The Present... Monday Evening...
The chili I'd dumped from several cans was simmering in a large pot I'd just bought today. The cans were thrown away. It wasn't homemade but I could honestly tell Danny it was home-cooked since I was cooking it on my stove. With a handful of chili powder tossed in it was just like homemade anyway. I liked my chili with Chili Cheese corn chips. But I had regular crackers for the unsophisticated palates.
Sandra had called me earlier today wanting to know if I wanted to do anything. We hadn't seen each other in a couple of weeks. I told her I had company but if she wanted, we could go grocery shopping together and later I'd make her a home-cooked meal. She'd accepted with a laugh at the thought of me actually cooking. She said she'd have to see it to believe it.
We were dancing around my kitchen lip-syncing to Meat Loaf's Paradise By The Dashboard Light when the pounding on my door began. I knew it was either a neighbor come to complain about the volume of the music...
"Dammit, Olivia! Why am I locked out of my apartment?!"
...or it was Danny.
I opened the door and skipped out of the way as Danny stormed through. Waving the sheet of paper I'd taped to his door, he demanded, "What's going on, Olivia? I come home, my locks been changed and there's a note saying to see you. Why did you lock me out of my apartment?"
"So you wouldn't walk in before the varnish dried, of course," I answered as if everyone should know that.
"Varnish? What varnish?"
"The varnish they applied after sanding and buffing your floors, of course."
Danny took a deep breath and, "Why did someone sand, buff and varnish my floors?"
"Because I hired them, of course. And you're welcome, by the way. Your floors look so much better," I said as I moved back to the stove to stir the chili and made introductions, "Danny, this is Sandra. Sandra, this is Danny."
"Uh, hello, Sandra."
"Soooo, this is Danny," Sandra purred. Moving towards Danny, she rubbed a hand over Danny's overalls-covered arm and continued, "Nice muscles! Viv, you never told me he was so delicious."
A cat stalking a mouse couldn't have cornered its prey faster than Sandra cornered Danny against a counter with her hands on the counter at his sides. Danny was leaning backwards as Sandra leaned over him so close her small boobs rubbed against his overalls. Sandra took a deep breath and, "Mmm, he even smells good. He smells like a man who's worked in the sun all day."
Sandra rubbed her cheek against Danny's chest and took a deeper breath. "He doesn't smell anything like those men I meet who bathe in cologne and sit all day behind a desk, pushing papers while their asses get bigger. I bet Danny's ass cheeks are tight as..."
"Hey!" Danny gave a little hop and then his hand appeared holding Sandra's wrist well away from his body. "Stop grabbing my butt."
I took pity on Danny. Deciding he'd suffered enough for unjustly yelling at me, I pulled Sandra off him. "Leave my nerd alone, Sandra. Go torture your own nerd."
"I don't have a nerd," Sandra pouted. "Why can't we share your nerd?"
"I guess that would be up to Danny..." I started, when Danny interrupted me to settle the matter.
"I'm nobody's nerd!"
Danny had taken advantage of Sandra being pulled away to escape from the counter and now had his back to open space. Looking from me to Sandra and then back to me, "I take it she's not a friend from high school."
"No," I laughed. "She works for Marla, too."
Sandra wrapped her arms around my waist and molded herself to my side, "You might say we're very close friends. I taught Tall'n'Blonde here how women can have fun without a man."
Danny looked uncomfortable.
"Oh, my God! He's blushing! I love a man who blushes," Sandra declared, on the hunt again. I pulled her back again.
Fixing me with his eyes, Danny said, "Jeez, you by yourself is bad enough. Both of you together... The two of you should be locked up!"
Sandra perked up at that and began advancing on Danny again, "Oh? Are you into that, Danny? Do you like locking girls up? I have handcuffs at my place. Many handcuffs…"
I pulled Sandra back again, "I told you to leave my nerd alone."
Danny looked at us. We looked back. Shaking his head, he turned and walked quickly to the door and then stopped. Turning to face me, he threw his hands into the air, "I've got nowhere to go! All of my things are locked up."
"Oh, your things aren't all locked up. Most of your clothes, books and stuff is locked in the basement but I have some of your clothes on my bed. Enough changes to last until we can move your new furniture in with the rest of your things."
Danny stood motionless for a five-count. "I'm afraid to ask," Danny muttered, then, "Olivia? Where's my old furniture?"
"Since everything had to be removed for the floors to be done, I had your old furniture taken to the dump, of course. We'll go shopping tomorrow after work for your new furniture."
"Hey! Can I come," Sandra asked. "I'd like to look for a new lamp."
"Sure."
"I didn't need new furniture."
"Yes, you did," I replied. "I could never feel at ease on a couch with cooties."
Danny slumped in defeat and massaged his temples. "I need a shower. May I use your bathroom?"
"Of course."
Sandra started forward again, "I can help you, Danny. I'll wash your back if you'll wash mine."
"Leave me alone!" I think we'd pushed Danny to the limit of his ingrained politeness.
"I'll take my own shower. Alone." Danny said in a more rational tone. He walked quickly away before Sandra could follow. "And I'm locking the door," were his last words before closing the door to my bedroom."
Sandra jumped up to sit on the counter next to the sink. "Wow. I gotta start hanging out at libraries if he's a nerd. Is he really smart, too?"