The Outlaw Next Door

by Lacey Legend

  She looked over at Allie and grimaced. “Well, here goes nothing.”

  “Good luck, Jas! Be your charming self,” Allie said, and Jasmine laughed.

  She walked down the corridor and into the office, where Ella was sitting behind a big wooden table. The article that Jasmine had sent her was clearly visible on the screen in front of her. Ella motioned for her to take a seat.

  “Well, Jasmine, this article is great. And hilarious. And very surprising – not the sort of article you normally hand in. I think I’m going to start getting you to write more articles like this. The fashion world is so dull sometimes – too many rules and regulations that don’t make any sense. I like this angle that you took. How did you come up with it?”

  Jasmine breathed a sigh of relief at the response from Ella. She had been asked to write something on the up-and-coming trends for summer, and after perhaps a little bit too much wine, she’d come up with a different take on it. She usually wrote the same boring things that could be found in all fashion magazines, and while it was important for them to include the normal things, she’d decided to try something new. She was relieved to see that her boss was happy with it. Jasmine had always wanted to become a writer but had somehow ended up writing for one of the top fashion magazines rather than becoming the novelist that she had always dreamed about being. But she didn’t mind. Even though she had known nothing about the fashion world, she’d discovered that she was actually quite good at writing about it. And she enjoyed where she worked. Better yet, she worked with Allie, which meant that there was never a dull day. The two of them had gotten the job together and they’d been giddy with excitement the day that they had gotten the job. They’d been friends through school and college and had hated the idea of splitting up.

  “Thank you, Ella. I’m relieved to hear that. I was worried that you weren’t going to be happy with the direction, but I had a lot of fun writing it. And as for the idea, well, uh… to be honest, I came up with the idea over a glass of wine. Okay, maybe two glasses of wine. I know we can’t have too many articles like that, but I thought it would be a fun change,” she said, deciding to be frank with her boss.

  Her boss, Ella, was the sort of person who appreciated honesty. She was someone who Jasmine had always slightly feared but also admired. She was only four years older than Jasmine, yet she had already accomplished more than most people would in their whole lives. Also, despite being a few heads shorter than most of her staff members, she always looked so much taller – as if her pure confidence made her taller. Jasmine had taken a big risk with the article, and it seemed to have paid off.

  “Well, I love it! And you’re right, it was a good change. It’s good to take a risk every now and again. Maybe you should enjoy a glass or two of wine more often – it obviously agrees with you. Now, I have a list of other stories I need from you. The deadline for them is Friday. By no later than midday. Think you can manage that?” she asked and handed Jasmine a piece of paper with the article ideas neatly typed up.

  “Of course I can. No problem at all.” She scanned over the page quickly and then looked up and smiled. “Yeah this is great. Thanks, Ella.”

  “Right. Off you go then,” Ella said, back in boss mode, and Jasmine quickly hurried back to her desk.

  “So… how did it go? Did you get sacked?” Allie asked the moment Jasmine sat down.

  The two of them had desks that faced each other. Possibly not the smartest move to have two best friends facing each other, but they always got their work done, and so far, nobody had complained.

  “Thankfully not. You’re going to have to put up with having me here for a bit longer. She loved it! Can you believe it?”

  “Yes! I can actually believe it. Brilliant news! Well done. I loved it, too. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get sick of writing the same old thing. I mean, even though the trends change, I feel as if I’m still writing about the same stuff. Snooze. Your article should at least liven things up a bit. Who knows, maybe after this we’ll get some better assignments.”

  “Thanks, Allie. I hope so. I’m glad I did that. But she’s given me a whole bunch of other things to write about by Friday,” Jasmine said as she waved the paper up in the air, grimacing. “The torture!”

  “Don’t lie – you love it,” Allie teased her. They both did. Even though they always complained, they both knew how lucky they were.

