Her Big Neighbor

by Wylder, Penny

  “Well,” I say, “I’ll get started. Finish your coffee and feel a little better and then join me. Did you take the medicine I left for you?”

  She nods. “I did, thanks.”

  “Okay.”

  I’m pulling out my phone before I’ve even left the kitchen.

  She doesn’t remember anything. Not what we said or even what started her drinking that much. Plus, I didn’t realize that the event is this week and not next week. Is it cowardly to put off the conversation until that’s over?

  I get to work where we left off yesterday. It takes a few minutes but my phone chimes shortly.

  I would never call you a coward, Julia. You know the situation, and your mother. Do what you think is best to make sure it goes smoothly. And I’ll do whatever you need to help get ready. I might even be able to bribe Patrick to help.

  Your assistant? If he’s as effective as you say, he could probably get everything done in half the time. And thanks. I don’t want to wait, but when she’s in this mindset I can only see it ending badly.

  I’ve been in my fair share of parental arguments, he types. I get it. The last thing you want is to make everything worse before the event. But after, if you need backup for that discussion, let me know.

  It’s amazing that he would even offer before I knew that I needed it. But the knowledge that he’d stick with me, sit by me through trying to get through to my mom, brings me a relief I didn’t know that I needed to feel.

  Thank you. Have I mentioned that I love you?

  I can picture him smiling. You may have said something about it this morning in my bed.

  Of course he reminds me that we were in his bed and all the things we did there. It’s a very effective reminder. And then, less than a minute later,

  I love you too.

  I’m sorry that we’ll have to postpone going dancing. I tell him.

  Dancing can wait. I’m not going anywhere.

  How is it even possible that I made a mistake this big? I’m glad that we’ve gotten as much done as we have on the house, because there’s still three rooms that aren’t done. I must be crazy, because I could have sworn. But it doesn’t matter. All I need to do is get it done, and I plan to get through a good chunk of it this morning while mom is still nursing that hangover. She’s done brilliantly, but she has a tendency to hesitate and take too long on the decisions that we need to make.

  I hear my mother go upstairs, and I hear the shower running, but she doesn’t reappear. That’s okay. She needs to take her time and feel at her best to be able to do this.

  And I do make progress on my own. I’m glad the office is finished, cause what to throw away and what to keep is an easier thing to decide when it’s not paperwork that refers to things I was never aware of. By the time noon rolls around, Mom comes back downstairs and she does look better. And I have the living room completely finished. Even she’s impressed.

  “That’s amazing, Julia.”

  “Thank you.”

  She looks at me for a couple of seconds, and I wonder if she’s remembering something from last night. But she doesn’t give anything away. “Well then. Let’s try to get more done.”

  “I can keep going with the cleaning,” I say. “I’m sure you have other things to do to make sure everything is ready for the party. You could work on that, if you want. It might be more effective if we split our energy.”

  Finally, she smiles, though it’s still a little pained. “Are you kicking me off the cleaning?”

  I smile back. “If there’s anything in particular that you’re dying to save, tell me now. Otherwise I’m going to be a whirlwind.”

  “No, I think we’ve covered most of the places that I really cared about.”

  I nod. “Good. Then stay out of my way,” I say lightly. It’s mostly a joke. But I’m determined.

  And I think I get more done in one day than we’ve gotten done since I’ve been back. I do feel a little bit like I’ve turned into a human whirlwind, but I don’t mind. This is the most purpose that I’ve felt in forever.

  I’m shocked when I look up and find that it’s five. I could keep going, but my stomach is growling and I’m finally running out of steam. I finished another room, and I’m closing in on the last one. After that, there’s the actual cleaning. Making sure there’s no smudges on the walls and clearing out all the dust we’ve disturbed by going through everything.

  Mom hangs up the phone as I step into the kitchen. I didn’t even realize how hungry I was. “Progress?”

  “Yes indeed. Confirmed the catering and the flowers. Followed up on some iffy invitations too. I think we’re in a much better place than this morning.”

  “That’s good.”

  She stands and comes over to me, putting a hand on my shoulder before I can open the refrigerator. “Hey, I wanted to tell you that it means a lot that you’re doing this. Helping me. I know that I haven’t really said it. But I appreciate it.”

  Guilt gnaws at my stomach. My frustration and the fact that I’m hiding things. “It’s not a problem.”

  “I still wanted to tell you. You hungry?”

  “Starving,” I admit.

  She brushes past me to the pantry. “Awesome. I was going to cook some burgers. You game?”

  “Yeah, that sounds awesome. I might go take a shower first.” I dove right in to the cleaning this morning and forgot about the shower. The remnants of last night are still on me, plus the buildup of dirt and dust.

  The water feels amazing, but it suddenly sinks in just how tired I am. I collapse onto the bed in my towel, just resting for a moment, and I think that I could just fall asleep right now. But I manage to drag myself up just long enough to pull on some pajamas, but the call of my bed is too strong.

  My phone buzzes, and I crack my eyes open to check the text. It’s Edward.

  Did you survive?

  Barely. Exhausted.

  Suddenly the phone is ringing in my hand. It’s him. “Hello?” I ask quietly.

