Andy pulled the door open and peeked around the side. “Hi,” he said in a friendly tone. “Can I help you?”
“Oh, hi. I wasn’t expecting you to answer,” a friendly, familiar voice said. “Is Danicka here?”
“Is that June?” I called out, immediately recognizing the voice as I walked up front. My sweet, smiling neighbor was standing on the porch, thoroughly confused. “Come on in, June!” I waved her inside.
Andy stepped back and held the door for her. “Thank you, young man.” She grinned up at him as she passed by.
“June, this is Andy, my . . . boss,” I stammered, unsure how to introduce him. He was my boss, but he was also kinda my friend, and if my car hadn’t been trashed, we would probably still be rolling around naked in his bed. Was there a label for that person?
“Hi, Andy.” June held her tiny hand out to greet him. “I’m June, Danicka’s neighbor.”
Andy flashed his charming, panty-dropping smile and gently shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, June.”
“June is more than my neighbor.” I pursed my lips and shook my head at her modest response. “She helps me with Roxy, she waters my flowers, and she keeps me sane. Hell, sometimes she even cooks me dinner.”
June giggled shyly, waving her hand at me. “Oh, stop it.” She looked up at Andy. “Danicka’s like a daughter to me. I just love her to pieces. Which is why when I heard all the commotion in here but didn’t see her car, I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
“Oh, June,” I sighed. “You won’t see my car for a while. Some jerk trashed it while we were all out after work.”
Her jaw dropped as she covered her mouth with her pale, wrinkly hand. “That’s horrible. And on your birthday, too. Oh, Danicka. I’m so sorry.” She walked over and put her arms around me, squeezing me in such a loving way that I had to fight the urge to lay my head on her shoulder and just sob.
“Thanks.” I hugged her back and released her quickly before I did just that. “Andy brought me home and insisted that he come in and take a look around.”
“And everything is good?” she asked, looking from me to Andy.
“Perfect.” He nodded. “Closets and shower are empty, and under the best is clear . . . mostly.” His eyes drifted over toward me in a playful gaze.
I let my eyes linger on his long enough to let him know he was annoying me again, then turned back to June. “Anyway, him clomping up and down the stairs is probably what you heard.”
“Ah.” She nodded, turning back to Andy. “Paper-thin walls. I heard you on the stairs.”
“Oh! I’m sorry,” he apologized. A smirk appeared on his lips, and his eyes slid to me even though he was still talking to her. “I’ll have to remember that.”
“No worries. Just wanted to make sure everything was okay.” She sighed. “Okay, well, it’s late and I have to be up early for yoga, so I’m gonna head home. If you need anything, Dani, you know where to find me.”
She pulled me in for one more hug and whispered in my ear when she got close, “He’s a cutie. Don’t let him leave. I’ll take my hearing aide out tonight, just in case.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as I shook my head. “Oh, June! What am I gonna do with you?”
She said good-bye to Andy and pulled the door closed behind her.
“Yoga? She’s the funniest old lady I’ve ever met.” He pointed his thumb toward the door after it closed.
“Don’t let her fool you.” I rolled my eyes. “She doesn’t know she’s an old lady. She thinks she’s a hipster.” I walked back toward the kitchen, waving for Andy to follow me as I kept talking. “I bought this house a few years ago, and I met her on the first day. We talked a little bit but didn’t get close until I got Roxy. She insisted that I let her help me with the crazy little dog.” Without even asking if he wanted one, I grabbed a beer from the fridge and slid it across the island to him.
He caught it and twisted it open. “Thanks. And what do you mean help you?”
I shrugged. “We were talking once, and I told her what I did for a living and that sometimes my hours can get crazy, so she offered to walk Roxy a couple times a day for me and feed her at night if I needed. I really didn’t need the help, but she didn’t have anything better to do, so I felt bad. It’s come in handy, though, on nights like this where I don’t come home right away. I just text her, and she takes care of her for me.” Leaning to the side so I could see past the island, I glanced at Roxy, who was sound asleep on the air vent again. “As you can see, she’s very high maintenance.” I smiled for the first time since we pulled into the parking garage.