Stop it, Lennie. You can’t go back now even if you wanted to. I sigh, ready to give up my search for something to eat, when I spot a box of blueberry muffin mix.
Muffins. I freaking love muffins. I grab the box and walk back into the kitchen. I find a mixing bowl and start looking around her high-tech oven.
“Geez. Jodi . . . can’t anything in your life just be simple?” I huff to myself. I have no idea how to turn this damn thing on, but I’m not about to give up on my mission for muffins.
* * *
Chapter 2
Tyler
* * *
Bang bang bang.
I pull my headphones off my head and look around. I swore I heard a noise. When I don’t hear anything, I start to put them back on when I hear it again. “Shit,” I mumble. Someone is here. I toss my headphones on my desk and walk to the door. When I pull it open, I’m greeted by the last thing I’d ever expect.
“Hey, do you have any oil?”
My eyes go wide as I take in the woman before me. Her brown hair is piled up on her head. She’s wearing a funny looking pair of glasses that almost mask her blue eyes. I continue my path down only to discover that she has next to nothing on. A tank top that gaps open on the sides, clearly showing off a skimpy green bra and large breasts, paired with very short shorts. What really stands out are the many tattoos marking her skin.
“Hello? Oil?”
“Oil?” I repeat.
“Yeah. Oh shit. I forgot I need two eggs as well. Do you have any?”
I feel like this woman is speaking in code. “Would you like me to check?” she says.
I blink several times. “Check for what?”
She groans, clearly frustrated with me. “Never mind. I’ll knock on someone else’s door.”
She walks down the hall and starts banging on Ms. Thomas’s door.
I’m standing in my doorway, watching her with fascination. When Ms. Thomas doesn’t answer, I find myself asking, “What kind of oil?”
The woman mumbles something under her breath before glancing back at me. “There’s more than one kind?”
I do my best to hold back my laughter. “I’m guessing since you asked for eggs that you’re cooking something.”
“Muffins. From scratch.” She pauses before tilting her head to the side. “Actually, from a box, but that’s really the same thing.”
This time, I do laugh. “Oil and eggs. I think I have both.” I leave the hallway and walk to my kitchen to grab what she needs. When I turn around, I find her in my apartment, watching me.
“Do you live alone?” Her eyes scan my apartment.
“No.”
She nods her head but continues to take everything in. “I’m staying across the hall.”
“With Jodi?” I immediately question.
“She’s my sister.”
My roommate Chad has had a thing for Jodi Jacobs for close to a year now, but he’s never pulled his balls out long enough to ask her out. “I’ve met Jodi before.”
“Oh yeah, how’d that go?” She’s smiling, or maybe it’s a smirk I see on her face.
I rub my chin, unsure of what to say. This woman and Jodi are nothing alike, and I’m afraid any comment I might make will end up insulting one of them.
“Okay?”
She busts out laughing as she walks over to where I’m standing. “What’s your name?”
“Tyler.”
“Thanks for the oil and eggs, Tyler.” She grins as she takes the bottle of oil and carton of eggs out of my hands. She’s about to leave when she looks over her shoulder. “I think this is the first time a man has given me oil that he didn’t rub all over my body.”
My mouth opens, but nothing comes out. By the time I gather my thoughts, she’s gone.
“Let’s go out for a beer.”
“I can’t. I’m behind on work.”
“What?” Chad laughs. Typically, on a Friday night my roommate, Chad, complains about how I never go out, and he makes me feel like a shitty friend until I finally cave and end up somewhere I can’t stand. However, right now I have a real reason for ditching him because I’m officially behind on what I should have done earlier today. Ever since oil lady stopped by, my brain hasn’t functioned properly. “Fuck it. I don’t need to go anywhere, either.” Chad kicks off his shoes and crashes on the couch about the time I hear a knock on the door.
“Are you expecting anyone?”
“No.” I walk over and open the door only to be greeted by the same beautiful face from earlier.
