Chapter Two
PENNY
I loved Taylor’s place. I couldn't believe I was getting to house-sit my best friend’s mansion for two months.
Taylor and I had been friends since our college days, and she'd become a huge successful influencer over the past four years.
She'd been smart with her money and bought this absolutely extravagant Colonial-style villa in Beacon Hill.
I'd lived in Boston for ten years, but I'd rarely ventured over to this area.
The first time I came to the neighborhood was for her housewarming party.
Now she was touring hotels in Europe for a few months and needed someone to take care of her beloved dog, Becky, and her three cats, Sage and Sam and Simon.
She asked me to house-sit, insisting that she didn't want this place to stay empty.
I think my friend was just looking out for me. She knew I needed a change of scenery after my divorce. I’d signed the papers two weeks ago, and I was grateful for the opportunity to move out of the condo I’d shared with my ex.
I’d visited Taylor often and knew the mansion by heart, but I was still going to explore every single room later.
Right now, my main task was to spoil Taylor's four babies. I first went to the cat section, which had five climbing trees and an assortment of toys that, according to Taylor, were supposed to help them get rid of pent-up energy. She didn't allow them outside. Taylor was too afraid they might get hit by a car. Sage and Sam were both completely black, except for Sam’s white circle at the base of his tail—that was why I’d nicknamed them the twins.
I had to be careful not to mix them up because they had separate diets.
Taylor had labeled everything accordingly.
All I had to do was pour the precise amount of food into the bowls.
Becky's care was a bit more involved. She was a gorgeous collie. I had to take her out on a walk three times a day and brush her twice, but I didn’t mind. I found the tasks to be soothing.
Most of all, I was grateful to Taylor for helping me get out of my place. I needed to heal, and I couldn't do it in the condo I’d shared with Wally. I heard my phone vibrate. It was in my purse, in the living room. I glanced at the three cats as they smelled their bowls with suspicion.
"I'll be back in an hour.”
I had to take Becky out for her walk.
I sprinted to the living room, almost losing my balance on the hardwood floors.
They were perfectly polished and slippery too.
Taylor had moved here six months ago, but the place was in pristine condition.
She had excellent taste in furniture and had chosen every single piece by herself.
I sat on the comfy couch, shimmying my hips as I groped around in my bag. Ha! There it was.
Taylor: How are the fur babies? How do you like the master bedroom?
Penny: Your fur babies are a bit reticent, but we'll be good friends soon. And I already told you I’m not sleeping in the master bedroom. The guest bedroom is big enough anyway.
Taylor: Your choice, but you’d love it.
Penny: Well, of course I’d love it. It looks like it belongs in Versailles or something. Not that I had ever been.
Taylor: The fridge is full of wine and champagne. Go wild.
I laughed.
Penny: Dangerous words, my friend. I might throw a book club party before you know it.
Taylor: That's my girl. Just spoil yourself a bit. Okay? I've got a lot of bath bombs and salts and everything you need for a lazy bath. If a hot guy joins you, I promise I won't mind.
My stomach lurched. Taylor meant well, but the thought of being with a man was incomprehensible to me right now.
Wally was the only man I'd ever been with.
We'd been together since college. I’d lost my virginity to him.
We got married after graduation, and honestly, I had no idea how things got so bad between us.
We hadn't been intimate for more than a year leading up to the divorce.
At thirty, my body was numb. I wasn't even sure I could get the hots for anyone, no matter how good-looking he was.
Taylor called me as I was about to take Becky for her walk.
"I have an idea," she said by way of greeting.
"Do tell."
"Why don't you join me on the hotel tour?"
"Doing what?"
"You could snap videos of me. You’re good with a camera."
"No, I'm not. Remember the time I took pictures of you, and we needed twenty-five takes? I kept cutting off your feet."
"We have plenty of time. You can do your job from anywhere, and I think the change of scenery will do you good."
"Your mansion is the best change of scenery ever. I've never been in Beacon Hill except when I was visiting you, so this is practically a vacation for me."
"I don't like the thought of you being alone while you're going through this."
"I've been going through it for a year. Now that I'm divorced, well, it feels good.
" I'd stopped mourning my marriage about six months ago when Wally put the final nail in the coffin. I'd been looking forward to the divorce, but now that it was over, I felt empty—not that I’d tell Taylor. It didn’t help that I was working from home all the time.
My employer used to have offices on Boylston Street but closed them six months ago, insisting we do our job remotely.
