“Why?”
“My immediate neighbors are a little scary looking. Not really the friendly, chatty type as it turns out. Clarissa bringing home a pretty girl like you is a breath of fresh air.”
I blinked and then blinked again, reminding myself that breathing was important for survival. Had I heard that right? Did Chuck just call me pretty? Was he seriously flirting with me, or was I just imagining things? Was I reading into what he said too intensely? What the actual hell was I supposed to do with a comment like that?
“I should get going,” I blurted. “Have a good night.”
“Goodnight, Lara,” he said calmly.
I’d already turned on my heels to leave, more than aware of how red in the face I was. What the hell was that? First I invited him to dinner only to be rejected, and now he was outwardly flirting with me? This hot and cold nonsense was really throwing me through a loop.
4
Chuck
I somehow made it to another Wednesday, which meant I needed to return to Ramen Books to set up for the second week on my writing workshop. I’d dropped Clarissa off at the daycare center earlier that day –and made it very clear she was not to have any sugary treats before dinner– so I had almost an hour of free time to spend preparing for class. I’d spent the previous night going over everybody’s writing entries. For the most part, they were passable. A lot of my students suffered from grammatical misuse and errors, but I knew that it was the effort that counted. A few of the assignments were quite memorable, providing character backstories that took place in Atlantis, in a galaxy far, far away, or even up in the clouds within a hidden kingdom in the sky. I’d had a good laugh when I came across the entry that explained one of my students was actually from a long line of famous murder clowns, but wanted instead to pursue a career in the literary industry –much to their family’s dismay.
Lara’s piece was the one that stood out to me the most. She’d written about one of the nerdy boys in the front row, the one with the bright red hair and green eyes. What made her work unique was that she didn’t just write in the past tense, but past tense far into the future. She imagined his entire life for him, set entirely against a life out on the sea. He’d apparently go on to cleanse the oceans of all its filth and pollution. In her story, the boy would become a friend to the fish people, fighting for their rights and wellbeing at every turn. He’d eventually set up a floating island where he could live in peace, ruling over the oceans and representing them like any other nation at world conferences. He’d become an important figure in the political realm and an inspiration to millions around the world. There was no denying that Lara had talent, and I was extremely eager to see what she’d come up with next.
When I pushed against the front door of Ramen Books, little bell jingling above my head, a small sense of disappointment filled my chest when I saw that she was nowhere in sight. Standing behind the cash register was Alistair, the store’s owner with whom I’d spoken with over the phone to organize the workshop. He had a hunched back and leaned heavily on a wooden cane, a few degrees off from tipping over entirely. Alistair’s head was completely bald, polished to a point where it was almost blinding to look at. He had bushy grey eyebrows and a few wiry chin hairs, accompanied with a messy bushel of nose hairs sticking out of each of his nostrils. He had kind eyes, though, the corners of which were wrinkled with time. His lips were thin, two lines pressed together into a warm smile, and the skin of his brow and cheeks were sagging. It really looked like gravity wanted a piece of him.
Alistair looked up to me and nodded slowly in greeting. “Welcome back,” he chuckled, words raspy. “I heard you had quite the turnout last week.”
“It was a lot of fun,” I answered. “Hopefully everyone makes it today.”
“I’m sure they will. Lara’s been going on and on about how great you are as an instructor.”
My ears perked up at the mention of Lara’s name. “She was talking about me?”
“Oh, yes. She’s not normally a very chatty person, but whenever you’d come up in conversation she’d–”
“What are you two talking about?” Lara asked, rounding the corner with a few foldable plastic chairs tucked under both her arms. When she caught sight of me, she quickly looked away, cheeks turning the lightest shade of pink.
I made my way over to her and took a few of the chairs. “Here, let me help.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ve got this.”
“I insist.”
“They’re not even heavy,” she continued. “Let me set up while you prepare.”
“There’s really not a lot I need to do. Come on, let me help out.”
