by Xyla Turner
"Lot of things you don't know about me, sweetness." I grabbed her hand. "Would love to show you more behind the wall. Would love to learn about my Lori, too."
As I pulled her towards me, her mouth parted with something to say but nothing escaped.
"How about it?" I asked as my hands rubbed up and down her arms.
"I don't know about this, Connor." She shook her head. "We've had our share..."
"No, let's not discuss it now. Tonight, come over around eight. I'll grill some food and have drinks and shit. Just bring yourself and help me break in the deck and we'll discuss it all. I have a plan that I think you may like."
"Connor," she warned.
"Eight tonight. Just want to enjoy my first dinner here at my new place. No pressure. Good food, good fun. Promise." I was about to beg. "Your presence will be my house warming gift and you're a good neighbor."
"Fuck you." She slapped my chest. "This is my hood."
"Okay, well you're the welcoming party. Tonight at eight?" I moved her hair so it was behind her ear. "Please."
"Fine." She shook her head. "Eight."
Lori turned to make her exit and said, "And keep that racket down."
"Got it, neighbor," I yelled back.
Shit, I had to go shopping.
Ten
Neighbors
Lori:
The man purchased a home right next to mine. I mean, literally less than twenty feet from my place. He was actually crazier than me or just as crazy. He could not be believed or was it me that was being ridiculous.
Even though he said I didn't have to bring anything, I still wanted to get something. He didn't seem like a wine drinker, so I bought a case of his favorite beer and a cactus, since that would be harder to kill. I arrived five minutes after eight dressed in a mid-thigh skirt, sandals, and with my hair pinned up.
I knocked twice. Before I could put my arm back down, the door opened and there stood, Connor in a button-down shirt, new jeans and boots. His normal attire included old shaggy jeans, a t-shirt and boots, but tonight he looked different. His shoulder length hair was even parted to the side with some sort of semblance of a style.
"You're beautiful," he greeted me.
"You don't look so bad yourself." I smiled and walked inside. "Here's your housewarming gift."
"Thanks," he said while accepting my presents. "Come on in."
We walked to the kitchen, where he put the beers in the fridge and then carried the cactus outside.
"The food is almost done." He waved for me to sit on the new bench that wasn't there this morning. "Dinner tonight will consist of my homemade burgers, well done, honey baked beans, corn and for dessert, Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream."
I couldn't help but laugh out loud. "You must have been talking to Shay."
"Yup." He nodded as he checked the grill once more before he sat down next to me. "I'm glad you came."
"We'll see if I regret it soon enough," I replied with honesty.
Connor nodded his head and said, "I forgot the music."
He hopped up, grabbed the remote and hit play. Calvin Harris music started to crank out around the entire yard. The man had surround sound speakers installed. I was such a geek because I was impressed.
The upbeat tempo kept things light as he prepared our plates and then took us under the Gazebo with sheers draped over the top, creating a romantic scene. The food smelled and looked delicious, so I was semi-excited to eat.
"Ready to break it in?" Connor smiled.
"Who are you? Smiling, buying houses and cooking?" I asked.
His eyes met mine and he said, "That's what you're going to find out tonight."
We started to eat and half way through my burger since he had demolished his, Connor said, "So here's my proposal. You and I started on a bad note. We can both agree to that. No matter what the situation was before, it didn't end well for either of us. Right now, we have an idea about each other as an individual. We know some facts, right? We might even know a little more about each other than others that aren't close but there are things behind our veils that we don't know. So, my proposal is that we, you and me alone, get to know each other so that we can give the other a fair chance. Not know each other through our friends or what we heard, but just us one on one."
I sat back in my chair and continued to chew on my food before I spoke. "So, you're saying – let's hit the reset button?"
"Exactly." He nodded. "We start from scratch."
"That won't work," I said as I shook my head. "I mean, it sounds good but how do you erase our past. That's the very thing that has brought us to where we are now."
"Right, which is nowhere." His brows pushed together. "It's like we're stuck in this time capsule and we can't move forward or back so I'm saying blow up the fucking capsule and let's move forward."
"Connor," I breathed. "Don't you get it? I can't be caught up in you again. I had to give you up and any possibility of being with you...so that's what I mean when I say we can never happen."
It hurt to say that after the meal and ambiance he created but he needed to know. The music changed again and Unsteady by X Ambassadors came on. Connor stood up and held out his hand for me to take.
"What?" I asked but he didn't answer, just jerked his hand.
I took it and he led me to the solid ground with pavers in a circular shape. Connor grabbed my other hand and we started to sway to the music.
If you love me, don't let go.
To my utter surprise, Connor sang each verse in my ear.
Hold on, hold on to me. Cause I'm a little unsteady.
My face was pressed against his chest as we swayed to the beat of the three-minute song. His voice resembled Sam Harris in the band because I knew Connor meant every word. He wasn't just singing a song; he was singing it to me.
When it ended, he continued to have us sway to the next song but I pulled away and said, "Okay, Connor. We'll try it your way. Start from scratch. Clean slate with no blemishes."
Hi eyes lit up as he picked me up and swung me around like I had just won a million dollars.
