The Neighbor #3 (The Neighbor #3) (2 page)

“Yes. Look at Hollywood. Those relationships
are often publicity stunts or there is money involved. We are talking about a
man in a power position over young women. You are one of those young women
Jenna. The guy is your college professor.”

At this point, we both raised our voices. I
looked towards the window to be sure it was closed. I would have hated
for Ryder
to hear us.

“Mom.
My relationship with Ryder started before I knew he was my professor.
I started golfing with him before I knew he was your neighbor.”

“What else is there you don’t know about
Professor Curran?” my mom asked.

“I am getting to know him.
It’s
how a relationship progresses. He is not taking advantage of me or any other
girls in class. Of course, I don’t know everything there is to know about
Ryder. I think it would be odd if I were to meet someone, pull out a note pad
and ask for his life story,” I said angrily.

“I wonder what the university would have to
say if they found out. There go your dreams of a college degree and there goes
that creep’s career.”

“Ryder is not a creep!” I yelled.

“Well what about the gossip? I have lived on
this street for a very long time. I take Potato for a walk every day. I know
when people are talking and they will be talking about you and the professor.”

“Sorry, Mom, but I did not realize the Walsh
family had a squeaky clean image to up hold. I also doubt that you walk that
fat mutt every day. His dog shit is in piles all over the yard.” I felt myself
boiling over. The stress of finding out that Ryder had cancer had taken its
toll on me and I hadn’t got much sleep. “This is more than I expected first
thing in the morning. I am going to take a shower, throw on some clothes and
get out of here before I say something I regret.”

As I ran up the stairs, my mother shouted,
“This will not end well, Jenna Walsh! You mark my words!”

I dived on to my old bed and screamed into the
pillow. My mother meant well, but I was dealing with enough. I did not need her
interference. There was Ryder, keeping up the sham that he was merely my golf
instructor, cancer, school,
etcetera
. I felt as if I
were standing on some sort of ledge and I was about to fall off. It was a
scary, fucked up feeling because I didn’t know was waiting for me after I fell.

I saw my phone, which was creeping across by
bed. It vibrated each time I received a text. Someone had their fingers busy
attempting to reach me. I hated to clean off the smell of Ryder and
I
from my body, but I had to shower. The pulsating warm
water would be soothing.

I entered the bathroom and closed the door. I
didn’t realize it until I heard the click, that I had missed having a private
bathroom. It was a luxury I had taken for granted before I went to college. For
once, I did not have to fear Eric’s hand reaching under the barrier to return
my bar of soap.

I sat on the cushioned toilet seat and realized
I had a clear view of Ryder’s bedroom. The window glass was permanently clouded
for privacy so I cracked it open a few inches. I spotted Ryder sleeping. He was
angelic as his bare sculpted chest moved with each breath. He seemed to have a
wry smile on his face. I wondered if he was dreaming of our night together.

I remembered that my mother had limited hot
water and I had the water running for ten minutes already. I snapped out of it
and hopped in the shower. My mother had a buffet of lotions and potions from
which to choose. I felt as if I were in a day spa.

When I finished in the shower, I ended up
smelling a little strange. It was a combination of rose, honey and mint – not
exactly the scent I was looking for. I had tried a little of everything.

I peeked out the window. Ryder was out of bed
and probably fixing something to eat or taking his medications. I had promised
to bring him coffee and fruit and I had even hinted at something more. My
conversation with my mother had taken an unexpectedly long time, so I was
delayed. Ryder would have to wait for another day to have breakfast in bed.

I threw on a pair of yoga pants and a grey
hoodie. Since the encounter with my mom had put me in a sour mood, I decided to
take the trip back to school. I would just have to focus on other priorities.

I had realized that there was a great deal
involved with being an adult. It was overwhelming. I had skipped classes like a
rock across flat water. Mid-terms would be upon me before I knew it. I had not
cracked my history book; in fact I didn’t remember what my professor looked
like. I ran down the stairs hoping to sneak out the side door and avoid my
mother.

“Leaving so soon, Jenna?” My mother stopped me
from a clean getaway.

“Yes, Mom, I’m heading home,” I said.

“This is your home, Jenna. Are you stopping to
bid farewell to your boyfriend?”

I rolled my eyes. “Ugh. I’ll call you later in
the week.”

I walked out and slammed the door behind me. I
climbed into my green Soul and headed back to school. I beeped as I passed Ryder;
he had texted me several times and I owed him a call. When I got on the
highway, I put him on speaker phone.

“Hello, Luscious. I had to grab my own coffee.
Love
em
and leave
em
. I
guess that’s your style. What happened to your return visit?” Ryder said
between sips of his coffee.

“My mother knows about us Ryder. She was ready
to confront me when I walked in the door.”

“Does she think our relationship is
inappropriate?” Ryder asked.

He used the word
relationship
.

“Yes.”

“Well…I’m
kinda
glad
your mom knows about us. It may be hard for her to accept at first but we are
two consenting adults. It’s ridiculous having to sneak around. Especially for
me – I’m thirty-four years old.”

“I am trying to put it out of my mind for the
next couple of days. I’m on the road back to school.”

“You aren’t running away from me because of my
bum head are you?”

“I am hardly running away from your head,
Ryder.”

“Well, good, because I like it best when it is
nuzzled between your legs. You have some amazing thighs, Jenna. Maybe they are
a miracle cure for cancer.”

“I don’t know Ryder…We’d have to do a great
deal more experimenting to find out.”

“
Mmmm
.
I will gladly sacrifice my body for the sake
of science,” Ryder said.

