Thin Walls

by Lawson, Cassandra

  I laughed at the memory. “He called it his den, and he seemed shocked that he’d admitted it to me.”

  “Well, you were standing on his front porch in your pajamas, and he thought you were an elderly woman before then.”

  “He still does,” I told her. “I mean, he thinks I’m the granddaughter of the woman who lives in my condo. The old lady voice I used when I yelled at him about his porn was believable.”

  “I wonder what he thought that night Laney was pretending to spank Cami in your bedroom while we all moaned and made our best porn screams.”

  “I didn’t moan or scream,” I reminded her. My cousin had decided it would be fun to mess with my neighbor while he watched porn, or as it turned out, had sex with a woman who sounded like a porn star. “As to what he thinks, I have no idea. Maybe he thinks I was using my grandma’s house for an orgy when she wasn’t home.”

  Bentley giggled. “I want to go over there and ask him.”

  “Now, you sound like Laney,” I accused.

  “Not at all,” she argued. “Laney would already be on her way over there to ask him what he thought. She wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation.”

  “You’re right,” I agreed. “I need to avoid telling Laney this story. That won’t be easy since I’d love to see her reaction.”

  “You were in your pajamas,” she began thoughtfully. “The screaming bitch was naked. What was your neighbor wearing?”

  “His boxers.” I tried to keep my tone neutral, but damn the man looked good in nothing but his shorts.

  “That’s all?” Bentley continued when I nodded. “This sounds like the beginning of a porno.

  “Not even close,” I argued. “And I don’t want that image in my mind.”

  “Because it gets you a little hot?” Bentley asked with a grin.

  “Yes,” I replied honestly. “At least, it does if I pretend the banshee wasn’t there. She ruins the whole fantasy, but that’s a good thing since I don’t want to think about my neighbor that way. He’s loud and irritating. For a short time, I thought he was getting better, but I was wrong.”

  “It’s such a pity,” Bentley mused.

  I sighed and nodded. “Yes, it is a pity. He looks really good in his boxers.”

  Chapter 3

  Spencer

  After finally getting Suri out of my home without calling the police, I needed a stiff drink. Instead, I settled for coffee and a long hot shower. By the time I headed over to apologize to my neighbor for the events of the morning, she’d already gone out—perhaps, to church.

  The walls on my condo were thinner than I’d guessed when I first moved in. It seemed as though none of my neighbors were ever home, so the problem hadn’t become evident until my neighbor pounded on the wall while I was with Suri. After that, I’d kept it down so as not to disturb the poor woman. I’d tried keeping Suri in the front of the condo or going to her place.

  I watched some television to get my mind off my morning, not that it did me any good. My thoughts kept drifting back to my neighbor. I’d never been quite so thankful for an unseasonably warm October day. If not for the weather, my neighbor’s young relative would have been wearing a lot more clothing. She was gorgeous, and I’m not going to pretend part of my reason for going over to apologize didn’t have to do with a desire to see the beautiful blonde again.

  At a little after two, I stopped pretending to pay attention to the television and decided to try apologizing to my neighbor again. I knocked on her door and waited since I could hear someone moving around inside. I could also smell something baking. My stomach rumbled in response to the delicious aroma.

  The door opened, and the blonde’s eyes widened when she saw me just before she scowled and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

  She looked both hot as hell and adorable. Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail, and an apron covered her red t-shirt. She was barefoot and wearing dark skinny jeans. There was a smudge of flour on her nose and even more flour in her hair.

  My planned apology forgotten, all I could think to say was, “Hi.”

  Her brow knit in confusion like she didn’t know what to say. Finally, she asked, “Are you looking for your crazy naked girlfriend?”

  “She’s my ex-girlfriend,” I clarified. “I came over to apologize for what happened this morning. Suri is unstable on a good day. She’s a raging bitch on a bad day.”

  “This was a bad day,” she replied with a nod.

  “Can we start over?” I asked as I held out a hand. “I’m Spencer.”

