Where Nerves End

deposits, all that shit.” He blew out a breath. “This
isnt an entirely risk-free proposition.”
“Is any proposition?”
“No, I suppose it isnt.” He was quiet for a moment, then
gestured at the file folderbeneath my wallet and keys. “Thats the
lease agreement, I assume?”
I slid it toward him. “Its nothing out of the ordinary. Just a
boilerplate agreement I found online last night. Its all negotiable if
theres anything you dont like.”
Michael picked it up, and as he perused the pages, I didnt take
advantage of his preoccupation and check him out. Not me. No
way. Because he totally wasnt at just the perfect angle to, when he
tilted his head forward to read, make me wonder what the skin of
his neck tasted like. Didnt cross my mind at all. Not once. Jason. Dude. Snap the fuck out of it.
I muffled a cough. “By the way, in the interest of full
disclosure, the mortgage payments are twenty-three hundred. For
rent, Im asking for a thousand a month. Thatll include everything
except food and what not.”
“Really?” He cocked his head, inadvertently exposing another
fraction of an inch of his neck. “Not fifty-fifty?”
“Not when Im getting equity on the place and youre not,” I
said.
“Hmm, good point. But Im bringing two people in, not just
one.”
“And hes only there half the time anyway. But Im not too
worried since I have to pay the mortgage either way, and quite
honestly, at this point, I just need something to supplement it. And
if I ask any more, it isnt really worth your while, since rent on a
twobedroom is about twelve hundred or so.”
“Plus utilities and that shit.” He smiled. “Youre offering a
pretty appealing arrangement, I just dont want to fuck you over.” You can fuck me over anything you—
“Dont worry about it,” I said. “Youd be doing me a huge
favor paying half that much.”
Michael closed the folder. “Well, Id like to see the place
before I commit to it.”
“I can understand that.” I took out my phone. “Want to make
sure youre not moving into a crack house?”
“Pretty much. Though you dont strike me as the type to be
running a place like that.”
“Looks can be deceiving,” I said.
He chuckled. “Not that deceiving.”
Our eyes met, and his knowing smile made me shiver.
Shouldve remembered who I was talking to here. The man had
probably already guessed what kind of artwork I had on the walls
and what shows I TiVod on a regular basis.
Shifting my attention back to my phone, I tapped the photo
album of shots Id taken earlier today. “Anyway, here are some
pictures of the house.” I slid my phone across the table. He picked it up and thumbed through the album.
“Wow. Beautiful house.”
“Thanks.” I laughed dryly. “Thought I was getting a great deal
on it, but…”
He glanced up from the pictures. “Anything wrong with it?” “No, no, nothing wrong with the house itself,” I said. “But I
went into it thinking thered be two incomes paying the mortgage,
and, well, that didnt quite work out.”
“Yeah, I can relate,” he muttered, and kept thumbing through
the album. When hed finished, he set the phone down and slid it
back to me. “Im definitely interested. Are you sure this isnt an
imposition for you, though?”
“Not at all,” I said. “And as far as Im concerned, its no
different than if wed rented the place together from day one.
Yeah, I own the place, but Im in the same position you are, so Im
not about to lord it over you.”
“And youre absolutely sure you arent opposed to having my
son move in too?”
“Of course not,” I said.
“Good,” he said quietly, possibly more to himself than me.
“Hell only be there every two weeks anyway. His mother and I
switch every other Wednesday night.”
“How old did you say he is?”
“Seven,” Michael said. “And hes a quiet kid. A little on the
shy side, but…his mother and I are trying to help him come out of
his shell. Point being, he wont be running screaming through the
house every five minutes.”
I laughed. “Well, thats always a plus. But, I mean, hes a kid.”
I shrugged. “I have nieces and nephews. I know the drill.” He nodded, glancing at the folder containing the lease
agreement. “You know, to be honest, with the position Im in right
now, Im half-tempted to sign sight unseen.”
“I know the feeling.” I looked at my watch. “How much time
do you have?”
“Im free for the evening. My sons with his mother, and Ive
already closed the clinic for the