Page 1 of Dancing for His Omega

Chapter One

Edwin

Approaching the welcome sign for Oliver Creek, I pressed the button on my steering wheel, turning down the volume on the screaming metal music I’d chosen for the trip.

Any other music reminded me of dance, and, worse, Jacob.

He’d packed his things and left me almost six months before, but the ache in my chest hadn’t ceased for a second.

I didn’t even like heavy metal. It was the only music I could find that I hadn’t ever danced to.

I let out a long sigh of relief. Sitting this long was starting to feel uncomfortable, and I was ready, beyond ready, for this change in my life.

Downsizing from the large mid-century modern home had been hard, but Jacob forced the biggest downsize on me in breaking things off.

I felt lighter now. Once he was gone, a spotlight shone on everything I’d ignored in the name of love.

Not that I was perfect. I wasn’t. Not by a long shot.

I caught myself smiling in the side mirror as I turned off Main Street and onto Creekside Drive where my new apartment would be. It was above someone’s garage, but the person seemed very nice over the phone and waived my deposit since I was moving cross-country.

All the reviews raved about the locals and how walking through town was like stepping into a lovely greeting card.

The houses were all painted in bright colors, not like those cookie-cutter tan and off-white monstrosities that had become the latest fad. The whole neutral palette had never spoken to me.

Life was made to be colorful.

My map app led me right to the same house in the pictures and the garage to the side, where I would be living until I figured my life out. I only had so much in my savings to last me, but I had been frugal before Jacob. At least I had the knowledge to be that way again.

Car parked in the driveway, I got out and an older man emerged from the side door of the pale-blue house. Flowers hung from baskets at every corner and he even had some window baskets bursting with flowers, though I suspected some of them were fake. Still, they were pretty.

“Edwin?” he greeted with a smile. Between my new landlord and the sign, I felt at home already.

“Yes. Granger?”

He nodded and came over to give me a very rigid handshake. A veteran’s hat declaring what years he served sat on top of his salt-and-pepper hair. “I’m glad you found the place.”

“It was a long drive, but it was easy to find. Thank you. Should I park here, or is there somewhere else?”

“You’re fine. I don’t drive anymore, so I gave my truck to my grandson. He comes to pick me up when I want to go to the market in the next town. Sometimes I don’t even need to go. I just want to see him so I make up a list.”

That sounded about right. Kids were busy, but grandparents always wanted to see more of them.

“Okay. Just let me know if you need me to move it.”

The older man reached into the pocket over his heart and withdrew a key and a remote control. “It’s for the garage, and you can park there or use it for storage if you like. Doesn’t look like you have much though.”

“I don’t.” I scratched the back of my head. I wasn’t ashamed of not having much, but I probably seemed like I’d never lived on my own before.

Jacob had insisted I get rid of my thrift store furniture. Of course, once he moved out, he only left me a recliner and a blow-up mattress.

I gave him too much of myself and didn’t keep enough for me.

Oh well. Lesson definitely learned.

Granger gave me a tour of the apartment. It was fully furnished and he’d even bought a new mattress because he said having someone sleep on the same one as a previous tenant gave him the ick. I appreciated the gesture. That gave me the ick as well. The place was a studio. There was a three-quarter bathroom, meaning no tub, but it would have to do. I didn’t take many baths anyway.

There were some things I would have to buy. The kitchen held only a small pan and a few cooking utensils, and I needed some supplies because while the place was not bad, there was dust and no one cleaned my living space like I did.

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