Next to Me

by Allie Everhart

  "Thanks." She smiles, drawing my attention to her lips. She has full, beautiful lips. "Thanks for the wine. It's really good."

  I chuckle. "I got it at the gas station down the street, but yeah, it turned out to be pretty good." I swirl it around in my glass.

  She stands up. "I'm going to clean up the dishes."

  "You're not kicking me out already, are you?"

  "No. You still have to finish that pie Lou gave you. I'll bring it out." She takes our plates and goes inside.

  I take the pasta bowl and bread basket and meet her in the kitchen. "Where should I put this stuff?"

  "You can just leave it there. I'll get it later." She's at the sink, rinsing off the plates.

  "You made dinner, which means it's my job to clean up." I stand behind her, reaching around for the plate she's holding, but in doing so I rub up against her.

  She freezes and there's a moment of silence, a tension in the air. Sexual tension. It's been there all night. Actually I think it's been there since the moment we met but I've been trying to ignore it.

  "I've got it," she finally says, sounding breathless.

  "Callie." My hand is still on the plate she's holding. I pull it away from her and set it down in the sink.

  "What?" She turns around so she's facing me and I notice her chest rising and falling. Our gazes collide and I can see it in her eyes. She wants this as much as I do.

  Before any rational thought takes over, I bring my hands to her face, gently tip it back, and lower my lips to hers. I kiss her softly, gently, finally feeling those gorgeous lips I've been staring at all night. I feel her hands move to my sides, gripping my shirt as she kisses me back.

  We both stop for a moment, our lips barely touching, her warm breath mixing with mine. Then her tongue slowly licks over my bottom lip and I'm gone. Completely gone. I tangle my fingers in her hair, gripping the back of her head and pulling her into me, kissing her fiercely, my tongue pushing past her parted lips. My body presses into hers, backing her up against the sink. She moans and grips my shirt even tighter.

  I don't think I've ever been this turned on by just a kiss. I want to do more, so much more, but I've only known this girl a couple days and I don't feel right moving this fast with her. I'm just starting to get to know her and she still hasn't told me much about herself. I like Callie. I like her a lot, and I don't want to screw up our friendship, or whatever this is, by having sex with her tonight.

  She moans again and I almost change my mind about the no-sex thing. My arms are primed and ready to lift her up on the counter and do her right here in the kitchen.

  "Nash," she whispers, letting the weight of her head fall back into my hand. I keep hold of it, and lower my mouth to her neck, kissing and gently sucking her soft, delicate skin. My other hand grips her waist as my mouth returns to her lips, parting them with my tongue and kissing her even deeper than before. My hand moves up to her breast, which feels as good it looks. Soft, full, a perfect handful.

  She's moaning again and I swear I'm going to lose it. I'm going to lose all control if I don't stop this right now.

  "Callie," I whisper over her lips.

  "Yeah," she whispers back, still kissing me.

  "We should stop." My hand moves off her breast, sliding back down to her waist.

  She slowly nods, her eyes still shut. "Okay."

  "I don't want to but..."

  She opens her eyes. "I know."

  "I want to continue this. I just—"

  "Nash, I know. You don't have to explain." Her hands drop to her sides. "We shouldn't be doing this."

  "Callie, I'm not saying I'm not interested. I just think it's a little soon. We just met and I don't want you thinking that's the reason I came over here, or why I keep wanting to spend time with you."

  Her eyes lift to mine. "What's the reason?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "What's the reason you keep wanting to spend time with me?"

  My arms circle her waist and I grin. "Because I like fireworks."

  Her brows furrow in confusion. "What?"

  "I like fireworks, and that's what you remind of. You tend to explode without warning."

  She gives me an annoyed look. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

  "It is. I like that you're unpredictable. And that you stand up to me and say what you think. Most girls won't do that, especially to a guy they like."

  She turns her head to the side. "I never said I liked you."

  I gently cup her chin, turning her back to me. "If you didn't like me, you wouldn't have kissed me just now."

