Chapter Nine

”Here you go!” the car salesman said happily, passing Lori a set of keys.

“Thank you so much.”

“Have fun with it, miss.”

“Oh, I will.”

She opened the door to her brand new jeep and tossed her purse onto the passenger seat. With a giggle, she jumped in and started it up.

“Purrs like a kitten,” she murmured, running her hands over the steering wheel.

The day before, she’d gotten a new driver’s license, and today, she paid cash for a new vehicle. She’d thought about renting a car, but the price for just one day was so high, it seemed easier to buy one.

Okay, so having money was nice, she admitted to herself. But it can only get you so much happiness.

Waving at the salesman, she backed out of the parking lot and hit the street, heading for the real estate office. Today was the day she got her own place, thank goodness. She really wanted to get out of the hotel. Even though she’d only been there a couple of days, it was too confining. She needed space.

She parked in front of the building and went inside.

John saw her from his office and quickly hung up the phone to greet her.

“Lori!” he said, giving her a hug.

“Hello. I hope I’m not interrupting you.”

“Actually I was just about to call you.”

“Really?”

“Yup.” He motioned for her to follow.

He picked up an envelope from his desk and passed it to her.

“The keys to your new place. Here you are.”

“Goody!” she said happily, hugging the envelope.

“The phone has been connected, electricity is going, the pool has been filled . . . I think you’re all set. Do you need help finding it?”

“I think I’ll be okay. I used to live in this part, a long time ago.”

John nodded and watched her fiddle with her watch.

“Uh, did you find Tony?” she finally asked softly.

“Er, um,” John stuttered. He coughed. “He’s a little hard to get in touch with, a very busy guy. I’m working on it.”

She nodded. “Thanks for trying. Guess I better go check out my place, huh?”

“I could go with you, if you want,” he offered. “I don’t want our latest customer to get lost.”

She smiled. “Nah, I’ll be fine. But thanks anyway. Maybe I’ll invite you over for dinner sometime.”

He smiled at her. “All righty. Good luck.”

She waved good-bye and left the building. Her stomach rumbled as she drove towards her new neighborhood so she stopped at a McDonald’s to get a McMuffin and an orange juice. With her food in hand and a newly purchased pair of sunglasses resting on her nose, she continued on her way.

She was able to find the address with no trouble. She parked in the driveway and stared in awe at her new home, for the time being. Still carrying her breakfast, Lori unlocked the door and stepped inside. The furnishings were new, the floors were freshly waxed, and a vase of roses sat in the center of the dining room table. She walked through the condo to the pool out back and decided to eat there.

When she finished, she explored the rest of the house, taking in the huge bathroom and the gorgeous bedrooms. She could definitely see herself living there for a long time. But she was missing something, something that could make this place feel like a home..

She was missing Tony. She’d been disappointed that John hadn’t got ahold of him, but things were bound to change. She would be in town for a couple of months yet, there was still time to meet up with him again.

Feeling optimistic, she decided to go and check out of the hotel and settle in at her new home. Maybe she would get a dog or cat so she wouldn’t be alone.

Howie called for Stinker and the little dog came running.

“Hey, baby, I’ve got something for you,” he said, opening up a jewelry case and dropping to his knees by the puppy. “A brand new collar! Isn’t it pretty?”

He picked her up and got a tongue in his ear.

“Ahhh! Ewww, icky!” he laughed, snapping the collar around her neck. “Wanna go for a walk?”

Stinker yipped and licked his face, covering him in slobber.

“Guess that’s a yes!”

Howie found her leash and attached it to her collar. They left the house and started walking through the neighborhood. People said hello and waved. Most of them knew exactly who he was and were okay with that. They respected him as a good businessman and a friendly neighbor.

As he was walking along, with Stinker leading the way, a bright red Jeep whizzed past him. For a split second, he thought it was Lori behind the wheel. Then he quickly scolded himself.

“Get a grip, Dorough. You’re going crazy!”

Stinker suddenly tugged at her leash, trying to get free. Howie unhooked her and let her run for a little while. He jogged behind her, catching up with her in the front bushes of a condo.

“Stinker! Come back here!” he called, digging around for her. He didn’t know if this one was empty or not, and he didn’t want to piss off anyone. “Stinker!”

He grabbed the puppy but she slipped through his fingers and ran up to the front door.

“This isn’t our place, silly. Come on, we better go before we get in trouble.” He finally was able to hook the leash back to her collar and steered her away. “Time to go, girl. C’mon.”

They turned around and headed back home.