B & M

“Okay, that should be all the boxes. Geo will load the furniture when he gets home from work. Thank you so much, Miranda, for watching the kids while I packed.” My screen door creaked open and I leaned into the door frame holding the screen open with one socked foot, the sound of cartoons and laughing children behind me. The chill of the morning almost disappearing in the afternoon sun, I unzipped my light jacket revealing the pink cotton tee underneath. With Fall coming to an end, I frowned at the thought of the upcoming winter. Hoping for minimal snow in exchange for bitter cold. The cold I could handle, but trudging through dirty snow every morning gets wearisome fast.



“It’s no problem, Jetta. I love hanging out with them, and they never give me a problem. You have good kids.” Raising a hand to stop another thank you before it formed her lips, I shook my head.



“You don’t have to thank me again. I’m happy for you, all of you. You’re going to be fine. Don’t look so sad.”



Eyes watering, she leaned in and hugged me. Awkwardly, I  returned the embrace with one hand and held the screen door open with the other. I need to get that fixed soon. She smelled like flowers and baby powder and hairspray. A combination I never thought would be soothing, but found my self at ease nonetheless. 



“I’m going to miss you, Miranda,” she said between sniffles “Especially the kids, they love you. Promise you will come and visit us.” Pulling back, she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. Her dark eyelashes moist, she blinked up at me, a hint of anxiety in her eyes.



“Of course I will. I already promised the kids. And besides, who is going to help you unpack? I will be very upset if you ask someone else.”  I pouted, pretending to be upset at the thought of being replaced. Jetta giggled, amusement coloring her brown eyes.



“ I hate the thought of you living so far away, but Geo says you will be fine.” She shrugged, her uncertainty not hiding her worry.



“Geo is a smart man. He’s right, I will be. Don’t you spend another minute worrying about me.”



It’s a good feeling knowing someone cared about you and I struggled not to cry. I was really going to miss her. She wasn’t only a great neighbor, she was one of my best friends.



A sweet smile spread over Jetta’s tired face. Her slim, petite figure never leaving a clue she had three kids. She met Geo at a small salon her aunt owned in L. A. He complained about the new haircut she gave him and she kicked him out for being a conceited jerk.  A year later, they were married in a small chapel in a small town outside of Los Angeles.  His promotion brought them to the South side of Chicago where they were my neighbors and friends for five plus years.  Today, they were moving to a cute suburban home with more than enough room to raise their brood. A wave of depression threatened to surface. I bit back the emotion and smiled.  She was a wonderful, loving mother and wife. Never shirking her duties for a day all to herself, she lived for her family and her life revolved around them.  And she looked good doing it.

She had her own business, and moving to the suburbs put her at a close commute, and lets face it, in this tired economy, saving money was a necessity.



  I wanted what a life like that. Someday, I thought. Someday. Sighing, I shook my head. I hope someday was soon.



As if reading my thoughts, she extended her small hands taking mine into them. The screen door gently bounced on my hip. I shifted so it would close and a puff of air tickled my back bringing with it the scent of fruit snacks and apple dippers.



“I won’t worry about you, I promise. Geo told me the man who bought our house is a good guy. And single.” She waggled her eyebrows and stepped aside. Sneaking a peak inside my doorway, her black hair fell away to reveal bright pink strands before whispering in my ear.



“If I were single again, I would hit that. He is one hell of a man!‘ The excitement in her eyes played on my curiosity a wee bit.



“You have to be more specific here, Jetta. Are we talking cute, hot, or smoking hot?” I bit my lip waiting for her reply. I didn’t have to wait long.



“I’m talking smoking hot, as sexy as you can get. The ultimate eye candy!’ She squealed, jumping up and down with an excitement that was almost contagious. “He used to model with Geo up in L.A. and moved down here a few months ago. He’s gorgeous!”



Happiness skittered through me for a moment, immediately extinguished by the thought that although he was single, would probably have a revolving door of lovers. Not the kind of guy I’m looking for. Not everyone was lucky enough to find a good guy like Jetta. But new eye candy wasn’t a bad thing. It wouldn’t hurt to look, right?



