Gurl Next Door by Madison McCall (read the beginning after the end novel .txt) 📗

“So, I see you’re out exploring Four Points,” she said.

“Yep, I wanted to visit the Murray Law Firm, but they’re clearly closed for the day,” I said pointing to the sign in the window.

“Pretty common.  If somebody needs to close for the day they just put a sign in the window and go home.”

“Do you do that over at the café?” I asked.

Shaking her head she said, “I’m afraid not, we just can’t get away with that in the restaurant business.”

“That’s too bad.”

“So, where you off to?” she asked.

“Since this office is closed, I guess I’ll get a ride share and head home.”

“I just got off work for the day and am heading home myself.  Want a ride?”

“If you’re sure it’s not trouble.”

Waving her hand, she said, “Nah, I live next door to you, no trouble at all.”

We walked to where the car was parked, got in and began the journey home.  As we started driving, she began to point out landmarks of the local area telling me all about them as she drove.  She’d grown up in Four Points and was definitely a native of the area.

“So, what did you need from the Murray Law Office?” she asked.

Before I could answer she said, “Oh my God, pretend like I didn’t ask that last question, please.”

Looking at her I asked, “Why?”

“That makes me sound like I’m a typical Four Points busybody, and I definitely don’t want to be in that category.  We’ve got enough people in this town with no life that make a full-time job out of knowing what everyone else’s business is, and I’m not going to be one of them.”

Laughing I said, “It’s fine.  I actually wanted to try and track down the previous owners of our house.  I wanted to ask them some questions about the place.”

“Like what?” she asked, and then immediately said, “Once again, pretend I didn’t even ask that.”

“Annabelle you are so funny,” I said.

Not wanting to tell her that I found a necklace that had changed me into a woman I figured I would come up with something else versus disclosing that bit of information.

“It’s no big deal, I wanted to ask them about the bookshelves in the office.  They’re made of a special cherry wood and mom wanted to find out where they purchased them.”

“And the law office has that information?”

I nodded and said, “I found out that they closed the deal when mom bought the place, and a nice young gentleman named Cole Murray told me that would be a good place to start.”

“Oh my God, he is so cute, don’t you think?”

Not know how I should respond as I had not yet become attracted to males I decided to go with a neutral answer and said, “He seemed very nice.”

“I don’t know about you, but I think he’s dreamy.  However, it seems like every time that I run across him he is cordial but never talks to me for very long, maybe he’s just not interested in me.”

“Annabelle I wouldn’t worry about it, I’m sure he’s just busy going to school and working and stuff.  He told me he’s finishing his last year in college this year and will be applying to medical school, and with mom being a doctor and all we chatted about that for a bit.”

“You are so lucky,” she said.

“How so?”

“Your mom is a physician, which is what he wants to become. That gives you an automatic in, a leg up on me.  I bet he’ll be asking you out in no time.”

“I just met him today, and if he asks me out how do you know that I will even accept.”

“Girl he’s just too hot of a piece of ass to turn a date down with, that’s what I think anyway.”

I just sat there and shook my head.

“We attend the same school, Midwestern Central State.  I see him around and occasionally we say hi but that’s about it.”

“Is that a good school?  That was one of the colleges I am interested in attending.”

“It is?  That would be awesome if you went there.  So you’ve not applied?” she asked.

“No, our move out here was kind of a whirl wind and everything happened so fast.  I guess I need to go online and apply if I’m interested in getting in.  By the way, what’s your major Annabelle?”

“I’m majoring in Hospitality Management, believe it or not.”

“Awesome that fits right in with the family business doesn’t it?” I asked.

Nodding, she said unenthusiastically, “It does.  I majored in it with a little nudging from dad.”

“You don’t sound super thrilled about it.”

“Yeah, I’m not.  I finished high school and dad insisted I go to college and I did, despite the fact that I had no idea what I was even remotely interested in doing.  On the plus side dad has paid for everything so far so I’m debt free, which is more than most kids these days.  So, tell me about you, what are you interested in majoring in?”

“Psychology,” I said.

“That’s kind of a good general middle of the road degree.”

“When I was in the Army, I was a med tech and worked in the mental health clinic ….”

“Girl, you were in the Army?” she asked exuberantly.

Nodding I said, “I was.”

“That is so cool.  Did you ever kill anyone?”

Looking at her seriously I said, “Only if they deserved it,” and after a few seconds I busted out laughing and she joined in.

“Dana you almost had me going there for a second.”

“I did not kill anyone, well not many.”

“So, as you were saying.”

“Anyway, I was stationed almost my entire time in the Army at Fort Hood.”

“Where is that?”

“It’s near Killeen, Texas.”

“Sorry to seem so dense,” she said, “But where is that?”

“Have you heard of Austin?”

“Now that I’ve heard of,” she said.

“It’s about an hour north of Austin.  So, like I said I spend most of my time there.  Fort Hood is one of the top places in the Army where no one wants to be