Chapter 6 Nora
NORA
Standing under the hot stream of water in my best friend’s guest shower was the best feeling I had all week.
Aside, of course, from when I was soaking in Colson’s tub, but that had been ruined.
This shower was a fresh start. It was me taking charge, not relying on anyone but myself for what I needed.
Did I need a hot shower? No, but I really wanted one, and to see my best friend, so in the end, it all worked out.
I had texted Rae after I left Colson’s porch last night, asking if she wanted to do a strategy session at her place, complete with poster board, note cards, and color-coded Sharpie pens.
She accepted immediately, because my best friend was a freak for strategy and using Sharpie pens.
It happened to work for her to pick me up on her way back home that evening, so I didn’t even have to drive my crappy Toyota up the mountain.
Not that it would have even made it. Rae had moved in with her grumpy boyfriend, who lived up on the top of Mount Macon, a month or so ago.
So now when I needed a sleepover with her, I had to commute.
Shutting off the shower, I considered Colson’s weird behavior once more and tried to make sense of it.
He had literally come out of the blue with this sudden concern for me, which tossed up a red flag.
It should go without saying that I would probably not do well on a blind date, or in any situation where trust is required instantly because I’d ruin it. Immediately.
“Nora?” Rae called through the door, knocking gently.
She hadn’t blinked an eye at having me stay over, and Davis hadn’t either. He wasn’t that bad after everything; he was just sort of growly if you didn’t catch him near Rae. She was the sunshine to his cloudy sky, and they were the most disgustingly cute couple that I had ever seen.
“Yeah?” I gathered my hair in the towel and started dressing.
She cracked the door. “Are you decent yet?”
“Pshh like that would stop you,” I joked, buttoning my jeans and pulling on my shirt.
My best friend materialized in the doorway with a laugh, her blue eyes bright, and her nose crinkled.
“True, Davis is downstairs, so I thought I’d sneak up here and tell you that Colson just called him.”
I froze mid deodorant swipe and looked up at her.
“What?”
Her dark hair was tied up on her head in a messy bun, she wore a big flannel that swallowed her shoulders and hit the tops of her thighs, and thankfully she’d pulled on sweats.
Earlier this morning, when I went down for coffee, I found her without said sweats, straddling her boyfriend’s lap, while kissing him like she was two seconds from tearing his shirt off.
He thankfully had jeans on, and was otherwise decent, but they both blushed and apologized profusely.
With a massively immature gesture, I acted like my eyes had been gouged out and hoped we’d all move past it.
“He called for winter tire suggestions, or something me related?” I whispered, as though Davis would sneak up and hear us.
She moved closer, fully invested in my secrecy plan.
“You related.” She smiled coyly. “He asked if you were still here, and then asked if Davis knew if you had a ride home or not.”
Why did my heart want to fucking fly like a deflated balloon in my chest?
Colson was up to something, and I didn’t like not knowing what it was.
“So…” Rae asked, eagerly awaiting details I didn’t have.
Turning away from her, I grabbed my clothes with a heavy sigh.
“He’s acting weird, and it’s freaking me out because part of me wonders if he’s secretly a serial killer. If anyone picked someone to fall in love with and they ended up being a serial killer, you know it would be me.”
Rae laughed and slammed her hip into mine as we walked back to the guest room where I had stayed the night prior. Rae and Davis had asked if I would design it for them, so it was like a winter wonderland escape, full of thick throws and rich color.
“Stop it. You have good taste in guys…” Rae winced right after she’d said it because we both knew that wasn’t true. I had the shittiest taste in guys, and it was the absolute worst problem to have because I was positive there was no cure.
“Okay, so minus Jason and all his manipulative bullshit…but I don’t think Colson is a serial killer, I think he might have a thing for you.”
I watched as Rae’s eyebrows bounced as if him making a move was something we’d both been waiting for.
Tossing my clothes into my duffel, I laughed at her naivety.
“I know for a fact that he doesn’t but even if he did, I want nothing to do with him.”
The guest bed was insanely comfortable, and I loathed leaving it, but I packed my stuff so I would be ready to head back in time to avoid being on the mountain at night.
“What?” Rae’s eyes grew wide as she pulled her legs up underneath her.
Pulling the towel off my head, I grabbed for my hair products and massaged my curls while I eyed my friend in the mirror.
