Pulling her gaze from his, she went into her house, closing and locking the door, half expecting him to come banging on it any moment. Kassie leaned against it and closed her eyes. She couldn’t believe she was feeling this way. All her muddled thoughts could come up with was, “Oh no!”
*****
Chapter 7
Kassie worked all day and most of the night on her illustrations before she realized it was nearly twelve am. She left her desk for food, still feeling in such a haze about her feelings for Tim. Kassie wasn’t sure if she should let them die or pursue what was feeling.
She was pulling cold cuts out of the fridge when her house phone rang. She picked up, tucking it under her ear.
“Hello.”
“Hey!” Rose’s perpetually cheerful voice piped on the other end.
“Hi Rosie.” Kassie smiled
“Hey Kass, I’m sorry to call you so late. Are you busy?”
“Making a midnight snack.” Kassie said distractedly, nearly dropping the turkey on the floor.
“Well, good news.” Rose said
“Okay.”Kassie was instantly on alert. Sometimes Rosie’s good news was a little scary.
“Albert Moseley wants you to do the illustrations for his new story.” She said.
Kassie stopped moving. “The Albert Moseley?”
Albert Moseley was the biggest children’s book writer in the world. He’d been writing for over fifty years so he was the official children’s book authority. He could literally ruin your career with a single word.
“Yes.” Rose said excitedly. “He loved the illustrations you did for ‘Oatmeal and wool socks.”
“I can’t believe it!” Kassie said excitedly. “Um, when do I meet with him?”
“Friday at ten am, he’s inviting you to brunch. Oh and Michelle also wants you to do her ‘Dylan’s Heart’ romance novel cover.” Rosie said referring to their friend Michelle Kelly, a famous romance/sci-fi writer.
“Oooohhhhh!” Kassie said smiling. “I can’t wait!”
“Also Mr. Harper’s Almond Grove was given the green light. I have Jared editing it and you better get started on those illustrations.” Rose said.
Kassie leaned against the counter clutching her chest. Mr. Harper’s Almond Grove was her book and she never thought it would be published, but Rosie told her she would work hard to get it done and she had.
“Wow.” She shook her head. “It’s so much.” Kassie whispered and closed her eyes.
“Well Dylan’s is the first thing you have to do, Mickey needs it stat. I picked five male models with a description of what she wants and they’ll be over on Wednesday for your perusal.” She chuckled and Kassie shook her head.
“I’ll bet you had fun. I’ve never done it like this before. Why is she letting me pick him?” Kassie asked.
Most times she didn’t see the men first hand; she would just receive a photo of the pose or meet whoever Mickey chose and sketched him from there. She was shocked that the ball was in her court. But then again she had been friends with Michelle since college and wasn’t surprised by her flightiness.
“She trusts you for some reason.”
“Bitch.” Kassie laughed, “Whatever, listen I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow after my meeting.”
“Alright, night.”
*****
By three in the morning, she was climbing the stairs to her room. Her mind played over all that she had to do in the coming weeks and months. Kassie was used to having a full plate though. There were times when she would be working on four to five projects at a time. She enjoyed her job too much to stop.
Kassie took a long, hot shower and slipped into a t-shirt and panties. It was unseasonably chilly tonight so she threw a blanket over her bed. She turned on her television, happy to find some old Brit-Com’s playing. She slipped into bed, turned on her side, and watched for about ten minutes before closing her eyes and falling asleep. She dreamed of Tim and a very steamy shower.
*****
Tim stared at the ceiling in the darkness of his room; Griffin was snoring at the foot of the bed. Tim couldn’t stop his mind from thinking of her in that clingy robe yesterday morning. He wanted to see that at his kitchen table, taste a coffee flavored morning kiss that made his damn toes curl. Instead he was relegated to pleasantries over the fence. He turned on his side and punched his pillow, angry with himself for being such a punk. Tim had never been the kind of guy who was nervous around women, but Kassie made him flustered. He wondered if it was the frustration, his growing attraction to her, or the fact that she had rejected him, that made him want her so much.
“Tim.” His name floated through the window in a soft, seductive moan that made him sit up straight in his bed. He looked over, realizing it was coming from Kassie’s house. He got out of bed, creeping to the window and suddenly stopped short. ‘Why the hell am I tip toeing?’
He stood by the window, peering across to her house. She tended to sleep with hers open, even in the winter sometimes, another plus in his opinion. He also slept with his bedroom windows open and a few times he had heard soft mumbling coming from her room but never this loud . . . and never moaning his name! Shamelessly he listened, rubbing his hands together; a smile curling his lips like the Grinch.
“Tim!” She said again, this time louder and longer than before. The grin curled up even more if possible as he realized that whatever she was doing over there was because of him. His chest puffed out like a rooster as he turned and strutted back to bed. He wasn’t the only person having feelings in this whole situation.
*~*~*~*
Chapter 8
Weeks had passed since that night of not-so-great sex with Nick and Kassie found herself over him and it. The break up had disappointed, but not broken her as she had worried. Nick had called a lot the first week, almost as if he realized he screwed up and was trying to plug up the dam. But she stood firm and he soon realized that there would be no round two. He hadn’t really called a lot lately and two days ago his social media pages all went from divorced to married again. Kassie truly hoped that he and his wife could work it out. Not for his daughter’s sake . . . the little brat! But for all of their sakes, as a family.
