Big Bad Neighbor: A Single Dad Next Door Romance

by Tia Siren

  He danced his way off, down the stairs, until he joined up with his friend. As his final act before leaving, he blew a kiss to Kara.

  She regretted having said yes; perhaps she would turn her phone off and pretend to be asleep, instead.

  2.

  It must have been passed ten when her phone started dancing its way across her nightstand. Her comforter was just the right temperature, and she deigned the idea of moving. Still, she rolled herself to her side and palmed her phone. With a click on the device, she answered.

  “What,” Kara mouthed.

  “You haven’t shown, I thought you promised,” returned the voice of Henry.

  “No, I promised nothing. You just promised you’d leave me alone if I went,” she replied.

  “I see you don’t want me to stop bothering you. You’re quite a schemer,” said the smug voice of Henry again.

  Kara let out a drawn out sigh.

  “How did you even get my number,” she asked.

  “I’ll tell you when you get here,” he replied, clicking off the receiver.

  Kara was hopelessly stuck. She wanted to stay home and be comfortable. It would be an early day tomorrow, so at least, she had an excuse to leave early.

  Having been almost laundry day, Kara was lacking in interesting things to wear, so she just pulled on whatever was lying around and left.

  The party was, thankfully, nearby. Kara pulled her jacket a little tighter as she walked the empty sidewalks to the house just down the street. While she walked, she wondered. Why wouldn’t Henry just leave her alone after she said no the first hundred times?

  The lights from the party spilled to the roadside, making the shadows of the guests dance in odd ways. Music was playing tastefully loud inside, and the conversation echoed out into the night.

  Kara walked up, hoping to see Henry right away. She just wanted to make her appearance and leave, nothing more. But, Henry wasn’t out front, nor was he inside the house.

  In the backyard an awful din rose, drowning out the rest of the guests. Kara decided to investigate and had a keen feeling that Henry would be somewhere in the middle. She wasn’t wrong.

  A makeshift court was erected, made of garbage cans and traffic cones. Some of the hockey players were skating around on rollerblades, chasing after a handball that was serving as a puck. Henry seemed to be relishing in the excitement, taking shots backwards between his legs.

  He even played one handed for a while as he drank from a red plastic cup, what Kara assumed was alcohol. Of course, she thought, he would be the one drinking while playing a sport with this much activity.

  Henry caught her eye as he sailed past, and in so doing, lost his footing falling flat on his back; spilling beer all over himself. Kara couldn’t help herself and laughed along with the rest of the crowd.

  The game ended with that, not many of the other players showed an interest past having a good laugh at Henry. It was probably for the best.

  “You finally showed, I see,” said Henry while he dabbed as much alcohol off his shirt as he could.

  “I had to, remember,” Kara replied, dismally.

  Henry stripped off his sullied shirt and began to strut toward the house. He must have been freezing because Kara was freezing while wearing her winter coat. She could make out his breath smoking in the air as he walked; he didn’t really seem to care.

  Henry’s toned abs glistened with cold sweat. Kara followed him inside since he was the only person she knew that was present.

  Henry was passed a new glass of beer by George, who was standing by a keg indoors; he flashed Kara a knowing smile and handed her one as well, which she took and examined.

  “When you’re popular, it’s easy to find a beer,” started Henry.

  Kara took a sip and hated the taste.

  “Why do you drink this crap,” she asked.

  “Because being sober on a weeknight is for losers,” Henry responded confidently.

  Kara set her drink on a table where it was immediately snatched up by another guest.

  “Okay, I came. Now tell me where you got my number,” said Kara hastily.

  “I’ll give you a choice, I’ll either stop bothering you in person, or you can find out who gave me your number. But, you can’t have both,” Henry said with a cocky smile.

  Kara’s frustration was palpable.

  “Fine, you can keep the stupid phone number. At least, I can block you on my phone.”

  “Aww, now why would you want to do that, Kara? I thought our love was written in the stars,” Henry said dramatically.

  He threw his arm around Kara, and oddly to her, she didn’t mind. It had been a long time since she’d been held in any manner.

  She looked around and caught more than a few envious glares and began to feel uncomfortable. She pried herself from his grasp and stepped back.

  “Okay, I’ve made an appearance at your stupid party, I’m going home.”

  “Kara, what are you going to do at home,” Henry asked, “shall I take a guess? I think you’ll lie down in bed, pull out a book and read for a few minutes while missing me.”

  “Nothing of the sort,” she replied, “I’m going to go home and sleep. I have a lot to do tomorrow. I’m taking on some new students that need tutoring, and I’ll need to decide who will be on that list. Thus, I have to sleep tonight.”

  Henry finished his drink and casually tossed the plastic cup aside.

  “Alright, alright, I won’t bother you anymore. Get out of here.”

  Henry waved Kara away in an overt gesture, and she actually felt a bit down that he was pushing her away already. She, at least, expected him to put up more of a fight.

  “Have a good evening,” Kara replied curtly before walking towards the front door.

