The Outlaw Next Door

by Lacey Legend

  Eric wasn’t so sure if he’d be back. He didn’t want to get too well-known in town just yet. Perhaps he’d go to a few different shops rather than settling on just one. That way nobody would remember him. He held the film in his hand and felt excitement wash over him. He was going to spend the rest of the day taking photographs. He decided to go to the park first. That was where he’d always went with his father, and perhaps it would spark some sort of creativity that was still lurking inside of him. When he got to the park, he spent some time at first just looking around – he didn’t have many photographs to play with, and he wanted to make sure he found the best subject matter. He knew immediately that he’d be taking photos of the trees the moment he started walking. They were immense and somewhat majestic. And because it was a slightly overcast and windy day, they looked almost menacing. There weren’t many people at the park, either, which made the whole process a lot easier. He didn’t understand why people never ventured out in bad weather – he always found those days far more interesting than the sunny ones.

  Eric positioned himself at the perfect vantage point and stared into the camera lens. He fiddled slightly with the settings, surprised at how much was coming back to him. Then he sat and took a picture. Then another. Then another. He was ten pictures in when he decided to head home. Ten photos of trees was probably more than enough. But something had been sparked inside of him, and he was desperate for more. He wanted to carry on and take photos of something beautiful. When he got home, he saw that a light was on inside Jasmine’s house, and he knew immediately what he wanted to do. He took the camera, walked over to her front door, and knocked.

  “Eric! I didn’t know I was seeing you tonight.”

  “Well, it’s an impromptu visit. Unless you’re busy?”

  “I’m not busy. Hey, what’s that? Is that your camera?” she asked as she spotted the old camera in his hand.

  He held it up. “This is it. I went on a bit of a photo-taking spree at the park today – getting to know my new area and all that. I found the most beautiful trees to take photos of. And then, on the way home, I felt inspired to carry on. I’m desperate to take photos of something I think is beautiful.”

  “Oh, yeah? What are you thinking of doing next?” she asked.

  Eric loved how she really had no idea what he was suggesting.

  “You.”

  “What? Me? What do you mean?”

  Eric walked in, reached over, and kissed her gently. Then he smiled at her. “I want to take photos of something that I found truly beautiful. So I thought of you. Will you let me?”

  Eric could tell that she was flustered. She looked down at the floor and then up again at him. Then she nodded.

  “Okay.”

  Chapter5

  Jasmine closed the door behind Eric, unsure about what she was letting herself in for. She’d been so taken aback by his kind words and earnest voice that she’d just said yes. But the moment she closed the door, she wondered if she’d be able to go ahead with it.

  “Uh… I know that I work in fashion, but I actually have no idea how to pose for a photo. I’m not all that good at it, to be honest.”

  She was suddenly embarrassed at the thought of standing in front him. And what if the photos came out terrible? What then? She was going to be mortified – especially since he was so used to taking beautiful photos. She had a sudden flashback to some photos she’d seen of herself, and they were awful.

  But he just smiled to reassure her. “Well, I’m not looking for model-like photos. I’m looking for real photos.”

  “Okay, real I can do. Uh… but should I change?”

  Jasmine cringed as she realized what she was wearing. Again, a t-shirt and jeans combo with no shoes. What was wrong with her? She was really going to have to start making more of an effort these days.

  “No, you’re perfect as you are. Like I said, I want real,” he said.

  She hoped that he would be able to perform magic with that camera.

  “Okay. Uh… anything to drink?” she asked in order to stall the photo taking.

  “Nope. The creative bug has hit me hard. I’m desperate to take these photos. You can just sit on the sofa if you like. On that one, maybe? The old-looking one. Man, that thing is amazing. I love couches that have so much character. It’s like they tell a story, don’t you think?”

  Jasmine had to stop herself from falling over at his words. He couldn’t know how much that couch meant to her. Those were his own words – spoken as if they were her own. She smiled at him.

