Page 36 of Pink and Country

Sexy Neighbor singsonged “Morning, HN” on seeing me, a plate wrapped in aluminum foil in her hands.

I cleared my throat, my larynx clamped from sleep. “Morning to you.” My hot neighbor flashed me a ten-thousand-dollar grin.

“Made pancakes. Hope you’re hungry.” With the last words, she handed me the plate. “Wait? Did I wake you up?” I grabbed the plate she offered me and nodded with a lopsided smile. “I’m sorry. It’s a beautiful day, and I intend to make the most of it. Time to get moving.”

I tilted my head to the side, my eyes fixed on her. “Are you for real?”

Pixie raised her gaze to meet mine, and a slight flush tinted her cheeks. Her lips parted, but she stayed silent, her baby-blue irises swallowing me in.

“You forgot?” Pink Goddess asked.

“No, I didn’t— Yeah, well, I kind of did,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

The girl pivoted on her heels. “It’s okay, I can go.” My heart thundered in my chest, and I held out a hand to grab her elbow. Tingles tickled the pads of my fingers. Pixie cocked her head in my direction with molten irises, her eyes full of lust. Did she feel it too? My throat worked, and I cleared it before speaking again.

“Don’t go. You’re already here. Come on in.” Enticing Woman followed me to the kitchen where I set plates and silverware on the island, before offering her a stool and taking the one next to hers.

Just like the night before, the conversation flew naturally between us. None of the silences were uncomfortable.

Pink Girl’s smile reached her eyes; her face, the light in my darkness.

Before we knew it, it was past noon.

“I need to go. I have work to do,” she said.

“Sure, I’ll hit the gym.” I needed to release the exponential tension growing in me with every passing minute in her company.

My foxy neighbor left, and that’s what I did.

I sweated myself on the treadmill until my clothes were drenched. I lifted weights until my muscles trembled. And then I locked myself in my home studio, doing what I did best in life.

Write music.

9

April

O hmyfuckinggod. We were playing Monopoly, and it felt as if I was being fucked senseless. My body vibrated the entire time. Could someone die from horniness? At that moment, I wondered. For real. When I opened the door and saw HN, all man and gorgeous on the doorstep, I feared my jaw would hit the floor. For a second, I was tempted to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming. No. I wasn’t. I was wide awake. His navy-blue plaid shirt looked good on him. It fit snug to his chest in all the right places. I stuffed my hands in my pockets, resisting the impulse to touch him.

Okay, I had to be honest. HN was not only good for the eyes, but he was also an impressive cook. His presence ignited all my senses. Like fireworks on a warm summer night.

We were halfway through our game of Monopoly when HN got personal. “Tell me why you’re here in Green Mountain?”

I hesitated a moment before answering. “I needed a place to unwind. To get a fresh start.” Why did being honest feel like laying my guts on the table? “What about you? You’re here for pleasure or work?”

“You want the truth?”

“Always.”

A dark shadow passed over HN’s smoky irises.

“I needed an escape. A moment to stop and breathe. To reassess my life.” His Adam’s apple bobbed, and I feared our night would turn sour, so I changed the subject.

“Okay. Let’s raise the stakes here.” HN’s full lips curled upward.

“What do you propose?”

My forefinger tapped on my chin as I thought about what we could do. “The winner will cook breakfast tomorrow morning. People always assume the losers must pay some price, so why don’t we change things up? Make it more interesting.” HN leaned forward and held out his hand.