Check, Please?

Chapter 27

“Scotlan…” Harry groaned.  I kept my arms crossed tightly over my chest and continued to peer around the edge of the window.  I had been standing there at the window almost all day, except for when Harry and I left to get food for dinner.  “Scotlan!” Harry called again.  Irritated, I turned and huffed at him.

“What?”

“Can we please eat?”

I glanced back out the window for a second and down at the street where Therese was having a little party.  She set up plastic chairs and tables in her tiny driveway, Alexander was grilling something (by himself) near the garage, and a mass of people – who I assumed were all doctors and nurses from the hospital – were all standing and sitting, drinking beer, smoking expensive cigars, and laughing loudly. 

“She’s doing this to get under my skin,” I mumbled quietly.

Harry rolled his eyes and came to stand by me at the window. “Scotlan, she’s just having a little party with her friends.”

“In her driveway?  Right in front of our apartment?”

“Jesus, she lives right across the street.”  Harry shrugged. “And even if she didn’t, it’s not like she has a backyard anyway.  You know that.”

The sun was beginning to set but I didn’t take my eyes off of Therese.  I could have sworn I saw her glance up here at least four times.  She threw back her head and laughed more and more loudly each time someone said anything to her.  She knew I was standing at the window.  She knew…

“Scotlan, should I be worried?  If I can be honest here for a second, you’re being creepy as fuck,” Harry stated bluntly.  I finally tore my gaze from the window and gasped at him.  He innocently flashed a toothy grin and reached for my waist. “But I loooove when you’re creeping on the neighbors…” Harry took my hand.  I sassily whipped my hand away from Harry’s, making him chuckle, so instead he cupped my face in his hands and stared down at me.  “Can we at least turn on some lights?” 

“They’re not just neighbors… And no, I don’t want the lights on.”  I hadn’t realized that the sun was no longer streaming in through the windows.  I was straining my eyes just to see Harry standing in front of me.

“Well fine,” he said, taking my hand in his again and leading me around the couch to the island in the kitchen.  As if he planned on me saying no to the lights, Harry had a lighter on the island that he picked up and used to light six or seven white candles.  When my eyes finally adjusted, I saw two steaming plates of food sitting on either side of the island.  I sighed and allowed a small smile to spread across my face.  I wrapped my arms around Harry’s waist as he stood and admired his work before we sat down. 

“I’m sorry,” I said, unfolding my napkin and placing it in my lap.  “I shoulda helped you with dinner and I didn’t.”

Harry laughed. “I didn’t want your help.  I wanted to do something nice for you.  I just wish you would leave the window.” He winked. 

I raised my hands in surrender.  “I’ll stop,” I agreed. “I’m just so paranoid.”

Harry smiled softly at me. “You have a good reason to be, but I want you to relax.  Don’t worry about something until you know you have to.”  He raised his wine glass full of water and slipped my glass between my fingers. “To being relaxed?”

I toasted with him. “To being relaxed.”

Harry grinned. “To not standing by the window?”

I shook my head giggled. “To not standing by the window.”

“To good neighbors?”

I shook my head. “No.”