We didn't stay long when we sat in each other's company; we only stayed long enough to drink our glasses. I put the cap back on the wine bottle and thanked Alex before he walked across the street. And then it hit me; I had just drunk wine with a total stranger who's my neighbor. What has gotten into me?
Standing, I enter my home and am immediately greeted with piles of unopened boxes. Navigating through the pathway of boxes, I carefully make my way to the kitchen, where I place the bottle of wine back on the countertop. I didn't own a wine rack, nor did I know what could be done with an already opened bottle of wine. Leaving the container on the counter, I decided to start going through the boxes to sort them by room. Grabbing a box cutter from earlier today, I begin to slice open the top box; inside are throw pillows for my couch. Setting it aside, I open the next box; inside are carefully wrapped ocean figurines and tabletop decorations.
After a few hours of organizing and unboxing, I was finally finished with the living room. All that was left to put up was the furniture and the tabletop decorations. I checked the digital clock on the stove, it was nearly six and I haven't made dinner yet! I wasn't very hungry for a big dinner so I decided to go with a salad. Grabbing the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, carrots, and ranch dressing out of the fridge, I begin to make up a quick meal for myself. While I ate, the events of the day flowed through my mind like a movie. What were the odds that I would run into Alex again? Very likely, a small voice in my mind reminded myself, you work for the same company, and he's your neighbor. After finishing my bowl, I quickly rinse it out and get ready for bed. Putting Alex at the back of my mind, I tried to busy myself by turning off all of the lights on my way to my bedroom. I wasn't going to let a chance encounter with a stranger distract me, even if I seemed to feel at home around him.
*
It had been four days since I met Alex Walsh. Whenever we'd see each other in passing, I'd smile and wave at him, and he would mimic my actions. I would ask him how he and he would respond, smiling over at me with a grin that made me smile with him.
But today is different, I could feel it. I had this strange sense that something was going to happen, and I had no idea if it was a good thing or something terrible.
I parked my car in the grocery store parking lot, I needed to restock my fridge, and I didn't want to walk all the way home with a cart full of groceries. Grabbing the stack of cloth bags from the back, I exit my car and walk towards the front of the store. Immediately as I enter, I am surrounded by the cold from the air conditioning.
Pulling a nearby cart from the cart return, I pull my hair up into a ponytail trying not to get it tangled in the rubber band as I push the cart forward. As I do so, I greet the cashier as I pass the bath aisle and towards the freezer section. No sooner had I opened the refrigerator door to grab a gallon of milk did I hear the familiar voice speak behind me.
"Hey, stranger." I turned towards Alex's voice, his hair damp and he wore a black and blue wetsuit.
"Hey," I smiled over at him while taking out the gallon jug and setting it in my cart. "You aren't following me, are you?" He grinned over at me and laughed.
"No, I was just out diving."
"Oh," I said, he dives too?
"Do you go diving?"
"Yes," I said, "But I usually go on Thursday's if I'm not busy. But I've been trying to get my house back in order.
"Do you think you'd be up for diving today?" He asked.
"No," I stated, walking over to the yogurt section and grabbing a twelve-pack off the shelf. "I was thinking about heading to the beach. You might want to change out of your suit before it gets mold growth from the seawater."
"Yeah." He said, "Do you mind if I come with you? To the beach, I mean. I don't have anything better to do."
"Sure, how about I meet you on the pavilion at one? That'll give me enough time to grab my groceries and walk over there."
He grinned, "I'll see if my sister would like to go, then you can meet her. She's been wanting to meet all of our neighbors."
"She seems like she's very sociable." I comment, grabbing a carton of eggs and setting them gently in the cart.
"She is, well, I'll leave you to your shopping. I'll see you later, Elsie." He waved and left me standing by the eggs.
I couldn't help but smile as I watched him leave, but then I was abruptly interrupted by a familiar pair of arms as they wrapped themselves around me in a gigantic hug. My sister once again squealed in my ear, paying no attention to the elderly couple that turned to look at whoever screamed. "I can't believe it; you have a date!"
"What are you doing? Get off of me. It's not a date, Nova. We're just going to the beach."
Her smile grew brighter as her husband Josh came around the corner, pushing their shopping cart. I noticed that his brown hair was cut shorter than usual. "Yeah, he wants to go to the beach with you!"
"Because his sister wants to meet the neighbors!" I shoot back.
"That's what he said, but is that really what he means?" She said, poking my shoulder, "I think he likes you!"
"I think you just see what you want to see." I said, dismissing the thought as I made my way towards the bread aisle and grabbing a loaf off the shelf.
"Do you know what I think? I think you don't want to admit that you like him too because you're afraid that if you get in a meaningful relationship like you have in the past, it will end in a disaster. But Elsie, you have to try. You can't just keep worrying about the inevitable." She paused, walking in front of my cart so I couldn't try to escape, "Elsie, he isn't your ex."
"But what if he is?" I ask, looking into my sister's knowing gaze, "What then?"
