Page 15 of Neighbors' Omega
Vince was outside in shorts and a t-shirt, pushing a mower across my lawn.
“What are you doing?” I yelled as I stepped out onto the porch.
The mower cut off and Vince turned to face me. “What?”
“I asked what you’re doing.”
“I think that’s obvious,” he laughed. “I’m mowing the lawn.”
“But this is my yard, not yours.”
“Do you have a mower?”
I blinked. “Umm, a manual push mower. I haven’t bought a bigger one yet.”
“That’ll take forever. Let me do this for you.”
I smiled. “Are you sure?”
“I’m already here, aren’t I?”
“Can I at least pay you?”
He laughed. “Sure. How about one of those ice cream pies like you made for your party?”
“Is that all?”
He grinned and patted his stomach. “Fatties like food.”
“You’re not fat,” I argued.
He laughed. “Fluffies like food.”
I sighed, and his laughter increased.
“It’s not self-deprecating to admit I have a few extra pounds,” he stated. “That’s just a fact. I’m happy with who I am, and that’s what matters.”
The intense urge to cuddle him was back. Something about his down-to-earth nature was sexy as hell, and I wanted to know more about him.
“Ice cream pie it is,” I agreed.
Vince punched the air like he’d just scored a goal in a sports game. “Sweet!”
“Roland doesn’t make ice cream pies?”
Vince grinned. “Oh I’m sure he would if I asked. But he likes to experiment with new recipes at home, it’s how he decompresses. I don’t want to take away his creative time for something selfish, yanno?”
I smiled and sat on the step. “I think I get it.”
“He did eye your pie quite a bit during the party though. I wouldn’t be surprised if his gears are already turning.”
I laughed. “It was just a simple banana ice cream pie.”
“That’s how his mind works though,” Vince replied, leaving the mower to come sit next to me. “He knows that you have to start with the simple. If you dive right into complicated flavors, you’re going to miss the mark. What’s he say?”
Vince stared at the sky. “Oh, yeah… ‘It’s easier to build a flavor profile, than to fix one.’”
“That makes sense.”