"Okay, Okay," I screamed. "You're going to make me dizzy."
"Fuck, sweetness." I slid down his hard body and those thick arms were still around my entire body.
"From scratch, Connor." I tried to push away from him but he just stared.
Finally, he nodded his head and said, "My name is Connor Locklear but everyone calls me Apollo. What's your name sweetness?"
"My name is Loriline Barrister and everybody calls me Lori," I replied.
"So, I just moved to the neighborhood and I'm a member of a biker club, called the Legion of Guardians. They are a bunch of men and won't be able to help me with the interior decorating but I was hoping you could. I'm new to the neighborhood." He tried to add that in.
"That so?" I nodded. "I'm not sure you'll like my taste."
"Your place is very nice and modern. I've seen your yard and if that represents your taste, then I approve."
"Be careful what you ask for," I tried to warn him.
"So, you'll help me?" he asked.
"Okay, Connor," I agreed. "What's the budget?"
"We'll discuss that over breakfast tomorrow," he said.
"Breakfast?" I asked.
This man thought he was about to occupy all of my time and he thought he was slick at that.
"Yeah, I'd like to have everything renovated and done before Shay and Bronx’s wedding in December. I've offered for them to have their reception here."
"Oh, okay. Then, yes, time is of the essence," I agreed.
"So, breakfast tomorrow and we can share secrets about our childhoods."
I laughed. He was good. I had to give him that.
"Well, since we're having a working breakfast, we should probably call it a night," I suggested because he was giving me those bedroom eyes.
"Haven’t had dessert yet," Connor added.
"Ah, yes. Got to have Ben & Jerry's." I pulled away from him
and went towards the kitchen. "I'll get it."
Grabbing the one pint-size ice-cream and two spoons, I went back outside, where Connor was sitting on the bench. Giving him one of the utensils, we began to eat until it was empty.
"Oh my God." I laughed. "We just crushed that ice cream."
"We, that was mostly you." He denied my allegation.
"Fine. Can we make it a late breakfast so I can run that off?" I asked.
"There are other ways to work that off." He was definitely offering.
"Yeah, friend. I'm sure there are." I patted his thigh. "Okay, this has been fun. Really. But I got to go home and handle some business."
"What sort of business?" he asked with a smirk on his face.
I was at the gate of his yard, when I yelled back, "Not that it’s any of your business friend but my battery-operated boyfriend just got new batteries...night."
"Fuuuuucccckkk," Connor groaned.
The next morning, I woke up to banging on my door. Connor was at the door with grocery bags and a smile.
"Rise and shine, sleepy head." He walked in after I opened the door. "We got work to do. That B.O.B. kept you up late, huh?"
"Shut up!" I snapped back. "Do you have coffee?"
He handed me a cup from under the bags he had on his wrist.
"God, I love you." I sighed as I took a sip. "I mean, not love but you know. For the coffee."
"Yeah, sure." Connor put the bags in the kitchen and began to unpack them as I sipped on the blessed coffee.
"So, what's your color scheme?" I asked in between each sip.
"Here, I've picked some colors out of the hardware store book. The pages are folded," he said, as he moved around the kitchen like he knew where everything was located.
Impressive.
The man cooked bacon and cheese omelets with diced onions, peppers and mushrooms. That was to go with the dollar pancakes he whipped up and my choice of orange or apple juice. Just like he said, we discussed our childhoods, our parents and how we thought our upbringing shaped our lives. Connor, to my surprise, was much deeper than I'd ever given him credit for. I knew he wasn't a dumb man but all I saw was the brooding, mysterious biker and that alone made him attractive. Yet here he was cooking, discussing how his mom and dad had passed away when he was young and about his time in the army. He said his father worked hard and kept to himself while his mother stayed in a state of depression throughout her life. Connor even discussed some of his issues, how they had manifested and even the triggers.
Yeah, I had somehow been unaware of these facts.
For the next couple of weeks, Connor and I sort of stayed in our own bubble of his house and mine, plus the hardware, furniture, appliance, and carpet stores in and out of town. His budget was huge for each thing so he got what he wanted or mostly what I recommended. Connor was adamant about wanting a man cave for his basement. He even had it sound proofed, so he could play and do whatever he wanted in his cave.
Everything was complete within three weeks and after we toured each and every facet of the house, I flopped on his leather couch and said, "Well, this is awesome, Connor."
He sat down and picked up my legs, then looked around the room.
"I love it," he said. "Thanks so much."
"No problem. This was pretty cool." I sighed and said, "Well, now that my job is done, I can go back to my life."
"Uh, not really. There are a couple of other things I will need your help with that I might not have mentioned." Connor squeezed my calf.
"Wait, one minute." I pulled my legs away from him. "This was a one-time thing."
"Well, remember what it's for. I need help with the reception. I haven’t got the faintest idea about this shit. Kylie is supposed to help me but she looks ready to pop any day now.”
"Oh yeah. Sure." I nodded. "What's the other thing?"
"Come on, I'll show you." Connor grabbed my hand, leading me towards the door. "Grab that helmet right there."