  "I didn't kiss you," she says in an obstinate tone. "You kissed me."

  "And you kissed me back." With my hand still holding her chin, I bring my thumb to her lips, running it over them. "You have great lips, by the way."

  Her breath quickens and our eyes meet, and I get that feeling again. The feeling to continue what we started. We both want it. I can feel it. The heat, the attraction between us is undeniable. And somewhat unexpected. I knew I felt something for her, but that kiss just confirmed it and made me realize my feelings for her are much stronger than I thought.

  She breaks from my gaze and pushes past me. "Do you still want dessert?" She opens the fridge.

  "Yeah, let's finish off that pie."

  And just like that, we're back to being neighbors. But we both know we're more than that now. We kissed, and it wasn't just any kiss. We felt something for each other. Something we can't deny. So how is this going to work? Where do we go from here? I didn't come here to find a girlfriend. I came here to do a job. That's it. And when that job is done, I'll go back to my old life. So I shouldn't be starting something with Callie. But I tend to do shit I shouldn't do.

  As Callie's dishing out the pie, I look down when I feel something against my leg. "Hey, buddy." It's the cat. I pick him up. "Were you coming out to say hello?"

  He meows and rubs his head against my chest.

  "He really likes you," Callie says, getting two forks from the drawer. "I think he's depressed."

  "Why would your cat be depressed?"

  She drops one of the forks on the plate, making a loud clinking noise. "No reason. Never mind. He's probably not."

  "Maybe you should hold him more. Then maybe he'd like you. He seems to like being held."

  "Actually, I think he might be starting to like me. He stayed in the kitchen the whole time I made dinner. He hasn't done that in over a year." She takes the plates and walks over to me. "Can you get the door?"

  I open it and she goes out to the deck. "Can Cat come outside with us?"

  "No. He's an indoor cat."

  I hold him out in front of me. "I'll see you later then. Be nice to Callie."

  She laughs. "I don't think that'll work but thanks for trying."

  We have our pie and I tell her what I'm planning for the kitchen renovation. She listens, but seems distant. Is it because of the kiss? Is she regretting it now? Or is something else bothering her?

  She gets up from the table. "I have some things to do before bed so..."

  "Got it. I wore out my welcome," I say, pushing my chair back.

  "No. It's not that. I just can't stay out here all night."

  "I understand. I need to get back anyway. I need to make a list of supplies to pick up tomorrow. I probably won't make it to Lou's for lunch."

  "That's fine. I didn't expect you to."

  I walk down the deck stairs. "I'll see you at dinner tomorrow. Same time?"

  She hesitates. "I'll have to see. I'll let you know."

  "I'm getting two T-bones so you have to come. I've got no fridge to store leftovers."

  She nods, but won't look at me. "Bye, Nash." And then she disappears in the house.

  That was odd. Callie changed after our kiss. She was definitely more distant. Maybe that means she just wants to be neighbors and nothing else. It's probably for the best, but that doesn't mean I want to stop seeing her.

  The next morning, I'm up b
efore dawn to go out and get my supplies. On the way back, I stop and get Callie breakfast because I know my truck's going to wake her up again.

  "Callie." I knock on her door but she doesn't answer. I knock again and she still doesn't answer. Maybe she didn't hear the truck this time. I leave the coffee and the biscuit sandwich I bought her on her front porch steps, then go to inspect the cracked concrete walkway that leads to her house.

  I call Jake and hear him groan when he answers. "Why do you always call so damn early?"

  "You work in construction. Your ass should be out of bed by now."

  "I don't have to be at the site until eight-thirty. Hey, did you hear about the Victorian?"

  "Yeah, Dad called and told me."

  "I'm getting freaking nervous. I've never been in charge before."

  "You can do it. Just take charge from day one. Let 'em know who's boss and don't let the subs intimidate you. You start on Monday, right?"

  "Yeah. Why?"

