Just in case.
She gingerly stuck the card back into the envelope and set it on top of the fridge, which required some stretching, but also meant out of sight, out of mind. She brushed her hands off and decided another beer, or two, was in order while her low-fat, all-veggie frozen pizza for one heated up.
She got the pizza in the oven, then turned on the TV and sat on the couch while it baked. Feet up on the coffee table, she scrolled through the channels, not paying so much attention to what was on as to what was happening tomorrow.
Lunch with Alex. The non-date date. She grinned. Whatever it was, it would be fun. He was a nice guy, and she needed to get out and see the town some more anyway. Maybe afterward, she’d stop by and see Delaney. Get the real scoop on her neighbor.
Hmm. Maybe she should get a picture of the two of them together and post it to her social media. Her fans would go nuts over Officer Cruz in his uniform. She shook her head. She wouldn’t do it, no matter how many likes it might get her. Some things weren’t meant for public consumption, like her private life.
Roxy nodded, pleased with her plan for the next day. Who knows? She might be so inspired after lunch with Alex that she’d get some writing done in the afternoon.
The next day started bright and early with the arrival of Undrea Seely, owner of Tanks A Lot. Undrea was stunning, in an unintentional sort of way. Her rose-gold hair was pulled back in a long braid and she wore denim overalls with a simple cotton tank top. Her amber eyes were bright and happy. “Morning! Ready to get fishy?”
Roxy laughed. “Yes. I have been looking forward to a tank like this ever since I was a little girl. I can’t wait.”
“I know you’ve probably moved some stuff in since I was here to measure so do you mind if I have a look at the space once more before I bring everything in?”
“Not at all.” Roxy walked her back to the office. All she’d really added was a desk, a chair and a bookshelf. “I hope there’s enough room for you to do what you need to do.”
Undrea nodded. “Yep. We’re in good shape. I’ll start the setup.”
Roxy hadn’t seen anyone in the van with her. “You have help, right?”
“Absolutely. I’ve got Aaron in the truck.”
“Just two of you? Isn’t the tank kind of heavy?”
“Um…” Undrea shrugged. “Not really. Not until it’s filled with water. These acrylic tanks aren’t nearly the weight of the glass ones.”
“Oh, yeah, I remember you telling me that. And clearer, too, right?” Still seemed like a lot of tank for two people, but Undrea was the expert.
“That’s correct. You’ll see. You’re going to love this when it’s all set up.”
“I can’t wait.” Roxy was buzzing with excitement. She’d wanted a tank like this ever since she and her dad had kept goldfish. She knew now that getting the fish had been her father’s way of distracting her from the loss of her mother, but as a kid, she hadn’t understood that. She’d loved the time they’d spent together, staring into the tank and talking about the fish. Listening to the soft bubbling of the filter. It had done the job he’d intended, to a certain point. Spending time with him had taken care of the rest.
She smiled and wished he could see this when it was all done. To be able to sit and work near something like this would take all her stress away. “Okay, well, I’m going to grab my laptop and get out of your way. I’ll have my cell phone, so call me if you need me. I’ll just be in the backyard, but that way you won’t have to go searching for me.”
“You got it.” Undrea headed to her truck.
Roxy picked up her laptop, stuck her phone under her bra strap, since her yoga pants didn’t have pockets, and went outside. She hadn’t written in the fairy house yet, which was what she’d named the playhouse, but today was as good as any to give it a try.
She unlocked the door and climbed the spiral stairs to the loft. She’d had a memory foam mattress put up here last week and she’d loaded it with pillows, turning it into a great napping and writing nest. She positioned herself at the head of the mattress, back against the wall, and fired up her laptop.
Her phone vibrated with an incoming message. Maybe Undrea had run into a snag. Roxy checked it, cringing immediately as soon as she saw Thomas’s name pop up on the screen. Unbelievable. He just couldn’t leave her in peace.
She tapped delete and went back to her laptop, ready to focus on some words and not her bothersome ex. If he needed to talk to her, he already knew he could send messages through her attorney. Huh. Maybe that’s why he’d sent that note about the house. It was his way of showing her he could still get to her.
Jerk.
Twenty minutes and several pages later, she realized that she either needed the AC on or some fresh air. The loft was a little warm. And since it was May, fresh air won out. She set her laptop aside and crawled over to one of the transoms.
The height of the fairy house and her position on the mattress meant she could look right down into Alex’s backyard. The morning sun cast streaks of light and shadow over his property, making it a little tricky to figure out what she was looking at initially.
Well, now. He had a hot tub. That much she could see.
She grinned as thoughts of peeping on him while he was in that hot tub drifted through her mind. That would be wrong. Right? Probably. Ooo, but fun. She closed her eyes for a second and tried to imagine him without his shirt. As a writer, she had a vivid imagination. Her mental picture of him only made the loft hotter.