Chapter 6
I stretched out on the couch in Topher’s mom’s house, quiet all around me. No voices, no footsteps, not even the faint sound of someone breathing nearby. I was utterly alone.
And where was Topher? Oh, right—at his mansion. After we cleaned the bedroom, Topher bolted, saying he had work to do. Later, he texted that he’d be spending the night at his place. Cool, no big deal. Just left me here to fend for myself in a house I barely knew.
So, yep. I spent the whole night alone in a strange house.
And it was glorious.
No one telling me I should be working harder.
No smug looks from across the room. No lectures about how I’m “wasting my potential” because I wasn’t “squeezing every last drop of productivity out of the day.” Yes, those were his exact words.
It was just me, that ridiculously comfy couch, one of Mrs. Brodie’s dog-eared bestsellers, and the sweet, sweet absence of Topher hovering nearby, silently judging me for not treating work like it’s the meaning of life.
Topher’s mom had surgery before dawn. The plan was for him to visit her once she was out of recovery later that afternoon. I’d texted him that morning, asking how the surgery went. He said everything went well, and she would likely need a few days of recovery. Which meant...
I had a few days all to myself.
I could read, I could nap, I could do absolutely nothing.
Sure, I needed to figure out what my next job would be, but the idea of spending a few days like this?
It felt like a surprise vacation. Topher might pop in now and then to check on things, but with his mom in the hospital and work dragging him back to his mansion, I didn’t expect him to stick around much. And honestly? That was fine by me.
I could practically hear the quiet stretching out ahead of me, endless and peaceful.
Then, like a marching band crashing a silent retreat, the tranquility was shattered.
I heard the unmistakable sound of a key turning in the lock.
Before I could even react, the front door swung open, and in bustled a short, round woman with tight gray curls, dressed in a floral blouse so bright it could be seen from space.
She carried a basket of muffins as if it were her ticket to wherever she wanted to go.
Without so much as a glance in my direction, she let herself in and closed the door behind her.
“Yoo-hoo! Anybody home?” she called out, loud enough to wake the dead, her eyes already scanning the room as if she owned the place.
I shot up from the couch, bewildered. “Uh, hi?”
“Oh, you must be Kathleen!” The woman breezed right in, beaming at me like we were old friends.
“Josephine told me all about you. I’m Gladys from next door, and I’ve been keeping an eye on the place while she’s in the hospital.
You know, just making sure things are running smoothly.
I’ve got a key in case of emergencies.” She winked as if that explained why she was making herself at home, already plopping down in the armchair across from the couch, setting her muffin basket on the coffee table.
“That’s... uh... nice of you.” I was trying to process the fact that a stranger had just let herself into the house.
“Oh, honey, Josephine called and told me about her son finally bringing home a girlfriend. It’s all very exciting!” She winked again, like we were sharing some secret joke. “So, where is he?”
“Uh, Topher’s working.” I tried to sound casual. “He had some things to take care of.”
Gladys leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. “Didn’t seem like he spent the night here, though. I saw him leave yesterday afternoon, and I never saw him return. Where is he now?”
I could feel her nosy gaze burning into me and coughed. “He’s, um, at his place in the Garden District, but he’ll be back soon.”
“Oh, will he now?” One eyebrow shot up as she leaned in closer. “Seems a little odd, doesn’t it? To leave his girlfriend all alone here on your first night together?”
My stomach twisted. It was clear we were being snooped on, and if this nosy neighbor figured out we weren’t really dating, it would only be a matter of time before it got back to Topher’s mom.
The last thing I needed was for her to know this whole relationship was a sham.
And then what? I’d be homeless. Again. I had no job, no place to stay, and the one thing keeping me off the streets was this ridiculous fake relationship.
I whipped out my phone, my heart pounding in my chest, and shot off a text to Topher: Get over here right now. Your neighbor, Gladys, is asking too many questions. I think she’s on to us.
