Page 3 of Pretend to be Mine
Ben
I’ve spent my entire day overseeing the moving men and working to unpack as much as I can. Tomorrow is my first day at the new hospital, and my goal is to make my morning as easy as possible. I want to be able to find everything I need. I unpack my bedroom first, so I’ll have a comfortable place to sleep; I finish my closet, so I’ll have all my clothes and shoes; then I move on to the bathroom, so I’ll be able to shower in the morning. The kitchen is a slow process, but I think I got most of everything unpacked that I’ll need on demand, such as my coffee pot and to-go cup. I hate moving—but in this case, it was needed.
Losing my fiancée in a car crash seven years ago altered my life in ways I never would’ve expected. I turned into a shell of myself. I spent all my time working and didn’t give myself a moment to think or miss her until a few months ago. Everything was so mundane. I was tired of living that way and needed a change. I was surprised and happy when I received a call from the hospital, here in Georgia, offering me the job I applied for months ago. Not only does the new position pay more, but a change of scenery is nice, too. I needed to change my life drastically and force myself to move on. But that brings me back to this unpleasant unpacking situation.
Around seven I order some dinner from a local bar and grill and sit on the couch to eat while I watch a baseball game on TV. I wasn’t going to attempt shopping and cooking a meal, not when I still have so much to do. I eat my burger and fries and get back to unpacking and organizing.
Back in Houston, I lived in an apartment with my fiancée until she passed. Now that I have a whole house to myself, it feels empty and I don’t really know what to do with all the space. I guess I’m just living the typical bachelor life—with only the bare necessities. I decide to call it a night and shut off the lights before heading to the bedroom. The blinds are still open, and I catch a glimpse of my neighbor pulling into her drive. I remove my shirt as I watch her exit the vehicle and walk in the house, her silky red hair blowing in the breeze.
She smiled at me this morning and nearly took my breath away. I wonder if she’s single, but then dismiss the thought completely. I’m still too heartbroken over my fiancée to even think about dating again. But I guess it wouldn’t hurt to get to know her. I can’t date her, for more than one reason, but it would be great if we could be friends. Having a good neighbor is rare, and having one as beautiful as her is always a plus…
No, the most I can ask for is a good, friendly neighbor, someone to attend summer BBQs and parties. I climb into bed, and the exhaustion of the day carries me into a deep, dreamless sleep.
I wake up bright and early the next morning, immediately jumping in the shower to get ready for work. I put on my black dress pants and a white button up shirt before grabbing my white doctor’s coat. I head into the kitchen, draping the coat over the back of a chair while I fix my coffee. I pour it into a thermos and gather my things before heading out to the car.
The day is warm, but nothing compared to July in Texas. I put my things in my car before deciding to check the mail. I make the walk to the end of the drive and open the box. There are two envelopes inside; I pull them out and look them over to see if they’re for me or for the previous owners. As I’m reading the envelope, I hear a door close; looking up, I find my cute neighbor heading my way.
I close my mailbox just as she stops next to me and opens her box, which is directly next to mine. She offers up a polite smile.
“Hi, I’m Savannah, your neighbor.” She holds out her hand to shake.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Ben.” I place my hand in hers and she applies the smallest amount of pressure as we shake.
“That’s a nice place. Where did you move from?” she asks, motioning toward my new house. Her green eyes catch the sunlight, and they sparkle like grass covered in early morning dew.
“Texas. Houston to be exact.”
Her eyes widen as her red brow arches. “Texas? What brings you here to Georgia?”
“I just took a position at the local hospital.”
“A doctor, huh?” she asks, smiling and batting her long lashes.
“That’s right. And what do you do?” I ask to steer the topic away from me and my life.
“Oh, I’m a real estate agent for Weston-Jones Reality here in town.”
“You lived here long?”
“Well, I’m originally from Colorado, but I came to Georgia for college. I loved it, so I never left. But I bought this house a couple years ago. Your house has always been empty, though, so I’m glad to finally have a neighbor.” Her skin is so pale that it’s beginning to turn pink—just from a few moments in the sun.
“It’s good to meet you, but I need to get on the road. Don’t want to be late on my first day.”
She offers up another sweet smile that makes my heart start to race. “It was nice to meet you.”
I nod and return her smile. “I’ll see you later,” I say, turning and heading back for my car. I climb behind the wheel and watch as she walks back to her own car. I shift into reverse and back out. She waits patiently and the moment I’m moving forward, she’s backing out behind me.
I can’t get her face out of my head as I drive toward the hospital. Her red hair was pulled into a sleek bun, and even though I like the way it looks down, I enjoyed seeing her whole face. Her face is rounded but she has high cheek bones and plump, curvy lips that look soft and pink against her peaches-and-cream complexion. And those big green eyes…they’re breathtaking, striking, dripping of sweetness that I yearn to tarnish.
I push all thoughts of her away as I pull into the parking lot of the hospital. I need to get my game face on and keep my wits about me. I don’t want these people wondering how a guy like me received such a good job. I’ve been working in medicine for several years now, but with recommendation letters, my grades from med school, and my work ethic, I’ve gotten further than most people my age.
I park, gather my things, and exit the car, ready to start my first day.
I walk out of the hospital at five on the dot. Today was easy. Signing documents, setting up tax information, getting my office set up, and meeting the staff I’ll be working with. I’m wound up from the excitement of starting a new job, but I don’t feel tired since I didn’t really do much. I have big plans of unpacking more tonight, a quiet dinner—probably take out until I can get the kitchen the way I like it—and then early to bed, so I can do it all over again tomorrow until I get into the groove of things. I tell myself I won’t fall into another rut. I’m starting over, fresh. Once I’m settled, I’ll start looking for ways to make a happy life for myself, whether that means making friends, joining some kind of club, or entering the dreaded dating phase of my life again.
In the middle of unpacking my books, I hear a knock on the door. Confused, I walk over to it to find Savannah on the other side. She’s wearing a cute, light-pink summer dress and her hair is clipped up in a messy sort of way. She offers me a sweet smile and the pink of her cheeks darken. “Hi again, neighbor.” She brushes a strand of fallen hair behind her ear and I notice the way her hand is shaking with nervousness.
“Hi, how’s it going?”
