on to the fridge, to make sure there were no foods inside that were close to spoiling. Gracie was checking the expiration date on a container of yogurt when she heard a knock at the door.
Who the hell could that be? The only people who knew she was here were Lamar and Tamika. Perhaps it was just a random solicitor.
“Just a minute,” she called out and headed for the door. Gracie stood on her toes and looked through the fish-lensed peephole. She gasped and covered her mouth when she saw who was on the other side. What the hell is Tyler doing here?
She opened the door and Tyler smiled. “There you are,” he said. “You’re a tough woman to track down.”
Gracie’s eyes widened. “Tyler, what are you doing here?”
“I wanted to make sure you were ok. I went by the restaurant last night and when I didn’t see you I asked Patty how things were working out. She told me about your…personal issues and that you had to quit. So, I decided to come by and see how you are doing.”
Gracie was shocked. Either Tyler was one of the most persistent men she had ever encountered or he was one of the most caring. She wasn’t sure which was the case though, so she kept her guard up.
“I’m doing okay,” she answered with a smile. “It’s nice of you to check up on me.”
“Can I come in?”
Gracie opened the door. “Of course you can. I’m sorry Tyler. You caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting anyone.”
Tyler walked in and took a look around her apartment. “I like the way you have your place set up. It’s very… cozy.”
Gracie imagined what Tyler’s place looked like compared to hers. His bathroom was probably bigger than her entire apartment. Cozy was probably code word for cramped.
“Thank you,” she said. “I love this place, but unfortunately I have to move out.” Gracie closed the door behind her and headed towards the living room. “Can I get you something to drink?”
Tyler sprawled himself on the couch. “No thanks. Why do you need to move out?”
“I need to look out for my sister, Tamika. She’s in a bad place now and we need to keep an eye on her. So I had to quit my job and as a result can’t afford the rent here anymore.”
Tyler nodded and crossed his legs in front of him, exposing a pair of loud socks underneath his slacks. “Have you considered sending Tamika to treatment? I know of a great place in Tribeca, Hazelden I believe it’s called. I had a cousin who was addicted to Oxycontin and he went up there for a few months. That was three years ago and he’s been clean ever since. He claims that place saved his life and I believe him.”
Gracie frowned and took a seat in a chair sitting opposite the couch. She’d heard of Hazelden before, of course. Their facilities, and staff, were considered world class. Not the type of place a waitress could afford to send her sister. “Tyler, we can’t afford anything like that and there are no public facilities with beds available.”
“So where will you live?”
The presence of Tyler had Gracie on edge. She fidgeted in her seat and glanced at the clock. She told Tamika she would be back in a few hours and she didn’t want to keep her waiting. Whatever Tyler wanted on his visit, he would have to make it quick.
“I am moving in with my cousin Lamar. Tamika has been staying there for a while now and I am going to share a room with her. It will be fun, like when we were little girls.”
Tyler smiled, uncrossed his legs and made himself comfortable on the couch. “That’s cute. Tamika is lucky to have a sister like you.”
Tyler’s warm tone comforted Gracie but she remained resolved to move the encounter along. The last thing she needed now was further distraction in her life.
“That’s nice of you to say, Tyler,” Gracie said and rose from her chair. “I hate to be rude Tyler, and I do appreciate you dropping by, but I need to get going. I told Tamika I would be home soon and I don’t want to keep her
Who the hell could that be? The only people who knew she was here were Lamar and Tamika. Perhaps it was just a random solicitor.
“Just a minute,” she called out and headed for the door. Gracie stood on her toes and looked through the fish-lensed peephole. She gasped and covered her mouth when she saw who was on the other side. What the hell is Tyler doing here?
She opened the door and Tyler smiled. “There you are,” he said. “You’re a tough woman to track down.”
Gracie’s eyes widened. “Tyler, what are you doing here?”
“I wanted to make sure you were ok. I went by the restaurant last night and when I didn’t see you I asked Patty how things were working out. She told me about your…personal issues and that you had to quit. So, I decided to come by and see how you are doing.”
Gracie was shocked. Either Tyler was one of the most persistent men she had ever encountered or he was one of the most caring. She wasn’t sure which was the case though, so she kept her guard up.
“I’m doing okay,” she answered with a smile. “It’s nice of you to check up on me.”
“Can I come in?”
Gracie opened the door. “Of course you can. I’m sorry Tyler. You caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting anyone.”
Tyler walked in and took a look around her apartment. “I like the way you have your place set up. It’s very… cozy.”
Gracie imagined what Tyler’s place looked like compared to hers. His bathroom was probably bigger than her entire apartment. Cozy was probably code word for cramped.
“Thank you,” she said. “I love this place, but unfortunately I have to move out.” Gracie closed the door behind her and headed towards the living room. “Can I get you something to drink?”
Tyler sprawled himself on the couch. “No thanks. Why do you need to move out?”
“I need to look out for my sister, Tamika. She’s in a bad place now and we need to keep an eye on her. So I had to quit my job and as a result can’t afford the rent here anymore.”
Tyler nodded and crossed his legs in front of him, exposing a pair of loud socks underneath his slacks. “Have you considered sending Tamika to treatment? I know of a great place in Tribeca, Hazelden I believe it’s called. I had a cousin who was addicted to Oxycontin and he went up there for a few months. That was three years ago and he’s been clean ever since. He claims that place saved his life and I believe him.”
Gracie frowned and took a seat in a chair sitting opposite the couch. She’d heard of Hazelden before, of course. Their facilities, and staff, were considered world class. Not the type of place a waitress could afford to send her sister. “Tyler, we can’t afford anything like that and there are no public facilities with beds available.”
“So where will you live?”
The presence of Tyler had Gracie on edge. She fidgeted in her seat and glanced at the clock. She told Tamika she would be back in a few hours and she didn’t want to keep her waiting. Whatever Tyler wanted on his visit, he would have to make it quick.
“I am moving in with my cousin Lamar. Tamika has been staying there for a while now and I am going to share a room with her. It will be fun, like when we were little girls.”
Tyler smiled, uncrossed his legs and made himself comfortable on the couch. “That’s cute. Tamika is lucky to have a sister like you.”
Tyler’s warm tone comforted Gracie but she remained resolved to move the encounter along. The last thing she needed now was further distraction in her life.
“That’s nice of you to say, Tyler,” Gracie said and rose from her chair. “I hate to be rude Tyler, and I do appreciate you dropping by, but I need to get going. I told Tamika I would be home soon and I don’t want to keep her
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