I Love You, My Neighbour: Chapter 7
No way to spend Saturday Night
Kristy
A soft sigh of pleasure escapes my lips as I sink into the hot bubble bath I've been looking forward to all day. Weekends don't hold much significance for me since I work every day, and with Jess in Italy and Naomi busy with work, I rarely go out on Friday or Saturday nights. Even when Jess is in the country, she spends half of her Saturday nights out with a boyfriend.
That's why I've created my own little pampering ritual for Saturday evenings – something to make that night feel different from the others. After baking cakes for the following day, I order take-out, watch a movie, and indulge in a long bubble bath before bed. It's become my tradition.
Tonight, I've gone all out with candles, my favourite pop music playing in the background, and an abundance of bubbles. I close my eyes, ready to let go of the week and immerse myself in relaxation. But tonight, the blissful feeling eludes me. Behind closed lids, I keep seeing Logan at the café. Even worse, I can't stop remembering the electric touch of his fingers against mine, the way our eyes locked. Instead of calm, my heart races with excitement, which is the exact opposite of what I was aiming for this evening.
I know it's because of seeing Logan digging that hole the other night. The image of him shirtless, muscles rippling as he worked, keeps replaying in my mind. How am I supposed to relax or think about anything else when I can't stop picturing my neighbour half-naked and sweaty? His physique was unreal, like something out of a movie. The heat between my legs intensifies as my imagination runs wild, envisioning touching those hard, beautiful muscles of his.
Feeling frustrated, I open my eyes and fan myself, feeling the warmth of the water. What the hell am I doing, thinking about Logan like this?
Okay, Logan is undeniably attractive. He has a magnetic appeal, and I doubt any woman would disagree with me on that. But usually, a man's good looks would put me off, not turn me on. Since breaking up with Marc, I haven't been impressed by any man and haven't given the opposite sex much thought until I met Logan. After Marc, I vowed not to let myself be taken in by another handsome guy. They are in a league of their own, and I have no desire to compete for their attention against women who are far more beautiful than I am.
So, I don't understand why Logan arouses me when no one else has in so long. I don't understand why I found myself watching him at the café today, stealing glances whenever I could. And I definitely don't understand why I felt disappointed when he was inside his house instead of outside when I finished walking Cricket this afternoon.
"Grr! Roof! Roof!"
The sound of Cricket's barks startles me, and I sit up, staring at the bathroom door.
"Cricket?" I call.
"Roof! Roof! Roof!"
Something isn't right. I stand up, carefully climb out of the bath, and grab my blue bathrobe.
As I rush to open the bathroom door, I almost slip in the process. Once I'm out of the bathroom and away from the music, I can hear it clearly – the banging on the door and the yelling that must have set Cricket off.
"Kristy! Open up."
Damn it. It's Simon – Jess' ex. Judging by the sounds, a drunk Simon.
I tighten the sash of my robe around me, debating whether I should answer the door. Simon isn't my favourite person, especially when he's been drinking. He knows Jess is in Italy; that's why she broke up with him. So, why on earth is he here, trying to break down my door?
With Cricket's barking and Simon's yelling, the neighbours are bound to call the police if I don't put an end to the commotion. Determined to make him stop before the situation escalates, I walk to the door.
"Good boy," I say to Cricket, bending down to reassure him. "Thanks for letting me know someone's here."
Cricket gives me a final small bark in response, calming down as I pat him and speak to him softly. Unfortunately, the yelling outside hasn't stopped.
"Simon," I yell through the door, unwilling to open it to the intoxicated man on my doorstep. "What are you doing here?"
Finally, the banging ceases. "I need to talk to you. About Jess."
I roll my eyes, leaning my back against the door.
In all fairness, this isn't the first time one of Jess's exes has come looking for me to talk about her, but it's the first time it's happened while Jess is in another country. Jess and Simon weren't together for long when she got the contract in Italy, which is why she decided not to pursue a long-distance relationship. Plus, she never loved Simon.
Simon, on the other hand, was infatuated with Jess and devastated by the end of their relationship.
"Can you come back tomorrow?" I ask him. "Sometime in the afternoon? I'm about to go to bed."
"No, I need to talk to you now. Please, Kristy. I have to know."
"Know what?"
"She told me she's seeing someone else. Is it true?"
Did Jess tell him about Alfredo? As far as I know, her relationship with Alfredo is fairly new, and Jess wouldn't have mentioned it to Simon – unless he's been pestering her to get back together.
Before I can answer Simon, another male voice interrupts.
"Is there a problem here?"
Logan.
He must have heard the noise and come over to see what's going on. Any other time, I might have been embarrassed that he felt the need to intervene, but right now, I'm relieved he's here.
"There's no problem," Simon says. "Kristy, tell him there's no problem. We're just having a friendly chat, right, Kris?"
God, I hate it when he calls me that. Even my friends, especially my friends, know I despise that name.
"Kristy?" Logan asks, seeking confirmation.
I don't know what to say. I had hoped Simon would leave on his own, but what if he doesn't?
"Um, I'm just about to go to bed. Simon, if Jess is with someone, I'm unaware of it."
"You really expect me to believe that bullshit?" Simon retorts.
