Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
When I turned away from the refrigerator, I noticed the adjoining room that used to hold nothing but moving boxes had been transformed. All of the boxes were gone now. The built-in shelves were full of books, and several modular storage cubes held a massive record collection.
He’d also added two chairs with a mid-century modern vibe, a small, round table, and an area rug in an interesting abstract pattern. The room was big enough to hold a lot more furniture, but this was a great start. I was proud of Miller for finally taking steps to make his house a home.
I browsed through his record collection, which was surprising. Almost all of it was stuff you’d imagine playing at a cocktail party in 1968. It was all very swanky, and now that I thought about it, the mid-century chairs and the pattern on the rug fit this same theme. So did his car, which dated from the late sixties. I’d had no idea that he was into this cool, retro aesthetic, and I was excited by this discovery.
After I selected an album, I looked around and realized there was no record player. How did someone own this much vinyl without a way to play it? And why wasn’t that the first thing he’d bought for himself when he finally started furnishing his home?
By now I was tired again, so I grabbed my smoothie and went back to bed. Miller had brought in my bag from the hospital, and he’d left my phone on the nightstand. He’d even plugged it into a charger. His thoughtfulness was next level.
I messaged Jeannie to let her know I was home, and to tell her about all of the surprises Miller had waiting for me. We texted back and forth for a while, until one of her kids started wreaking havoc and she had to switch into mom mode.
To pass the time, I turned on the TV and was browsing Netflix when a message popped up from JoJo. She asked how I was doing, and I replied: I’m great, happy to be home, finally. Hey, quick question. I want to buy a record player for Miller. Do you happen to know of any local secondhand stores that might deliver?
She called me back instead of texting and told me, “We actually have a record player in our garage. It was left behind by a former tenant, and it’s yours if you want it. It’s kind of huge, though. It’s one of those old-fashioned types that’s built into an entire cabinet.”
“That’s exactly what I was hoping for! How much are you asking for it?”
“Oh, no, it’s free. We’ll be glad to get rid of it. If now’s a good time, I’ll dust it off and ask a couple of the guys to carry it across the street. I was planning to come by anyway with some casseroles.”
“Were you really? That’s so nice, and so small town of you.”
I could hear the smile in her voice when she said, “We big city types know how to be neighborly, too.”
Maybe fifteen minutes later, my awesome neighbors arrived bearing gifts. Vee and a cute guy with unruly blond curls were carrying the wooden stereo cabinet, which looked pretty heavy. Vee said, “Hi, Collie. Where do you want this?”
“In the den, please. It’s straight back, at the end of the hall.”
The new guy smiled at me on the way by and said, “Hi, I’m Rowan, but everyone calls me Ro.”
JoJo followed them, carrying a picnic basket. I told her, “You look pretty as a picture, and like you’re ready to go zipping around Rome on a Vespa.” Her fashion sense was wonderfully retro. Today, she was dressed in turquoise capris and a white and turquoise checked top.
She looked delighted. “That’s exactly what I was going for, Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. Well, Audrey if she was tall, blonde, and trans.”
We went to the kitchen while the guys worked on setting up the record player, and she asked, “So, what did you think of the yard?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oops! Forget I said anything. I guess Miller’s saving it as a surprise.” JoJo unpacked the basket onto the counter and changed the subject with, “I brought you macaroni and cheese, a vegetarian lasagna, and cheese enchiladas. I know Miller’s been stressed about work, and you just got out of the hospital and are in no condition to cook, so these should get you through the weekend. There are sticky notes with heating instructions on the lids.”
“Thanks so much, JoJo. This looks like a ton of work.”
She shrugged and said, “I just doubled some of my favorite recipes and stocked our freezer at the same time.” After she stuck the pans in the refrigerator, she turned to me and gave me a once-over. “It’s a good thing I brought those, too. You’ve lost a lot of weight, Collie, and you really didn’t have any to lose.”