5th Street: Noah

Chapter 6

After the little mishap in the kitchen that morning, Noah decided he’d be more careful about the things he said and did around Veronica. Obviously, she had her reservations still. The last thing he wanted was to weird her out again and have her change her mind about their arrangement.

Truth was her long soft curls had taken him by surprise. Normally, she wore her hair up in a ponytail, and he’d never noticed the curls like he did this morning. Then when he was close enough to take in the scent of her hair, he’d greedily leaned in to get an even closer smell when she turned around. To his enormous relief, he was pretty sure she hadn’t caught him sniffing her.

The ride to Abel’s was somewhat quiet, but he managed to make some small talk, mostly about the weather then a little about Abel’s truck. He was now anxious to get her back into the gym where he knew she’d be in her comfort zone again. More than that, he was anxious to know why a woman her age was still alone. She’d been overweight when she first started working out, but she’d told him she only gained the weight in the past year or so. Clearly, from what he saw now and in all the pictures all over the house, she’d been attractive up until she started letting herself go. Even then, when he first met her, he didn’t think her unattractive, just out of shape and noticeably self-conscious about it.

As far as he was concerned, she was where she should be weight wise now. But judging from her skimpy breakfast, she wasn’t satisfied yet. Based on her reaction to even touching him and the way she still remained far off of personal subjects, his telling her he thought she looked perfect now or finding out more about her personal life would have to wait. He had to take it real slow if he didn’t want her bolting for the door again.

Abel and the guys were waiting outside his foster parents’ house when he and Veronica drove up. In addition to Abel, his younger brother Hector and Gio would all be helping him move his things.

Abel, who would most likely be fighting as a heavyweight soon as big as he was getting, crossed his arms in front of him, leaning against his truck.

“Are they all boxers like you?” Veronica peered at them as they pulled up next to Abel’s truck.

“Yeah, even the younger one.”

“Which one is the younger one? They all look so young.”

That made Noah frown. “Of the two taller ones, Gio is my age and Abel is a year younger. Hector is Abel’s younger brother.”

She nodded then turned to him as she stopped the car. “Well, get to it.” She then glanced up at the sky. “Looks like it’s gonna start up soon. I’m stopping at the market on my way back. Anything in particular you want me to grab for you?”

It was weird to feel like someone was looking out for him but a good weird. Noah reached in his pocket. They were going to have to figure something out soon, but for now, he’d just offer her some cash. He pulled out a couple of twenties, handing them to her. “Just grab the usual stuff you’d normally get and lots of eggs.”

She stared at the two twenties apprehensively.

“You need more?” he asked, reaching in his pocket again.

“No! It’s just that . . . Well . . .”

“Take it.” He shook the twenties at her. “We’ll figure this whole grocery money, rent, and utilities thing out later.” Then their eyes met. “Tonight over dinner.”

He realized how that sounded. Just because he was renting a room in her house didn’t mean they’d be sharing meals or spending time together. He’d inadvertently set a dinner date for them tonight—assuming she didn’t have other plans. He held his breath and waited to see how she’d react.

To his surprise, she took the money, her deadpan expression giving nothing away. “Okay.” She looked over his shoulder then back at him. “Will your friends be staying for dinner too?”

Noah turned back to his friends, who were blatantly staring at them. No way. “Nah.” He turned back to her. “I’ll just buy them a pizza for lunch or something.”

Since she hadn’t balked at his dinner suggestion, he was now looking forward to it. No way was he ruining it by bringing this bunch with him.

Veronica had barely driven away when, as expected, Hector was the first one to speak up. “So you’re really moving in with that chick?”

“I’m renting a room in her house. I’m not moving in with her.”

“And you’re not”—he made a lewd gesture with his hand, pumping it outward and inward, and whistled, keeping with the rhythm of his hand—“her?”

While Abel laughed and Gio smirked, Noah frowned, shaking his head. “Don’t be stupid. She’s a client. She heard about my roof issues, and she had extra rooms, so she offered to let me rent one.”

“Ah,” Abel said. “So you were already working her out.” Then he stopped, bringing his fist to his smiling mouth. “Wait. She’s the one you’ve been training, right? Is she one of those ladies that walked in together that night?”

“Yeah, she was one of them,” Noah said, trying to sound as indifferent as possible.

“One of the old ladies?” Hector asked then made a face. “She didn’t look old today.”

