MAXIM

I could have resisted. I almost did.

I’d come here knowing it would be a struggle. I wasn’t afraid of it. And I didn’t want Derek to think I couldn’t handle myself. Didn’t want him to feel like my problems were his problems. Didn’t want him to see me as someone who needed to be rescued, because I didn’t.

But hell if I didn’t follow him out of that apartment anyway. I justified it by telling myself only a fool would let his pride keep him trapped in that filthy place, but deep down, I knew better.

The truth was, I liked Derek. I liked the way he took control of a situation. I liked the sharp edges of his gravelly voice. I liked the look in his eye when he wanted something done his way, the one that said don’t fuck with me. And when I looked at his life, I saw someone who had done things right. He’d decided what he wanted, and he’d gone after it. I knew I could learn from him.

He was just outside the stairwell door when I caught up with him. “Hey,” I said. “You don’t have to do this.”

“I know I don’t.” He slipped his sunglasses on again. “What did you pay for that piece of shit mattress?”

“Four hundred dollars.”

“Get it back. For half that, I’ll rent you my guest room for two weeks.” He started walking toward the parking lot, and I followed.

“I’ll pay the full four hundred.” Accepting his generosity was one thing, but I wanted to do my part. My pride demanded it.

“You can’t afford it right now, Max. Trust me. I know what decent apartments cost here.”

“Then I’ll pay it back eventually,” I argued, only slightly distracted that he’d shortened my name. It suggested familiarity, closeness even. I liked it.

We reached the car and got in. “How much is in your savings?” he asked.

“About two thousand dollars.”

He looked at me. Blinked. “We need to find you a job.”

“Of course. I was planning on it.”

“You didn’t say that when I asked about a plan before.” His brow furrowed.

“Because if I did,” I admitted, “I might cause it not to happen.”

His expression grew even more puzzled, and then suspicious. “Is this a Russian thing?”

I almost smiled. “Yes.”

Exhaling, he turned on the engine. “At the risk of causing you bad juju or whatever, I’ll see if I can help you find something. Ellen might even have some work for you at the bar.”

“I’d love to work for Ellen. And I have some experience working at a bar.”

“Great,” he said, pulling into traffic. “Although you know how Ellen is. She claims to hire people based on their auras, not their resumes. How’s your aura?”

I laughed. “Pretty good, I think? Although I’m not really sure what an aura is, exactly.”

“Me neither.” He shook his head. “But somehow it’s worked out for her so far. The bar does well.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“It is. I’m happy for her. For a while, I was worried she’d never figure her life out. Name a profession and she’s probably wanted to be that at one point—astronaut, circus performer, veterinarian, ballerina, flight attendant. She’s always been all over the place. Totally opposite of me.”

“But you get along so well.”

“We do,” he mused. “It’s funny because our brother, David, is sort of the opposite of both of us. He never wanted to work for the family business because he wants nothing to do with corporate culture. Says he doesn’t have the stomach for negotiation. But he was always really focused on studying marine biology and becoming a professor.”

“A professor. That’s awesome.”

Derek shrugged. “He seems happy, especially now that he’s married and has a baby. I wish they lived closer, although he’s probably glad for the distance from my parents. He doesn’t get along with my dad very well.”

I didn’t know what to say. Curiosity burned in me, but I’d never ask. Luckily, he went on.

“It’s nothing big, they’re just really different. And my dad was hard on us growing up. Very religious, very demanding. But also very proud of us when we met his expectations. I was better at handling the pressure than David was.”

I nodded, taking it all in. “Your family is religious?”

“My parents are. I’m not, not really. But I went to Catholic schools. I was an altar boy and all that. I don’t necessarily agree with everything the Church says and does, but when you’ve had the doctrine drilled into you for that long, at home and at school, some of it sticks with you, whether you want it to or not.”

“Ah.”

“I like some of its basic ideas,” Derek continued, “the value of human life, the importance of family and community, the obligation to help others.”

“I can tell both you and your sister like to help others.”

