Page 91 of Undone

“Oh shit,” I mutter under my breath.

The corners of her mouth lift, “Let’s just say…it gets very cold and lonely around these parts this time of year—thank God for the Internet.”

My cheeks turn red and it’s not from the biting cold.

“Nothing happened. I read all the salacious articles on the plane. He was just my date—we’re not lovers.”

“Well that’s a damn shame. I haven’t gotten laid in thirty years.”

“TMI,” I mutter under my breath as she putters up the shoveled walk and into a side door.

“Did you at least kiss him?” She asks, as she shuffles across the wide plank floors and pours two steaming cups of tea.

“Oh yeah.”

She fans her face and points her finger at the large farm table in the kitchen. “Sit.” She opens the oven taking out a freshly baked pie.

“I might stay the weekend.” I warn, eyeing the steam wafting from the center of it.

“There’s worse places to lay low. But only if you let me take a selfie.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m hardly famous.”

“You kissed Roque Salvatore. That qualifies in my book.”

“It was good….,” I tease, taking off my coat.

“So why did you let him get away?”

“Because I’m taking a break from men right now.”

This time her eyebrow’s rise.

“What’s your name anyway?”

“Sally. Sally McBride. I’m the owner’s aunt. She and her husband went to Napa for a few weeks, leaving me in charge.”

“What’s your story? I need a break from mine.”

She sets the pie on the counter and gathers two plates. “It’ll need to cool first anyway.”

I eye it longingly, “I always preferred it hot, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.”

“That works, too.”

I stand to help, but she shoo’s me away. “I don’t like help in my kitchen.”

“You sound like Rog.”

“Who’s that?”

“My best friends hot as heck, silver-fox-boyfriend.”

She fans herself with the kitchen towel. “I need to get out more.”

I grin. “That’s what I used to say. But this place…” My eyes roam over the refurbished farmhouse with its walls still smelling new, while being old enough to tell a million stories. “This place seems like paradise. The natural light in here is amazing.”

Sally sits and lifts her tea to her lips, pausing to blow. “Ah, so you’re an artist?”

---