It was minimally decorated like the rest of the apartment, but it was nice. A white and blue striped shower curtain matched the blue rug in front of the sink and the toothbrush holder on the vanity. A white towel was neatly folded next to it. It was a cute little setup.
Curiosity got the better of her as she sat her bag down. She opened the top drawer to find normal things like a hairbrush, a pack of razors, and some floss. There was a bottle of cologne. Cremo Distiller’s Blend.
She lifted the bottle and pressed the nozzle, letting the mist spray into the air. It drifted slowly, a soft cloud of mist, and she stepped into it before she could think better of it. Her eyes fell closed as she breathed in. Woody. A trace of smoke. Something warm under it, like vanilla. Her throat tightened. The scent wasn’t overwhelming but lingered in a pleasant way. Perfect for the handywoman. A shiver slipped down her spine. It had been so long since she’d leaned close enough to another woman to catch something like this at her collar, to let it cling to her own skin by accident. For a second, standing alone in the small bathroom, she could almost imagine leaning into the crook of Matty’s neck, inhaling it against her warm skin.
Her eyes snapped open, and she shook her head, quickly replacing it as if the bottle had burned her. “Jesus, Haley is right. Maybe I do need to get laid.”
A glance in the mirror reminded her why she was there. Her hair was separated into chunks, glued together by coffee and hairspray. The stain on her blouse may or may not wash out.
She closed the door behind her and began pulling out her shower toiletries. When she opened the second drawer, she was pleased to find a neat stack of washcloths. Of course Matty had extras ready and folded.
Pulling back the shower curtain, she wasn’t surprised to find three bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash lined up neatly on the side of the tub. She turned on the tap, set her own bottles beside Matty’s, and began peeling off her clothing. It should have felt more satisfying to rid herself of the damp, sticky bra, but the cool air against her skin onlymade her grimace. She left everything in a pile on the tiled floor so her clean clothes in the bag wouldn’t get dirty.
The shower was heavenly.
The stinging hit of spray against her cold skin when she stepped under it caused her to moan aloud. She stood there for a few extra moments, breathing in the steam curling around her, letting it loosen the tension inside her before she finally got to work. She had lingered long enough. She needed to get clean.
She was wiping the soapy washcloth over her belly when the bang of a door made her jump. A few moments later, there was a soft knock at the bathroom door and then the sound of it opening.
“Hey, Reese, it’s me.”
Chapter eleven
Chapter Eleven
“Okay, I’m almost done,” came the reply on the other side of the door.
She had cracked it just a bit to speak through but kept Reese’s privacy. Steam drifted out along with the scent of something sweet and light.
“Take your time.”
She shut the door. When she turned to the rest of the apartment, it didn’t feel normal. The sound of the shower running while she was on the outside of the bathroom was new.
A meow sounded from the direction of the couch. Walking over, she was greeted with Hester squeezing her fluffy body out from under it.
“Hey, little lady. What do you think of our guest?” She scooped Hester up into her arms.
Hester gave her the cat equivalent of a scowl.
“Yeah, I get it. She’s a bit of an ice queen, but it just means she needs a little patience. You should have seen her with the clients the other day. She held her own against a man twice her size and then somehow got all of them engaged right after. You can tell she loves them.”
Hester did not look convinced.
“You’ll just have to trust me. Plus, she’s pretty hot when she’s pissed off.”
She rubbed her head a few times as repayment for having to deal with a stranger, then went to her bedroom to change out of her work clothes.
As she was exiting her room after throwing on some maroon lounge pants and a white T-shirt, she heard the shower stop and the curtain being pushed back. Her mind drifted to the fact that the woman was completely naked on the other side of the door. Wet and clean and smelling so good. It had been a long time since a naked woman was that close.
“Damn it,” she swore low, taking deliberate steps to the kitchen, the farthest she could get from the bathroom. Thoughts like that would do her no good.
Instead, she turned on the Bluetooth stereo on the counter and selected a mellow ’90s alternative playlist. “Rain King” by Counting Crows filled the space.
Matty liked routine. And that was exactly what she kept to, even with Reese in the apartment. Once she got home, she would change, feed Hester, then start dinner, preferring to have it done by six so she could relax or make it to a meeting by seven, depending on the day. Her meals were planned on Sundays when she would go to the grocery store with Bette or Kerrie, or borrow a car. The meals were based on that week’s sales and what she had left over from the week before. She was very careful with her money. It was the first time in her life that she had a steady income and even a small savings.
She double-checked the meal calendar on the front of the refrigerator. She knew what it was but couldn’t resist a double-check, just to be sure. Southern-style goulash. She planned to make a big pot so she could eat on it all weekend. Matty didn’t mind leftovers. Actually, she liked them. It gave her comfort knowing it was something she didn’t have to worry about.
As she was gathering all the ingredients needed, the door to the bathroom opened, but Reese didn’t immediately come out. It took a few minutes.