  “That’s exactly what I think. Thank you for saying that, Eric. You won’t believe what a hard time I get about this couch. But it’s special to me, and I refuse to let it go.” She sat down and felt her body instantly relax as she sunk into the familiar fabric.

  “Look at you. You look perfect there. Now, look slightly to the side. Yes, that’s perfect. And really, I don’t want you to do anything other than sit and think. Just think about what makes you happy.”

  Jasmine considered that. What did make her happy? Her parents made her happy. Her job made her happy. Allie made her happy. And now, Eric was making her happy. She hadn’t realized how lucky she was until that moment. She thought about all these things and smiled to herself. She tried not to flinch as she heard the click of the camera. Four clicks. Then he came up to her and moved some hair off her face, wrapping the strands around her ear. She jumped slightly at his touch.

  “You’re beautiful, Jasmine.”

  “Thank you,” she murmured, simply because she didn’t know how else to respond.

  She thought that he was going to go back and take more photos, but instead, he reached out for her again, turning her head slightly so that they were looking into each other’s eyes. Then he leaned in and kissed her. The kiss was different than the one they had already shared. This one was more intense, and she knew in an instant that if he tried to take things further, she wouldn’t pull away. She physically couldn’t pull away. She wanted him so badly. She felt his hands start to move over her body, and she quickly moved away from the kiss to take off her t-shirt. She grinned at him.

  “Now I’m glad I was wearing something that was so easy to take off.”

  He smiled back and took off his shirt, too. He wasn’t overly muscular, nor was he skinny. He looked like the sort of guy who spent time working out but never went to the extreme. She liked this. Brendan had always spent too many hours at the gym, obsessing about his body, when she didn’t care at all if he put on a bit of weight. She liked a guy who looked after his body without becoming obsessed by it. She ran her fingers over his chest, and he did the same to her. She stood up and pulled off her jeans so that she was standing in front of him in just her underwear, a plain white cotton number that she had always liked. She’d always been one for simplicity. She reached behind her back and unclipped her bra. Her breasts were small and her nipples were big; she’d never wanted anything else. She was who she was. And she was happy to see that Eric seemed to like her, too. He ran his hands all over her breasts, cupping each one in his hand and tweaking her nipples slightly as they hardened at his touch.

  He pulled her down onto the couch and pulled off her panties. He leaned in and starting kissing and licking in between her legs. She had to hold on to the arms of the couch for support as her back arched in response. She groaned as she ran her hands through his hair and pulled him closer. Then, just before she was about to come, he stood up and pulled off his own jeans and underwear. She was happy to see how excited he was, too. He climbed on top of her and slid easily inside her. She wrapped her legs around him to lock him in. He kissed her neck, her cheek, and her mouth, over and over again, and the two of them groaned out loud as they both came in unison. She’d never done that before – managed to orgasm at the same time as the other person. She hadn’t actually thought it was possible up until that moment.

  The couch was big, and he moved to sit beside her. She moved to the side so that he could fit, and she grin
ned at him.

  “What are you smiling at?” he asked, dropping a quick kiss on her lips.

  “At this. I’ve never had sex on this couch before. I like it even more than I thought was possible. Also, I knew that it was big and comfortable, but I didn’t know quite how much until we put it to the test just now.”

  “Really? Never? Well, that’s an honor. Thank you for your service, Mr. Couch.”

  “How do you know it’s male?” Jasmine asked.

  “That’s a good question. I have no idea. It just looked like a Mr. Couch to me. Is it?”

  Jasmine giggled. “I have no idea either. It’s definitely not a question I’ve ever asked it before. I may love it, but I haven’t really been known to speak to it before. But let’s stick with Mr. Couch. A good, solid, and dependable name.”

  “So… do you always sleep with your neighbors?” Eric asked.

  The two of them were still sitting completely naked on the couch, and Jasmine was surprised at how comfortable she felt with him. Although she was not someone who was particularly shy about her body, she still usually took a bit more time to feel this easy. She didn’t at all feel the need to even cover herself up.

