My eyes almost pop out of my head as an image of Fitzy snorkeling naked fills my brain.
“Oh, I had quite a figure back then,” she says wistfully. “Full hips, boobs for days.” She eyes me up and down. “Like you, dear. All curves and no edges.”
If anyone else but Fitzy commented on my appearance, I’d tell them where to go. But the old lady is so endearing that I don’t mind.
“We met on a Tuesday, and he proposed on the Friday,” she says. “I was all ready to give up my job as an entertainer on a cruise ship and stay with him.”
The elevator dings, and the door opens. Fitzy turns and starts to go out, completely forgetting she’s in the middle of a story.
“What happened?” I blurt out, stopping the elevator with my hand.
Fitzy turns around, a vacant look on her face.
“What, dear?”
“What happened to the man you almost married in Barbados?”
She looks confused, making me wonder if she’s already started drinking for the holiday, then realization creeps across her face.
“Oh, his family didn’t approve. Thought it had happened too fast, that he was only after my bazoombas.” She grabs at the air in front of her chest and mimes jiggling them up and down. Fitzy giggles, then looks wistfully into the distance, her eyes glazing over.
“So, you gave up on each other?” I’m more invested in the story than I’d like to admit, but it only confirms what I already know. Love is fickle and people always let you down. “He didn’t fight his family for you?”
Fitzy looks confused again.
“It was lovely speaking with you, dear. You enjoy that apartment while you can and call down if you need anything.”
She walks off, and I let my arm drop. The elevator door closes. I’m left alone. Fitzy’s a great neighbor, but it’s useless to try to get a story out of her.
3
CLEO
The smell of freshly brewed coffee fills the apartment. I breathe in deeply as I take my mug from the cafe-grade coffee machine that uses freshly ground beans. My bare feet sink into the plush carpet as I pad into the living room.
The view from the floor to ceiling windows looks out over Bourbon, with sweeping plains to the left and brown dusty hills rising in the distance. The sky hangs heavy and gray, full of the snow that the weather forecast has been promising. It hardly ever snows in Texas, so there’s been a lot of talk about the gathering snow clouds.
It looks cold outside, but I’m toasty in here with the central heating warming the entire place.
I set the mug on the coffee table and open my laptop.
With Ethan away, I’m not needed in the office, and he’s given me the okay to work from home for the last few days that I’m working before Christmas.
Work from his home, that is. My boss loves to travel and I’ve been house sitting for him ever since I took the job of executive assistant two years ago.
I was sent to his office for work experience by MUEVE, the Manifieste Una Espléndida Vida Exitosa. They’re a charity that helps ex-foster kids transition into the adult world.
Ethan took a chance on me, and after the two weeks of work experience was up, he offered me a full-time position. I’ve been fiercely loyal to him ever since.
I log in to work and check my emails. With the boss away and half the office off for Christmas, there’s not much going on.
I type a few replies to meeting requests and push the laptop aside.
I love staying at Ethan and Craig’s place. It’s so much more comfortable than my tiny studio apartment, but there’s another reason I love coming here.
Dropping to the floor, I crawl over to the oak bookcase.
My fingers run over the spines on the bottom shelf until I come to my favorite album.