“You my new neighbor?” Deep and husky are two words I would use to describe the man’s voice. He moves past me to unlock his door as I fidget with my fingers trying to come up with something witty to say.
“Oh me, yeah.” I point to myself like anyone else is standing here. So dumb. “I’m Maggie.”
He removes his keys from the lock and looks back at me, quirking a brow. “Like the song?” he questions with a hint of a smile.
“Song?”
“Rod Stewart. Wake Up Maggie...” he trails off.
My head moves side to side, and I tuck my newly dyed dark brown hair behind my ear. I’m still not used to the color after being a bottle blonde for years. “Sorry. I’m not familiar.”
“Right. Well, I’m Calder. If you need anything just knock on my door. I gotta get in the shower I have an early shift tomorrow. But it was nice to meet you, Maggie.”
“Oh yeah sure. Um question...” I stop him before he gets all the way inside. “Where’s the closest laundromat?”
“Oh.” His face falls, and I wonder what he was expecting me to say. “There isn’t one, but out back there is a screened in porch with a washer. No dryer but we do have a clothesline.”
“Thanks. One more question...what’s that other door between the living room and bedroom. I tried to open it, but it’s locked.”
Longer and wider than I expected, his tongue darts out to lick his bottom lip and he smirks at me. The expression is different from the smile he gave me before. This is expression is mischievous. “It won’t open. Well not from your side. Years ago, these cottages were part of a resort and the door is an access door between our two places. The lock is on my side,” he explains and my cheeks flush.
“That makes sense. I thought it was a closet or something.” I shake my head and he nods. “Well good night, Calder.” I wave and rock back on my feet being extremely awkward.
“Good night, Maggie.” His eye moves quickly, and I can’t tell if it was a twitch or a wink as he closes the door.
As for me, I stay outside and walk around to the back of the house to check out the laundry situation. When I go around the side of the unit, Calder has his bedroom window open and I can see him all of him—his backside that is as he drops his shorts and lifts his shirt over his head. He’s built. The muscles in his back flex with his every movement and his ass appears smooth and firm. I can’t help but watch him like a peeping Tom. I should keep walking, but my feet are frozen in place and I am unable to look away. Unable to stop wondering what he looks like from the front. I’ve only ever been with Chris and there have been times I have regretted that. Not that I am saying I wish I had slept around. Simply, I regret not dating around. Getting tied down to a guy like him at a young age.
Calder grabs something and hesitates and I am scared he knows I’m standing here gawking at his ass like a pervert.
However, when he turns to go in the bathroom I duck down before he sees me. Now I can never look him in the eye. I’ve seen the dude buck ass naked.
I give up on checking the laundry room out and hurry to my own apartment.
Later, as I am lying in bed, I wonder if he is still awake, unable to sleep.
I can’t get thoughts of him out of my mind. His dark hair, his muscles. The sound of his voice when he was singing that song. I have never heard of it, but I already know it’s my new favorite.
The next morning as I am going out my door Calder is leaving his apartment too.
“Mornin’, Maggie.” He tilts his head to the side reminding me of the gesture cowboys make when they tip their hat at someone, and I quickly look away unable to meet his eyes.
“Good morning.”
He steps in beside me as I walk down our small pebbled driveway. “You heading into town?”
“Yup. You?” I don’t want to look at him. Afraid that when I do all I will see is him in his birthday suit. But I can’t resist the urge to see those gorgeous grey eyes again. I lift my head and meet his gaze. Why does he have to be so irresistibly cute?
“Yup. We don’t get a lot of newcomers ‘round here. Where you from?”
“All over,” I lie through my teeth. Until recently I had never been out of the state of Florida. Growing up we never vacationed. My dad was a workaholic though when I was eleven, I went to Universal Studios with a friend.
“You grow up in a military family?”
“My dad was a mechanic in the Army.” I don’t even know if that’s a real thing, but the lies just keep coming out of my mouth.
“What brings you to the Cove?”
I shrug. “Why not?”
He stops walking and annoyance flickers across his brow. “Not very forthcoming, are you?”
Spinning around to face him, I put a hand on my hip and arch my right brow at him. I need to steer him away from all the personal questions. “I don’t even know you. I’m not just going to give you my whole life story within five minutes of meeting you. Is this an interrogation because it feels like one?” I shake my head and start walking again with no idea of where I am even headed. I’m starving and need to start looking for a job. I don’t bother to look over my shoulder to see if Calder is still behind me. I can feel his heated glare as he watches the sway of my hips as I strut annoyedly.
The guy is probably trying to be friendly, but I haven’t thought hard enough about what my actual story will be. This town is small enough that I will need to keep my facts straight. I need a notebook to write things down in. I should probably have a plan before I start applying for jobs. I have enough money to last me for a year if I am frugal. Writing was always my real passion growing up, but Chris thought my wanting to write for a living was foolish. I had a full ride to college and blew it off because Chris happened. Because I got pregnant. Because my dad kicked me out and I didn’t know how I could go to school and raise a baby.
In the end none of that matters now. My father died last year and left everything to his new wife. A woman he married after he wrote me off. And now Chris is...I don’t want to think about it.
“Hey.” Calder catches up to me. “I wasn’t trying to be rude. I think we’re getting off on the wrong foot.”
“As opposed to the right,” I tease, and he grins. A faint red streak colors his cheeks. “It’s fine.”