I smirked down at her, quietly contemplating what Max would say if he were here. Nothing was happening, I tried to assure myself. This was just a neighbor helping out another neighbor. A really attractive, pretty, distressingly neighbor who just so happened to be with child. And who also happened to be the younger sister of my best friend. I suddenly understood what Max meant when he said things were complicated.
“I don’t mind at all,” I said firmly. “How about you lead the way?”
6
Terri
The truth of the matter was that I clogged up the sink on purpose. I just couldn’t think of a good enough excuse to invite Joe over, especially not after rejecting his request to get dinner again. Everything in my head felt loopy, no thanks to the rollercoaster ride that was my hormonal cycle. Time felt slower one moment and then all too fast the next. Joe fixed the sink within twenty minutes with a bit Drano he’d brought over. There hadn’t even been a need for a plunger. I’d been so mesmerized with the way his strong hands moved about that I hadn’t realized he’d fixed the sink until it was too late. And just like that, he was getting up to leave.
An anxious feeling tugged at my chest, the fear of being left alone again suddenly dawning on me.
“Well, that’s that,” he announced, sounding more than a little proud. He wiped his hands down on the front of his jeans –jeans that complimented long legs perfectly. Joe turned to turn on the sink one last time, just to make sure that everything drained properly. I raked my eyes over his large back, settling on the perfect curve of his ass. I had to resist the urge to reach out and grab him, had to resist the temptation with all my might. I couldn’t understand it. I saw people wearing jeans all the time. What was so special about Joe in a pair of dark denim that had me literally aching?
“The, er, fan in the bathroom’s really loud,” I rushed, tripping over my own words. “Would you mind taking a look at it? It’s okay if you say no. I’m sure you’re busy. You know what? It’s fine. I don’t want to trouble you–”
“It’s no trouble,” he insisted, flashing me one of his signature smiles.
My heart skipped a beat. How the hell did he do that?
He worked with incredible diligence and efficiency, quickly unscrewing the metal faceplate that concealed the bathroom’s fan. A great deal of dust and dirt buildup covered the blades, which he first wiped down with a damp paper towel and then proceeded to apply a bit of oil to the rotating mechanism. Once he had replaced all the parts, he flicked the switch. Lo and behold, the noisy bathroom fan was noisy no longer. Joe clapped his hands, a job well done. It was almost ridiculous how easy he made everything look. I couldn’t even put together the bookshelf I’d bought from Ikea without falling apart at the seams.
“Anything else before I go?” he asked. Joe sounded very much like he was joking, but I knew that if I told him there was something else that needed fixing, he’d be more than happy to help. He hadn’t denied me anything yet, and I didn’t see that stopping.
“I, um–” I drew in a sharp breath as Joe approached, leaning casually against the bathroom’s door frame. I caught a whiff of his intoxicating bodywash, which was warm and reminded me of a spring day right after a heavy storm. Joe leaned in, barely an inch separating us, awaiting my answer.
“Tell me, Terri,” he said, voice just above a whisper.
I liked Joe’s company.
Correction, I liked Joe.
He was sweet, and he could be funny. I used to think that his dry humor was grating, but now I practically lived for every deadpan pun he made. It was easy to be around him, to just take a moment and breathe and forget about all my troubles. I didn’t care about finding a job, I didn’t care about how bitter Chris had left me, I didn’t care that my family was probably disappointed I’d chosen the baby over the rest of my future. Joe didn’t judge me, didn’t think any less of me. I could just be.
I reached up and cupped his face with my hands, standing up on my toes to bring my face to his. Our eyes locked as shaky breathes ricochet off of one another’s lips before they came crashing together entirely. Without hesitation, Joe circled his arms around my waist and lifted me up. I instinctively locked my legs around his hips as he spun us around and pressed me against the hallway wall. Our kiss was deep, but frenzied, the tensions that had been building between us suddenly snapping to give way for our overpowering desires. I hooked my fingers around Joe’s neck and hummed as his tongue poked out to tease my lips apart. I put up no resistance, allowing him to taste my mouth and explore its shape as he rolled his hips against me.