Boxer Next Door

by Summer Cooper

  Before Angela could say anything the call was disconnected. She looked at the phone as if asking herself if that had really just happened. This day could not possibly get any better.

  “Okay, Angela—we’re ready. Jess will show you the new wardrobe for this set.”

  Angela nodded and followed Jessica to the dressing room.

  The rest of the photo shoot lasted about another hour. Angela was having so much fun she never wanted it to end. It was like the culmination of all her dreams and fantasies of playing dress up that she’d had since she was a little girl. And now she was going out on a date—albeit a lunch date, but still a date—with perhaps the sexiest man she’d ever known.

  Jessica showed her the wardrobe and left the room. As Angela got dressed, she wondered what Richard would think of her right now. Would he like the outfits she was putting on and would he like the windows of time when she was not really wearing much of anything?

  As she stepped back out in front of the camera, Angela realized that she truly felt like a princess right then. She had always wondered what it would really feel like to be famous or have the spotlight placed on you. And though she was really not famous at all, having her own photoshoot with such an amazing group of people felt pretty close, she thought.

  And now, she was ready to go to the ball. Her prince awaited her.

  It was perfect. The candles, the basket, the beautiful handcrafted quilted blanket, the bottle of champagne, and even the fancy glasses and the romantic music playing in the background—it was all perfect. Richard had set up everything to resemble something out of a classic romance novel. It was the type of fantasy that every little girl playing with her Barbie doll dreams of but deep down knows will never really happen because no guy on Earth is willing to be that cheesy. But it’s the cheesy things that often pull the heartstrings in just the right way.

  Angela had received a detailed text from Richard telling her where to go. He had asked her to meet him in the park. It was a small park that she didn’t even know existed. It was set back from the road in a wealthy neighborhood on the Upper West Side. It had taken her almost forty minutes of weaving through midday traffic to get there and she was really hoping that something exciting was going on or she was going to be very disappointed. Then she saw it.

  The picnic was the sweetest thing she had ever seen. Richard must have hired a crew to set it all up so perfectly and if she didn’t know better she would have sworn that he had rented out the park for the afternoon because she saw absolutely no one else there, except for the small orchestra playing beautiful, romantic music about fifty feet away from them. It was four men dressed in tuxedos with finely-crafted and shiny, freshly polished instruments. It was the kind of group you would find at a five-star Italian restaurant, but it was all right here.

  Richard was standing in front of the picnic. He was wearing a pair of designer jeans, a black t-shirt and a black sport coat; he reminded her of the Hank Moody character from Californication. She was suddenly wishing she had dressed up a bit more, but he had been very vague about what was going on. She had expected maybe a simple walk on a pretty, early June day, but this was well beyond her expectations.

  “Hello, my lady,” Richard said as he reached out his hand. His hand was thick and warm. It reminded her of more naughty thoughts that she kept tucked away for rainy days. She had a huge file in her mind of delicious thoughts about Richard that she was coming to realize might turn into reality sooner than she ever thought.

  “Wow, this is too much…” Angela began.

  The tears stung her eyes as she came closer to the picnic area he had set up. She was not sure why she was suddenly crying, but Richard seemed to understand that she was just overwhelmed by the beauty and the romance of everything. No one had ever done anything this romantic for her before and it was something she knew that she would never forget. And if things didn’t work out with Richard, she doubted it was something that anyone would ever do for her again.

  Richard bent down and kissed her hand before pulling her gently closer and wrapping her up in a warm embrace. She thought for a moment that he might try to kiss her and her mind went into a panic because she was honestly not sure she would have been able to stop him, but she didn’t want that to happen this soon. This was, after all, barely a first date—a lunch date. But of course, Richard had turned it into the most romantic moment of her life, which might have explained why she felt like this was their tenth romantic encounter.

