Loe raamatut: «Boys Next Door»

Chapter Two

Tower Terrace was a sleepy town personified. From the main road the tower was visible and it made me shake my head. Who builds a tower in a tiny little town? The answer is Maxwell Shore. That’s who.

The resident eccentric had built it for his one true love. At least that’s what his will had stated. However, no one had known that fact until he’d died and the will was read. The town had originally been called Maple Terrace but when Maxwell left the town a large sum of money for the tower’s upkeep – providing they changed the name to Tower Terrace – the name changing ceremony was performed, the switch made legal and the entire town had held a huge festival. A huge drunken festival from what my dad had told me; his friend Sidney having told him.

The tower overlooked the plot of land occupied by my brand-new home. A small cottage with two bedrooms, one-and-a-half baths, a converted closet serving as the small half-bath on the first floor. The living room and dining room were a combo deal dominated by a large fireplace. The kitchen was a small town wet dream with a centre island, stainless steel appliances, a pot rack hung over the isle with brass and old-fashioned pots hanging like fat plump metal berries. Sidney had at one point built a small wood burning stove on the outer wall.

Pizza was his life not his hobby, my dad had once told me. Apparently, brick oven pizza.

I couldn’t wait to get inside and get my hands on something to bake. I was a closet Martha Stewart and the thought of making some biscotti or even frou-frou cupcakes in that kitchen gave me a baker’s hard on.

I piloted my small piece of crap car down Lady Bug Lane. No lie – that was the name – and aimed it at my cottage which I’d only visited twice before. Once when my father was considering buying it. And then when he did buy it.

‘But you refused to leave the city until you were twenty-eight,’ I said to myself. There was mild self-annoyance in my tone. ‘And still not a famous actress.’

My last role had been for a douche ad. Something I found hysterical as most doctors currently recommended against douching and had since the Stone Age. I’d almost turned it down but had finally taken it because bartending at the One Eyed Crow hadn’t really left me rolling in dough.

Now I had a house and all I needed to do was find a job before the money that came with the house ran out.

My father hadn’t been loaded but he’d told me that when I took possession of the house there would be a small amount of money attached. ‘To live on. While you find a job,’ he had said.

I guess he’d known I’d end up here after all. And even though, on some level, it hurt that he’d anticipated my apparent failure, I was grateful for what he’d done for me. Maybe he hadn’t anticipated failure; maybe he’d anticipated realisation of self. A need to be more. To do more. And that was what I’d do. I’d fit in, make do and get my shit together before that stipend ran out.

I made a quick right into my driveway and pulled up to the quaint facade of 213 Lady Bug Lane. Home sweet home. Small stone cottage, brown roof, black shingles, red front door. Tucked back from the main road with groups of towering trees that flanked it, it was very much a fairy-tale house.

Hopefully there are no trolls or wicked witches, I thought. I put the car – a 1979 Chevy Malibu – into park and opened the car door.

Fall had come to the East Coast and the wind had some bite to it. I shivered as my boots hit the gravel and the wind actually kicked up high enough to whistle. I turned toward it and saw that the way it swept down the hillside toward my home created almost a tunnel effect. The wind had to buffet around the large tower and down between the three stone houses that faced me. When the streams of air reconvened they hit my little house head-on. Well, if it happened to be blowing in my direction that day.

Three stone houses across the road. The three little pigs, the three bears, the three billy goats Gruff –

I shook my head. Where was all this fairy-tale shit coming from?

‘Stress.’ My own voice spooked me a little, so I put my body into action.

My boots ticked loudly on the wide wooden plank porch. I took it all in, roughly planed wood beneath my feet that appeared untreated. A two-person swing suspended by hardwood rafters overhead gave a gentle sway in the breeze as I approached the red front door. Pretty cool.

I opened the screen door and swallowed hard. Something about the house made me nervous, made me feel like the time had come for me to be a successful adult. Leaving behind a life consisting of meals comprised of Ramen noodles, man-child partners who pouted when they didn’t get their way (no matter how good they were at fucking) and dreams that weren’t quite panning out.

‘You can do this,’ I told myself. I tried to turn the knob and it wouldn’t turn. There was a card stuck in the door jamb. I read it. ‘Realtor,’ I sighed.

Of course! Had I actually thought that I’d be able to open the door and just walk in? A key usually helped.

I let the screen door bang shut and eyed the swing as a bigger gust of wind propelled it. ‘Nice.’

I’d always wanted a porch swing. And it was nice. It had some cushions on it and I could imagine sitting on that swing as the fall set in and put its feet up to stay for a while. A mug of tea or a glass of wine: watching the mountains in the distance turn vibrant with autumn’s fiery colours.

‘But not until you have a key, dumb ass,’ I chided myself.

I tossed the small travel tote full of magazines and snacks on the swing to wait. Then I turned face-first into a wall of a man.

‘Who are you talking to?’

I let out a squawk – an embarrassing aviary impersonation that set my cheeks blazing. My hands came up instinctively to steady myself. ‘I … who … I …’

I shook my head and he helped me find my equilibrium with one gentlemanly hand on my elbow.

‘Coop, is the “who”. I’m your neighbour. Now –’ he cocked his head, green eyes bright despite the overcast day ‘– the only question left is the “I” part. Who are you?’

