to take a quick shower while Evan was still in the shop. His bathroom was small and plain, but clean. I set my phone on the counter and turned on some music so I could sing along while I showered.
Singing in the shower, or while driving, was truly one of life’s greatest joys.
When I finished, I dried off, then peeked out the door. It was so cramped in here, it was kind of a pain to get dressed. It looked like Evan was still in the shop, and his bedroom door was wide open. I figured he wouldn’t mind if I ducked in there for a minute to put my clothes on.
Pausing just outside his room, I glanced at a closed door on the other side of the hall. I was pretty sure it was a second bedroom, but clearly he didn’t use it as a guest room. Probably not an office, either, since he had one out in the shop. I was mildly curious as to what was inside, mostly because Evan himself was so intriguing. What did a guy like him keep in his second bedroom?
It was probably empty. His house and everything in it—from the steep bumpy road to get here, to the minimal furniture and kitchen supplies—seemed to be designed to discourage visitors.
I went into his room and set my clothes on the edge of his bed, still singing—which was to say, murmuring the lines I didn’t know, then coming in strong for the chorus. I gathered my hair over one shoulder, pulled off the towel, and squeezed it along my still-wet hair.
A whisper of air brushed my skin, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I froze in place, still gripping my hair with the towel, and slowly glanced over my shoulder.
Evan stood in the doorway, his eyes wide.
“I thought you were working,” I said, fumbling with the towel.
“Why are you in my room?”
“Where else am I supposed to change?”
“The fucking bathroom.”
I rolled my eyes and managed to wrap the towel around myself. Of course he’d walked in on me while I was naked. He’d already seen at least one of my boobs, probably both. Might as well add my ass to the list.
With the towel secure, I turned to face him. “Your bathroom is tiny and also, have you heard of knocking?”
“I didn’t know you were in here. And it’s my room.”
He had a dark smudge on one cheek and I had the craziest urge to reach out and rub it away. See what would happen if I got close to him like this, wrapped in nothing but a towel. He was dirty from working, and I’d just showered, but really that seemed like a win-win.
His eyes smoldered, flicking up and down, like he was taking me in. A flush crept across my cheeks and the tension in the room skyrocketed. It was like a sauna in here, heat and pheromones permeating the air.
“I’m going to take a shower,” he said, shattering the silence. He whipped around.
“I’ll be out of your way before you get out,” I said to his back.
He grunted something. It might have been a word, or maybe just an acknowledgment that he’d heard me. It was hard to tell.
I smacked my palm against my forehead. How many awkward encounters was I going to have with this guy?
But then, we were living and working in close quarters. Maybe it was inevitable.
I quickly got dressed and vacated his room.
Note to self, change in the bathroom even though it’s a pain.
My cheeks were still warm, either from the shower or that tense moment with Evan, so I went outside for some fresh air.
The weather was pleasant, the spring air fresh. A light breeze blew through the pines surrounding Evan’s house and shop, and I caught a hint of honeysuckle in the air. Sasquatch came out through the open door and sat down beside me.
“Hey, buddy. Why is your daddy so grumpy all the time?”
His fluffy tail beat against the ground.
“I bet he’s told you all about it. You’re a good boy for listening and making him feel better.”
Sasquatch bolted to his feet and barked once.
“What’s out there?” I didn’t see anything. He barked again and I saw movement near the trees. “I think it’s just a squirrel.”
Sure enough, a little gray squirrel skittered out from behind a tree. It paused, sitting on its hind legs, its bushy tail swishing.