Lovely Neighbor (Lovely 1)

“No, but you can tell him to fuck off.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone that before. Isn’t my mean dog supposed to do that?” Moose barks and I swear sometimes I think he can understand me. “Thankfully I haven’t seen him since I got back, so maybe he’s done being creepy.”

“He’ll never not be creepy.” She hands me my drink before leaning over the counter to give Moose his.

He eats the whole thing in one giant lick. “I’m thinking about moving apartments.”

“It’s so messed up that he gets to be a creep and you have to move.”

“I agree and I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. If I’m going to move, I might as well really move and not just switch places.”

“Oh man.” Jenna’s shoulders drop. “You’re going to go be with Grams, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.” I shrug. “I mean, why not? I can work from anywhere and she’s my only family. With as much as I visit her, I should be closer too.”

“I know, I’ll just miss seeing you around and talking shit on people. Okay, maybe I’m the one who talks shit, but you don’t give me judgmental looks as I do it.”

I laugh because I’ll miss that too. Jenna says what we’re all thinking. She reaches out, giving me a side hug.

“I’ll miss you too, but I’m not leaving today. It’s just an idea right now, but I don’t have any solid plans.”

“All right, let me know if you need anything. I’m going to close this place up.” We both look toward the front door when we hear it open and Reid comes in.

“Where is your bicycle today?” Jenna asks him.

“I’ll see you later,” I whisper as I wink at Jenna and sneak out of the place.

Luckily Moose doesn’t give me any problems on our walk home and I’m able to finish my drink. When I get to the top of the stairs, Moose stops walking and I hear a low growl coming from him. I look down in surprise because he’s never done that before.

“Moose?” He growls deeper and longer this time, and my heart starts to race. I follow his line of sight and see he’s staring right at our front door that’s hanging open.

Chapter Six

Devin

It’s been a long and grueling day at the office and I’m glad to be on my way home. Renee came in first thing and dropped a new case on my desk and I spent hours going over documents to determine if we could take it on or not.

I love my job, but I wonder sometimes if I work too much. Although it’s not like I have much else going on. Maybe I should get a dog? I immediately throw that thought away because I’m never home and even though I own our office building, I remember all my international travel. It’s usually not planned and sometimes I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. Maybe I could get a fish?

I wonder if Erin has any pets. The thought irritates me as soon as I have it and I stare out the window. Why is she always the thing I keep going back to? Ever since I got back to my place and read the note Betty left for me, I’ve been silently obsessed with her. Betty told me that her granddaughter Erin had a migraine and needed a quiet place to sleep while her guest room was being renovated. She said in the note it was an unexpected visit and I started wondering when it would happen again.

That explained the scent on the sheets that drove me crazy and the toilet seat being down. It also explained the orange hair tie that I now keep on my wrist. It still has the faint scent of her, and I told myself I was only wearing it so that I wouldn’t forget to give it to Betty. But I’ve seen her enough times now that I’m clearly keeping it because I’ve got an unhealthy obsession. I’m more agitated by the fact that my sheets don’t smell like her anymore. I went to the market and smelled about a hundred detergents and none of them were quite right. I haven’t slept soundly since that first night, so part of my irritation could stem from that.

I don’t even know this woman and yet I can’t stop thinking about her.

The driver pulls up to the building and I get out of the car. I’m starving and I’m trying to remember if I’ve got any actual edible food in my refrigerator. I wonder if Erin is eating dinner with her boyfriend, and I grumble a hello to my doorman as I get on the elevator. I actually don’t know if she has a boyfriend, but in my mind I’ve created this whole life for her that doesn’t include me. I wonder if that makes me a masochist.