Neighbors (11 page)

With deliberate movements, he
peels his shirt off, revealing the muscles I’ve missed. Then he moves to his jeans and eases them down his legs. Desire is climbing inside me. My body is awake and humming for him. His small briefs do nothing to hide the gift I’m waiting for.

He
lies on his side, stroking my hair. Large brown eyes search mine, to make sure it’s all right to proceed. “Can I just hold you for now?”

My heart thrums
and parts of me are vibrating on the inside. I hadn’t thought about how I’d handle the first time since…But Dylan has found the perfect way, of course. I slide closer to him and his strong arms embrace me. The warmth of his body is wonderful. Oh how I’ve missed it. I relax in his embrace.

He rests his chin on the top of my head. And for se
veral moments, we stay like this. His breathing steadies mine. I’m about to tell him that I’m sorry for the distance I’ve put between us, when he kisses my hair and cuddles me closer to his chest. It’s a tender gesture. I nuzzle my nose into the dip at the base of his neck. He smells wonderful—his shampoo and clean cotton and him. It has a profound effect on me.

As if my libido
has just been plugged in, my body jump-starts. I look at him. His eyes are closed, but he’s smiling. “I’m happy to have you back, Melissa.”

Adrenalin
infuses my blood. Desire fuels me, and the tingle returns between my legs. I think about being in his arms.
Are you sure you want to ruin this perfect and tender moment?
I don’t hesitate to answer my own question.
Hell yeah. Strip that bra and panties off and let’s get going.

I move a little and he releases his hold. I sit up.

“You all right?” he asks.

I nod.
There’s a look of confusion on his face. I reach behind me and unhook my bra. Slowly, I remove each arm and throw the pretty lace to the floor. His eyes leave mine only for a moment to look at what I’ve unveiled and then they are back on mine. From my periphery, I see him shift his legs to accommodate his growing interest.  The sun isn’t completely down for the evening and there’s a dim light coming through the cracks of the blinds. It gives us just enough to see what we need to.

I rise up onto my knees and slide my panties
down before tossing them to the floor near the bra.

Again, I lie next to him, our bodies fit together
perfectly. I’m panting, anxious for him.

His hand caresses my shoulder.
My body reacts to his touch. I feel him growing as he presses his erection against my leg. Muscles deep inside me clench with anticipation. Now I know I’m ready. I pull him close and put my mouth over his. The urgency of my kiss tells him how badly I want him. I lie back on the bed and pull his shoulders toward me. Carefully maneuvering himself, he places his hips over mine and waits. I reach down and place him where I want him. Our eyes connect. Inside, I’m screaming,
Yes! Yes!

“Yes!” I
break my silence. And he eases himself inside of me.

The rush of joy from our connection fills
me as Dylan makes love to me. With every impetus I feel how much I want him, how much I love him, how much I need him. It had been weeks since I allowed myself to feel anything.  But I accept all of it as Dylan plants tender kisses on my lips with the ebb and flow of his hips. The mix of physical and emotional momentum is overwhelming. The build in my body is quick. I’m heady and so aroused knowing that this is going to work. I arch my back to absorb the feeling. The sensation is insurmountable. I can’t re-claim my body. I’m at my peak.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispers, and it’s my undoing. I explode all around him.
He presses into me again, and then he joins me.

We lie
in each other’s embrace. The only movement is his lips on mine as he covers me with light, feather-kisses.

At eleven
thirty, I call Tracy and tell her that she doesn’t have to worry about me anymore.

Eighteen

A sparrow
in the tree outside the window sings a beautiful harmony. The sunshine warms my face through the sheer curtains. It is as if last night had been a movie, carefully choreographed for perfection. I roll over expecting to find Dylan sleeping next to me, but he isn’t there. The blanket is pulled up and the pillow is cool to the touch.
Was it a dream? Did I imagine how wonderful it all was?
Sadness creeps into my head. My eyes fill and tears spill down my cheeks. And then he appears in the doorway, carrying a tray with breakfast. His smile morphs into concern.

“What’s the matter
?” He puts the tray down on the dresser and is at my side in a second.

“Nothing. I-I thought…
I thought you were gone.”

His smile reappears as he pulls
me into his loving embrace. “I told you, I never want to be without you. You aren’t getting rid of me that easily.”

I laugh
, but the tears still fall.

“Come, eat your breakfast. It’ll m
ake you feel better.” He places the tray onto my lap and sits with me until I eat every bite.

Once
I’m done, and I tell myself that I’m overreacting, I realize it’s Saturday and I have to go to work. I get dressed as he cleans the dishes. I stare at myself in the bathroom mirror, but unlike the last three weeks, my reflection is smiling. I even begin humming one of my favorite songs.

Dylan
insists on driving me. “I’ll be back at three to pick you up.”

“But you have to work.”

He holds his index finger up to my lips to hush me. “I’m leaving early so I can be here at three. End of discussion.”

I nod. He leans
over the seat and gives me a sweet, chaste kiss. I don’t want to let go. I don’t think he does either.

“I miss y
ou already,” he says.

I walk
into the ER and put my purse in the desk drawer.

Gladys
doesn’t look up from her paperwork. “So, what happened? Is it over?”

Eileen sprints
to the counter to hear my answer.

“No. He wants me to move in with him. He says he can’t live without me.”

Eileen’s magenta colored hair bobs as she jumps up and down.

Only Gladys’s eyes move as she peers up over her bifocals and asks
in a very serious tone, “Are you gonna do it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you love him?” she persists.

“
Yes. I know it hasn’t been that long…a few weeks, but it feels wonderful when I’m with him.”

