Next Door Neighbors (3 page)

              “Let’s just say you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll feel all good and tingly inside,” Amanda bubbled.

              Jill let out a sigh. “Another love story. I should have guessed.”

              Back in the day Jill wouldn’t have minded a good romance movie. It wasn’t her favorite genre, but she didn’t despise it either. Now though? Jill’s eyes were opened, and all she saw in such movies was a false sense of hope and a romance nowhere near grounded in reality.

              Oh, well, it is her turn to choose.

              On the plus side, it was also Amanda’s turn to buy refreshments. She intended to make her friend pay for making her sit through another one of those “love is awesome” movies.

              Both girls got their tickets and refreshments, and went on their way to find which screening room they needed to sit down in. Getting the correct room, both girls went to sit in their favorite area: a section in the middle of the room directly behind the walkway. There was a row of bars they could easily rest their feet on as they leaned back in the comfortable chairs.

              “Looks like we made it in time for your previews,” Jill pointed out.

              Amanda let out an evil laugh.

              “What’s so funny?” Jill gave Amanda a glare, waiting for her friend to explain.

              “That’s because the movie doesn’t actually start for another fifteen minutes.”

              “Amanda!” Jill said through clenched teeth as loud as she dared to get in the almost crowded room.

              “What? I didn’t want to be late, and we technically would have if the movie really started right now.”

              Ugh! Breathe, Jill. Breathe.

              Even though she loved Amanda, there were times she felt like she could strangle her. As frustrated as she was that she had to hurry all evening long for no reason, Jill tried to push past her friend’s tactics. All that mattered now was that she could finally relax for the night.

              And hopefully keep her mind off her new, temporary next door neighbor.

3

              Brian Montgomery had no such luck. Ever since Jill had run into him a couple of days ago, all he could do was think about her. No matter what project his mom, Elena, had asked him to work on next, he found himself daydreaming of her seductive bluish-green eyes and brown hair that flowed nicely down the sides of her face, stopping just below the shoulders. He couldn’t stop picturing her womanly curves that he knew would satisfy his every desire.

Then there was her smile. Her lips looked supple and smooth. Something about those lips made Brian want to brush them against his own.

And he couldn’t get over how she blushed so easily. As odd as Brian thought it was, he always was attracted to a woman who grew a little red in the cheeks on occasion. Maybe it was because it gave him a sense of the woman’s own attraction to him as well. Whatever the case may be, Brian was certainly drawn to Jill and was eager to get to know her better.

Putting the finishing touches on the gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches that his mother requested, he snatched up the plates and brought them over to the dining room where Elena had already been sitting, anticipating the meal she had craved for quite some time. These sandwiches were the same thing that her grandma taught her mom how to make and then her mom taught her how to make. Having no daughter of her own, she still made sure to pass on the family secret to her one and only son.

“Here you go, mom.” Brian gently placed the plate before her, a look of delight on her face.

“It looks fabulous! Thank you so much. I’ve been craving one of these for a long time, but just never had the energy to make one.”

“Shoot, I can’t remember when the last time was that I made one of these for myself,” Brian mentioned. He then tried to think back to when the last time was, but was coming up blank.

Both family members took a bite at the same time, a moan of satisfaction escaping both of their lips.

“I can’t believe I forgot how good these were!” Brian exclaimed.

“Oh, I know!” Elena agreed.

Occasional small talk was made at the table as the two of them finished their meal; mostly Elena going over a few things that she wanted to get done. With each item she pointed out, Brian made a mental note to himself. Remembering every detail wasn’t necessary because more than likely his mom would repeat most of it another time or two. His mom’s memory was getting foggier by the day it seemed.

He felt like the list included a lot of little things, but knew it would still take a while. That just meant he’d be with his mom longer, as well as in the house next door to the most beautiful creature that he’s seen in quite some time.

              Brian finished up his sandwich first and brought his plate back over to the kitchen. He saw the large stack of dishes that needed to get done and right away knew what his next chore would be. He rinsed out a dish rag and cleaned up some counters that he had used to make lunch, and then little by little he started organizing the dishes on one side of the sink so he could begin washing. Towards the bottom of the sink he saw Jill’s nine by thirteen inch pan that she had brought the biscuits and gravy casserole in the other night.

