“Wow, small world,” she said.
Sly glanced back and forth between his little group and
Amber. “You know each other?”
“We’ve met briefly,” Rory said and smiled. Amber’s heart
fluttered.
Blond, willowy Morgaine rose. “I haven’t met your friends,
Sly.”
“I was just bringing them up to introduce them to you.
Morgaine, these fine folks are our new tenants, Rory, Chloe,
and Shannon Arish. They’re taking both apartments 2B and 1B.
So, we’re full up,” he said, glancing at his wife and Amber.
“No more vacancies.”
Morgaine’s mouth dropped open. When she didn’t speak right
away, Amber gestured to the papers in front of her. “I
rented 1B. I think the ink just dried on my signed lease.”
“Drake recommended the Arishes,” Sly said.
“And Brandee recommended Amber,” Morgaine added.
Sly stared at his wife. The two managers did the oddest
thing. First Morgaine folded her arms. Then Sly placed his
hands on his hips. Then Morgaine began tapping her foot. It
was as if they were having a completely silent argument.
What the… Rory and his sisters glanced at each other,
looking equally confused. “But we paid…in cash,” Chloe said.
She rubbed her fingers together, then glared at the check
Amber had sitting on the table like it wasn’t worth the
paper it was printed on.
Amber returned her gaze to the stalemate between the
managers. Were they able to argue with their eyes? Did they
solve all their problems with a staring contest?
Rory whispered to his sisters, “Do you think they’re
telepathic?”
Chloe and Shannon shrugged.
That would be one explanation, Amber thought. One very weird
explanation. “Look. I’m sorry, but I got here first, and I
can’t lose this apartment,” Amber said to Rory. “My whole
building is being renovated and turned into condos. Everyone
has been evicted.”
He cocked his head. “Well, I’m very sorry for your troubles,
but I believe we have the right of it. We already paid first
and last month’s rents on both apartments— in cash, as my
sister mentioned.”
At that point, Sly withdrew quite a wad of hundred- dollar
bills from his pocket and held it out to Morgaine. She took
a step back and shook her head as if the money were on fire.
“This is the oddest spat I’ve ever witnessed,” Shannon muttered.
Chloe chuckled. “We’ve seen some outrageous disputes, but
you’re right. This one’s downright peculiar.”
Morgaine leaned forward with her hands on her hips and
stamped her foot. Finally, Sly rose to his full height and
said, “In this country, possession is nine- tenths of the law.”
Amber and Rory exchanged a look, and telepathy wasn’t needed
to interpret what they were thinking. They both took off and
charged down the stairs. Chloe and Shannon were right behind
them.