"He isn't." Josh said from behind me, "He's a great guy; you just need to take the time to get to know him." I sighed and closed my eyes. My mind swirled, trying to process my fears and desires all at once. Finally, I said it, sealing my fate. "Okay."
*
When I got home, my mind was about to burst as I put the groceries away. I knew I shouldn't be so excited. It wasn't a date. He was bringing his sister for Christ's sake. No-one brings their sibling on a date. We were just going to the beach.
Rummaging through the top drawer of my dresser, I select a light blue bikini set and pull it on before pulling the lace cover overdress on over my head. Nova had bought it for me for Christmas last year just after I had told them I was thinking about moving here permanently. Grabbing a tote bag from the hook, I begin to shove a few towels, some sunscreen, and a few water bottles in it. I wasn't about to spend money on water when I had water here. Slipping on my flip flops, I lock the front door behind me and make my way towards South Beach.
As I made my way up the street, passed Nova's shop, and the apartment complex, I could feel my nerves shoot throughout my body. I made it onto the pavilion and instantly regretted it when a swarm of people surrounded the area, all talking over one another in mindless and overbearing chatter. I felt a headache rise at my temple before Alex came towards me. He motioned towards a woman I didn't recognize. It must be his sister. She smiled over at me, her light green eyes contrasted against her ebony hair just like her brother's. I followed Alex towards her, and she immediately pulled me in for a hug.
"It's so good to finally meet you. You're all my brother talks about! I'm Tabitha." She pulls away, smiling even brighter than before.
"Oh, um, you talk about me?" I ask Alex, turning towards him. Brushing off the fact that his sister had just hugged me as if we knew each other already. Maybe she's just like that?
"Well, I mean, I told her about how we met."
"Oh hush, you're just saying that so that I don't-" She was cut off abruptly by Alex, who placed his hand over her mouth. I watched as she grabbed his hand and pulled it off of her mouth and rolled her eyes with an air of sarcasm.
"So," I said, "Do you guys want to head over to the beach?"
"Sure." They both said together, and we made our way down the steps and onto the white sandy floor.
The sun beat down on us as we made our way closer to the water before we stopped halfway to place our towels out on the sand. Fishing in my bag for some sunscreen, I squirt some in my hand after peeling the cover dress from my body. Applying the sunscreen over my arms and legs, I ask Tabitha if she would like to put sunscreen on my back, hoping I wouldn't be left to burn for the rest of the afternoon, "Sure."
I turned back around, handing the sunscreen to her and waited. But the hands I felt rubbing against my shoulders weren't Tabitha's; they were a man's. Quickly, I turned around to face Alex's chest. "What are you doing?"
He looked confused and startled, "You said you needed sunscreen. Tabitha said you wanted me to do it."
"No, no, I didn't. I asked her to."
"What? Oh, God, I'm sorry." I found myself laughing despite our current situation, "Your sister is sneaky, is she always like this?" I turned back around, grabbing the sunscreen from his outstretched hand.
"No, I don't know what's gotten into her." He said, wiping his hands on a nearby towel, still sporting his embarrassed expression.
"I do, my sister's the same way. She just wants to see me happy and with a guy who loves me."
"And you don't have that?" He inquires, sitting down on one of the towels.
"No," I breath, easing down next to him, "It seems I don't have the best of luck with guys."
He turned to me, "What were your Exs like?"
Readying myself for the deep conversation that we were about to dive in to, I sighed before letting him into my failed love life, "My ex was possessive. He was afraid I would leave him, and he would make me tell him where I was going and what I was doing and who I was with." I paused, trying not to look in Alex's eyes so that he wouldn't see the hurt, "At the beginning of our relationship, I thought it would go away. Boy, was I wrong. I finally broke up with him after we were together for five months." Turning to Alex, I saw that he had been looking at me as I spoke, "What about you?"
"Well, my ex was great, she was nice, and she had a great personality. But she cheated on me with a guy she met in North Carolina. I forgave her, but she didn't want to commit to our relationship because she was in love with him. She didn't want me to be in a relationship where the other person didn't love them."
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Carefully, I placed my hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. "It's okay. That was more than a year ago. She's engaged to him now, and I'm just happy she found her match. And that just means we weren't meant to be together."
"Yeah." I breathed, looking towards the crashing waves as a calming silence loomed over our conversation.
"Elsie, I know this sounds crazy, but would you mind, I don't know, go to dinner with me on Friday?" He paused to see my reaction, "It doesn't have to be a date or anything."
"Sure, I would love to go to dinner with you. You seem like a genuine guy, and I would love to go on a date with you." Grinning, I turn to him, "But how about we have it at your place? What time should I be over?"
I don't think I've ever seen a smile quite like the one stretched across Alex's face. He was over the moon. "Does six sound good?"
"It sounds perfect."
"Hey!" Tabitha yelled from a few yards away, "Are you guys coming?"
"Yeah!" We both yelled back, standing together and walking towards the sea.