I Love You My Neighbour: Chapter 11
I'll avoid avoiding you in future
Kristy
"Kristy.” Michaela, Jackie’s niece, walks into the café kitchen. “There's a guy out front asking for you."
Frowning, I put down the dish I'm drying and step out of the kitchen to see who it is. To my surprise, it's Logan, the last person I expect to see after our argument the previous night.
"Logan, why are you here?" I ask, crossing my arms.
He wears a sheepish smile. "Would you believe I came for the muffins?"
I raise an eyebrow. "Why would you want to buy muffins from someone you think is stupid?"
His smile fades, and he winces. "I didn't mean to come off so harshly last night. I'm sorry I upset you."
I scoff. "Are you sure about that? It seemed like you were trying to be a jerk."
I’m sure he said those things because I revealed that I know about his fiancée and her tragic accident. I had intended to keep that information to myself, but when he mentioned his mother's desires for karmic retribution through challenging grandchildren, his expression of utter heartbreak compelled me to share my sympathy. I simply couldn't contain it. Once he knew I was aware of his loss, he shut down, becoming cold and distant, just as he was when we first met.
All traces of humour vanish from his expression as he looks at me intently. He crosses his arms and rocks back on his heels. "I was caught off guard when you mentioned knowing about Izzy..."
"I've already apologized for that, Logan. As I said last night, I wish I hadn't found out the way I did, but I can't take it back," I say, trying to maintain a calm demeanour.
He stops rocking, his grey eyes clouded as he looks at me. "I know. I guess, last night, I just didn't want you to keep focusing on what you'd learned. I'm used to people looking at me and seeing someone broken, but..."
"You didn't want me to see you that way?" I ask, my voice softening.
He frowns. "I have no idea how long we'll be neighbours for, but I don't want Izzy and her accident to be the only thing we talk about every time we bump into each other."
"As if I'd bring her up all the time. Contrary to popular opinion, I'm not stupid. I realise some topics are off-limits."
Finally realising he's making it worse, he sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "I know that. It's just... I don't know. I had this ridiculous thought the other day that you were avoiding me. After we bumped into each other every day for weeks, I thought it was odd I hadn't seen you for a few days. And then when I found out you knew, I figured you might have... stayed away because you didn't know what to say to me."
"I see."
He is one hundred percent on the money. I have been avoiding him. But he's wrong about the reason I've been avoiding him. The lustful thoughts I've had about my neighbour have been disconcerting. After learning about Izzy, I just felt like I needed to keep my distance. Fantasizing about some guy who is still grieving his dead fiancée feels both hopeless and wrong.
I mean, it isn't as if I have any intention of making a move on the man; he's a million miles out of my league. But my imagination hasn't had any problem conjuring him naked in bed with me this week. It hasn't had any problem imagining his body on top of mine as he strokes in and out of me. Avoiding him seemed like my best chance of reining in my overactive imagination.
"I told you, I've been walking the dog later at night," I reply, trying to steer the conversation away from my real reasons.
"You did tell me that."
The way he's looking at me makes me think my motivations are still in question.
Sighing, I nod. "And okay, yes, after hearing about Izzy I might have made the decision to avoid you because I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't want to let on that I knew, but I didn't feel like I could ignore the information either."
Okay, that is only a little bit true, and I do feel a bit bad about lying to him when we've been truthful with each other up to this point. However, there is no way I'm telling Logan that the thought of him without clothes on not only sends my blood pressure sky high but makes me burn with a need for him. Which is the real reason I've avoided him.
Even when we'd been walking and talking last night, I felt far too aware of him. And seeing him in the suit that he'd turned up in only made things worse.
Does the man look amazing with only half his clothes? Absolutely. Unfortunately, he also looks just as good in a suit. And then hearing him speak so passionately about teaching and listening to him recount his experiences in school... well, he was letting me get to know him. Now there's more to him than just some hot body and a gorgeous face.
"Thank you for admitting that," he says, taking a step closer to the counter.
"I'll try to act like an adult in the future and avoid avoiding you," I say with a hint of a smile.
He nods. "Does this mean you'll stop walking Cricket so late at night?"
My heart flutters in response to his concern for my safety. Last night, his comments irritated me, but today his concern touches me.
Which is ridiculous. Logan's concern isn’t for me personally. He’s just doing what his conscience tells him he should. I'm just his neighbour—and the woman who makes muffins he likes.
