Page 195 of Secret Shifters Next Door

“So cool. Anyway, you were asking about me. I’m a dental hygienist. Haven’t found any work yet. I only got to town a few months ago. So far, I’m living off savings until I find something. It’ll probably be in one of the nearby cities or towns. I know it sounds shocking, but Lilly Valley doesn’t have a surplus of dental offices. My boyfriend was the breadwinner, but he’s gone now.”

“You guys broke up?”

Celina waved a hand dismissively. “No. He passed away several weeks ago.”

My eyes bugged out, and I put a hand to my mouth. “Oh my gosh. Felicity, I’m so sorry.”

Felicity nodded and smiled sadly. “It was a shock. Though, even if he’d lived, I don’t know if we’d have lasted. He’d been kind of obsessed with another woman in the weeks before he died.”

The server brought our food, and the cinnamon roll really was the size of my head. We should have gotten one to share, but it was too late. Besides, it was delicious. We ate in silence for a few minutes before picking the conversation back up.

“What about you?” Felicity said. “Are you seeing anyone?”

Sighing, I put my fork down. “No. I don’t really date.”

Felicity raised an eyebrow. “Like ever?”

“Not really. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but…I’m a little awkward. Not many guys like that. I’m an introvert. I don’t like to go out and party, and stuff like that. I’m your classic homebody.”

Felicity shrugged. “Some guys probably like that. There’s got to be a guy out there that can appreciate you. You shouldn’t feel the need to change yourself.”

It was nice to hear someone say that. I always beat myself up for how I am, so whenever someone tells me I am good enough, I always feel better. My thoughts drifted to Miles and the night before. Was he a guy who could appreciate me for who I am? Even the thought of that made my face go red.

“Uh oh. What are you thinking about? Or should I say, who are you thinking about?”

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. “Okay. I did meet a guy.”

Felicity put her fork down and leaned across the table, a mischievous smile on her face. “Spill. Now.”

I chuckled. “He’s my neighbor, but he’s out of my league. Well…I’m, like, ninety-nine percent sure he’s out of my leagueanyway. I’ve never encountered a guy like him before.” I sighed. “He’s gorgeous, built like a Greek god, charming, and sexy—intimidating, but in a good way. I don’t even know how to show interest, much less…you know.”

Felicity cocked an eyebrow. “I know what?”

I widened my eyes in emphasis. “You know.” I glanced around to make sure no one could hear us. “Like…seduce him?”

Felicity gasped, her smile growing wider. She leaned closer and pitched her voice lower. “You want to fuck his brains out, don’t you?”

You could have lit a match on my face. I could actually feel my pulse through my skin. I was blushing hard. “No…I don’t…I’m sure it would be nice, but I…ugh. Maybe?”

Felicity held her hands up. “Nope. Leave it to me. If you really are interested in this guy, I’m gonna help you. I know all the pointers. We’ll have you riding that stallion in no time.”

A mental image flashed through my mind of me and Miles. I chewed at my lip. My stomach fluttered, and warmth spread between my legs. After thinking about it for several seconds, I grinned shyly and nodded. “Okay. Yeah.”

If you’d told me a month ago that I’d agree to have a woman I barely knew help me seduce my next door neighbor, I’d have called you crazy. The problem was, I really did want Miles. I couldn’t bring myself to ignore the attraction, not when I’d never been drawn to a man like this before. It felt like I’d regret it forever if I didn’t at least try. Plus, if I failed and had to deal with the mortifying embarrassment, it would be fine. I was leaving in less than two weeks.

Felicity clapped her hands and did a little dance on her chair. “Oh, this is gonna be so fun! I can’t wait. Lessons on seduction. This guy won’t know what hit him. Does tomorrow work?”

I nodded. “I don’t have anything going on.”

After breakfast, Felicity gave me a hug in the parking lot. “See you tomorrow. Get ready to get into that dude’s pants.”

I waved to her as she drove away. The weather had warmed up quite a bit while we were inside, and it was a beautiful day. Being cooped up in my apartment yet again didn’t sound appealing. I’d been in town for over two weeks and had yet to explore. Mostly, I just went to the grocery store and back to my apartment. At this point, I knew one of the checkout ladies by name. I didn’t talk to her, of course—that would be crazy. I shuddered at the thought of starting a conversation with a stranger in line at the register. There were people who did that, yes. They were crazy people. Felicity fell into that group, but I liked her at least.

Instead of going home, I started walking down the sidewalk. The town was quaint and charming in a storybook kind of way. Even the street names sounded like they belonged in a story: Harmony Way; Sunrise Circle; Rocky Mountain Avenue. I grinned like an idiot as I explored.

After ten minutes of walking, I came upon a park. It looked like a lot of people had decided to enjoy the warmer weather. There were several families with small children out playing. I didn’t see any older kids. School must not have been out for Thanksgiving yet. As a writer, one of the things I enjoyed most was people watching. The park was perfect for that. I took a seat and sat to watch everyone.

After a while, my eyes fell on a gorgeous redheaded woman chasing a toddling child around. The baby looked almost too young to be walking, much less running, but he moved as fast as his little toddler legs could carry him. I smiled as I watched the woman try to catch the little guy. She turned and pushed her curly red hair out of her face, and a sense of recognition sparked inside me. I knew this woman from somewhere. I frowned, trying to comb through my memories. It was at the edges of mymind, but I couldn’t get it. Maybe I’d seen her at the grocery store or something.

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