I parked the mower on my driveway and paused to pull my shirt over my head before tossing it on the front porch beside the door. Having the clingy fabric gone from my body felt loads better, and after taking a drink from the bottle of water I’d brought with me, I went back to finish my task. But before I could restart the mower, I felt eyes on me. Turning around, I had to hold back a groan when I saw who it was.
“Good morning, Dennis.” I fought to keep my tone polite when what I really wanted to do was turn around and walk inside, as far away from him as possible.
“Solomon. It’s a little early to be mowing, isn’t it?” he asked as he gave me a slow once-over.
I wanted to retrieve my sweaty shirt and put it back on to cover my exposed skin, but instead, I turned slightly to grasp the handle of the mower, indicating I wanted to get back to work.
“I have a lot of things to do today. Figured it was best to get started before it got too hot.” I made it a point to glance toward the sun, so he’d get the hint and leave.
“I see. Well, don’t let me keep you. And if you aren’t busy tonight…”
I withheld a sigh. One night of feeling vulnerable while ingesting too much tequila turned into a hookup I could never get away from. It was a colossal mistake on my part and one of my bigger regrets. Dennis had caught me coming home from the liquor store while I was feeling my lowest. I’d just run into an ex who’d betrayed my trust months prior. Seeing him with someone else had been a punch to the gut and had left me with a bitter taste in my mouth I wanted to chase away with something strong. Not wanting to be alone—Brody was on another failed date—I acted on impulse and invited Dennis over. One drink led to two, and then two led to my bedroom. It was a one-time thing I never wanted to repeat, but Dennis let it be known he wouldn’t be opposed to it. And he couldn’t take the hint that I was.
“I have plans.”
“I see. Well, you know my number and where I live if you change your mind.”
I only nodded and leaned down to start the mower, hoping no response from me would get to him more than any words could. When I was upright again, I was relieved to see he was gone. In the short time he’d delayed me, the sun had started blazing even hotter, and I grumbled as I maneuvered the machine around the lawn. I worked as quickly as possible, probably doing a crappy job in the process, and was in desperate need of a shower and a huge glass of ice water when I had finished.
There were no more signs of Dennis when I retrieved my shirt and let myself in the house. After downing the ice water I craved, I stripped and made my way to the bathroom to take a quick shower. The water felt cool and refreshing on my sensitive skin, and after soaping my body and washing my hair, I finished up and threw on a fresh pair of shorts and another T-shirt that wasn’t old or filled with holes.
I spent the rest of my morning and some of the afternoon doing laundry, sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor, and various other tasks that I hated to do. By the time I sat down to take a breather, it was well past lunchtime, and my stomach was growling enough to let me, and my neighbors three houses down, know I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. I whipped up a turkey and cheese sandwich and devoured it along with a banana. Once that was finished, I could finally relax before meeting Brody at the movies. Propping my feet up on my coffee table, I grabbed my remote and channel surfed until I found something I felt would hold my interest. But as I tried to focus on the show, my eyes felt heavy, and I decided to give in to temptation. I’d worked hard that day already, I’d barely slept the night before, and I had a few hours until the movies. So what would a nap hurt?
“You look a little red. Did you get sunburnt?” Brody asked when we met up in front of the theater. There was still a little sunlight left, so Brody could get an eyeful of my red nose and crimson cheeks.
“A little. I mowed my lawn this morning and misjudged the sun’s wrath.”
“And you didn’t use sunscreen?” he asked with a frown.
I shrugged and tried not to wince at the movement. “It didn’t cross my mind.”
Brody shook his head. “How bad is it?”
“It’s not great, but I’ll put some aloe on it when I get home. It didn’t bother me until I woke from my nap. I guess that’s what I get for mowing with my shirt off.”
“Giving the neighbors a gun show, were you?” He grinned wickedly as he wiggled his brows up and down.
I snorted. “Hardly. More like a horror movie. Come on, let’s go get our tickets.”
I wasn’t someone who worked out daily at the gym, so you couldn’t wash your clothes on my abs. But my body wasn’t too terrible. I wasn’t exactly out of shape, but I wasn’t in it, either. I was just me, and I was okay with how I looked.
When Brody and I stepped up to the counter, I immediately asked for two tickets and paid without giving it a second thought.
“Oh, I wouldn’t have minded paying for my ticket.”
I shrugged. “It was my idea to come.”
“Fine, but I’m paying next time.”
I waved him off. “Come on, let’s go get some popcorn.”
“With extra butter?”
“Is there any other way to eat it?” I asked as we made our way to the concession stand.
I didn’t have to ask Brody what he wanted since we always got the same thing. Two large sodas, a large popcorn to split between the two of us, and a box of chocolate-covered raisins—for him.
Brody took the popcorn from the woman behind the counter and immediately went toward the station to doctor it up with extra liquid butter and the popcorn salt. I shoved the box of raisins into my pocket and grabbed a bunch of napkins, straws, and the drinks then met Brody at the counter.
“You okay carrying those?” he asked, looking at the sodas in my hands as he lightly shook the box to mix the popcorn around.
“Yup. Go find us a spot.”
I knew Brody liked to sit toward the top so he could get a better view of the screen, and I wasn’t as particular as he was. I just followed his lead while trying not to spill the sodas.
We arrived with plenty of time, so there weren’t many people inside yet, and Brody happily climbed the stairs to the very top row of seats.
“I’m glad I’m getting a redo with this movie. I’m anxious to know what happens.”
“Speaking of that guy, have you heard from him?”
Brody shook his head. “Nope. And when I got back on the app today, I noticed his profile was gone. I’m not sure if he blocked me or deleted his account.”
I handed him his raisins and stared at him in surprise. “You were back on the app already?”
“Just to see if he messaged me,” he replied defensively. “I wasn’t trying to find another date.”
“Uh-huh. When are you meeting up with the next guy?”
“We’re meeting for lunch on Wednesday.”
“You’re incorrigible.”
“Not at all. I just believe there’s plenty of fish in the sea, and I have a lot of bait.”
I snorted. “But, you’re a terrible fisherman.”
“You wound me. Practice makes perfect, you know?”
“And you’ve had plenty of it.”