Page 13 of The Fun Part
I freely admit our hookup was a mistake and completely initiated by me. Lesson learned. Don’t jump into bed with a guy with soulful eyes. It’ll twist you around until you don’t know what’s fun and what’s real.
Harper walks into our front room with her laptop and settles on the cushy red velvet sofa. She mostly works at home as a graphic designer. “Why are you leaning against the door? Don’t you have a meeting?”
I set my satchel down and peek out the front window. Yup. Still there. “Cal’s shoveling snow at the inn. Right out front.”
She joins me at the window. “He’s probably just helping out. Mason shoveled this morning, but we got more snow since he left for work.”
“Okay, new plan. I’ll drive to work.”
Her brows lift. “Seriously?”
I’m being ridiculous. My office is half a block away on Main Street. I don’t care. I need a safe perimeter away from Cal.
She gives me an exasperated look. “You’re going to have to deal with him at some point now that he works in town. I heard his apartment won’t be ready until March first.” News travels fast in a small town.
“Right, okay. It’s not like he’s staying across the street for me. Maybe he wanted to get started at work right away in light of his breakup, and this has nothing to do with me. He probably wants to organize his new office. Right? That’s what I would do.”
Harper gives me side-eye. “Right.” She goes back to her laptop.
“And May must be happy to have a paying guest. It’s tough when you’re starting a new business.” May’s a single mom brave enough to start the inn to follow her dream. Well, she was a single mom. Soon to be married to Mason.
“Exactly. I’m sure Cal’s forgotten all about you. Mackenzie who?”
I glare at her, but she’s too busy on her laptop to notice. It’s only been three days since Cal and I, err, connected. I turn back to the front window to keep an eye on May’s first paying guest. “Of course I’m happy for May.”
As if Cal senses my staring, he turns, catches my eye, and waves. Mortified at being caught staring, I lift a palm and step back from the window.
My heart races. I can’t leave the house now. It looks like I was spying on him.
I turn to Harper, distraught. “He waved.”
She gasps in mock horror. “How intimate.”
I worry my lower lip. Am I going to have to pretend I didn’t see this man in his naked glory every time I leave the house?
I yank my hat off and turn to Harper. She looks so serene as she works it makes me more agitated. “The out-of-town hotel was nice, too. I don’t know why he wanted to move hotels.”
“I bet May’s giving him a good long-term rate. Of course, if he wants the lowest rate, we could use a roommate.” She grins. “We could make him shovel snow, take out the trash, and kill bugs for us.”
My back gets up. “We don’t need a man around for those crappy chores. I can do crappy chores as well as any man.”
“Great. They’re all yours.”
I shut my mouth with a snap. I walked into that one.
I check the time. I’m starting to sweat in my winter coat. I need to go.
I shift casually over to the sofa, being careful not to be seen through the front window. “Is he still there?”
She doesn’t look up. “You said it meant nothing.”
“Not nothing. I just planned on moving on.”
“Then say hi to our new neighbor and go to work. He’ll see you’re moving on just fine.”
I jam my hat back on. “Maybe I will.”
“Good. ’Cause I sure don’t want to listen to you bitch about your casual fling for the next two weeks. The man has to live somewhere.”
