“Sounds great. Bye, Nora.”
As soon as we hang up, I finish eating my midmorning snack and then glance at the clock. I have a lunch date, and if I leave now, that’ll give me an hour to get ready with time to spare for visiting my neighbor. I’d call him, but we’ve only talked on the phone once, and that was months ago for his son, Grey. We’d met for dinner to go over some nutrition plans because Grey is getting into football and asked his dad if he could talk to a professional about the diet he should be on to set himself up for success. Honestly, it was the cutest thing. The fact we had this meeting at a restaurant that served unlimited chips and salsa was even better.
I push my bike, which I ride to and from work—downtown Wind Valley is only a ten-minute bike ride from my house—out the front door of the studio and lock up.
I remember that dinner like it was yesterday. Simon barely spoke. It was hard to get a word in with Grey talking and telling me all his goals for middle school and high school. He’s only ten but talks like he’s older. I loved that he has a plan and goals. Simon is very self-driven, so it makes sense that his kid is the same way. In the end, I gave him a few weeks of meal plan ideas, and we went our separate ways.
I’ll have to ask Simon if those plans worked out for Grey.
I ride down Main Street, waving at a few random people before I turn onto the street that takes me back into the neighborhood where I live.
I wasn’t born or raised in Wind Valley, but I went to college here and never left. Those people, the ones I don’t even know who just waved at me, are the reason why. People here are just kind and friendly. It makes for a peaceful place to live.
The men though? Slim pickings.
However, I have high hopes for my lunch date. He’s new to this area. I met him through an app, and he loves that I only schedule clients in the morning and the occasional evening, leaving my days open. Honestly, I didn’t plan that from the beginning. I just have a lot of nine-to-five clients who can only train outside that, so thus, my schedule was created.
Still, his support on my out-of-the-ordinary schedule was nice. Obviously, that’s not all I picked him on, but it was a perk.
I near my house, and my eyes trail in on my neighbor’s front porch the way they always do.
Simon is sitting at his little white two-person table with his laptop open in front of him and a glass of water next to it. Every day when I come home, he’s in this spot. Laptop and water and all. I mean, it has to be water because it’s a clear glass with clear liquid, and with his physique, I doubt he drinks much else besides a beer here or there at a friend’s barbeque. Even though I wouldn’t go as far to say Simon and I are friends, we do share a lot of them.
His gaze lifts from his laptop, and his eyes zero in on me.
“Hey, Simon.” I smile and wave as I ride past his house. “It’s so nice out today.”
I hold my smile with confidence but cringe on the inside. I’ve said the same thing to him every day since I moved in a month ago. And each day when I ride by with my signature greeting, he just watches me without saying a word.
What a dickcomes to mind, but I don’t think that’s the case. I don’t know what his deal is, but I’ve seen him with Grey, and for as grumpy as Simon might be, I know deep down, he’s hiding a pretty great person.
Gross. Listen to me. Is this because I just want to see the good in a single guy?
It has to be.
I park my bike in front of my garage door and walk up the sidewalk to my front door. I pause when Simon stands, his arms raising above his head as he stretches.
Now, our houses aren’t kissing, but they are close enough for me to get a good view.
He’s got his back to me, but his simple light gray shirt hugs his body in all the best ways. I can see the ripples of his upper back muscles, and I hate that I like it. I could get technical, but honestly sayinglook at those trapezius and deltoidsdoesn’t sound as sexy.
Ugh, and the way his shirt hugs his biceps is great too. He flexes and the veins in his arms make an appearance. That’s hot. He reaches just a little higher, and his shirt rises, revealing two dimples in his lower back. He’s wearing sweats that are so perfectly low, if he turned around, I bet I’d see that V all the girls talk about.
Moody as he may be, Simon is easily the best-looking guy I’ve laid eyes on.
His arms drop and he sighs, one hand running through his thick black hair. He spins, sees me watching him, and pins his dark eyes on me.
What I would give to see a smile under that perfectly groomed scruff on his face.
He clears his throat.
I let out a bubble laugh and then disappear into my house.
So what if he caught me staring at him? I should probably feel guilty, but outside of his gorgeous appearance, he’s not my type. Not to mention, he’s never once shown any kind of interest in me. I’m clearly not his type either.
I smile.
I like to laugh.