              I should get this back to her and let her know how great it was!

              Excited that he finally figured out a reason to actually go and seek Jill, he began to whistle while doing his work. Elena interrupted his train of thought when she came up beside him to place her plate next to all the dirty ones. However, just as she went to set it down, an intense pain shot through her wrist and traveled up her arm, causing her to drop the plate. Upon impact, it shattered into several pieces on the floor.

              “Mom! Are you okay?”

              Brian quickly dried his hands and looked over his mom to make sure she didn’t get cut or anything.

              “Yes, I’m okay. I just felt a shooting pain. It’s all part of the disease.”

              Even though she did her best to sound fine, Brian could hear in her voice that she was distraught. He knew that her suffering from fibromyalgia definitely changed her way of life, and that it was something that she was having a hard time accepting.

              Brian gently grabbed his mom’s hand and started leading her to the living room. He suggested, “How about you go sit down. I’ll take care of everything here.”

              “You’re so good to me. I’m so glad you came up here.” Elena let go and made her way to her favorite chair where she picked up the book she was reading.

              Brian sighed and started cleaning up the mess so that he could get back to the dishes. He felt uneasy about his mom, knowing full well that perhaps she shouldn’t be living on her own anymore. But then again, just yesterday his mom acted like her normal self and even babied him a little, happy that he was home. Fibromyalgia was definitely something he didn’t understand.

              As the last piece of the broken plate got thrown into the trash, Brian reminisced about them. His mom was using the same dishes he grew up with. That was just like his mom to do that; keep everything until it’s gone or broken. She was never into buying new things or having the latest style. He admired his mom for her Plain Jane, and even frugal, way of living.

              Brian let out a quick sigh when something caught his eye. He glanced out the window in front of him and saw the object of his affection. Jill had just gone into her garage to gather a few tools, coming out with all the supplies needed to do some gardening.

              I should probably hurry up so I can bring this dish back to her!

              Again, the whistling began. He found that it helped him to wash the dishes faster, and it definitely put his mind on other things than his mom and her condition. In fact, ever since Jill was spotted from the corner of his eye, all he thought about was her.

---------------

              “Mom, I’m going to go bring this dish back to Jill next door. I’ll be right back!” Brian called out so his mom could hear from the living room.

              “Okay!”

              Brian stepped out the back door and took a deep breath of fresh air. It was a gorgeous day in May; the sun was shining down on him and there was no cloud in sight. The temperature wasn’t as warm as he was used to down in the south, but warm enough where a t-shirt was all he needed. He took a moment to enjoy his surroundings and contemplate on how he exactly wanted to approach Jill. She was clearly occupied and he didn’t want to startle her.

              Looking in her direction, he studied her every move. From the looks of everything, she had just finished digging some holes and was now planting seeds. He enjoyed how her hands moved effortlessly, a clue that gardening must have been second nature to her.

Then his mind shifted to her appearance: hair pulled up in a messy ponytail, a white t-shirt that had dirt smudges all over it, and jeans that were clearly made for moments like this. Brian focused on those jeans for a moment because they accentuated her legs, and on her upper right thigh in the back he noticed a pretty decent-sized hole. His thoughts started spinning out of control and he knew that he had to calm himself down. Though she appeared dirty and worn, Brian found Jill attractive all the more.

As he drew closer, he heard her singing a song. He listened to her soft, angelic voice singing something about seeds. As cute as it was, he couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “I’d join in, but I’m not quite familiar with this song,” Brian teased with a smirk on his face.

Startling her after all, Jill fell backward with a stifled yelp, looking up at the one who was standing in front of her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you!”

Jill brushed a runaway strand of hair away from her face and stood up. “Oh, it’s okay. I just didn’t realize you were there, Mr. Montgomery.”

“Mr. Montgomery?” Brian chuckled. “Please, call me Brian.”

