We’re Just Neighbors

by J. P. Comeau

  “Well, thank you for last night. That sounds weird to say, though.”

  I could tell that Annie was feeling a bit insecure, as though she had let her guard down by sleeping with me. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her in for a long, passionate kiss. I knew she could feel my hardness through my pants and the comforter, too.

  “Thank you, too,” I whispered.

  “Are you going to leave right now, though?” Annie glanced down at the erection protruding in my pants.

  I shrugged and let out a chuckle. “I don’t have a choice. Besides, these things go away on their own.”

  She casually rubbed her hand along the outside of it. “I’ll see you at the wedding…and I’d love to do this again sometime. And I do mean that.”

  As I opened her front door, I grinned and gave her nothing more than a wink.

  I smiled the whole way home, knowing perfectly well that I’d left her speechless.

  5

  Annie

  My mom and I were all smiles when we arrived at Julianna’s and Jake’s mansion to help my sister get ready for the big day. I carried our dresses, and Mom was in charge of my makeup kit. By the time we got our dresses hung in one of the guest suites and the lighting for our makeup sessions set up, Caley was taking a shower. At her age, she was able to do the essentials, but when it came to her makeup, it was all me.

  Julianna had been hesitant about letting her wear even a little bit of lipstick, saying that she was much too young, but Mom and I reminded her that we started wearing makeup around the same age, and this was a special occasion.

  “I’ll never forget walking in on you two trying to put on mascara,” Mom, reminded us as she fluffed out Julianna’s dress. “Annie looked as though she might poke your eye out, and I’m surprised she didn’t, pointing the end straight toward your eye.”

  She shook her head disapprovingly and laughed at the same time.

  “It’s your fault for not hiding it better,” Julianna said, giggling.

  I rolled my eyes while contouring my sister’s cheekbones, remembering the look of horror on our mother’s face. She had let out a scream, which caused me to drop the mascara and leave a permanent stain on the rug.

  “Back when I was a child, I knew better than to go poking around in my parent’s bedroom. You two were always getting into trouble!”

  Julianna started to laugh but quickly composed herself so I could apply the makeup without smearing it all over the place.

  “That stain’s still there,” I said, getting a kick out of pushing Mom’s buttons.

  After trying to remove it with rug cleaner, she had finally given up and just rearranged the furniture to hide the spot.

  “Your father never even asked why I moved the bed,” she said.

  Our father was an extremely intelligent man who never cared about home furnishings. Our parents had a very traditional marriage. He worked to put food on the table, and our mother took care of our home.

  As we reminisced about our childhood, along with how quickly Caley was growing up, my mind kept trickling back to the night before. I was far too drunk to remember all of the details, but a few stood out in my mind. Namely, the moment that Richard had backed up into me while we were playing pool.

  That’s when I knew we’d spend the night together.

  Waking up next to him was such a mistake.

  I listened to our mom talk about Caley while at the same time, thought about how good Richard looked naked. I was actually dreading having to see him at the wedding today. We’d have to stand next to each other for pictures, make small talk at the reception, and be expected to dance together since we were part of the wedding party.

  “Are you okay?”

  I snapped myself back to reality, then nodded at my sister.

  She lifted a brow. “You’ve been applying the same stroke of highlighter to my forehead for a while now. I think we’re good, sis.”

  “Sorry.” I wiped some of the product off, careful not to get it into her eyes.

  I was starting to highly regret sleeping with Richard. If he had been any other guy that I didn’t see a future with, I’d have been over him already.

  While I applied fuchsia lipstick to Julianna’s lips, I thought about how not only I would be seeing him again, but my sister was marrying his brother. I’d be seeing him all the time. Eventually, he’d be dating some woman who only wanted his money, probably some young trophy wife-type, and I’d be replaying our night over and over in my mind.

  “That shade seems a bit bright, honey. I think something a bit more muted would be better.” Our mother walked over to my makeup kit and picked out a nude lipstick.

  Julianna shook her head. “I’m not going for an all-natural, virgin-white look, Mom.”

  I suppressed a chuckle as our mother let out a gasp. “In that case, I’ll go check on Caley. Maybe it’s better if I do her makeup, Annie.”

  I rolled my eyes and looked at her. “I know what I’m doing. Tell Caley not to get dressed until I do her makeup.”

  After setting her face with some finishing spray, Julianna stood up and went over to her wedding gown. She started telling me about the moment she knew it was the one and how excited she was to recite her vows. I stopped listening less than a minute into her speech.

  Richard’s wink was eating at me. I didn’t know what it meant. Pretty much every guy I’d ever hooked up with said we’d see each other again. There was no polite way of saying ‘thank you for the one-night stand’.

  On the one hand, I wanted Richard to want me. Yet, on the other hand, getting involved with a guy like him was too risky. I could see myself falling in love, only to get my heart crushed. It had happened far too many times before.

  “Annie?” Julianna was standing there, hands on her hips, just staring at me.

  Once again, I had to snap myself back to reality. “Yes?”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” I lied. “I’m just listening to you talk.”

