“That’s actually really smart,” Harper said, thinking of the way-too-tired doctors she’d seen wandering the hospital lately. If it weren’t for the also-too-tired nurses, there would be way too many errors.
“So, are you liking it here? You seem to be making some friends.” She said it positively, though her words made Harper feel like a kindergartener.
“Yeah, it’s all right. Still nothing like home, but I’m adjusting.”
“Home…you said you’re from Chicago, right?”
“Mhm,” Harper said, staring out the window.
“I bet you miss it.”
“Yeah, I really do.”
“Do you have family there?”
“My parents and three siblings. Plus a niece.”
“It must be hard…being away from them. What made you guys decide to move to Lancaster Mills? Just his job?”
“Yeah, I mean, we both applied multiple places. Obviously, my job is something I’ll have to start out entry level for even though I’d like to put my degree to use soon, so it was easy enough for me to start getting offers. But, it was harder for Bryant. He didn’t get many—any, really—and he’ll be an excellent teacher. Really, he will. So, when Lancaster High called, we couldn’t say no.” She shrugged.
“You really support him,” Tori said, as if it shocked her. “That’s amazing of you. So many people in this world are selfish,” Tori reached across the console and squeezed her hand, “but not you. That’s an amazing quality, Harper.”
Harper shuddered at the sound of her name. “Thank you. He’d do the same for me.”
Tori let go of her hand, pulling into the parking lot of a large, tan building that looked more like a mausoleum than a gym.
“This is your gym?”
“Yep,” she said, parking in a spot and climbing from the SUV. She opened the back door, grabbed a bag, and shut it again. “This is it.”
“It’s…strange,” she said, cocking her head to the side.
“Wait ’til you see the inside.” Tori took the stairs leading up to the doors two at a time with Harper trying desperately to keep up. Hell, no wonder Tori kept the body she did; getting inside her gym was a workout in and of itself.
She pulled open the door, stepping back and letting Harper enter first. When she walked in, she pulled out a badge, scanning it to go through the second set of doors. Harper reached for her wallet. “Oh, how much do I owe for coming? Or is it like a ‘first time free’ thing?”
Tori waved her wallet away as they entered the gym, and Harper’s eyes fell to the ceiling. It was truly extraordinary with tall, expansive, ceilings allowing plenty of natural light. The gym was sectioned off into different parts. On the far right, there was a dark room with a giant screen playing Castaway in front of several ellipticals, bikes, and treadmills. In another section, there was a Curves-esque setup with several machines in a circle and women working their way around them. There was a daycare to her left, a spin class to her right, two yoga classes happening on the top floor, and further back were rooms that read ‘Tanning’ and ‘Water Therapy.’ The building was filled with every piece of workout equipment she could imagine. In short, it was beautiful. Masterfully done so that you felt comfortable right away. Employees could be seen all over, helping clients or cleaning equipment.
“This place is amazing.”
“Good afternoon, Dr. Fuller,” one employee greeted her.
Figures they’d know her by name.
Tori smiled at the kid before turning to Harper. “So, where would you like to go first?”
“Um, I don’t know. Wherever.”
“I was thinking of going for a swim,” she said, pointing up above their head.
“This place has a pool?”
“Oh, sweetie, this place has everything.” Without bothering to elaborate, she turned a corner, heading up a second set of stairs. Lovely.
Harper tried to keep up with her, though her short legs just didn’t compare to the long limbs Tori had been blessed with. When they reached the second floor, Tori swiped her keycard again, pulling open a heavy gray door and holding it open again.
She smelled the chlorine before she saw it, a smell that had always taken her back to her childhood.
“Hey, guys,” Tori said to a few older men who were relaxing in the shallow end. “I’m really sorry, but we’re going to have to close the pool down for a few hours to get it cleaned. The filter’s been giving us issues, and we want to make sure we’re giving you all the best experience.”
