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CARRIE
I swear it’s been a week from hell, and the only thing keeping me from jumping off the bridge I’m currently driving across is my manuscript. My readers mean more to me than they know, and I wouldn’t want to leave them guessing where the characters in my next book are. So I’m sitting in the back of this cab, driving across the bridge to upstate New York, and hoping this weekend away at a cabin will be helpful. My therapist and my editor both seem to think so. I’m on strict orders to stay here for the long weekend while I get at least a new idea to my editor and I get over my cheating ex-girlfriend.
“We’re almost there, miss,” the cab driver announces, and I smile politely. I know he means well, but there is one of the last places I want to be. Couldn’t my editor have booked me a hotel in the city? No, she had to go and book some rinky dinky little cabin in thewoods.
“Thank you,” I say back. And then go back to scrolling on my phone when I suddenly lose service.What the fuck?There better be good wifi at the cabin or we’re going to have some real issues. I mean how the hell am I supposed to post to TikTok and Instagram without any wifi?
“Here, miss,” he says a few minutes later and as we pull up to the grounds, I’m actually impressed. The cabin is anything but small and the view from behind it is amazing, like something off an Instagram ad. I get out and start taking pictures right away. The cab driver gets my luggage, and I pay him before he takes off.
There is a pathway up to the house, luckily, so I don’t get my boots all muddy, but there is no one else around. I check my phone for the passcode and unlock the front door. Inside is even more beautiful. Fully furnished with a real life fireplace and a fully stocked kitchen. I am impressed to say the least, maybe Freya, my editor did know what she was talking about. I leave my suitcase by the door and head upstairs to check out the rest of the house. It is bigger than my NYC apartment, and I am not used to all this space. There are two bedrooms, one clearly bigger than the other, and a view outside that is to die for. The master bedroom has a bed in the corner with wall to ceiling windows next to it. I don’t know how that will work when the sunshine breaks in, but for now it looks amazing. The bathroom is huge with a tub and a shower, so I peek outside the windows and what I see makes my jaw drop. There is a huge ass hot tub outside. I almost want to dive right in right now but I know I at least have to get some words in for the day.
I head outside with my laptop, taking in the heat. It is thankfully that good kind of sunshine, not the muggy weather I hate that makes my hair frizz. I’m sitting on the deck, laptop on my lap, while I struggle to focus on my document that’s open in front of me when a dog comes running up to me and almost knocks my computer off my lap.
“Axel! Axel!” I hear a woman yelling.
“Down,” I tell the dog, and she sits nicely so I can pet her. I let her sniff my hand and then pet right behind her ears. Something she seems to love.
“Sorry about that!” the woman says, running onto the deck. She is gorgeous, long blonde hair pulled into a pony tail, tight jeans that show off her thigh muscles, and a flannel that hangs open over a black tank top.
“It’s okay, I love dogs.” I smile.
“She usually knows better than to bother the guests,” she says with a humph.
“Oh, are you not a guest too?” I ask, confused.
“No, I own the cabins and the land here,” she says proudly. “Chris.” She holds out her hand and I shake it. I can’t help but notice how rough her hand is, like she does a lot of yard work or something.
“Carrie.” I smile.
“Nice to meet you, I think I spoke to your partner or someone named Freya?”
“That’s my editor. I’m a writer and she arranged the trip for me,” I explain.
“Ah, well, if you need anything just knock on the cabin next door.” She turns to go, calling Axel behind her when I remember about the wifi.
“Oh! Actually, I didn’t see a wifi password posted anywhere.”
“That’s because there isn’t any,” she says seriously.
“I’m sorry, what?” My jaw drops.
“I mentioned it to your, uh, editor, she said that wouldn’t be a problem.”
“Oh.” I clench my jaw and grumble. Of course Freya knew and sent me somewhere I couldn’t be distracted by the internet.
“Come on, Axel,” Chris calls and Axel goes running with her back to the woods and apparently the cabin next door. I hadn’t seen it when I came in, but if you squint beyond the trees, you’ll see the outline of a cabin similar to mine.
What the hell am I going to do without wifi while I am here? How will I check social media? How will I do any research for my books? How will I check on my ex who clearly might be moving on without me? Ugh. This was probably all part of Freya’s plan for me to actually focus on my work in progress and not get distracted like I usually do.
Flipping open my laptop again, I begin writing a very strongly worded email in my notes. Only to realize by the time I am done with it, there is no way for me to send it to her. Grumbling, I open the document to my current novel and try to get some words in. Maybe her plan was to bore me into working. Something that seems to be working all too well.
TWO
CHRIS
I don’t make a habit of introducing myself to the people that stay in my cabin. I like it better when they don’t know I am here and we both just go about our businesses. But when Axel went running over, there was nothing I could do. I had to introduce myself or else I was just being rude. Of course the woman seemed to be a little flirty. That’s how all the city women are the second they aren’t in their realm. It is like they think just because they are on vacation they can flirt with anyone. I wasn’t impressed. Sure, Carrie is beautiful if you are into the obviously gorgeous kind of thing, but I’m not looking for a fling or really anything.
I go back to chopping wood on my side of the trees. If I squint, I can still see her sitting on the deck, typing away on her laptop. But I don’t want to look, I want to get this wood cut and then go back inside and curl up with Axel for the night. It is hot as balls out when you are doing actual manual labor and I am sweating. I take off my flannel, throw it on the ground nearby, and stretch my arms out. It is October, which should mean there will be a chill, but thanks to Mother Nature I am still repping summery clothes and sweating my tits off.