  Julianna walked over and sat down on a chair in front of me. “Then why didn’t you answer my question?” There was no hiding the look of confusion on my face, so I just let out a big sigh. She shook her head at me. “That’s what I thought. I’ve always known when something was wrong with you. Spill it.”

  “I slept with Richard last night.” I just vomited out the words without restraint.

  Julianna let out a gasp so loud that our mother came running back in. “What’s wrong? Is it the dress? Did you spill something on it?”

  Julianna turned around and looked at her. “Nothing, Mom. Can you give us a few minutes?”

  She nodded and left, no doubt curious as to what we were discussing.

  “I am so happy! Just think, if you two start dating, then we can go on double dates! I know Richard’s so happy to have Jake back in town, and-“

  I shook my head and held up my hands. “I can’t date him, Julianna. And who knows if he even wants to date me.”

  Julianna let out a sigh and sat back in her chair.

  “Not every guy is going to be like your ex-boyfriend.” Her voice had taken on a much calmer tone, and deep down, I knew she was right. Just thinking about my ex made my skin crawl. “I mean, look at Jake and me. You remember when we first started dating.”

  I nodded, remembering how nervous and scared she was of dating him. After being good friends in high school, Jake had left River Valley and became a billionaire womanizer in San Diego. Yet there he was, getting married and settling down in his small-town, childhood home.

  “That was different, though. You guys were friends. Richard and I are just neighbors.”

  “You guys text a lot, though, right?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. We sent each other funny memes, kept up to date with each other’s lives, but that was about it. “I think it’s best that we just leave it as a one-night stand, Julianna. He and I just don’t seem like we belong together. Plus, you know the kind of life that he leads.”

>   “I think you’re just putting up a wall, Annie. You know, it’s okay to care about someone.”

  I smiled, realizing that she was right as usual. I was putting up a wall.

  “It’s not just the whole thing with my ex, though. Richard has such a complicated life. I mean, he’s working 12, sometimes 14-hour days, and then goes to bars on the weekends. I’m a yoga instructor who promotes a holistic lifestyle. When you put us side by side, we’re opposite.”

  She put her hand on my knee. “And opposites attract. Maybe Richard needs someone like you to bring him back down to earth, and I know you need someone like him to shake things up.”

  “Hey, my life isn’t boring.”

  She laughed a little bit.

  “I’m not saying that it’s boring, but Richard could bring a little spice into it.”

  Just then, Caley walked into Julianna’s bedroom, her hair in curlers, wearing a bathrobe.

  I stood up quickly and furrowed my brow. “I thought your hair was going to be straight today? Who put curlers in?”

  Our mother came walking in behind Caley.

  “If you insist on wearing bright pink lipstick, then why not have Caley wear curls? Besides, I think she’s going to look very pretty with curly hair. Won’t you, dear?”

  Caley looked at me and then Julianna. She didn’t seem very happy.

  “They’re too hot,” she said, putting her hands on the top of her head.

  “For goodness sake, don’t touch them, honey. Trust me on this one, okay?” Our mother turned to us. “Are you done with girl time? Because Caley needs her makeup done, you need to put your dress on, and Annie needs to get dressed!”

  Julianna winked at me and then stood up, telling Caley to sit down at her vanity. I pulled out a fresh set of makeup brushes while our mother helped Julianna get into her gown.

  Butterflies formed in my stomach as I thought about Richard. He was, without a doubt, the hottest man I had ever slept with. I couldn’t even remember the last time I saw a more attractive guy. I just about melted when he took off his shirt, revealing that gorgeous body of his.

  And the actual sex… Good grief.

  As I began to apply Caley's’ makeup, I thought again about what Julianna had said. Richard might have a complicated life, but he was also incredibly sweet. Then again, all men were friendly when they were trying to have sex with you.

  I didn’t know all of the details about his ex-girlfriend, the one who just up and left him, but there was something about him that I didn’t trust. He just didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would ever settle down. He was almost 45, for crying out loud.

  Forty-five-years-old and hot as hell.

  I’d seen his womanizing ways, though. I couldn’t even begin to count the number of women he’d slept with since I’d met him. Richard kept a pretty low profile, but River Valley was a small town where everybody knew each other. It wouldn’t take much for a stripper in a nearby city to tell the press or media what he was up to.

  A lump formed in my throat, thinking about a few of those stories. Wild nights with exotic dancers that ended in hotel rooms. He was often seen with gorgeous, model-type women at significant social functions, too.

  Even if I were one of the few women who would get to have sex with him more than once, I realized it would only interfere with my life.

  My yoga studio was taking off, so much so that I was ready to assign a few classes to Crystal. I spent most of my free time researching products for a holistic health line, too. Julianna might be right in saying that I needed to have more fun, but I didn’t think that meant I should necessarily date Richard.

  Especially if things didn’t work out, it would be pretty uncomfortable for the rest of the family. I’d see him at birthday parties, holiday meals, and other family gatherings. The thought of him bringing another woman to something like that was already making me feel insecure.

  I let out a sigh while choosing a lipstick for Caley, picking out a more muted pink.

