CHAPTER 6

Kendra went to take a bite of her meal, prepared to enjoy the rest of her night, when she heard a loud thud. Her back door was open to let in the night breeze, which was cool and better than using the air conditioner, so that was probably why it was so loud. When it happened again, though, she began to worry that her moving next door to a pro beach volleyball player, who practiced in her backyard, might have been a bad idea. Kendra stood up and looked out the window over the kitchen sink. She could just make out Aspen’s backyard through it and watched her as she hustled from side to side to hit the ball back onto the piece of plywood she used to train on. Aspen wasn’t wearing her bikini tonight and had on a pair of sweats and a black tank top, but that still allowed Kendra to see her shoulders and arms, which were perfect and added to her stress about living in the house next to Aspen Ashley.

It wasn’t late, and the sun wasn’t even down yet, so she didn’t see any reason to tell Aspen to stop. None of the other neighbors seemed to have an issue with it, it seemed. Kendra decided to just close her back door, and when she couldn’t hear it much at all after doing that, she returned to her meal for one at her kitchen table that was just in front of the sliding glass door leading to her own backyard.

In that moment, she thought about how lonely her life had become recently. She’d thought she’d found someone she would be with for the long haul, which was why she’d stayed with her for two years. She’d been wrong. The travel had eventually gotten to her ex, and after they’d talked, fought, reviewed the ultimatum that Kendra had been given, and fought some more, it was over. Truthfully, Kendra was glad because they’d been talking about moving in together, and they hadn’t done it, which made their breakup easier.

She’d been able to buy this house on her own and finally have a place she could make hers. Her plan was to paint first before she bought a bunch of new furniture, and she’d already bought two gallons of pale-blue paint for one of the guest rooms that currently had nothing in it. Since she would be traveling again soon, she needed to get started on it now, or it would have to wait until she got back.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kendra saw something moving in her backyard and laughed when she realized it was Aspen running over to pick up her ball. Aspen looked up after grabbing it and noticed Kendra at the table. She shrugged apologetically, making Kendra laugh. Kendra stood up and pulled open the door.

“Lost it?”

“It went off one of the concrete stones. Sorry. It doesn’t happen often.”

“It’s okay. I thought you were inside for the night. Your mom, right?”

“My parents are downsizing, so my mom has been bringing over some of my old trophies and stuff as they find them places since they won’t have room at their new place. She was just dropping off a few boxes, so she’s gone now. Dinner?” She looked past Kendra.

“I’m done now, but yeah. I went with one of those adult TV dinners that are supposed to make you feel good about cooking for one, but, really, they just make you realize you’re eating alone.”

“I had one of those earlier,” Aspen said.

“You did?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I did eat alone, though. Grilled chicken tonight. You?”

“Baked ziti with cheesy garlic bread. The bread was soggy, though, and the pasta wasn’t hot all the way through, so I don’t recommend it.”

“One-star rating. Got it.” Aspen looked over at her yard. “Sorry if it was bothering you. I don’t normally come out this late. I try to stick to during the day when people are at work or school.”

“It’s okay. Why tonight, though?”

“My mom brought a box that had some stuff in it from my college days. I got sentimental. Then, I thought back to right after college, when I had the chance to make the Olympics and didn’t. So, I got angry at myself, and I came out here.”

“You’ll make it this time,” Kendra said.

“I hope so. But you never know. It’s me and DJ right now, and if something happens to one of us, we’re behind in qualifying by having to find another partner. Basically, out of luck, you know?”

“Yeah,” she said, understanding.

“I should leave you alone. Sorry, I had to hop the fence.”

“Aspen, there is a gate. You used it earlier today, in fact.”

“It was just easier to hop. But I’ll use the gate, if you want.”

“Either is fine. And you’re not keeping me from anything other than painting a bedroom, so trust me when I say I’m good with this delay.”

“You’re painting your room?”