“Do you know how hard it is to make muffins from scratch?” Her eyes narrow. “Well?” She starts tapping her foot on the floor, waiting for my answer.
“Yes?” I reply with a shrug.
“Where was that information earlier? It’s bad enough that I had to deal with an oven from NASA, but maybe when you’re handing out oil, it should come with some tips.” Chad comes up next to me, wearing the same shocked expression.
“Oh, hey. Do you live here?” the crazy woman questions.
“I do,” Chad answers.
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Chad.” She smiles as if she’s generally happy to meet him.
“I knew Tyler lived with someone, but he didn’t tell me who.” Chad’s face jerks to mine with a what the hell look. I work from home, and I rarely leave the apartment. I don’t have to look at Chad to know he’s wondering how exactly I know this woman. “I’d offer you a muffin as a thank you, but I’m actually saving your life by not giving you one.” Oil lady steps around us and walks into our living room as if she was invited. “Oh, I love this show,” she says as she takes a seat on the couch.
Chad looks over at me and mouths, “Who the fuck is that?”
“I’m Lennie.” We both look over to find her smiling at us. “Nice to meet you, Lennie,” Chad hesitantly says before walking over and taking a seat across from her.
“How do you know Tyler?”
I roll my eyes. “She doesn’t.”
“I met him earlier today. I was in a pinch, and he helped me out.”
Chad grins and looks over at me. “That’s my Tyler, the little helper.” I shake my head before flipping him off.
So, Lennie . . . I can’t actually say I’ve met anyone with that name before.” Chad is eating this up.
She shrugs. “My parents went through a Lenny Kravitz stage.”
Chad and I share a look, one where we’re both wondering if this woman might be certifiably crazy.
“This is one of my favorite episodes of the Walking Dead. I’ll try my best not to tell you how it ends, but I can’t make any promises. Tyler, do you have any popcorn?”
Who the hell is this woman?
“I’m not sure. Tyler, do we have any popcorn?” Chad says with a laugh in his voice.
“I don’t know, but maybe you should check with Jodi.” Chad’s eyes snap to mine. He’s had a hard-on for Jodi Jacobs for the last year, but he remains intimidated by something, and I’m guessing it’s her success.
“You know Jodi?”
“They’re sisters,” I add before Lennie has the chance.
“No shit.”
Instead of acting insulted, Lennie smiles. “That’s what my mom claims, anyway. I don’t have the results back from the DNA test yet to prove otherwise.”
I chuckle. I think it’s official . . . I’ve never met anyone like this woman before. “Are we going to watch this or not?” Lennie grabs the remote and turns up the volume. I look over at Chad, who’s still watching Lennie with amusement in his eyes. He glances over at me and shrugs as if it’s a daily occurrence for a beautiful but odd woman to invade our lives.
Almost an hour later, we hear another knock on the door. Chad hops up and opens it.
“Hey, I was looking for . . .” Jodi trails off when she spots Lennie on the couch.
“Seriously, you’re messing with my neighbors?” According to Chad, Jodi is twenty-eight, the same age as the two of us. However,
she’s one of Dallas’s up and coming hot shot lawyers. She’s gorgeous in a classic way.
“Why should you be the only lucky one? Tyler here helped me make muffins earlier, now we’re hanging out.” Jodi’s eyes dart to mine, and suddenly I understand Chad’s reasons for being intimidated.
“I just gave her oil,” I stumble out, which causes Jodi to groan.
“Of course you did. Come on, let’s go.”
Surprisingly, Lennie jumps to her feet and walks over to her sister. Right before she walks out the door, she turns and smiles at me. “Thanks, Tyler. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Jodi shakes her head and follows her sister out the door.
“Tomorrow? What the hell happened today?” Chad questions.
I breathe out a deep sigh. “I have no idea.”
* * *
Chapter 3
Lennie
“Lennie, I love you. Rearranging my stuff isn’t going to change that. It’s only going to piss me off.”
I smile, knowing she hasn’t seen the worst of what I’ve done.