  “Mercedes, but everyone calls me Mercy,” she replied, hesitating before shaking my hand. Her handshake was firm and confident. Call me crazy, but I like a woman with a strong handshake.

  “You looked surprised when I suggested you were my neighbor’s granddaughter,” I began, hoping she’d give me a clue about their relationship, but she said nothing. “Daughter? Niece? Caretaker?”

  With a sigh, she said, “Keep it down! Decent folk are trying to sleep in here!”

  At the realization that the elderly neighbor I’d been picturing for months was, in fact, the hot blonde standing before me, I laughed. “Not what I expected,” I admitted before remembering all the times I’d seen her struggling to get up the stairs, bundled up in a large jacket. There was still a piece missing in this puzzle.

  A timer went off, and she raced in. “Cupcakes! I need to take the cupcakes out.”

  That explained the smell. Since she didn’t slam the door in my face as she raced toward the kitchen, I followed her. My mother would not be impressed with my manners. Mercy hadn’t invited me in, but I figured what the hell did I have to lose?

  “Perfect,” she said quietly as she set the pan down.

  “What are you making?” I asked. “I got the cupcakes part, but what kind?”

  “Cinnamon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.” She took off her oven mitts and leaned against the counter as she regarded me. “Will your friend be visiting often? I got used to the quiet over the last couple of months, and I’d hate to have to start beating on your wall again.”

  I flashed her a sheepish smile. “Sorry about the noise. I didn’t realize the walls were so thin when I moved here. I’ve never heard you or any of my other neighbors in the bedroom. After you yelled at me, I put a lot of effort into being quiet.”

  “Does this sound familiar?” Her head dropped back, and she sounded like she was doing her best impersonation of a porn star. “Oh, my sexy vagitarian! Just like that! Yes! Yes! You’re so good!”

  “Vagitarian?” I asked with a laugh. “It’s not ringing any bells for me. Should it?”

  “Those noises came from your condo after I made it clear you were too noisy,” she replied.

  Well, damn, this was embarrassing. “I suddenly feel the need to go home and burn my bed. My relationship with Suri ended because she was cheating on me with my best friend, Warren. It seems they used my bed.”

  “Oh my God!” When I looked up, I saw her blue eyes wide with shock and sympathy. “I’m so sorry about bringing that up.”

  I waved off her apology. “It’s okay. I should have been suspicious when Suri started coming over weekly to do a little housework for me, but I was working a lot of hours at the time. I’m the idiot who bought that story. She never did much cleaning.”

  “But she always washed the sheets,” she deduced, continuing when I nodded. “Wow! That is a real twat waffle move.”

  My lips twitched. “That’s one way of putting it. Anyway, I’m also sorry that my ex-girlfriend cheating on me disturbed you. I’ve been a terrible neighbor.”

  “But you still deserve a cupcake after what you just learned,” she announced with a smile.

  “Then it’s worth it,” I told her. “They smell incredible. Can I have one now?”

  She shook her head. “They need to cool and be frosted. I’ll start the frosting soon. First, I need to clean the flour off my face and out of my hair. How about if I bring it by later?”


  “Would you mind if I wait here?” I asked, fully expecting her to say no.

  After a short hesitation, she nodded. “Okay. Go ahead and have a seat.”

  “Do you mind if I ask what happened? How did you end up with so much flour on you?”

  She turned away, looking surprisingly uncomfortable with my question. “A car backfired and startled me,” she admitted before hurrying out of the kitchen.

  A car backfiring made her uncomfortable? I understood how that could have startled her. They were loud, but I didn’t understand why it made her uncomfortable to admit she’d been startled. I decided to stop worrying about it. I was getting some time with the woman who’d been on my mind all morning, and I was getting a cupcake. How could I possibly complain?

