Small-town Scandal

Chapter 5: Home Sweet Home

The moving trucks rolled up in front of the building, the movers hopping out to unload the truck. Laurel watched all of her belongings begin to fill up her apartment, starting to feel more and more like her home. She couldn't wait to start unpacking and putting everything in it's rightful place. The movers were quickly in and out of her apartment, and before long, it was just her standing in the midst of furniture and boxes. Without wasting any time, she got to work on unpacking, finding the hours drifting away. Before long, most of her things were unpacked and she was just left to arrange the furniture.

Even though she shouldn't have, all she could think about was Brett. Deep down she hoped that he would show up at her apartment to make sure she was settled, but she realized how that was something landlords rarely did, if ever. Trying her best to take her mind off of him, she organized her closet for the last part of the evening. Once everything was where it needed to be, she looked over the work she had done. Her living-room was basically all wicker, with soft cushions placed over top. Her desk was set out by the far wall, angled so she could look out the long line of windows. She laid down the soft area rug between the living-room furniture, making the space seem cosy. Everything looked warm and inviting, especially with the open concept for the main space of the apartment.

Settling into the wicker couch, she sighed as she looked up at the skylights that covered the entirety of her ceiling. The stars twinkled above, a vapour trail left behind from a plane that had flew by previously. The willow tree nearby brushed against some of the far panes, tickling the glass to make a soft scratching noise. As for the rest of the windows on the side of the building, Laurel had opened them to allow the warm summer night breeze in.

She was so relaxed that she managed to fall asleep on her couch, waking up hours later to a sore back. Peeling back the covers of her bed, she slipped underneath and drifted away until the early hours of the dawn. When she woke up, she was motivated to get things done. Now that her office was set up, she felt prepared to write all day. But she still wanted to see Brett, unable to focus whatsoever. Trying to kill two birds with one stone, she decided to pack up her notebooks and laptop to write in the coffee shop. That's where writers liked to go after all, well, mostly the writers who were seeking acknowledgement for the craft. 

The walk to Modern Society had been sunny, with clouds hovering in the distance. Laurel didn't expect rain to start falling as soon as she reached the coffee shop, glad that she had made it in time. Settling into a small table near the window, she got her laptop and notebooks ready while a few locals came up and talked to her. They wanted to know what it was like to be a famous published author, so she obliged them by answering as many of their questions that she could. The entire time she kept looking up to see if Brett was working, but it was just one of the other employees behind the counter. There was only the four of them that rotated shifts, Brett worked as he felt fit because he was a busy man, Devon worked full-time, and there were two part-time summer students who went back and forth on Devon's off days. 

Once Laurel got comfortable, she began working on the first chapter of her second novel. She was able to focus for quite awhile, sipping away at a nice warm dark roast coffee the entire time. The day drifted on, and she felt like she was really getting some work done. It was almost closing time for Modern Society, so she began to pack up her stuff. Unfortunately the ran was pouring which meant she would have to wait it out. Staring out the window, she saw Brett's blue pick-up truck pull into the parking spot in front of the store. He hopped out of his truck and ran into the store, not realizing that Laurel was waiting by the window. Her heart picked up its pace, reminding her of how excited she was whenever Brett was around.

Brett talked to the employee behind the counter, discussing various tasks that were supposed to be handled for the day. Laurel loved the richness of Brett's voice, how deep and commanding it was. It was easy to tell that he was a businessman, able to portray exactly what he wanted done without giving the wrong impression. Devon had mentioned that Brett could be pretty anal about certain things, but that made him even more alluring to Laurel. She wondered if he had the same commanding demeanour in bed, taking charge of the entire situation. Her legs tightened, watching the rain pour outside.