  Jasmine laughed. “Yeah, I do. Boring or not. God, who would’ve thought that I would’ve ended up here. Years ago, if you had told me that I’d be working for a fashion magazine, I would’ve laughed at you and told you that you were crazy. It’s not like we’re all that fashionable ourselves, to be honest. I’m far more comfortable walking around in pajamas than dressing up in a cocktail dress. And yet – I’m somehow still fascinated by this world. Although I do feel more like an observer at times rather than a participant.”

  “That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though – I think it’s good for writers to feel that way. But I totally agree with you – I never would have pictured us ending up here. Remember our college days? We had dreams of becoming these big novelists. We were going to take the literary world by storm – become the next best things. Weren’t we even going to write something together? I think I may have some of our old notes somewhere. I really should dig them out. Man, they are probably so embarrassing. This was only supposed to be a temporary thing until a big agent discovered us and made us famous. But here we are, years later, and we have no intention of moving. Funny how life turns out. Do you still want to write a novel? I was actually thinking about it last night. I’m not even sure if I do anymore. Maybe I’ll change my mind, but I don’t have the same sort of drive for it like I used to,” Allie said.

  Jasmine thought about it for a while. “I don’t know. Maybe one day. Probably, actually. And more than likely, I still want to write something with you. But I’m actually quite happy with how things have turned out. Not everyone can say that they enjoy their job. Or that they get to work with their best friend each day. I count myself as pretty lucky.”

  “Same here. Ah, look at us. Getting all sentimental and we’re not even drunk. I wish I was drunk – maybe it’s good we have office jobs, otherwise we might have turned into raging alcoholics. And hey… it’s lunch time. This morning has gone by so fast. Want to go out and get something to eat? I brought a salad, but the wilted leaves are making me feel depressed. I feel like bread. Bread on top of bread on top of bread. Oh, and if you don’t mind, I’ll have a little bit of bread with that.”

  Jasmine laughed. “What happened to your diet? Didn’t you only start it, like, yesterday or something?”

  Allie was always on some sort of diet, even though she didn’t need to be. But then again, that was the unfortunate downfall of working in an industry where you were surrounded by gorgeous women all day long. Most of the time, they just pretended to be on a diet. But they both loved food too much to really see it through. All it took is for one of them to mention something delicious, and the other one would cave.

  “Oh, diet smiet. I actually don’t care anymore. If I don’t get some bread, I’m going to cry. And then you’ll have to sit for the rest of day with me crying ugly tears all over your work. Surely you do not want that?” Allie asked as dramatically as she could. If she had been standing, she’d probably have her hands on her hips.

  “Well, we can’t have that. We better get you some bread. I simply cannot have you messing up my desk with all your tears. Come on, let’s go before you have a meltdown.”

  “Meltdown. Melt. Melted cheese,” Allie said, practically drooling as they walked out.

  They decided to skip the building’s cafeteria and head out to the café down the road instead. It was a small place that served the most delicious toasted bacon-and-cheese sandwiches. The first time they had tried it, Allie had asked the sandwich to marry her, and then upon finishing had immediately said that she would never come back again while patting her thighs miserably. Of
course, this promise was ignored, and they came at least once a week to indulge. The café was far better than the one at work, and at least they weren’t still surrounded by all of their work colleagues.

  “Good afternoon, lovely ladies. What can I get you? The usual?” the waiter asked.

  “The usual!” they said in unison, laughing.

  “Oh dear, do we come here that often that the waiter knows our order? I feel slightly ashamed. That salad is going to mock me all day, you know.”

  “Well, you should be eating something more substantial than a couple of leaves. Anyway, don’t let those glossy magazines fool you – we know that’s not reality. You’ve seen what the Photoshop guys have to do to get the models to actually look that way. Anyway, you’re gorgeous, so there is no need to worry. Also, think about the bread. It’s all about the bread today.”

  “Ah, I love being friends with you. I’ll have you know that I love you even more than I love bread – and as you know, that is quite a lot. Listen, I also wanted to say that I’m sorry about the other day. I know I promised to come over with pizza. And trust me, I really wanted to. But you know how it goes with family.”

  “Oh really, it’s no problem at all. Family comes first. How’s your mom doing?” Jasmine asked.

