Page 22 of Sunset Catchers

The bone-deep satisfaction.

The 90 seconds it takes me to finish it.

One thing about me is that I can chug an iced coffee like it’s a cocktail and I’m standing at a bar at happy hour, and Junie won’t let me go home until I finish off my mojito.

While I brew more coffee for another round, I listen to the birds chirping from the open window in the kitchen. I can smell the morning dew that clings to the grass outside. With my second coffee in hand, I go to stand under the beam of sunshine filtering inside my cottage from the skylight.

My phone chimes from the bedroom just as I’m finishing up. I walk to it while taking my hair out of the low bun it gets tamed into every night, so it stands a chance of being pretty in the morning. Brown curls flow around my face.

Unknown number: Good morning.

Does 8:30 still work for you?

Winnie: Who is this?

Unknown number: Is this not Winnie?

Winnie: This is she.

Unknown number: It’s Levi. Does 8:30 still work for you?

Winnie: Levi who?

Unknown number: I’ll be there at 8:30.

Thirty minutes later—knocks on my door.

Levi follows my order to come in. Sounds of struggle flit to my ears. Pretty sure the pair of pink and white sneakers I left haphazardly by the door is to blame.

I feel his gaze land on me with acute awareness. I understand now what Spider-Man is referring to with his spidey sense. I swear the fuzzy hair on my nape stands to attention.

I don’t budge from where I’m kneeling in front of the wall of kitchen cabinets, tiles strewn across the floor in front of me. I’ve already gotten started on the project of the day. But I do offer him a look. Which he misses, since he is busy browsing his surroundings.

My attention darts around, afraid I’ve left something embarrassing out in the open. The bathroom counter, littered with an array of bottles and colorful pouches. A striped, pink and purple towel is drying on one of the bars.

The door to the bedroom is closed, but he’d only find the bed made, my pajamas neatly folded at the end of it, and a teddy bear against my pillows. There are a few pink dishes drying on a cherry printed mat on the stone counter in the kitchen. A floral dishcloth hangs on the oven handle.

When he trains his gaze back to me, he startles to find me staring at him. He takes me in as he did with the space I’m occupying. I have minimal makeup on; layers of mascara and pink blush on my cheeks. I’m wearing my pair of white overalls stained with smears of color and a striped t-shirt underneath. Hair now bound into a high pony tail with unruly tendrils curling around my face.

Levi is wearing the same blue coverall jumpsuit as yesterday. He looks alright. Nothing more.

“Hi,” I say first.

“Hi,” he replies. “Guessing we’re doing the backsplash today?”

I bob my head. “If that sounds good to you?”

He nods and makes his way closer to me.

“What are you doing?”

“Just trying to place the tiles exactly the way I want them on the wall.”

I reached over to swap two of the square tiles, then drummed my fingers on my folded thigh while gauging the light-pink squares sporting small hand painted roses in their center. The roses are all different, and I’m trying to decide exactly which will go where.

I swap a couple over the next few minutes while Levi observes. I’m not used to having someone literally stand above my shoulder while I work, and it is spiking up my anxiousness, which, in turn, is making me more indecisive. I need to get used to Levi’s presence, or else this project is going to be a hassle.

“Okay. I think we’re good here.” I blink twice, then ask; “What do you think”?