"Maybe," I reply. "So, did you just come here to apologize for acting like a jerk, or because you want something to eat?"
The corner of his mouth twists up at the side. "Ah, I came for both of those reasons. And I would hate for you to deprive me of your muffins because you're pissed off at me."
I can't help but grin at his response. "Right."
"Excuse me, is this conversation going to take much longer, or can you two socialize on your own time?" a woman interrupts with a death-stare.
"I'm sorry," Logan says, turning towards her. "Please take my place, and I'll order when you're done."
I hadn't even noticed the woman in her mid to late forties until now. She immediately obliges, clearly affected by Logan's handsome appearance and charming smile.
As soon as the woman has placed her order and sat down, Logan steps back up to the counter and apologises to me.
"Don't worry about it. Though, you should probably tell me what you want before my boss comes out here and sees you distracting me," I say, regaining my composure.
He smiles. "Right. I'll take any of the pies you have left, and one of your orange and chocolate muffins, please."
"Just one?"
"I'd feel greedy buying more than that, especially since I don't have the excuse of friends to feed this time."
"One it is, then. Do you want it to go?"
"I'd better."
The lunch rush is over, but school isn't over for the day. Finally taking the time to observe him, I notice that he's dressed in a pair of navy shorts, a navy polo shirt with a Caranbie Heights High School logo on it, and sneakers. There's a good chance he's come straight from teaching a PE class.
"The school you teach at is Caranbie Heights? That's twenty minutes from here," I comment.
"I know," he replies casually, as if it's not a big deal.
He took an extra-long lunch break to come here and apologize to me and buy something I made. As he adds coffee to his order and pays me, I try not to dwell on that.
I'm aware of him leaning against the wall of the café, intermittently watching me as I plate lunch for the customer who had given me a death glare earlier. Once I've served her, I put Logan's food in a paper bag for him.
"Awesome, thank you," he says, walking up to the counter and taking it from me.
"You're welcome. I'll see you around."
"You will."
He starts walking away but then stops, turning to face me again. "Hey, Kristy? I was harsh last night, deliberately, but I don't like the idea of you walking Cricket in the dark. I still have every intention of tagging along with you if you go out at that time again."
I sigh, doing my best to smother a smile. "I guess I'll go back to walking my dog at an earlier hour then."
He raises an eyebrow. "You don't want my company?"
"You need to work on the house."
"Yes, I do." With that, he walks out the door.
If my choices are walking Cricket earlier in the day or Logan joining me, I'm going to pick option number one. Spending more time than necessary with Logan might lead to me liking him more.
"Who was that?" Michaela asks after Logan leaves. "He was yummy."
"That is my new neighbour."
Michaela whistles. "You got lucky, didn't you?"
"Depends on your version of lucky, I guess."
"My version is some hot guy moving in next door to me, especially if he's single. Is he single?"
"Not sure," I lie, not wanting to disclose Logan's situation.
It isn't my place to tell her about Izzy, and I don't want to imply that he is available. The guy is still in love with a woman who is dead. So, technically, I'm sure he doesn't qualify as unattached.
And I really don't want Michaela going on about it or hitting on Logan next time he comes into the café. The girl is nice enough, but she likes to talk about guys. A lot.
"By the way, Auntie Jacquie wants to talk to you when you've got a moment," Michaela adds.
Great. My stomach sinks to my feet as I assume the worst. "Okay."
Reluctantly, I make my way back to the kitchen, where Jacquie is drying the dishes I abandoned to talk to Logan.
"Michaela told me you wanted to talk?"
"Yes," Jacquie says, putting down her tea towel and leaning against the counter. "Kristy, I know we talked about you dropping a day here and there because you're tired."
"And I said I'm fine." I smile to soften my harsh tone.
"I know you said that, but I don't like the idea of anyone working seven days a week when they don't have to, and you've been doing it for a while now."
"I don't mind. It's not like I have anything else to do."
She frowns. "I'm not surprised. You spend all your time here. I'm going to drop you down to six days and see how we go from there."
"But—"
"I'm not asking your permission, Kristy. That's my decision, and it's final."
This is all because of Michaela. She decided she needs a job to put herself through Uni, which is fine, but right now it feels as if she's coming after my job. I don't want to lose any of my shifts.
