by S S Bazinet
He blinked a couple of times and noticed details about her clothes. She wore a loose-fitting shirt and short pants. If he concentrated, he could make out the image of a mouse on her shirt. That was nice. He loved the tiny creatures.
Still, it made him curious. Why a mouse? As the image of the mouse began to clear, he recognized it. It was a Disney character named Minnie. He let out another gasp. “Elise was wearing an identical shirt!”
Just the thought of the woman made him shut his eyes and groan. Why did he have to run into Elise that morning? Recalling the unpleasant encounter, he was jolted by another shout of distress. When he opened his eyes, things were back to normal. There was no pixie. Whatever he’d just experienced was quickly forgotten as he watched Elise running towards him. Then he felt something brush his pant leg and run into the house. It was Elise’s dog. That’s when things began to click. Elise was trying to catch her puppy.
He held up a hand. “It’s okay. I’ll get him for you.”
His offer went unnoticed. Still running and yelling for her pet, Elise tripped on a raised edge of the sidewalk. With her momentum propelling her forward, she threw out her hands and came down hard on the cement.
Arel’s throat caught. He wasn’t fond of Elise, but he didn’t want to see her get hurt. He was about to rush over to help her, but she was on her feet so fast that he didn’t get the chance. Never hesitating for even a moment, she rushed forward again, like a soldier in battle who doesn’t let a bullet wound slow them down. When she reached the porch stairs, she was panting, but she took the steps two at a time. When she got to the door, she gave him a panicked look and ran into the house.
Arel took a moment to calm himself. “She must really love that dog!”
As he hurried after her, he heard Elise’s voice raised in prayer. Her request was short. “Lord, give me strength!” It was followed by a much louder request. “Michael! Carey! Get in here!” Her shouts reminded Arel of a drill sergeant who was gathering his men for roll call.
He was about to volunteer for duty when Michael and Carey came running down the hall towards him. That’s when Elise’s puppy came running out of the living room. It skidded on the tile floor of the foyer and kept going.
Elise was shouting again. “Michael, fast! Get the paper towels. Carey! Hurry! Get the key to my house! Bring me the rug cleaner for stains! It’s in the laundry room!”
Without responding verbally, both Michael and Carey were in motion. They each took off in different directions. Arel didn’t know why, but Elise’s energy had his heart pounding as he ran into the living room. He hesitated when he saw Elise kneeling on the rug. Her voice was much quieter than before, a mere whisper of repeated words. “No, no, no!”
A moment later, Michael ran past him and crouched down next to Elise. She didn’t acknowledge him. Instead, she grabbed the paper towels out of his hands, unrolled a few feet and began to press down on the carpet. Her actions and the focused look on her face reminded Arel of a medic tending to an accident victim. When he got a closer look, he realized that the accident victim was an inanimate object. His rug had suffered from animal abuse.
Michael looked up and sighed. “Sorry, Freddie had a little mishap.”
Michael’s soft-spoken explanation, made Elise’s head jerk up. “It’s under control. Don’t worry about a thing.”
Arel stepped closer. “Elise, please, get up. I’ll take care of—”
Elise’s tone turned insistent. “No! It’s my fault! I’ll handle it.”
Arel frowned, but his instincts told him to give Elise space. “Do you want me to check on your puppy? I think he ran into one of the bedrooms.”
When Elise looked up this time, her eyes were wide pools of fear. “The bedroom? Where you keep your shoes?” She didn’t wait for an answer. She glared at Michael. “Quick, go look for Freddie. He’s been chewing on everything lately. I’ve had to put all my shoes on a closet shelf.”
Michael, like a faithful soldier, was up and on his feet at once. After he left the room, Arel knelt down in his place. “Elise, what’s all that red stuff on the paper towels.”
Elise had been throwing used towels to the side without looking at them. Arel’s question made her pause, then shriek again. “Oh no!” When she held out her hands, both were scraped and bleeding.