  Richard smelled sweet as honey. She could not place the arousing scent that he wore as his cologne, but it was dreamy. That was the best word she would have used to describe it because it instantly made her want to fall asleep in his arms. And if he wanted to have his way with her while she was visiting The Sandman then that might have been okay with her. Of course, she would never really want that so soon, but the temptation was there. Oh, baby, the temptation was there.

  Richard guided her to her seat on the blanket and sat down across from her. He slowly grabbed the champagne from the bucket of ice and poured both glasses. Angela had never seen someone make pouring a glass of champagne sexy, but Richard pulled it off well.

  It was almost as if her mind was being clouded and dazzled from all sides by thoughts of sex and romance. Was it possible that Richard had found the magic key to open up the floodgates of lust and desire in her all at once? Years of repression and being a good girl were starting to go out the window.

  “So, the shoot went well?” Richard asked as he began to place the food out of the basket. There was potato salad, cherry pecan fruit salad, falafel sandwiches, and even some bruschetta cheese bread. It all looked so sumptuous.

  “Oh, it went amazing. I never knew that it could feel so good to do that.”

  “Well, I’m sure it is an amazing feeling. That’s how you know when you’ve found your purpose in life. When you do something and it feels that good that you want to do it all the time—not for money, or fame, or because it is expected by others—but because you love doing it and you want to do nothing else with your time. That is when you know what you were made to do.”

  “That’s beautiful,” Angela said.

  “No, those are just words. You are beautiful.”

  “You’re going to give me a swelled head,” Angela said jokingly.

  “Oh, well I certainly wouldn’t want to do that,” Richard said, flashing that sweet grin again. “So, tell me more about it? When will you have the pictures?”

  “Nick said he’ll print out a few and he’ll send me some digital copies. Apparently, he has to run them through some software to make them absolutely perfect. But I tell you, the ones he showed me were pretty perfect looking. I had no idea I could look like that.”

  “Why? You look amazing,” Richard said.

  “There you go giving me that swelled head again,” Angela said. Even as she said it she heard the Freudian slip. She wondered if Richard picked up on it at all.

  “So, how’s the new job going?” Richard asked.

  “Oh, the day job? It’s going okay,” Angela replied.

  “So, you’re already thinking of it as just ‘the day job’? That is good. That’s how you should always feel when you’re working on a dream.”

  “I didn’t even think of it before I said it. I didn’t mean it to come out that way, but you’re right. I am thinking of it as the day job. It’s okay. I enjoy it, but it is far from being a passion. It’s more of a job that has some things I enjoy doing incorporated in it.”

  “Well, that is something you can use later on,” Richard said.

  Angela nodded as she tried the bruschetta. It was like a taste bomb going off inside of her mouth.

  “Oh, wow. This is so good,” Angela said.

  “I know right? Sad to say I didn’t make it, but I know who to talk to,” Richard said laughing.

  “I just realized I don’t know that much about you,” Angela said.

  “Well, you grew up as my daughter’s best friend. I’d li
ke to think you know a bit about me.”

  “Well, yeah. I know basics, but I’d love to know what makes you tick.”

  Richard laughed. “What makes me tick? Well, I’ve never really answered that question before. I don’t know if it’s ever been asked to me that way, but I think I like it.”

  “You still haven’t answered it,” Angela said.

  “I’d say the main thing that makes me tick is the pursuit of happiness.”

  “The pursuit of happiness? That’s a different and very straight forward answer to that question, but very interesting. Would you care to elaborate on that?” Angela asked with a fake interviewer’s voice.

  “Sure. I believe that one should be happy in life and that if they aren’t truly happy then they need to reexamine their goals and their priorities to figure out why. I’ve always done what made me happy. I knew I loved the practice of the law but I also wanted to be a part of the entertainment world, which I’ve always been fascinated by. So I became an entertainment lawyer. I knew that I didn’t want to work under someone else’s thumb so I worked hard to start a successful firm. I knew that I love women and I love romance. I want to be truly in love so badly I can taste it. So far it’s the only thing that has really eluded me, which is probably why I’ve spent my whole life searching for it so hard. To a lot of people that gives them the wrong idea about me.”

