Fred Finds an Apartment

"Were yous gonna live together?" enquired the building manager as they all stepped into the available bachelor apartment. Fred only gazed at the man in wide-eyed surprise and blushed furiously.

Myrtle cleared her throat. "No. Mr. Luckinbill is seeking an apartment for himself," she replied firmly.

The manager only shrugged and extended a hand toward the empty room. "It’s small, but it’ll do for one. It goes for $625. a month."

"Utilities included?" inquired Myrtle.

"Yeah, but it’s extra for parking and cable," replied the manager.

As soon as he’d glanced around and heard the cost of rent, Fred decided he could probably afford the larger one bedroom, so he wanted to move on. But Myrtle was in the tiny kitchenette opening all the cupboards and appliances. As Fred watched, he wondered absently what she was looking for, but he waited quietly until she’d peeped into everything, then he turned to the manager. "Well, this is okay," he shrugged nonchalantly, "but it is kind of small. I’d like to see the one bedroom, please."

The manager shrugged and grunted, then shuffled toward the door. They were no sooner inside the other apartment than Myrtle scurried to the little bedroom. Fred just stood in the doorway watching in amazement as she pulled a tape measure from her pocket and measured both dimensions of the small room. Then she turned to Fred with a satisfied smile. "It’s big enough for a double bed, Fred. You could have two bedside tables too if they were small. And you put a chest of drawers against that wall," she assured him, pointing to the outside wall with the window. "The closet is rather small, but at least there is one," she declared cheerfully.

Fred nodded as she brushed by him and marched into the living room. The manager was standing in the middle of the room rocking slowly back and forth and staring at the ceiling. Myrtle stopped in front of him. "How much?" she asked brusquely.

"This one’s $785. Parking and cable extra," he droned.

Fred peeped around the doorway and smiled gleefully at Myrtle. It was more than he’d hoped, but he could afford it… he was quite sure.

"How much is the parking?" Myrtle asked a trifle suspiciously.

"For indoor, forty dollars. For outdoor, twenty-five," replied the manager, yawning.

Myrtle glanced at Fred, who allowed a brief look of alarm to cross his face before replacing it with determination. He squared his shoulders and marched into the living room.

"I’ll take it," he announced. "With outdoor parking," he added, whereupon Myrtle scurried into the kitchen to peer into the cupboards and appliances and the manager stopped rocking and glanced at Fred in mild surprise.

"Well, you hafta fill out an application," said the manager. He pulled a wrinkled and slightly soiled piece of paper from his back pocket and held it out toward Fred. "And you’ll have to leave a cheque for the first and last months rent. If you check out, the apartment’s yours from October first… which is... um... well... it’s today. So it’ll be yours once this checks out. Of course, if you don’t want it so soon, you can leave a deposit and maybe get it if nobody else wants it right away."

Fred examined the application as the man spoke. "I’ll take it from October first," he muttered. "Got a pen?"

The manager shook his head and Fred gazed at him helplessly. Even as she thrust her head into the freezer compartment of the refrigerator in search of any foul odour that might be lurking there, Myrtle had been listening to the men. She strode back into the living room and handed Fred her pen. Then, as he glanced around in search of a surface to write on, she gently guided him toward the kitchen. As soon as he discovered the kitchen counter, he set to work on the rental application while Myrtle busied herself measuring the living room and bedroom windows, and assured herself that everything in the bathroom was in working order.

"If this checks out, you can pick up the key in a couple days," said the Superintendent sternly, once both the application and a cheque for the appropriate amount were in his hands. Then he shuffled to the door and stood slightly aside, allowing Fred and Myrtle to exit first.

As they strolled along the darkened street side by side, Fred breathed a satisfied sigh. Then he glanced at his companion. "I’m sorry if just taking it like that caught you unawares, Myrtle. I’m a little impulsive sometimes, I guess," he confessed.

"Oh no, Fred," she beamed up at him. "You were just being decisive and I think that’s a very admirable quality in a man."

He grinned and moved a little closer, so that his arm brushed against Myrtle’s. Then she stopped suddenly and turned to face him. "Fred, I’d like you to help me with a little shopping too… if you wouldn’t mind," she said hesitantly. "I’d like you to come with me to pick out a new car," she finished quietly.

His slightly alarmed expression turned to one of concern. "But Myrtle, you weren’t going to get a new car till you had your insurance money."

"Well, I know Fred, but you’ve just taken an apartment… and you can’t drive all the way from here to my place to pick me up every morning and deliver me to work. Then take me home every evening too," she ventured.

"Sure I can, Myrtle. I don’t mind. You can get the gas money from the insurance company. And I really don’t mind."

"Oh no, Fred. It isn’t reasonable," she declared. "Anyway, you’ll be going into the hospital at the end of next week. I’ll have to make other arrangements for those few days afterwards anyway. I might just as well get my own car again, Fred."

He moved closer and took both her hands in his. "You can use my car while I’m in the hospital, Myrtle," he suggested.

Myrtle shook her head slowly. "I couldn’t do that, Fred. I’d just feel awful if anything happened to it."

"But Myrtle, it’s insured… and I’m sure you’d be careful. You can see okay out of one eye, right? Please… it’s just a car… and I really don’t mind," he pleaded. "I really don’t want you to rush out and buy a car."

"But mightn’t your mother need your car while you’re in the hospital?"

Fred's eyes widened at the thought, but he just shook his head solemnly. "She has her own transportation," he replied in a low voice. "Now Myrtle," he said sternly. "I insist! I’ll still drive you to and from work for now, and you’ll take my car while I’m in hospital."

Before she could protest further, he leaned over and kissed her. Though he’d meant to plant a gentle yet firm kiss on her lips, he actually only managed to graze her right nostril. But despite being a little startled, Myrtle was certain of his intentions and she moved a little closer and softly kissed his cheek in return. "All right, Fred. We’ll try it your way first," she relented.

He grinned his approval and slid an arm across her shoulders while she slid hers around his waist. Then the two continued their stroll toward his car in what would soon be his new neighbourhood.