Page 42 of Fierce-Ivan
When he got to the front door, it opened and Kendra was standing there in the hallway.
“Hi,” she said, leaning in to kiss him. “I thought I’d come down to meet you, though you know I’m on the third floor.”
“I’m glad you did.”
He turned when the door to his left opened. “Kendra. Are you going to introduce me?”
“Mom, this is Ivan Andrews. Ivan, my mother, Karen Key. I know we said we weren’t telling anyone, but my mother isn’t going to drive over to Fierce and announce it in the pub.”
He grinned. “It’s nice to meet you and it’s fine that you told your mother. I don’t want you to feel like we can’t talk about it.”
“Just not around your Aunt Jolene or anyone else that might tell her,” she said, smiling.
At least she was making a joke about it. “My cousins wouldn’t tell her if I asked them not to, but it’s still early yet. Liam was able to keep it quiet for months. My aunt just about died when she found out.”
“I heard,” she said. “Aiden got the worst of it.”
“What’s this about?” Karen asked.
“My aunt feels she has to punish her kids, even as adults when they try to pull one over on her. She knows their weak spots. Aiden is a neat freak. He likes things his way and for no one to touch them.”
“Sounds like someone else I might know,” Karen said.
“Really?” Ivan asked, looking at Kendra.
She had a little pink hue to her cheeks. “Not that bad. Aiden is really bad. Or at least Ella and Cade always say it.”
“Aiden is bad and his wife, Nic, is the same way. They are perfect for each other. So my aunt’s revenge was to go to their house and rearrange their son’s toys in his room. With the help of Anthony of course who thought he was being helpful. When Nic wanted to put them back, Anthony cried and said he did it and liked it that way.”
“That’s both funny and cruel at the same time. Worse yet if it was messy.”
“It wasn’t messy,” he said. His aunt had a warped sense of humor, but she wasn’t mean with it. “She just moved some of the toys into different drawers and such. Going into the room it looked the same with the cabinet doors and drawers closed, but they were used to things a certain way when they picked up and it threw them off. Then they had to get used to where everything was.”
“I can see where that might be annoying and funny at the same time.”
“That’s my aunt,” he said.
“Now that you met my mother we can go eat. It’s going to get cold if we stand here and chat any longer.”
“Enjoy,” Karen said and shut the door behind her.
He followed Kendra up the stairs to her apartment. “The first two apartments are almost double the size of my space due to the roof lines, but I like it. I don’t need much more room.”
She opened the door and he walked right into a living room. “It’s nice and cheerful,” he said.
He wasn’t sure what to expect since her clothing choices weren’t always that way. Though she had a green cotton shirt on with jeans now. He was assuming she’d changed like he did when he’d come home.
“Thank you,” she said. “The walls are neutral like yours. It’s easier that way. I guess I’ve always liked colors but just not to wear them. Here it’s fun.”
“You said you used to before,” he reminded her.
“I did. I’m trying to again. A little bit. For now it’s focused more in my house with decor. Nothing major. Pictures and pillows. Throw rugs.”
She had old hardwoods that were probably scarred and scratched, but it gave the place character.
She did have some pillows on her couch and a chair. No more furniture than that though. The place would feel crowded with more furniture he was guessing.
He took his jacket off and handed it to her outreached hand and she hung it up on a hook on the wall by the door. No foyer or drop zone, but she kept it neat like him. It seemed everything had its place.