by Jami Wagner
“I’m just moving some furniture, and she lives across the hall from me. It’s not like I’m going out of my way to see her. You should know just as well as everyone else who knows me that I don’t jump into anything that involves a woman.”
“Yeah, but I’m sure you still have needs that you need taken care of.”
Suddenly, the idea of Alex on her back with her long legs wrapped around my waist raises my heart rate. A benefits kind of thing isn’t the worst idea, and her living in the same building makes things less complicated. Shit, I should be trying to think of Heather like this, not some woman I just met.
Abby clears her throat, and when I glance at her, her eyes are narrowed at me. That probably isn’t where her mind was going with the suggestion, and it sure isn’t where my mind needs to be when I just told another woman we could give it a go. Although, that area of my life isn’t going too well either. Alex’s movers took so long that I had to cancel on Heather. She wasn’t happy with me. I knew that the moment I dropped Jake off at her place and the only word she said to me was “thanks.” I guess telling her “yeah, let’s try this” and then canceling our first date isn’t the best way to start.
“You boys are all the same.” Abby rolls her eyes and stomps away.
My friend and the other bartender of the night, Lucas, gives me the nod that I’m good to go. My heart rate immediately picks up pace. I can do this. I need to stop acting like a pansy. Women are not something I should be afraid of.
The weather is still warm when I step outside, and for a moment I contemplate taking my time to get home. I rode my bike to work, which sounds lame, but I used to ride all the time. Trails were my favorite, but I haven’t had the time lately. I should get Jake a bike and we could go together.
So I peddle slowly, to enjoy the night. When I pull up in front of our building, the light to Alex’s apartment is shining brightly through the windows that at this moment, don’t have curtains hung over them yet. Like my apartment, we both have a three-sectioned window in the front, the center being the largest. The windows are large enough that if you pop the screen out, you could step out onto the grass without a struggle. I know because I tried it once to set up a trap for anyone who thinks they can break into my home where my son lives.
I’m about to push my bike inside the building and leave it in the hallway like I occasionally do when a voice that isn’t the radio singing comes from her apartment. She can’t hit a note at all, and it makes me laugh. I lean back and, like a creeper, look into her apartment. She has her back to me as she hangs a painting on the wall. Her voice is now louder than … Taylor Swift, is it? and her ass is bopping from side to side. She seems to be enjoying herself—at least she’s in a good mood even at ten o’clock at night.
Still listening to her sing, I lean my bike against the wall and head into my apartment for a quick shower. The warm water splashes against my skin, and I absorb the clean feeling it gives me. Like everything that happened today can be washed away and I can give it fresh start tomorrow. I could really use a fresh start with Alex ... and Heather, for that matter.
By the time I crawl into bed, I’ve planned my day out for tomorrow. First thing, I’ll go next door and apologize once again because I don’t think she really accepted the one I gave her this evening. After that, I’ll see if Heather and Jake can do lunch, and then I’ll help move some furniture and be back for another shift at the BA. Hopefully, I won’t piss anyone off the way I did today.
* * *
The next morning, I’m knocking on Alex’s door as I head out to meet Heather and Jake for brunch. There isn’t any music playing like last night, so it’s easy for me to hear as her bare feet trudge against the hard floors inside her apartment to open the door.
Her hair is down today, falling in waves over her shoulders. She’s wearing a longer pink tank top that is bunched at the side and black leggings that look painted on. We both stand there, eyes locked as we stare at the other.
“I thought you weren’t coming by until this afternoon?” she asks, breaking eye contact and stepping back to let me in.
I remain in the doorway.
“I am. I just wanted to stop by and apologize once again.”
She leans against the frame, giving me more attention than she did last night at the bar.
“I don’t normally act like that, and I am really sorry I took whatever was bothering me out on you. It was unnecessary, and had I acted like a gentleman, the way my mother taught me, there is a good chance I wouldn’t have broken something of yours.”
A small smile appears at the left corner of her lips.
“I’d like to replace it,” I add.
“You can’t, but you can start making it up to me by helping me move my TV stand.” Her voice is perkier this time, and she sounds pleased to actually be speaking to me. I like this side of my new neighbor.
“Yeah, I’ll do that first thing when I get back,” I say, smiling and stepping away.
“Oh, you’re headed out?” The smile I almost had out of her is gone.
“I’m going to meet my son and his mother right now. I’ll be back after that to do anything you want me to do.”
A blank expression takes over her face and she crosses her arms.
“Don’t bother. Thanks anyway,” she says and closes the door in my face.
What just happened?
I don’t have enough time to think it over before I receive a text from Heather to tell me she and Jake are out front.
Okay, I had better shake this off. All my focus needs be on Heather and Jake now.
“Hey,” I say as I slide into the passenger’s seat of Heather’s Ford Explorer. “How is everyone today?”
“Dad!” Jake cheers from the back seat. “Mom said I could have pancakes today!”
I can feel my smile grow at his enthusiasm.
“That’s what I’m going to have, too,” I tell him.
