i shrug. "No trouble," I assure him. It's not like I'm doing anything important at the moment, and the house is in decent enough shape I don't feel too weird about a stranger showing up. Not anymore than having a stranger in the house feels to begin with, at least. Anyway, he's Effy's friend, so I guess I ought to try to get to know him a little.

I step back to let him in, though Elvis the dog goes charging ahead of him, back into the house. "He's not used to company."