“Mitch’ll look at it, that cool with you?” she asked me.
I blinked at her.
No. No it was not cool with me.
What did I do?
I couldn’t have him in my apartment walking through my bedroom to look at my faucet. That would mean he’d be in my apartment. That would mean he’d walk through my bedroom. And that would mean I’d have to speak more than one word to him.
Crap!
I looked to Detective Mitch Lawson and said the only thing I could say.
“That would be really kind.”
He stared at me a second then lifted the bags an inch and muttered, “Let me get rid of these and I’ll be over.”
I swallowed then called, “Okay,” to his closing door.
I watched his door close and then I kept watching his closed door wondering if the weird feeling I was having was just panic or a precursor to a heart attack. Then LaTanya called my name again so I looked at her.
“You okay?” she asked, studying me closely.
I had not, incidentally, shared my love for Detective Mitch Lawson with LaTanya, Derek, Brent, Bradon or anyone. This was because I thought they’d think I was a little insane (or a stalker). They often invited him to parties and such and if he came, I would usually make my excuses and leave. They’d never cottoned on. I figured mostly because he didn’t often attend their parties due to his being a police officer with long hours but also because he had his buds over for games and his babes over for other things. He wasn’t the type of man who went to g*y men’s parties or LaTanya’s cocktail extravaganzas. The ones he went to I suspected he did just to be neighborly. Though Derek, more often than not, went to his place to watch games. Usually in order to escape LaTanya’s cocktail extravaganzas which were frequent occasions.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I lied to her. “Just had a tough day at work,” I continued lying. “And I’m not happy the Management Office didn’t call me back. They don’t pay my water bill.” I wasn’t lying about that.
“I hear you,” LaTanya agreed. “Service around here has taken a turn for the worse even though they upped our rent three months ago. You remember our fridge went out last month?”
I remembered. I also remembered it took three weeks to get it replaced. Derek had been none-too-happy and LaTanya had been loudly none-too-happy.
“Yeah, I remember. That sucked.”
“It sure did. Buyin’ ice all the time and livin’ outta coolers. I don’t pay rent for that shit. Fuck that.”
Fuck that indeed.
Detective Mitch Lawson’s door opened and I realized my mistake instantly. I should have run to my house and done something. I didn’t know what. Nothing needed tidying because I was freakishly tidy. There was nothing I could do with my appearance but I figured I should have tried to do something.
He started walking our way asking, “Now a good time?”
No, no time was a good time for the Ten Point Five I was secretly in love with to be in my apartment.
I nodded and said, “Sure.” Then I looked at LaTanya and said, “Later, babe.”
“Later. Remember, a mojito is waitin’ for you, Mitch gets your faucet sorted out.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, smiled and then glanced at Detective Mitch Lawson before looking down at my feet, turning and walking the short distance to my door. I opened it, walked through and held it open for him to come inside.
He did and I tried not to hyperventilate.
“Which one is it?” he asked as I closed the door behind him.
I turned, stood at the door and looked up at him. He was closer than I expected and he was taller than he seemed from afar and he seemed pretty tall from afar. I’d never been this close to him and I felt his closeness tingle pleasantly all across my skin. I was wearing heels and I felt his tallness in the depth of the tip of my head which didn’t tip back that often to look at someone seeing as I was tall.
“Pardon?” I asked.
“Faucet,” he said. “Which one? Hall or master?”