’s from my compliment. “I have some more good news for you.”

  “You mean besides giving me a job?” I ask and take a sip of my coffee, intrigued.

  “Mmm-hmmm,” Alexa says cryptically as she twirls on her heel and grabs a cup to make her own coffee.

  There is a little lull in the customers, but Alexa explained that there are parts of the day where they are busier than others and that it’s normal to experience a shift in the amounts of people we get coming in and out. That must be why she decided to come talk to me now.

  “So, what’s this good news you speak of?” I ask and raise my eyebrows, unable to contain my excitement for a minute longer.

  “Well…” Alexa begins, deliberately taking her time before spitting it out. “I have this cousin. He’s got a rental property just on the outskirts of town. It’s not terribly far away or anything,” she says with a reassuring tone.

  I think I have a pretty good idea of what direction she’s heading with this, but I let her keep going without interrupting.

  “The apartment is one bedroom and it’s been vacant for a while. He’s willing to allow you to rent it from him. For pretty cheap.”

  “Are you serious?” I squeak with excitement.