Romance with Mr. Grumpy Pants: A Witty, Opposites Attract, Enemies to Lovers, Next Door Neighbor, Sw

14. Brian

“Well, hello, Jessica. How are you? What have you been up to? I dunno. That sounds better in my ears,” she teases.

“Maybe if you stopped gawking, I’d be better off.”

Sighing, she turns her head away.

“Get a shirt,” she says. “Please?”

A mischievous grin crosses my face.

What’s so funny, Brian?Did you forget that she might have been the one who called the cops on you the other night? I should be annoyed, livid even, at her for invading my space like this after our last argument. Instead, I crack a smile and continue our usual banter.

“You know, we should set some boundaries. You really shouldn’t be entering people’s homes without an invitation,” I tease.

“Well, if your music wasn’t blasting like a nightclub, you’d hear me knocking on the door and calling your name,” she fires back, still averting her gaze. “And we’re back to square one—the main reason we can’t seem to get along.”

The truth is, since I’ve been mostly keeping to myself the last couple of days, I’ve had some time to reflect and think about how our introduction started off on the wrong foot. Maybe we both could have approached each other differently.

Dropping my weights to the ground, I pick a vest from the pile of gym clothes on the couch and throw it over my shoulders. She’s still looking away, but my attention remains fixed on her. I’ve grown to look forward to her unannounced visits.

Perhaps it’s the fact that she remembered I like cookies. It’s been a long morning, and the thought of homemade cookies with a glass of milk after my workout doesn’t sound bad. It defeats the purpose, but I don’t care. A curl for the biceps, a cookie for the soul, right?

Then again, it could be those eyes. The way they glow innocently, defying the personality she projects. Her slender, yet captivating frame is stuffed into tight denim jeans and a green blouse.

Perhaps it’s how her hair falls differently this morning, in soft wavy lengths over the sides of her shoulders, displaying the result of deliberate effort. Did she put energy into looking good…for me? It’s presumptuous, but a part of me hopes it’s true.

Smiling, I say, “You can turn around now. So, I see you brought cookies? It must be my birthday.”

She giggles softly, the kind that reveals almost nothing, making me wonder what her laugh really sounds like. Now that I think about it, I’ve never actually heard her laugh. Well, why would I? We’ve never been friendly before, let alone neighborly.

She looks at the jar in her hand before stretching her arms out to me. “It’s getting quite heavy so…”

“Ah, gimme a second.” Grabbing a towel, I wipe the sweat off my face and neck as quickly as possible, her eyes following my movements.

She jumps back to reality and hands me the snacks, awkward silence ensuing between us.

“So, I thought it would be nice and offer you cookies like a normal neighbor would.”

“Well, that’s a first,” I bellow in response, looking down at the cookies. Their perfectly browned bodies are sprinkled with just the right amounts of chocolate chips.

”For goodness’s sake. Can you not?”

I examine her reaction, reveling in the feeling of making her squirm. I realize the thoughts running through my head are intense, unexpected even, but I don’t resist them. The attraction is like kryptonite to my usually tough demeanor.

Realizing I have no intention of saying anything else, she continues, “And I should also apologize for how I’ve treated you since you moved in.”

“You mean banging on my door, interrupting my privacy, and calling the cops on me?”

“What in the world makes you think I called the cops?” She retorts.

“For real? Because you’re the only one who shows up with complaints!”

“Well, you’re not exactly a saint yourself,” she defends defiantly.

”Have you even noticed that my house has been quieter for the past couple of days?”

She pauses. “Yeah, actually. What’s changed? Turn to meditation? Spa music, maybe? I could use some of that.”

“The band and I added padding around the garage to soundproof it. You’re welcome.”

“It’s about time! That should’ve been the first thing you did when you moved in.”

There it is, that blazing determination in her eyes, the ones I’ve come to know so well. I feel a surge of heat rush through my body.

Well, this is new.