He seemed a little embarrassed by the compliment, his cheeks coloring. “What about your family? Are you close?”

“To my mother, yes. I barely know my dad.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. He and my mother were really young when they had me, and he took off soon after.”

“What about your sister?”

“Different father. But that guy took off too.”

“Fuck. Guess your mom really has a type.”

“Yeah. I feel bad for her. I think she always wanted that perfect family.”

He didn’t say anything after that, and I wondered if he was thinking that she should have controlled her feelings more. Not acted on them when it was clear she wouldn’t end up happy. But I didn’t really get that—how could you help acting on your feelings? What else was there to act on?

A few minutes later, we arrived at his house. “Dammit,” he said, slowing down as he pulled into the drive.

“What’s the matter?”

“I just noticed the landscapers didn’t show again. They were supposed to come this morning. I don’t know why I give these assholes a second chance.”

“What do you need done?”

He made a noise. “Everything. And I can do some of it, but I inherited these fucking rose bushes with the house that are more high-maintenance than a beautiful woman. And if I didn’t like the way they looked so much, I’d tear them the hell out.”

“I can take care of it.”

He looked at me like I was nuts. “You have landscaping experience too?”

I shrugged. “I’ve had a lot of different jobs. And growing up, I spent every summer at my grandparents’ country house, and I helped take care of the gardens there. And yes, we had roses. My grandmother treated them like babies.”

“You have roses in Russia?”

“Yes, Derek.” I laughed, enjoying the feel of his name in my mouth. “It’s not snow and ice all the time there. We do have sun and warmth in summer.”

“Sorry.” He grimaced as he pulled into the garage. “I promise to get over my preconceived ideas about where you come from.”

“And I promise to help you out around here and then get out of your way in two weeks.”

Derek turned off the car. “You’re not in my way.”

We sat there in the darkened car for a moment, and I thought he was going to say something else, but he didn’t.

There were more flowerbeds and gardens in the backyard. Derek stood in the driveway frowning at all of them before checking his watch. “Fuck, it’s two o’clock already, and I haven’t even gone to the store yet. I might not be able to use the patio tonight. It’s all weedy and overgrown back here.”

It wasn’t, the yard actually looked very nice, and the patio was beautiful. But I knew that for Derek, there was no such thing as “good enough.” It had to be perfect. “I can do it all. Honestly. Just show me where everything is, and I’ll get it done in a few hours.”

He looked at me sideways. “You sure?”

“Positive. I like this work, and I’m good with my hands.”

The sunglasses covered his eyes, but the slight drop of his chin made me think he looked at my hands after I said that. He cleared his throat a second later. “Okay, then. The job’s yours. I’ll deduct from your rent.”

“No. This is a favor, Derek,” I said as we walked toward the house. “I’ll still pay the full rent.”

He unlocked the back door and pushed it open. “Whatever. But you’re going to need some money for clothes too.”

Oh, yeah. I’d sort of forgotten about that. While I was trying to think of a solution, he went on.

“Let’s not worry about rent for now, okay?” He set his keys and sunglasses on the shelf and took off his shoes. “When your savings get here, we can talk. I’ll help you make a budget. And we’ll get you that job so you can start saving for classes.”

I removed my shoes too, and followed him into the kitchen. “That sounds perfect. I don’t know how to thank you.” (A total lie. I could think of plenty of ways to thank him.)

He leaned back against the counter and took out his phone. “Pay it forward someday.”

“I will.” Turning away from him, I removed the hoodie he’d loaned me and hung it on the back of a chair. It was warm enough outside that I wouldn’t need it. When I was done working, I’d ask him if I could wash some things, and then stay out of sight during his dinner party. “I’m going to get started out there.”

“Tools are in the garage.” He didn’t look up from his phone. “I’ll be out in a minute. I’m just going over my grocery list.”

“Okay.” I put my shoes on again and went out the back door into the sunshine, unable to keep the smile off my face.

This already felt like a new life.