Later that day, there was another knock on the door. This time I didn’t think it was the lawyer and rushed to the door to open up to my potential new housemate. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting Silas to be like, but it certainly wasn’t the handsome young man standing in front of me. Silas was rugged, with dark green eyes, and broad shoulders. And yet, despite this ruggedness, there was a sweetness that was impossible to ignore. His eyes shone kindly; his mouth turned upwards in joy. The moment I saw him I knew that I would like him. I smiled.
“Silas?”
“That’s me. Riley?”
I chuckled. “Yep, come on in.”
“This place is incredible,” he said as he looked around.
I smiled. “I know. Everyone has the same reaction when they see it for the first time it seems. Even me. I was shocked. I think I walked around with my mouth hanging open for like a week.”
“Oh, you haven’t lived here long?”
“The place belonged to my grandmother, actually. She left the house to me when she passed away. I . . . well, I didn’t really know her. So the whole thing came as a huge surprise to me. I’m absolutely blessed to have had this wonderful fortune suddenly appear in my life. It came at just the right time.”
“I realize that this is probably a very stupid thing for me to say, but you could’ve put the rent up real high for a place like this. Not that you should, of course,” he said and grinned at me.
I laughed. “I know. My friend told me the same thing. But I just couldn’t. I mean, I know how tough it is out there. I’ve been battling with my rent for ages now, and I thought it would be nice to rent the room out for cheaper than usual. I just needed the extra money to help with the maintenance of the place. I’m not looking to make any money out of it. Come on, let me show you around.”
Silas was very easy to talk to. I took him around the house and showed him where his bedroom was, and then we made our way to the living room to talk and get to know each other. He told me that he was in construction but that he had a dream of becoming a country singer one day.
“Construction worker by day, country singer by night. That has a nice ring to it,” I said and smiled. “And it’s nice to meet someone that is so clear with what he wants out of life. You’re going to become a star. I just feel it.”
“That’s nice of you to say. Most people tell me that I’m crazy for wanting to be a singer. I’m used to people telling me that it’s a waste of a dream.”
I stared at him in surprise. “Seriously? What’s wrong with people? That’s not exactly very nice. I bet they’re just jealous because they have no idea what they want to do with their lives. Or, even worse, they do know what they want to do, but they’re doing nothing about it. That’s a bit like me, to be honest, but I feel inspired by people like you.”
It was a surprisingly deep conversation to have with a man that I’d only just met. I wasn’t usually so talkative with people that I didn’t know, especially men. I was used to the men at the bar who wanted nothing more than to take me to bed. It was so refreshing to finally talk to someone that could hold a decent conversation.
“Look, Silas, it’s impossible to really get to know someone so quickly. But I like you. I think you have a great vibe about you and I’m sure we’ll get along great. I’d love for you to move in if you’d like to. We can always just run it on a trial basis. If it’s not working out, we can just let each other know.”
He smiled. “Seriously? That’s amazing. I thought I was going to be one of many sitting here today looking at the place.”
“Oh no. I couldn’t be bothered going through all of that. I didn’t think I’d find anyone so quickly though. So, this is a nice surprise. When would you like to move in?”
“Does Friday work for you?” he said.
I smiled. “Friday is perfect.”
I felt relief when I closed the door after letting him out. I had found a roommate, and I would now be able to afford the upkeep on the house. Which meant that I would be able to enjoy living in it without worrying about money each month. I felt released by the freedom the thought gave me. I walked past a picture of my grandmother hanging on the mantelpiece and gave it a quick kiss.
“Thanks, Gran,” I said. I liked that photo of her. It was the only photo of her that I had found with her smiling. And the smile made the world of difference to her otherwise somewhat harsh features. This was the photo that made me think we would’ve gotten along great.
Then I immediately called Paisley.
“I’m safe. He’s a cool guy. And I have a new roommate.”
“Wow, you sure move quickly.”
“Still coming for wine?” I asked.
“Are you kidding me? It’s the only thing getting me through the party. I’ll be there in an hour!”