  Chapter 4

  Mercy

  As I brushed the flour from my hair, I wondered if I’d regret inviting Spencer to stay for a cupcake. I’d spent months thinking he was a complete jerk—a good-looking jerk but still a jerk. For all I knew, my first impression of him might be right. He’d admitted to being the one who’d had loud sex—the first time, at least. Of course, good sex often turned loud, or so I’d heard. Since I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had good sex, I wasn’t the best person to speak on the subject. I could lay the lion’s share of the blame for my annoyance at Suri’s feet.

  After cleaning my face and getting the flour out of my hair, I found Spencer right where I’d left him, standing by the breakfast bar in my kitchen.

  “Your place is bigger than mine,” he remarked as I approached.

  “Just like a man,” I replied with a grin. “Always making it about size.”

  I managed to startle a bark of laughter from him.

  “Are you trying to tell me that size doesn’t matter?” he asked with a teasing grin of his own. “Don’t tell me you don’t find your larger condo more satisfying than you would a smaller one. It must fulfill your needs much better.”

  “Now, you’re trying to turn this around on me,” I accused playfully. “You’re jealous because mine is bigger than yours.”

  “I am,” he admitted. “You even have a double oven.”

  “Do you need a double oven?” I asked.

  “Are you assuming I don’t cook because I’m a man?” he asked.

  “Not at all,” I assured him. “I’ve met plenty of men who are excellent cooks. Some put me to shame. I’m asking because I find that a lot of people with double ovens never make use of them. Even people who cook regularly often ignore the second oven after claiming they absolutely must have one. It’s such a waste.”

  “How about you?” He gestured to my oven. “Do you make use of both ovens?”

  “I do now,” I replied. “When I first moved into my condo, I rarely spent any time here.”

  “And you spend a lot of time here now?” he asked. “Before today, I don’t recall seeing you here.”

  “You saw me,” I told him. “I had some health issues, so I wasn’t going out as much.”

  I hated bringing that up because many people took it as an invitation to ask questions about why I hadn’t gone out. Spencer surprised me by nodding and saying nothing more on the subject.

  “Are the cupcakes for a special occasion?” he asked.

  “It’s a new recipe I’m trying,” I replied. “I’m writing a cookbook, and I’m also thinking about setting up an online cooking show.”

  “Are you a chef?” he asked.

  “Not really. I started watching all of these baking shows while I was home, and I suddenly decided I wanted to learn how to bake everything. I’ve mastered the cheesecake and layered cakes. Now, I’m working on cupcakes and then it’s donuts.”

  “No cookies?” he asked.

  “I already had some good cookie recipes, so they didn’t seem nearly as challenging,” I explained. “I’ll get back to cookies, eventually. Same goes for muffins.”

  “You’re making me hungry,” he admitted. “Do you ever make trifle?”

  “It seems too busy, but I’ve considered making it,” I replied. “My cousin’s husband went to the UK a few months ago, and he’s been trying to talk me into making trifle.”

  “It was my second favorite dessert growing up,” he replied.

  “What was your favorite?” I asked as I started mixing the cream cheese.

  “Spotted dick.” When I giggled at his answer, he added, “It’s a real dessert.”

  “I know,” I assured him around my giggles. “I feel like a twelve-year-old girl every time I hear the name. It sounds more like a penis affliction than a treat.”

  “Only to Americans,” he argued. “Do you really know what it is?”

  “I do,” I insisted. “It’s another thing Sebastian discovered during his business trip. My cousin didn’t believe him when he came back and told her about it, so she researched it, learned how to make it, and then it became the main topic of discussion during our next visit.”

  “I miss spotted dick,” he said with a sigh.

  I couldn’t help myself; I giggled again. “Sorry. I feel so juvenile.”

  “It’s okay,” he assured me. “I brought it up, expecting this reaction, so I guess I’m as juvenile as you are. On a more serious note, is there any chance you’ll make it for me?”

  “Since I hate raisins, it seems very unlikely,” I told him. “I’d have to really like someone to agree to bake with raisins.”

  “And I’m not off to a good start,” he added. “I suppose I’ll have to win you over.”

  “Or you could learn to make it yourself,” I pointed out. “If my cousin can learn to make it, I’m sure you can, as well. You could start watching cooking shows instead of porn.”