The men looked disappointed but didn’t say much as they climbed out of the pool, their wet swimming suits clinging to their legs.
“When you get down there, go to the front desk and look for a man named Jamie and tell him Tori said to give you half off this month, okay? And a free smoothie from our bar.”
At that, the men cheered up even more, grabbing towels from a shelf at the end of the pool and wrapping them around their waists.
“Thank you,” one of them said as the four hurried out of the room toward the sign that read ‘Showers.’
Tori looked at Harper with a sly grin.
“Can you really do that?” Harper asked.
“I can do whatever I want,” she sneered. Because when you’re that beautiful, you— “I own the place.”
“Y-you what?” she demanded. She knew Tori and Jason must’ve been well off, but this place had to be worth more money than…more money than she could even fathom. “Are you serious?”
“Dead,” she said softly. “I brought you a suit.” She reached in her duffel bag, pulling out a small red piece of fabric that could hardly be called a suit.
Harper examined it, trying hard not to let her face turn red from the embarrassment she felt. She was more of a one-piece girl, but how was she supposed to tell Tori that?
“You don’t like it?” Tori asked, reading her expression. She walked over to the door, setting a closed sign outside of it and locking it behind her.
“No, it’s fine,” Harper said. “Just maybe not my—”
“’Cause you could always go naked.”
Tori wasn’t looking at her as she said it, though her voice echoed through the quiet pool room.
Harper looked down, completely mortified. What the hell had she gotten herself into? She let out a nervous laugh. “This is fine. Really. Where can I change?”
“Right here,” Tori told her, walking back toward her and pulling out a navy bathing suit for herself. “Come on, we’re friends, right? What? Do you need me to turn around?” She quickly peeled off the spandex workout top, letting her breasts flop out. Harper looked away quickly.
“You’re super sheltered, aren’t you?”
“Sheltered?” Harper asked, not looking at her but also not wanting to seem like such a kid.
“Yeah. You work at a hospital. Are you telling me you don’t see naked people all day long?” She pulled the blue top over her head and Harper looked back.
“Not really, that's usually more of a nurse thing. I just see them as they’re checking in.”
“But you have seen naked people before, right? Besides Bryant, I mean?” She pulled down her pants, stark naked from the waist down without warning, and Harper averted her eyes without turning her head.
“Of course.”
“So, what’s the big deal? I’m a doctor. I literally see naked people for a living. It’s natural, doll. But, if it really bothers you, there’s a dressing room down that way.” She pointed in the direction the men had gone before running and diving into the pool. Water splashed up onto the concrete, soaking Harper’s tennis shoes.
She watched Tori swim through the water, looking completely and utterly carefree. Suddenly, a competitive nerve was struck. No way was she going to be one-upped by this girl.
She pulled her own shirt off, trying to keep her breasts somewhat hidden as she pulled on the red top. When she pulled down the bottoms, she couldn’t help noticing that Tori’s eyes were glued to her. It was alm
ost like it was a game. She was trying to see how uncomfortable she could make her. And, unfortunately, she was excellent at it.
She pulled on the bottoms, walking cautiously to the edge and sinking into the water.
“Atta girl,” Tori said, running her hands over her own hair. Her stiff nipples poked through the thin material of her bathing suit. “I told you there was nothing to be nervous about.”
“I’m not nervous,” Harper said, perhaps a bit too harshly.
“Easy. There’s nothing wrong with being a little unsure of your body.” She laid back against the side of the pool, kicking her feet out through the water.
“I’m not unsure of my body.”
“Okay, other people’s bodies, then.”
Harper bit her lip. “I mean, I’m not a nurse. Or a doctor. I’m not…used to it.”
“No shame in that,” she said simply. “Is Bryant the only guy you’ve been with or something?” She let out a laugh, but stopped when Harper didn’t immediately shut down her theory. Instead, she felt her face growing warm, and she knew her blush must be giving her away as Tori’s eyes lit up. “Holy shit, I was kidding. But, I’m right, aren’t I?”