*****
Tim was fighting over a tennis shoe with Griffin on his front lawn when an expensive looking black car rolled down the street and parked in front of Kassie’s house. Trying to look dignified, pulling the shoe from the dog’s mouth while simultaneously kicking at him and missing, Tim watched as a guy stepped out. He was dressed in jeans and a tight fitting tee shirt and had to be no older than thirty years old. He was tall, muscled and very handsome. The man walked up to Kassie’s door and rang the bell, seconds later the door opened and he strolled inside.
Before she even closed the door, another car pulled up and two buff, gorgeous guys jumped out this time. They jogged up the path to her door and into her house. Tim heard laughter as the door closed behind them.
“What the hell?” Timothy wondered aloud. “Come on Griff.” He went back inside and into his den to spy. Yes to spy, he could admit it to himself.
Ducking behind a curtain, he saw the men all standing around. One was sitting on the edge of her desk flipping through a book. ‘Really . . . as if you read.’ Tim scoffed to himself bitterly. The other two were talking and laughing.
Kassie was just walking into the room when the doorbell rang again and she ran back out. One of the guys took off his shirt and flexed his pecs. He was pretty ripped and Tim wished he had a carton full of rotten eggs to throw at him then thought better of it. He looked down at Griffin who had his paws up on the windowsill looking next door, not even pretending to hide.
Tim stared at his dog, doubting very much if Griff would come to his aid if he went over to see what Kassie was up to and these guys decided to pummel the crap out of him. ‘This crazy mutt would probably pee on me afterwards.’ He shook his head to himself and looked away from Griffin and back o
ut the window.
‘What is she doing with all of those men?’ He thought to himself as he closed his blinds a little so he wouldn’t be visible.
Two more men walked into the room, they shook hands with the other men. Kassie walked into the room and Timothy noticed how pretty she looked today. She wasn’t dressed fancy, simply wore a red tee-shirt that hugged her curves perfectly and tight black pants that she seemed poured into. She wore her hair in a ponytail with soft bangs hanging over her eyes. Kassie had a wide beguiling smile on her face as she walked behind her desk and picked up a piece of paper.
*****
Kassie looked up and down between the paper and the men as she walked around the room, eyeing them.
“Blonde . . . . Check.” All of the men were blondes. “Cowboy-esque, well built with gray eyes, check.”
“Shirts off please.” They all took off their shirts and Kassie fanned herself with the paper making them laugh. They all had beautiful bodies and the one at the end on her left side had a tattoo of a coiled rattlesnake on his right pec.
“Woo-hoo fellas!” She laughed, “I think I’m feeling a little faint!”
They laughed but the one with the rattlesnake tattoo was definitely giving her some steamy looks.
She cleared her throat and continued, trying to be professional but thinking how much she was really loving her job today!
Every where she looked there were six packs and pecs that could bring a woman to her knees. Rattlesnake tattoo had his eye on her breasts. Kassie smiled but gave him a look that clearly said, ‘Forget it kid, I’m no cougar’.
Turning away from him, she addressed the men again;
“Days like this I really love the hell my job.” She said and the guys all chuckled.
She walked to the window and closed the blinds with a snap almost as if she knew Tim was watching. She didn’t even notice Tim’s blinds jolt across the way as he moved out of her eye shot.
Kassie turned on the light in her office making the room very bright, some of the guys squinted.
“Sorry.” She apologized. “Ok let’s see now. I know you guys have other plans, I don’t want to hold you up.” She cleared her throat. “Now, um, six foot two, blonde hair, gray eyes, nice smile.”
The men all gave her pretty spectacular smiles.
“Come on you guys, you’re making it harder to choose.” They laughed at her.
“Ok, well.” She stepped closer to the first guy on the left. She stared into his eyes and tried to feel some sort of sexual attraction to him. Women wanted to look at the cover of a romance and feel like they could get swept away by the hero. Like they could fall in love with the guy. Well at least she felt that way when she saw a really attractive guy on a book cover.
“You stay.” She said to him, she went to the next one who was just as attractive as the first.
“Stay.” He smiled like an obedient little dog.
Rattlesnake tattoo looked exactly his age, college kid cute but not rugged enough.
“You’re very handsome, but too California. Sorry sweetheart but leave your card or number with me and if I get a cover for a young handsome doctor or something I’ll give you a call.”
“Or you can just call me anyway.” He said flirtatiously. He picked up his shirt and slipped past her very close before dropping his card on the desk. Kassie smiled charmingly, ‘Ok, young blood’s got game’, she thought.
“Maybe I will.” She smiled watching him leave.
*****
She whittled it down to two and after a while of going back and forth between the guys, Kassie gave up. They were so cute, she couldn’t decide.
“This is going to be hard so I’m going to take a picture of each of you and send it to the author. She’ll make the final decision and I’ll call the guy who is the face of Dylan to congratulate him and set up an appointment to sketch you.”
Kassie took her camera from her desk. She had them each pose seductively and snapped a shot.