“That’s ’cause she’s not,” Noah said, walking toward the garage, the annoyance beginning to build.

“But she is older, right?” Hector’s expression was a bit disgusted. “Too bad ’cause she’s not half bad looking.”

“Why too bad?” Noah asked, a little irritated that he’d let his friend’s sixteen-year-old brother bait him into this dumb conversation.

“I’m just saying, you and her alone in this kind of frightening weather, getting warm and cozy in front of the fireplace.” He bobbed his eyebrows with a stupid smile. “Might’ve been fun if she was, you know, younger.”

He decided to stop with any more talk of Roni, since he was even more irritated that this kid added another visual to Noah’s already overly active imagination. He changed the subject as he opened the door to the garage. “So it’s mostly a few totes and some of my weights. I’m throwing this mattress out.” He lifted the wet mattress, taking in the moldy smell. He’d only been gone from this place for a couple of days, and already he had no desire to ever come back.

Gio came around and stood next to him, examining the damp garage and all of Noah’s soggy things. “Dude, I’m sorry we couldn’t get it all out of here sooner.”

Noah knew Gio felt awful about his mom not wanting him to stay at their place. She was a little old-fashioned, and with Gio having three boy-crazy sisters all just a few years younger than Noah, she wasn’t having it. And no way was he staying with Abel, Hector, and their mom. They already had to share a room because their mom was renting the third room in their house, and they always had one or two relatives from Mexico staying on their sofas.

Even Jack had apologized for not being able to offer him a place to stay, but the landlord at his already cramped tiny apartment didn’t allow roommates.

Gio and the guys all felt bad when they heard he’d be staying at the gym, but Noah understood. If there was any way they could’ve helped, they would’ve like today and the rainy days when he’d tried in vain to fix the roof. They’d all been there getting soaked with him. None of them had given it a second thought when he asked if they could help. He never even asked Hector. If Abel was coming, you could sure as hell bet Hector would be there.

“Nah, it’s cool. I got the important stuff out fast enough.” He’d never even kept the real important stuff here to begin with—his boxing gear. All that stuff had always been kept in the comfort and security of the gym.

Abel walked into the garage. “So which totes are yours, and which ones belong to the Fuentes?”

Noah pointed out which things were his, and between the four of them, they had all his stuff in Abel’s truck just as the sky started to thunder. They hurried to cover everything with a tarp. “Shit, it’s gonna start coming down soon,” Abel said, tying down the tarp on one end. “We better get this outta here.”

“Are we all gonna fit in your truck?” Noah walked around the old truck.

“Hector’s not,” Abel said, walking to the cab of the truck.

“Hey! Why me?” Hector stalked around the truck toward Abel. “I helped too. I wanna check out Noah’s new place!”

“Then jump in the back if you wanna be nosey.” Abel opened the driver’s side door. “’Cause you don’t fit in the front.”

Hector thought about it for a moment then grudgingly jumped in the back. Great. Noah was hoping he’d pass on the possible soaking he’d be getting if the clouds burst as they seemed to be threatening to any minute now. None of his friends were known for being reserved or shy around women, but Hector, being the youngest and especially immature, was known to be the loudest. The last thing he wanted was for him to say anything that would make Veronica any more uneasy about their arrangement than he suspected she already was.

Fortunately for Hector, the clouds had mercy on him. Though they looked like they were ready to burst, the guys made it to Roni’s house without so much as a sprinkle.

Roni walked out onto the porch just as they all got out of the truck. “Do you need me to open the garage for you?”

Noah glanced up as the rest of the guys did too. She’d changed into a pair of jeans and a soft pink sweatshirt, and she wore fuzzy matching pink boots. No way did she look even close to twenty-eight. She walked to the end of the porch, stopping at the railing, and leaned on it.

“Yeah, actually. I’ll put most of my stuff in there for now. I can move it in later when it’s not threatening to come down like it is now.” Noah forced himself to look away from her and glance up at the dark clouds. Getting used to seeing her out of her workout clothes was one thing, but that hair . . . The humidity had tightened the curls even more than they were this morning. Long tight ringlets of dark hair hung down the sides of her cheeks, clashing against her pale skin, making that smile of hers even sweeter now. That gave Noah even more reason to question whether moving in with her was such a great idea.

“I’ll go open it for you then.” She walked back in the house.

“Whoa,” Abel said. “That can’t be the same lady from the gym, Noah.”

