The Window
Nonnie pulled one of a pair of old falling apart chairs over in front of the window in the flat over her shop. This could be her view, she thought, it wasn’t that bad a view of the main street, up to her right she could see Barrett’s and if she leaned over a bit on the left, Millie’s, beside that the solicitor’s office. She noticed the light still on there, she wondered if Miss Peeg might still be about because she would like somebody else’s opinion on how to lay out the flat.
Pippin sat with his nose pressed against the window and Wuss occupying the other chair. “You’d be right at home here wouldn’t you boy,” she said to Pippin who ignored her. She decided to see if it was Miss Peeg burning the 7:00 oil.
Across the street and opening the door she knew right away it was Mr. Roberts and not Miss Peeg who was working late. He caught sight of her before she tiptoed back out of the office.
“Miss Scott, did you need something?”
Nonnie turned, “Actually I was looking for Miss Peeg, rather hoping she might still be here I wanted her opinion on something.”
“She left about 4:30, anything I can help you with?”
It was the tone of his voice that kept her from going out of the door and back across the street, she walked to the door of his office. “What in the world happened to your face?” she asked.
Richie smiled sheepishly, “Ah call it a bad idea, it’s okay mostly just bruising now.”
She made a decision, “you’ve renovated the flat above your place, I want to do the same thing but I’d like another opinion of what I have in mind. Do you have a minute?”
“Yeah sure, let me log off here and I’ll be right with you.” Richie was tired, he hadn’t been sleeping well and was emotionally drained. He had been for couple of days since the confrontation with McGee and the afternoon with Libby.
They went through her shop to the steps leading up from her workroom. “I’ll probably have to do a different entrance and exit, this is not exactly welcome home,” she led the way up the narrow steep stairs to the second floor. The steps exited into an open space.
“I put mine on the side of the building, nothing fancy.”
“Hmm, well I only have the alley out back to work with but still with some decorative ironwork I think it could be nice and there’s parking back there. There’s a light fixture thing up there but I can’t reach it to put a light bulb in it so I brought up a lamp.” Nonnie walked over to where she had a lamp sitting on an old wooden chest.
“Oh, there’s nothing up here nothing roughed in.” Richie had a walkabout, “Good sized space though.”
“Yes it is, it has possibilities I know. I love these windows across the front and I thought the largest one could be in the lounge area and wall off the other for the bedroom. I just have to have a window in the bedroom.”
“It doesn’t open.”
“What do you mean it doesn’t open?” Nonnie walked over to the smaller of the two windows. It was tall almost floor to ceiling but it did not open. “That won’t work, it will have to be changed out. Damn.”
Nonnie told him what she had in mind about dividing the space into a bedroom and lounge with kitchen and bath on the back side.
“No second bedroom?” Richie asked.
“No, I don’t expect visitors.”
“No friends or family that might want to visit?” he asked.
“I have a few friends but they all live in Coffs and the only family I have is my Uncle Stephen and I live with him in Coffs.”
“It’s going to take a lot of work Miss Scott but I guess you knew that.”
“Yes I did…look why don’t you call me Nonnie since we’re practically neighbors. I’m sorry I was such a bitch. I don’t like guys that come on like you did; show me something real and I can talk to you. I appreciate your coming over tonight.”
Richie gave her a long look, “I’m sorry, sometimes I can be a bastard I know. Thanks for asking me. When do you plan to start on this place?”
“Soon, I have an idea now of what I want and all I have to do is turn it over to my Uncle, he knows people who know people,” she smiled and stooped and picked up Pippin, “he probably needs to go out.”
“Oh, yeah well you know anything I can do to help let me know.”
“Did I ask you to leave?” she turned from the stairs and looked at him.
“No.”
“Pull up a broken down chair and have a seat, I’ll be back in a minute.” Nonnie went down the stairs with Pippin.
Richie ran his hand through his hair and looked around for a chair. He wasn’t sure what was going on here but he was glad she’d asked him to stay. Pippin came back up the stairs by himself and ran over to Richie for a pet. A couple of minutes later Nonnie came up carrying a bottle of scotch and two tumblers.
“You looked like you could use a drink,” she poured out two tumblers of scotch and set the bottle on the chest and brought one over to him.
“You know, you are full of surprises tonight, I thought you hated me.”
“I don’t hate the man I just handed a drink to he’s somebody I might like to get to know.” She sat down in the other chair dislodging Wuss.
“They’re one in the same ya know.” He sipped his drink.
“I don’t think so or I wouldn’t have asked you to stick around. I don’t know anybody here in The Glen except Miss Peeg and I don’t count Jessup who by the way couldn’t wait for me to get the door open this morning before he was over here with the latest gossip about you. Are you as bad as all that?”
“Probably, I don’t know what he’s told you but yeah I probably am. I’m no saint.”
“I never liked saints, I don’t like people who carry tales either,” She took a sip of her drink. “So what do you do, Richie when you aren’t soliciting and feeding the gossip mongers?”
“Do? I’m not doing much of anything right now since I moved into Millie’s. I’m a Rabbitoh’s supporter but I’ve missed the season.” He shrugged and with a half grin, “I guess I don’t do shit.”
“Maybe that’s the problem you don’t have enough shit to keep you occupied. I’d like to take you to Coffs to meet my Uncle Stephen but I will tell you beforehand he is gay and he has a partner that lives with him and has done so for the last twelve years would that be a problem for you?”
“No, I don’t have a problem with that. Why do you want me to meet him?”
“He needs a solicitor with your background. I have done a little investigating myself I hope you don’t mind.”
“You’ve been investigating me?”
Nonnie smiled and nodded, “well you don’t think I would have asked you to come over here if I really thought you were nothing but a skirt chasing American lawyer with two broken marriages behind him who fights with his clients do you?”
Richie grinned, “I have no idea why you asked me to come over…but I’m glad you did. I’d like to meet your Uncle Stephen but you know you’re going to have to give up something here too. You seem to know all about me and I know nothing about you.”
“Yes you do, you know I like good scotch and that’s enough for tonight.” Nonnie looked at him over the rim of her glass.
Richie touched his glass to hers and finished his drink. He glanced out of her window the moon was up shinning through the dirty panes making patterns on the floor of the empty space, a space that was about to be renovated.