“He’s been wired since you dropped him off yesterday. I’m not sure syrup or anything with sugar is a good idea for him,” Heather says, glaring at me.
“Oh, he’ll be fine,” I reply as she pulls onto the road.
“You’re not the one who has to hang out with him all day.”
I cringe at the way she says has. Almost as though she’s being forced to spend time with our son.
“I would if you let him stay with me more often,” I say, stating the obvious.
“And I would if you didn’t have such a busy schedule, Conner.”
“I have a busy schedule because I’m doing everything you’ve insisted I do to earn more time with Jake.”
“Oh, so working hard and being a good example isn’t something you want for Jake,” she argues back, her voice growing louder.
“That’s a fancy way to spin my words. Let’s talk about this later when Jake isn’t around us.”
“I should turn around.”
“Why?” Why does a simple disagreement get her worked up?
“We clearly can’t even get along on a car ride to a restaurant. This will never work.”
“You just want to give up then?” I ask.
“No, but we’re already fighting.”
“Let’s go eat and enjoy our time together,” I suggest, knowing she is giving me an out that I should be taking. But I said I’d do anything for Jake, and I meant it.
“You’re sure?” Heather asks again.
“Yes.”
The remainder of the drive is silent, and Heather and I don’t exchange much conversation as we eat other than determine the next time Jake will stay with me. Jake does enough talking about the new Ninja Turtle episode he watched this morning to entertain us for the entire meal.
When she drops me off, I lean into the backseat to give Jake a hug goodbye. He waves out the window as she pulls away, and I take a seat on the steps outside the apartment building.
That plan I had to not piss anyone off today has officially failed. Here’s hoping tomorrow is a better day.
My neighbor is a total jackhole.
That’s the perfect name for him, and I’ll keep calling him that until he proves me wrong, which will probably never happen.
Crossing my legs as I sit in the center of my couch, I pull my computer onto my lap. I read somewhere once that a great way to avoid keeping emotions bottled up is to write them out, whether it’s traditionally in a journal or typing it out on the computer. I could never make this a career because my thoughts are all over the place, but it really does help.
I spend a good thirty minutes writing about how the stress of my brother and his wife—who I learned about by Googling him—rejecting me and not believing me when I say I’m his sister has me ready to break into tears at least five times a day. Just thinking about it gets me all choked up. Rejection will always be hard for me to accept. My family has never wanted me, and foster homes struggled to keep me—what makes me think anything is different now?
I snap my laptop shut and lace up my running shoes. I make it about a block from my apartment when I spot Skylar lying in the grass of the town central park.
“Do you always lie in the grass?” I ask, finding myself envious of how relaxed she looks just lying there, letting her body soak up the morning sun.
One eye pops open as she rises to her left elbow and cups her other hand over her eyes to guard them from the sun.
“When it’s a nice day out like today, I do.” She smiles. “Want to join me?”
Run in the sun or sit in the sun? Sit, definitely sit.
“Is that what you have planned for the rest of your day?” I ask, attempting small talk. Since I don’t know her and have no idea if she has a past she doesn’t want to talk about like I do, this is safe question.
“Maybe. I heard there was a hiking trail on the mountain. Thought I might check it out,” she says. We both turn our view to the mountains behind us. They aren’t big by any means, but they are still mountains.
“That’s sounds fun,” I say, inviting myself.
Skylar laughs and pushes herself off the ground. “I just need to swing by the gym and grab my gym shoes. I keep them in the locker there. Then we can go. You have a car, right, to drive us?”
“Yes and yes.” I stand next to her. “Meet you at the gym in ten minutes?”
“Okay.” Skylar sets off right away and I jog back to my place. So I went out for a run and now I’m going hiking. A spontaneous day like this is just what I need.
I run inside, grab my keys and purse, and fill a water bottle. Skylar is waiting outside when I get to the gym.
“I got directions from the girl inside,” she says as she gets in.
We drive, turning on each road the girl at the gym wrote down on this white piece of paper, and it surprisingly only takes us less than another ten minutes to get to the trail.
I close my car door and look around after I’ve parked. Cars are lining the road in and out of the area. Water falls somewhere behind me, and I spot the start to few different rocky trials between cracks in the trees. Picnic tables are set up down a path that lines up with the road we drove in on.
“This must be a popular place,” I say.
“Looks like it. Oh, there’s a sign. I bet all those colors are trail markings.”
Sure enough, from the sign we learn there is one big trail, but you can mix up the paths to shorten the hike or extend it. Since neither of us have anything to do, we agree on the long path.
Halfway up the first hill, I stop.
“This … is … harder … than I thought,” I say, trying to catch my breath and taking a sip of my water. Skylar sits on boulder that marks a turning point of the trail. “I thought I was in better shape than this.”
“I should have brought water,” she says and I offer her mine.
“Drink as much as you need.”
We finish catching our breath and hike for maybe another five minutes before we stop again.
“What is this? I don’t understand how out of shape I am,” Skylar says.
“Me either. I was always an active kid. I ran track and was always playing outdoors with the other kids, growing up. It makes no sense,” I reply.
