Ailleianne. Tina Marie Maes

      “What? No. It’s not … I haven’t heard from Reid since, you know, the incident.” She never wanted to think about her ex-boyfriend again. London busied herself with the order form that she’d completed half an hour ago.

      “Okay, so then why are you hiding in the office? You’ve barely stepped out on the floor. You hate paperwork; you love talking to customers. Obviously something is wrong.”

      “Ugh. I just keep expecting a call.”

       “Oh,” Sophie said, her brows rising in hope of gossip. “What about?”

      “Well, I rented out the room.”

      “You were just talking about that Monday. It’s been, what? A week? Today?” Sophie looked out to the sales floor but stayed in the doorway. “So, that was quick.”

      “Um, yeah. It was. I have a new tenant!” London grimaced down at her desk.

       “Well, you did your research, right?”

      “Oh, the person’s not in any system. I mean, I looked on the sex offender site, and the circuit court. I even paid one of those background check places. Great credit, no criminal record or bad financial history. Looks great on paper.” She shoved a hand through her hair and wondered how crazy it was looking. She was going to stay far away from the bathroom mirror until she found her brush. “I just don’t really feel comfortable letting him-- or zim,” she corrected herself, “stay in my place. Mostly, because it’s so new.” She got up from besides the desk, shooting the phone a last, impatient look. “I’m trying to convince myself that ze’s fine.”

      “Call home.” Sophie spoke up from the door. “If it’ll make you feel better. Call home, see what’s up. Then you can decide if you should continue to be nervous.”

      London shot her a grateful smile before grabbing the handset and dialing her home number. When no one answered, she punched in the number Aillie’d given her with shaking fingers.

      The phone rang a couple times. London drummed her fingers on the desk, as it continued to ring. London glanced at her keys at the corner of her desk. She really didn’t want to leave work early just because she was uncomfortable. “C’mon, pick up, damnit.” She muttered the imprecation, reaching for her keys.

      “Hello?” Aillie’s voice came on the line.

      “Sorry, it’s me. London. Your new landlord. I just was wondering how you … and the house.. were doing.”

      “I am doing well. I have not asked the house. Would you like me to?”

      “Ha! No, sorry, just a joke. Uh, what have you been up to?”

      “What have I been up to?” Aillie asked, a note of confusion in zis voice.

      “You know, since I’ve been gone?” London asked, “What have you been doing?”

       “I have watched two movies. They were very different. I was about to put in another one.”

      “Wow, you’re a serious couch potato. Okay, cool. Just checking in.”

      “I do not believe I am of the Solanum genus.”

      “Funny. All right, I’ll leave you to your movie watching. And please don’t think I’m crazy or anything. It’s just unnerving having a stranger live in my place.”

      “I do not think you are crazy.”

      “Good.” London said after a lengthy pause. “I’m going to get back to work. I’ll see you later tonight.”

      “You believe you will arrive back at your house at 9:30.” Aillie said.

      “Yup, see you then.” London hung up without waiting for a response, then hurried out to the floor. The after work rush was soon to hit, and London wasn’t about to leave Sophie with all the work.

      She met Sophie at the registers just as she was finishing with a customer. London waited until Sophie had handed over the shopping bag with the customer’s items, before offering a thank you under her breath. Sophie waved to the customer as she walked out of the store and then turned back to London.

       “So, everything’s cool, then.”

      “Yeah, I think I was freaking out over nothing. Aillie’s at home…” London stopped and corrected herself. “I mean Aillie’s at my home, watching movies. I can’t say I expected that but so far ze seems okay.”

      “That’s the third time I’ve heard you use the third-gender pronoun.”

      “Um, yeah. Aillie…” London trailed off, staring off into the distance of the mall space. “I don’t know how to explain Ailleianne. All I’ve got is that my new tenant doesn’t really fit into a gender. No, what did ze say. ‘Gender if of no concern’ to zim.” Her brow crinkled.

      “But so far you’ve been okay with zim.”

       “I haven’t known zim more than a week. But I don’t feel scared when I talked to zim. A little confused, but not scared.”

      “I think you could do with some confusion in your life,” Sophie threw the comment back over her shoulder as she grabbed the returns she’d been dealing with. “But go with your gut.”

      London nodded to herself, vowing to take Sophie’s words to heart. It was fine. She was sure of it; it’d be fine.

      She hoped it would be fine.

      *** *** *** ***

      The rest of her workday went speedily as soon as she stopped worrying. Sophie worked the till and London busied herself by straightening up after customers and greeting incoming people to her store. This is what she was good at. She excelled at making small talk, and helping people find what they needed.

      And then London went on lunch and her nerves returned. As soon as she’d finished her pre-packaged lunch, she found herself staring at the phone. London promised herself that she wouldn’t call home a second time. It was hard to resist checking in again. But two phone calls in one day was a bit much.

      Sophie walked back to the office to grab her stuff at the end of her shift and found London snatching her hand back from the receiver. After London explained, Sophie ended up laughing at her for a full minute before relenting. “All right, I’ll drive by your place.”

      “You can’t stop by.” London said at once, telling herself she really didn’t need it… even if she did want it. “Aillie’s probably already freaked.”

       “Don’t worry. I’ll just drive by, make sure the house is still standing. Ze probably won’t even notice. Okay?”

      London couldn’t stop the relieved smile that blossomed on her face. “Yes! Please! What would I do without you?”

      “Let’s not even think about it. You owe me!” Sophie replied airily, gathering her purse and keys. London walked out to the sales floor, feeling much better.

      Sophie’s call fifteen minutes later was heaven sent. Her house appeared fine. A flashing blinking light from the television told her all she needed to now. Her new tenant really was a couch potato.

      *** *** *** ***

      London had one last rush of people before she could start the closing procedures. And then somehow she was done with everything: the clothes were back on the racks, items around the registers were straightened, the money was counted and ready for deposit tomorrow morning. Finally, London grabbed her purse from the back room and headed through the back hallway to the staff parking lot, grateful to be on her own way to her house.

      When London arrived home, it was to a scene very similar to what she’d left. Aillie was still sitting in the same spot, in almost the same position. How zis back could handle the strict position, she didn’t know. She offered a quick wave and made her way up the stairs to her room. Walking into her room, she noted that none of her stuff had been touched. The same mess on her nightstand greeted her, her lotions