“No, one of the guest rooms. I don’t have time to do my room before I leave again because I’d have to move all my stuff and probably sleep on the couch, which I don’t want to do, so I’m starting with my guest room. Pale-blue.”

“Cool,” Aspen said. “Do you want some help?”

“Help?”

“Yeah, help painting.”

“You want to help me paint my guest bedroom?”

“Why not? I’m not doing anything.”

“You’re practicing.”

“No, I’m trying to calm my mind.”

“You should keep doing that, then, Aspen.”

“Painting could help.”

“It could?”

“I don’t know. But we could see.”

“You haven’t painted a room before?”

“No, I’ve painted several. Every room in my house has paint on it that I put there, but that was because the previous owner painted every wall beige, and I can’t stand beige. Had you said you were painting that room beige, I wouldn’t have offered to help.”

Kendra chuckled and said, “These walls are all white.”

“Then, I’m good. You can say no. I don’t have to help. But I’ll just go inside in a few minutes and watch TV or something, so I’m available.”

Kendra wasn’t sure how to respond to this. Aspen appeared to be genuine in her offer, and Kendra could use the help, but this was Aspen Ashley, and she was standing in Kendra’s backyard, looking a little hot and sweaty and holding a volleyball at her hip like a photographer was about to walk out of Kendra’s house and take pictures of her for some magazine.

“Um… Sure,” she said finally.

“Cool. I’ll just lock up my house and come back over. Is that okay?”

“Yes. But, Aspen?”

“Yeah?”

“You can use the front door,” she suggested.

“Right.” Aspen laughed and went to hop over the fence before she looked back at Kendra and walked over to the gate instead.

Kendra closed the back door and shook her head because she had no idea how she’d gotten herself into this mess. She’d been fine with her little crush on Aspen because Aspen had been far away, and Kendra had had a girlfriend for a long time and wouldn’t have actually done anything with anyone else. Still, she could acknowledge when a woman was attractive, and Aspen was gorgeous. Now that Kendra was single, though, and, well, hadn’t had sex in a while, of course, her crush had to live next to her. Aspen also had to turn out to be a really nice person who had offered Kendra coffee, apologized for making noise in the backyard, and was now coming over to help Kendra paint a room in her house, which Aspen didn’t have to do at all.

“You can’t actually like her. She’s a pretty face and a talented volleyball player. That’s all.”

While there was nothing in her contract that forbade her from dating an athlete she engaged with on the job, it wasn’t exactly in good form, and she didn’t want to cause any problems for herself at work. Kendra also didn’t think someone like Aspen would be remotely interested in her, so she needed to get herself together and stop staring at the woman all the time so that maybe they could be friends and neighbors.

“Hey,” Aspen said when Kendra opened the front door.

“Hey. Come on in,” she replied. “Do you want something to drink? I have coffee now. Well, you know that. I have water and other stuff, too. Soda, I think.”

“I don’t drink soda. So, water, maybe?”

“Okay. I’ll get it. Want to come with me or just go into the room? It’s down the hall. I haven’t set things up yet.”

“I’ll just go with you then.”

“Okay. Cool.”

Kendra was being weird again. This was not what she’d just talked to herself about a second ago. She walked toward her kitchen, with Aspen following, and grabbed a bottle of water that she had out on the counter.

“Do you want it cold? I haven’t put them in the fridge.”

“No, I prefer room-temperature water. I’m strange like that.”

Kendra handed her the bottle and said, “Me too.” She laughed a little. “That’s why they’re not in the fridge.”

“Everyone loves ice-cold water, and I guess I do during a match or something when it’s blazing outside, but any other time, just room-temp is good.”

“Same.” Kendra nodded and pointed to the hallway. “We can go in there and check it out. I need to tape and put the tarps I bought on the carpet.”

“I can help with that,” Aspen offered.

They headed down the hall and into the empty guest room with one window looking out over the street.

“I’ve got tape over there. Want to start with that?” she asked, pointing at the blue painter’s tape she’d tossed into the room earlier.