  “If you’re tired I don’t want to make you type.”

  “Mmm. It’s your fault you wore me out last night and then I cleaned all day.”

  He laughs. “I’m more than happy to take responsibility for fucking you into oblivion.”

  “Mom decided she wanted to cook burgers, but I might be asleep before they’re finished.”

  “Should I come over and check on the ceiling?”

  I frown. “Why?”

  “As an excuse to see you.”

  “I’d rather you snuck in my window again and just slept with me.”

  The chuckle that comes across the line is low and sensual. “I could do that.”

  “I won’t be much fun.”

  “I disagree. You’re always fun.”

  I can smell the burgers cooking downstairs, and they smell amazing, but I can’t decide whether to struggle out of bed to eat one. “Do I eat or do I sleep?”

  “You do whatever you need more. Both if you can.”

  “Okay. Will I see you tomorrow?” I ask.

  “In the window at the very least.”

  There’s no keeping the smile off my face even though he can’t see it. “I love you.”

  “I love you. Sleep well, Julia.”

  I hang up and set my alarm so I don’t miss seeing him off in the morning, but that’s all I can do. Sleep comes quickly, and not even the delicious scent of what’s cooking downstairs can keep my eyes open.

  17

  Julia

  We manage to get everything ready. I’m still not sure how. But on Friday afternoon, the house is decorated with flowers and balloons and other things that relate to the charity’s mission of supporting schools and teachers. Bouquets of pencils and clipboards, and we’ve created a centerpiece from the cookbooks that we’re donating.

  Mom looks amazing too, back in one of her sharp suits with full make-up, she reminds me of the mom I used to know. Someone who was always in control and knew exactly what she wanted and how to get i
t. She’s been fairly quiet the last few days, though generally in good spirits. But she’s nervous; I can tell. The party today is a big deal, and it will mean a lot for the start of it and the scope under which she can operate. A lot is riding on this.

  But the strange thing today, all day today, is I’ve caught her staring out the window towards Edward’s house. Every time it makes my stomach flip with my own set of nerves.

  Does she know? Has she figured it out? Is she angry about it and hasn’t figured out how to tell me that she is? I wanted to wait until after the party to bring it up so that nothing would distract her from her focus. But if she’s already thinking about it, I wonder if that was the best choice after all?

  In either case, I can’t bring it up now. It’s only a few minutes until guests are going to start arriving.

  Including Edward.

  The last few days, he and I have stolen every moment possible together. That wasn’t a lot of moments, given the frenzy of trying to get ready. But I ended up pinned against the wall of Edward’s garage, and dragged out for ‘coffee.’ I don’t mind. There hasn’t been a minute that I haven’t wanted to be with him, and those stolen moments barely satisfy. But they’re enough so that I don’t go mad. I’m planning on spending the night with him again soon. I need it. I feel like I won’t be able to breathe if I don’t.

  “Nervous?” I ask my mom as she straightens one of the trays of fruit for what feels like the hundredth time.

  “Yes, actually. I really want this to work.”

  “It will. And even if it doesn’t, that doesn’t mean that it’s the end. It’s just another hurdle to jump over.”

  She nods. “You’re right.”

  There’s a knock at the door, and I jump. Mom straightens, and she turns into a different person. All the nerves are gone, her spine is straight, and she’s ready to charm the money out of everyone who arrives. And people do arrive. More people than we actually expected for so early in the party. That’s both good and bad—the more people that are here the more successful the idea appears and the more people are likely to donate.

  But we also underestimated the amount of food and beverages that we might actually need. It’s not bad yet, but I could be going shopping in the middle of this.

  Finally, I see Edward. He’s in a sharp dark suit with a crisp white shirt and all I want to do is look at him. That’s a lie I want to look at him and then I want to rip the shirt off, but I swear to God looking at Edward in a suit is better than porn. He probably knows it too. All he’d have to do to get me to jump into bed with him is show up looking like that.

  I’d probably jump into bed with him anyway, given how talented he is in that department, but this is a whole other level. He smiles at me, and it’s filled with secrets and meaning that no one else will be able to decipher. “Good turnout so far,” he says to me. I hate that he’s standing at a friendly distance, but I can’t exactly make out with him in the middle of the party.

  “Yeah, it’s been really good,” I say. “We may have actually underestimated the number of people. It seems like people brought friends. Which is great, but also a little concerning for the food situation.”

  “Well it looks great so far.”

  I smile. “Thanks.”

  He gives me a look. “You should give me a tour.”

  “A tour. I think I can do that. What would you like to see?”

  “Anywhere that’s private,” he says softly, and I glance around to make sure no one overheard. I have absolutely no problem making out with my boyfriend during this party. But I don’t want to have anything bad happen during the event.

  I nod. “Come with me.” Leading him to the office, I open the door. “And this is the office,” I say loudly enough that people in the surrounding area can hear me. And then we walk through together. We’re barely through the door when Edward’s mouth is on mine, and I’m moaning into his mouth. It’s been more than a day since he touched me last and I’m already aching for him. “God, I wish I could have you right now,” I say.