Harper shook her head. “I was with one other guy in college.”
“Just one? Two men your entire life? Holy shit. No wonder you were so nervous.” She scratched her head, staring at her in shock. “You’ve at least kissed other people, right?”
“Just the two.”
“Man,” Tori said, her mouth slung open in shock.
Harper put her head under water, wanting it to go quiet for just a moment, but came back up, running her hands through her own hair to match Tori. She crossed her arms. “Yep. I’m pretty shy, I guess. I hadn’t really dated that much before Bryant. I’m guessing you’ve been with a lot of people?”
Tori frowned. “Actually, I haven’t been with anyone but Jason since I was sixteen. But, before that, yeah…I was with a lot of guys.”
“Before sixteen?” Harper couldn’t hide her shock.
“Perks of being a foster brat,” she said, looking away.
“I’m sorry,” Harper said, feeling like she should be, even though Tori seemed to be bragging.
She shrugged. “I got my revenge.” Harper furrowed her brow, waiting for her to elaborate. “I have an amazing career, more money than I could ever need, a perfect husband,” she paused, looking back to Harper slowly, “great friends.”
Harper smiled. “You have a great life.”
“What about you? Do you have a great life?” Tori asked, her voice low.
“I, yeah, I do. I have a great husband, a beautiful home. My career is in progress. I mean, I don’t have all the money I could ever want,” she joked, “but—”
“Hey.” Tori shocked her by pushing off the pool’s wall and moving toward her quickly. “You have me. Anything you need from now on…I’m here, okay? Name it. Whatever you want…I’ll take care of you.” Water dripped from her lips as she spoke, and she was uncomfortably close to her. Harper tried not to move, desperately not wanting to offend Tori.
“T-thanks,” she said softly, staring into the blue-green eyes behind her dark lashes. She looked down, breaking eye contact. “But, we’re okay. Especially now that we’re both working.”
“Good,” Tori said, taking a step back but not going far. “So, between us girls…settling for one man after only being with one other, Bryant must be a pretty great lay, huh?” She winked at her. Harper should’ve known by now that Tori had absolutely no filter, and yet everything she said managed to shock her.
“What?”
Tori let out a laugh. “Oh, fine, keep all the juicy details to yourself.” She pushed off of the ground, letting herself rise up above the water before sinking back into it and swimming away.
Harper let out a long breath, trying hard to collect her thoughts. This woman was such a mystery. Unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Was it the age difference? The vastly different childhoods? Maybe a Southern trait? Weren’t Southern women supposed to be classy little things? One thing was for sure as she watched Tori climb out of the water, her top twisted so that one breast was nearly hanging out, and make her way to the diving board…Tori was of an entirely different species than anyone Harper had ever met. She wasn’t sure exactly how to feel about that.
She jumped off the diving board, her eyes locking with Harper’s just seconds before she hit the water and Harper felt cold chills trail down her spine. She wrapped her arms around her chest, trying to get the feeling to go away. It was a feeling she couldn’t seem to put her finger on quite yet.
Tori swam back over to her, adjusting the suit finally so she was no longer exposed. She surprised Harper by throwing her arms around her in a hug, their bodies pressed together tightly. Harper froze, processing what was happening before she hugged her back.
“I’m so glad we’re friends,” Tori told her. When she pulled away, she didn’t go far. Their noses were just inches apart, and Harper’s breathing caught in her throat. Tori’s lips parted, water dripping from her eyelashes. She leaned in, her mouth moving to Harper’s for a split second in a kiss that Harper hadn’t expected.
“There,” Tori said, when she pulled away. “Now you’ve got one more person to add to your roster.” She winked, and with that, she was back underwater.
Fear. That was the feeling in Harper’s chest. Despite everything, the playful way Tori was acting and the way she’d opened up to her. Despite the kiss that could’ve made even the straightest woman question her sexuality, the only thing Harper could feel in that moment was ice cold fear.
