He barks, and I throw the ball across the yard. He darts after it.
“Wow, you throw like a girl,” Brody’s voice carries from his porch to mine.
“How do you suggest I throw it then?” I ask, tossing it for Bonkers once more.
“Better than that. Did you have fun shopping today? Or were you plotting a plan to stalk Kris? Should I warn him?” He wears a faint smile.
“Yes, I had fun shopping and plotting my plans. Don’t warn him. Surprises are more fun. Did you have a good time at the mall or were you too disappointed that I wasn’t stalking you?”
“Oh, I’m truly heartbroken. It’s been my lifelong dream to have a stalker. I mean, who doesn’t love Misery?”
I laugh. “Sorry to be a disappointment then. Are you all settled in now, liking the neighborhood sans stalker, and all that jazz?”
“Well, that gives me hope that you’re not looking in my windows. Because if you were, you would already know that I haven’t unpacked anything, except things I need right now. I’m hoping to get it done soon.”
“Next time, I’ll peek through the windows then. It’s quicker if you get a friend to help, you know. That’s what I did when I moved here.” Bonkers decides he’s done playing as he lays down and gnaws on the ball.
“Well, most of the guys are busy. I’m scared to bring Kris around since you’re stalking him now, and the chick I’m banging has probably never done manual labor in her life. Are you volunteering?” Brody tilts his head.
“Are you asking? Because I would have thought you’d be too scared to let me inside being a stalker and all.” I quirk an eyebrow at him.
“Not if it gets me some help. I could use the free labor.”
“Free?” I scoff. “I’ll need some sort of compensation for my troubles. An autographed jersey? You could dogsit Bonkers one night? Or both.” I smile, waiting to see if he’ll take the bait.
“Deal. I will get you a jersey, and you can have a free evening of dogsitting from yours truly. There is a catch though.”
“What’s that?”
“If you try to hobble me, I will be very, very upset.”
What? “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
“See, you just proved to me that you’re not a very good stalker. All real stalkers know that part of the movie. Tomorrow good for you to help or can you do it now?”
“Now works fine. Do you care if Bonkers comes? He’s been by himself quite a bit today and I’d hate to leave him again.” I look over at Bonkers while he rolls onto his back, his paws almost holding the ball in his mouth.
“Bonkers is more than welcome to come.”
Bonkers and I walk over and Brody wasn’t kidding. He’s barely unpacked. When we enter the living room, his TV catches my eye again.
“Wow,” I whisper, picking up the remote to turn it on. “I bet this is perfect for watching the games.” Sure enough when it powers on completely, it’s crisp and as good as I thought.
“Hey, you’re helping me unpack. Not watching TV.”
I turn it off as Bonkers gets comfortable on his couch. “I know that. Just wanted to see for myself. Where should we start?”
“Here.”
We begin opening boxes and I ask Brody where he wants his stuff, but he just shrugs and tells me to put most of it wherever it looks like it should go. So that’s what I do, setting things here and there. But when I pull out a photo album, I’m so, so, so tempted to look. The thought of cracking this open and seeing all the pictures inside is seducing me by the second as I stare at the plain black cover.
“Selene?”
I look up at the sound of Brody’s voice. Apparently, I’ve been idle for too long. “Sorry. Where would you like this?” I ask, holding it up for him to see, even though he’s standing in front of me, so he already knows what it is.
Brody slowly smiles. “You want to look, don’t you? Are you having to fight your stalker tendencies, Selene?”
“What? No. I don’t want to look. You’re enjoying this too much, you know.” I walk away from him with the album and set it on the shelf underneath his coffee table. Brody chuckles when I go back to unpacking, ignoring him in the process. We finish with the living room soon after and move to more boxes. I go to open the next one, but Brody places his hand on mine to stop me.