  Allie’s mother and father had just recently divorced. It wasn’t a surprise to anyone, but Allie wanted to be there for them whenever they needed her. And her mother wasn’t taking it as well as they thought she would.

  “She’s okay. She just needed someone to be around her I think. It’s weird – I know that she and my dad fell out of love a long time ago, but I think she still misses him. I think it’s mostly because she was just so used to having him around. I don’t think she misses him all that much. I just don’t think she’s used to being alone. I’m sure it will all become very normal for them eventually. But right now, I think she just feels a little sensitive to everything. My dad seems to be taking it better, but then again, he probably just doesn’t know how to show it as well. I’m sure the whole thing is strange for him, too.”

  “Yeah, I get that. Well, you’re welcome to bring her around anytime. I think they’ve done the right thing, though – like you said, this was a long time coming. I’m sure they’ll be able to stay friends through it all, which is great. So, how are things with Marc? Have you seen him again?”

  Allie smiled so broadly that it looked as if her lips were going to fall right off her face. “Things are good. Very good. I’ve seen him twice. Man, the first time was weird. We’ve been friends for so long, and I didn’t want it to be awkward. We were both like school kids – all nervous and giggly. He held my hand during the movie. You have no idea how much I wanted to eat my popcorn but I couldn’t exactly move my hand. So I had to try to eat with my left hand. I’ve never in my life eaten popcorn so slow. You know me, I usually shove it down my throat.”

  Jasmine burst out laughing. “That’s hilarious. Poor guy was probably so nervous himself. And…?”

  “And what?” Allie asked, digging into the sandwich that had just been placed in front of her and then groaning with absolute delight.

  “And did you kiss?”

  Allie swallowed her food. “Man, this is a good sandwich.”

  “Allie! You better tell me or else.”

  Allie laughed. “We did. Not on the first date, though. We came close to it, but it didn’t happen. But the next day, we went out for dinner, and afterward we kissed on my front doorstep. I thought about asking him in but I want to take things slow. Moving from friendship to relationship is a little daunting.”

  “So it’s a relationship?” Jasmine prodded lightly.

  “I don’t know. Not yet. But maybe. Hopefully.”

  “How was the kiss?”

  Allie smiled dreamily. “It was better than I thought it would be.”

  “I’m so happy for you. Really. I’ve always thought that Marc was perfect for you.”

  “Thank you. I can’t believe how well it’s going. He’s so great. And tell me… have you met the handsome neighbor yet?”

  Jasmine grinned. She had been dying to tell Allie all about Eric, but she hadn’t found the time yet, and she didn’t want to do it over the phone or at work.

  “Yeah… he came over the night I told you about him. To introduce himself.”

  “Really? That was very neighborly of him.”

  “I know, right? I wanted to do the same, but I couldn’t get up the nerve. I wish he’d given me fair warning, though. I was wearing an old t-shirt over old jeans, and I was completely barefoot. Not the best first image. But it was nice. I made us hot chocolate, and we sat for a few hours just chatting.”

  “You sat for a few hours chatting? With your neighbor? You’ve got to admit – that’s not something that happens often.” Allie leaned in closer “So, tell me more. Was he still handsome when you saw him up close?”

  “He’s incredibly good looking. Not my usual type, but drop dead gorgeous. Dark hair, deep green eyes, a splatter of freckles, and tattoos.”

  “Oh, Jasmine – you have just described the perfect man. You must’ve been looking at him very closely if you noticed the freckles, too. Lots of tattoos?”

  “Lots of tattoos,” Jasmine said.

  “And you don’t mind?”

  “You know I’m not a huge fan of them. But I have to admit – they suit him. He’s gorgeous, Allie.”

  “Jasmine – do you like this guy? Sounds to me like you have a bit of a crush forming.”

  “NO!” Jasmine said a bit too loudly and then quickly said, “No” again, but softer.

  “Oh, come on! Be honest. You can’t hide anything from me.”

  “Well, he did actually ask me out on a date.” Jasmine admitted and then took a bite of her sandwich so that she didn’t have to look Allie in the eyes.