“I have to earn my paycheck somehow,” she brushed me off.
I could tell what she was doing. Lara was trying to place distance between us, keep me at arm’s length. Maybe my flirting with her last night had been a bad idea. The compliment sort of just slipped out of my mouth, came naturally to me because it really was the truth. Lara was the prettiest girl I knew. I took the chairs from her anyways, regardless of her protests. “It’s the least I can do. I wouldn’t want you pulling your back doing all the heavy lifting.”
Alistair laughed, “You two remind me of me and my wife, rest her soul. We were always squabbling.”
“W-we’re not squabbling,” stuttered Lara. “This is just– Chuck’s a guest. Practically a celebrity.”
I chuckled softly, “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“He shouldn’t have to do any of the work.”
Alistair waved a hand dismissively, returning his attention to a customer now walking up to the register. “Sure, sure. Do what you want. Just don’t rough up my furniture. I got those on sale at Costco and there hasn’t been a good deal since.”
Lara and I came to a silent agreement. I was allowed to help set up the tables as long as she got to arrange the chairs. I watched her as she worked, entranced by the way she moved with surety and fluidity. No matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to keep my eyes off her. Lara did this adorable thing with her hair, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder and shaking her head so her locks would sweep from side to side. She would sometimes nibble on her bottom lip when she appeared to be deep in thought, reorganizing chair positioning to make better use of the cramped storefront’s space. A part of me wanted to know how soft her lips were, how much I’d need to lean over to kiss her. At the very least, I wanted to know what it felt like to run my fingers through her hair, to understand the curve of her hips and the sensation of her skin against my palms.
“Is there something on my face?” she asked, tone lighthearted.
I cleared my throat and straightened my back. I hadn’t realized I’d been staring. “Er, no,” I mumbled. “Your face is fine. I was just daydreaming.”
“Daydreaming? About what?”
“Just a passage out of this fantasy book I’ve been reading to Clarissa. It’s middle grade fiction, but she’s a very advanced reader.”
“I love fantasy,” she giggled. “What’s the story about?”
“Oh, you know, classic prince slaying the dragon to save the princess type story. The plot twist is that there was no princess in need of saving to begin with, and the prince just needed to learn how to be courageous for the sake of himself and others.”
“That’s actually kind of sweet.”
“What about you? Are you reading anything interesting?”
Lara shrugged. “To be honest, not really. I’ve been trying to catch up on my reading list for class for some time now, and that doesn’t leave me a lot of free time for personal reads. Maybe my schedule will clear up soon.”
“I guess working in a bookstore must have its perks,” I commented. “You’re always able to pick something up without having to go out of your way.”
Lara smiled wide, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she did. “And I get them at a discount, which is always a plus on a student’s budget.”
“If you ever need any recommendations, I’d be ha
ppy to help.”
“Yeah? That sounds great, actually. I’d love to expand my collection a little.”
Just as I was about to mention a series of new adult thrillers I’d happened upon some time ago, several of my workshop students entered the store. They filed in and took their seats, many of them pulling out notebooks and sharpened pencils for note taking.
“I’d better take a seat,” she said softly. “Talk to you later?”
I nodded and smiled. “Definitely.”
I watched her walk away, eyes sweeping down her back and resting on her curvaceous ass. I knew I’d been opposed to opening up, to the prospect of moving on. My marriage with Sandy had been over for months, maybe even longer than that. My stomach flipped at the idea of asking her out. After I’d declined grabbing drinks with her, there was no telling if she was even still interested in me. If I asked her, there was no telling if she’d say yes. Maybe she was this nice with everyone, not just with me. Maybe I wasn’t her type. Maybe our age difference would turn her off. It was a little intimidating to think about dating again, but there was something about Lara that made me want to try. There was something undeniable between us, a spark that was slowly growing with each passing day. If I didn’t act soon, I knew I’d regret it.
Like the prince finding the courage to slay the dragon, maybe I, too, could set forth on a brand-new adventure.
