The image of Callan’s cold expression as he commented on having to do everything according to her wants and needs ran through her mind. “Yes. He deserves a response one way or another.”
After dropping teabags into the cups of steaming water, Mrs. Ladenbaum carried the cups to the table and set them down. “Then it sounds like you’ve got to look within your heart and decide what you really want and need.”
Something about that felt awfully ironic.
“Now, as to the rent,” Mrs. Ladenbaum said, “I’ve got an idea.”
Roxy instinctively stiffened, expecting an offer of charity. Then she forced herself to relax. If this day had shown her nothing else, it was that she really needed to learn when—and from whom—to accept help when she needed it.
“What if you offered to market the next, say, three apartment vacancies free of charge for Mr. Stilinski if he’ll extend your grace period a few more days?” her neighbor proposed. “I’m sure he spends a small fortune in marketing fees every time he needs a new tenant.”
Roxy considered that. “That’s a great idea. But even though I can try presenting it to him, he’s really unhappy with me right now. I’ll be shocked if he’s willing to help me.”
“No offense, my dear, but looking as devastated as you do right now, any man would be hard-pressed not to help. Even a dick like Stilinski.”
Roxy nearly choked on her tea. Mrs. Ladenbaum reached over to pat her on the back.
“What? You’ve never heard an eighty-two-year-old woman use the word dick?”
“Sure I have. Just not you.”
Her neighbor winked, telling Roxy she had used the profanity to make her smile. “We’ll go to Stilinski’s office together after our tea. I’ve been a tenant here since the building opened. Together, we’ll get him to see reason.”
“Thanks, Mrs. L. I really owe you a solid no matter what Stilinski says.”
“Nonsense. That’s what friends are for.”
“So I’m learning.”
They finished their tea, then Roxy stopped by her apartment to drop off her work bag and take a couple of minutes to collect her thoughts. Whatever Stilinski decided, she wouldn’t really be homeless. As her grandmother had told her not too long ago, she had family all over the city who would take her in without question until she got back on her feet.
That said, she had a steep climb ahead of her if she was going to get out of the financial pit she currently found herself in. This whole thing with Darcy had brought her to something of a do-or-die moment.
Should she stick with this career she had been so excited about a few months ago?
Or should she take these obstacles as a sign and move on?
She really didn’t know.
But as potentially life-altering as that decision was, it wasn’t the most difficult one she had to make right now. She needed to decide what to do about Callan. He wanted—no, needed—an answer from her on the status of their relationship. It was only fair that she give him the opportunity to move on if she wasn’t ready to commit to him.
That thought provoked such a sharp pain in her chest that she went still. Mrs. Ladenbaum’s words ran through her mind.
You’ve got to look within your heart and decide what you really want.
Apparently, her heart wanted Callan.
Huh, was all she could think.
It seemed obvious to her now…so obvious that she wondered how she hadn’t understood her own heart before now. Of course she wanted to commit to Callan. She hadn’t had any interest in pursuing anything else with anyone else since they’d met, and that was only in part because of her new career.
She loved spending time with him. She appreciated the attention he gave her. She enjoyed all of his efforts to surprise her. No one else had ever made her feel like he did.
Despite the concerns she’d been harboring since Callan first mentioned wanting a commitment from her, her time with him hadn’t distracted her from her focus on her real estate career. It had enhanced it. All he had done was support her.
He had said she didn’t care about him like he did her. She needed to show him that wasn’t true. She supposed she would start with an apology.
Because Mrs. Ladenbaum was waiting for her, she sent him a text. I’m sorry about earlier. Can I come by later so we can talk?
She waited for a couple of minutes without getting a response. Figuring he might still be driving, she went with Mrs. Ladenbaum to see Mr. Stilinski.
Her landlord was predictably upset and initially resisted any kind of negotiation. But between Mrs. Ladenbaum’s firm hand and Roxy’s emotional state, he eventually listened to reason. As long as he had her rent by the end of the week and Roxy agreed to market the next three vacancies free of charge, he would rescind the eviction notice. Roxy was certain Arnie would give her an advance on her next commission after how everything had gone down earlier, which meant she could make this work.
It was one small victory in what had been a monumentally challenging day.
“I can’t tell you how much this means to me, Mrs. L,” she said as they returned to their apartments. “I swear I will plant sit for you any time you need it.”
“It was my pleasure, dear. And see? You accepted help without the world ending.”
She winked, making Roxy laugh. “You’re right. I promise to try to get better about the whole ‘accepting help’ thing.”
“Good. Now you give that young man a call and try to work things out with him,” she said, making a shooing gesture with her hands.
“I will.”
They went their separate ways. Roxy headed straight for her phone. She saw a text from Callan and quickly swiped up to read it.
Went out with Christian.
That was all.
Nothing about accepting her apology. No apologies for anything he had said to her. Nothing about trying to get together some other time to talk.
She pictured him out at the club with Christian, moving on. And realized she had finally listened to her heart too late.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Next up…number eight, Javier Rios.”
The Atlanta stadium resounded with cheers as Javy took the plate. Callan and Christian added theirs to the mix from their seats several rows above the home team’s dugout. The game was a sellout, likely because the team was performing so well and looked as though they would clinch their playoff berth in the next few weeks.
Callan had inherited his grandfather’s season tickets and had made the impromptu decision to drag Christian out of his basement and to the night game after leaving Roxy. Although he had hoped the game would distract him, his thoughts continued to return to the moment outside Roxy’s office…the moment when his temper had slipped its leash and he’d said more than he’d intended.
“Let’s go, Jav!” he called, determined not to think about it.
Atlanta was currently losing two to one in the bottom of the sixth. They had a runner at second who signified the tying run, but there were two outs. Javy had to get at least a base hit to keep the inning going.
The first pitch was a strike right down the middle. He foul tipped the second pitch over the net behind home plate. He took the third pitch, a ball high and outside.
On the fourth pitch, he connected. The ball soared out to left field, landing just inside fair territory and rolling deep into the corner. The left fielder got to the ball and threw it to home too late to get the runner. Javy reached second and scored the tying RBI.