Noah’s jaw tightened as he walked toward the back of the truck. “Yeah, it is.”

When he looked up at Abel, he seemed to be still in shock. “Tell me you’re tapping that. Because if you’re not, I could—”

Noah threw the rope he’d untied at him. “Dude!” He glanced back to make sure Roni wasn’t within listening distance anymore. “Will you shut up! And don’t go saying anything stupid in front of her either. Roni’s kind of reserved, and she’s my roommate now, so can you be cool?”

Abel laughed. “Relax. I’m just having a little fun.”

Gio was staring at Noah now. “Roni?”

“Veronica,” Noah said quickly.

“But you called her Roni,” Hector said.

“It’s Veronica.” Noah snapped, his patience thinning by the second. “Now stop worrying about her and grab something, will ya? It’s about to start pouring.”

They were able to get everything in the garage and a few totes that Noah would need immediately in the house before it really started coming down. They still stood in the garage, talking.

Noah’s original plan had been to buy these guys lunch as a thanks for having helped him move his things, but with it pouring the way it was now, that would mean Hector would be assed out and get soaked riding around in the back of Abel’s pickup. It didn’t seem fair when Noah could just stay home and let him take his place in the cab.

The back door to the house opened and Roni stuck her head out. “You boys want something to drink? I could make coffee or hot chocolate.”

Abel chuckled. Noah knew what he was thinking. Coffee or hot chocolate was probably the last choice of drink for any of them. They could all go for a beer right about now—even Hector. So before any of them could say anything, Noah spoke up. “Nah, they were just leaving.” They all turned and looked at him, so he pulled a twenty and a five out of his pocket and handed it to Abel. “Thanks for helping me out today. Here go pick up a pizza and a six-pack. Enjoy it—on me.”

Gio’s scrutinizing eyes didn’t go unnoticed. The way Noah was acting, they’d all be onto him soon, but Gio was probably already thinking it. He knew him better than anyone else did.

“What? You’re not coming with?” Abel asked, taking the money.

Noah shook his head. “I gotta lot of unpacking to do. Then I still gotta go into the gym tonight.” He flexed his arm. “Rain or shine, baby, can’t stop training. Pretty soon, I’ll be back in the ring.”

Abel smirked, ignoring his comments about training and being back in the ring soon. “So how old is she?” He lifted his chin toward the back door Veronica had just closed. “She can’t be much older than us, right? She doesn’t look nearly as old as I thought she was that first day at the gym, and she’s sure as hell a lot cuter than I remember. That voice is sexier than shit too. What is she? Twenty-one? Twenty-two?”

The unease he felt was unexpected. Noah himself didn’t quite get what he’d begun to feel when he was around Veronica. What was even harder to understand was how territorial he suddenly felt. These were his good friends, and she was just his roommate—his client. But he didn’t like how eagerly their eyes had watched her on the front porch, and he certainly didn’t like Abel getting any ideas about her. Older than us? This was exactly why he’d decided to send them packing rather than order the pizza to be delivered there.

He didn’t even realize he was glaring until Abel laughed. “What’s with you today? This whole moving thing must really be getting to you. Will you relax? Looks like you got yourself a good little setup here.”

Noah’s attempts to try not to be so obvious were weak at best and he shrugged. “It’s not the smartest thing to be asking a chick her age, so I don’t know.” He glanced at Gio, who lifted an eyebrow but said nothing.

With Hector declaring he was starving, Noah would be rid of them in a matter of minutes, and he could finally lighten up. He’d only just then realized how tense he’d become.

~*~

Nellie insisted Veronica was being silly. “So he’s a little younger than you, Roni. He’s just gonna be your roommate for a few weeks. You’re not marrying the guy. What if he was sixty? Would you be feeling weird then?”

Veronica peeked out her kitchen window at the group of boys chatting in her garage. At first glance, they’d all looked so damn young when she dropped him off today. Taking a better look at them now, with Noah’s big muscular arm stretched out up against the wall, he hardly looked like a boy. His biggest friend was a man in every sense of the word. Even the youngest one was big. Maybe that’s what was beginning to bother her. Why hadn’t she thought this through further before making such a big decision? This man was moving in with her now. And he’d be sleeping in the bedroom just across from hers.

