There are places in this story that describe a younger girl growing up, but there is no relationship beyond platonic until she's 18.
*
I followed the lady out of the restaurant waving the flyer she'd just posted on the bulletin board, reaching the pickup about the same time she was closing the door. She looked annoyed as she rolled the window down. I remember thinking, "who has a vehicle so old they have to roll down the window unless it's a classic" and that old beater was no classic.
"What?" she blurted, then she saw the flyer in my hand. "Hey, I just put that up, what gives you the right to take it down? Dammit, now I'll have to print another one." Rolling up the window she muttered, "Nice going buddy."
I knocked at the window, at that moment I suddenly knew what my mom meant when she said, "if looks could kill" about the lady at the grocery store years ago. She was spewing her venom as she lowered the window.
"WHAT in the hell is wrong with you mister? Don't you think you've done enough damage?"
I held up a hand in a gesture to stop, saying softly, "please, I only want to ask one question."
She turned the engine off, slammed it in gear, turned sideways and said, "You've got thirty seconds, make the most of it."
"Thank you."
She interjected, "You're wasting my time, get to it."
I stepped back, "Is the apartment still for rent?"
She scoffed, "Of course it's still for rent, I just hung the darned flyer, that is until you tore it down."
"Will you rent it to me? I'm a freshman at the university."
She gave me the once over from head to toe, "You look a little old to be a freshman. You a late starter or something?"
I gazed beyond her at the young lady in the passenger seat who gave me a timid smile. I proceeded to address the driver.
"How about this. Let me follow you to see the apartment, if it's as nice as the flyer I'd like to rent it immediately, if not I'll bring the flyer back and hang it on the board. I'll answer all your questions there."
She gave me the evil eye again, "How do I know you aren't some kind of serial killer or pervert?"
I'd had enough, "You know lady, if I wanted to kill you it would have happened already. As for a pervert, do I look and act like a pervert? Maybe
you should
have someone else rent the room."
As I began walking back to the diner I heard the truck start and was then conscious of it being within a foot of my body as she stopped next to me.
"Maybe we got off to a bad start, my day has been crummy and when I saw you with the flyer I thought you tore it down. Why don't you follow me and let's see if we can salvage something of my less than cordial greeting?"
As I exited my truck at the house I took notice of the girl more than the lady. I'd watched the lady in the diner and parking lot, pretty face, slender, shapely, a typical thirty-something mom with a cute ponytail pulled through the back of her ball cap. The girl, who I assumed was her daughter looked much different, a pretty face is where the similarities ended. She was easily 40 to 50 pounds overweight, wearing a baggy non-descript shirt that did not hide the fact that she had very large breasts for a girl her age. Her shorts weren't too short, but they were too tight and exposed more of her large chubby thighs than I'm sure she might have preferred.
Her demeanor was one of defeat, she clearly was not pleased with life or her appearance. Watching her walk behind her mother with her head hung I guessed her to be mid-teens, sixteen, maybe 17. Opening the door her mother turned and addressed her indirectly.
"There ya go sweetheart. Why don't you start supper and I'll be right there?"
The girl muttered quietly, "Okay mom" as she ambled away. In the entrance was a stairway that led to an upstairs apartment. I found it interesting, a doorway existed beyond those stairs which led into the main portion of the house. It was obvious that someone had given great thought to privacy when the upper section was turned into an apartment.
I was led to the second level and shown around. The apartment had a small kitchenette with a table and two chairs, a bedroom with a full-size bed, a dresser and attached bath. Across the hall was an extra room with a smaller walk-in closet and no furniture, I surmised it could be turned into whatever one desired. The living area had a couch, an easy chair and a stand for a flat screen TV. Considering I'd spent six years in a barracks while in the Marines and the last year living in a cabin off the grid in Alaska this place was a palace. I walked the rooms a second time while she stood in the doorway.
"I like it. How much is the rent?" I asked.
She frowned, "I don't usually rent to college students because they spend all their money on beer and pot, then can't pay the rent. You're a little older though, are you sure you can pay?"
"Yes Ma'am. I have plenty of money to cover school and lodging. Because I'm
28 I don't have to stay on campus my first year. So, back to the rent?"
"It's $500 a month which includes one load of laundry a week, there's a laundry chute in the hall, put what needs to be washed in there by Sunday night, clean laundry will be left in a basket at the bottom of the stairs. I supply two sets of bed linen, one's expected to be in the laundry each week. You hafta buy your own bath towels, etc, and make the bed yourself. Breakfast and supper are available Monday through Friday as long as you eat when we do, if not, you're on your own. Weekends you're free to eat with us if you want to. There's no extra charge as long as you're willing to eat whatever we do, which at times isn't much."
Wow, I wasn't expecting anything so elaborate and wanted to accept immediately. Another person might not see this arrangement as elaborate, but I sure did.
"I'll take it Mrs????."
"Oh, it's June. I haven't been a missus in years. My daughter's name is Penny. Let me get the paperwork started, meet me in the den just inside the door on the right. Knock before you come in, it's two months' rent up front and a five-hundred-dollar deposit. Do you have a name?"
