Page 43 of Singled Out
“Cambria Clarke! What are you doing here?” I rushed over to the girl I’d gone to school with. We’d been in the same grade and the same friend group. At least half that group had scattered after high school, most of us growing apart. I knew Cambria lived outside of town.
“Harper! It’s been ages. Hi, Dakota. It’s good to see you both.”
“Hey, Cambria. Are you opening a business?” Dakota asked. Dakota had been a year ahead of us in school, but everyone knew just about everyone in this town.
“I’m…thinking about it.” Cambria glanced at Darius and smiled. “Thinking pretty hard. I want to open a store to sell my candles. This”—she swept her arm out—“is a little more than I’d planned on though.”
I wondered if she meant just square footage, as it was a generous-sized storefront, or if she was also referring to the, uh, shit show of old merchandise.
“It’s a lot for candles,” Dakota said.
“I’ve played with the idea of adding some gift items, home decor, that kind of thing, but I’m not sure. It’s a lot more than I planned to take on.”
My conversation with Max about selling my jewelry popped into my mind, but I kept quiet. That was a crazy thought. As crazy as it’d been when Max had suggested opening my own business.
“You can’t beat the location,” Darius told her. “You’d get the traffic here to sell whatever you decide to sell.”
“That’s true. I wouldn’t have to market as aggressively to get people in during tourist season.” Cambria glanced around thoughtfully again. “Do you mind if I stay a little longer to think about the possibilities?” she asked Darius.
“Not at all,” he answered. “Let me take Harper and Dakota upstairs and get them started. Then I’ll be back down to check on you.”
“Thank you. Good luck, you two.” Cambria waved distractedly and seemed to turn her attention to her thoughts again.
We followed Darius out the back way into a vestibule with an exterior door and a stairway going up.
“Your stairs are inside, which is hard to find in these downtown buildings,” Darius said. “No shoveling or salting in the winter.”
“No shoveling’s a plus considering I don’t own a shovel,” Dakota said.
“Same.” I went up after Darius.
At the top landing, Darius stopped and faced us. “Okay, I need you to go in with an open mind.”
“Oh, hell,” Dakota said. “Is that code for It’s a disaster?”
Darius chuckled, which I didn’t take as a good sign. “Mrs. Karasinski’s apartment is as…full as her store. She’s a sweet lady, but she’s definitely a collector.”
“What you’re saying is it’s a shit show too,” I said, already wondering what other rentals might be available.
I hadn’t started my search in earnest yet, but I was pretty sure there was nothing else downtown. Places on the square were rare. When someone moved in, they generally stayed for a good long time. I’d heard when Cash Henry moved in with his then-fiancée, Ava, his apartment above Bergman Hardware had been rented out within six hours.
After living in the country for three years, I wouldn’t mind being within walking distance of everything. We’d have to act fast if we wanted this place.
Darius unlocked the door, then paused before twisting the knob. “You’ll need to squint past the belongings. Look at the structure, the room sizes, the features like the skylight and rooftop patio out back. Focus on the potential.”
“You’re scaring the crap out of me,” Dakota said.
Darius pushed the door open and let us enter first.
“Oh. My. God,” I said.
“You did not exaggerate,” Dakota added.
I blinked and tried to breathe. “I’d say you understated.”
“Is she a hoarder?” Dakota stepped past me, her head going back and forth as she took in all the clutter.
“All of this will be removed within the next week,” Darius assured us. “The owner said she’d replace the floors and paint all the walls. It’s gonna look fantastic once we take out Mrs. K’s belongings.”