Page 13 of Dad Bod’s Curvy Neighbor

Chapter 8

Remi

I stepout onto the back deck and breathe in the fresh morning air, the anticipation of moving into Piers’ home bubbling through me. I worked my rear end off finishing those two websites a day early so I could concentrate on packing my belongings. Today is about freedom, about squeezing every drop of good out of life. And the next chapter is about to unfold with Piers.

After a quick shower, I grab my phone, looking for Piers’ daily early morning text. Sure enough, his message flashes across the screen.

Piers

Good morning, beautiful. I can’t wait to wake up with you in my arms.

Me

You don’t have to wait long.

Piers

Good. I miss you.

Me

You saw me about six hours ago.

Piers

Six hours too long.

Me

Love you

Piers

Love you, too. I’ll see you after work.

I send him a thumbs-up emoji followed by a pink heart and toss my phone aside before diving into packing with renewed enthusiasm. The morning light streams through the window, but there’s no sunshine bright enough to overshadow the excitement of finally moving in with Piers. I can’t shake the giddiness from my chest, imagining lazy mornings and shared evenings.

As I heft open another box from the stack, Winston comes barreling in like a tiny tornado. The mischievous ball of energy zips past me and heads straight for the pile of socks I stacked on my bed.

“Winston, no!” I shout through a laugh, diving after him, but he’s already got one of my favorite pairs in his mouth. He dances around the room, tail wagging, clearly loving the chase. He drops the socks and jumps up on the bed, knocking off two piles of t-shirts I just carefully folded.

Winston’s antics are his subtle way of demonstrating his boredom, and I decide to toss the packing aside for a bit to run off some of his boundless energy. “Alright, buddy. You win. Let’s go for a walk.”

I grab his leash from the hall closet, and the moment the little dog sees it, he practically vibrates with excitement. His excited dancing makes it hard to hook the leash on his collar, but I finally manage it.

Uncle Jasper steps out of his bedroom and leans over to give Winston a pat. “Are you taking the little man out for a stroll?”

I smile down at the little dog, shaking my head. “He woke up ready to play. The little stinker already stole my favorite pair of socks and completely unfolded all the t-shirts I folded to pack.”

“Ouch.” Uncle Jasper winces. “At least he didn’t destroy anything.”

“That’s true,” I agree and reach for my light sweater since the weather is a little cool today.

“Enjoy your walk,” Uncle Jasper calls as we bound outside. The cool morning air and bright sun hit us both with an invigorating blast.

I’m in a world of my own, mentally making lists of everything I need to do when a pickup rolls slowly to the side of the road beside us. As it rolls to a stop, I get a little snippet of Déjà vu, remembering the first day I met Piers. The sensation quickly dissipates as a sinking feeling overtakes me.

The new employee who gave me an unsettling look over lunch a few days ago leans out the window wearing a creepily wide grin that causes the hair on the back of my neck to stand up straight.