“I need to meet with my boss to go over a case we’re working on. Will you be okay by yourself?”
“I’m twenty-five . . . not five.”
“Good you know the difference.”
“Bitch.”
“Whore.” I crack a smile seconds before Jodi does.
“You have to work on the weekends?”
She sighs, knowing I don’t agree with her way of life. “Sometimes. Maybe if you tried working you’d understand.”
“I work all the time.”
“Whatever. I don’t have time to do this with you. Call me if you need me.” Without another glance in my direction, she walks out her door.
It’s pointless to leave. I have to be here in Dallas in less than two months. Depending on how everything goes down, I’ll be gone shortly afterward. I shouldn’t bother with a job, but if I’m going to stay, I’ll need something to pass the time. With that thought, I take a quick shower. I don’t usually wear much makeup and today is no different. I toss on a tank top and shorts, pull my hair up on my head, and I’m ready. As I’m passing Tyler’s door, I grin. Yesterday he was almost as much fun to mess with as Jodi. He appears slightly, and I do mean slightly, less uptight, but there’s a reason he lives in this building, and it’s not the zeros in his checking account. Without thinking, I knock on his door. Several long moments pass before I’m greeted by his cute, blond roommate.
“Hey, is Tyler home?” Tyler appears behind Chad before he can answer.
“I’m going out. Do you need anything?”
He looks confused as he shakes his head. “No, I’m good.”
“Where are you going?” Chad questions.
“I’m thinking about getting a job.”
Chad chuckles. “Good for you.”
“I’m bored,” I say as I walk past them and wander inside of their apartment. “What are you guys doing today?”
“Working,” Tyler states loudly.
“You delayed him yesterday.” Chad grins as he looks over at Tyler.
“Really? What kind of job do you have?”
Tyler stares at me for several long moments before he sighs. “I’m a corporate investigator.”
“That’s awesome. Let me see your badge.” I smile, walking over to him as Chad busts out laughing.
“I don’t have a badge,” Tyler mumbles.
“What kind of investigator doesn’t have a badge?”
Tyler groans again. “A corporate one.”
“O . . . kay.” I do nothing to mask my confusion.
Tyler shakes his head. “I’m hired by companies as a third party to investigate their business. To ensure no one is doing anything they shouldn’t.”
“Cool, and you do that from here?” I glance around the apartment.
“Yeah, I do everything from that.” He points to a high-tech looking computer.
“Really?”
Tyler shakes his head in a way that makes it clear he’d rather not have to talk to me. “I go in through a back door. I don’t leave a trace. Therefore, other than the person who’s hired me, no one is the wiser.” He shrugs before looking over at his roommate.
“Impressive, however, it makes asking you out for drinks later a little awkward.” Tyler’s eyes shoot back to me as a frown forms on his face. “It’s been a while since I’ve been out with a man who has experience using the back door.” Chad bust out laughing as the corner of Tyler’s mouth turns up.
“I better go find that job. I need to prove to my sister I can be a respectable member of society.”
“Goodbye.” Chad gives me a shit-eating smile as I walk to the door. “I’ll see you later, Tyler,” I holler, but I don’t need to glance at him to know the look he’s giving me. It’s the same look I’ve seen a thousand times before.
I drive all around my old stomping grounds, trying to decide what I should do to fill the void of being back in Dallas. I didn’t graduate college—hell, I barely managed a high school degree—but even if I had, boring, stuffy office jobs are not my thing. I like being around people. I like jobs where I might actually be able to help a person. When I’m about to give up, I see a billboard calling my name. I turn my car around and head straight to an animal shelter.
“Hello, sweetheart. Can I help you?” I don’t always judge a book by its cover, but I can tell a lot about a person by the way they greet me. In a lot of places, including this one, I stand out.
“Yes. I’m actually here for a job.”
The woman’s face falls. “Sorry, honey. We don’t even have enough money to buy the proper amount of food we need for the animals. Almost everyone here works on a volunteer basis.”
