KISS ME

CHAPTER 6 - NEIGHBOURS

Shawn checked out of the hotel early the next morning and picked up his new hire car from the rental agency, a range rover, his usual choice. He swung back by the hotel and the concierge arranged for his bags to be loaded into the car and then he headed for his new home. On the way, he stopped in at the local Tescos and picked up some groceries. When he got to the cottage, it had started raining again. Inside it was chilly and gloomy, but once he opened the curtains, turned on the heat and set a fire in the living room, it started to feel a little more homely. He set up his speakers and plugged in his phone, then listened to his playlist while he unpacked his things. By the afternoon, it was feeling like home. The piano he had hired had arrived, and the other music equipment he had hired or purchased had been delivered, and he had set up the music room just how he liked it. He had made eggs for dinner, and sat in front of the big TV watching a movie while he ate. It was already dark outside, and when he stood to close the curtains, he realised he was looking straight out at the garden gate. Next door, the lights cast a warm glow through the curtains. Shadowy figures moved behind them. He wondered who was there with her. He suddenly thought that despite their kisses, she may have a love interest he didn't know about. It made him feel a little sick, and a bit disappointed. As he pulled the curtains closed he saw Camila's Mom, Sinu, carrying something out to the trash. So it was her mother. He felt a sense of relief, despite knowing he could do nothing about this attraction between them. He pulled the curtains closed and returned to his movie.

***

Camila awoke and stretched. It was Sunday, and although she would no doubt read through her lines one more time, and work on some music, it was a day of rest. She could hear her mother making breakfast, humming to herself, and she smiled. She crawled out of bed and opened the curtains. Her bedroom was upstairs and overlooked the beautiful garden, including the swimming pool, the ornamental pond and expansive lawn. The rain that had lasted the last couple of days seemed to have dried up and it was a sunny day, which lifted her spirits. Still wearing her Stitch pyjamas, she picked up Eugene from his little bed on the floor and trotted down the stairs and out into the garden. She felt like she was living in the movie here, it was so English and so pretty. She smelled the roses, and checked out the little herb garden. Eugene wriggled to get down and she placed him on the ground, laughing when he started running around her in circles. A few birds swooped at him and he barked ferociously and began chasing them. She followed him, running back and forth, laughing with him. She felt about five years old, young and free as she ran in circles, her arms out, her face to the sun.

She suddenly realised that Eugene had run to the garden gate and was barking furiously at something on the other side. She didn't want to upset the neighbours on her first Sunday morning here! She ran to pick him up and as she did, she saw a long hand poke through the gap beneath the gate to pat Eugene. Eugene, who by all rights should have bitten the hand, lay down, panting, his tongue hanging out, while the hand stroked his little head. A hand with a distinctive swallow tattoo. Shawn. Shawn was the new neighbour who had moved in yesterday. She should have been at least a little suspicious when the piano got delivered. She was too close now to back off without saying anything. The hand disappeared and Shawn's head appeared over the top of the gate. It was as tall as she was but he was at least a foot taller so he could see her easily. He was wearing sweats, his curly hair a mess, straight from bed, a cup of coffee in his hand. She picked up Eugene and stared at him warily.

"Hi neighbour," a flush spread across his cheekbones. So he had known she was his neighbour. She didn't know how she felt about it. He didn't seem the stalker type. Had he chosen this place on purpose? The studio used the houses in this street for a lot of their stars when they were filming, it was only to be expected that Shawn would be in one of them too. The man who played his father lived not too far away so he didn't need a rental, but the woman playing her stepmother was an American actress and she was in the house two doors up. The house between them was a large place, too big for just Shawn. The cottage was the obvious choice for him.