Covet thy Neighbor

by Denise Carbo

  “Uh, yes.”

  “That’ll have to do. Where is it?”

  “Inside, above the fridge, but really it’s not necessary.”

  He gets up and disappears inside. I take a sip of wine. It’s nice not to be celebrating alone and I appreciate his effort. It’s been a while since anyone made any kind of fuss.

  Luke comes back out carrying the blue long tipped lighter. “Okay, come stand over here.”

  I join him in the middle of the deck. He holds the lighter up between us and pulls the trigger. A tiny orange flame pops out of the tip.

  “Make a wish.”

  I stare at the flame dancing in the breeze. What should I wish for? My standard is the health of my kids and that’s most important, so I lean forward and blow on the flame.

  It disappears and I grin up at him. “Thanks Luke, this was a sweet idea.”

  “Happy birthday.”

  His head dips and his lips press against mine. I swallow hard and lick my lips. His gaze drills into mine. He kisses me again. A soft brushing of lips once, twice, three times until he lifts his hand and cups my jaw.

  I lean forward and capture his soft lips with mine. Pleasure and anticipation build inside me.

  Luke’s tongue traces along my bottom lip and I open my mouth for him. Our tongues entwine and explore.

  I lift my hands and place them on his shoulders with my thumbs caressing his neck.

  He pulls away and steps back.

  I drop my hands and suck my bottom lip behind my teeth. His gaze tracks the movement then he looks away.

  “I better go.” Luke jams his hands into his front pockets and walks down the stairs and off into the night.

  Well, that was…a heck of a lot more than I was expecting. I walk over to the table and finish my wine in one gulp. “Happy birthday to me.”

  Chapter 14

  “While Sally’s here to cover the front, I want to talk to you about business stuff.” Franny walks to the sink and washes her hands.

  The sweet scent of yeast and sugar permeates the kitchen.

  Was she unhappy with the work I’ve been doing? She didn’t say anything before. Is she cutting back my hours? That will really suck. I need the extra money. I need new tires on my car.

  “Is everything okay?”

  She glances at me and frowns as she dries her hands. My worry must be written all over my face. “Everything is great. You’ve been a tremendous help. Now that you’re working here full time, I’ve been checking into health insurance benefits for you, but before I go any farther I want to know if it’s something you want or if you’re covered elsewhere.”

  “Oh…um.” That would be awesome. The boys are covered under Ryan’s plan, but I only have ridiculously cheap, basic coverage which I avoid using unless absolutely necessary. “If it’s not too cost prohibitive. I would hate to put you in a jam.”

  “I wouldn’t offer if I couldn’t swing it. It probably won’t be the best coverage around, more like middle of the road.”

  “Anything is probably better than what I have now.”

  Franny smiles. “Good. One more thing to check off my list. The extra hours you’re working are a big help. I plan to focus a little more on the special occasion cakes and the catering to local businesses.”

  I bite my lip. “You know, one of the things we covered in my marketing course is the importance of an online presence. I know you have the website and Facebook page with hours listed and contact information, but I was thinking you might want to expand on it a little.”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “Well, for the website you can have separate pages for the catering side, specialty cakes, and desserts, bakery merchandise, etcetera. Add some quality pictures. Start accounts on all the major social media sites and post pictures of the bakery and various goods. You can have specials on certain days. And add testimonials from clients.”

  Franny taps her finger against her lips. “You’ve given this a lot of thought.”

  “Too much?”

  “No, not at all, it sounds great. The only problem is I would have to hire someone to not only design all that but maintain it too.”

  “I could do it. I mean, I can do the social media sites no problem. The website is a little trickier. There’s a short class offered at the college where I’m taking courses. One of my teachers mentioned it during class. I know I can figure it out, but I would absolutely tell you if I can’t.”

  “I trust you Olivia. If you want to take this on, that would be amazing. I’ll pay for any course you need to take.”

  “Really? That’s great.” I grin. “I can’t wait to get started.”

  Franny laughs. “I guess this means a little less baking time for you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’ll be working on the bakery’s online presence, as you called it.” She wags her finger. “You’ll be doing the work here at the bakery, not taking it home and staying up all hours of the night.”

  She’s right, I would do that. Who needs sleep? I don’t want to fail her.

  “You can use my laptop at the desk. Unless you prefer your own?”

  “Honestly, mine is ancient so if you’re okay with it, I’ll use yours.”

  “Okay, it’s settled then. Anything else we should discuss?”

  I purse my lips and drum my fingers on the counter. “Well, Luke kissed me.”

  “If this goes well, I might need to hire someone else part-time…” She stares at me and blinks. “What did you say?”

  I laugh. “I said Luke kissed me. Not exactly business related, sorry.”

  “No, no, consider business done. Tell me.”

  “Nothing more to tell. He kissed me a week and a half ago on my birthday and he’s been ghosting me ever since.” Technically we’ve been ghosting each other. I waited until he left and dashed over to deliver the cookies I made for him to thank him for mowing my lawn. He left the empty container on my back porch while I was at work.

  Franny squeezes her eyes shut. “I missed your birthday? I’m the worst friend ever!”