“You’re so lucky to have a hot neighbor. My new ones are old, old, and older. No eye candy for me.” She giggled and let go of my hands, sashayed to the screen, calling for her kids to come out and get into her van. 



Saying goodbye was hard. I told myself not to cry, but myself didn’t listen, and I was a big ball of blubbery goodness by the time they drove away. 



******



The morning felt lonely. Not because I was alone--I always wake up alone, but that my good friend and neighbor was an hour away, made me feel like I was in a desert with no one, nothing, and no hope for rescue. Sighing into the empty kitchen, I shuffled over to the counter where my freshly brewed coffee awaited me. Pouring the hot liquid into my pink and white mug, I wondering about the new guy moving in next door. The way Jetta got all hot and bothered by the thought of him had  more than piqued my curiosity, and I’m ashamed to admit that I was peeking through my curtains when the moving van pulled up in hopes of catching a glimpse. Ashamed of myself, I forced my legs to move into the living room. Settling into the love seat, I gingerly set my mug on the small table in front of me and eyed the new novel Jetta gifted me as an early birthday present. The cover was like any other romance novel I’ve seen. Hot, muscular stud pressed up against a well endowed beauty; their blue eyes locked and brimming with passion.  Jetta liked her stories hot, steamy and full of sex. She only recommends the books that are teeming with the steamiest “romantic encounters”, and she wasn’t ashamed of it. “ The sex is what matters,” she’d say, “The important thing is that they get down and dirty, fast, and frequently.”  And who am I to judge? She liked sex. She had three kids to prove it.



Picking it up, I felt the weight of it between my fingers. The thickness of  it had me in awe. How much sex was in this book? A loud knock startled me and I turned towards the noise. Door. Someone’s at the door.  Getting up, I padded towards the solid oak, tugging the hem of my oversized tank down were it bunched up from sitting. Expecting a package, I didn’t bother to ask who it was and let the door swing open.



Oh. My. God. I’ve died and gone to romance novel heaven.



The male model standing at my door smiled.



“Hi, I’m your new neighbor.  I came to pick up the spare key… Geo told me you would have it.” He said still smiling. When I didn’t reply, he added, “ I rang the door bell, twice. I’m sorry if I woke you.”  Looking over my sleepwear, his sexy lips curved up and I all but fainted. 



Ever had one of those moments when a hot model is standing at your door when you suddenly realize your not wearing a bra, and that he can probably see your boobs through the flimsy fabric you thought no one would ever see you in when you bought it on sale? 



Turning on my heels, I bolted to my bedroom and threw on the first t-shirt I found and fumbled into my yoga shorts.  Swiping the key off of my vanity, I raced towards the door. Slowing down to a hurried walk, I found my smile and forced it into place.



My brain told me not to freak out because he just saw me in my panties, to watch my step lest I fall and embarrass myself anymore than I already have, and kindly reminded me that I know how to speak and that I should do that.



“Sorry, I thought you were…uh, I was expecting someone else,” I said, fumbling over my words as I reached the threshold. He raised a sexy eyebrow in question.



“Oh God, no not like that… uh… I was expecting a package. You know, UPS. I ordered something online and I’ve been tracking it and it‘s scheduled to arrive today.“ What is wrong with me? Couldn’t I introduce myself like a normal person?



“Is it a book?” he asked holding up my early birthday present. I hadn’t noticed that I dropped it. The sexy male on the cover paled in comparison to this guy. He should be on every romance cover.  I would buy two copies of each. One for Jetta, of course. No wonder she made a big deal about him. He was the sexiest man I’ve ever seen!



“Ah, no. It’s um…” I couldn’t finish my sentence. All coherent thought ceased the moment his eyes did a slow once-over of me, and the flush of embarrassment hit me like a semi-truck in oncoming traffic. My cheeks were a deep shade of pink by now, and if I didn’t get a hold of myself, my entire face would be a strawberry red.  At least they would match my panties. And that thought brought forth every hue of red that ever existed; each shade outshining the other as the wonderful light show broadcasted in high definition. 





“I’m Blaze“, he said handing the book over, “Blaze Kordell.”