  “Oh, so you sleep with a lot of beautiful women just because you’re searching for love?”

  Richard smiled at her. Angela was shocked that she had put him on the spot that way, but now she really wanted to get an answer out of him and see where he was going to take this. She had to know straight from his lips.

  “Sex and love are two very different things. I have a strong desire for women and for sex—I won’t ever deny that. But when I find the one I’m supposed to be with then I’ll commit myself full-heartedly to that woman and forsake all others.”

  “You think you can just stop the chase and the hunt just like that?”

  “Oh, yeah. Every man goes through the phase where he loves to hunt and seduce women. But eventually, that life becomes lonely and unfulfilling. If it didn’t then most men would run around forever aimlessly. I surpassed that part of my life many years ago.”

  “What about Stephanie?”

  “Stephanie is the mother of my child, and I’ll always love her for that. But I can’t stand the way she’s just deserted her. I know Naomi blames me, but I really have tried to reach out to Stephanie, hoping that she’ll repair their relationship. But I know how she feels; she has always resented Naomi. How can someone resent their own daughter? Naomi has never admitted it, but I know she realizes that her mother feels that way.”

  “Yeah, she doesn’t ever talk about that. Her mother is a very sore topic.”

  “I knew when she was young that her mother felt the way that she does and it quickly began to drive a wedge between us. I realized slowly that I had lost respect for Stephanie and I had lost my love for her; she wasn’t the woman I thought she was. I had married too young and impulsively as a young man and if I hadn’t I wouldn’t have that amazing daughter of mine, so I can never say it was a mistake. But I just hope that one day Naomi will bury that anger she has or direct it to the right place. Right now I’m just an easy target. Naomi has always idolized her mother, which I guess is typical of children who so desperately want the love of a parent that just refuses to give it.”

  Richard pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his eyes. Angela was finding it hard to take that this big, beautiful man was crying in front of her. He was visibly upset about the strained relationship he had with his daughter. She felt a bit guilty that she had stirred all of that up just because she wanted to know the truth about who Richard was.

  If he was faking then he was the best actor she had ever seen and she had met many. She felt that his feelings and the words echoing from his sweet lips were true. He had so much love for his daughter and Angela knew that one day Naomi would realize what a fool she was being and accept the way things were. But no one could push her into it, she had to discover it all on her own time. Richard understood that perfectly and he was strong enough to wait, despite the obvious pain he felt.

  “It will all work out okay,” Angela said, placing her hand on his.

  Richard looked up at her and smiled, “Thank you.”

  After the picnic, Richard had another surprise in store. He grabbed Angela by the hand and led her to another part of the park and to a roadway where a hansom cab with a horse-drawn carriage was waiting. The horse was beautiful and majestic looking as if it had been waiting its whole life to do this job for them that day. Its mane was stunning, its hair smooth and shining under the midday sun. It was glorious. Angela had not been on one of these in forever.

  Richard climbed in first and then held out his hand to help her up. Before she knew it they were off.

  The trotting of the horse’s hooves on the pavement was a perfect melody of light percussion that had a lulling effect. Angela felt like she could just fall asleep right there with her head on Richard’s shoulder and just drift away for a bit.

  That would have been the best way to end this day.

  Richard snuggled up a bit closer to her to encourage her comfortable leanings, his arm wrapped around her pulling her close to him. His body was hard but warm with an inviting softness to it. When you were with a big, strong, generous man like this, it was so easy to let go of any worry or problem that you had with the world. Everything was just perfect when it was this way.

  “This is so sweet,” Angela said. “I haven’t been on one of these since I was a kid.”

  “It’s been a while for me too. It’s funny how such a simple thing like this can often be the most romantic.”