It was Arel’s cue to take action. Taking hold of Elise’s arm, he started to help her up. “Let’s take care of—”
His offer was interrupted by another of Elise’s outbursts.
“I can’t believe it! My knees must be bleeding too!”
When Arel looked at where Elise had been kneeling, there were two dark, red stains spoiling the white carpet.
Michael returned to the living room a moment later. He was carrying Freddie in one hand and a shoe in the other. “Arel, I think Freddie likes your slipper. It might have a few blemishes.”
His statement seemed to push Elise over the edge. She let out a short, shrieking curse and burst into tears. Next, she jerked her arm out of Arel’s grasp, hurried over to Michael and grabbed Freddie. She also grabbed Arel’s slipper, cursed again and ran out of the house.
Arel didn’t know how to respond. Should he go after Elise and make sure she was okay? When he looked to Michael for advice, the angel remained quiet.
Arel’s instincts told him to save himself, to let Elise do what she insisted on doing. It was plain she wanted to take care of everything herself. It was a relief until he looked at his carpet. He had a job he needed to tend to.
Sixteen
PEGGY WAS SURPRISED when Arel called and said he’d like to stop over. He mentioned something about needing a woman’s advice. She told him that she was having coffee with Carol. If he wanted, he could have the advice of two women. When Arel arrived, he looked confused. Since he didn’t say much, Peggy decided to start off the conversation. She put down her mug and smiled. “Arel, did I hear shouting coming from your place this morning?”
Arel slumped in his chair. “You heard Elise. Her puppy got away from her, and she was chasing him, screaming like a banshee.”
Carol sat in the chair next to Arel’s. “Is the puppy okay?”
Peggy leaned in, waiting for Arel’s answer. She was already attached to Elise’s pet. “He’s not hurt, is he?”
Arel’s brows narrowed even more. “The only things that suffered are my rug and my slipper. Elise’s dog managed to damage both of them. Not to mention the blood stains Elise left behind.”
“Blood?” Carol gasped.
Peggy sat wide-eyed as Arel related his tale of woe. When he finished, she was eager for more information. “How’s Elise now? I hope her hands and knees aren’t too bad.”
Arel gave her an annoyed glance. “I tried to call her, but she wouldn’t answer. Finally, Carey came back from her place and told me she’d be fine. I guess she’s banged up and sore, but she’ll recover in a day or two.”
“Why was Carey at her house?” Carol asked.
“Elise sent him there to find some cleaning solution for my rug. When she ran back home, he was still there. And you know Carey. He’s always everyone’s friend. He helped to take care of her scrapes.”
Peggy smiled. “Carey is wonderful.”
Arel shifted in his seat. “That’s not the point. I want to know if I should do anything more. Elise acted like she’d lost it. The way she was down on her knees, going at my rug with that crazy look in her eye, she was scary.”
Carol laughed. “Oh my, I bet she knew how important it is that your house stays immaculate.”
Arel winced. “How can I keep my house immaculate with Carey around? He’s always dropping stuff and—”
Peggy grinned too. “And you’re always cleaning up after him. I wonder how many miles you’ve put on your vacuum.”
Arel studied his clasped hands. “I was raised to be very neat.”
Carol reached over and patted his shoulder. “And there’s not a thing in the world wrong with that. Kevin and I loved staying a
t your place. It was like being in some fancy resort.”
Peggy nodded. “Your artwork and your beautiful bronzes could be in a gallery.”
Arel let his frown ease a little. “Thank you, having pleasant surroundings has always been important to me.”
“Someday I’d like to make some changes,” Carol said. “But for now, toys and baby accessories are everywhere. A couple of days ago, Kevin was going to the kitchen for a late night snack and tripped over little Ariel’s play workbench. I’m just happy little Ariel slept through his father’s noisy expletives.”
“Elise let out a few expletives, too,” Arel said.
“I’m sure she was upset,” Peggy offered.
