Page 1 of Pretend to be Mine
Savannah
The alarm clock blares from beside the bed and my eyes flutter open. I groan and stretch, reaching over to silence it. The sun is already streaming through the blinds and I watch as swirls of dust dance in the light like glitter. The birds are already chirping and sound excited for the day. I smile, enjoying a few more moments of being still.
With a sigh, I push myself to sit up and climb out of bed. I step into the bathroom and turn the shower on to warm as I brush my teeth and hair. My big green eyes are still glassy with sleep and my red hair is in knots, but I tear the brush through it. Within the hour, I’m showered and dressed—my hair and makeup done to perfection.
Heading to the kitchen, I start some coffee and search through the fridge for a decent breakfast. I check my watch, knowing I won’t have time to stop and pick something up. I grab a yogurt cup to take with me the office. When my coffee is finished brewing, I add some sugar and a little of my favorite hazelnut creamer. Grabbing all my things, I hit the road.
It’s July and the sun is blazing. Sweat instantly beads up on my skin, but a light breeze cools my overheated face. As I make my way to my car parked in the driveway, a moving truck at the house next door grabs my attention. The back of the truck is open, and men are carrying loads back at forth. Another man, who must be the new owner, comes rushing from the house toward the truck.
“Whoa, be careful with that,” he says, as he helps to lower a trunk to the ground. When the man grabs the trunk, his biceps flex beneath his gray T-shirt and his jeans tighten around his ass as he bends to place the trunk securely on the ground. He stands tall and turns to face me.
My breath halts in my throat as I take him in. His dark hair is short on the sides and back and longer up top, but still sleek and styled nicely. He has dark scruff on his sharp jaw, and I can see the crystal blue of his eyes, even from this distance.
I offer up a smile and wave as I climb behind the wheel of my car. I catch another glimpse of him from the corner of my eye as I pull my seatbelt on; I notice his grin as he turns back to the moving men. Starting to back my way down the drive, I can’t help but to wonder who this new mystery man is—and whether or not he’s married. He’s definitely cute, downright mouthwatering if I’m being completely honest. If his eyes looked that blue with the amount of distance between us, I know they could cut right through me if we were close together.
Being a single woman, I can’t help but dive into fantasies about bumping into him around the yard. I imagine how we’d hit it off right away, how he could be the man I end up with. Then I dismiss the thoughts completely because I live in the real world. There aren’t any good men left out there. All that’s left are the cheaters—and I know that firsthand.
Take my last relationship as example: I thought he was a great guy, my family loved him, and he was good to me. That is, until I came home from work early to find him in our bed with another woman.
Some would say I’m scorned or jaded; I just say that I’m a realist. I know how men are nowadays, and I’m not in any rush to put myself back out there. It’s too risky. It took me months to find a little bit of normalcy. I don’t have any plans of throwing that away any time soon. It doesn’t matter how cute my new neighbor is, how good of a job he has, or how his blue eyes sparkle when he smiles. I will not let myself get involved with him. In fact, I hope he’s gay. That should stop the thoughts of him in their tracks.
I pull into the parking lot at the real estate office where I work and park in my usual spot. Grabbing my purse, briefcase, and coffee, I climb out and head inside. I say, “good morning”or, “hello”to everyone I pass on my way to my office. Once inside, I unload everything, start up the phone and computer, and enjoy my yogurt and coffee as I respond to my morning emails.
My workday is busy and passes by quickly. I have two meetings with new clients and show three different houses. My feet hurt from the constant walking, and my lower back hurts from the ridiculous heels I picked out this morning, but all in all, it’s a good day. It’s going on six by the time I gather my things to leave, but again, I’m one of the last few in the building. As I’m climbing into my car, my phone rings. I drop my things into the passenger seat before pulling the phone from my purse to find my mother’s name on the screen.
“Hey, Mom. What’s up?”
“Hi, sweetie. How was your day?”
“Good. Busy, but good. I’m just now leaving the office.”
“Another late night?”
I laugh. “Always.”
“Well, I won’t keep you long, dear. I just wanted to let you know that your invitation is in the mail for your father’s birthday party. I hope you and James can make it.”
I still haven’t told my parents about my break-up. I just don’t have the heart. I know that when I do tell them, it will be a big thing. They absolutely love James. Even though I hate him, I don’t want to take that from them. Not to mention how embarrassing is it that the man I dated and lived with for two years cheated on me in my own house! In our bed!
“I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out, Mom.”
“Oh, good,” she says in her overly cheery tone.
“Mom, can I call you later? I’m just getting in the car to drive home.”
“Okay, honey. Drive safe and love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.” I hang up the phone and drop it back into my purse before starting up the car and heading toward Jim’s Bar and Grill, where I’m meeting a few friends for dinner and drinks.
Living in a small town, there isn’t much to do. We don’t have an unlimited number of restaurants to go to, so Jim’s is booming with business. I find a parking spot and head inside. I have to squeeze through a large group of people waiting for a table before I can see the open layout of the restaurant. I find my table of friends and head over.
“There she is!” my friend Lauren says, holding out her arm for a hug as I approach.
I bend down and give her a one-armed hug before sliding in across from her.
Jami, Casey, and Lynn all offer up smiles and quick hellos before jumping right back into their conversation.
“How was work?” Lauren asks, picking up her glass of wine and taking a sip.