The worst part was he wasn’t just any man. He was her sexy trainer, the one she’d fantasized far too many times about already. Most importantly—body of a man or not—the fact still remained she was nearly a decade older than him. That alone was the biggest no-no. Serious relationships were probably the furthest thing from his mind, and at her age, the last thing on her mind was a fling.

“I don’t know. This is kind of a big step people take, isn’t it? Even if this were a girl moving in with me, I have to live with someone now. The only person I’ve ever lived with was my mother. What if things don’t work out? He’s become sort of a friend now. What if this messes things up?”

She wouldn’t make Nellie feel guilty by telling her she’d started to rely on her training sessions now to make up for the loneliness she’d been feeling ever since Nellie had become engrossed in her marriage-counseling sessions and trying to work things out with Rick. Secretly, Veronica couldn’t believe Nellie was giving him another chance, but she wouldn’t go there either.

“Why don’t you just tell him up front that you’re feeling a little nervous because you’ve never actually lived with anyone else and to keep an open mind about the possibility that this may not work out? This way he doesn’t get too comfortable. Personally, I think you’re worrying for nothing.”

Yeah, Nellie didn’t know about any of Veronica’s fantasies. Of course, Veronica wasn’t about to tell her either. She wasn’t admitting that to anyone ever. She watched as his friends walked out of the garage and toward the truck, then admired Noah’s big muscular back as he closed the garage. Even in a shirt, it was impressive.

“He’s on his way in now. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay, and stop worrying, will you? Enjoy the company while you have it.”

Veronica frowned, hating how pathetic that sounded. She hung up just as the kitchen door opened and in walked Noah shaking the rainwater out of his hair with his hand.

“I thought you were having lunch with your friends?”

“Nah,” he said, walking by her to get to the sink. “There’s only room for three in the cab of Abel’s truck, so I figured I’d spare Hector a soaking and stay here so he could jump in the front.” He rinsed his hands then turned to Veronica. “But I could go for a bite to eat. Did ya get anything good at the market?”

“Uh-huh.” She walked over to the pantry and pulled out a loaf of bread. “I got cold cuts for sandwiches, and there is stuff for salad. I was going to throw some fish in the oven later tonight, but I could—”

“A sandwich is fine.” He walked over to the fridge and pulled out the stuff for a sandwich. “Were you gonna eat too?”

Veronica set the bread on the counter. “Well, yeah, I guess I could go for a sandwich too.”

This was definitely going to take some getting used to. She was so used to being alone. Having someone to share her meals with and hanging out permanently was going to be different.

“So I guess we get to talk about this arrangement sooner than I thought.” Noah didn’t even look up from his sandwich-making as he spoke. “Me and my friend Gio had talked about getting a place to share a few months ago. So I kind of had an idea of how things would work. Maybe it’s something we can implement in our case.”

After making their sandwiches, they each sat at the table across from one another. Veronica listened to Noah, trying not to get too caught up in his intense dark eyes as he spoke. She actually had to look away a few times, worried he’d notice how taken by them she was. By the time they finished their lunch, she’d agreed to everything except the amount of money he was offering to pay her. It was too much. With the house paid off, she didn’t even have a mortgage or rent to pay. The utilities were all she wanted to split and maybe a small portion of what she put away monthly for the property taxes she paid twice a year. But no more.

“I can’t stay here rent free, Roni.”

Veronica wiped her mouth, wondering how long it would take her to get used to hearing him call her that. She was being ridiculous. Truth was she’d really begun to feel fond of Noah and his friendship—a friendship she wouldn’t ruin by thinking of him in any other way than just that—a friend—a younger brother even. Yeah, she could look at him that way. It would be easier to think of him that way than just a guy living with her.

“Why not? I do. The mortgage is paid, so there is no need for me to collect rent, but all the other stuff we talked about I’m in agreement with.”

Noah frowned but grudgingly agreed. “All right, but I’m fixing everything that needs to be fixed around here, including your car. I noticed it leaks. Which reminds me. If you’re going to insist on driving me around in this weather, then I’m going to insist on giving you gas money.” She began to protest, but he held his hand up. “Don’t push it, Roni. You already got your way on one big thing. I won’t bend on this one.”

Veronica stared at him then smiled. “Okay.”

It was settled now, and with her newfound epiphany on how she’d be going about this, she was sure now this couldwork out painlessly. It was almost maddening that she hadn’t thought of it sooner. She was the older, wiser one, right? From that moment on, she decided to take Nellie’s advice about this sudden change in her life and embrace it.