“Okay, great. I’ll do that.”
The woman’s eyes narrow. “You understand that volunteer means you don’t get paid?”
I crack a smile. “Yes, I get it. You could use the help, right?”
“Oh, dear heavens, yes.”
“Then I want the job—the volunteer job.”
“Okay, well, in that case, I’m Carla. When can you start?”
“Nice to meet you, Carla. I’m Lennie, and I can start right now if you need me.”
The woman sags with relief. “You’re a lifesaver, Lennie.”
“No, unfortunately, I can’t save lives. But you’re in luck because I love animals probably more than I love humans.”
Carla smiles. “Then you’re in the right place, but how about you come back in the morning and start the day fresh. I’ll have some paperwork for you to fill out then you should be good to go.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
I hate Dallas. Being here is mentally exhausting. Pretending my life isn’t on the verge of altering and possibly ruining the people who claim to love me is enough of a reason that I head straight to a bar instead of Jodi’s.
I need any distraction that life can offer, the kind I won’t find in my sister’s apartment. Several hours and drinks later, I find the peace I was looking for.
* * *
Chapter 4
Tyler
I pull my headphones off when I hear someone knock on our door. I groan, knowing it has to be the crazy woman from across the hall. I can’t recall the last time anyone visited us. However, since Lennie appeared a couple of days ago, it seems like someone is consistently here. When I open the door, however, I find the normal sister.
“Is Lennie here?”
I shake my head. “No.”
She breathes out a long sigh. “She didn’t come home last night.”
My chest unexpectedly tightens in concern. “Oh.”
Chad walks in and is caught off guard when he sees Jodi. “Lennie is missing,” I inform him.
“What?” he says, locking his eyes on Jodi, who starts shaking her head.
“No, she’s not missing. This is what she does. She’s . . . unpredictable.”
Unpredictable seems like the perfect way to describe the woman I met. “Did y
ou try calling her?” Chad suggests.
“Of course, but she didn’t answer. She’s probably out screwing some guy she met.” I have no idea why, but Jodi’s comment causes my stomach to turn. I’d have to be blind not to notice how gorgeous Lennie is, but she’s not my type, so I force myself to push down the strange feeling.
“She’s like a storm. You just have to wait for whatever mood she’s in to pass. I’m sorry for bothering you. I thought . . . I thought since she was over here yesterday . . .” She trails off as she carefully watches me before Chad speaks up.
“I’m Chad Davis. I don’t think we’ve properly met before.”
Jodi smiles as she shakes Chad’s hand. “Yes, I’ve heard . . . of you, but you’re correct, I don’t think we’ve properly met.”
Chad’s eyes go wide as he stumbles out, “Oh, good, and yeah. I’ve seen you at a few work functions.” This time, it’s my turn to laugh. In Chad’s younger days, say a year ago, he was quite the man whore.
Chad holds a decent job at an investment firm, but I’m guessing by Jodi’s comment she’s heard about the kind of women he likes to bed and not the job he actually does.
“Sorry again for bothering you, and if Lennie becomes a problem, just let me know.”
Jodi walks out the door as Chad rubs his hands over his face. “Shit. That’s just . . . fanfuckingtastic.” He’s been waiting over eight months to make his move, and now he just let a perfectly good opportunity slip past.
“Maybe she’s heard of your firm?” Chad shoots me a disgusted look. “How do you know she’s not secretly a whore who could give you a run for your money?”
“Just stop talking.” He groans before walking down the hallway to his bedroom.
This is why I don’t date. If you have nothing to give, you have nothing to lose.
Two days pass without any visitors. On Tuesday, while I’m in the middle of solving a fraud case, I hear a knock at the door. I know before I open it who it is on the other side. In addition to rarely having guests, it’s even rarer for someone to stop by during the week.
“Oh good, you’re home.” As well as being correct, I’m greeted with the biggest smile a person could have.
Living With Doubt (The Regret Series Book 2) Page 25