Her Big Neighbor

“Okay,” Edward says. “Let’s frame it differently. What does your ideal day look like to you? Like if you wake up tomorrow and you could design your day to be perfect, how would it look?”

I smirk at him. “It would look a lot like this morning.”

“Julia,” he says, but he’s laughing. “Okay, I’m on a business trip and physically can’t come fuck you senseless. What does your perfect day look like?”

I take a moment to imagine, but there’s honestly not much there. It feels blank. When I picture a perfect day there’s a vague shape of happiness and satisfaction, but no details. “I don’t know,” I say. “It’s not something that I think about that often.”

“Well do me a favor and keep thinking about it.”

“Okay.”

The waitress appears with our food and holy fuck, I think this might be the best burger that I’ve eaten in my whole life. It’s the perfect combo of cooked and greasy and I don’t even care that it’s messy. “This is so good.”

“Yes,” Edward says. “I didn’t realize how much I was craving a burger until just now.”

“The fries are good too.”

Honestly, it just shows how good the food really is, since neither of us talk much while we’re actually eating. But after, we do. Classic first date questions that we never bothered to get to know when we were younger. Middle names and favorite colors. Childhood memories and secret cravings. It feels natural too. Not a stretch in the slightest.

Which is a relief. We have such amazing chemistry with each other physically, that not having any other kind of chemistry would be awful. But that’s not the case. If anything, his answers make me like him more. Want him more in every way.

Edward tells me about the current charity projects that Werlin Venture supports and how he thinks that Mom’s charity will fit right in. He also tells me about some of the amazing projects that they’re supporting across the country. They’re all over the place in terms of scope, but they all focus on innovation and betterment. It’s not hard to believe at all that Edward both loves and deserves his job. The passion he holds for it seeps from every word.

We talk a little more about what I want to do too, and he helps me put into words exactly what I’m looking for. Something with enough creativity to keep me from being bored, but with enough structure that allows me to use the things I love about business.

Finally, when we’re both finished and stuffed full of burger, he reaches across the table and takes my hand. “Can I kick your ass at some video games?”

“If you think that I’m just going to let you win, then you’re crazy.”

He laughs as he pulls me up from my seat. “Oh you’re not going to have to let me do anything. I’ve got this all on my own.”

“That’s some big talk, Edward.”

He grins. “You know me. I never say something of mine is big without being able to back it up.” Then leaning in and whispering in my ear. “I thought my cock would have shown you that for sure.” I blush bright red and he laughs, pulling me into the arcade. “Come on. I’ll even be a gentleman and let you pick the first game.”

11

Edward

Julia is so incredibly beautiful. That’s the thought that keeps entering my mind as we weave through the arcade. It’s darker in here than in the restaurant, and with the neon lights of the games reflecting off every surface, she’s painted in a riot of color. And I keep getting distracted by how damn beautiful she is.

I like her spirit, and the way her mind works. And everything she said during dinner only makes me gravitate toward her. I’m being pulled in by her energy, and I don’t want to stop. I’ve never felt that way about anyone else. This pull that tells me that this could be real, and permanent, and deep.

And I finally got the answers to my question of why she’s looked sad and lost. That’s because she is. She’s not where she wants to be and she knows it. I understand. I’ve been there, and if I’m able to help her figure anything out, I’ll do it.

For our first game, Julia picks Skee-ball. “I’m the champion of this, you know.”

She rolls her eyes. “You are not.”

“I am, actually. In high school we held a competition and I won.”

“When I get home I’m fact checking that statement.”

I step away to the machine that gives us quarters for the game. “You can fact check it right now on your phone if you want, it won’t stop it from being true.” I did actually win. It was a stupid bet made by a couple of high school seniors, but I took them all down one by one. It even got put in the yearbook. Skee-ball. What every young man wants to be known for in high school.