Next-Door Nemesis(80)
“Can’t say I blame you,” Nate says to Ashleigh, but his eyes never leave mine. “She’s pretty hard not to cheer for.”
Warmth swirls through me like hot cocoa on the first day of winter. I lean toward him, hoping for one more kiss before I go.
“No!” Ruby grabs my face in her hands and pulls me nose to nose with her. “Don’t let him make you go all soft, not before you go onstage.”
“There’s no stage,” I correct her. “I think it’s just a long table.”
“Life is a stage, Collins! Come on!” she shouts in my face. “Get your head in the game.”
I wonder if this is how she treats her clients before she gets them on the stand. No wonder she has such a high success rate and has made so many people cry. Intense is an understatement.
But weirdly, her screaming in my face kind of works.
“Sorry, Adams,” I say once Ruby loosens her grip on my cheeks. “But you’re going down.”
And then maybe later, he can go down again . . .
* * *
? ? ?
I knew more people were planning on coming to this meeting than the last one I came to, but I vastly underestimated the community’s interest in me and Nate.
My hands fidget beneath the table as I look out into the crowd of at least a hundred people. There’s nary a cloud in the sky and the sun is shining bright, its brutal rays beating down on me as beads of sweat drip down my back. My palms are wet and even though I made fun of her earlier, I’ve never been so grateful for Ruby and her love of a laminator.
“Welcome to the Reserve at Horizon Creek’s Homeowners’ Association meeting,” Janice greets the crowd from in front of the table. She’s trying her best to sound warm and welcoming, but nothing can mask the disdain always lurking in her voice. “Today is a special meeting. As you all know, our former president, Harvey Bridgewerth, moved to Florida and resigned from his position as president of the HOA. Today we will hear from our two candidates and have a chance to ask them a few questions before we place our votes. First up is Collins Carter, followed by Nathanial Adams, then we will conclude with questions.”
She gestures for me to stand up and I go blank. I hate public speaking. Why did I decide to do this to myself? I’m unable to move. It’s like my butt has been superglued to the seat. I look around, trying to find Ruby and Ashleigh in the crowd. They’ll know how to get me out of this.
Before I can spot them, Nate’s hand latches on to mine.
“Hey.” He leans in close to my ear. “You got this. If you were able to stand up in the middle of that meeting and win the crowd over with no preparation whatsoever, they don’t stand a chance against you now. Plus, Ruby might murder both of us if this meeting gets canceled.”
He’s not wrong.
About any of it.
“Thank you.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath, and when I open them, I remember who the fuck I am.
I stand up on steady legs and round the table, staring back at curious eyes more interested in my relationship status with Nate than my stance on neighborhood policies. But I don’t care what they came for; all I know is what I’m going to give.
Ugh.
Moving home made me so corny.
“Hello, everyone, thank you so much for coming out today.” I finally spot my friends and family in the audience. Ashleigh and my mom both give me a thumbs-up while Dad and Ruby nod in approval. “I’m sure for some of you, this may be your first homeowners’ association meeting and you don’t know what to expect. To that I say, I know how you feel.
“When I went to my first homeowners’ association meeting, I was prepared to take a nap and raise hell.” The crowd, minus a few exceptions like Karen Two in the first row, laugh like I hoped they would. I positioned a small joke early on, hoping their reaction would provide me with a little encouragement, which it does. “Never in a million years did I think I would volunteer to run for president that night. I can’t stand here and lie to you by saying I knew what I was getting myself into. In fact, I had no idea whatsoever. I had just moved back from Los Angeles and I hadn’t been a member of this community for a long time. If I’m honest, half of the reason I went that night was to get under the skin of my opponent.” When I look at Nate over my shoulder, the way he’s watching me gives me butterflies and I can’t help but go off script a bit. “And I guess you could say that was a massive success.”
He winks, and his massive smile, which outshines even the afternoon sun, makes it almost impossible for me to look away. The collective sigh coming from the audience is the only thing that pulls me back. I can hear Ruby in the back of my mind screaming at me to stay on topic, but at least I know I gave a solid fifty percent of the people here exactly what they came for.
“But seriously, when I stood up in the middle of the meeting, I had no idea what this community needed.” I find my way back on track, the nerves slowly drifting away as I find my groove. I don’t even need the note cards I was clinging on to so tightly. “And I’m here today to tell you I still don’t know.”
I can tell this isn’t what they were expecting me to say.
I have them right where I want them.
“No single person can know what our community needs, and as president, I promise not to speak for you. I promise to make room for you to speak and be heard. I promise to care less about the bylaws than I do my neighbors.” My voice is strong and steady. I hope they can all hear the sincerity in my words. “I grew up in this community. I watched as neighbors looked out for one another and lifted each other up when they were in need. That’s what I believe the homeowners’ association should be: a place where we can come together and express ourselves and our needs. It shouldn’t be about riding around on golf carts and issuing fines, but instead about building this community into a place where we all feel safe and welcome. You bought your homes. You pay your dues. The HOA is for you, not the other way around. If that is the vision you see, then I hope I’ll have your vote. If not, I still know that Nate will do an amazing job as a leader. Thank you for listening.”