“Then there’s nothing to think about.” Gladys’
s eyes return to the chart in her hand. “You’re a grown woman. You’ve already been through crap with that creep who calls himself a doctor. You’re smart. You know not to make that mistake again.” Again she peeks over her bifocals. “Right?” Her tone is stern.

“Right,” I confirm
. “I won’t make any of the same mistakes.”

Again, Gladys returns
her attention to the chart. “Good. Now, the patient behind five needs you.”

Several hours drag by. The ER
has finally slowed down. I look at the clock. It reads 2:15. “I’m going to get lunch,” I say. “Want anything girls?”

“Can you get me a turkey
sandwich?” Eileen asks.

“Ju
st a banana for me,” Gladys says. “I brought a yogurt.”

Greg
is sitting at a table surrounded by several of his colleagues at the far end of the cafeteria. They’re laughing at some obnoxious thing he’s said, I suppose. I pretend not to notice him and have hope he does the same. I feel his eyes on me as I pay the cashier. I shake my head.
I can’t believe he’s not in jail
.
That slutty lawyer of his argued that he was an upstanding citizen with no prior record or complaints against him. He was charged with assault? That’s it? C’mon. That cheap-suited bimbo said he was an asset to the community. Ha! I bet he’s sleeping with her.

With my tr
ay of food, I walk to the elevator bank. From my periphery I see Greg approach with three other cardiologists. All of my muscles tighten and I grip the tray so hard I think I might crack it. Sweat beads at my hairline. I hold my breath as he walks past me with his group. His voice lingers down the hallway. I don’t exhale until I can’t hear him any more.
Why is the elevator so slow?

“You look as if y
ou’ve seen a ghost,” Gladys says.

“I bet it was that waste of
a sperm cell,” Eileen adds.

My glance
confirms their guess.

“Okay, you don’t have to see
him any more today,” Gladys says. “No more cafeteria visits. And I’ll handle any cardiac doctors who come to see patients.”

“Thanks, Gladys,” I say, forcing a
smile.

The
phone rings and Gladys answers. After her brief greeting she listens then says, “Hold on.” She hands me the phone.

Tracy calls
every day since Greg’s rape attempt. She usually calls once while I’m at work and once in the evening before I go to bed.

“How
are you today?” Tracy’s voice is motherly.

“Well, I just ran into Greg in the cafeteria.”

“Oh my gosh. Are you okay, Mel? Want me to come down there?” Tracy works for the lawyer I used for my divorce. His office isn’t far from the hospital. Sometimes she goes in on a Saturday to catch up so that her desk doesn’t look like a paper skyscraper is growing on it.

“I’m fine, Trace, but thanks.
Dylan drove me to work today and he’ll be here at three to pick me up.”

“You’ve got a spe
cial one there, Mel,” Tracy says. I blush as I remember how special he was last night. “Thanks for calling to let me know you were okay.”

“Trace, he asked me to move in with him.”

“He did? You’re gonna do it, right? Don’t mess this up, Mel. The guy loves you.”

“
Do you think so? I love him, too.” I don’t sound convinced.

“Mel?” Tracy’s voice is filled with concern
.

“Tracy
, I’m scared. What if it ends up like what happened with Greg? What if he betrays me in some way? I don’t think I can go through that again. I mean last night, we…he was sweet and gentle, but what if I can’t. You know…trust him?”

“That’s not going to happen, Mel.
Dylan is not an asshole, like Greg. Dylan cares about you. Listen, you’ve got something really great. If you don’t commit some other girl will snatch him up. And who would blame her? I think you should do it, unless…”

“Unless, what?”

“Unless you don’t want him.”

“No! I want
him, Tracy. I do. I’m just scared.”

“You deserve this, Mel. Besides, how am I going to hook up with that sexy blonde friend of his if the two of y
ou aren’t together?” She laughs. I know she wants me to laugh too.

“You’re right, Tracy.”
A smile spreads and when I hang up I’m happy that I have a friend who cares about me.

I
busy myself until my shift is over. 

At t
wo fifty-seven, I finish writing my assessments of the remaining patients for the on-coming R.N.  I pilfer my purse from my desk drawer and start for the door. Dylan is standing in the vestibule. A beautiful bouquet of wildflowers is in his hands and there’s a huge grin spread across his face. My insides inflate and the anxiety melts. I kiss him softly on the lips.

“I missed you,” he says in a low voice as he hands
me the flowers.

“I missed you, too,” I say
. “Thank you. The flowers are beautiful.” Their fragrance fills the lobby.

We walk
arm and arm to his car and drive home.

In the
driveway, he opens both the car door and the house door for me. It’s dark inside and it smells like vanilla. I walk through the house to the dining room. The table is set with paper plates and vanilla scented candles, which he lights as soon as he walks into the room. I laugh at the plates; they’re paper.

“Sorry. I don’t have fancy dinner ware.”

I smile. “That’s okay. I love your choice in pattern.” It’s then that I detect a hint of basil. Dylan takes my purse and sweater and places them in the closet. Then he holds out a chair and gestures for me to sit. He serves me a very romantic dinner—on the paper plates—with very little conversation. His eyes are on me throughout the meal.

Many
questions swirl around in my head.
Are you comfortable moving out of Joey’s house? Should I move in with Dylan? Do I trust him? Can I do this? Will I ever feel the same?

Yes!

“That fancy dinner for the hospital is this weekend,” he reminds me. “Do you still want to go?”

Honestly, with all that had gone on, I’d forgotten about it
. If it had been a couple of weeks ago I would have said I didn’t want to go, but now that I was beginning to feel more myself, I’m actually looking forward to attending. With careful thought, I look at him and say, “I’d like to go. Will you be my date?”

“
I wouldn’t have it any other way,” both of his dimples appear.