The Outlaw Next Door

by Lacey Legend

  “No way. First, it’s not allowed. Second, those clothes are not me at all. He’ll really think I’m trying to impress him if I rock up wearing one of those outfits. Can you imagine? Some of those clothes show far too much skin.”

  “Well? Aren’t you? Trying to impress him?”

  “No! I’m just going to be myself.”

  “So, jeans and a t-shirt, then.”

  Jasmine laughed and punched her lightly on the arm. “I’ll try a little harder than that. But only a little.”

  Allie came forward and hugged her as they both got to their cars. “Well, you’ll look gorgeous in anything. Have a great time, Jasmine.”

  “Thanks, Allie.”

  When Jasmine got home, she looked through her closet and realized that most of the things she owned really were jeans and t-shirts. She hadn’t noticed quite how casual her attire had gotten over this last year, but Allie obviously had. After her breakup, she’d thrown away anything that reminded her of Brendan. She’d also realized that keeping a man had nothing to do with what clothes you were wearing. If Eric didn’t like the fact that she wore such casual clothes, then he wasn’t really worth it anyway. Luckily, in among all of the t-shirts was a pretty white top she’d gotten as a gift from her mother a few months ago and still had not worn. It was simple but elegant – with lace lining the top and the bottom. Pairing that with a pair of dark skinny jeans and heels actually looked good. It felt strange dressing up again, and looking in the mirror, Jasmine suddenly felt excited.

  There was a knock on the door at exactly six-thirty. She opened it and saw Eric standing in front of her wearing a pair of blue jeans and a white shirt. She giggled. “Well, we look like we’re in uniform.”

  He looked her over and smiled. “Except you pull it off a lot better than I do. Thankfully I didn’t wear my lacy white shirt tonight.” He laughed. “You look beautiful tonight, Jasmine.”

  “Thank you. So do you. I mean – oh dear, you can tell I haven’t been on a date for a while. I mean, I know it’s not a date. But it’s still going out. Anyway, I’m going to shut up now,” Jasmine said and inwardly groaned at the flutter of words that had just come out of her mouth.

  What was wrong with her? She was acting like she had never gone out with a man before.

  Thankfully, he laughed and put her at ease. “Don’t shut up. Otherwise this dinner is going to be very awkward with just me talking to my glass of wine.”

  Jasmine directed him to the restaurant, which wasn’t all that far away. They possibly could’ve even walked, but Jasmine wasn’t too keen to walk in her heels. Create was a new restaurant that had opened up only a few months ago and was already becoming one of the most popular places in town. Thankfully, Jasmine had made a reservation, and the two of them walked straight past the people lining up outside and were ushered to a lovely table right near the window.

  “I’ve never seen a more popular place before. I sort of felt bad walking past all those people. But only a little. I also felt a little smug.”

  “Yeah, I knew that I’d have to make a reservation. I’ve driven past before and seen the lines. I’m not sure why those people don’t make a reservation One lady looked like she was going to attack me when I walked past her. Actually, we’re lucky we got a table. You normally have to book at least two weeks in advance. Apparently, there was a last-minute cancellation.”

  The waiter came by, took their drink order, and explained how the process worked. They were given a menu with a long list of ingredients rather than actual meals. Then, they were given a separate piece of paper and a pencil, and they were to tick off what ingredients they wanted. These would be put onto the pizza for them.

  “Oh wow, so we make our own pizza?” Eric asked the waiter.

  “You do, sir. It’s a lot of fun. That’s why it’s so popular. Because you can have whatever you want and make it different every single time. Also, we’re known for our wine. So you made a good choice by going with the Shiraz tonight. Let me go get that for you while you look over the menu.”

  “Hey, this is cool,” Eric said to Jasmine.

  She was glad that he was as impressed by the place as she was.

  “I know, I’ve been dying to come here. The problem is this list is so long, and I have no idea how I’m going to choose. Part of me wants the sort of pizza I always go for, but then part of me thinks I should try something different.”

  “I almost want to tick everything,” he said. Jasmine watched as he stared intently at the menu in front of him. His hair flopped slightly over his eye when he bent forward, and he kept flicking it away. “Well, let’s see, I’m definitely going for extra cheese and bacon. You have to have bacon. It’s not pizza without bacon, I say. And avocado, of course. It’s nice that they have avocado instead of guacamole. I prefer that. Ooh, mushrooms might be nice. Fried onions? Yes, why not.”

  Jasmine burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny? Oh, am I choosing too much? I must sound like such a pig,” Eric said.

  “No. It’s just that you’ve practically ordered exactly the sort of pizza that I want. We might as well say ‘two of those please.’ I normally order bacon, avocado, and cheese. I’ve never tried mushroom and fried onion with it, but it sounds amazing. Oh, and I have to have tomato with mine.”

  Eric pulled a face. “Oh no, I’m not a fan of tomato. Okay, you have tomato and I’ll have artichoke. Never in my life have I had that on a pizza, but why not.”

  “Deal. Well, that was easy. I have to stop looking now because I’m tempted to tick more.”

  “I wonder if anyone has ever just ticked everything?”