"Go out with your girlfriends from time to time, okay? Or invite them in."
"Taylor, I won't ask anyone to your house while you're gone, but trust me that I’m going to enjoy every square inch of it.”
I didn’t have any girlfriends left besides Taylor. They all went radio silent after the divorce. I guess they’d been his friends.
"And just so you're not totally blindsided, I spoke to Stefan."
"Oh god." She’d told me about Stefan. He was some big hotshot influencer. I had no clue what he did. "I don't want to go out on a date. I can't."
"You’re young and beautiful and deserve someone to, you know, give you some action."
I laughed nervously. Taylor was aware of my one-year dry spell. "When I'm ready for it, I'll tell you, I promise. Right now, I'm going to get all the love I can from your fur babies."
"If you change your mind about joining me, I'll pay for your ticket."
"No, you won't. I have savings, and if I want to join you, I'll do that.
" I wouldn’t blow my nest egg over a plane ticket, but no way would I let her buy it.
I felt like enough of a charity case that I was staying in this gorgeous place for free.
Taylor had a big heart. I constantly worried that people might take advantage of her.
“Though moving abroad for a while doesn’t sound that bad. I could look for jobs,” I muttered to myself. “Maybe that’s the fresh start I need.”
“That would be cool, although I’d miss you. Okay, I've got to go. I’ll check in with you soon. Have fun."
After hanging up, I dashed back to the Three S’s, as I called them. I took a selfie and sent it first to Taylor and then to Mom. Mom loved cats. She had six, and they were her constant companions. As expected, she replied right away.
Mom: They look adorable. Simon resembles my Jack.
I laughed. They looked nothing alike, but I was going to send her as many pics and videos as possible while I was here. Mom insisted on living in the home where I grew up even though she was all by herself in Arizona.
I checked on the cats again.
"Okay, you guys are set. Now I'm going to go out with Becky, and then I'll come back to spoil you." Sage and Sam both stared at me when they heard Becky's name. Hmm, I sensed some jealousy. That was why Taylor told me not to let them cross paths.
I closed the door and moved to the section of the house that looked out to the backyard. It was big, and it looked directly into the neighboring yards. I moved past the picture wall, as Taylor called it. It compiled an assortment of photos of her favorite hotels.
Many people mocked influencers, but I knew how much work Taylor put into each of her videos.
There was nothing easy about it. She always tried to capture each place in the best light possible.
If she thought a hotel didn't deserve the credit, she politely informed them that she wouldn't review it at all. She never bashed anyone.
I had yet to see a video of hers that didn't immediately make me want to book that hotel.
Maybe that was something I'd just have to do as soon as I wasn't broke anymore. I’d told Taylor I had savings, but they’d dwindled significantly during the divorce proceedings.
I was going to build my nest egg back up.
I could feel it in my bones. I knew that there were great things in store for me. There had to be.
"Let's go out, Becky."
Becky wiggled her tail. She was far less suspicious when it came to me than the three S’s.
I put on her leash, and she immediately started tugging at it.
Damn, Becky was strong. Before when I went on walks with Taylor, I’d only held Becky briefly, and it seemed easy enough. But now I was rethinking that.
"Becky, be gentle with me. It's the first day."
We crossed the living room to get to the front door, and I noticed there was a lot of ruckus outside. Three enormous vans had parked in front of the house next door. It looked like someone was moving in. I was still shocked that the two houses were so different.
Taylor's house was Colonial-style, painted completely white with columns, and the neighboring house was red brick with white windows and a flat roof.
A man stepped out of a BMW. I estimated him to be around six feet tall. He had to spend a lot of time in the gym. Even from here, I could tell he was a wall of muscle. His shirt stretched over his biceps, and his backside belonged on the cover of a swimsuit issue.
He cocked his head to one side, talking to one of the movers. His features were striking. My entire body tensed. No! Wait a second… heat spiraled through me. I swallowed hard. Holy shit.
The man looked like a movie star. I couldn't tell the color of his eyes from here, but his hair was dark, almost black, and his features were chiseled. Not harsh—just the perfect blend of masculinity and beauty.
"Becky. Let's go outside." Hopefully, the fresh air could get rid of these thoughts.
For a split second, I thought about going in his direction with Becky. It was a good excuse to take a closer look, but then I shook myself out of it. I couldn’t believe my body reacted like that to the sight of Taylor’s new neighbor.
Just my luck. At least I knew my lady parts still worked.