“I’ve had a personal trainer most of my life, I should be prepared for this.” She laughs.
“A personal trainer? Nothing about you screams you need help to stay in shape.”
“Mom insisted I always look my best,” she says.
The last word comes out more quietly than the rest. I wait, not sure what I should do because we are coming really close to talking about our past, and by the way she’s focusing on the greenery of the mountains, I’d say she doesn’t want to talk about it either.
“You girls doing okay?”
We both turn to the deep, masculine voice. A man with cropped blonde hair, waves of abs and muscles—since his shirt is tucked into the back of his shorts, everything is very visible—and sweat displaying droplets over his core is staring down at us. I almost get to enjoy ogling him, but my damn jackhole neighbor steps up behind him, looking like this guy’s clone, ripped abs and all.
“Seriously,” I groan, crossing my arms and glaring at Conner.
Blonde guy chuckles. “Is this the neighbor?”
“Yeah, I told you every time she sees me, it’s like I’ve ruined her day.”
“Considering I’ve known you for two days, yes, you have ruined my great mood both days. Skylar, let’s go.”
“I broke one thing and you’re going to hate me forever?” Conner calls out as we walk away. I don’t know about Skylar, but I’m doing a fine job of pretending to be in great shape with my speed walk uphill right now.
“Fine. Ignore me! But unless you move, you’re going to see me every day and you’ll learn to like it.”
Taking the bait, I turn around and stomp back to him.
He’s grinning and it looks good on him, but I can’t let him know I think that.
“Just because we live across the hall from each other doesn’t mean we have to see each other.”
“Hang out with me once, and then if you really, absolutely don’t enjoy it, I’ll politely ignore you and you can ignore me back anytime we see each other in the hall.”
“No.” I laugh.
“Oh come on, give the guy a chance,” blonde guy says.
Memories of stories I’d heard in the foster system, kids whose parents cheated or kids who didn’t have a parent because they left the other for someone else, flash through my mind. Every kid will have a different story for a miserable childhood and a cheating parent might not be the reason, but it’s one less reason I can help avoid. I will never be why a child doesn’t get the parents and family they deserve. I don’t need to know my neighbor to feel this way.
“And you are?” I snap. Skylar comes into view from the corner of my eye.
“I’m Lucas, and I think you should give him a shot. I’m not just saying that because he’s my friend. I’m saying that because you should never judge someone before you know them.”
“You don’t know anything about me, so you don’t get to make that assumption,” I say to him then look at Conner. “You have better things to focus on, so stop wasting my time.”
This time when Skylar and I walk away he doesn’t yell anything. If all men in this town act like those two, maybe I should leave and never meet my brother. What if he hangs out with people like Lucas and Conner?
This move is starting to look like a very bad decision on my part.
Chapter Three
Alexis
The next morning comes fast as I awake to my ringing cell phone. Beth’s name flashes across the screen and I immediately love/hate the fact I met her. Love it because, so far, she is pretty awesome and hate it because I like to sleep in and she apparently does not.
“Hello?” my groggy voice greets her.
“Hey girl, rise and shine. I’m on my way over and we’re headed to the lake! I ran into Sky last night at the gym and she said there is a good
chance you’d be free today since you’re still waiting to see if you got that job.”
“What time is it?” I roll over and see eight a.m. in bright red letters on my alarm clock.
“It’s time for you to get out of bed and get ready. I’ll meet you outside in an hour.”
I don’t have time to negotiate more time, not that I should need it, or object to going to the lake, not that I would, before she hangs up her end of the call.
An hour later I’m dressed, I’ve eaten toast again because I need to go grocery shopping, and I’m stepping outside the moment I see a green nitro pull up to the curb. Beth waves from the window. As I walk to her car I notice that Conner’s truck is gone. I’m basically on the sidewalk, so the chances of running in to him are already slim, but knowing he isn’t even here to chance a run-in is nice.
I’m about 98 percent sure he was flirting with me yesterday morning right before he left to meet his son and his son’s mother. The worst part is, I started to fall for it, and I actually for a split second thought I misjudged him. Seeing him when I was with Skylar was just as awful. I don’t feel bad for turning him down, but I do feel like I should have handled the way I spoke to him better.
This is ridiculous. I need a day away from my apartment already just to clear my head. Why am I still obsessing over my jackhole neighbor?
Paramore fills my ears as I open the passenger door and get in. Beth is texting away on her cell phone, but she still greets me.
“Hey girl,” she says without looking up.
“Don’t you know it’s nine in the morning? You’ve got this radio turned up like we’re about to go out on the town partying,” I say, turning the music down.
“Hey.” She snaps her view toward me and cocks her head. “Don’t be turning my radio down like we’ve been friends forever. We only just met yesterday.” A smile slowly appears and she twists the dial to the right.
“Okay, new friend, what am I allowed to do in your car? And how far away is this said lake?” I ask. I’m waiting for the gym to tell me whether or not I have the job she mentioned earlier. I assume they won’t call me back this soon, but I want to be available and not out of service just in case they do.
