Chapter Fifteen
“So, who is this woman?” asked Haley over FaceTime. Reese’s phone was propped up on the vanity in the bathroom.
“She’s from the rehab. She works in maintenance.”
“Huh. And by the way, you’ve changed clothes three times, asked if you looked too dressy, and have on eyeliner and mascara to clean, which tells me this isn’t just a normal friend. Also, is that lipstick in your hand?”
Reese paused mid-swipe of her lips, narrowing her eyes. “It’s not lipstick. It’s lip gloss.”
“Semantics. Who is she?”
Reese let out a sigh. Haley knew her well. “Her name is Matty. She lives in a basement apartment that my coworker Kerrie rents to her. I think she’s about the same age as me.”
“Is she also a lesbian like you?” The smirk on her face was almost obnoxious.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
Huffing, she avoided looking at the screen. Instead, she gave herself another once-over. Maybe the gloss was overkill. “I mean, we haven’t exclusively told each other our labels, but yeah, everything points to it.”
Haley leaned in closer to the screen, wiggling her eyebrows. “So what does she look like? Is she hot?”
“Yes, totally hot. I can’t even lie. She’s got these brown, droopy puppy-dog eyes, and her hair is just begging to be touched. It’s like in that ’90s boy-band style. Long on top that frames her face but short on the bottom.”
“Like Nick Carter?”
“Yeah, but brown. And she wears a tool belt at work. A tool belt, Haley. I have to make sure my mouth isn’t open; otherwise, she’d see me drooling like a basset hound.”
“Tool belt, huh? I bet she’d be good in a harness,” smirked Haley.
Reese gasped as she flushed. “Haley!”
“What? I might be straight, but I know about straps. And it sounds like she could possibly be proficient in one. Lord knows you need it. You’ve probably got cobwebs down there.”
“You know what, I can’t with you. I’ve got to go anyway. She’s supposed to be here any minute, and I still have to make coffee.”
“Whatever. Call me later and tell me how it goes.”
They ended the call with just a few minutes to spare before Matty was set to arrive.
She scrambled around to make the coffee.
Her little kitchen setup in her room was a lifesaver and she had become a pro at making her meals in the microwave and air fryer.
She hoped that soon she would have access to the kitchen.
Having a fully functioning kitchen was high on her priority list.
The aroma of coffee filled the bedroom, instantly energizing her already nervous energy.
This time, Matty coming over wasn’t like last time.
She had already seen the inside of the house.
She knew what to expect, so Reese wasn’t as concerned about her turning around and running out.
This time, she was more nervous about being alone with Matty for a few hours.
They had texted a little the night before.
Matty had started it out as just wanting to confirm their plans, but then it evolved to what they had for dinner and the weather expected that weekend.
Nothing deep. Nothing serious or flirty, but they definitely were in the realm of getting to know each other.
Her phone buzzed against the tabletop where she had laid it.
Matty: Either you’re really busy, or the doorbell doesn’t work anymore…
“Shit,” cursed Reese. She quickly responded.
Reese: I guess the doorbell is another thing to add to the list. Be right there.
She dropped her phone to run down the stairs, but not before ducking into the bathroom one last time to make sure she still looked good.
Casually good. Nothing too fussy. Her hair was in a high ponytail with a few pieces framing her face.
The T-shirt was one of her favorites. In a cute font, it said, "That sounds like a coping mechanism," across the chest. The leggings she wore hugged her curves well.
Reese was not a small woman. Well, her height was average.
But she was a thick woman. Her belly and thighs were all well filled out.
She loved her shape. Sort of like a pear.
The image looking back at her was feminine and soft but about to get down to business.
Racing to the door, she paused long enough to take a deep breath and then plastered a smile on her face, hoping that it didn’t show her nervousness.
“Sorry about that. I was upstairs,” she apologized when she opened the door.
“Not a problem. I haven’t been here long.”
“Come on in,” Reese instructed as she stood to the side to allow the woman in. She was holding a pink bakery box.
“I wasn’t sure what type of doughnut woman you were, so I got a mix.”
“I’m sure whatever it is, I’ll like it. I’ve got the coffee in my room.”
She let Matty go first up the stairs, trying her best not to stare too long at the nice curve of her ass in the jeans she was wearing. She had her black backpack with her once more.