Am I attracted to her because she’s playing hard to get? Or could it be that I’m intrigued because she’s not attracted to me? She has to be, though, right? Her eyes cling to my chest every time I give her a glimpse. Does any of this even make sense?

“Alright. If we’re done here, I should head back. Hope you like the cookies,” she says, turning around to leave.

“Would you like to come in?”

She stops in her tracks and turns sharply. “Did you not just say you don’t like people in your space?”

Of course she chooses now that I invite her in to respect my space. “I did, but I won’t be able to eat these till I see you take a bite.”

She blinks repeatedly, placing both hands on her hips.

“You think—”

She stops mid-sentence before stomping to me till we are merely inches apart, her perfume igniting a warm sensation throughout my body. I find myself clenching my jaws with pleasure, the hairs at the nape of my neck standing on end as a reflexive response to her proximity.

Clearing her throat, she puts her hand out. “Give it here.”

“What?”

“The gosh darn cookie. You want me to prove it’s not poisoned, so give me a piece, and I’ll show you.”

I shake my head. “The milk could be poisoned, too. Would you also like to stand outside here and drink it from the jar like some cavewoman, or can we go inside?”

She opens her mouth to fire back but stops as she sees my lips quirk upwards. Her eyebrows arch as if suspecting my ploy. Maybe I’m getting a little too much amusement out of ruffling her feathers.

“Fine then. But we should wait for Lily. She wanted to run back home to grab something. She should be here any second now. After all, the cookies and milk were mostly her idea,” she smiles.

As If on cue, I hear squeaky wheels approaching, and I peer over Jessica’s shoulders to see who’s coming.

Stepping out, my expectant eyes fell a few paces down as I saw Lily approaching with some things in a small wheelbarrow.

Her eyes catch mine, twinkling with an impossible brightness as she grins at me. “It’s the weekend,” she says exasperatedly, heaving her haul towards me.

I giggle under my breath as I’m immediately reminded of our agreement.

“Lily?” Jessica’s voice wafts from behind me, and we shift our attention to her, her eyes flicking from one person to the other as she tilts her head in a questioning gaze.

“Hi, Mom. Look at my surprise!”

“How about we all step inside to enjoy these treats, and I’ll get to the autographs after that?”

Lily nods excitedly.

I place the jar and mug on a stool nearby and help her with her pile. Winking, I say, “First, let’s relieve this superstar of her load.”

She thanks me as she hands me the pile, snatching one of the shirts from the rest quickly. I give her a peculiar look, and she averts her gaze as her cheeks turn pink.

“Come on, sweetie, let’s go inside,” Jessica says. “Seems like Brian has his work cut out for him.”

“I can’t wait to see how fast he’ll get these done,” Lily pipes.

“At an unbelievable speed,” I grin.

The rest of the day is full of cheer and laughter, something I’ve been missing for a long time. Lily pokes fun at our milk mustaches, seriously questions my handwriting skills, and carefully chooses spots for me to sign on each item.

We are gathered around my kitchen island—the only suitable choice since my dining table is still messy from all the clutter—when rays of the evening sun begin to slither in.

“Aaaand…done,” I announce, as I sign the last poster on the table. After arranging the pile of pictures and shirts, I realize there aren’t as many as I thought there were when she first lugged the load in.

“Thanks, Brian,” Lily chimes as she picks up the poster and inspects my autograph. It’s nothing special, just my initials in italics.

“My friends at school are gonna go wild!” She places the poster with the rest of the stuff before filling her wheelbarrow back up. “Going home now!”

She runs off excitedly, not even giving her mother a chance to object. Jessica looks at me as Lily disappears outside, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. “You’re good with kids.”

“I’m an entertainer. I’m good with people.”

“Uh-huh. Can’t exactly say I vouch for that claim.”

I study her. “I guess I just don’t like you then.”

Lies.

She tosses her hands up and shakes her head in disbelief. “Then it must be tormenting having to host me all night. So, I’ll leave now.”

She spins around on the stool to stand up. I place my hand over one of hers, which rests on the edge of the kitchen island, and say, “Please, stay.”