And, an even more intimidating thought to contemplate: what could be out here for her, if she was brave enough to build it?
“Nothing,” she said on an exhale. “I guess I should figure out what needs to happen with the house. Get that whole process started.”
“When’s the last time you were over there?”
“I have no idea. Last summer, maybe? Remember I had that shitty contractor from Silverton, and then I never got around to finding someone else.”
“You should call Niko.”
Merritt’s stomach flipped. “What?” She tried to keep her voice casual.
“Niko. You should do a walk-through with him. I bet hecould take care of half of that stuff himself for cheap, and he can give you names for whatever he can’t do. He literally knows everyone.”
Merritt bit her lip. “Maybe. I don’t want it to be weird.”
Olivia’s brow furrowed. “What? Why would it be weird?”
Merritt hesitated.
Merritt had first met NikolaosPetrakis in her shower. She hadn’t been living at Olivia’s for long, a month at most. She’d pushed open the bathroom door, draped loosely in a towel with her hair piled on top of her head, and there he was.
“Heard you needed it a little harder in here,” he’d said, grinning, hands stretched above his head, well-muscled biceps flexing as he reached up to adjust her showerhead with a wrench.
When Merritt replayed it later, she usually said something witty in response. Maybe something about the unexpectedly porn-ish vibe of the whole scenario, right down to his opening line—even though, thankfully, he’d delivered it so cheerfully that she could believe the sleazy double entendre was somehow unintentional.
What she actually said was “Guh” as she dashed out of the bathroom, slamming her bedroom door behind her.
She flopped onto her bed, heart racing, suddenly recalling her breakfast conversation with Olivia about someone coming by to fix the water pressure in her shower, which had recently slowed to a trickle. Merritt had only stopped by her bathroom to collect her toiletries to go use the one upstairs, like she had for the past week.
But Olivia had neglected to mention that “someone” would be so…well. Merritt had only gotten a brief look at him, but she’d seen enough pieces to put together that he was attractive,in an obvious sort of way. Not her type, of course. But objectively, sure. That didn’t make her any happier about walking in on him when she was millimeters away from slipping a nip.
A deep voice came from outside her door, the hint of laughter in it making her cheeks burn.
“Hey there.”
She quickly calculated the odds of him believing she wasn’t in there, or maybe that she’d decided to take a spontaneous nap. Probably zero.
“Um. Hi,” she squeaked. “Sorry. I didn’t—sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry. I thought Olivia told you I was coming. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“She did. And you didn’t. I was just…surprised.”
A pause.
“I’m Niko, by the way.”
Another pause.
“You must be Merritt.”
“That’s me.” Was she being rude, talking to him through the door like this without coming out? Should she throw on some clothes, or just go back out half-naked? She sat helplessly on the bed, towel clutched to her chest, paralyzed with anxiety.
“I should be done in here pretty soon and then I’ll get out of your way.” He paused again. “I didn’t see anything, by the way.”
“Oh. Cool.”Oh, cool?She grimaced to herself.
“All right, well. See you around.” He was definitely laughing now. She heard his footsteps retreat back to the bathroom.