5
Lara
I found myself up well past midnight on a phone call with Hannah. She was away this week on a class exchange trip to Barcelona. Hannah was studying linguistics, which was probably one of the reasons why we were such good friends. While she was studying broad range of language, I’d homed in just one. We had a lot to talk about when it came to course work, comparing notes and drawing ideas from one another. But tonight, there were other concerns on her mind.
“I mean, can you believe it?” she grumbled bitterly over the phone. “He sent me a text message to break up with me. Who even does that? Would it have killed him to at least call?”
“I’m sorry,” I sighed for the fourth time that hour. “That really does suck.”
“Josh was such an asshole. Why did you let me date him?”
I chuckled, amused. “I told you when you first started going out that he wasn’t a good idea. You were the one who didn’t listen to me.”
“I distinctly remember you telling me to ask him out first.”
“Yes, but then I realized after your horror of a first date that he was bad news. You were the one who insisted on forgiving him for leaving you stranded after the date.”
“That was a pretty big red flag, huh?”
I clicked my tongue. “Definitely. And the fact that he supposedly forgot his wallet and made you pay? Yeah, red flags all around.”
“He didn’t even pay me back,” she groaned. “I feel like such an idiot. I wasted two years on him. Do you think he’s already moved on? Maybe he’s found another girl already.”
“Don’t do that to yourself, Hannah. He isn’t worth it.”
“Do you think he broke up with me because I’m in Spain?”
“I’m not sure. But if that’s really what happened, then he’s a coward.”
“A total coward,” she agreed bitterly.
“I’m sorry,” I said again. “At least you’re free now. Maybe you’ll find a hot Spanish hunk while you’re over there.”
“Have I ever told you that you’re a genius?”
“You don’t have to tell me. I already know.”
“Such a smartass. There’s a bunch of hot dudes in my class, but I don’t know. Maybe it’s good that I’m over here, away from all that toxicity. I think I just need to be by myself for a while, you know? Grow up a little.
“If you think that’s best. I’m personally one hundred percent supportive.”
“Thanks, Lara. You really are the best. Anyways, what about you? I feel like I’ve been talking your ear off. You know me, blah, blah, blah.”
“I’ve really got nothing to report. Schools the same as always. I picked up a few hours at work. That writing workshop I mentioned is going well, the one led by Charles Hill? Other than that, nothing too–”
“Hold on,” she interrupted me. “You said nothing about Charles Hill being there. What the hell, Lara? Why didn’t you lead with that?”
“It’s not that big of a deal. I thought I told you.”
“Lara. You get to share the same air as Charles freaking Hill. I need details, and I need them now. Is he hot? What does he look like? Is he as much of a nerd as everyone pictures him to be?”
“He’s…” I trailed off, thoughts of Chuck filling my head. Where was I even supposed to start? “Chuck’s great. He’s nice.”
“Did you just call Charles freaking Hill ‘Chuck?’”
“Yeah, he said I could call him that.”
“Oh my God, you’re on a first name basis with Charles freaking Hill.”
I laughed loudly, “Hannah, calm down. You’re going to work yourself up.”
“Too late for that. Is he hot? Tell me, tell me, tell me.”
I nibbled on the inside of my cheek, suppressing a wry smile. “Yeah. He’s stupidly hot.”
Hannah squealed loudly. “Holy shit. You should ask him out.”
“I kind of already did?”
“Excuse me?”
“I said, I kind of already did.”
Hannah made some sort of noise that was a combination between a groan and a scoff. “Lara, I love you, but holy shit do you need to start off with this information from the get go. You’re telling me I could have had all this juicy gossip instead of ranting about Josh this whole time? I don’t know if I’m angry or excited. Probably both.”
“Like I said, it’s not a big deal. But I could have sworn that when I ran into him in the hallway the other day with his kid–”
“Wait. Hold on. He lives in your building?”