“He made a rude comment about my age, and how I never know how to do anything.” My voice shuddered the smallest bit as the barely repaired heartstrings flailed at the reminder of what Jason had so viciously said three years ago.
My friend’s mouth turned down as she watched me work to maintain composure.
“Aw shit, Nora. I can’t believe he said that.”
Swiping at my eyes briefly and wanting to move past it, I shrugged. “I’m just confused as to why he’s suddenly acting like he gives a shit.”
Grabbing for a fuzzy throw pillow, Rae pulled it to her chest as she watched me fix my curls. We were both silent for a moment until Rae tilted her head.
“Well, maybe it’s his way of telling you he likes you in the only way he knows how…”
Narrowing my gaze on her through the mirror, I asked, “What do you mean? The way he spoke to me last night definitely didn’t sound like he was masking feelings.”
She sat on the edge of the bed, keeping her eyes on me through the mirror.
“I mean okay, maybe not last night, but maybe you’re tempting to him, and he isn’t sure how to resist you without also taking care of you…
I think you should tell him how you feel.
Just put yourself out there and see what he says.
What do you have to lose? If he’s being a dick, then pull the plug, but if he is struggling with how to confess his feelings, then maybe this will push him. ”
With a call from Davis downstairs, we dropped the subject when Rae jumped up to leave. I, however, was busy pulling apart pieces of what she’d suggested like cheesy bread.
What if he was finally giving in…I mean, maybe…
“Nora, let’s get started, I have to get you to the community center by two!” Rae yelled, and I tossed my products on the bed and jogged down to meet her.
“So, the entryway will be more modern looking.” I drew a line with my pencil down the paper, while gesturing at the empty hole in the room.
Rae walked around, her arms gathered in close while she wore a massive coat, beanie, and thick snow boots.
The room had been completely gutted, so now it was a freezing shell.
We’d walked through the rough draft I had created, and once we’d made our poster board place holders, we’d driven down the mountain and then put things in place in the community center.
Nodding, Rae eyed the space I indicated. “Okay…so show me where you’re going to put the receptionist area and how big of a space you’re thinking.”
Walking over to the area where we’d placed a large poster board titled “reception,” I spread my hands out to show the length of the desk I had envisioned. “Right here, and I want there to be enough space for filing cabinets, and at least four desks.”
“Four?” Rae raised a curious brow.
“Hear me out.” I walked to the corner of the space we’d outlined with chalk. “You wanted this to be a versatile space, and there will be plenty of different departments working in here.”
Rae clicked her tongue in disagreement.
“Two desks.”
I crossed my arms, countering. “Three.”
“Let’s put a pin in it, but for now, we’ll keep the dimensions somewhat the same. The positioning for the entry and reception looks good, so we’ll keep that where it is.”
Shifting to the side, we eyed another poster board on the floor, this one was for the bill assistance area.
“This will be attached by a window from this side of reception, out of the way, so when people enter, they have privacy.”
“I love it.” Rae beamed enthusiastically while jotting something down in her notebook.
“Okay, Davis has texted me like three times, which, for normal people, would be the equivalent of ten, so I need to get going.”
I picked up the poster boards from around the room while she punched out a reply to her boyfriend.
Once I collected them all in my arms, I asked something that had been bugging me.
“Did you already contact a construction company? I thought you were waiting on my plans to place a bid?”
Rae helped me gather the supplies and as we walked out, she locked up. Out on the sidewalk, I took in how fast the day had faded.
“Oh good, no more new snow. That means the plowed stuff will have stayed plowed.” Rae let out a sigh of relief heading to her jeep.
I followed after her, stuffing all the supplies inside the back seat.
“So, regarding the construction…” She started the car. “I called and chatted with your dad about taking it over.”
I buckled, staring over at her as I tried to process.
“My dad?”
“Yeah…is that okay? He already sent a crew to gut it, which was all I needed from him for now. I did ask if he’d consider bidding out the entire project, but he said he had to get back to me. I have two others that I plan on emailing tomorrow.”
I wasn’t a fan of mixing business with family, but in the small town of Macon, it would be impossible not to. Designing homes, I never had to brush elbows with construction companies. I had a few guys who worked with me, and that was usually enough. This would be an adjustment.