Unexpected

Chapter 23



Jalisha (is supposed to have her pic here, but it won't attach properly, see character page in the beginning of the story)

Mallory

"I'm telling you it was so weird, the whole encounter. From what he said to how quickly he just disappeared. "

I'm rehashing the bizarre encounter to Jalisha at work the next day. She is fastly becoming a good friend, not just a coworker. I have found it so much easier to be myself here in this little world of books. Most days, it's just Jalisha and I here. We do have part-time volunteers that range from high schoolers needing service hours to the elderly who just want something to do outside of their retirement lives. Kathy, near retirement age, works our Saturday hours only, so I've not had much interaction with her. I'm not intimidated to try and make friends here like I was at my old job. The women there were so very cliche-ish. Thankfully, Jalisha is the opposite of them. She is friendly and outgoing. With her warm personality, there was no way I could not have befriended her.

"Strange little boy aside, I need you to give more specifics about this neighbor guy who willingly stayed until you fell asleep. " She lifts one neatly plucked and filled eyebrow upward.

"Well, his name is Dane, and he is very . . . nice, most of the time. " I answered, feeling myself blush.

"Most of the time? What has he done?" Jalisha looks like an angry momma bear, with her hand propped on a hip.

"Oh, no. Nothing bad, I promise. He's just grumpy sometimes, and maybe a tad bit bossy, but in a protective sort of way?" My voice lifts as if I'm phrasing that as a question.

Jalisha appears skeptical. "How old is he?"

"I'm not sure, but around my age. "

"He married?"

"No. He does have a girl that stays the night sometimes, but he claims she is not his girlfriend."

"But you're suspicious that he's lying about it?"

"Not lying, but let's just say she answered his door barely dressed when I first met her."

"Oh, alright, I see what you mean. So, is he cute?"

"You could say that. " I can't help the smile that sneaks across my face.

"Well, look at you! A hot date with a doctor and now a hot neighbor wanting to hang out. " She says 'hang out' using finger quotations, and I roll my eyes.

"Please. Jonathan is a cute college student at best, and Dane is a hot but off limits, neighbor. "

"Why off limits?"

"Remember? I've seen his type of girl, and I'm not it. Also, I don't trust guys that look like him, at least, not anymore. "

"Why do I feel there is a back story to that answer?"

"Because there is. He's literally the reason I took this position. He was a coworker who humiliated me. He dated me to only win some gross bet with one of his friends. "

"No, he did not!"

"Yep. Some kind of; I can sack the shy girl within so many dates."

"Did he?" Jalisha asks softly, resting a hand on my arm in concern.

The smile returns to my face as I say, "Nope. Thankfully, I found out on the day I had made the decision to further our relationship, but BEFORE I was able to follow through with it. "

"How did you find out?"

"I overhead a phone conversation he was having, so there was no doubt as to if it was true. He was the one to tell me unknowingly. "

"Did you claw his eyes out?"

I laugh. "Not quite, but I did call him a few choice names and decided never to speak to him again. "

"Good for you! What a creep!"

"Yeah, he is, but I knew better than to date him. He was the office flirt and looked like a GQ model. Why would a guy like that go for a girl like me?"

"Now, you stop that right now. You're a bigger fool for thinking like that. Why wouldn't a guy, and I mean ANY guy, not want you? You're young, beautiful, smart, funny . . . Heck, I think I've even developed a girl crush on you!"

I laugh and give her a quick hug.

"Thanks, Jalisha. You're the best. "

"You're welcome, but we are not done yet. What's the story with Jonathan? Are you going to see him again?"

"Yes. We've been texting off and on, and we have another date this weekend. " I smile excitedly.

"Okay! You going to kiss him this time?"

"I don't know . . . Maybe, if he wants to."

"What you mean, 'if HE wants to'? Do YOU want to?"

"Yeah, kinda. He is very nice and funny. I really enjoyed his company. "

"Then, do it! See if there are any sparks because you need sparks. " Jalisha winks.

"True. I guess we'll just have to see what happens. "

"And if not, there is always your hot, no-strings-attached neighbor. " Jalisha's eyes gleam wickedly.

"No! Definitely not. I will not go there. My heart doesn't know how to not have strings. "

And deep down, I know, Dane would play me like a fiddle.