It wasn’t much as a response, but it was something. Had he been watching her? Oh crap, what if he asked about her peeping through the fence at night? That would be so awkward! Perhaps it would be best to face that particular topic head-on…
Leah typed out her next response with trembling fingers. Fingers crossed he won’t take offense!
‘So I guess you like gardening? I’m more indoorsy, a city girl.’
Did that sound stupid? Too late now… Leah sent the email and waited, holding her breath.
‘You seemed pretty outdoorsy last night…’
They say it’s hard to catch the intent behind written words, but Leah was sure she could sense the dry humor in his observation. Oh hell, if you want to play it like that!
‘It was short-lived. I changed my mind once my toes started to turn blue.’
Although she thought herself quite witty upon sending the mail, she wasn’t so sure when nothing happened for a few minutes. Why wasn’t he responding? She placed the phone next to her on the sofa and switched the TV on. Perhaps she’d missed the point of his message completely and turned him off.
While flipping through the channels, her phone finally lit up again with a notification. She bit her lip as she opened it.
‘Check the same spot.’
What the hell? What was he talking about?
Leah crossed her lounge and headed straight to the bedroom window overlooking the place where she’d stumbled at night. Sure enough… the same basket she’d left on his doorstep was waiting there, a string attached to its handle.
She put on a coat - dusk was setting, and she’d only been half joking about the blue toes - and went out. Inside the basket was a stem of fragrant flowers; they looked somewhat like the orchids you can buy at the supermarket, but somehow more elegant. Underneath it awaited a bottle of red wine.
Leah stepped up closer to the boundary and looked through the gaps in the wood like she’d done the previous night, but there was no sign of movement on the other side. He must not be looking for an in-person chat.
Okay then… Clutching her prize in one hand, she also retreated and upon returning inside she picked up her phone again.
‘Cheers :)’
She was about to send just that, then changed her mind.
‘… Do you have Whatsapp? It seems odd chatting via email.’
Now she sent it. Again it took a little while for a response to arrive, giving Leah the chance to open one of the boxes waiting in the kitchen and take out a wine glass. This time, she wasn’t worried anymore. Her new neighbor had turned out a lot more agreeable than she’d expected.
Sure enough, the next message was a positive one:
‘Now I do :)’
Leah wasn’t sure whether it was the wine or just the thrill of having broken the ice, but from then on conversation flowed a lot more freely. She learned that Matt was a freelance writer, which enabled him to work exclusively from home. In turn, she shared some of her work history, how she’d slogged through years at a call center in the city while dreaming of becoming her own boss.
It was nice to talk to someone in a similar position; after all, freelancing wasn’t all that different from selling stuff online, not if you looked at the basics. You might set your own hours, but you’re still dependent on clients ordering stuff, no matter if it’s an article or a scented candle. And in both lines of work, word of mouth was everything.
Time flew as they continued to talk. Before she knew it, the gifted bottle was mostly empty, and the clock showed 3 am. She hadn’t even realized that the muted TV in front of her had been showing infomercials, probably for hours.
By the time they said good night, the former stranger next door had started to feel a lot like a friend.
Chapter Four
When Matt awoke, a little later than normal, it was with a smile on his face. He’d taken a chance, responded to Leah’s little gift package, and as a result, spent the better part of the night talking to a real actual human being. Sure, it had been via email and chat, but this wasn’t some anonymous person on a forum, but someone who was right there across the fence in the house next door.
And yeah, if he was being totally honest with himself, he could have talked to real people otherwise also. There were the neighbors he’d grown up with, who probably would be happy to have a chat with him, but this was different. They knew the old him. They had expectations he wasn’t able to live up to anymore.
Leah hadn’t known him before. She only knew what he’d told her. And for some reason he couldn’t quite fathom, she hadn’t told him to go away and leave her alone. She’d interacted with him like normal people did with each other. Except in writing.
He’d never had any use for chat apps, but installed one on his phone at her request, and he was glad to have done so. It was a lot easier to carry a phone around the house than his laptop.
Looking at it now, lying on the table beside his bed, he was tempted to pick it up and wish her good morning. Did people do that? Would that be weird?
He resisted for now, getting up and making himself a cup of coffee instead.
Outside, life was going on as normal. Kids were leaving their homes and grouping together in the street with their bicycles, ready to head to school. The garbage truck was making its usual round through the neighborhood.
And next door, a familiar silhouette was walking to her car carrying half a dozen little parcels. Leah.
He leaned across the kitchen counter and lifted the curtain aside to get a better look. She must have gotten a few more orders overnight. Good. He hoped for her business to work out. She seemed like a smart, ambitious woman who deserved a break after years in a crappy job.
Funny. Only yesterday he dreaded seeing her around because it would just lead to him obsessing about her, but overnight she had become a welcome, even familiar sight. He couldn’t look away if he wanted to.
The way the wind tussled her hair made him smile again. She tried her best to brush one particularly stubborn lock behind her ear using just her upper arm but was unsuccessful and dropped a couple of parcels in the process.
