Neighbor Dearest

“Murray had nothing but good things to say about you as a boss.”

“My job is easy. What you do at that youth center on a daily basis, shaping kids’ views of life and the world, opening their eyes to new things…that’s way harder than anything I’ve ever done.”

“It’s funny. There’s this teenage girl who’s been coming to me for relationship advice…me of all people.”

“Just tell her all the answers can be found in the unicorn,” he said, rolling his eyes facetiously.

That caused me to erupt in laughter. “I should have you go in and set her straight. Although, she might not care about Kai anymore once she became lost in your blue eyes as you were yelling at her to get over it.”

I immediately regretted the eyes comment. He simply smiled at me, looking like he didn’t know how to respond.

“Do I yell?” he asked.

“Only sometimes.”

We stayed making comfortable conversation on the couch for a while until he finally said, “Alright…so we’ve ruled out another movie?”

“Right. No movie. I think I’m gonna turn in.”

He lifted himself off of the couch. “That’s my cue, then.”

Damien bent down, ejecting the DVD from the player.

I walked him to the door. “Thank you for everything.”

He lingered before he said, “Your eyes ain’t so bad, either.”

I smiled and felt flush from the compliment.

He continued, “Your douchebag ex was right about one thing.”

“What?”

“You do blush every single damn time someone compliments you.” He paused. “Every single time.”

I was sure I was blushing even more when I said, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”CHAPTER NINEPANDORA’S BOXRubbing my eyes, I said, “Seriously? They are extra loud today.”

Damien’s phone voice was way too bright and cheery for so early in the morning. “Why don’t you come have breakfast with us? If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”

“So, the only way I can get The Double Ds to stop barking is to come over there? Seriously, there has to be a better solution.”

“What could be better than breakfast with us? They miss you.”

“I seriously doubt that.”

Over the past several weeks, Damien and I had started to figure out that for some reason, the dogs stopped barking whenever I came over to complain in the morning. As soon as I’d return to my apartment, the barking would start up again. It was almost like they were messing with me.

“Come on, I’ll make you some coffee and eggs. If you want toast, you’ll have to bring the toaster oven.”

“I’ll toast some slices and bring them,” I said, throwing some clothes on with a smile on my face.

“We’ll skip the bacon.” He laughed.

“Um…yeah. No bacon, please.”

Damien had left his door cracked open and was emptying a frying pan full of scrambled eggs onto two plates when I let myself in.

Carrying a dish of toast, I said, “Look, they’re not even burned.”

“You must’ve not been reading and toasting.”

Dudley and Drewfus were circling around me, but as expected, they’d stopped barking with me here.

Hoping for some scraps, the animals sat by our feet as Damien and I ate at the kitchen table.

“It’s amazing how quiet they are now.”

Taking a bite of toast, he said, “They’re quiet when they’re content.”

“So, you’re saying they’re happier when I’m here?”

“Maybe they like having a female around when they wake up, or maybe they just sense something that other people don’t.”

“Like sense something about me?”

“You know how strong their sense of smell is.”

“Yes, I do.” I laughed. “Between your supersonic hearing and their sensitive noses, I’m pretty much screwed around here.

“Maybe they like the way you smell.”

“Are you saying I’m like a piece of smoked meat to them?”

“No. You smell better than bacon.”

“You’ve smelled me?”

“Yes.”

“What exactly do I smell like?”

“You smell really nice. It’s a sweet smell.”

“You’re bacon me paranoid.”

He chuckled. “Okay…so either they like your smell, or they just sense that you’re a friendly person, and they calm down when you’re around.”

Damien was giving me a funny look that prompted me to ask, “Are we talking about them or you?”

“Maybe both.”

My heart fluttered, and I wanted to stomp on it.

He broke up a piece of toast and threw the remnants on the ground. The dogs scurried to beat each other to it.

When Damien got up to pour more coffee, I said, “So, I’m going out with Brian Steinway again this weekend.”

He was stirring in sugar, and his hand stilled for a moment when I’d said it.

“I didn’t realize you were still seeing him. You hadn’t mentioned him in a while.”

Brian and I had only gone out a few times in a span of a month. While he didn’t give me the same butterflies Damien did, I’d yet to find a legitimate reason to stop casually dating him. We hadn’t done more than kiss; that was mostly because of my own hesitation.

“Yeah…I figure why not? He’s nice enough.”

Damien slammed his mug down. “Nice enough?”

“Yes.”

“You do realize you just basically wrote him off, right? So why bother spending any more time with him if you’re not crazy about him?”