Jill shook her head as if she just remembered that. “Right. Right. I’m sorry.”

“No problem. I just don’t want things to be so formal between us.”

Brian enjoyed a quick smile from Jill until she suddenly appeared alarmed. “Is everything okay? With your mom and everything?”

              “Don’t worry. She’s fine. I just wanted to give you back your casserole dish.”

              “Oh, that!” Jill had completely forgotten about the dish already. “Here, I’ll take it.”

              Brian handed it to her and watched her gracefully bring it to her side steps. As she walked back towards him, he was able to get a glimpse of how her t-shirt fit snuggly in some areas, complimenting her generous curves. Not allowing himself to get too worked up, he quickly changed gears and thanked her for the meal.

              “You’re welcome,” Jill smiled as she crossed her arms. “Did you enjoy it?”

              “It was probably the best thing I’ve tasted in a long time. I love biscuits and gravy, and never knew someone could make a casserole out of it.”

              “Well, I’m glad you liked it. And see, that sausage gravy packet was important so I’m glad you found it,” Jill pointed out.

              Both of them shared a small laugh.

              Brian put his hands in his pockets and said, “Hey, I really appreciate everything that you’ve been doing for my mom. She’s told me many wonderful things about you, and the awesome meals that you bring her. It means so much to me that she has someone here to take care of her when I can’t.”

              Jill acknowledged his sincerity and appreciated it. At the same time, though, she couldn’t imagine it being any other way. “Oh, it’s nothing really. Your mom has helped me out so much. I feel like I’m only doing the very least. I wish I could do more.”

              “No, no! I can’t tell you how much of a big help you’ve been!”

              Jill gave a half smile. “I just hope she gets the help she needs and deserves. I feel so bad for what she has to deal with on a daily basis.” There was a lull in their conversation when Jill added, “Speaking of help, how long are you going to be in town for?”

              Brian hesitated a moment before answering, “You know, I’m not sure.”

              “Oh, okay.”

              “I mean, my best guess would be maybe a couple of months. I want to make sure I get everything taken care of for my mom and a good sense of how she’s doing before I head back.”

              “That makes sense,” Jill agreed.

              “Speaking of which, I should probably get back inside to her.”

              Jill motioned over to the seeds she had yet to plant and playfully said, “Yeah, and these seeds aren’t going to plant themselves.”

              A slight breeze crossed between them, and once again Jill had a loose strand of hair fall before her eyes. She reached for it and placed it behind her ear, this time leaving a smudge just above her left eye.

              Brian noticed it and tried telling her by pointing at his own identical spot on his forehead, but the couple of times he did only made Jill confused and not quite sure what he was trying to get at. Finally, he just asked, “May I?”

              “Um…” Jill muttered before Brian took action.

              A quick lick on his right thumb, he reached out to Jill’s face and gently wiped away the dirt. Afterward, his hand remained in place as he gazed into Jill’s eyes.

It had been a long time since someone had touched Jill the way Brian was. She didn’t remember that a man’s brief and tender caress could feel as good as it did. However, she wouldn’t allow herself to enjoy the moment for fear of where it might lead so she quickly glanced away and took a step back.

That’s when Brian realized he had overdone it. Trying to act as if nothing happened, he smiled and announced, “There. Got it.”

              “Oh, thanks, Mr. Montgom…I mean, Brian,” Jill said shyly as she felt her neck and face begin to heat up, something that had absolutely nothing to do with the sun beating down on her.

              “My pleasure,” Brian stated in a husky voice. “See you around?”

              “Probably,” Jill nodded.

              “Great.”

              Brian walked back to his mom’s house, a smile on his lips and a spring in his steps, leaving Jill to get back to her gardening.

             
And, oh, the singing!

              As he opened the door, he took a quick glance back towards Jill who was down on her knees in the dirt again. Listening carefully, he was sure he could hear the soft, sweet voice barely echoing among the slight breeze that blew through his hair.

              Like the birds that chirped near one of the bird feeders that his mom had hanging on a clothes line in her back yard, Jill’s song was music to his ears.