I stepped from the shower, quickly wrapping my body with a towel, and another turban-style around my head.
I was in the midst of pulling skinny jeans and a cable-knit sweater on when I heard my TV click on in the main room of the cottage.
"Want to hang out?" Tressa greeted me around a mouthful of gooey cheese pizza. "I figured we could watch a couple movies and gossip."
The tantalizing smell of the pizza reminded me that I had skipped breakfast. "Sure," I replied, grabbing a piece of pizza as I rounded up my wet clothes from the floor. Still munching along the way, I carried them to the utility room that had been built onto the back of the cottage. I shivered at the quickly dropping temperature outside, and heaved the clothes into the basket so I could rush back inside.
"Man, it's crazy how quick the weather changes," I commented, heading back through the kitchen.
"Welcome to northern living. What I wouldn't give for warm weather all year around."
"Trust me. It's not as glamorous as it sounds. No seasons to speak of and scorching summers take the fun out of warm weather states. Did you bring chocolate too?" I asked, changing the subject as I sat down next to her.
"Chocolate fudge brownie ice cream," she answered, hitting the button on my Bluray player.
"Yum. What movies did you get in from Netflix?" I asked, grabbing another slice of pizza.
"This week it was comedies."
"Sounds good," I said, settling back against the cushions on my couch.
"So, are you going to tell me how your jump went, or am I supposed to brush up on my mind-reading skills?"
I took a moment to finish my second slice of pizza before answering her, unsure of how much information I wanted to divulge. "What makes you think I went through with it?"
"Uh, maybe because you left wet clothes strewn across your living room. Duh. I can't believe you were dumb enough to go by yourself."
I looked at her questionably.
"Brittni texted me about her strep to warn me, I'll probably get it next since the bitch took a swig of my beer the other night. So, spill it."
"I jumped off the bridge today," I said evasively.
"So help me, I will hit you upside the head with this remote if you don't answer my question," she threatened, holding up my remote like a weapon.
"Okay, psycho. I jumped, and it was scary, amazing and exhilarating all wrapped up into one. I'd do it again if I didn't freeze my ass off afterward, well that, and if I wasn't afraid the bridge was falling on top of me."
"What?"
"It would seem someone with a superhero complex was under the impression that I fell in and needed to be saved."
"OMG, please tell me it was Mr. Hot and Sexy who jumped in to save you," Tressa asked, bouncing on the couch with excitement.
"How did you know he was still in town?" I asked, surprised that was the natural conclusion she would reach.
"Hello. You do know this is Woodfalls, right? I could tell you who took a shit yesterday and who was constipated. The whole town is buzzing about the mysterious journalist who's decided to stick around in the boonies for a while. According to a very reliable source, he's super private and won't even let the maid service come in to clean his room. He has them drop off clean towels and sheets in the morning and leaves the dirty ones outside the door of his room," she said in an excited rush. "So, was he your knight in shining armor?"
"Wow, you're like Google, your knowledge knows no bounds," I joked, ignoring the way my heart rate had kicked into hyperdrive at the knowledge that he was sticking around for a while.
At my comment, she reached over and whacked me with the remote.
"Bitch, that hurt," I complained, rubbing my sore leg. "Fine," I said when she held up the remote again. "Yes, it was him. He nearly scared the shit out of me, jumping in after me like that. I was under the water when I heard a big-ass splash behind me. I was convinced that damn bridge was coming down."
"So, you're telling me this guy also has a hero complex? God, that's rich. Now I'm super bummed I didn't take him first the other night. I wouldn't mind a little mouth-to-mouth if you catch my drift."
"I'd have to be in a mineshaft, hundreds of miles beneath the earth not to catch your drift," I answered dryly. "It was sweet, but I'm not looking for some heavy relationship."
"Honey, neither am I, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun in the meantime. He's obviously panting after you like a dog. Use him for mind-blowing sex and move on," she said, grabbing a third slice of pizza.