I glanced at Gladys, who was still staring at me like I was a puzzle she was determined to solve. She cleared her throat. “So, how long have you two been together? Josephine didn’t give me many details.”
I forced a smile. “We haven’t been together too long.”
“Well, you two must be very serious if you’re already staying here while Josephine’s in the hospital. Isn’t that something?” She eyed me with a twinkle that could only mean one thing—gossip. “So, when are you moving in together for good?”
I nearly choked. Luckily, my phone buzzed with Topher’s text: On my way. Don’t let her find out the truth.
Great. No pressure.
Trying to keep my cool, I smiled again. “We’re taking things slow. No rush to move in together or anything.” My voice cracked slightly.
Gladys gave me a look that said she didn’t believe me, but before she could dig deeper, her face shifted into one of those concerned, motherly looks. “By the way, how are Topher’s headaches? Josephine’s been so worried about them lately.”
My stomach flipped. Headaches? What was I supposed to say? “He’s feeling better every day.” Hopefully, I didn’t sound completely clueless.
Gladys tilted her head, one eyebrow creeping upward in skepticism.
“Hmm, well, that’s good to hear.” She leaned in, lowering her voice like she was about to reveal the juiciest gossip of the century.
“You know, Topher was a real math nerd when he was in high school. I’m talking calculators in his pockets and spreadsheets for fun.
I mean, no offense, but I didn’t think he had it in him to snag someone like you.
” She paused, giving me another dramatic once-over.
“Honestly, I was starting to think I’d never see a girl walk through this door unless she was getting tutored. ”
I let out an awkward laugh, trying to deflect. “Well, I guess people can surprise you…”
“Oh, you sure did.” Gladys wagged her finger like she’d solved a mystery. “I’m telling you, no one ever thought Topher would bring a woman home. And here you are, staying in his mom’s house. So, what’s the story? How’d you two meet?”
“Oh, you know, we just... bumped into each other.” I tried to sound casual while my brain scrambled for a distraction. “So, um, how long have you lived next door?”
Gladys stared for a beat too long, but she went along with the subject change. “Oh, long enough to know Topher’s never been the relationship type. Until you, that is. I’m guessing a proposal’s coming soon, huh?”
I nearly choked on air. Proposal? We weren’t even a real couple!
I let out a nervous laugh, trying to maintain my composure. “Uh, we’re not there yet. We’re just, you know, still in the getting-to-know-each-other phase.”
Gladys’s mouth twitched, somewhere between amusement and disbelief. “Honey, I’ve lived here long enough to know when something’s serious. And trust me, it’s serious. You’ll be picking out wedding venues before you know it. I can already see you in white!”
Just as I was about to die of nervous laughter, the front door swung open, and in strolled Topher, looking slightly out of breath. “Gladys, always a pleasure,” he said, pulling her into a quick, polite hug. “But no time to chat. Busy day, you know how it is.”
Gladys didn’t miss a beat, eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Oh, I’m sure it’s busy with all the romance in the air.” She gave me a knowing look that made my stomach tighten.
Topher barely blinked. “Right, busy with that and, you know, work. But we’ve got to run because we’re heading to visit my mom at the hospital.”
Gladys’s face lit up. “So, when did you two first realize it was love?”
Topher plastered on a tight smile and completely ignored her question. “It’s been great to see you. Thanks so much for the muffins, Gladys.”
He reached for the container, clearly hoping to do a clean handoff and escort her to the door in one graceful maneuver.
But Gladys was faster.
“Oh, I’ll just pop them in the kitchen for you,” she chirped, sidestepping him like she’d been dodging slick moves since before he was born.
Before either of us could protest, she was off to the kitchen. Topher turned to me, eyes narrow. “Why did you let her in?”
I glared right back. “She had a key, Topher! What was I supposed to do, tackle her?”
He threw his hands up in silent exasperation. “I leave you alone for a few hours, and suddenly, my mom’s nosy neighbor has moved in.”