Snatching it as he pulled me through the door and to his bike, I slid on behind him with the helmet secured. Twenty minutes later, we rolled up to a car dealership and Connor explained that he needed a quality vehicle; so all of them were big ole' pickup trucks. Different brands but all the same type, all trucks.
"Connor, why do you need me here?" I asked once I swung my leg off the bike.
"Friends go with other friends to make major purchases in life." He tagged my hand and we spent the better part of the day at the dealership as we both started to negotiate with the salesman.
The man was trying to say the Kelley Blue book value wasn't accurate because anyone can post prices. I knew that wasn't right so I chimed in on their conversation and even stood up to leave.
"Look, I'm not about to sit around here and argue with this con artist. Let's go where Razor suggested because at least it’s Guardian approved and you know he won't try to screw you over." I made my way to the door.
The guy looked at Connor, who shrugged and said, "You heard the lady."
"You're a Guardian?" the salesman asked Connor.
"Yes, he is. The Sergeant of Arms, as a matter of fact," I chimed in again.
"Man, you didn't have on your cut. You're Apollo, right?" His eyes brightened and he stood up. "Come on, man. I got something for you. Any Guardian is a friend of mine. Helped my cousin out of a situation. I'll never forget that."
Connor grabbed my hand and we went to the back where he had some of the nicer trucks. He pointed to at least ten trucks and said, "Any of these you want for five thousand off that Kelley Blue Book value sheet ya girl got."
"What?" I whispered. "Are these new?"
"Brand-spanking new." He nodded. "No more than twenty-five miles on either of them."
They ranged from the luxury foreign trucks to the top of the line American brands. I pulled on Connor's arm and asked, "Which one do you like?"
"Not sure." He looked around. "Which do you think would better suit my lifestyle?"
I laughed.
"Your lifestyle?" I asked. "Connor, all I know about your lifestyle is that you're a Guardian and y'all do some secret shit like helping get people out of 'situations'. I know you work at the garage sometimes on bikes, you go to the gym and act like you go grocery shopping but you only buy for one meal."
"You know I just purchased a home, so that should tell you something." Those eyes bore into mine.
My head nodded to break the connection.
"Right. And we mustn’t forget you're going to be carting around your god-kids, right?" I asked. "Well, in that case you're probably going to want to get something that has a back seat and a flatbed, like this one or that one."
"Perfect," he said as he headed towards the two trucks. "Now, the foreign or American one."
"Well, the foreign one has nice amenities but so does the American one. I think it'll come down to maintenance," I answered. "You want to have to order parts or get them cheaper and quicker by getting them local? Wait, you work on cars, you should know this."
"How do you know it?" he asked.
"I have a foreign car and it's a bear trying to get parts quickly to fix it," I admitted.
"Okay, then. Let's test drive them and see."
Typical guy.
We took both trucks out for a drive and each time, Connor drove there and then let me drive back. Hands down, we both agreed on the foreign truck. It was a better drive and they lasted longer. Although, the American truck had more, Connor liked the drive better and with the price, it was a steal.
Since I couldn’t drive the bike back to his place, I had to drive the truck which was crazy since it was his very first vehicle purchase. The man should have been the one to drive it first then he could have picked up his bike later but he gladly tossed me the keys and we rode off.
There were things like that, that made me see how unselfish he actually was. His entire house, the reception and everything wasn't necessarily for him but others. His Guardian family meant something to him, which defin
itely meant something to me.
My family on the other hand had become very suspicious about how much time I had been spending with the new neighbor.
"So, does he have a name?" my mom asked one day.
"He does, Mom." I nodded in any attempt to play coy.
They did not know that I had cut myself that dreadful evening because of my reaction to his words. I'm sure they knew it had to do with a guy but I never said who, though Manor was too small of a town to not know. However, this was my fear all along. We'd get close, like for real close, and then everybody else would get in it with their thoughts and opinions. It would get all fucked up from there.
"You going to share?" she asked in a quiet voice.
"He's my new neighbor and his name is Connor," I said. "He's friends with Bronx and Razor and right now, we're planning the reception party for Shay's wedding. It's going to be at his house."
"Oh, I see." Her head nodded, then recognition of the name sunk in. "That's Apollo. The love of your life, Apollo?"
I shook my head in the negative. "No, he's not the love of my life. That died. Now, he's a neighbor and we’re working on a suitable friendship."
"Honey, I hope you know what you're doing?" Her eyes grew wide. "I just don't want..."
"Mom, don't worry. I won't say I know what I'm doing but what I'm not doing is what I did before. I'm not infatuated with him, it's not a figment of my imagination and at this point in life, the only thing I can handle is a friendship." I tried to reassure her.
"Good to hear, dear." She smiled. "See you're growing up a bit too much for me."
We laughed as we waited for our nails to dry under the blue lights. Then we grabbed some ice cream and cookies to end our day. As we were stopping in one last store, I went to turn and show my mom the Honky Tonk boots I was saving for and bumped into a hard body.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." I looked up and gasped. "Connor, what are you doing here?"
"Connor?" my mom repeated and her head popped up from the fray of shoes on the floor.
"Fancy seeing you here, sweetness." Connor smiled at me. "Nice boots."
My mom sidled up next to me and said, "Honey, who's your friend?"