  “No you’re not. Don’t worry about it. I don’t make a big deal over my birthday—honest.”

  “I’m making this up to you. We’re going to celebrate a little late. What are your plans this weekend?”

  “Franny it’s not necessary.”

  She points a finger. “I’m not taking no for an answer. It’ll be fun.”

  I hold up both my hands palm out. “Okay.”

  She grins. “Should I invite Luce and some of the girls from book club? How about your friend Barbara?”

  “I’ll leave it up to you.”

  “I think we should invite Luce at the very least. She needs to get out of the apartment. I swear, she’s hibernating or something since she moved in. I have to drag her out of there.”

  “Then we’ll make sure she goes.”

  “I guess you no longer think he’s a serial killer then since you’re kissing him. Unless you’re into some things I’d rather not know about?”

  I snort and clap a hand over my mouth.

  She grins.

  “No, I’m pretty sure he’s not.” I can’t share the car accident or his brother. That’s private and not my secret to tell.

  “So you’re into him?”

  “I…I’m not sure. I mean he’s seriously hot, but he’s my neighbor. I have the kids to worry about too. If it goes wrong what am I going to do, move?”

  “That might be a little extreme, but obviously you’ve given this some thought.”

  I squint and scrunch my nose. “Maybe a little.”

  “I get it. He’s handsome and mysterious. I say go for it. You’re single. Yes, I get you might have to be more cautious because you have kids, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay alone until the kids grow up, do you?”

  “God, I hope not.”

  She laughs and walks over to sling an arm around my shoulders. “I highly recommend finding the courage to follow your
heart.”

  I glance at her sideways. “Who said anything about my heart?”

  Chuckling, she drops her arm. “Okay, then whatever body part or parts are attracted to him.”

  “You did hear me say he’s been ghosting me, right?”

  “He could be waiting for you to make the next move.”

  “I don’t know, Franny. It may be old fashioned, but I’m more comfortable with the guy making the initial moves.”

  “I can totally relate, but you can be subtle. Wear something sexy and just happen to run into him or something.”

  “And what if he’s not interested? That would suck. I don’t like rejection.”

  “Well, who does? But I say the proof is in his kiss. He kissed you, therefore he’s interested.”

  Sighing I collapse on the counter on top of my folded arms. “I feel like I’m back in high school.”

  Chapter 15

  The peal of the smoke alarm pierces my studying haze. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

  I scramble off my bed, knocking one of my books to the floor, and run downstairs to the kitchen. Gray smoke billows from the oven. The alarm continues to shrill. The timer I set rings beneath it all.

  Yanking on the oven dial, I shut it off and open the door. I get a face full of smoke. The stench fills my nose and burns my throat. A coughing fit ensues. My throat is raw. The charred remains of the brownies I made for the boys’ class fill the oven. Now I will have to make them all over again.

  I wave the smoke out of my face and sprint to the window over the kitchen sink. Standing on my tippy toes I shove it open and grab the dishtowel next to the sink to wave it in the air beneath the alarm. It’s futile.

  Will it help if I douse the pan of brownies in cold water? I pull an oven mitt out of the drawer and grab the pan out of the oven and carry it to the sink. After turning the water on, I angle the pan under the spray.

  The hot pan hits the hole in the thumb part of the mitt. Scalding heat burns my thumb.

  “Son of a bitch!”

  I drop the pan into the sink. It crashes against the dishes I have yet to put in the dishwasher from this morning. The water sprays everywhere including all over me. I slap at the faucet to turn off the water.

  The giggles kick in and I sag against the counter with my good hand over my mouth and the other, still encased in the oven mitt, raised in the air. Leave it to me to laugh when I’m in pain. I also cry when I’m mad. Laughter interspersed with coughs rattle through me.

  “Should I ask?”

  I whirl around. Luke stands in the archway to my kitchen.

  He jerks a thumb over his shoulder. “I knocked on your back door, but you didn’t answer.”

  When I continue to blink silently, he drops his hand. “I saw the smoke.” He lifts his chin towards the window. “Heard the alarm.” He walks over and stretches to shut off the wail.

  Wish I could do that. It would’ve been my next step, with the assistance of one of the kitchen chairs.

  He peers into the sink at the burned brownies. “Those weren’t for me, were they?”

  The sting of my thumb bursts through my surprise over his arrival. I frown and shake the oven mitt off my hand and onto the floor while turning on the water after angling it away so it won’t bounce off the pan. I put my thumb under the cool, steady, stream.

  “Did you burn yourself?”

  I glare at him over my shoulder. Does that really require an answer?

  “You got any aloe?”

  I raise my eyebrows and reach with my free hand to shut off the water. “Actually, yes.”

  He grabs my hand. “Leave the water on and tell me where it is.”

  “Upstairs. On the windowsill in the bathroom. Top of the stairs.”

  He nods and walks to the stairs.

  I grimace and turn back to stare at my thumb. He’s going to witness my less than exemplary cleaning habits. I planned to get around to the bathroom later today. When you have two boys, cleaning the bathrooms becomes a daily chore.

  Luke returns with a long green spiky leaf of the plant. I shut off the water and hold out my uninjured hand. “Thanks.”

