again.”
She leaves before I even have time to piece together a response.
Chapter 2
The rest of my shift is pretty uneventful, and the Drakes don’t surface from their room again whilst I am on the desk. I spend a large part of my shift torturing myself by imagining all of the things they could be getting up to, and frequently fantasising about what Vance looks like under his expensive clothes. The warm glow he’d stirred in me doesn’t fade away, though I am mad with myself that I can’t get him out of my head. I’d vowed I would never let another guy touch my emotions so powerfully, and it is so frustrating that a playboy with a pretty face can so easily undermine my resolve.
So, by the time my shift ends, I am actually almost looking forward to going out with Jules. A change of scenery might get my mind off Vance and put me back on an even keel.
Because I can’t afford to run a car, and the Cherry Tree is only a half an hour walk to where I live, I usually head back through town on foot. Pikeshaw, the town I’d been born and raised in, is a pretty ordinary, out-of-the-way place. Nestled amongst the mountainous grandeur of West Virginia, it is a sprawl of office buildings, industrial units and sleepy suburbs. It had once been a thriving community but now most people my age see it as a dead end town. They want to get away as soon as they can and make it big in the cities.
Not me though. I prefer the general quietness, and on my days off I normally go hiking in the forests or sketch the landscapes. I have always been into art and nature, and I find it very relaxing. I know to others I come across as more of a retiree rather than a woman in my twenties, but I can’t help the way I am. To me, spending my life jumping in and out of disastrous relationships and sharing all my dramas on social media isn’t the way to go.
As I think about the Drakes with their expensive clothes and fancy car, I begin to wonder if I am missing out on something. I clamp down on my longings angrily. I’d had enough excitement with Dominic to last me a lifetime.
Painful memories began to surface, and I manage to make myself utterly miserable by the time I arrive at the olive green craftsman bungalow I share with my Aunt Shelley. Captain Razzamataz scampers into the hallway as I open the front door. I bend down and pat his orange-furred head and he purrs with pleasure.
“Hey, baby,” I croon to him, closing the door and following the cat as he bounds off toward the kitchen. “You want something to eat?”
Captain Razzamataz meows, ignores the plate of food already set out for him and waits by the treat draw instead. He isn’t supposed to have too many, but I just can’t resist those big green eyes of his.
“Aunt Shelley,” I call out, after I’ve given Razzamataz his treats. “You there?”
I head into the living room to find her playing Wii tennis,with a look of fierce concentration on her face. “Shush!” she says. “I’m concentrating.”
Though Aunt Shelley is nearly ninety, she can still move with all the agility of Captain Razzamataz. She’d come to live with me after Mom died, and thought ostensibly I am supposed to be looking after her, she is more than capable of looking after herself, and me for that matter.
“Sorry,” I say. “I just wanted to let you know I’m going out later with Jules.”
“Good,” Aunt Shelley grunts, mid swing. “I can invite Frank over.”
I frown. “Who’s Frank? I thought you were dating Jim this week.”
“Dumped him,” Aunt Shelley replies, executing a killer serve, “got no stamina. Frank can go for hours on the Wii.”
“That sounds . . . great,” I say, making a face. “I’m going to have a bath.”
“I’ll fix you some spaghetti and meat balls,” Aunt Shelley replies. “Don’t come home until you’ve found a boyfriend.”
“I’ll try real hard,” I drawl. “Just for you.”
I leave Aunt Shelley to her exertions and
She leaves before I even have time to piece together a response.
Chapter 2
The rest of my shift is pretty uneventful, and the Drakes don’t surface from their room again whilst I am on the desk. I spend a large part of my shift torturing myself by imagining all of the things they could be getting up to, and frequently fantasising about what Vance looks like under his expensive clothes. The warm glow he’d stirred in me doesn’t fade away, though I am mad with myself that I can’t get him out of my head. I’d vowed I would never let another guy touch my emotions so powerfully, and it is so frustrating that a playboy with a pretty face can so easily undermine my resolve.
So, by the time my shift ends, I am actually almost looking forward to going out with Jules. A change of scenery might get my mind off Vance and put me back on an even keel.
Because I can’t afford to run a car, and the Cherry Tree is only a half an hour walk to where I live, I usually head back through town on foot. Pikeshaw, the town I’d been born and raised in, is a pretty ordinary, out-of-the-way place. Nestled amongst the mountainous grandeur of West Virginia, it is a sprawl of office buildings, industrial units and sleepy suburbs. It had once been a thriving community but now most people my age see it as a dead end town. They want to get away as soon as they can and make it big in the cities.
Not me though. I prefer the general quietness, and on my days off I normally go hiking in the forests or sketch the landscapes. I have always been into art and nature, and I find it very relaxing. I know to others I come across as more of a retiree rather than a woman in my twenties, but I can’t help the way I am. To me, spending my life jumping in and out of disastrous relationships and sharing all my dramas on social media isn’t the way to go.
As I think about the Drakes with their expensive clothes and fancy car, I begin to wonder if I am missing out on something. I clamp down on my longings angrily. I’d had enough excitement with Dominic to last me a lifetime.
Painful memories began to surface, and I manage to make myself utterly miserable by the time I arrive at the olive green craftsman bungalow I share with my Aunt Shelley. Captain Razzamataz scampers into the hallway as I open the front door. I bend down and pat his orange-furred head and he purrs with pleasure.
“Hey, baby,” I croon to him, closing the door and following the cat as he bounds off toward the kitchen. “You want something to eat?”
Captain Razzamataz meows, ignores the plate of food already set out for him and waits by the treat draw instead. He isn’t supposed to have too many, but I just can’t resist those big green eyes of his.
“Aunt Shelley,” I call out, after I’ve given Razzamataz his treats. “You there?”
I head into the living room to find her playing Wii tennis,with a look of fierce concentration on her face. “Shush!” she says. “I’m concentrating.”
Though Aunt Shelley is nearly ninety, she can still move with all the agility of Captain Razzamataz. She’d come to live with me after Mom died, and thought ostensibly I am supposed to be looking after her, she is more than capable of looking after herself, and me for that matter.
“Sorry,” I say. “I just wanted to let you know I’m going out later with Jules.”
“Good,” Aunt Shelley grunts, mid swing. “I can invite Frank over.”
I frown. “Who’s Frank? I thought you were dating Jim this week.”
“Dumped him,” Aunt Shelley replies, executing a killer serve, “got no stamina. Frank can go for hours on the Wii.”
“That sounds . . . great,” I say, making a face. “I’m going to have a bath.”
“I’ll fix you some spaghetti and meat balls,” Aunt Shelley replies. “Don’t come home until you’ve found a boyfriend.”
“I’ll try real hard,” I drawl. “Just for you.”
I leave Aunt Shelley to her exertions and
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