Chapter Nine
Lucy
“So, who’s the hunk next door?” Bri asked.
“That would be my new neighbor, Jason. He’s got the cutest little daughter, too.”
“How old is she?”
“Three. And she’s got bouncing curls and the cutest little smile. They came into the diner a few days back. She gorged herself on soup and couldn’t eat her pie,” I said.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a kid who gorged themselves on soup,” Bri said.
“Isn’t it the cutest?”
Bri was staring out the window at Jason working on his car. He’d been kind enough to fix mine while I was doing some things inside the house, and I’d brought him some lemonade just to get a peek at him. He was in this grungy white shirt and these grease-stained jeans that hugged his thighs in ways I wished my legs could. He’d had my car fixed before I had the sense to offer him a glass of my apple cider.
And now, he was working on his car while my sister was gawking at his shirtless figure. He was hunched over the hood of it with Jenna playing on the porch, and the sweat dripping from his brow caused the grease to cling to his face while he tried to find something to tweak.
“I’d call him Daddy any day,” Bri said.
“Bri! Seriously?” I asked.
“Well, look at him. All those muscles and all that skin, and God, look at all that ass.”
“You’re insane. Plus, I think he’s already hooked up with Megan,” I said.
“That crazy redhead down the way? I wouldn't be surprised. She’s a bit desperate, and she’d be an easy target if he was looking for some. Why do you think he’s already gone for her?” she asked.
“She’s been over there talking a lot, trying to interact with Jenna. That sort of thing.”
“She bring him one of those pies?” she asked.
“No clue, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Probably invited him over for dinner, too,” I said. “Did you know he apparently had a reputation back home? Girls called him ‘Max’ because he’d been with a maximum number of women or something like that.”
“Then, speculation corrected. If he’s got that kind of reputation, then he’s definitely slept with Megan. That woman’s desperate if I ever saw anyone be it,” Bri said.
“I just hope he’s careful with Megan around his daughter. She’s always been a bit unhinged.”
“What do you mean?” Bri asked.
“Well, I heard the last guy she did the whole pie-and-dinner shtick with, she ended up stalking or some shit. Guy almost called the cops on her before she backed off.”
“When the hell was this?” she asked.
“A couple years ago? Could’ve just been a one-off thing, but that kind of stuff follows you around in a town like this,” I said.
I honestly didn’t know how I felt about a guy who would take advantage of a desperate girl like that. Women like Megan are always easy to spot. They push out their boobs, their smiles are always a bit too big, and their eyes practically gobble you whole. Every time I saw Megan over there, she had her hand on his arm, or she was laughing a little too much at his jokes. She’d sometimes try to scoot closer to him whenever Jenna would go inside, and it was obvious what she was doing.
“You really give a shit about this Megan thing, don’t you?” Bri asked.
“I mean, if she’s desperate, I just don’t know how I’d like a guy taking advantage of me in that state,” I said.
“Who said he was taking advantage of anyone? If they’re both consenting, and they both wanna have some unattached fun, why not? Besides, it’s not like you’re dating him or anything.”
“True,” I said.
“Though, I’d let him take advantage of me any day,” Bri murmured.
“Again. You’re insane.”
“Have you seen him, though?” she asked.
“Multiple times. And yes, he’s handsome. Very.”
“Well, at least you’re not broken in that department.”
“Thanks, sis. I’m not broken. Just not ready,” I said. “And anyway, when are we gonna plan our next sister getaway? We haven’t done one since before—”
I was about to say before I met David, but my emotions caught in my throat. My sister and I, when David had passed, vowed to plan more getaways to just be closer to one another. It hurt my heart we hadn’t gone on any lately. Bri’s hand on my arm ripped me from my trance.
“Maybe we could rent a cabin,” I said as I shook my head. “Maybe go fishing.”
“Fishing’s your thing. Hair’s my thing,” she said. “What about somewhere cool and hip? Like a weekend in Portland or something?”
“And be surrounded by tall buildings and people with all the funky haircuts you’re going to eventually give them?” I asked.
“I don’t know. It could be good inspiration.”
“If we’re going somewhere, we aren’t working,” I said.
“Well, what about a beach trip? To the coast or to California?”
“Remember that time you got sand in your vagina?” I asked.