I snorted. “Oh, like you’ve been the model host. Where were you? Oh, right, at your mansion.”
His eyes flicked to the kitchen. “She said she was just going to drop off the muffins, but she’s been in there for a while… What is she doing?”
We both craned our necks to listen, but all we could hear were faint clinks and rustling. I raised an eyebrow at Topher. “You think she’s rearranging the silverware? Because it sounds like she’s rearranging the silverware.”
A thud followed the series of clinks. Gladys’s voice floated out cheerfully, “Oopsie!”
Topher pinched the bridge of his nose. “You were the one who let her in.”
“For the millionth time, she had a key. I didn’t let her in. She materialized.”
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Gladys reemerged from the kitchen, looking pleased with herself. “All set! You two enjoy those muffins now.” She winked.
Topher crossed his arms. “What was that thud we heard?”
“Oh, that?” Gladys waved her hand dismissively.
“I was just searching through your mother’s cabinets for some Saran Wrap to cover the muffins.
It’s like a scavenger hunt in there—stuff crammed everywhere!
I found the Saran Wrap all the way in the back, behind what appeared to be a jar of expired pickles.
I had to pull out half your mom’s Tupperware to get to it.
That was the thud. But don’t worry, I reorganized a little!
Anywhoodle, muffins are safe now, wrapped tight. You’re welcome!”
With a satisfied nod, she headed for the door, but not before throwing one last look over her shoulder. “I’ll be watching—er, checking in—on you two!”
As soon as the door clicked shut, I let out a long, exhausted breath. “Well, that was a disaster.”
Topher ran a hand through his hair like he was about to pull it out.
“You think? She’s going to be watching every move we make.
” He grabbed his laptop. “Let me do a little work before we go visit my mom.” He typed for a moment, but then froze mid-motion and groaned like the world was ending.
“The internet’s slowing down again.” He whirled around, narrowing his eyes at me like I was the Wi-Fi saboteur. “Did you do something to it?”
I blinked, incredulous. “Me? I didn’t do anything! I haven’t even been on the internet!”
I couldn’t believe this guy. He could run a multi-million dollar company, but he couldn’t survive five minutes with slow Wi-Fi.
It was like watching a grown man unravel because his lifeline to endless work emails had been cut.
What kind of person is so obsessed with working that a minor internet outage sends them into a tailspin? Unbelievable.
Topher paced, running a hand through his hair again.
“I can’t work like this. I’ll figure it out later.
” He glanced toward the window, his eyes narrowing like Gladys might already be out there plotting.
“Let’s just go see my mom.” He looked down at his crisp slacks and button-up. “Let me change my clothes first.”
I nodded absently. “I’m going to have one of those muffins.
” All the stress was making me hungry. In the kitchen, I froze.
Wait a minute. The muffins weren’t wrapped.
Gladys had made such a big deal about the Saran Wrap, and yet there they were, muffin tops exposed to the world like nothing had happened. Weird.
I glanced down the hall to tell Topher about the muffins, but when I saw him, every word I ever knew flew right out of my head. Muffins? What muffins? There was only Topher’s muscular back as he pulled off his shirt, the bedroom door slightly ajar.
And, wow.
He was... in good shape. Not just “Oh, he works out occasionally,” in good shape.
Really good shape. His back was all lean muscle, flexing with every movement as he tugged his shirt off.
I blinked, my brain doing a weird thing where it completely short-circuited.
Was this the same guy who spent his life obsessing over work?
This was not the image I had in my head of him. At all.
I should’ve turned away, should’ve said something, anything, but instead, I just stood there, staring.
He moved fluidly, obviously not aware of the effect he was having, as he grabbed a Henley and slipped it over his head.
His muscles rippled with every movement.
The shirt clung to him as he adjusted it, and my eyes lingered far longer than I’d care to admit.
I thought back to everything Gladys had said about him being a math nerd. If this was what math did to a person, maybe I should’ve paid more attention in algebra.