“I love the smell of coffee,” moaned Matty as she took a deep breath when she entered the bedroom.
“Right? It’s like an instant jolt of energy without even drinking it. I’ve heard coffee shops in malls will purposely dispense the smell into the mall area to entice people to come in. I’m not sure how true it is, though.”
“I could see that.”
She set the pink box on the table next to the coffee maker. It was from a local bakery in town.
“Did you have someone drop you off?”
“No, I walked.”
“To the bakery and here? I could have picked you up.” Guilt nudged at Reese’s heart. She had forgotten Matty didn’t have a vehicle.
Matty shrugged as she grabbed two mugs from the tub Reese used to keep the dishes in. “It’s not a big deal. It only added about ten or fifteen minutes.”
“Well, at least let me drive you home when we’re done here.”
Matty picked up the coffee pot and then poured it into the mugs. “We’ll see how tired I am after this. Do you need room for milk or creamer?”
“No, I drink it black.”
“Me too,” smirked Matty.
The smirk sent a shiver down Reese’s spine. How was she going to get through this morning without making a fool of herself?
Reese lifted the lid of the box. There were a dozen assorted doughnuts, a couple plain, some chocolate-covered, and some filled. “Do you have one you want for sure?”
“Nope, I’ll eat any of them. Ladies first.”
Reese smiled. She looked over them before selecting a lemon-filled one.
“Oh, lemon. Good choice.”
“What about you?” She bit into the doughnut, the soft dough melting almost as much as the creamy lemon jelly inside. She washed it down with a sip of coffee, the bitterness mingling with the sweetness perfectly.
Matty reached into the box and pulled out a cinnamon twist. “I’m a sucker for cinnamon sugar.”
Reese laughed as Matty took a big bite. She grinned while chewing, and her eyes almost disappeared behind the swell of her cheeks.
They tucked into their little meal, chewing and drinking down the warm coffee.
A mild awkwardness fell over them, but it wasn’t so uncomfortable that it dampened the excitement within her.
Between having help with cleaning and getting to spend time with Matty, she wasn’t even embarrassed by the house. Not yet, anyway.
She was still hungry after finishing the one doughnut but hesitated when she started for a second. Would Matty think she was overdoing it?
She must have noticed because she nodded her head. “Get another. No one can stop at just one.”
She grabbed a chocolate-covered one this time. “So I was thinking, I’m not sure if we focus on what we encounter first or if we pick a section or room.”
“The living room is looking much clearer even since I was last here.”
“Yeah, I try to spend an hour or two each night working on it if I can. Sometimes I’m too tired to do it. It takes a lot mentally, not just physically.”
Matty’s eyes softened. “If we need to take breaks or if there’s something that you’re not ready to deal with, we can avoid it. Nothing says we have to make huge progress today. Progress is progress. Also, I really like your shirt.”
She looked down at herself even though she knew what she was wearing. She laughed. “Thanks. A little counselor humor.”
“Is there anything in particular you want to accomplish today?”
"Honestly, I know we should probably finish the living room, but I’d love to get to the kitchen and laundry room. I’m not sure if any of it works still.”
“Well, let’s start there then.”
The amount of time Reese had spent looking for the best prices on bulk garbage bags had been appalling to her.
She was pretty sure it was some sort of mental stalling before attacking the hoard.
At this point, she had already gone through around fifty bags.
She had tossed out anything she could lift.
Hardly anything was going to be kept. Between the years of neglect and memories attached to the items, they were no use to her.
The lightness from their doughnut and coffee moment had been replaced with burden and dread as they stood in front of the kitchen threshold. It was the dirtiest part of the house. And she was pretty sure there would be more vodka bottles.
She turned to Matty. “I’m almost positive we’ll run into more alcohol bottles. I can go ahead and try to fish out as many as possible.”
“How about you get the bottles, and I’ll do the rest of the trash? Is there anything we’re not throwing away or are keeping a lookout for?”
“I honestly don’t know. I assume most of this will be garbage and kitchen stuff.
I guess just use your best judgment or ask me.
There’s honestly not much I want to keep.
I plan to transform this place into something completely different.
I don’t want to remember it the way it was.
I don’t want to remember—” she sighed. “I don’t want to remember her. ”
“Well, then let’s get this thing started so you can start actually living in this house.”