  No, I decided while swiping it onto her lips. If Richard asked me out again, I would decline. Tell him that I really enjoyed our night together, but we should remain just friendly neighbors. I didn’t need a man like him ruining my life.

  It had already been ruined once by my last boyfriend, and I refused to let that happen again.

  6

  Richard

  The Next Monday

  I sat down to work in my office, located in the wing of my parent’s mansion dedicated to our family business. It was spacious and overlooked River Valley since their home was at the top of a hill just like mine. My long, oak desk was stacked with contracts and other paperwork that needed my attention.

  Yet, all I could think about was Annie.

  As I sat tapping a pen against my lips, my best friend, Gavin Tillery, popped his head into my office. He’d texted me that morning asking if he could swing by since he would be nearby at an appointment. We had been friends for a long time, and he was there for me throughout the whole Heather saga. Out of all of my friends, he was one of the few who knew my real reason for avoiding long-term relationships.

  “How’s it going, man? How was the bachelor party and wedding?”

  He sat down in one of the dark leather chairs in front of my desk. Unlike myself, Gavin was on the skinnier side despite having the appetite of an elephant. I got the sense that he was jealous of my muscular physique, though. Especially since he’d tried so hard to bulk up over the years.

  “When’s the last time you ate?” I reached into my desk drawer and tossed a protein bar at him, but he made a grimace and pushed it back.

  “I don’t know how you can eat that crap,” he said. “It tastes like chalk, and besides. I just came from the dentist’s office.”

  “Oh, yeah. Your face isn’t sagging, though.” I chuckled.

  “It wasn’t too bad… just glad it’s over.”

  “Anyway, the bachelor party and wedding were great,” I explained, putting the protein bar back inside my desk. “Jake and Julianna are married, and I’ve never seen him so happy. Plus, their wedding had some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. Steak, lobster, lasagna, you name it. I had to unbutton my pants halfway through the reception.”

  “Speaking of unbuttoning your pants,” he said with a smirk. “Tell me about the bridesmaids. You don’t have to give me all of the details, but I know you took at least one back home right.”

  I laughed and just shook my head. “Well, I did spend some time with Julianna’s sister, Annie. But it’s not like that, man. She’s different than most women.”

  “Good for you, Richard. You deserve someone special in your life. You haven’t been interested in anything serious since Heather left.”

  I let out a breath and leaned back in my chair, rocking back and forth for a few minutes. “That’s the problem, though. I suspect that Annie doesn’t want anything more than what we did that night.”

  Gavin smiled. “So, you hit it, huh? Nice. Tell me about her.”

  My eyes shifted up to the ceiling. I wasn’t even sure how to describe her. “She’s unique. You know, really different than other women. She owns that yoga studio in town, and has dreams for a holistic food and supplement company, and she’s family oriented, the whole nine yards. And on top of that she’s incredibly sweet with a fireball personality.”

  “What about the sex, though?”

  I smiled at Gavin while trying to remember that night, but most of it was a blur.

  “From what I can remember, it was amazing. But we were both so hammered. I’m lucky that I even survived Jake’s wedding the next day.”

  “I hear ya, man. That’s what happens as you get older. I can’t even remember the last time I got wasted.”

  “We sure did have some fun in our younger days,” I said, remembering some of the bachelor parties we’d attended. “I’m kind of glad those are behind me, though. Especially now that I’ve been with Annie. I just wish she was more open.”

  I popped a breath
mint into my mouth.

  “What makes you think she doesn’t want a relationship, though? Women who have their own businesses and are career-focused aren’t necessarily opposed to relationships, Richard. They just need a bit more lubrication when it comes to opening up. From an emotional standpoint, that is. It sounds like you had no problem in the physical department.”

  I thought about what Gavin said, especially since Annie had made it clear about a year before that she didn’t want to date me. I couldn’t help but wonder if the only reason the two of us hooked up was because of how drunk we were. That moment when I accidentally bumped into her while playing pool had sealed the deal.

  Deep down, though, I knew it was no accident.

  “She just seemed apprehensive. That’s all.”

  Gavin gave me a knowing look, the one where he arched his left eyebrow.

  I let out a groan. “Alright, fine. I’m afraid she’ll go all Heather on me.”

  Gavin shook his head, but I was honest with him. That’s why I limited myself to certain women. I had no intention of starting my own business, especially that late in my life. What if Annie and I became serious, and then one day she got sick of me working for my father? Women wanted a man who made his own money, not one who followed in their father’s footsteps.

  “I’ve known the Belmont women forever, and they’re anything but the Heather type. You’re short-selling yourself, man. Plus, you’re almost fifty years old. Do you realize how hard it’ll be to get women to sleep with you as you get older?”

  I shot him an angry look, remembering how Jake had said those same words to me before his wedding.

  “Fine, I get it. I’m getting up there in age. Maybe I’ll ask Annie out to lunch or something. Maybe you’re right.” My phone rang, and I picked it up once I saw that it was my father. “Yeah, I’ll be right there, Dad.”