“Lord, have mercy.” She mumbled at the two chuckling men. “Thank heavens for this job.” But she couldn’t help herself; these were some of the hottest men she’d seen in a long time. They rivaled Tim and Monroe and though Nick was very cute, they had him beat to bits.
She then sent the pictures to Mickey for her to make the final decision. Thanking each man, she walked them out and said goodbye to them.
Timothy watched the guys as they sauntered to their cars. She looked over at him, shrugged innocently at his questioning look and waved before going inside.
Her phone rang as she closed the door behind her and Kassie rushed over to pick it up. She grabbed it watching from the front window as Tim tossed a ball to Griffin. He seemed annoyed by something.
“Hello.”
“Hey sweets.” Mickey’s husky voice flowed through the line. It was easy to believe that she was a romance writer just from listening to her voice.
“Did you pick?”
“Yes.” She said. “Definitely number two.”
“Yeah, I was thinking him too.” Kassie said softly.
“Then again, number one was tasty too. Hmmm, decisions, decisions,” Mickey laughed naughtily. “Did you have fun?”
Kassie giggled, almost dropping the phone, “The flirting was shameless and they were pretty bad too.”
The women laughed raucously and continued to chat about the book and the search for Dylan.
*****
It was six before she got back to work on the den. Her mind began drifting to Tim. She had a definite crush on him. As soon as she thought it, Kassie scolded herself; romance should be the last thing on her mind. After the debacle with Nick, ‘You would think I’ve learned my lesson.’
Kassie’s ears caught a whining sound that startled her from her reverie. It sounded again and Kassie jumped up from her desk and went to the window. It sounded like nothing she had ever heard before and she was curious. She opened her window screen and leaned out. The sound came again, deeper and longer this time and she looked across into Tim’s den.
His light was on and he was pacing slowly, tuning a violin. He was wearing eyeglasses and to her, they made him even more handsome and distinguished. She scooted back in, pulling the screen back down. Kassie grabbed her desk chair and pulled it closer to the window. She sat down and propped her feet up on the ledge, waiting for the show.
Kassie wasn’t a classical music fan, but had started listening to it to help her relax and focus. Though she’d lived on the outskirts of the celebrity world being with Monroe, she’d never known anyone personally who played an instrument. It was something foreign, but exciting at the same time.
Kassie watched Tim position his violin between his jaw and shoulder, then slide the bow over the strings; a sweet melodic sound came out of it. He closed his eyes and began to play. She didn’t know what he was playing, but it was beautiful.
Suddenly, she was seeing him through different eyes. He wasn’t just her neighbor who ogled her over the fence and argued with her about everything. At that moment, he was sexier than any man she had ever known. He was seductive and she wanted him.
Timothy slowly paced from one end of the room to the next; swaying gently to the music he was playing. He was in the middle of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor. He would be playing it Saturday night with the Philharmonic and even though he had played it a trillion times, Tim always practiced until it was perfect.
As he passed the window, he saw her across the way. She was listening as he played and Tim suddenly stopped. Kassie looked totally at ease, feet up, eyes closed and completely relaxed.
Realizing that the music had stopped, Kassie’s eyes fluttered open slowly. Her soft, dreamy expression met Tim’s and she sat up, feet dropping to the floorboards with a soft thump.
“Please don’t stop.” She called over.
“I don’t want to disturb you-.” He started, but she cut him off quickly.
“You’re not, I promise.”She smiled at him and Tim’s h
eart flopped in his chest like a fish out of water.
God she is so fucking beautiful!, he thought to himself.
He picked up his violin and began to play again. As he played, he faced her and for the first time in her life, Kassie felt as if she were being serenaded. She closed her eyes, lost in the moment.
*~*~*~*
Chapter 9
It was nearly eight when Tim finished playing for Kassie. When he was done, she stood up and clapped like crazy, making him blush. He took a deep bow and laughed. Kassie praised him and he invited her to come see him play with the orchestra. She promised to think about it and Tim found himself immensely pleased.
Tim’s only regret was that in playing for her, he had to rush so that he wasn’t late getting to Natalie’s school. He was very involved with his daughter’s schooling and there was a parent-teacher meeting tonight. After which, he promised he’d take her out for pizza.
*****
By the end of their pleasantries, Tim had pretty much given up on trying to not think about Kassie. What an enigma she was. She was either hot or cold. The woman had threatened to poison his dog, but then kept Griff with her until Tim got home and had apparently fed the dog as well. She treats neighbors like peasants, but turns around and invites them to parties. Today when she had listened to him play, she had been genuinely appreciative and happy. It was like living next door to Sybil!
*****
At seven, Tim left. There was a PTA meeting at Nat’s school and Tim liked to go. He liked to know what was happening in his daughter’s school and also because he got to see Nat. He loved his daughter and any chance he got to spend time with her he took.
The meeting had just broken up but he, Tim, Nora and Bruce spent a little time talking to other parents they knew. Nat took his hand as he stood waiting for Nora and Bruce to finish chatting with the Allen’s. Tim had finished speaking to some of the single moms as he normally did. He had a date with Autumn Berkshire on Friday night.
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