Following My Toes by Laurel Osterkamp Read Free Book Online

“You’ll pick your car up in a couple of days, then you will never have to talk to that guy again. Just get to Carolyn’s. Seeing her will make you feel better.” I looked at my map, and hoped I was turning onto the right street.
    Carolyn lived in an apartment building on the southern side of Minneapolis , in an area called “Uptown.” It had grown as trendy as an Ikea store over the years, but way more pricey. Luckily Carolyn and Charles moved into their rent-controlled building several years ago. Otherwise they could never afford this neighborhood, let alone the cheap Swedish furniture that went with it.
    Their neighborhood was not far from where I was, so I walked. As I did, I noticed the charming surroundings. Most of the buildings were brick or brownstones, built in the early 1900s. However, they were well maintained and had a lot of character. Plus many of them had beautiful gardens out front, the type you would only see in a city. Unusual colors, unique lawn art, and rock formations made the most of limited yard space. Soon I found Carolyn and Charles’s building, and after I rang the doorbell once, she buzzed me in. They lived on the second floor of a two-story building. Carolyn was waiting for me at the top of the stairs.
    “You made it! Charles and I had a bet running. He wagered $15 that you would bail and not come. But I said I knew you better, and you would show. Thanks for proving me right.”
    Carolyn leaped down the stairs, grabbed my bag and with a few simple bounds, ushered me into her apartment, which was small but nice. Big windows, hardwood floors, and built-in shelving contributed to its appeal. In the center of the living room was their Ikea futon couch, which was where I would be sleeping.
    “Did you have a good trip down? Do you want anything to eat or drink? I would give you a tour of the place, but all you have to do is stand in the center of the room, and you can see everything. So have a seat.” Carolyn flopped down on the futon, and I took a seat across from her in the oversized pink armchair she had inherited from her grandmother while we had still been roommates. No chair before or since has ever been so comfortable. At the end of our senior year Carolyn promised if I ever got married she’d give it to me as a wedding present. That’s as good a reason as any to find a husband.
    “How are you?” Carolyn asked.
    “Good,” I said. “Your neighborhood is so cool.”
    “Oh yeah,” Carolyn said. “When you look for your own place you should look in this area. It’s great, Charles and I love it.”
    “When I look for my own place?”
    “Faith, we both know you’re staying. But we don’t have to talk about it right now. There’s plenty of time to iron out the details.”
    It was no use arguing with her, and anyway, it was so good to see her. She and I were randomly assigned each other as roommates our freshman year of college, and found we were both a little messy and easygoing in our approach to life. So we shared an apartment all the way from sophomore year through graduation. We parted ways after college when she moved down to Minneapolis to find work as an actress. She’s done pretty well, not surprisingly. One great thing about Carolyn is her seemingly effortless ability to make everyone around her instantly comfortable. Being with her now made me realize just how much I missed her.
    “Where’s Charles?” I had scanned the apartment a couple of times, and there was no sign of him, unless he was hiding in the bathroom, or in the corner of the bedroom I couldn’t see from where I was sitting.
    “He had to work, but he’ll be home soon. Someone who covered for him recently called and needed him to take his shift.” Charles was a waiter like Carolyn, but he was also a musician. His band, Shiver Thrust, had achieved a good amount of success. They had played at some of the more well known Minneapolis clubs, like First Avenue and The Fine Line, and the album they