Inside wasn’t much better. It was livable, just dated and bare. Dull hardwoods needed to be refinished. I’d taken out the old baseboards and trim and hadn’t replaced them. Someone before me had painted the kitchen cabinets a terrible shade of mauve and covered the original linoleum with cheap peel and stick tiles. A few were coming loose, but fixing them meant replacing the whole floor, which really meant redoing the entire kitchen.
One of these days, I’d get around to it. Probably when I was ready to sell or convert it into a rental.
I pulled off my work boots, leaving them by the door, and tossed my phone, wallet, and keys on a small folding table. My furniture was as shabby and mismatched as the house. Same couch I’d had for years, a recliner my brother Theo had dumped on me last time he’d moved, and a small table that doubled as a footrest.
I dropped my takeout bag on the table and went to the kitchen to grab a beer. After cracking it open, I collapsed onto the couch and kicked my feet up.
Lonely? Aunt Louise didn’t know what she was talking about. Sure, I was alone, but I wasn’t lonely. I liked being able to put my feet on the table right next to my food. Sitting on an old couch in a half-finished house. I worked on my own schedule, did what I wanted the rest of the time. The last thing I wanted was someone else I had to worry about.
Alone, not lonely. Just the way I liked it.
CHAPTER 4
Audrey
My stomach tumbled with nervousness as I walked up the sidewalk to my new job. It felt like the first day of school. The feeling wasn’t entirely unpleasant, although I did wonder if I’d dressed appropriately. Was this a casual office? More formal? I’d interviewed over video chat, so I hadn’t been there in person, and nothing in my correspondence with my new boss had mentioned a dress code.
I’d opted for what I hoped was classic—white blouse with a charcoal gray skirt and black pumps. It made me feel a little bit like Lois Lane, which seemed appropriate, given my new job.
Now if only I could find my own Clark Kent. He didn’t even have to be Superman. Just a nice guy with a good job, who liked dogs and would fall head over heels in love with me. Was that too much to ask?
My life experience said yes, but I was a hopeless optimist.
I’d left Max at Happy Paws, the local pet store that also offered doggie daycare. It had taken him all of ten seconds to bond with the owner, Missy Lovejoy. Of course, she’d given him a treat. Max’s love didn’t come at a high price. But at least it was one less thing I needed to worry about.
The Tilikum Tribune office was a block off Main Street, not far from Lumberjack Park. Tilikum had a much cuter downtown than Pinecrest. It had a quaint, let’s-walk-around-and-shop quality, with interesting stores and quite a few restaurants.
I skidded to a halt as two squirrels ran across the sidewalk in front of me. It looked like one was carrying a set of keys. I glanced around, wondering if I should chase it down and get the keys back. They had to belong to someone. But a second later, they both disappeared around a corner.
Apparently the Tilikum squirrels came by their reputation for thievery honestly.
I smoothed down my skirt and took a deep breath, then opened the door to the Tribune office and went inside.
The office was wide open with several desks placed at haphazard angles. A closed door at the back had a nameplate that said Editor and another in the corner was a restroom. The opposite corner housed a kitchenette, with a mini-fridge and a coffee maker on the counter. Framed copies of the Tribune decorated the walls and most of them were slightly crooked.
A woman with a gray pixie cut looked up from her laptop and smiled. She was the only other person in the office. One desk was completely empty and, although the other one had a desktop computer and a few odds and ends, no one was sitting there.
“Hi.” She stood. “You must be Audrey. I’m Sandra O’Neal.”
“Yes, hi.” I walked in with my hand outstretched. “Audrey Young.”
Sandra took my hand and shook. She was dressed in a black shirt and khakis—more casual than what I was wearing, so I was glad I hadn’t opted for a suit jacket.
“Nice to meet you. Lou’s in his office.” She gestured to one of the desks. “Ledger, the useless intern, sits there. He’s not here yet, obviously.”
“I’m sorry, did you say useless intern?”
“Don’t worry, I call him that to his face.” She pointed to the empty desk. “You can have that one. Unless you like Ledger’s better. We could move his stuff, he probably wouldn’t even notice.”