  He grabs my other hand and applies the gel like substance to the reddened area.

  His bent head is inches from mine. His dark gaze his pinned on my thumb so I take the opportunity to study his features. Dirty blond hair brushes his forehead. It’s a little long over his ears and against his neck. Is he overdue for a trim or does he prefer it that way? There’s a tiny crescent scar at the corner of his eye. What could cause that?

  He glances up. “That should do it. I don’t think it’s too bad. You don’t require a hospital visit.”

  Of course it doesn’t. I’ve done worse. In the same spot because of the same hole in the mitt which I should have thrown away and replaced a long time ago.

  “Do you have medical training?” I still have no idea what he does for a living.

  He smirks. “Nope.” His gaze scans over me. “Did you decide to take a shower while you were busy burning the…” He leans over to peer into the sink again. “What exactly is that?”

  “Brownies. And very funny. The water sprayed all over me and everything else when I burned myself and dropped the pan in the sink.”

  “Brownies, huh? Sure those weren’t for me? I ran out of those cookies you left me days ago.” He grabs the dishtowel I tossed on the counter and wipes my cheek.

  “They were for the boys’ school, but since I have to make more, I suppose you’ve earned a few.”

  The side of his mouth quirks up in a smile. “You going to leave them on my front steps when I’m not home?”

  “Depends, are you going to leave the empty container on my steps when I’m at work?”

  “I was following your lead.” The towel brushes my eyelashes as he wipes water from my forehead.

  “I wasn’t aware I was leading.”

  “You are. The question is where?” He rests his hands on the counter on either side of me, caging me in. His head is level with mine as he stares into my eyes.

  I lick my lips.

  His gaze drops. His head dips and he captures my lips in a soft as air kiss.

  He leans a few inches back and raises his gaze back to mine.

  Why did he stop?

  Oh, is he waiting for me to lead?

  There’s so many questions to answer, but only thing matters right now—his lips back on mine.

  I cup his cheeks in my palms and pull his face back to mine. “Gimmee.”

  He laughs. I kiss him. His full bottom lip pillows mine. I run my tongue along its top edge and scrape my upper teeth against it in a soft nip.

  His hands grasp my hips and lift me so I’m resting on the counter. He steps into the V of my legs as his mouth consumes mine.

  I wrap my legs around his jean-covered butt. The denim scrapes against my bare calves. The thin material of my capris provides little barrier between us and leaves no doubt of his interest.

  My fingers delve into the soft strands of his hair as I cup the back of his head. My heart races as arousal drenches me in sensation.

  His hands travel over my back and down to grip my hips.

  There’s a clatter behind me. I jump and look down. The pan slid all the way into the sink, knocking over a glass. My hip must have bumped into it. Or his hand.

  I turn back to Luke. My hands rest loosely on his shoulders. His hands grip my waist with his thumbs lightly caressing my sides.

  “How about lunch?”

  “Lunch?” I glance at the clock on the stove. Two o’clock. The boys will be home in a couple of hours. I suppose there’s time, but for what exactly? Is he asking me to make him lunch?

  “Yeah, you know, that time in the middle of the day when people generally eat a meal? I figure you have the kids at dinnertime so I thought a lunch date might work better.”

  “So you’re asking me out on a date?”

  He chuckles. “That was the general idea.”

  I purse my l
ips and swing my feet dangling against his legs. “In that case, yes.”

  “You’re off tomorrow too, right?”

  He knows my work schedule. “Yes, the bakery is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.”

  “I heard the restaurant on the docks has a good lobster roll. You want to go there?”

  “Billings Creamery. You heard correctly. Their lobster roll is excellent.”

  “Then, tomorrow around noon? I’ll pick you up.”

  “Okay.”

  Luke lets go of my waist and steps back. He looks around the kitchen. “Do you need help cleaning up? The smoke seems to be gone.”

  I hop down from my perch on the counter. “No, thanks. I’ve got to make another batch anyway—more mess.”

  “Save a few for me?”

  I smile and put my hands on the edge of the counter and lean back. “You’ve earned it.”

  “How about you set a timer this time?”

  I sigh and give him a mock glare. “I did. I didn’t hear it go off because I was too busy studying upstairs. Something I will refrain from doing in the future when the stove is on.”

  He steps forward and gives me a quick kiss on the lips. “See you tomorrow.” He ambles around the corner and out of sight. The back door opens and closes and I hear his steps across my deck.

  Sighing, I push away from the counter and survey the kitchen. There’s still a faint lingering smell of smoke and burned brownies in the air. It’s warm enough outside to leave the window open longer.

  A smile twitches at my lips. I have a date with Luke tomorrow.

  Man, can he kiss.

  It’s not only the brownies that got singed today. My lips are still tingling.

  Chapter 16

  There’s an autumn chill to the air so this emerald green sweater dress should keep me warm enough without having to cart around a jacket. I shift my weight from one foot to the other as I stare in the mirror attached to the back of my bedroom door. Too dressy for a lunch date at Billings.

  I swing away from the mirror and pull the dress over my head and toss it onto the growing pile of clothes on my bed. Patches of the baby blue comforter are visible beneath my discarded choices.