“Worst way to lose your virginity ever,” Bri said.
“Do you really wanna repeat that trip?”
“I’m not gonna sleep with anyone in the sand. Just bask in it and get tan.”
“You don’t tan. Neither of us tan. We’d be crispies,” I said.
“That’s what sunscreen’s for. If you don’t like my suggestions, then throw one out there.”
“I did. I still think the cabin’s a good idea, even if we don’t go fishing.”
“But bugs and worms and mosquitoes,” Bri said.
“And you don’t think mosquitoes are at the beach?” I asked.
“We aren’t gonna agree on anything right now, are we?”
“Probably not,” I said. “But, let’s keep throwing out ideas. I’m sure there’s something out there that both of us will want to do together without being miserable.”
“I’ll say. I’m looking at one right now.”
Bri looked out the window at Jason, and all I could do was playfully slap her shoulder. She was being absolutely ridiculous about him working on his car out there, but when I leaned over and got a decent look, I could definitely see how Bri could get to staring at him. He was wiping a rag over his brow to sop up the sweat glistening all over his body, and I could only imagine what it would be like to slip into a shower or a hot tub with that man and his body. I bet his legs sparkled just as much as his chest did when it was wet, and suddenly I felt my entire body grow weak at the idea of being beside him, naked and steaming.
“You done yet?” Bri asked.
I jumped at the sound of her voice, and I was met with a smirk when I turned. I shook my head and started back for the kitchen while she followed me, but my mind was now officially elsewhere. I wondered what else he enjoyed doing besides working on cars. Maybe he liked movies, or plays, or maybe playing some cards. Maybe he was one of those guys who played in a weekly poker tournament and drank whiskey from a crystal glass. Nah, he didn’t really strike me as that kind of person, but I was sure he had other hobbies besides his car and desperate women.
Maybe that would be my next topic of conversation with him whenever I got a chance to pull him off to the side.
That is, whenever Megan wasn’t doing her little dance with him in his yard.
“Lucy? Lucy, you home?”
“Hm? Sorry, what was that?” I asked.
“Well, it’s nice to know you can still get lost in the thought of a man,” she said.
“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
“You were thinking about your neighbor. You were probably thinking about him kissing your neck and running his hands down your body and—”
“Ew. Bri. No. Just stop,” I said.
“You really like him. You wanna touch him. You wanna bed him. You want him to push you against the wall and fuck your brains out.”
“Seriously. Cut the shit,” I said.
“Testy, testy. Alright, my bad. I’m done. But listen, make sure you use protection, sis. Don’t need no babies running around these hardwood floors. You’ve busted your ass enough on them.”
“You’re sick; you know that?” I said with a smile.
“In all the best ways,” she said. “I’ll pop back by in a few days, all right?”
“Sounds good. Drive safe.”
I watched my sister pull out of the driveway from my porch before I wrapped my arms tightly around me. The cool autumn wind had kicked up again, blowing the smell of apples in my direction. I closed my eyes and imagined all the red little bulbs knocking together on the trees out back, begging to be picked by little children and adults of all ages so their succulent tastes could be enjoyed and treasured as part of the tradition of the season.
But when a flash of Jason wrapping his lips around my nipple came to mind, I opened my eyes and took in a sharp breath. It had been years since I’d ever envisioned a man in that capacity who wasn’t David, and there was a part of me that was frightened.
“Hey, Lucy.”
I looked over and saw him waving at me with his little girl sitting on his shoulders. She was giggling at the grease that covered her father's face, but I was more in tune with his lips.
They were plump and pillowy, and God, they’d feel good around my nipples.
“Hey, Jason. Hey, Jenna.”
I waved at them while my knees slowly grew weak, and I watched them all the way into their house. His car was all shut up and cleaned down, and I figured he was done for the day. I stepped back into my house as the wind started to pick up again, but this time I shut the door and closed all the blinds in the house.
I didn’t need to be having thoughts about my neighbor like that, especially with him fooling around with Megan.
I could do better than that; I knew that much.
So, why was it so easy for my body to relent to him the way it was?
“Get ahold of yourself, Lucy,” I said to myself. But the image of his body slowly creeping down mine plagued me for the rest of the day, and I had no idea what to do about it.