The Grease Monkey || A Happy Lowman Love Story

3

I smiled as I looked around the apartment. It was small, only consisting of a bedroom, bathroom, and great room that was split into the kitchen and living room. The limited space didn't bother me since it was just me.

"So do you like it?" The land lord asked. I think he was the chief of police. He was nice enough either way and he seemed to really care about Charming and all his residents, myself included as he continually reminded me.

"It's nice," I said. "Who'd I talk to on the phone though?"

"Probably my wife," he said.

I nodded and relaxed, releasing a nervous giggle from my lips.

"Are you okay sweetheart?" He asked after a second.

I nodded. "Yeah, just looking for a fresh start."

"From what if you don't mind me askin?" He shifted his weight a little. I knew he was just doing his job, trying to spot trouble before it reached city limits.

"Myself mostly," I said with a dry chuckle. He just stared at me clearly unsure of what I meant. "Been going through a rough patch and was hoping that a new town would get me out of my funk."

"Makes sense sweetheart," he said. I smiled softly. The way he continued to call me sweetheart relaxed me, making me feel as though he was a good father figure.

"When can I move in?" I asked. I had spun once again, already deciding that I needed to do some serious decor shopping when I got on my feet. The apartment came with the basic appliances, a bed, dresser, and sofa.

"Today," he said. "Just gotta get the paperwork finished up. And do you have your security deposit?"

"Yeah, would you be able to let me pay for a few months rent too? I need to find a job still so I'd like to know I have at least a few months paid for."

"What line of work are you in?" He asked. He'd nodded though as I inquired about advanced payments so that was a good sign.

"I'm a mechanic," I said. "Heard about some mom and pop garage and was hoping maybe they'd hire me."

"Teller-Morrow," he said. "If you need a reference tell Gemma to come talk to me."

I nodded and thanked him. We finished up the paperwork and he took the security deposit and three months of rent which included all my utilities.

Within two hours I was moved in and had started to unpack. Wayne was also nice enough to give me directions to the grocery store, but I wasn't feeling much like eating tonight.

About 6:00 pm, a knock on the door startled me.

"Coming," I yelled as I pushed myself to my feet in front of the dresser. I peeped through the hole and sure enough, Wayne was standing there with two fists full of grocery bags.

"Wayne," I said as I opened the door.

"Just some basics and my wife grabbed you some toiletries," he said as he walked in and sat the bags on the counter.

"Thank you," I said, going to my purse.

"Consider it your welcome to Charming gift," he said. "Everyone takes care of everyone here."

"Well thank you," I said. He just nodded and offered me a hug before leaving. I was thankful he didn't notice the tears welling in my eyes as he left. I hadn't had a hug that felt like someone cared about me in a very long time.

I made myself a small dinner before I showered and finished unpacking. Tomorrow I would go to Teller-Morrow and inquire about employment. But for tonight, I had a whole apartment to organize and alphabetize.