“Fine, but why act like it’s a life or death situation when her dog had an accident?”
Peggy looked at Carol and smiled broadly.
Arel noticed their silent communication. “What’s so funny?”
Peggy studied her coffee mug and ran a finger around its edge. “Poor Elise.”
“Yes, I feel sorry for her,” Carol said.
Arel looked at each of them and sat up straighter. “Why would either of you feel sorry for a woman who treated you so badly? Like you told me, she’s horrible.”
Carol bit her lip. “Not always. She has her good side.”
Peggy sighed. “Carol’s right. Elise can be nicer than I thought.”
“But what does that have to do with me?” Arel asked. “I just want to get on with my life with Claire.”
Peggy sat up too. “Arel, you don’t have a clue, do you?”
“No! That’s why I’m here. I want to know what’s going on.”
Carol smoothed out her napkin. “I think Elise is in love with you, Arel.”
Peggy grabbed Arel’s arm. “Or at the least, from the way she’s acting, she must have a terrible crush on you.”
Arel blinked back like they’d announced that the moon really was made out of cheese. “You two are as nutty as Elise. She hates me!”
“Oh boy, she really does have it bad,” Carol said quietly.
Arel stood up. “I better go talk to her.”
“No!” Both Peggy and Carol yelled out the word at the same time.
Arel hesitated. “Why not? This latest episode with her was ridiculous and exhausting.”
Peggy stood up too. “Arel, you came here for advice. So please, you don’t want to have that kind of conversation with Elise.”
Carol was nodding her head. “Listen to Peggy.”
* * * * *
Arel had paid Peggy and Carol a visit with one objective in mind. He needed advice about his unpleasant, early morning experience with Elise. He walked back home feeling completely dissatisfied. Instead of helping him, the two women went on and on about how incapable he was in understanding anything. They even used the word, clueless. No matter how he tried to explain himself, they seemed determined to take Elise’s side. What was wrong with them? Couldn’t they see that he was the injured party? He was the one who suffered repeatedly when he was around the woman.
And as for their explanation about Elise having a crush on him, that didn’t excuse the woman’s foul attitude. Carol even said something about love.
“Over my dead body!” he mumbled through clenched teeth. The whole idea of Elise liking him was completely unacceptable. He didn’t want to be associated with his neighbor. To be the object of her romantic intentions made his entire body go rigid with resentment. After how she’d treated him when he was dating her, he didn’t want to hear about her starry-eyed, lovesick feelings.
As he was about to turn into his driveway, he paused for only a moment and then kept going. If Peggy and Carol didn’t care about his feelings, he didn’t have to care about their advice. He had to put an end to any connection he had with Elise. He had to confront her, face on, and set the woman straight. Her feelings about him were not appreciated. He’d also establish some boundaries. The next time she locked herself out of her house, she wasn’t to bother him. She could go to someone else for assistance.
As he approached Elise’s front door, he’d never felt so at ease about voicing his feelings. If Elise could blurt out whatever she wanted, so could he. William had even questioned Arel’s lack of expression. But that was the old Arel. The new one was one hundred percent ready to communicate with ease.
After a couple of short rings on the doorbell, he heard Elise call out from inside. As usual, she had plenty of volume when she yelled, “Coming.” He cleared his throat, ready to turn up his own volume.
* * * * *
With Freddie tucked under an arm, Elise hurried along as quickly as she could to answer the door. In her present condition, the term, quickly, meant that she sort of shuffled to the foyer, trying not to overdo her stiff knees. But in spite of her body’s woes, she felt like a new woman. She’d had a startling breakthrough that morning.
After the disastrous events that involved Arel and his belongings, she’d come back to her house almost traumatized. But it wasn’t the events themselves that scared her, it was the way she’d acted. She’d allowed her emotions to take over to such an extent that she’d acted like a maniac. The embarrassment she felt afterwards was overwhelming. She didn’t want to ever repeat that kind of behavior.
