And that’s exactly why I can’t trust what he said. You can never trust someone planning to go on a walk in loafers.
Absolutely not.
My fingers drum on the windowsill as I look out toward the front yard where Rupert is sunbathing on a folding lounge chair, using a piece of aluminum foil to reflect the sun onto his face.
His bathing suit shorts ride up to just mid-thigh, offering an expansive view of pasty man-thigh. Next to his lounge chair is a pitcher of water that you would think is for drinking, but nope, not him, he’s been dripping it over his chest every so often. And instead of using headphones, he’s listening to his music on a speaker, the faint sounds of Chappell Roan pulsing through the neighborhood.
Is this what the summer is going to be like?
Being stalked on my walks and having to avoid going in my front yard because there’s a nearly naked man sunbathing in the grass?
And no, I didn’t look Theo up, because frankly, I don’t want to know more about him than I already do. I just want him to leave and take his sunbathing friend with him.
“When did you get home?” Aunt Kitty asks as she takes a seat in a chair across from me.
“About ten minutes ago,” I say, turning away from the window and letting my eyes adjust from the light bouncing off Rupert’s pasty man-thigh. “Mr. Levity had a clogged pipe, but I was able to fix it pretty quickly. Then I stopped by Miss Janet’s house, mowed her yard, plucked her weeds, and came home to take a quick shower.”
“Well, you’ve been busy.” Aunt Kitty adjusts the visor she’s wearing. “I spent all morning finding music that would work for my new dressage routine. Couldn’t find anything that I thought would help with the crowd to get them pumped up but also offer me different beats. Of course, I recorded it all, posted it, and guess who already commented on the post?” She wiggles her eyebrows.
“Was it…Rupert?” I ask sarcastically.
“It was. He suggested I try the song ‘Pink Pony Club.’ I listened to it upstairs and I think it’s a contender.”
“Great,” I say, trying to smile, but really, I’ve got nothing.
“I’d assume since you were just staring at that beautiful specimen outside, roasting under the sun, that you’d be happier, but from the pout in your lips, I’m going to guess you’re still troubled.”
“Yes, I’m still troubled,” I say. “I walked past Rudder’s twice today. There’s newspaper taped up on the windows with a sign that says Coming Soon. A few people told me how excited theywere to see what we were doing to the place, and…well…the keys to the store feel like they’re burning a hole in my pocket.”
“Just go in there.”
I shake my head. “I can’t. It will devastate me. The moment I go in there, memories will flood my mind, and I’ll feel like I’m letting down my dad and everyone else who loves that store.”
“That’s not true?—”
“It is and please don’t try to tell me differently. I know what that store means to me and other people, even you. Okay. I just…ugh,” I groan, pressing my hand to my forehead and leaning back on the couch. “Theo offered me money.”
Aunt Kitty sits taller. “For sex?”
“What?” My brow creases. “No. He offered me money for the store. Why would you think it was for sex?”
“I don’t know, you seemed indecisive, like you were thinking about it.”
“I told you, we are not getting naked for money.”
“Okay, okay, just wanting to double-check. So…if he offered you money, why are you so glum? Why aren’t you cashing it right now?”
“I didn’t say yes.”
“What do you mean you didn’t say yes?”
“Because why would I? I’m not about to take money from a stranger.”
“You were going to when you thought he was a financier, so how is this different?”
I mean…she has a point.
A small one.