“Yeah, down the hall from me.”
She let out a heavy sigh. “I need a minute.”
“You going to be okay?”
“I want an autograph, you hear me? I’m visiting your place the second I get back from my trip.”
I giggled uneasily. “I don’t know, Hannah. We’re not that close.”
“But you could be.”
I rolled my eyes and snorted, “I don’t know. He’s an older guy with a daughter. I don’t know if I’m the kind of girl he’s even interested in.”
“I think you should go for it.”
“You always think I should go for it.”
“You never know when true love will strike. Trust your gut. He might not be looking for anything serious, but at the very least you can fool around.”
I fidgeted with the left sleeve of my grey sweatshirt, picked at one of the loose threads. “I don’t know. Fooling around just isn’t me.” Three sharp knocks sounded from my front door, capturing my attention. “I have to let you go, Hannah. I think the Chinese I ordered is here.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to you later. Remember, trust your gut!”
After hanging up the phone, I peeled myself out of bed and hurried to the front door, snatching my wallet from off the kitchen counter. I opened the door expecting to see the familiar red uniform shirt of Panda Chang’s, the nearest Chinese restaurant, but was surprised to see a familiar head of bright blonde hair up in a tight ponytail.
“Clarissa?” I asked, bending down so that I was at eye-level with the girl. “What are you doing here, sweetie?”
Clarissa held up a small box of cookies, chest puffed out in pride. “I learned today that sharing is caring. Want one?”
I giggled, heart warming and her offer. Instead of picking up a cookie, I picked her up instead. Clarissa was a lot lighter than I’d expected, easily resting in the crook of my arm. “Does your daddy know you’re out here?”
She sheepishly shook her head.
“How about we give him some cookies, too? Don’t you think he’d like that?”
; “Yeah,” she mumbled, hiding her face behind the box of treats.
We walked down the hall and rounded the corner, coming up to her apartment door, which I promptly knocked on twice. On the other side, I could hear frantic shuffling of furniture and rushed footsteps upon the floor, quickly approaching. Chuck swung the door open wide, looking just as frantic and worried as he had a couple nights before.
“Clarissa, there you are,” he breathed. “How do you keep getting out, baby?” He took his child in his own arms and looked to me. “Thanks so much, Lara. I’m sorry she’s such a bother.”
“It’s no problem at all.”
“I really need to child proof the locks,” he muttered to himself. “Clarissa, baby, you can’t just wander the halls like that. It’s not safe.”
“But I wanted to share with Lara,” the little girl whined.
“Daddy was very worried about you. If you want to visit Lara, tell me first, okay?”
“Okay,” she mumbled into his shoulder.
Chuck smiled at me. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Of course not,” I laughed. “You two are welcome any time.”
“I have to tuck Clarissa in for the night, but did you maybe want to stay for a cup of coffee?”
“I’ve actually got delivery on the way,” I started. Hannah’s words rang loudly in my ears. Remember, trust your gut! I worried my bottom lip with my teeth before an idea hit me. “I mean, have you eaten yet? Maybe we can split the dumplings I ordered.”
Chuck cracked a toothy grin. “I’d like that.”
“I’ll be back in a few.”
“And I’ll be waiting.”
6
Chuck
Inviting Lara into my apartment hadn’t been a part of any of my plans. But when I saw her at my front door with Clarissa in her arms, all logic and reason went straight out the window. In that very moment, everything seemed to make perfect sense. It was obvious how much Clarissa liked Lara, and how much Lara liked Clarissa. Given enough time, I was sure they’d be as thick as thieves. I hadn’t seen Clarissa this happy since the divorce, and it genuinely filled my heart to the brim with delight to see her getting along with someone new. Ever since I’d left Sandy, Clarissa had been progressively difficult, often acting out in various ways to demand my attention. Her escaping the apartment every other night was definitely an act of open rebellion, and I was more than aware of that fact.
Author Next Door: A Single Dad Romance Page 3