As though she can see what I'm thinking, Jacquie reaches out and gives my arm a gentle squeeze. "Yes, I'm partly doing this for Michaela. But I've felt for some time that I'm overworking you. You do such a great job without ever complaining, and it's easy to take advantage of that. I feel as though you get the raw end of the stick working here. You're up early every morning. You bake every day. It must play havoc with your social life."
What social life? That's what I want to say. Except admitting I have no social life will possibly make her feel even guiltier, and then she'll be trying to get me down to five days a week. It's clear she believes she is doing the right thing by me.
But what am I supposed to do with the extra time?
Forcing a smile, I ask, "Which day did you want me to drop?"
"I think one of the weekend days."
Saturday and Sunday are both double time for me. I don't want to lose either of them, but Sunday is the one day a week I manage the café.
"I guess I can part with my Saturday shift," I say, reluctantly accepting the change.
"How do you feel about taking your first day off tomorrow, then?"
"Tomorrow?"
"You don't have to, of course. It's short notice. But I've already rostered Michaela on for the day because she's desperate for the extra money."
"Right."
What am I supposed to say? If I refuse to take the day off, my boss will effectively be paying an extra person's wage, which isn't good business.
"What about the muffins and cakes for the day?"
Jacquie appears thoughtful. "Would you mind baking a batch or two and bringing them in tomorrow? I'll pay you the sale price for each muffin."
Usually, Jacquie pays me half of what each muffin sells for, never the sale price. Obviously, she feels bad asking me to bake after giving me the day off. I'll still have to get up early to drop the orders in. Not exactly relaxing for my first day off in months and months. Still, I would feel bad leaving them in the lurch, even if I have just lost my shift.
I nod. "I can do that."
"Thank you. I'll organize someone else to bake or else order in for next Saturday."
I don't like that idea. What if she ends up liking the new stuff better than my stuff? Baking is the one thing I do well—the one area in my life where I feel like I excel. If Jacquie decides she wants to use another baker instead of me, I wouldn't be happy with that.
"I'm happy to bring the muffins in at the usual time tomorrow, and I can always bake for Saturdays, even if I'm not working that day," I assure her.
"Oh, there's no need for that. Bring the muffins in at nine o'clock tomorrow. After everything I've just said, I don't feel right about you coming in at the crack of dawn."
"I really don't mind."
"But I do, Kristy." She winks at me. "Who knows, you might like your day off so much you ask me for another one."
Nope, not happening. I already feel incredibly unsettled by the thought of dropping just one day at work. Change is in the wind, and I don't like it one bit.
That afternoon, I get home and start baking straight away. I'm slowly getting used to not having my afternoon nap. It's the new normal for me.
As soon as I've finished baking, I take Cricket for a walk.
"Hey, Neighbour!" I look up to see Kyle waving to me. He's sitting inside his car in Logan's driveway, and I immediately smile and guide Cricket in his direction.
"You're here on a Friday," I say, stating the obvious.
"Yup." He turns off the car, cutting out the rock song he'd been listening to, and slides out of his seat. "So this is Cricket, huh? Gees, he does look just like Buster, doesn't he?"
"That's why I had to pick up the photo. The resemblance is uncanny."
He bends down to pat the dog, talking to me as he does so. "How's your day been?" he asks, looking up at me.
"Fine, well apart from the fact I just lost one of my shifts at work. That sucked."
The words pop out without my consent. I'm sure Kyle doesn't care about me losing a shift, but it feels good to tell someone.
A look of concern etches on his face as he stands up. "Can they do that?"
"They can. My first day off in months is tomorrow, and I'm not the least bit happy about it. Anyway, what are you doing here? Haven't you already helped Logan out enough this week?" I joke.
"Actually, I came here on a top-secret mission. Logan thinks I'm here to give him some extra help, but I'm planning to drag him out with Adam and me tonight. It's been...more than two years since he went out with us."
Because of Izzy, obviously. "Where are you dragging him to?"
"There's a new club opening in Carrington Bay. I'm not expecting him to come willingly, though."
Logan's front door slams shut, causing both Kyle and me to look in that direction. Neither of us says anything as Logan walks towards us.
"What are you two gasbagging about?" Logan asks, coming to stand next to me. He turns to Kyle. "Dude, I thought you were coming in to help me."
"I was, but then Kristy came over here and distracted me with her work woes."
My mouth drops open, but I shut it quickly when Kyle winks at me, revealing he's playing.