  “I agree,” Angela said. After a few moments, she had to ask Richard a question that was burning in her mind. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a lunch this romantic.”

  “I’m sorry?” Richard asked. He was obviously taken aback.

  “Well, you are the Richard Kane. And you have known me since I was a girl. I have to admit, I’ve had a bit of a crush on you for a while. When did you realize that I was someone you would want to take out?”

  Richard laughed. “Well, I’ve seen you grow from a young girl into the strong, independent young woman you are today. And sometime over the past few years as I realized that you’re now that woman, something just clicked in me. I guess I felt drawn to you somehow. I’m not sure that answers your question, but it’s how I feel. You don’t think I’m too old, do you?” Richard asked with a laugh. It wasn’t a nervous laugh, but a laughter that let her know that he was more than comfortable with his age and that the age difference between them didn’t mean a thing to a man like Richard Kane.

  “No, not at all.”

  “Good,” Richard said as he held her even closer.

  “So, tell me a bit about some of your exotic travels,” Angela said.

  “Wow, that is random,” Richard joked.

  “That’s me. Random ideas pop into my head quite often,” Angela replied.

  “Well, good. That’s the sort of thing I need to keep me on my toes,” Richard said as he let out a long sigh trying to gather his thoughts. “I’d say the most interesting trip I ever took was to Costa Rica.”

  “Oh, I’ve always wanted to go there.”

  “It’s beautiful—lush jungles and plant life, interesting people, and amazing food. But it’s so beautiful that it can also be deadly.”

  “How so?”

  “Well, when I went there about eight years ago, I went with a friend of mine who’s a bit of an adventurist. He loves to go to exotic locales and live off the land, hike through all sorts of crazy landscapes. So six of us decided to go on a three-day hike through the jungle. We came face-to-face with a panther at one point and I was actually almost bitten by a fer-de-lance—one of the most venomous snakes in the world.”

  “Oh my God! I would have died. I
can’t stand snakes.”

  “Snakes are nothing to fear as long as you show them a healthy respect. They’re actually beautiful creatures who serve a vital function in the world.”

  “Hmm, I guess I never thought of it that way, but just thinking of them gives me the creeps.”

  “That’s just because you know that a small percentage of them are venomous, but most are not. There’s something about a snake that’s very primal. I take it you’ve never held a snake in your hand?”

  “Oh, no. The few snakes I’ve seen have sent me running away in terror,” Angela replied nervously. She was uncomfortable just thinking about the snakes, and she hated that he could probably hear the nerves in her voice. He probably thought she was some lame girly girl while he was some swashbuckling adventurer. Stay cool, Ange. Just stay cool.

  “Well, it’s amazing. To hold a big, long snake in your hand and feel it moving and sliding in and out of your fingers. It’s a gift to be able to tame one of them. The secret is to let it move… loosely… don’t try to squeeze it… just let it move freely and feel its warmth bonding with your hand.”

  Angela swallowed hard. She was suddenly not thinking about snakes... The way he was describing handling of the snake was putting disturbing thoughts in her head. She would have loved to grab his snake right then.

  She could picture it now: a big, thick, throbbing tool in her hand, her fingers kneading it just right and getting it perfectly primed…

  She shook her head trying to clear her thoughts, but Richard was still going. Beads of sweat were trickling down her forehead and she casually tried to wipe them away.

  “You have to be careful with the head, that’s the dangerous part. But as long as you’re touching the snake just right, it won’t feel threatened and it won’t bite. You just have to respect it.”

  “Right. So how did you come to almost get bitten?” Angela asked. She was thoroughly intrigued by the story; wondering how many different adventures Richard had been on and if she would ever have the opportunity to go through anything like that with him. As she thought this she realized that she was already seeing a future with him. Was this too soon to feel like that? She certainly didn’t want to reveal her cards and show her true feelings to him just yet. It was fun to keep a bit of mystery alive, especially this early in the game.