Ten
Bryant
When Harper walked in, her hair was pulled back into a wet ponytail. He closed his laptop and stared up at her.
“Whoa, some workout, huh?”
She furrowed her brow, then seemed to realize what he meant, touching her hair and shaking her head. “We went swimming.”
“We?” he asked. “Who’d you go with?”
“Oh.” She waved him off, hurrying past him. “Just…Tori from next door.” She explained it as if Bryant wouldn’t know who she meant.
He followed her down the hall and into the bedroom where she peeled off her clothes and changed into her pajamas from the bed.
“You didn’t bring a suit.”
“She let me borrow one.”
Just like that, he was thinking of Tori in a suit. Tori splashing in the water with her long, long legs…Tori topless beside her pool.
“Why would you go to a gym to swim when she has a pool?”
Harper stopped, turning to look at him. “How do you know she has a pool?”
Panic overtook him as he tried to think quickly. “Oh, um, well, I…I saw it when we were at their house. It’s in the backyard.” Harper seemed to believe him, though from the side yard where the patio was, there was little chance he could’ve seen the pool. She ran a brush through her long, brown hair, wringing excess water into her scrubs and tossing them into the hamper. “Anyway, why’d you go workout with her? I thought you didn’t like her.”
“I’m trying to be civil,” she said simply, not meeting his eye. “She’s our neighbor, right? Nothing about that is changing, so we might as well all get along.”
He nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.” And she was. As much as it pained him to think about Harper and Tori hanging out, as if Tori might somehow know the effect she had on him and use Harper to toy with him, there was nothing he could do, no reason he could give his wife to make her see why this could be an issue. No reason that wouldn’t end with a swift kick in the balls, anyway. He was terrified of being in the same room with the two of them, fearful that Harper would sense the awkward energy between Tori and himself—especially after their last encounter, but there was nothing that could be done.
“Hey,” she said, suddenly spinning around on the stool in front of her vanity. For a half-second as their eyes met, he panicked, worrying that she knew what he was thinking. “I nee
d to tell you something.”
He sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning over his knees and staring back at her, his throat suddenly dry. “Okay.”
“Something happened today. It was…stupid. You’re going to laugh.” By the look in her eyes, he was fairly certain he wasn’t going to be laughing. “But,” she tucked a piece of hair behind her ears, looking down, “I don’t know, I just feel like I need to tell you.”
He reached for her hands. “What is it, babe? You’re scaring me.”
“I, um, well…Tori kind of…she kissed me.”
No matter what he had thought she was going to say—every variation of horrible things—nothing would’ve ever prompted him to predict that sentence leaving her mouth. His brain wasn’t computing her words. He sat still, staring at her with his mouth hung open, picturing it over and over. Tori’s lips on Harper’s. Hands exploring. Tongues tangled.
He closed his eyes, running a palm over his face. “Um, what?”
“I mean, it wasn’t, you know, like a kiss kiss. It was…just goofing off, I guess. I don’t really know what to call it. She was teasing me about having only been with you and Trevor. It wasn’t a big deal, so I don’t know why I’m making it a big deal, but I wanted to tell you about it. I don’t know if it’s cheating. I didn’t want to kiss her. I love you so much, and I—”
“Baby—” He cut her off, pulling her to him. She stood from the stool, sulking her way to him slowly. “I’m not mad at you.”
“You’re not?” Her eyes lit up at his words, and he realized she’d truly been worried about it.
“Not at all. I mean,” he laughed, “it’s a little weird, but also kind of hot.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, it is, is it?”
“Yeah,” he whispered, nuzzling into her neck.
“Well, don’t get any ideas. It’s never going to happen again.”
He sucked in a deep breath, sliding his hands under her shirt to remove it. “For the next fifteen minutes, let’s just pretend it might.”
Eleven
Bryant
The Good Neighbors Page 4