  "Think you could come down here this weekend? I could use your help on a project and I need you to bring down some equipment."

  "Sure. What's the project?"

  "My neighbor's sidewalk. The concrete's cracked and the ground's pushing through, making it dangerous to walk on."

  "Is this neighbor the hot girl who lives next door?"

  "I never said she was hot."

  "I could tell by the way you talked about her. She's hot."

  "Fine. Whatever. Can you help me or not?"

  "Why are you doing this for her? Are you two dating?"

  "I'm doing it because it's dangerous and I don't want her to fall. She already tripped and fell the other day when she was walking to her house and heard my truck backfire."

  He laughs. "Did she think you were shooting at her?"

  "Yeah. I gotta get that thing fixed. Anyway, I was hoping to repair her sidewalk this weekend but I need the equipment."

  "Yeah, I'll bring it down. I'll bring Bryce and Austin too. We'll get done faster with the four of us working. You got a place for us to crash?"

  "One of you can take the master bedroom. Other than that, I've got the couch and the floor."

  "The youngest always gets the floor. I'll tell Austin to bring a sleeping bag."

  "Sounds good. Thanks for doing this."

  "No problem. We'll see you Saturday."

  We hang up and I get to work tearing apart more of the kitchen. A little before ten, I go next door to see if Callie needs help with the garage but she's already left for work. I'm tempted to go have lunch with her later but I have too much to do. I'm starting to think this is going to take six months instead of three. Just going through all the clutter and sorting it out is going to take weeks. I'm thinking I should hire someone to help me out. Someone who could work a few hours a week. Someone who's close by. Someone I don't mind being around. I slowly smile. I know just who to ask.

  A little after four, I walk over to her house and knock on the door. It's really hot out today so I'm shirtless, but it's not like she hasn't seen me like this before. And if she works for me, she'll be seeing me like this all the time so she'll have to get used to it.

  "Callie, it's Nash." I ring the doorbell. When she doesn't answer, I go around to the window and see her duck down behind the couch. What the hell? Is she hiding from me?

  I knock on the window and raise my voice so she'll hear me. "Callie. I know you're in there. I saw you hide behind the couch. I just need to ask you a question."

  She slowly rises up from the floor, mumbling to herself as she walks to the door.

  "What do you need?" she asks, opening the door just a crack.

  "Well, for one, I wanted to let you know that dinner will be at six. I've got the T-bones in the cooler. I also bought some coleslaw and these pre-cooked, seasoned potatoes you just heat on the grill. I found them in the deli."

  "I'm not having dinner with you." She gazes down at the ground.

  "Why not?"

  "I'm busy."

  "Busy doing what?"

  She sighs and her eyes move up to my face. "No questions, remember?"

  "You said that only applied to personal questions."

  "Asking what I'm doing is a personal question."

  "Not really." I lean against the door frame. "You have a bad day at work?"

  "That's another personal question." She glances to the side. "I'm not having dinner with you so you should probably go."

  "What if it's a business dinner?"

  Her gaze shifts back to me. "What do you mean?"

  "The other reason I came over here is to ask if you'd be willing to work for me a few hours a week."

  "I can't do construction. I've never even pounded a nail in the wall."

  I smile. "Then that's something I'll need to teach you. Everyone should know how to use a hammer and nail. But that's not what I need you to do. My grandfather was a hoarder and I don't have time to go through all his stuff. I need you to go through it and sort out what to keep and what to toss."

  "I can't decide that. It's your stuff. You need to decide."

  "I don't have time. I trust you to figure out what's worth keeping, and if you're not sure, just ask me. You'd be working in the living room and I'll be right there in the kitchen."

  She shakes her head. "I already have a job. I can't do it."

  "I'd only need you a few hours a week, or whatever you can do. You can set the hours. Morning. Night. Doesn't matter to me. Work whenever you want."

  She chews on her lip, seeming nervous and unsure.

  "I'll give you fifteen bucks an hour."

  She doesn't respond.

  "Twenty?"

