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“So, what brings you here? I mean, no one has been here for a while. Did you buy it?”
“Oh, no, I didn’t buy it. It’s a long story,” she said as she put the rest of the groceries away and handed a beer to me. I thanked her and took it.
“Let’s take a break and sit for a minute.”
Hell, if she was offering, I was sitting, even if it meant I might be late for my brother-in-law's party. I chuckled to myself and followed her out to the lanai. “You live next door? How long have you been here?”
“I moved in almost three years ago.”
“Nice; what do you think of the area?”
“I like it. I’m not home often, so it’s convenient and seems secure.”
Time seemed to stand still as we chatted about nothing. She was smart, witty, and had a beautiful laugh. She had an engagement this evening, so we had to wrap things up. I thanked her for the beer and left through the back, walking across our adjacent yards.
Olivia
A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. Eleanor Roosevelt
My phone vibrated on the counter as I put the groceries in the cupboards. Frustrated by the interruption, I looked at the screen and smiled; it was El. I put him on speaker as I continued to put the groceries away, since I was pressed for time. “Hey, El. What’s up?”
“Just checking to see if I’ll be escorting my best girl to the party tonight?”
“Yes,” I started to say when El interrupted me.
“What are you doing?” El asked as he heard muffled sounds and banging.
“I’m putting groceries away. Yes, I’ll meet you at the country club.”
“What, my Jeep is not stylish enough for you now?” he teased. I laughed as I scolded him.
“You know it is! I just need all the time I can get. I’m running late as it is.”
“Okay, well, I’ll wait by the bar for you,” I agreed and hung up. My love for Elliot ran deep, but in a purely platonic way. He owned Blessed Hearts, a posh establishment offering parties, classes, or whatever was asked. Moms would drop a group of kids off so they could have an outing themselves. Blessed Hearts was simply a hobby, as his day job was as a financial advisor.
When El found out he was sterile and would never father a child, he lost his fiancé. That was when he opened the place for kids. That was what helped him get over the breakup, along with my shoulder to lean on.
My thoughts wandered back to the neighbor. His earthy male scent still lingered in the air. He was nice to look at, with a genuine smile. His strong arms stretched the t-shirt he wore. I had noticed the finely sculpted pecs and abs, but his eyes mesmerized me the most: vivid green, with brown speckles that glittered. I could have looked at his eyes forever.
Shaking the thoughts away, I brought myself back to the present and tried to focus on the task at hand. I made chocolate truffles for the party, per El and Nicole’s request. I gathered all the ingredients and set them on the counter near the stove. This was a bit of a process, but it was one of the many crowd-pleasers I made. Everyone loved it when I had a get-together, knowing they’d eat like kings.
It surprised many of my model friends that I was a good cook. They preferred going out to eat at restaurants or having events catered. However, this was not my style, even when I traveled so often. I’d always get a place with a kitchen during my stay so I could cook.
I blended the ingredients, put the four pans in my double oven, set the timer, looked at the clock, and decided I could shower now, finish the truffles, and then dress for the party.
The warm water washed off the day’s dirt from running around and relieved the bottled-up tension of being home once again. I was finally beginning to relax. Finding myself thinking about Parker, I became frustrated with my lack of attention to more important things.
The scent of lavender overcame my senses as I inhaled the aroma while washing my hair; the shower was just what I needed.
With a towel wrapped around me, I entered the kitchen to check the timer. I had about ten minutes, so I dried my hair while the towel threatened to slip off my breasts, exposing them. I tightened the towel by tucking the side in, which showed a little more of my breast at the top of my nipples.
Hearing the timer go off for the brownies, I placed them on a cooling rack and started to mix the cream cheese filling. The sweetchocolate smell of the freshly baked brownies made my home smell like a bakery.
After preparing the cream cheese filling, I put it in the fridge to chill while the brownies cooled. Deciding it was too quiet, I turned on the radio and grabbed a glass of pinot. Opening the slider that led to the lanai, I sat, still in my towel, and relaxed. I watched as the sky turned so many different colors of orange, and the sun began to set. The tones of color made the green vegetation around me more vivid, like looking through a lens. Taking a sip of wine, I inhaled, leaned my head against the back of the rocker, and closed my eyes. I knew I had privacy back here and wouldn’t be bothered, so I wasn’t worried about only having a towel on for clothing.
Parker
“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you...I could walk through my garden forever.” Alfred Tennyson