He should go out there and help her out.
Of course, he didn’t, but he ought to. In his place, someone else came up to Leah and picked up the fallen packets. Permed blond hair and tightly fitted velvet tracksuit: Carrie, who had lived two doors down from Matt pretty much forever.
If only he could overhear the conversation taking place outside.
It wasn’t that he disliked Carrie; it was just that the woman she had grown into was nothing like the little girl he’d played tag with in the past. She’d followed in her mother’s footsteps and had become the main source of gossip in the neighborhood.
Matt didn’t appreciate gossip, especially since he expected to be the topic of it more often than not. Nothing ever happened in Gartcosh that was worth talking about, so why not discuss the crazy guy who never left home?
The two women glanced over in Matt’s direction, Leah with what looked like the subtlest of smiles on her face while Carrie’s expression was hard with suspicion. Were they talking about him?
Leah finished loading her things into the backseat of her little car, while Carrie kept loitering around. Matt breathed a sigh of relief when Leah finally sat in the driver’s seat and left.
He should remember to tell her to be cautious around Carrie. Whatever she told her would be shared with the whole village soon after. That woman had no sense of boundaries.
Carrie glanced over at him one last time then turned around to head back home. Matt also let go of the curtain and prepared himself for a productive day ahead. Hopefully, come nightfall, there’d be more conversation to look forward to. He’d be ready just in case.
It had only been a couple of days since the move, but Leah was starting to feel at home already. The place was perfect, just big enough to be able to house all her supplies as well as stock, yet small enough to be cozy for just one person.
Leah turned t
he key with a smile on her face and admired her new living room. Everything was set up just how she wanted it. All the boxes were unpacked, all the paintings hung and framed pictures lined up on the mantle. If her dad could see the place right now, he’d be proud.
She glanced down at the phone in her hand. She’d been carrying the thing around all day obsessively, hoping for a message from Matt. A bit needy perhaps?
Still, she hadn’t imagined the two nights in a row that they’d spent exchanging stories and random thoughts. It was nothing like her previous relationship, which had been with a man who had the emotional maturity of a clam. Matt was different.
Perhaps it was that they were communicating in writing, which made the two of them open up so much more than they might have in person. They’d shared stories of past loves and other things she’d never told anyone she’d only just met, especially not a guy. Perhaps they’d found it easy to connect because they’d both grown up in a single-parent household?
Body language was a wonderful, yet often distracting thing. It was interesting to do without it for a while. In the case of a guy like Matt, who was unnervingly handsome in person, it was probably a good thing she couldn’t see him while “talking” to him.
Ever since Leah had started her online business, the ding of her phone would get her just a little bit excited. It could be a customer enquiry, or better yet, a new order. But none of that could compare to the thrill she felt when she saw a new message from Matt. He definitely had made an impact, though she couldn’t be sure that feeling was mutual.
In fact, there came another message, the first one of the day: “Had a good day?”
Leah smiled as she typed out her response. “Yes indeed. Getting the hang of the local geography. Did you know there’s a charming little antique shop right there by the village green? It’s so cute I nearly died.”
Leah carried her purchases, mostly groceries, into the kitchen and waited.
“No kidding? Isn’t that where the post office used to be?” Matt replied.
She shook her head and let out a chuckle.
“You need to get out more. It’s next door to the post office.” As soon as she’d sent her response, Leah’s heart sank. Did she honestly just write that to him? Oh, crap.
“You’re funny. Maybe next time. ;-)” Thank God, he hadn’t taken offense. Leah breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps body language wasn’t so overrated after all.
“It’s a date,” Leah replied, her heart fluttering just a little bit. She wasn’t quite sure why, but for some reason, she had this irresistible urge to get flirty with him. This was the most overt attempt so far, though. How would he respond?
“In that case: flowers or chocolate?”
Leah bit her lip. He has taken the bait.
“Do I have to pick just one?” she asked in response.
“Right you are. You don’t. A girl like you deserves both.”
She was speechless for a moment. She’d started it, but now they’d both crossed that invisible line in the sand. They were no longer just neighbors being friendly. There was something else going on here, and it felt good.
“You know where I live :-)” Leah couldn’t stop smiling. This new life of hers was shaping up to be quite exciting indeed.
“Flowers and chocolates for the lady. That can certainly be arranged.”
“And don’t think you can get away with just smooth talking me. I’ll be heartbroken if you don’t follow through. :-)”
“No worries. I’m a man of my word.”
Leah felt like hugging her phone but resisted at the last moment. She wasn’t a teenager anymore after all.
Was he as excited as she was right now? Maybe. Hopefully. Perhaps she should ask him. No, that would be a dumb attempt to look behind the curtain and ruin the magic.
Still, though, this thing with Matt made her feel good about herself. Ever since planning to set out on her own, she hadn’t given herself permission to date. The baggage left over from the last man in her life had also played a part. Perhaps this thing, this weird long-distance type deal with the man next door was exactly what she needed.