  “We should totally try that one day,” Jasmine said.

  “Okay, let’s do it. We’ll behave today – you know, to test them out and all. But let’s come back here and do that. See what they say. Flip, that is going to cost a fortune, and it might be the hardest pizza in the world to eat. I don’t think you could eat a pizza with that many toppings with your hands. It’s going to be a knife-and-fork sort of evening. But I kind of want to see how far I get with it.”

  “I think we have to have a challenge then. The person who eats the least has to pay for the meal.”

  “Jasmine, you have yourself a deal!”

  “I’m going to have to exercise like crazy the next day.”

  “Oh please, you don’t need to worry about that. Look at you.”

  Jasmine could feel the heat rushing to her face. “Thank you. But trust me, I work in the fashion industry, so I’m always surrounded by perfection.”

  “Oh really? What do you do?”

  “I’m a writer for a fashion magazine. It’s actually a lot of fun. I always wanted to be a novelist, but I somehow ended up at the magazine and discovered that I was pretty good at it.”

  “A writer – that’s great. And it’s good that you’re doing something you enjoy so much. Not a lot of people can say that about their jobs – especially when they’re doing something they didn’t even set out to do in the first place.”

  “Yeah, that’s exactly what I was saying to Allie the other day. Oh, Allie is my best friend who also works at the magazine. So that’s another bonus. We work opposite each other. How about you, Eric? What do you do?”

  Jasmine thought that Eric looked suddenly uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat and seemed grateful when the waiter came over with the wine to take their orders. He took a sip of the wine, and she thought he was going to avoid the question altogether, but suddenly he smiled and said, “I’m a photographer.”

  “A photographer? That’s so cool. And I know it’s not nearly as easy as what people think it is. The photographers at the magazine work overtime to get the photos to the standard that our boss wants them. What sort of photography do you do?”

  “Oh, I just sell my work. I don’t really go out and do commercial shoots.”

  “Wow, that’s amazing. I know so many photographers that get into photography because they love the artistic side of it. But the
n when they try to make a living out of it, they end up shooting weddings or corporate events and they stop enjoying it. So to just take photos and sell them is really incredible. You must be good. I can’t wait to see some of your work.”

  Eric brushed the compliment away and changed the topic. Jasmine figured he must be shy about being so good, so she didn’t push the matter further. But she’d ask him again to see his work. He certainly looked like a photographer – if there was such a look – and she understood now why he was allowed so many tattoos.

  The pizzas arrived, and they were amazing. Between the food, the wine, and the conversation, they had a great time. Jasmine found herself laughing more than she had in a very long time. Eric was funny without trying to be funny and so easy to talk to. Her dates with Brendan had never been as good as this one was, and she wondered now why she had ever wanted to marry the man. Not that she wanted to marry Eric, but it was nice to see that there were other men out there for her. Better men. When the bill came, he refused to let her pay, even though she insisted. She didn’t think they were even on a proper date, and it felt strange excepting his money. But he wouldn’t hear of her paying, and eventually she gave in. She wasn’t used to having a man wine and dine her, and she felt giddy with delight at being treated so well.

  “Eric, you don’t have to drive me home. I know that it’s completely out of the way for you and nowhere near where you live.”

  He laughed. “Well, my dear, you’re right about that – it is out of my way. But that is just the sort of gentleman that I am. Not only will I drive you home, but I will take you right up to your doorstep.”

  They drove home and parked the car in his driveway. Then, as he had said, he walked her to her door. She turned around to face him. She was standing one step higher than him, which meant that they were now the same height.

  “Thank you for a lovely date, Eric.”

  “Thank you, Jasmine. I hit the jackpot having you as my neighbor.”

  Then he leaned forward and kissed her. It was meant to be on the cheek, but she turned slightly and his lips brushed hers. And instead of pulling away, she turned even more so that their lips were on top of each other’s. He put his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss. Jasmine hadn’t been kissed like that for a very long time. She wasn’t sure if it was because it had been so long or because it really was that good – but the kiss felt perfect. When they pulled away from each other, she suddenly felt shy.

  “Well, that was nice.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so forward. But… well, that was nice,” Eric said, a wide grin now on his face. He had a slightly crooked front tooth, which she liked.

  “Goodnight, neighbor,” she said, opening the door.

  “Goodnight, Jasmine.”

  Oh yes, it WAS a good night, she thought as she closed the door behind her and slid to the floor. For something that wasn’t meant to be a date, it sure had felt like one. She quickly got out her phone and called Allie. There was no way she was going to be able to wait until work the next day to tell her everything.

  Chapter4

  Eric was annoyed with himself. He had only been in his new house for a week, and already he had gone out twice with his neighbor. Actually, he’d seen her three times if he included the first time he went over to introduce himself. Perhaps he shouldn’t have done that in the first place. He was supposed to be playing things safe. His whole plan was to be friendly but not too friendly. Dating was the last thing he should be doing, and there was a big chance that he was playing with fire. What’s worse was that he had thought himself to be much smarter than this – and had thought that after all this time he had learned his lesson. Here he was, though, doing exactly what he’d promised himself he wouldn’t do. But he simply couldn’t help himself. He felt strangely drawn to this beautiful girl in a way that he had never felt before in his life.