  "It's not about the money," she says. "I just can't do it."

  "So no on the dinner, no on the job. Got it." I step back, lifting my hands up in surrender. "Sorry to bother you. I'll leave you alone. Oh, one more thing. My brothers will be here this weekend to help me fix your sidewalk."

  I turn and walk away, frustrated that she's acting like this and not explaining why. We had a great time together the past couple nights and I thought we could at least be friends, but now she's acting like she wants nothing to do with me. If she's mad about the kiss or feels awkward being around me now, she should just tell me. I'd rather talk about it and get it out in the open than have her give me the silent treatment or hide from me.

  "Nash, wait."

  I turn and see her coming up behind me. She's out of breath, which is odd because she only had to take a few steps.

  "Yeah?" I ask.

  She chews on her lip again as she closes her eyes, then opens them. "I um...I guess I could work a few hours a week."

  "Are you sure?"

  She glances at her house, then back at me. "Yeah."

  "Do you need to ask your parents?"

  "My parents? I'm 21. Why would I ask my parents?"

  "You were looking at your house like you had to go ask them. I thought maybe you couldn't work because you'd already committed to helping them out. Like maybe babysitting your brother or something."

  Her eyes dart to mine. "How do you know I have a brother?"

  "I saw his tricycle in the garage. So do you have to babysit him? Is that why you can't come to dinner?"

  She shakes her head really fast. "No. It's not that."

  "Are your parents back from their trip?"

  "No, they're not home." She glances at the house again. "I have something in the oven. I need to go check on it."

  "What are you making?"

  "Um, cookies. Chocolate chip."

  "Could we have them for dessert?"

  She doesn't answer.

  I nod. "So dinner's still off. Okay, well, we can talk about the work stuff later, I guess." I start walking, but notice her following me so I stop. "Was there something else?"

  "Yeah, I was um...just wondering if you were going to make us listen to that horrible country music again during dinner."

  I smile. "Yeah. I am. My place. My music."

  "Then
those steaks better be damn good." She smiles just the tiniest bit.

  "Best steaks you've ever had. Guaranteed."

  She walks off. "See ya at six."

  I watch as she makes her way back to the house, my eyes on her little round ass that's tucked into a pair of red shorts which are paired with a tiny white tank top that drew my eyes to her breasts when she approached me. Her silky dark hair is pulled back in a ponytail, swinging behind her as she walks. She goes inside and my mind finally snaps back to what I was doing and I turn and walk back to my house.

  What the hell was I thinking asking her to work for me? I'll never get any work done with Callie around. She gets anywhere near me and I can't take my eyes off her.

  This project is definitely going to take longer than I thought.

  Chapter Eleven

  Callie

  Why did I agree to work for Nash? I can't work for him. I have things to do. Things here at home like...nothing. Who am I kidding? I have nothing to do. Every day is the same and if I don't start making some changes, I'm afraid I'll never be able to. Nash offered me a chance to do something different so I took it. It was hard to say yes. My heart was beating so fast I could barely answer him. But I had to. As scared as I am of change, I have to at least try this. If it doesn't work out, I'll just tell Nash I quit.

  "Hey." Nash smiles as I walk up the stairs to his deck. "You showed up."

  "You thought I wouldn't?"

  "I wasn't sure." He's standing there in khaki cargo shorts and a white t-shirt, his hair tousled like it just dried that way after his shower.

  Looking at him, I feel that twitch in my stomach. That annoying fluttery twitch that some would call butterflies but I'm not calling it that because that would mean I like Nash as more than a neighbor. We agreed that's all we are so I need to put a stop to these thoughts I keep having about him. Like the thought I'm having right now of him kissing me like he did last night.

  "Is that for me?" He's still smiling as he points to my hand.

  "Oh. Yeah." I hand him the beer I brought. "It's one of my favorites. I thought it'd go well with the steaks."

  He takes out one of the bottles and holds it up. "I like this one too. So you like dark beers?"