completely silent argument.
What the…
Rory and his sisters glanced at each other, looking equally confused.
“But we paid…in cash,” Chloe said. She rubbed her fingers together, then glared at the check Amber had sitting on the table like it wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on.
Amber returned her gaze to the stalemate between the managers. Were they able to argue with their eyes? Did they solve all their problems with a staring contest?
Rory whispered to his sisters, “Do you think they’re telepathic?”
Chloe and Shannon shrugged.
That would be one explanation, Amber thought. One very weird explanation.
“Look. I’m sorry, but I got here first, and I can’t lose this apartment,” Amber said to Rory. “My whole building is being renovated and turned into condos. Everyone has been evicted.”
He cocked his head. “Well, I’m very sorry for your troubles, but I believe we have the right of it. We already paid first and last month’s rents on both apartments—in cash, as my sister mentioned.”
At that point, Sly withdrew quite a wad of hundred-dollar bills from his pocket and held it out to Morgaine. She took a step back and shook her head as if the money were on fire.
“This is the oddest spat I’ve ever witnessed,” Shannon muttered.
Chloe chuckled. “We’ve seen some outrageous disputes, but you’re right. This one’s downright peculiar.”
Morgaine leaned forward with her hands on her hips and stamped her foot.
Finally, Sly rose to his full height and said, “In this country, possession is nine-tenths of the law.”
Amber and Rory exchanged a look, and telepathy wasn’t needed to interpret what they were thinking. They both took off and charged down the stairs. Chloe and Shannon were right behind them.
“Grab 2B, Sisters. I’ll get the first floor,” Rory called over his shoulder.
Chloe almost knocked Amber over, then pushed her way into the partially open door of apartment 2B. Amber lost some precious time righting herself, and Rory almost passed her. She elbowed him in the ribs and regained her lead.
As she was rounding the bottom of the stairs, he vaulted over the railing and they both tried to charge into the vacant first-floor apartment at the same time. Getting stuck in the doorjamb for a moment, Amber and Rory were squashed into each other. At last, as if something went “pop,” they unceremoniously tumbled inside.
Righting themselves, they faced off and stared at each other. “I was here first,” Rory said, panting.
“Ha! You wish. I got my foot in first.”
A thin guy who must have been one of the other tenants rolled his bike through the inside door at that moment. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, nothin’…” Rory said.
“We’re trying to decide which of us got here first. We both want to be your neighbor, and apparently the managers rented to the two of us separately but at the same time.”
The guy leaned back and laughed. “Perfect. I’m Nathan, by the way.”
Rory didn’t take his eyes off Amber, but addressed the bicyclist. “I hear that possession is nine-tenths of the law here. Is that true?”
The guy was still chuckling. “Uh, yeah. I guess so. At least that’s what I’ve heard.”
“The manager said it aloud,” Amber said. “I figured whichever one of us got here first would be allowed to stay…even though I signed the lease.”
“But I paid in cash, and we shook on it,” Rory said. “Did you see which one of us entered the place first?”
“Nope,” Nathan said. “But there’s still a way you can let that rule work it out for you.”
“How?” they both asked at once.
“Well, since you both possess it now, whoever leaves first is giving up possession.”
They glared at each other, and then a smirk stole across Rory’s lips.
“Oh, you think you’ve got it, don’t you? Just because you have sisters who can go get you food and whatever else you need, huh?”
He grinned. “I imagine so, since they live
What the…
Rory and his sisters glanced at each other, looking equally confused.
“But we paid…in cash,” Chloe said. She rubbed her fingers together, then glared at the check Amber had sitting on the table like it wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on.
Amber returned her gaze to the stalemate between the managers. Were they able to argue with their eyes? Did they solve all their problems with a staring contest?
Rory whispered to his sisters, “Do you think they’re telepathic?”
Chloe and Shannon shrugged.
That would be one explanation, Amber thought. One very weird explanation.
“Look. I’m sorry, but I got here first, and I can’t lose this apartment,” Amber said to Rory. “My whole building is being renovated and turned into condos. Everyone has been evicted.”
He cocked his head. “Well, I’m very sorry for your troubles, but I believe we have the right of it. We already paid first and last month’s rents on both apartments—in cash, as my sister mentioned.”
At that point, Sly withdrew quite a wad of hundred-dollar bills from his pocket and held it out to Morgaine. She took a step back and shook her head as if the money were on fire.
“This is the oddest spat I’ve ever witnessed,” Shannon muttered.
Chloe chuckled. “We’ve seen some outrageous disputes, but you’re right. This one’s downright peculiar.”
Morgaine leaned forward with her hands on her hips and stamped her foot.
Finally, Sly rose to his full height and said, “In this country, possession is nine-tenths of the law.”
Amber and Rory exchanged a look, and telepathy wasn’t needed to interpret what they were thinking. They both took off and charged down the stairs. Chloe and Shannon were right behind them.
“Grab 2B, Sisters. I’ll get the first floor,” Rory called over his shoulder.
Chloe almost knocked Amber over, then pushed her way into the partially open door of apartment 2B. Amber lost some precious time righting herself, and Rory almost passed her. She elbowed him in the ribs and regained her lead.
As she was rounding the bottom of the stairs, he vaulted over the railing and they both tried to charge into the vacant first-floor apartment at the same time. Getting stuck in the doorjamb for a moment, Amber and Rory were squashed into each other. At last, as if something went “pop,” they unceremoniously tumbled inside.
Righting themselves, they faced off and stared at each other. “I was here first,” Rory said, panting.
“Ha! You wish. I got my foot in first.”
A thin guy who must have been one of the other tenants rolled his bike through the inside door at that moment. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, nothin’…” Rory said.
“We’re trying to decide which of us got here first. We both want to be your neighbor, and apparently the managers rented to the two of us separately but at the same time.”
The guy leaned back and laughed. “Perfect. I’m Nathan, by the way.”
Rory didn’t take his eyes off Amber, but addressed the bicyclist. “I hear that possession is nine-tenths of the law here. Is that true?”
The guy was still chuckling. “Uh, yeah. I guess so. At least that’s what I’ve heard.”
“The manager said it aloud,” Amber said. “I figured whichever one of us got here first would be allowed to stay…even though I signed the lease.”
“But I paid in cash, and we shook on it,” Rory said. “Did you see which one of us entered the place first?”
“Nope,” Nathan said. “But there’s still a way you can let that rule work it out for you.”
“How?” they both asked at once.
“Well, since you both possess it now, whoever leaves first is giving up possession.”
They glared at each other, and then a smirk stole across Rory’s lips.
“Oh, you think you’ve got it, don’t you? Just because you have sisters who can go get you food and whatever else you need, huh?”
He grinned. “I imagine so, since they live
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