  “Well, let’s see. There was Bob and Betty. They were an elderly couple whom I loved dearly. But not in that way. They were more like grandparents to me. Then there were the four college kids who partied loud and spoke even louder. Trinity, Troy, Farah, and Sam. In the end, I knew everything about them – down to what brand of cereal they liked to eat. They were possibly the most annoying foursome that I have ever met – and they made me so grateful not to be in college anymore. Although, hopefully, I never acted the way they did. So, there was definitely no romance for me with them. Actually, the one boy had a bit of a crush on me. Troy. But, I didn’t go there. Oh, and then the ‘perfect couple’ moved in. Only they were far from perfect. They just seemed perfect when you saw them from afar. He was good looking. She was good looking. Even their baby was cute. But… up close you could see that things were not as they seemed. They were obnoxious, snooty, and incredibly boring. I was very pleased to see them and their always crying baby go. And then… well, then you came along. Quite different than the others. Certainly the most handsome of the lot. I mean, I’m not sure you have anything on Betty and Bob – unless you want to start baking and knitting for me. But you are certainly the most handsome.”

  “Oh, really? You think I’m handsome? Better than Troy?”

  Jasmine laughed. “Much better than Troy. And yes, I do think you’re incredibly handsome.”

  “So, am I your usual type?” he asked in a way that made it seem as if he knew that he wasn’t.

  Jasmine looked at him and shook her head. “I’m afraid not. Not at all, in fact. And I don’t mean that as an insult at all. I mean, I do really think you’re handsome – quite perfect to be honest. I’ve thought it from the moment I saw you when I was sneaking glances at you out the window. And I thought it again when you came to introduce yourself to me and I saw you up close. But I guess I’ve normally gone for the clean-cut look. I like a good boy.”

  “So I’m a bad boy?” he teased.

  “Well, I have no idea who you are. But you do look like a bad boy. And yes, I know I’m just judging here – but that’s all I had to go on in the beginning. Your rugged good looks.”

  Eric laughed at that. “Well, at least you’re honest, and very complimentary.”

  “How about me? Am I your type?”

  “Well, you’re gorgeous – so in that sense, yes. You look like you could be a model, although you’re far too modest for it. But otherwise, I guess you’re not the type I normally go for. Same as you, but the other way round. I normally go for bad girls.”

  “Oh dear, look at us! The mismatched couple. I hope I don’t disappoint you – I’m really quite boring.”

  “Oh, trust me, Jasmine. You’re anything but boring. Quite the opposite, in fact. I think you are the most intriguing girl that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I don’t think it’s possible for you to disappoint or bore anyone. Certainly not me.”

  Jasmine warmed at the compliment. She wasn’t used to this. Brendan had been nice to her in the beginning of their relationship, and he’d never been horrible, even at the end – but he’d never spoken to her the way Eric had. She hoped he meant it. For all she knew, he spoke to all the women in the same way. But there was something about him that made her feel as if he were telling the truth. She wasn’t sure what it was about him, but he came across as incredibly trustworthy.

  “Well, thank you. That’s really nice of you to say. I really am glad that you moved in next door. I’ll be honest – I was hoping that it was just going to be you. When I saw you, I thought for sure that a girlfriend or wife or even some kids were going to show up at any moment. So… it’s nice to know that I have you all to myself. Not that I, for one minute, thought that I’d end up like this with you.” She giggled at that. “So, tell me about your tattoos.”

  She ran her hand all over his arms and chest. His body was almost fully covered in them, some black and white, some color. He looked like a living piece of art. She wondered why she had always been so against tattoos because they looked so good on him.

  “My tattoos? Do you like them?” he asked.

  “I do, on you,” she said honestly. It was true; on him, she thought they looked beautiful. Perhaps she had judged them too harshly before.