"Hey," Logan interjects. "She's going to bed. Maybe it would be a better idea for you to come back tomorrow after you've slept it off."
Yes! Thank you, Logan.
"Fuck you, man. I'm not going anywhere." Simon's pounding on the door resumes. "I know Jess tells you everything, Kristy. I want to know who she's seeing. Damn it; I have to know. I have a right."
Even if Jess is seeing someone, Simon has no right to know. That's what happens when couples break up – they lose the right to know what's going on in each other's lives.
"I'm sorry, Simon. I don't want to talk about this right now."
"Fucking hell!" Simon exclaims. "I know she's seeing someone. She was probably screwing around on me the whole time we were together, wasn't she?"
I shake my head and bite my lip. Jess would never do such a thing, but Simon won't listen to me, especially with all that alcohol in his system.
"Okay, I think you should go now," Logan interjects firmly.
"Who the fuck are you, man?" Simon challenges. "Tell me you're not fucking that fat c*%t in there. She's a real bitch in the morning."
"Hey!" I shout through the door, my anger heating up even though I can't see him.
Simon and I might have had a few disagreements over shower schedules in the past, but that's no reason for him to call me a bitch. And as for his other comment, well, Simon has always been rude when drunk.
"No, I'm the neighbour who's about to call the police and have your ass thrown in jail if you don't get lost," Logan asserts.
"You know, people who stick their noses in other people's business deserve whatever happens to them," Simon yells.
I'm not sure what's happening now, but from the scuffling sounds outside the door, it seems like Simon is attempting to hit Logan. My stomach churns at the thought of Simon making contact.
"Go home and sleep it off," Logan commands, his voice filled with disgust. "And don't let me catch you here again. Next time, I will call the cops."
Amid a string of expletives, Simon's voice gradually fades into the distance. I can only hope that means he's walking away.
My heart pounds with adrenaline as I stand there, leaning against the door. So much for having a nice, relaxing Saturday night.
A sudden knock startles me, but this time it's a relief rather than a disturbance.
"Kristy, are you okay?" Logan asks.
Relieved beyond measure that it's Logan and not Simon, I unlock the door and open it. Only then do I remember that I'm wearing nothing but a bathrobe. Clutching the gown closed around my neck to avoid any indecent exposure, I ignore the heat that surges through me at the sight of Logan.
I'm in the midst of figuring out what to say when Cricket lunges at Logan. It might be the first time I've ever been grateful for my dog's affection for this man.
"Are you okay?" Logan asks once more, his gaze shifting from Cricket to me.
"Ah, yeah. I'm so sorry about that. I'd like to promise you it won't happen again, but this isn't the first time one of Jess's ex-boyfriends has come looking for me. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Simon did. He's terrible when he drinks. I don't know what Jess ever saw in him, to be honest."
"Jess is a friend of yours, I take it?"
"Yes, she's my friend and my housemate. She's in Italy," I explain when I see Logan's confusion. "That's why Simon is bothering me."
"I see." He stands up straight. "How long will she be away?"
"Three months. She landed a modelling contract over there. But she's already been gone for five weeks, so I guess she'll be home in a little over a month and a half."
I'm rambling, and I hate it.
Why? Why does this man affect me like this?
And why does the thought of Logan meeting Jess make my adrenaline start pumping all over again?
Perhaps it's because the idea of Logan seeing Jess and being interested in her, just like every other man before him, is unsettling. I don't want to dwell on it.
But I must remind myself why I can't afford to fantasize about Logan, even for a moment. Jess is the type of woman who would catch his attention, not me. That's assuming he's single, anyway. Logan might already have a girlfriend. I haven't seen him with anyone, and he spends a lot of time at the house, but that doesn't mean there isn't a special someone in his life.
Besides, Logan is my neighbour, someone I have to see frequently. No matter how attractive he is or how much electricity sparked between us when our fingers touched earlier, he isn't a suitable fantasy for someone like me.
"Again, I'm so sorry," I apologize.
"It's not a problem," Logan reassures me.
"Not exactly how you want to spend your Saturday night, though, is it? Dealing with a neighbour's ex?"
He shrugs. "I was only working. Speaking of which, I should get back to it."
"Right, of course. Do you have much more to do tonight?"
"Thankfully not."
"Well, good night, Logan. Thanks again."
His grey eyes meet mine, and that electric current zaps through me. "Thanks again for the discounted muffins."
I offer a smile. "Anytime."
He gives me a small smile in return. "I might take you up on that," he says before heading back to his house.
I close the door behind him, leaning against it once more. I can't help feeling pleased that Logan and his friends enjoy my baking. But suddenly, my smile fades. Should I be this happy about something so trivial?
No, it's fine. I would have the same reaction no matter who enjoyed my muffins. It's just food, after all. Food that I've made. There's nothing wrong with taking pride in something I've created, is there?
And if I'm considering taking him a few muffins tomorrow as a thank-you for rescuing me tonight, well, surely there's nothing wrong with that. It's just being neighbourly, a simple gesture to apologize for disturbing the peace. I would do the same for anyone else. Plus, Logan would be doing me a favour by helping me avoid overindulging in the food.
Yes, I'm just helping myself by saying thank you.