  “Why not?”

  I laugh, and kiss him again until I have no more breath left to spare and have to catch it. “Because even I’m not that crazy,” I say. “I’m not going to fuck you in my mother’s office with a house full of people on the other side of the door.”

  “Could be exciting,” Edward says, smirking.

  “You’re crazy.”

  His lips are on my neck. “You love that about me.”

  God, I love the way his tongue drags across my skin. It’s entirely possible that I’ll never get tired of it. “I really do, but I also am not going to do anything that could mess this up. You know that.”

  “I do.”

  Our lips find each other like magnets, drawn back to each other like we can’t stay apart. I wish it were later. Then maybe we could sneak away. But that’s not going to happen. Outside, I can hear my mom calling my name. “Shit.”

  Edward steps away from me.

  “Is my lipstick okay?”

  He uses his thumb to smooth something below my lip. “You’re good.”

  My name is called again, and I open the door. “Yeah, Mom?”

  She strides in, and freezes when she sees Edward in the room with me. “What are you doing in here?”

  “Edward wanted a tour of the house,” I say, thankful that he came up with that very convenient excuse. “What’s going on?”

  “We’re almost out of ice for drinks. We’re going to need more. And I’m worried that we’re going to run out of a couple of the appetizers.”

  “Want me to go get some?”

  I’m already stepping towards the door when Edward holds out a hand. “Jane, let me help. I’d be happy to go get what you need. It’d be a shame for you to be without your right hand woman.”

  Mom pauses, and appraises Edward like she’s not sure if he’s serious, but she grants him a small smile. “That would be very nice of you Edward, thank you. I’ll write down what we need.”

  She scribbles a note on the pad on her desk and hands it to him. Edward breaks out the most charming smile that I’ve ever seen on his face. “Excellent. I’ll be back before you even notice that I’m gone.” He smiles at me, and then heads out the door.

  I don’t think he realizes how many points he just scored with my mom. Or maybe he does. But even if there were no points to be gained, Edward would do it anyway. He loves helping people. It’s one off the reasons he loves his job so much. He gets to help people create their dreams, and create products that make a difference. No matter what it is, he loves to make a difference. And that is really special.

  “This is going really well, Mom. Congratulations.”

  The smile she gives me is the wide and truly genuine. “It’s going better than I could have hoped, honestly. I think we’ll have a lot of good commitments by the end of the night.”

  “Is there anything that you need me to do before Edward gets back?”

  “Nothing in particular,” she says. “If you see anyone without the hand-outs, you can give them one and run through the talking points. I’m going to put out the rest of the food that we have.”

  I nod. “Got it.”

  Most of the people that are currently here are familiar with our talking points: giving teachers the resources to help under-privileged kids directly in the classroom. That includes books, extra money for lunches, and any other resources that they might need. The plan is to work directly with individual teachers in communities to find out what suits their needs rather than taking a one-gift-fits-all approach.

  Mom has planned to start with the local high school and elementary school, so when the principals show up together, I find her right away. I don’t want to be the one to run them through the stuff. She’s the face of the organization, so she needs to be their point of contact.

  Of course she’s perfect, funny and charming, nearly sweeping them off their feet immediately. I’m watching from the corner, enjoying the sight of her being a badass
, when I see her falter. Her face falls completely. It’s like she’s seen a ghost. Anger flashes across her face too, and then it’s gone and she’s being charming again.

  “Hey,” Edward’s voice comes from behind me. “We’ve got the stuff.”

  His arms are full of bags of ice, and his brother is behind him holding several bags of fruit and vegetable plates and the other finger foods my mom asked him to pick up. He looks angry too, but I don’t want to ask him about it in front of everyone. I’m sure it has something to do with his brother. “Let’s take it to the kitchen.”

  We weave through the foyer—which is getting a little crowded—and down the hallway and into the kitchen. “Thank you,” I say. “For doing this. It’s really helpful.”

  “Not a problem.” Edward’s eyes are fire as he opens the bag of ice and empties one of them into the waiting bowl. I take another one and put it into the freezer. With this we should definitely be fine for the rest of party now.

  I hear the footsteps before I see her, and that’s the thing that puts me on edge. That’s the walk my mother uses when she’d pissed and determined, and when she enters the kitchen I don’t think that I’ve ever seen her this angry. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  The air in the kitchen goes completely still. “They brought the food,” I say. “Is something wrong?”

  Mom doesn’t even acknowledge the fact that I’ve said anything. “You need to leave. You are not welcome here.” She walks past me, and I try to stop her.

  My stomach drops. This is about Edward and me. It has to be. I can’t think of another reason that she would be this furious. “Mom, it’s okay. It’s really fine. I know that you don’t like it, but I’m an adult and I can make my own decisions. Edward and I love each other.”

  Pushing past me roughly, she stops in front of Kevin. “You think you can just come into my house without asking? You think you can just show up here at all and that everything will be fine? Get the fuck out of my house.”

  I’ve been on the wrong side of my mom’s anger, and the fact that Kevin isn’t paling in fear is amazing to me. He looks unhappy, but not penitent in the slightest. “What is happening right now?”