  He almost felt guilty about moving so quickly from Charlie to Jasmine. But he’d never been serious with Charlie. And despite enjoying her company, he had never felt the way that he did when he was around Jasmine. He wondered if Charlie would be hurt to know what he was doing, but he doubted it. He was almost certain that she’d have met someone else already – probably even the same night that he had said goodbye to her. All those men were desperate for a chance with her; they would be fighting over her. It had always amused him that he had ended up with her when the two of them knew that there was no future. But as much as he liked her, he just didn’t love her. Not that he loved Jasmine. He’d only just met her. But he felt strangely connected to her. It scared him a little. It was too soon to be feeling that way, and he knew that he would have to start backing off a little.

  “Come on, Eric, be smarter than this,” he told himself.

  He’d lied to her about what he did for a living. He should’ve come more prepared, but when she’d asked him what he did, he was caught completely by surprise. This annoyed him. He should’ve known that she would ask that question – of course she would. He’d even asked her what she did. It was a natural part of conversation to ask someone that. Thankfully, the waiter had arrived just in time to offer a slight distraction. And then he’d found himself telling her that he was a photographer. He sighed. Perhaps he was saying out loud a fantasy that he had always had. He’d certainly thought once upon a time that he would one day become a photographer. Was it really so hard to believe that it might still happen? Suddenly, the thought of a new life with a new job got him excited, and he pulled out a box that he had yet to open. It was a small box. One that he had carried around with him from apartment to apartment, from city to city. It had remained unopened for a very long time.

  Inside the box was an old camera, given to him by his father when he was about thirteen years old. His father had been a welder and had worked hard to support his family. He’d always had a fascination with photography but had never got into it as a career due to a lack of time and resources. But that hadn’t stopped him from doing it as a hobby, and Eric used to love going with him to the park to take photos. Whenever Eric thought about his father, he thought about the moments at the park with him. He didn’t think about the fights that they’d had when he had gotten older or how much he knew he had disappointed him. He thought back to the walks at the park when everything seemed right with the world. When Eric turned thirteen, his father had given him the camera and told him that one day, he would do something good with it. He said that Eric had an eye for it that he’d never had, and he had a feeling that Eric would go onto great things with this talent.

  “You’re giving me your camera?” Eric had asked, shocked by the gesture and quite taken aback. “Did you get yourself another one?”

  “No. I can’t afford another one. There are too many mouths to feed. But it’s okay. I’ve had my time with this. And it’s time for me to move on. I want you to have it. I think it has always belonged to you anyway. You’re good with this, Eric. Much better than I ever was. I love photography, but you feel it more than I do. You have a natural talent, and I know that one day you will go far with it. The world is changing now. There are more opportunities for young kids. You have a lot more open to you now – and if you want something, you can go out and get it.”

  “Can we still go to the park together?” Eric had asked. He was holding the camera in his hand, stroking it like a baby. He felt excited but also scared. He didn’t want to mess this up.

  “Of course we can. In fact, we better! How about we go there now?”

  “Yes! Thank you, Dad. I’ll make you proud,” Eric had said and had vowed to keep his promise.

  But Eric had failed him. He’d failed himself. He’d done everything except make his father proud. His father had died when Eric was nineteen years old – just enough time to see that Eric was going to become a failure. And instead of doing everything to change, Eric had just continued down that dark path.

  Looking at the camera now, he wondered where he had gone wrong. The camera was dusty, so Eric spent some
time cleaning it. He wondered if it still worked. Just having the camera in his hand sparked some inspiration in him, and he made his way to the nearest shop to buy some film. He’d spotted the shop the first week when he had gone shopping for food, but he never thought that he’d actually find himself walking inside as a customer.

  “Film? Oh wow, for that camera? Cool man! That’s so old school. I don’t see many of those these days. They say you get much better photos with these cameras. Is that true? I think they’re beautiful, but isn’t it better being able to view the photos before getting them printed? With that camera, you only have like thirty or so takes and that’s it. I’d freak out knowing that – but then again, I’m not a photographer, so I don’t really know what I’m talking about.”

  Unfortunately, the lady behind the counter seemed keen to talk to him about a subject he actually knew very little about. But Eric was the master of disguise and plastered a big and hopefully charming smile on his face. “I don’t know. I think you can get good photos with these cameras as well as with the new ones. I honestly don’t think one is better than the other. But there’s just something about these old ones. Maybe it’s just a nostalgic thing. And with a limited amount of photos, you end up being a lot more careful about the shots that you take. You try to get them perfect the first time. I just can’t seem to part with this thing. It’s beautiful.”

  The cashier smiled broadly at him. “I can see you’re passionate about it. You’ve actually made me want to get one myself. I mean, I work in a photography shop – I really should at least experiment. Well, I hope to see you again soon. I don’t know how long one roll of film will take you. Are you sure you don’t want more?”

  “Just one for now. And yes, I’m sure you’ll see me again. Thank you.”