“Is that what you were dreaming of this
morning? I had a clear view of you when I was in my mother’s bathroom.”

“God Jenna, you are a peeping Tom—I fucking
love it.”

I laughed. “Thanks for cheering me up
immensely. I don’t know how I am going to spend the next few days without you
around. Did I just sound too needy?”

“Not at all; I am needy, too. Pay attention to
the road because I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

“I don’t want anything bad to happen to you
either, Ryder. Bye.”

“Bye.”

I felt much better for the remainder of the
drive. The night with Ryder was so special, and it was more than the incredible
oral sex. We were getting closer each time we were together. I was glad I
didn’t let the encounter with my mother erase the perfect evening.

I pulled up to Leach Hall and saw Kelly’s car,
which meant she was probably home. Perhaps the odd scent I had picked up in my
mom’s bathroom would help with the odor emanating from Kelly’s mouth.

I walked into my dorm room to find Kelly
watching some
Pretty Little Liars
reruns.

“I can’t believe you are watching that crap.
It’s the weekend. Get out and enjoy the fresh air, Kelly. You’re not in Kansas
anymore. I can’t tell you how long I have wanted to say
you’re not in Kansas anymore
. I am a big Wizard of Oz fan,” I said.

“Welcome home to you, too, Jenna... Did you
have a good time, wherever you were?” Kelly asked.

“Um—it was good and bad.”

“Did it have anything to do with your golf
game?” Kelly asked.

I glanced at my pink golf bag propped up
against the wall.

“No. I was not out golfing after dark. I don’t
think I can golf at night since I already suck during the day. There is video
golf, but I have never played.” I let my words lie. I knew Kelly was aware of
my relationship with Ryder but it would go on as an unspoken truth.

“Cool. I’m glad you had fun. You smell interesting,”
Kelly remarked.

She finally brought up odor but it was not her
own. I wished that I could be so frank about her bad breath.

“I know,
Kel
. I
smell as if I just walked out of a cheap perfumery. My mother had all of this
girly shit and I couldn’t resist. I need a shower to rinse off the gunk from my
previous shower.”

“I can tear myself away from
Pretty Little Liars
if you care to go
for a run. It might air you out a bit.”

“Sounds perfect.
I could use a good, mind—clearing five
miler
.”

We ran for an hour or so, which allowed me to
put the weekend’s events in perspective. It had been a roller coaster of
emotions. I had comfort and a sense of calm throughout the evening as Ryder and
I hung out as a couple. It turned to sadness when I discovered he had cancer.
Ecstasy enveloped me when Ryder gave me oral sex—the best I had ever had. Then
I was pissed as hell with my mother. Ryder brought me back to happiness when I
spoke with him on the phone. It was like a mental whiplash.

Chapter
Three

I studied hard for the remainder of the
weekend, with the occasional phone call to Ryder. They were uplifting, as
usual, and occasionally spicy, laced with sexual innuendo. Ryder asked me to
text him some photograph’s in varying stages of undress. I denied his request for
the time being. I would surprise him when I had the chance and the spare cash
to hit the lingerie store. Nudity wasn’t an option, though, since I would care
if those pictures landed in the hands of the wrong person.
 
As a woman of my generation, I had seen that
happen one too many times.

I woke up on Monday morning well rested and
anxious to see Ryder in class. First, I had to get through breakfast with Max.
We had plans to meet at the dining common before class. It was always
interesting to see what adventures came his way over the weekend.

I followed the routine I had established for
those days when I would see Ryder, which included a shower. Normally, I would
skip the bathing before an early class. I usually had a free couple of hours
later in the day to wash.

I walked to meet Max. I wore jeans without
holes, a crisp white shirt, and black boots. I was elegant chic, which made me
stand out among the
uber
casual other students. Max
was already waiting for me at a table, so I cruised through the food line. I
had a whole-wheat bagel and cream cheese, a bowl of fruit, and black coffee.
They said eating healthy made one feel vibrant and energized. That was
bullshit, because a cinnamon bun and a triple mocha with whipped cream would
have made me happy.

“Hey, Max. You look like shit,” I said as I
sat at the table by the window he chose.

“Good morning to you, too, Jenna. It was a
long weekend with a good bit of partying,” Max said. He was wearing a pair of
cargo shorts and a loose fitting t-shirt.

“I am sure you are dying to tell me about it,
so proceed.” I said.

Max took a swig of cola and cleared his
throat. “I went to The Spot with some buddies. You wouldn’t have believed the
line to get in. The place was
vibin
because it was a
football weekend. When we finally got in, we started pounding some cocktails.
You know how I love to dance, Jenna, so I started grinding hard with this
chick. Neal said she was a fat chick, but I disagreed. She had meat on her
bones – pleasantly plump. Her butt was—”

I interrupted Max when I said, “Enough of the
woman’s physical description. Get on with the story. Curious, though: did this
woman have a name?”

“Of course she had a name, Jenna. I just can’t
remember it. Anyways, this buxom chick and I left together. Something was
destined to happen between us and we ended going back to my place. As you know,
I have a single, or as I like to call it a
swingle
.”

“Max, if there are more details I do not want
to hear them.”

“No. We had a great time. We had a raunchy
time. I walked her to the door when we were done.”

I laughed. “Not a long walk, Max. You have a
very small room.”

“This entire conversation would not be
happening if you and Professor Curran weren’t a thing. You and I could have
rekindled our old flame. Why don’t you dump the old man and we can start
hooking up again,” Max said.

I shook my head no. “Too bad; we are a thing.
Just finish your story.”