Logan studies me. "Did something happen after I left?"
"You bastard!" Kyle declares, not giving me a chance to respond. "You went to the café today, didn't you?"
"Maybe," Logan answers, humour dancing in his grey eyes as we share a look.
"Bastard," Kyle repeats.
"What happened at work?" Logan asks me again.
"Ah, I've now officially lost one of my shifts."
"That sucks." Logan's expression is sympathetic. "You did say that it was a possibility last night."
"Yes, I just didn't expect it to happen quite so suddenly."
"Tomorrow is her first day off in months and months," Kyle chimes in.
"Maybe you could try to enjoy it," Logan says. "You could do things you wouldn't normally get the chance to do." He looks down at Cricket before looking back at me, the corner of his mouth kicking up in an almost smile. "Like walking Cricket in the morning."
I know he is only teasing me, but I still have the distinct urge to stick my tongue out at him. Instead, I shake my head and fight back a grin. Why does it feel so good to have Logan tease me—even over such a trivial thing?
"I'm walking Cricket at a decent time today. And now I should get going," I say to both of them. "Have a good night."
Kyle needs to talk Logan into going out tonight, and I need a walk to clear my head—and put distance between my neighbour and me.
"You should come over and give us a hand tomorrow," Kyle suggests before I can leave.
"Don't be a dumbarse," Logan says. "It's her first day off in months. She doesn't want to spend it working with us. Right, Kristy?"
I shrug. "It's not like I have anything else to do."
Okay, so keeping my distance from my too attractive and grieving neighbour seems practical and sensible—and I need to do so without making it look like I'm trying to avoid him—but I don't have any idea how I should spend tomorrow. How dangerous can it really be for me to hang out with Logan while his friends are working on the house with us? More than likely, I'll end up working in a different room than Logan, anyway, so I wouldn't see that much of him.
At least I'll feel like I'm doing something productive with my time that way. Plus, I'd be helping him get his house done faster. There'd be less noise in the long run. Thus, I'm really helping myself by helping him.
Besides, Logan's friends seemed like a lot of fun.
I smile at Logan. "I mean, I'd be happy to come over for a couple of hours tomorrow if that's okay?"
"Okay?" Kyle repeats, eyes bulging. "Of course, it's okay. We need all the help we can get, don't we, Logan?"
My stomach dips as Logan's cloudy grey eyes lock with mine.
"Are you sure you want to spend your day off helping me?"
I nod, my eyes never leaving his, my body feeling electrified by the unbroken eye contact.
"See?" Kyle says to Logan. "An extra set of hands. You're the best, Kristy. Hey, do you think you could bring muffins with you?"
Logan stops looking at me to glare at Kyle. "You've got to be freaking kidding me."
I burst out laughing, utterly amused by Kyle's sly manoeuvre to get some muffins. I nod. "I'll bring something with me."
Kyle's grin is all the payment I need to hold back a few muffins from the café tomorrow.
"You really don't have to," Logan says. "It's bad enough he asks you to help out, let alone bring food with you."
Kyle gives him a gentle shove on the shoulder. "Come on, Jacobs. You know you want her muffins. You were supposed to take us to the café tomorrow, but since Kristy is coming to us, we won't need to go. I'm saving you a trip. You should be thanking me."
"Thanking you?" Logan's expression is positively murderous. "How am I supposed to ensure harmonious neighbourly relations with you around?"
Kyle's expression is serious now as he looks at me. "Seriously. You don't mind, do you, Kristy?"
I shake my head and smile at him. "Not at all." Then I look at Logan. "It's fine. I'll see you tomorrow. What time should I come over?"
"Whatever time you feel like. I'll be here any time after eight in the morning."
"Maybe a bit later," Kyle interjects. "Logan might feel like sleeping in tomorrow morning."
"Why?" Logan asks when he sees Kyle wink at me. "What's going on? Why are you really here, Kyle?"
Aware that an argument might be about to start out, I clear my throat. "I'll catch you guys later. Have a great night."
"See you, Kristy," Kyle replies straight away.
"See you tomorrow," Logan says.
"Cricket, come," I say.
Pleased Cricket is following my commands today without any extra effort on my part to separate him from Logan, I start walking away. The sun feels good beating down on me, but it isn't the reason I'm smiling.
Instead of dreading tomorrow, I'm looking forward to it. Even if it is just because I want to know if Logan went out tonight or not.