‘I’m Farrell – McGee … I’m Farrell McGee,’ I said, pushing my shoulders back as if it had taken me a moment to recall my identity. ‘This is my house. Only …’ I spared the quaint red door a wistful glance.

‘No key?’

‘No key,’ I echoed.

Coop, who I assumed lived in one of the three little pigs stone houses, pointed to the small square of paper in my hand. ‘Well, that’s the place to go if you need your key. I can drive you if you need –’

I waved a hand at him and took a step back. Oh no, this was not how I wanted to start my time at Tower Terrace. Flirting with a neighbour and starting something I’d probably regret. It was only the offer of a ride, but the look in his eyes said more.

I suppressed a shiver that had nothing to do with another gust of wind. ‘If you’d just point me in the right direction. I need to find my way around eventually, right?’

He nodded, a lock of wheat-coloured hair falling over his broad forehead.

Very boyish. Very handsome. Very off limits.

‘Go back to the main road. Take your second left and the third right. Broad Street. It’s hard to miss. It’s the only building on Broad Street painted red. They should be able to help you.’

I nodded once and backed up another step. ‘Thanks … Coop.’ I couldn’t help myself. ‘Coop, that’s an unusual name. Don’t hear that often.’

He grinned at me and sticking with the fairy-tale theme, I had a flash and sizzle of the big bad wolf leering at me. My stomach twisted in on itself and heat flared between my legs. Awesome, a hormone reaction already. I bit my lip and tried to focus on his answer instead of how nice his mouth was.

‘Jim Cooper … hence, “Coop”,’ he said, putting out a hand. I stared at it dumbly before my brain kicked in and I shook the proffered hand.

‘Oh,’ I said.

‘Fascinating stuff, yeah?’ He hadn’t let go of my hand.

‘I think so,’ I said before I could think better of it. I pulled my hand from his and cleared my throat. ‘Well, I’d better go,’ I said and waited for him to move away.

It took Coop a moment, what with all the staring at me, but finally he shot me one more grin and then started down my wooden steps. My. Wooden. Steps. It made me feel a flash of pride and excitement.

‘Good luck getting your key. I’m the middle house across the road should you need anything. At all,’ he said.

The tone, the words, the accent on the anything. Oh God, he was one of those men. Men who had tons of self-assurance and sexual prowess and total faith in their bedroom abilities. Those men were dangerous.

‘They also happen to be man-sirens to the likes of you,’ I said to myself in the safety of my car. It came out on a shaky sigh and I noticed a light tremble in my hand as I turned the key and the engine caught.

I looked up as I started to back out of my driveway. Coop was just standing there. Waiting. Watching me. That half-smile on his face. I bet he had that half-smile after he fucked a girl, too.

‘Stop,’ I said to myself. But I doubted I would.

* * *

It was a red building. Very, very red. Like blood. I was pretty sure my blood pressure was rising as I entered. It was the tallest building on the street but having a thing about elevators I tried to find the steps. When I opened the door I was met with caution tape and orange cones.

Great. It’s like an obstacle course. What will I have to power through to get my fucking keys?

‘Elevator it is,’ I whispered. ‘It’ll be fine.’

I pushed the button and nervously tapped my foot while I waited. The lobby was pretty much deserted barring the smiling, bleached-blonde woman who’d greeted me and informed me that Pann Realty was on the fourth floor. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about getting on the elevator with a crush of other folks.

The doors popped open and I stepped in. Just me, myself and I. I took a deep breath. It would be fine. The doors were almost shut when a man nearly dove through. All six-foot-four (at least) of lanky man. Dark hair that curled wildly around his forehead, dark-brown eyes that were the epitome of that clichéd description: piercing. He smiled at me and I saw a flash of white teeth in a dark goatee.

He’s very Satan-ish …

The wild thought bloomed in my head just as he pushed the button for the third floor. ‘Sorry to startle you. I’m running late … as usual.’

The doors took their sweet time closing and when the elevator started going up it was a sluggish ascent at best. My nerves jangled.

‘I … it’s fine,’ I said. I could handle one more person in the carriage, right? Even if it was slow as shit. I mean it was just me and him. So why did the elevator feel so small? And cramped. And warm.

He stuck his hand out and for the second time in thirty minutes, I grabbed a big warm man-hand. ‘Deke. Deke Wells. And you … you, I’d remember.’ His gaze swept over me and I felt a flex deep inside as if he were touching me. ‘So you must be new.’

‘Farrell McGee,’ I almost whispered. Where had my voice gone? ‘I just moved in … well, I’m trying to move in if I can get a key to my door.’

He chuckled and it wormed through me, a sudden buzz of lust and attraction. ‘Well, welcome,’ he said.

I almost asked him why he’d chuckled but then the elevators shivered, banged raucously and froze. Then the lights went out.

‘Shit,’ Deke said.

‘What? What shit?’ I gasped. Already putting a hand out to find the wall and steady myself.

‘It does this sometimes. It’s an old elevator. And the custodian is, well, he’s pretty slow.’

‘What are you saying?’ I asked, my fingers brushing something to my left.

‘We could be here for a while.’ When Deke grabbed my hand, I realised that what my fingers had brushed over wasn’t the wall. It was him. Big, lanky, strong and now that I was closer, smelling of wood smoke and pine and cinnamon … him.

Damn.