  “Well, that’s good – because I can’t get rid of them. I’ve always been interested in tattoos. I love the fact that they cannot come off. I know they can be removed or hidden – but for the most part, they are there to stay. There’s something so final about that. My tattoos all mean something different. And some mean nothing at all. This was my first one.” He pointed to a small heart just under his ribs. She was surprised that it was his first tattoo. It wasn’t big, bold, or manly. In fact, the tattoo would probably look good on her.

  “The heart? It’s lovely. And I’m quite surprised that you went for something like that. Again, I’m judging too quickly here, but I just didn’t expect something so small for your first one. It’s beautiful, though. Why did you get it? That looks like the sort of tattoo that has a meaning behind it.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. I knew immediately that it was what I wanted. The guy who did it for me told me that he’d never before tattooed something so feminine on such a big guy. But I wanted to get it. This heart is for my dad. He died when I was nineteen, and he was the best man in the world. The best father in the world – even though I didn’t tell him that. We didn’t end on good terms, and that’s something that still to this day upsets me. We used to be so close, and I went and messed it all up for no good reason. Anyway, I got the heart for him. To somehow tell him that despite how things were, I really did love him. That I will always love him. A bit soppy, I know.”

  Jasmine was moved by the story. “No, not soppy at all. I’m sorry to hear that, Eric. We’re not so smart when we’re younger, though. So don’t beat yourself up about it. I’m sure your dad knew that you loved him. I like this tattoo. What about this one?” she said, pointing to a strange-looking animal with bulging eyes. He was big, bold, and colorful and immediately made her want to laugh.

  Eric laughed. “Oh, that’s Marty. He was done by a friend of mine who recently got into the tattoo business. He’s known for these big, crazy creations. I used to watch him draw, and I was always amazed that someone could be so talented. I mean, he would create these creatures straight out of his head. I used to watch him and wish that I could draw as well as him. I create a mean stickman, but that’s as far as my drawing abilities go. I kept telling him that he had to do something with this talent, but I had no idea that he was going to get into the tattoo business. And it was so weird – when he told me about it, I just knew that he was doing the right thing. I could totally picture all these people walking around with his creations. I was the first person he tattooed. I named the character after him, Martin.”


  “You were the first person he tattooed? Seriously? You’re brave. Weren’t you nervous that he was going to mess up? What if he did it and you just completely hated it?”

  Jasmine knew that she would never have had the guts to do something like that. She quite liked that about Eric – his ability to do something without knowing what the end result was going to be.

  “Nah, not at all. You only live once. It’s only a tattoo. People are far more sensitive about these things than they should be. So what if it came out terrible? I mean, then it would just make for a funny story. And anyway, I thought it was quite an honor to get a tattoo done from him. Since then, he’s actually gotten quite a name for himself, and I can proudly say that I have his first tattoo on my body forever. Thankfully, it actually came out pretty cool. I love how crazy Marty is – quite like Martin himself. It’s actually one of my best tattoos simply because it puts a smile on everyone’s face. It’s too crazy not to like.”

  “Kind of like you. Crazy boy,” she said and giggled. “And this one? Again, this must have some story behind it.” She pointed to a very realistic portrait of a woman. The woman had features that seemed almost familiar to Jasmine, although she couldn’t figure out what it was about her. She was absolutely stunning. Jasmine liked that he didn’t have some big bosomed pin-up girl that many men sported on their bodies. This was a very detailed and elegant portrait, and Jasmine knew instantly that whoever it was must mean something to him.

  “That’s my mother,” Eric said.

  “Oh, wow. She’s beautiful. No wonder she seemed so familiar to me. I can see your features in her. Oh Eric, this is gorgeous. And so realistic. Is… uh… is your mom still alive?” Jasmine asked. She felt strange asking such a personal question, but she suddenly wanted to know everything about this very interesting man in front of her.

  “No, she died when I was just five years old. I have this picture of her that my father gave me so that I would never forget her. But I was always so nervous about losing that picture. So one day I decided what better way to never forget than to get her face tattooed on my body. And I’m so glad that I did. It came out so well. Really, it looks just like the picture.”