It’s easy to convince yourself you don’t need anyone when everyone tells you you’re crazy to leave your job. But Matt had been supportive, something Leah hadn’t realized she’d wanted, and yet he wasn’t about to take over her whole life to the extent that she would no longer be able to achieve her business goals. He might not be Mr. Perfect, but whatever was developing here sure seemed to fit perfectly into Leah’s life.
She plopped down on the sofa and started typing again. Now that this initial hurdle had been crossed, there was a whole lot more for the both of them to talk about. The night was still young, and she didn’t want to miss a moment of it.
Chapter Five
Leah had come home late. The custom order that had come in earlier in the day for two hundred spring themed wedding favor bags meant a trip into the city for supplies was in order.
She didn’t mind the drive so much, nor the traffic, because she knew that at the end of the day she had a quiet home to retreat to. Hers wasn’t a city life anymore.
So when she unlocked the door and stepped inside, she could breathe a sigh of relief. Here she was, away from the noise and confusion. Here she could relax.
Leah started to unpack her shopping. The much needed supplies were put away for later in favor of the groceries she needed right this moment. She popped a ready meal into the microwave and poured herself a glass of wine while waiting.
One of these days, she’d decided to learn how to cook from scratch as well, but not today. Leah had more pressing things to occupy herself with, such as messaging Matt, which had become a welcome ending to every day since they started talking shortly after she’d moved into the place.
“What a day,” Leah started the conversation
“Oh yeah?” Matt responded instantly, as usual.
“I’d almost forgotten how busy the city can be.”
“I wouldn’t know. Cities aren’t my thing.”
“Anyway, glad to be back home. I’m enjoying a ready made lasagna.”
“Say what? Sawdust with cheese on top?”
“We can’t all be awesome cooks like you.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
Typical. Won’t leave the house but has opinions about everything. Leah let out a chuckle, then opened the camera app and took a close-up of her plate.
“If you serve it up nicely before eating, you can’t tell the difference,” she wrote as a caption to the picture.
“Wanna bet?” Matt wrote, along with a photograph of a very inviting looking steak covered in creamy peppercorn sauce. Damn. He was right, of course.
“Trying to make me jealous? Watch it, or I’m coming over there demanding a share,” Leah responded, only half joking. Their daily exchanges had progressed from innocent small talk to merciless teasing and flirtations. What would happen if he allowed things to progress to the logical next step?
Would she be as comfortable with him in person? Perhaps… Or perhaps the chemistry they felt was limited only to characters on a screen.
“What makes you think there’d be any left?” Matt responded. Something told her that the day he let his guard down and allowed her in closer, there would be. But he wasn’t ready yet, and she wasn’t about to force things.
“Anyway, I stopped by this new micro-brewery on the way home. If you’re nice, I might leave you a bottle,” Leah wrote.
“I’m always nice.”
Ha!
“Give me a moment while I sort out the kitchen. BRB.” Leah put the phone down and got to work. The advantage of not actually cooking was that there wasn’t much to tidy away afterward either. Soon she was done and keen to properly relax with a second glass of Merlot.
Leah retrieved the phone, switched off the living room lights and retreated to her bedroom. As comfortable as the living area was, her bedroom was her safe haven. It helped that it was also the part of the hous
e closest to Matt.
“Okay, I’m back,” Leah restarted the chat.
“You want to watch a movie together? Tune in to Channel 4.”
Leah frowned; this was new, but why the hell not? She didn’t have a TV in the bedroom, but then again she didn’t need one. The Internet had everything, even live TV.
“Dracula?” Leah asked.
“What’s wrong with Dracula? This version is a classic.”
“All right then, just checking.” Leah settled into her pillows and wrapped a throw around her shoulders. The air in the bedroom was chillier than the living room, but soon that wouldn’t matter anymore.
In between sips of wine, and the odd comment or remark, Leah soon became immersed in the movie. It had been ages since she’d seen it last. The first time around, she’d dismissed it as silly and a bit camp. This time, though, something spoke to her; she could feel the attraction. How tempting it might be to give in to the darkness, to get close to a man (or vampire) so dangerous.
It was because he’d suggested it, and they were watching together, even though they were apart probably. That was what made her enjoy the film. Maybe one day they’d be in the same room, the same bed even? Leah could only hope so.
As the movie came to a climax, something sent a chill down Leah’s spine. A noise. A clicking sound had disturbed her that hadn’t come from the speakers on her tablet. She muted it and listened out for more.
“Hey, I just heard something,” Leah typed.
“What?”
“A noise-” Leah barely managed to write that much when another, louder sound cut through the silence. Shit. This was definitely close, maybe even inside the house.
She wrapped the throw tighter around herself and got up to investigate. Years living on her own in the city had made her cautious, but she wasn’t a wimp. Like that one time someone burgled the flat next to hers while her neighbor was out. She’d heard the whole thing and called the police just in time.
Damn. Footsteps . She didn’t even have anything to defend herself with! Hiding was the only remaining option.
Scottish Werebear: A New Beginning: A BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (Scottish Werebears Book 4) Page 3