  Spencer groaned, and when I looked over at him, he had both hands over his face, muffling his voice. “I can’t believe I told you that. Normally, I don’t lead with that fact when I meet a beautiful woman.” His hands dropped to his sides, and he flashed me a wicked grin—the kind that made a woman’s panties wet. Not my panties! I wasn’t going there with Spencer.

  “Don’t,” I told him.

  “Don’t what?” he asked innocently.

  “Don’t flirt with me,” I replied.

  He nodded. “All right. I won’t flirt with you. Sorry about how rude Suri was to you. I could lie and say she’s normally much nicer, but she’s not.”

  I waved off his apology as I checked the consistency of my icing. It was perfect. “I’m not planning to hold something your ex-girlfriend said against you. Sorry about dredging up the memories of her cheating on you. I have this tendency to say whatever is on my mind. It’s a family trait. My sister is the only one who doesn’t speak without thinking.”

  “Do you have a large family?” he asked.

  “Not too large,” I replied. “I’m the youngest of three. I have an older brother and sister. They both live in the area, along with my parents. My cousin, Delaney, is also here with her husband and son.”

  “It must be nice having your family close by,” he mused.

  “How about you?” I asked. “It sounds like you don’t have much family.”

  “Not much,” he admitted. “I have a younger brother. He and my parents live on the east coast. We all moved to New York when I was ten.”

  “How did you end up out here?” I asked.

  “A job offer came up, and I was curious about the area,” I explained. “My mother is from Napa, and I was born there, though we only stayed there a few weeks after my birth. She came out this way because my grandmother was dying. It wasn’t the best time to travel. The cupcakes smell incredible.”

  I sighed when I looked at the cupcakes. “I frosted them too early.” Not only had I forgotten to set a timer, I hadn’t checked to see how cool they were. It was sloppy, and I didn’t usually make mistakes like that. “I’ll have to see how they taste and try to make them look good next time.”

  “Attractive cupcakes are important,” he remarked.

  “Are you sucking up t
o me just to make sure you get a cupcake?” I asked.

  “You already told me I could have one,” he reminded me. “I’m hoping to talk you into a second.”

  “How do you know you’ll like them?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out. Come on, Mercy, give me a cupcake.”

  I sucked in a sharp breath as Spencer’s voice moved along my skin, hitting all the right spots. Oh. My. God. I was getting turned on by my annoying neighbor.

  Chapter 5

  Spencer

  I felt a stab of disappointment as Mercy’s expression went from surprise to annoyance. I didn’t understand her reaction, but it wouldn’t do. Having my neighbor angry or uncomfortable around me could only end badly. She didn’t want me to flirt with her, meaning she probably didn’t want to date me or let me kiss every inch of her body. No! I needed to avoid going there. No thinking about sex. “So, can I have my cupcake?”

  She nodded and handed one to me before turning away to clean the mixer. “You’re lucky. I don’t usually share my baked goods with porn addicts.”

  I chuckled. “That’s why I don’t usually confess that to people when I first meet them. It makes it much less likely I’ll get any baked goods if they know the truth.” I bit down into the cupcake and nearly moaned at how good it was. The cake was light, and I tasted the cinnamon along with another spice I couldn’t identify. “This is fantastic. What did you put in it?”

  She flashed me a sly smile. “I’ll let you know when my cookbook comes out so you can find out the secret ingredients.”

  “Come on,” I coaxed. “We’re neighbors. Surely, I deserve to hear what’s in your cupcakes.”

  She snorted. “That won’t work. I won’t even tell my sister. How did you get Suri to put her clothes on and leave your place this morning? She sounded determined to stay.”

  “She was,” I replied with a sigh, not happy that our conversation had circled back to Suri. “It wasn’t until I started to call the police that she finally left. I’m not sure what prompted her to show up at my pace today. It’s been over a month since I last saw her, and she’s made no effort to contact me. Then, out of the blue, she breaks into my condo.”