  Henry watched her leave; his chest was wracked with a tightness he hadn’t really felt before. He felt that the first time he saw her, as well. It seemed to be lessened every time he had the chance to talk to her, so he enjoyed every second they spent together; even though their time was spent arguing with each other.

  He wanted to do something more about it; then he saw George.

  3.

  George was in the middle of a conversation with a couple of other girls. He was a good guy, even though he was a little slow. Still, he had the opening that Henry needed, and he’d even been so kind as to share Kara’s number. Perhaps there was one more thing he’d be willing to do.

  “George, my man,” started Henry, “you’re being tutored by Kara, right?”

  George turned to speak, and the girls walked away.

  “Yeah, what’s up?” he asked.

  “Listen, how did you get her as a tutor,” Henry asked.

  “It was easy, there’s a website on the campus that you use to apply for tutelage, and they match you up with people that best suit your needs,” replied George.

  “It’s that easy?”

  “Yep, just like that. It costs a bit, but it’s worth it. Kara’s helped me bump my grade up a couple of points in the last couple months; it’s helped keep me on the team,” George said.

  Henry scratched his chin.

  “Do you still have your application somewhere,” Henry asked.

  “Yeah, probably, why?”

  “I want to apply for a tutor, just give me your information,” Henry prodded.

  “I think I have it in my room, I’ll email it to you,” George replied, and then went back to filling his glass.

  Henry stood there a moment watching him drink, wishing that he’d take the hint.

  “Now, please,” Henry said, taking the glass from George’s hand and setting it on the table.

  George raised an eyebrow at him and left for his room in the house. Henry followed close by.

  “How about you just bring up the application, and I’ll fill out the rest before sending it in,” Henry said.

  George nodded.

  “You’ll probably end up with the girl that ditched you tonight,” George said.
/>   “You don’t say, wouldn’t that be something,” Henry said.

  With a few taps on his laptop, George pulled up his old application. Henry pushed George from his chair and started changing a few of the fields.

  “Hmm, maybe Albert Conrad,” Henry said.

  “Albert, Who?” George asked.

  “Nothing, George, can you answer me a question, what does Kara like?”

  George looked at Henry with drunken eyes and tried to understand what he was being asked.

  “Reading, I guess,” George replied.

  “You’re no help, George,” said Henry.

  “I know.”

  “I’ll turn off your computer when I’m done, just get back to the party for me.”

  “Okay, Henry.”

  George stumbled out of his room, slamming the door behind him unexpectedly.

  Henry continued to fill in the fields of the application. Some of the details he made up on the fly, while others he used from his own record to help his case. When he thought the application was perfect, he submitted it.

  Henry felt butterflies in his stomach. He wanted to spend more time with Kara, and this seemed the only way to do it.

  4.

  The usual people were on the list, and Kara didn’t mind who she had to tutor, so long as they were willing to learn and able to pay.

  Living on campus was becoming more expensive every quarter that passed, and she had to take on even more students to handle the load.

  One applicant stood out to her on the list. Albert Conrad. He needed help in areas that she was quite proficient in; though he did sound like he might be a little slow to learn. It didn’t really matter, though; everyone deserved a fair shot at good grades.

  Kara signed the waiver and took on two more students; the first she decided to call was Albert.

  “Hello?” replied the speaker.

  “Albert Conrad,” she asked.

  “Yes, that’s me.”

  “This is Kara, and I’ve decided to take you on as a student that I’ll be tutoring. Do you have time to meet me later today?”

  “Of course; the library at 2 pm would be perfect,” he replied.

  “Excellent, I will see you then,” Kara said before hanging up the phone.

  Something seemed very familiar about the voice on the other line, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

  Time passed, and the clock eventually read 2 pm. It was raining again outside, and Kara sat and watched out the window again with a book in hand.

  She felt a tap on her shoulder and swiveled to see Henry standing there.

  “Why are you here,” she asked.

  “Albert said he couldn’t make it, and I should take his spot,” he replied while plopping down in the overstuffed chair nearby.

  “How do you know Albert,” Kara wondered.

  “Well, funny story, that,” Henry said, “I made him up.”

  Kara wasn’t laughing.

  “Henry, why are you torturing me like this,” she asked.

  “I really don’t know,” he replied.

  There was sincerity in his reply that Kara hadn’t heard before. Henry appeared genuine for the first time since Kara had met him.

  “Okay, Henry, you’ve had your fun, I need to get back to real work now.”

  Henry didn’t budge from his seat.

  “Kara, why do we constantly fight?” he asked.

  Kara knew what she wanted to say, but wondered if she was just parroting what she had said in the past. The only reason she could honestly come up with is that she didn’t want to feel like she was just another face. She wanted to be more than just another passing fancy.

  “We fight because you’re super annoying,” she said.

  Henry smirked.

  “I guess you’ll never let down your guard,” Henry said while standing up to leave.

  Kara stood as well.

  “Is this some kind of joke,” she asked, “you make someone up so that you can come see me after you said that you wouldn’t bother me anymore. Now you’re walking away with your tail between your legs.”

