Jane Carter’s voice floated into his ear. “Nicky, dear, how are you? How was your flight back?”
“It was fine. I’m great, just a little tired. I was actually trying to sleep,” he stated, trying not to sound as annoyed as he was. It was only ten o’clock, way too early for her to be calling him.
“I’m sorry, dear. I didn’t mean to wake you up, but it’s important that I talk to you.”
“What about?”
“I don’t know if you remember my best friend from high school. Her name is Laura. She comes to visit a lot on holidays and stuff.”
“Of course I remember her. Kinda big lady, very friendly, does the whole cheek pinching thing?”
“Yeah, that would be her. She has a daughter who’s two years younger than you. She’s eighteen.”
“Yeah, I remember. What was her name?”
“Michelle. That’s right.”
“Don’t tell me you’re setting me up on a blind date,” he groaned. The last time he had seen Michelle was a Christmas long ago, when she had been a fourteen-year-old with braces, acne, and glasses. Not his idea of a belle. Then she had gone to boarding school, and then started college, and he hadn’t seen her since.
“No, of course not. You banned me from doing that after your date with Anna.”
“That’s right, I did. She was quite the bitch.’
“Watch your language, Nickolas. Anyway, Michelle decided she doesn’t wanna go to college. She says she’d rather be an artist than a lawyer.”
“Are you gonna ask me about a record deal?”
“No, not that kind of artist. I meant a visual artist.”
“Oh, okay. Good.”
“Well, anyway, Laura is living in Atlanta now. Michelle wants to move back to Ruskin because that’s where she grew up and she feels it would be a very inspirational place for an artist.”
“You want me to pick her up from the airport and show her around, don’t you?”
“Stop putting words in my mouth, Nickolas! Let me finish!” Jane scolded. “She has nowhere to live. I remember you saying something about wanting a roommate, and I thought maybe you’d be willing to take her in.”
He nearly went through the roof. “You’ve gotta be kidding me, Mom. I don’t even know this girl! She could be some psycho killer.”
“Nick, please! She’s my best friend’s daughter. I don’t think she’s a psycho killer.”
“Still, I don’t even know her! How can I live with someone I don’t even know?”
“You wanted a roommate!”
“A guy like Brian or something, someone I could watch sports with and play video games with. A guy I knew, not some prissy rich girl I haven’t seen for four years!” he exclaimed.
“Nick, do it as a favor to me. If you don’t get along, she can always get an apartment or something.”
“Do you know how hard it is to find a good apartment in Ruskin?”
“She doesn’t have anywhere else to go.”
He sighed and sunk into a chair. “Fine, but if things don’t work and she can’t find an apartment, she’s going straight back to her mom in Atlanta. Deal?”
“Deal.”