Page 6 of Knight's Fall

Courtlyn tilted her head to the side as if considering each option. Olivia’s “research” was a great source of entertainment for Courtlyn. Her adventures fueled many plot lines for her erotic novels, and Courtlyn could probably use one of those stories about now, though that’s not where her thoughts were.

She also liked Olivia’s quirky hairstyle that suited her friend perfectly. It was one Courtlyn envied. Cut short on one side and the back, the other side fell in longer curls down to her jaw, framing her round face in a fun and flattering style. The style was all wrong for Courtlyn’s face shape, so she kept her mousy brown locks in long layers that reached thick and straight to her shoulders.

Recipes were a logical assumption since Courtlyn loved to experiment with ideas to one day serve on her food truck. She enjoyed sharing her dishes with Olivia, and maybe she could use a new recipe to take to Sexy Neighbor. A new recipe to use as an excuse to see her crush would be a win-win. If he ever came back…

“Hmm,” she hummed dramatically, realizing Olivia studied her intently while waiting for a reply. “All of the above.”

Olivia dropped the dish towel and settled onto one of the chairs. She shook her head enough to send her fiery curls swinging to slap her round cheek. “Give it up, Coco. We both know the answer is none of the above. You’re wondering if Sexy Neighbor is walking around his house buck naked, and you’ve been staring out your window hoping he walks by one of his.”

Courtlyn flushed. “Not exactly.” She moved to join Olivia at the table. “I was thinking about him, but not about what he looks like naked. At least not this time. It’s just…I don’t think he’s home, and I haven’t seen him for a while. I’m just curious about where he went, and…I don’t know. I guess I’m wondering if he’s okay.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“About a week ago, the day after…well, he’s been outside a lot working on his deck, and now it’s like he vanished. It’s just unusual not to see him working outside. Do you think I should go over there and check? I mean what if he slipped in the shower and hit his head. He could be lying there bleeding to death from a head wound while we’re over here eating dinner.”

Olivia rolled her wide green eyes. “Your imagination is wilder than mine. He’s probably on vacation or on a work trip or something. But if you want to go over and talk to him, just go. What’s the worst that could happen?”

The question was all it took for Courtlyn’s imagination to jump into action. As scenarios played at hyper speed in her mind, she finally blurted out the worst one she could think of.

“His Barbie-doll perfect, model girlfriend opens the door wearing only his T-shirt and laughs at me for thinking I could make a move on her man. And then he joins her and tells her she has nothing to worry about because I’m the plain Jane neighbor who he would never be interested in.”

Olivia pierced her with a glare that was both stern and playful, a combination of “I mean business” and “I love you and don’t want to hurt your feelings with this look.” For Courtlyn, the glare was lethal.

“You are not plain Jane. Far from it. You’re beautiful. No, you’re not a Barbie doll. You’re real, and you’re pretty, smart, fun, creative, talented and a lot of things that a life-size Barbie doll could never be. If he wants nothing to do with someone like you, he’s a jerk you don’t need in your life. Stop selling yourself short because other guys have acted like dicks around you.”

Olivia always spoke her mind and never pulled punches. She never lied and never pretended to be something she wasn’t. But even knowing that about her friend, Courtlyn had a hard time believing the compliments coming out of Olivia’s mouth. For her, the negative things overshadowed the positive, making them hard to overcome.

“It’s pathetic, isn’t it?” Her eyes drifted back to the window she’d just been looking out. “Here I am, lusting after a man I’m afraid to talk to after he saw me at less than my best.”

“What do you mean? When did he see you at less than your best? Are you holding out on me?”

Courtlyn jerked her gaze back to meet Olivia’s inquisitive one, her mouth dropping to realize her mistake. She’d decided not to share about her run-in with Sexy Neighbor after she lost her key. She deemed it best to keep her embarrassment to herself, but her slip of the tongue now prevented that from happening.

“He came to my rescue after I lost my house key. No big deal.” She shrugged, hoping to pull off a nonchalance she didn’t feel.

Olivia’s mouth dropped open and then closed, a mischievous gleam lighting her eyes. “Oh, no, you don’t. I need details, and I want them now. Leave nothing out.”

Courtlyn sighed. No way her friend would let the matter drop now, so she launched into the story, starting with how well her morning had been going until the attack of the skunk and how it all went downhill from there.

Olivia didn’t bother to contain her laughter. Her entire body shook, and soon tears dripped from her eyes and her laughter became silent as it stole her breath. Courtlyn sighed and waited for her friend to control herself.

“You realize this means Sexy Neighbor has a less than stellar first impression of me,” she told Olivia, which only seemed to set her off again.

Finally, Olivia used the back of her hand to wipe the moisture from her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths to calm her laughter. “Oh, my sweet naïve Coco. Don’t you get it? Men like your incredibly hot, incredibly sexy neighbor like playing the alpha male and come to a damsel’s rescue. If anything, you’ve piqued his interest.”

Courtlyn snorted derisively, and sarcasm dripped from her tone. “Yeah, right. He barely acknowledges me when we’re outside at the same time. It’s not like our paths cross anywhere else but here. Geez, he’s so far out of my league, I don’t even know why I’m still talking about it. He’s the stuff of my fantasies, and that’s all he’ll be.”

Olivia sat back and regarded her friend with a critical eye. Courtlyn knew that look, so she remained silent and waited while Olivia imparted whatever revelation was brewing in her mind.

“Maybe that’s true. And he’s definitely a good choice for the star of your sexual fantasies. But you forget that we are talking about you, Courtlyn McNeal. The unusual and unlikely, both good and bad, happen to you on a daily basis. You probably made more of a favorable impression on him than you think.”

“You have to say that. You’re my best friend. Regular pep talks are in the job description.”

Olivia’s forehead wrinkled, her eyes narrowing to show her disbelief. “When have you ever known me to blow smoke up your ass? Are you denying that stuff justhappensto you?”

Courtlyn puckered her lips as she considered Olivia’s question. She hated to admit the truth of her friend’s words, but she did seem to attract luck of all kinds without any effort on her part. True, she got sprayed with a skunk and lost her only house key, and that wasn’t the greatest of luck. But also true, she was rescued by Sexy Neighbor who not only got her in her house for her to shower but also retrieved her key without being asked. That was a show of the good fortune that came her way at the oddest times.

“You know, I should really do something nice for Sexy Neighbor. He didn’t have to come to my rescue the other day. One act of kindness deserves another, right?”

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