He had barely slept. After I left, he and Susan had sat in the kitchen until dawn, with Susan cursing me and Mike staring at the wall, still convinced I would come back once I “calmed down.”
But I hadn’t come back.
The knocking came again, louder this time.
Mike stumbled down the hallway rubbing his eyes and tripped over the same bag of apples. Overnight it had leaked even more, leaving a sticky puddle across the floor.
When he opened the door, our landlord was standing there.
Ash was a big man in an expensive suit with heavy brows and the kind of expression that made excuses die in your throat.
“Morning, Mike,” he said. “It’s the second. You know why I’m here.”
Mike tried a weak smile. “Ash, good morning. There’s been a small issue. Just a technical delay with the bank. Could you give us a couple of days?”
Ash stepped inside without waiting to be invited.
“A technical delay,” he repeated. “Interesting.”
Then he saw the floor. The leaking apples. The smell. The sticky mess on the laminate.
His expression hardened.
“What happened here?” he asked.
At that exact moment Susan emerged from the kitchen in her faded robe, tying the belt as she walked.
“And who are you, barging in here and yelling at my son this early?” she demanded.
Ash looked at her, then back at Mike.
“Your lease says two tenants,” he said slowly. “Not four. And definitely not a whole extended family.”
“I’m his mother,” Susan said. “And his sister is here too. We’re family. We can stay as long as we want.”
Mike closed his eyes.
That was the moment it all went from bad to worse.
Ash gave a short, humorless laugh. “Really. Then the rent just went up fifty percent. More people, more wear and tear. New total is $2,850. Cash. Right now.”
Mike looked like he might pass out. “We don’t have it.”
“Then you have one hour to pack up and get out,” Ash said. “And I’m keeping the security deposit for the floor.”
“But we bought a sofa yesterday,” Mike said helplessly, as if that explained anything.
Ash stared at him. “You bought furniture for someone else instead of paying your rent?”
Mike nodded.
Ash checked his watch. “One hour.”