When she calmed down, she remembered what Michael and Carey had said to her. They were advising her on how to develop her heroine Linda’s character, but she felt their words affect her on a much deeper level. When she was still very young and inexperienced, she’d made decisions that had terrible consequences. But she wasn’t that young, naïve girl anymore. She had matured. She was strong and very competent.
The thoughts had been taking shape in her book and in her psyche, but it hadn’t been until that morning that she had a lightbulb moment. As Carey helped her with her scrapes and told her that he was sure everything would work out. She began to believe him. No, it was more than that. She realized she could believe in herself.
After Carey left, she had a couple of hours to just sit calmly in the living room with Freddie asleep on her lap. She used that time to take stock of her life. Some parts were perfect. She loved writing, and her novels were successful enough to give her financial freedom. She was physically healthy, and if she improved her eating habits and did a little more exercising, she’d be in the best shape of her life. Then there was the idea of a relationship. She didn’t know if she was ready for one, but if a man did come into her life, she’d approach the idea of dating with more confidence this time. Which brought her to her final consideration, Arel.
She’d made quite the mess when they dated. Her current performance left her blushing every time she thought about it. However, Carey had made another good point. He’d said that sometimes extreme situations were a wake-up call, a signal to move on to something better in life. When that concept sunk in, she suddenly felt free of Arel. Her handsome neighbor had served a purpose. He’d helped her to know that there were good men in the world. Now, Arel was engaged to someone, and she was ready to move on.
When she had the thought, she could breathe easier. Some of the tension in her body drained away. At first, she didn’t know why she felt better, but one of Michael’s explanations about life made sense. He’d said, “Children often learn to seek love on the outside instead of valuing themselves.”
That was it. Mystery solved. She’d been taught not to love herself. Her father had a list of reasons for denying her worth, but as Elise went over the list, none of the reasons made sense. Even if she didn’t know enough to come in out of the rain, that didn’t mean she wasn’t lovable. Maybe she was just too preoccupied with other thoughts to run into the house. Maybe she liked the rain. Whatever the reason, she didn’t have to believe in her father’s opinions. She could have her own. And if she wanted to stand in the rain, that was okay.
Freddie seemed to second the motion. When he woke up, he stretched, turned around on her lap and then jumped up on her chest. His black eyes were bright and happy as he tried to give
her doggy kisses. That was when the doorbell rang, and she realized that she wanted to see whoever was there, especially since it might be Carey coming back to check on her. She was feeling so much better about herself that she smiled and shouted out the word, “Coming!”
She was pleasantly surprised to see Arel standing on her porch. Words came out on their own. “Great to see you again! I was going to visit you later and return your slipper. Please, come in. I have so much to tell you.”
Arel hesitated, but she reached out carefully and took hold of his arm with a bandaged hand. With a broad smile, she pulled him inside, handed him Freddie, and shut the door. “Wait here, I’ll go get your shoe.” She glanced back at him as she went to her office. “I’m happy to report that there are a couple of little tooth marks in the leather, but nothing serious. If that bothers you, I’ll be happy to pay for a new pair.” She paused. “But I must say, that would be expensive, wouldn’t it. They look custom made. I’m guessing Italian.”
* * * * *
Arel couldn’t understand what had happened to the woman who answered the door. She looked like Elise, but he’d never seen this version. This version had a face that was unlined and glowed with, dare he think it, sweetness. As he tried to fathom what was going on, Elise’s puppy kept trying to lick his face. He struggled to avoid the puppy’s long tongue as Elise returned with his shoe in her hand.
“I know,” she said, still smiling. “I’m trying to teach Freddie not to do that, but he’s such a lovable, little guy. Please, just put him down.” Elise laughed. “I don’t know why I handed him to you in the first place. But giving him to people is beginning to be a habit. Peggy and Carol and their kids love the little rascal.”
Arel set the puppy down and started to stand up when Elise paused in front of him. When their eyes met, Elise’s eyes were glossed over.