  Henry paused and lingered for a moment before answer, trying to think of a reply. Nothing really came to him, so he just said what was on his mind.

  “Kara, I don’t like many people, but I like you,” he said.

  Kara let out a brash laugh that left Henry feeling a little silly.

  “Henry, I don’t think you know what it means to like someone.”

  “Kara, I mean it when I ask you out, I really do want to try to take you out for a date and see if we could be something more than acquaintances.”

  She was feeling incredibly frustrated. This was a new tactic, for sure, and Kara couldn’t figure it out.

  “Okay Henry, let’s try it,” she said, surprising herself.

  She hadn’t meant to accept, but the words escaped her mouth before she’d really thought about them.

  Henry’s eyes lit up, his usual serious gaze disappeared.

  “I don’t suppose you’d want to go out right now, would you?”

  Kara shook her head.

  “No, I’m busy today,” she couldn’t backpedal this time. “Just call me, maybe we can get together later or tomorrow. I’m usually free on Sunday’s.”

  “It’s a date,” he said, bouncing out from the library.

  The rain let up, and small jets of sunlight streamed in through the glass. Kara already missed the rain, but the rainbow was a welcome change.

  “Great,” she said to herself with an exhausted sigh.

  5.

  Sunday began with a phone call.

  “Hello,” Kara said, answering the call with her eyes full of sleep

  “I think I have an idea of what we can do today, dress warm and meet me downstairs,” Henry replied then ended the call.

  Kara wanted to stay in bed for another hour or two. She rarely had the chance to sleep in, and this was the first day in more than a few months that she’d had the time.

  Still, she found herself interested in seeing what he meant by ‘dress warm.'

  Kara raided her closet and put on the warmest things she could find. Sadly they didn’t look that great together. Kara was a curvier girl, and it was always hard to find things that fit just right. Her large bosom barely fit into regular bras from the store, and her curvier hips made buying jeans a nightmare.

  She usually ended up in comfy leggings and a knee length dress. Today, she put on a pair of ill-fitting jeans and a sweater than made her look just a little bit wider than usual. Kara hated it but went with it anyway.

  Downstairs, in the walkway leading up to her apartment, stood Henry. A small bundle of wildflowers perched in his hand and his hair was combed just a little bit to one side. Kara suppressed a giggle at his new hairdo.

  “Alright, what’s the plan then,” she said.

  “Today is a special day,” Henry replied.

  “Oh yeah, and what’s that mean,” questioned Kara.

  “It means that you’re in for quite a treat.”

  Then he thrust the small band of flowers towards her.

  “These are for you,” he said.

  She took the mangy flowers from him.

  “Thanks,” she said unenthusiastically.

  Henry offered an arm, and Kara reluctantly took it.

  Although, now that she was there, she liked it. She knew that she’d get a lot of looks from any other girl that walked along the sidewalk.

  Kara’s curiosity was going a bit wild. She wondered what it was that he’d planned for the day. He made no mention nor did he have anything that gave away his plan. Henry just continued to walk with purpose down the lane.

  A small band of people was gathered up ahead. Kara recognized the area but didn’t understand why people were gathering in the space.

  “What are we doing here,” Kara asked.

  “You’ll see in about five more minutes,” Henry replied after checking his phone.

  Kara started trying to gue
ss, but she hadn’t a clue. More people started gathering until there must have been more than fifty people that had congregated. It must be something important, but there wasn’t anything around except for people.

  Then a single person came running through the middle of the crowd with a spray paint can. They continued to fire a steady stream in a line along the ground through the middle of the crowd.

  Once the line was finished, Kara started to realize what was happening. Each side of the line faced the other and dodge-balls started appearing out of nowhere.

  “Don’t tell me this is a-”

  “Dodgeball Flash mob!” shouted Henry.

  The two sides clashed with ferocity. Small rubber balls flew this way, and that, and Kara did her best to avoid them. Henry went on the attack, catching a few balls that would have hit Kara and throwing them back in the chaos.

  At first, Kara felt incredibly out of place, but after five minutes she couldn’t stop laughing. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had as much fun in a crowd. Even when they were tagged by the balls they calmly walked out of the crowd and waited for another chance to get back in. For almost half an hour the crowd played before they started dispersing.

  Out of breath and ready to leave, Kara and Henry parted ways with the action and made for the shops nearby. Kara led Henry to her favorite coffee shop just down the road and ordered them both a hot chocolate to warm back up. Together, they sat in the overstuffed chairs by the fireplace in the middle of the room.

  “Okay, I’ll admit,” Kara started, “I had fun. Thank you for the invite.”

  Henry nodded with a mustache of whipped cream covering his smile.

  “I thought you might enjoy it. The best things in life are free,” he replied.

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Kara added.

  “So tell me, has your opinion of me improved a bit,” Henry asked.

  “Perhaps a small bit,” she replied.

  “Progress is progress,” he quipped, “I was thinking I could cook you lunch at my place.”

  “How about you make me lunch at my apartment so that I can change out of these ridiculous clothes,” Kara said.

  “So eager to invite me in, I see where this is going,” he said with a laugh.