  “He did? Whoa! This guy doesn’t play around. And, let me guess, you said no.”

  “Why would you think that?” Jasmine asked.

  “Because – I know you. He’s not your type, and you haven’t been on a date in forever. I just don’t see you saying yes. Wait! Am I wrong? Did you say yes?” Allie was jumping up in her seat and looked like she was just about to take off.

  “I said yes,” Jasmine admitted. Now that she was saying it out loud, she actually couldn’t believe it herself.

  “You said yes? Wow. This guy must be something! When are you going out?”

  “Tonight, actually. I mean, it’s not really a date. Just two neighbors getting to know each other over dinner. He doesn’t have much in his house yet, so cooking isn’t easy for him. So he suggested we go out for dinner. I was thinking that new pizza place would be cool. Where you make your own pizza. I mean, you can tell a lot about someone by the toppings they choose, don’t you think?”

  Allie laughed. “Oh, absolutely. It’s a make or break situation for sure.” Then she smiled up at Jasmine. “I’m happy for you.”

  “It’s really not such a big deal, though. Honestly, it’s just dinner.”

  “I know. That’s fine. I’m still happy. It’s good that you’re moving on. Even if it’s just a neighborly dinner.”

  “Thanks, Allie.”

  Jasmine tried to ignore the little smile that Allie was giving her. She knew, as well as Jasmine, that it wasn’t just a neighborly dinner. But Jasmine didn’t want to admit, even to herself, that she liked Eric. She’d only just met the guy, and he really wasn’t her type. She’d been surprised when he’d asked her out for dinner because she was almost certain that she wasn’t his type either. And even though she tried not to be, she was still a bit wary of men. She couldn’t help it. She’d never thought one bad thing about Brendan, and then he turned out to be a lying scumbag. Since then, she’d seen everyone in a different light and had second-guessed everything anyone said to her. But the two of them had gotten on surprisingly well that first night. After the hot chocolates, she’d gone on to make coffee, and they’d sat for almost two hours just talking. He was
absolutely gorgeous to look at up close, and she enjoyed having a bit of eye candy for a change. Also, despite the rough exterior, he was actually very soft-spoken, and he had a certain kindness about him that was impossible to ignore. Something about his eyes. Jasmine had always believed that a person could be judged by their eyes.

  Despite the fact that they had spoken for two hours, she still knew very little about him. They’d somehow skipped past all the small talk and had gotten straight into far more interesting topics. They’d probably spoken a full half-an-hour about books; she’d been delighted at how well read he was. It had actually made a nice change. But Jasmine was now looking forward to finding out more about him. After lunch, she walked back to the office with Allie and got stuck in her work. Ella was on the prowl that day, so there was no chance for chit chat. Ella did that at least once a week. She’d walk around the office or position herself at a desk right in the middle and watch everyone. Jasmine always giggled when she saw how nervous everyone got. It was funny to see these grown adults getting scared over someone so small. Jasmine wasn’t scared, but she did respect Ella enough to put her head down and work. And sometimes she was actually grateful because she always got more done on those days. She loved sitting in front of Allie, but it was a bit of a distraction at times. And today, she actually wanted her day to go quickly so that she could go home and concentrate on her date. When it was time to pack up and leave, she saw that Ella had gone back to her office – and a visible sigh of relief ran through the office.

  “Well, I got a lot done today. Did you see how fast I was typing when Ella walked past my desk? I didn’t even know I could type that fast. How about you?” Allie asked her.

  “I thought she gave me too much work, but I actually almost finished it. Ella should probably do that more often, but we won’t tell her that.”

  “So, what are you wearing tonight for the big date?” Allie asked.

  “I actually have no idea.”

  “You should totally rummage through the clothes in Unit 1,” Allie said as the idea seemed to suddenly strike her. Unit 1 was where they kept all the clothes for the models who came in for a photo shoot. They weren’t allowed to take them out of the office, so Jasmine had no idea why Allie was even proposing that.