AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 3
The probability of someone watching you is proportional to the stupidity of your action.
Cole
My leg bounces up and down as I sit in the breakfast room of the country inn and drink my coffee. I’m trying my best to remain calm but it’s difficult when the most important appointment of my career is nearly upon me. If I can land the contract to build the community center in Winter Falls, I’ll be one step closer to reaching my dream of making partner at Davis Williams before I turn thirty-five next year.
Lucky for me, Winter Falls wants an environmentally sustainable building, and I specialize in passive heating and cooling systems. This is my chance to make a name for myself. I can’t screw it up.
I check my watch and realize I have thirty minutes before my appointment with the mayor. I set my coffee cup down and stand. Time to make my dreams come true.
I stroll down Main Street toward the plot on which the community center will be built. I pass a jewelry store, Bohemian Treasures, before reaching the empty lot next door. The scent of coffee and donuts hits me, and I scan the area for the source. Next door is Bake Me Happy. Are all of the shop names wacky in this town?
“You must be Cole,” a voice booms from behind and startles me.
This is it. My big chance. I take a deep breath and force myself to relax before pivoting to greet the man.
My eyes widen as I take in his appearance. He’s tall and sports a long, unkept beard. Whereas I’m wearing my best suit for the meeting, he’s in jeans and a t-shirt. Both of which should have been thrown out ages ago. Probably before I was born.
My eyes widen further when I realize he’s holding a leash and on the end of the leash is a squirrel. I blink but when my vision clears there’s still a squirrel sitting there. And I thought the shop names were wacky.
I hold out my hand. “And you must be Mr. Forest.”
“Just Forest. No Mr. We don’t stand on pretense in Winter Falls,” he tells me as we shake hands. “Tell me about yourself.”
“I’m an architect with the firm Davis Williams.”
He waves a hand. “Not about your job. What about you?”
“Yeah, Mr. Tall Drink of Water. Tell us all about you.”
I whirl around to find a group of elderly women giving me the once-over. “Hello,” I greet despite having the feeling I should be running away.
Another woman rushes over to join them. “Did you start without me?”
One of the women rolls her eyes. “We wouldn’t dare, Sage.”
“Are you ladies members of the city council?” I ask and hope they say no.
They giggle. “He’s a polite one saying we’re ladies.”
“We are ladies.”
One of them snorts. “Like hell we are.”
“This is Feather, Petal, Sage, Cayenne, and Clove.” Forest points to each of them in turn as he introduces them.
I smile at them, and they fan their faces.
“I hope Ellery takes him for a test drive,” Feather says.
“Lord knows the girl works entirely too hard. She could use a little relief. If you get my meaning.” Sage waggles her eyebrows.
“Who’s Ellery?” I interject before one of them decides to explain what they mean by a little relief.
I’m holding onto my professionalism by a thin thread. I might lose hold if this group of women old enough to be grandmothers start talking about sex. Sex I’m supposed to be having with a woman I don’t know.
“You must have met her,” Forest says. “She owns the inn.”
