do you get home?”
“Six,” she answered, her mind occupied with noticing him more than she wanted to. “Why?”
“Lasagna. I’m great with lasagna.”
He wanted to cook for her? “I might be running late. Work is backed up.”
“No problem. Lasagna will wait.”
“Oh, well…” What did she say to that?
“Hey, Nic,” a male voice called. “Are you going to move this couch or romance the neighbor?”
Great. Everyone in the apartment complex probably heard that remark.
“Bye, Nic.” Cassidy reached for the door handle. Her elbow bumped his side.
He stepped back and shot her a jaunty salute. Right before he shut the door, he said, “It’s going to be great being neighbors.”
Great was not the word Cassidy had in mind.
Chapter Seven
“C ome on, Nic. A trip to the lake won’t be any fun without you.”
Rachel drew her long brunette hair over one shoulder and looked at him with big, sad eyes. She and Mandy had dropped by with a pan of fresh chocolate brownies and a housewarming gift—a color-changing mood bowl.
“For chips and dip and conversation,” the girls had said.
Whatever. He’d probably eat Cheerios out of it in the morning to find out what kind of mood he was in. Or maybe run the bowl upstairs and have Cassidy eat from it and check out her mood, which changed with the wind. She had been none too excited this morning to discover he was moving in below. What was with her anyway? One day she was begging him to come over and the next she wanted him out of her sight.
Challenging woman. No wonder he liked her.
“Nic, are you listening to me?” Mandy cocked her head, pouting a little. Her pout usually got to him. Not today.
“Sure I am.” He grinned and reached for one of the brownies. “What did you say?”
She bopped him on the arm. Chocolate crumbs scattered on the floor. “You were a million miles away. What’s going on with you?”
“Moving, I guess. Pretty busy around here.” He stuffed the brownie into his mouth all at once and wiped his fingers down the legs of his jeans. Had he remembered to eat lunch?
“We came to help.” Rachel motioned toward a stack of cardboard cartons lining the wall in the living room. “Show us where you want the things in these boxes and we’ll put them up.”
He waved them away. “Nah. I’m good. Thanks anyway.” And when are you leaving? The last thought came out of nowhere. Normally, he liked having his friends hang out.
“If we put things up,” Mandy said, poking through a box of linens his mother had donated. “He’ll never find them.”
“True.” Rachel twisted the ends of her hair. “Guys have their own system.”
“Yeah,” Nic said, fingering the mood bowl. “Toss it in a drawer or under the bed.”
“Nic!” Both girls laughed.
“Come on, Mandy.” Rachel hiked a tiny silver purse over one shoulder. “Nic doesn’t have time to play today. Let’s go.”
Nic was relieved. As much as he liked his friends, today he wanted some downtime. He had a million things on his mind and none of them was a trip to the lake or a party. Man, he must be having some kind of crisis.
He checked the mood bowl. It was still white, whatever that meant.
Setting the dish aside, he edged the girls toward the door as subtly as possible.
“Are you sure you won’t go with us tomorrow?” Mandy asked when they were out on the sidewalk.
He didn’t like to disappoint anyone, but he had things to do. Lately, he wasn’t in the mood for their constant fun andgames. He needed to study if he was going to pass his med school entrance exam next go-round, one of the main reasons for renting this apartment. Not that he would share that information with Rachel and Mandy. He had a reputation to uphold.
Most people, including his family, doubted he had what it took to get into medical school in the first place. If he failed again, they’d never know. If he passed, they’d finally see him as something besides a goof-off.
Maybe he
“Six,” she answered, her mind occupied with noticing him more than she wanted to. “Why?”
“Lasagna. I’m great with lasagna.”
He wanted to cook for her? “I might be running late. Work is backed up.”
“No problem. Lasagna will wait.”
“Oh, well…” What did she say to that?
“Hey, Nic,” a male voice called. “Are you going to move this couch or romance the neighbor?”
Great. Everyone in the apartment complex probably heard that remark.
“Bye, Nic.” Cassidy reached for the door handle. Her elbow bumped his side.
He stepped back and shot her a jaunty salute. Right before he shut the door, he said, “It’s going to be great being neighbors.”
Great was not the word Cassidy had in mind.
Chapter Seven
“C ome on, Nic. A trip to the lake won’t be any fun without you.”
Rachel drew her long brunette hair over one shoulder and looked at him with big, sad eyes. She and Mandy had dropped by with a pan of fresh chocolate brownies and a housewarming gift—a color-changing mood bowl.
“For chips and dip and conversation,” the girls had said.
Whatever. He’d probably eat Cheerios out of it in the morning to find out what kind of mood he was in. Or maybe run the bowl upstairs and have Cassidy eat from it and check out her mood, which changed with the wind. She had been none too excited this morning to discover he was moving in below. What was with her anyway? One day she was begging him to come over and the next she wanted him out of her sight.
Challenging woman. No wonder he liked her.
“Nic, are you listening to me?” Mandy cocked her head, pouting a little. Her pout usually got to him. Not today.
“Sure I am.” He grinned and reached for one of the brownies. “What did you say?”
She bopped him on the arm. Chocolate crumbs scattered on the floor. “You were a million miles away. What’s going on with you?”
“Moving, I guess. Pretty busy around here.” He stuffed the brownie into his mouth all at once and wiped his fingers down the legs of his jeans. Had he remembered to eat lunch?
“We came to help.” Rachel motioned toward a stack of cardboard cartons lining the wall in the living room. “Show us where you want the things in these boxes and we’ll put them up.”
He waved them away. “Nah. I’m good. Thanks anyway.” And when are you leaving? The last thought came out of nowhere. Normally, he liked having his friends hang out.
“If we put things up,” Mandy said, poking through a box of linens his mother had donated. “He’ll never find them.”
“True.” Rachel twisted the ends of her hair. “Guys have their own system.”
“Yeah,” Nic said, fingering the mood bowl. “Toss it in a drawer or under the bed.”
“Nic!” Both girls laughed.
“Come on, Mandy.” Rachel hiked a tiny silver purse over one shoulder. “Nic doesn’t have time to play today. Let’s go.”
Nic was relieved. As much as he liked his friends, today he wanted some downtime. He had a million things on his mind and none of them was a trip to the lake or a party. Man, he must be having some kind of crisis.
He checked the mood bowl. It was still white, whatever that meant.
Setting the dish aside, he edged the girls toward the door as subtly as possible.
“Are you sure you won’t go with us tomorrow?” Mandy asked when they were out on the sidewalk.
He didn’t like to disappoint anyone, but he had things to do. Lately, he wasn’t in the mood for their constant fun andgames. He needed to study if he was going to pass his med school entrance exam next go-round, one of the main reasons for renting this apartment. Not that he would share that information with Rachel and Mandy. He had a reputation to uphold.
Most people, including his family, doubted he had what it took to get into medical school in the first place. If he failed again, they’d never know. If he passed, they’d finally see him as something besides a goof-off.
Maybe he
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