Sean

“Sean,” Grace whispered.

“What’s up, Gracie?” I asked, though I thought, or at least hoped, I knew what it was.

“You have a visitor,” she said.

“Let her in,” I replied, my face lifting into a smile.

Grace nodded and left and I stood, trying to prepare myself for the coming onslaught.

Less than two minutes later, I was greeted with it.

Jess stepped in, her eyes blazing, looking like she wanted to murder someone.

It was actually kind of hot, but I chose not to share that observation with Jess.

“Sean Murphy, what the hell have you done?” she asked, her voice a low, seething whisper.

“How did you get here so fast? It’s nearly rush hour. The bus should have taken far longer,” I responded.

Jess didn’t miss a beat. “I was too pissed to take the bus, so I walked,” she said. “What the hell did you do?”

“What makes you think I did anything?” I asked.

“I am in no mood for games, Sean,” she said, her eyes narrowing.

“Fine,” I said. “Have it your way. You seemed content to raise my son in that shithole. I am not. I made you an offer. You politely declined. So I took other measures,” I said.

Jess, who was practically levitating with anger, leaned forward, her rage clearly ratcheting up even higher. I was momentarily distracted by the barest hint of cleavage I could see, but when she spoke, I focused on her words. “Other measures?” she said incredulously. “You had me evicted!”

“Yes,” I said.

“I can’t afford a hotel for more than a few days. So where are we supposed to go now?” she asked.

I smiled, then readied myself just in case Jess took a swing at me, something it looked like she was very seriously debating doing.

“Funny you should ask,” I said, waggling my eyebrows, and probably putting my life in danger by doing so.

“I’m going to strangle you,” she replied.

“Sure,” I said, nodding, trying to appear nonchalant, though I wasn’t sure she wouldn’t try, but confident that I could win her over if she gave me a chance. “But let me tell you about your awesome new place first.”

“Argh!” she screamed, clenching her hands into tight fists at her sides.

“Okay, now that you got that out, let’s go,” I said.

“You seriously expect me to go somewhere with you?” she asked.

“Yeah, because you’re smart. And you don’t have any other options. So let’s go. Jake gets out of school in a couple of hours.”

Jess looked at me, considering, and then finally she nodded.

I lifted my head toward the door. “After you,” I said.

She flashed a smile, one that she quickly suppressed. “You don’t want to turn your back on me, huh?” she said.

“No, that doesn’t seem smart,” I said.

“It wouldn’t be,” she said, though her face quirked with a smile.

I laughed and then followed her out.

* * *

Jess

I didn’t understand it.

Half an hour ago I had been on a quest for Sean Murphy’s head. Now, I stood in a converted warehouse loft, seriously considering living in it.

I looked at Sean, who looked at me. As funny as he liked to be, he had played this perfectly. Well, assuming I ignored the whole getting-me-evicted thing.

He had taken me to a small apartment building in one of the nicest parts of the city and then proceeded to give me a tour.

And to my utter shock, I loved it. I wouldn’t tell him that, though. And besides, it didn’t matter anyway. This place was completely out of the question.

I looked at him, then shook my head. “It’s no good,” I said, frowning.

Sean looked almost hurt, but he quickly recovered.

“Tell me exactly what’s wrong with it,” he said.

“It’s so…big,” I said.

“Okay. What else?”

“These floors, they are concrete. Jake could fall and hurt himself,” I said.

“Something that could be fixed. What else?”

I looked at him, tried to keep my expression clear, but knew exactly what he was doing. Every excuse sounded lamer than the last, and Sean, showing an insight that I wouldn’t have expected, though at this point I probably should have, was content to let me bury myself.

He didn’t even have to push.

Because if I was being honest, this place was perfect.

Jake would have his own space, and he could play and paint and run and not have to worry about messing up the floors or having to try to clean the carpet. There was even a park about a block away.

I turned away from Sean, looked at the beautiful open kitchen that I thought I spotted an espresso machine in.

I turned back to him, triumphant because I now knew I had an irrefutable answer.

“I can’t afford it,” I said.

“You don’t even know what the rent is,” he said.

“Yeah but I can imagine, and it’s way out of my budget,” I said.

“Just take a guess,” he said.

“Two grand a month?” I said tentatively. It was probably more, but even that sum was far beyond me.

Sean smiled. “Man, Jess, you’re no good at this game. You’re off by over nineteen hundred. Nineteen hundred ninety-nine to be precise,” he said.

“You’re telling me the rent’s a dollar,” I said skeptically.

“Yes, I am,” he replied.

“Sean…” I trailed off, looked at him, my suspicion growing. “Did you do something?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, looking innocent, those green eyes reminding me of Jake and equally unconvincing.

“What’s the scheme, Murphy?” I asked, looking at him through narrowed eyes, my head tilted.

“You’re so suspicious. There’s no scheme. The rent’s a dollar. Do you want the place or not?” he asked.

“Sean…” I said.

He smiled. “Fine. Since you insist, I happen to know the owner,” he said.

“Know the owner? How?” I asked.

He looked almost bashful, and my suspicion rose.

“Is this your building?” I asked, not believing the words when I spoke them, but even more shocked when he nodded his confirmation.

“I live upstairs,” he said.

“Sean!”

“What? You need a place. I have a place. It’s safe. It’s big. There’s a park just down the block. It’s perfect,” he said.

Ignoring the fact that I had thought the very same thing not less than a minute ago, I shook my head.

“I can’t,” I said.

“Why can’t you?” he asked.

“Because I…just can’t,” I said.

I looked at Sean, waiting for him to try to convince me, try to overpower me, but to my surprise he did neither.

Instead he stepped closer to me, gripped my face in his hands, and then pressed a soft kiss against my lips.

I hadn’t been expecting that, but it felt great, welcome. But Sean didn’t linger. Instead he pulled away, then looked into my eyes, his own expression earnest.

“Jess, I know you have your pride. And I respect that. Believe me, I do. It makes you all the more admirable that you don’t want to take advantage of me, or at least try to. But I’m not asking you to compromise that. I’m just asking you to let me help you and help my son. Can you do that?”

I waited a moment, thinking, pondering, knowing there was only one answer. If he had taken any other approach I would have been able to resist, but he had gone straight to my heart by way of my brain. And that was something I couldn’t counteract.

“You don’t play fair, Murphy,” I said. I wanted to be upset but I couldn’t bring myself to be. This place could be a good home for Jake, and I knew I would like it too.

“No. I play to win,” he responded.

“You know I can’t say no,” I said.

“That’s the idea,” he said, adding a smile, one I found myself returning.

“Fine, Sean. But I have to pay something,” I said.

“You are. The rent’s a dollar,” he said.

I shook my head. “No. I pay my own way.”

“If I agree to this, will you stay?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Great!” Then he pulled me close to him. “You and your new landlord should have a proper introduction,” he said.