“Sure. Molding and window?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Kendra said. “I’ll get the tarp down and then get the paint out.”

They prepared the room in silence, and it struck Kendra that it wasn’t an awkward one. They seemed to move well together, with Aspen stepping aside at just the right time for Kendra to put the tarp down by her feet. She wondered if that was partly due to Aspen being a beach volleyball player who was used to having a partner around her in a small space while they both had to be able to get around without bumping into each other, or if it was for another reason entirely.

Once everything was set up, Kendra handed Aspen a roller and grabbed a brush for herself to start painting around the window. Aspen went right to work without hesitation, which was also interesting to Kendra because she usually took a moment to make a decision, even if it seemed like the simplest thing in the world, like painting her chosen color on the wall by the window. It had taken her ten minutes to figure out which TV dinner to cook for herself that night, after all. She stared at the window and tried to think about starting from the top but then wondered if starting from the side or the bottom was smarter.

“Are you okay?” Aspen asked, still rolling away on the side wall.

“Yeah. Just trying to figure out where to start.”

“I think just putting the paint anywhere on the wall is probably the way to go.”

“Right.” Kendra laughed a little before she put the brush to the side of the window and ran it up and down, coating the wall with the paint. “So… Do you like living in the neighborhood?”

“It’s fine, yeah. It’s my first house. I don’t expect it to be my last, but it works. It’s big enough, and I’ve kind of made it my own, obviously. The neighborhood is okay, too; close to stuff and pretty quiet, with the exception of the annoying person who bounces a volleyball on a box in her yard.”

Kendra smiled at that and asked, “It’s not your last house?”

“Nah, it’s a starter home. I’m lucky I was able to afford a place in my twenties. Most people can’t. Especially here, you know?”

“I do know. I’m thirty-five here and just now buying a house, but I also know people in their forties who have given up on being able to afford a home because of the prices.”

“I used some endorsement money when it came in. It seemed like a good investment for me. I can maybe sell it one day and find another place.”

“Still in LA?” Kendra asked.

“Yeah, I don’t plan on moving. I mean, if the person I’m, hopefully, buying that house with wants to move, we’d talk about it. I’m not going to be a beach player forever, so I don’t have to be tied to one forever, either, but I’m a sand baby. I grew up in it, you know? I love it here. So, I’m hoping I can find a place near one and still get out in it whenever.”

“You want to buy a place with someone?”

“That’s the goal, anyway. Meet someone. Fall in love. Move in together. Do that other stuff you do. Maybe buy a place together. I haven’t asked, but is this just your place or…”

“Yes,” she answered quickly. “Just mine.”

“Cool,” Aspen replied.

Kendra turned her head and saw Aspen looking at her instead of the roller that was still against the wall.

“I got out of a relationship a few months ago, so it’s just me here.”

“Yeah? Sorry.”

“It’s okay. It wasn’t working. So, better to end it, right?”

“True,” Aspen agreed.

“I wanted a place of my own, though, so I found this one. I don’t think I’ll live here forever, either, but it’s a good start for me while I figure out the next steps I want to take.”

“Next steps?”

“You know… Work. Relationships. Life plans. That kind of thing. I grew up here, too, so I’d like to stay in the LA area, but maybe not in this house forever. And I’m not sure I want to have the same job in five or ten years, so I need to think about that, too.”

“You don’t want your job?”

Kendra turned around to face Aspen, who kept rolling.

“I don’t know. It’s hard, doing what I do, and it’s one of the big reasons I can’t make a relationship work. So, I’ll have to figure out what’s most important to me at some point, right?”

“Right,” Aspen agreed again. “Was it the traveling?”

Kendra nodded.

“Been there,” Aspen shared. “It’s hard for others to understand, and it’s not easy to maintain something when you’re gone all the time.”

“How do you do it?”

“I’m single, remember?” Aspen laughed a little. “So, I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer that question.”

Kendra smiled. Aspen was single.