My Crush or My Mate

2

The next few days went in a blur as I got things done at the house waiting to see the handy man at some point. I stayed away from Jesse and Yazmin, his fiance had made her point and it was clear she didn't like me or want me near her future family.

I had all the trash and lighter things out so I could walk around a little better. The cut on my shoulder was slowly healing. The doctor actually found saliva inside and asked if an animal had attacked me. I played dumb and told him my dog had wanted to make sure I had been okay, and got a little excited after I cut myself.

"You must have a really clean animal, or else it would've been infected already."

"Well, thank you, and I hope he doesn't get too curious."

I had left the doctor's office with nothing more than a band aide. That dream still ran through my mind from time to time, and my body still got really turned on by it. I had never been with another man in my life and was now feeling guilty as hell, so trying to find some peace, I went to church on Sunday. With a few people that knew Mitch coming over after the service to give me their condolences, and some old friends who had been visiting their parents came over and hugged me to say hello.

"I'm sorry hon, but you know he's in a better place."

"Yes, thank you."

After church, I stayed home and just chilled, watching movies on my computer and eating junk food. When I get a phone call,

"Yeah?"

"You're in town and you didn't call me!?"

"Kayla, I just didn't want to bug you."

Growing up around here, I had two groups of friends, my "church" friends, the ones that could never do any wrong and were all told to always be good, and my naughty friends, the ones that helped me understand that being bad sometimes wasn't all that bad. Kayla was shack dab in the middle of both, I could be myself around her and we always had each others backs. We have been best friends for almost ten years, give or take. She has a family now but she always made time to talk or text. I had wanted to call her but I really didn't want to disturb her.

"Shut up, you don't bug me, I'm off on Wednesday. Let's hang out."

"Sure sounds like fun."

"Okay, see ya Wednesday."

I hung up smiling. My week had already started out well.

On Monday, I finished cleaning things out and was working on the holes in the wall, and found a hole under the sink where some little mice were coming in from. Now I am missing the black cat. I looked around for more holes and started to patch them up, get the paint on Thursday, and get to painting.

On Tuesday, I was pushing the trash cans out for trash day the next day, when Yuliana came over.

"You should jump in there."

"Why's that?"

She suddenly pushed me and I was caught so off guard I fell back to the ground.

"Jesse is mine, you got that!" she was in my face.

"Whatever, I don't want him."

"You might have everyone else fooled, but I know, I can see how you look at him, you're pathetic!"

"Well, you need your eyes checked. I know he's yours and I have no right to take him from you."

"You got that right, so stay away or else."

She straightened and walked back to the Veals' house. I got to my feet and headed back inside.

Wednesday was here and that afternoon, Kayla told me she was taking me to a rave, we both weren't big drinkers, but the dancing part would definitely be fun. We got there and they asked for ID. We showed them and were allowed in. The night was a little hazy. I wanted to forget for a little bit, so I got my drink on. I was a little buzzed, when I felt someone come behind me.

"I didn't know you drank."

I turned and there was Jesse, going in and out of focus.

"11 years changes a person, Jess, so maybe I drink every so often." I was slurring my words a little.

"I see that. How many have you had?"

"One..two..three...wait what's after three?"

"four you've had only four and you're buzzed?"

"I think it's been more...but I'm not sure."

"Come on, let's sit down before you fall down."

He led me to some dark area where earlier couples were making out.

"Whoa, hey..I'm not going in there."

"There's couches in here where you can sit down."

"No, I'm good." I stood against a wall as Jesse looked down at me, he seemed to be thinking really hard on something, his face coming closer and closer.

"Do you want me to, Andy, do you want me to kiss you?"

I looked at him, not sure what he wanted. He was getting married. Why was he playing with me like this? The right thing was to say no, but he was just so close. What if it was just once, just this once?

I closed my eyes and closed the gap between us. He had me pressed against the wall, but it wasn't what I was expecting, there was no fire in me, I didn't hunger for this to go further, and his touch seemed strange to me. Like I felt it, but it wasn't mine to have. I pushed him back, both of us a little breathless, but when he tried to kiss me again, I stopped him.

"What's wrong?"

"Everything, Jesse, we shouldn't be doing this, I'm sorry..." I pushed away from him and ran into the crowd.

I ran out and was trying to find Kayla's car, but I was so turned around. I had no idea where I was going.

It wasn't long when I suddenly heard the blaring horn, the bright light, and I closed my eyes waiting for the hit, when I felt pulled . Then I was in the middle of a parking lot again and there was Kayla's car. How?

"There you are."

I turned and found Kayla running toward me and looking worried.

"How long have you been looking for me?"

"Maybe half an hour, you okay?"

"I don't know."

"Let's get you back to the house."

We called it a night and she drove us back to my house. That was so weird. Had I imagined all of that?

The next morning, there was a slide and tap, slide and tap sound and it was making the headache I had worse. I slowly got up and suddenly realized I could hear boots on the floor too. I grabbed a window curtain rail and snuck out of the room. All I saw was his back, but he was inside my house without my permission, but before I even landed the swing of the rail, he grabbed it and pulled it out of my hands.

"Good morning, I didn't mean to scare you."

His voice made my skin erupt in goose bumps, like I had heard it before. I looked at him for a moment and I would recognize those light brown eyes anywhere, but I didn't. He was about 5'8, nice muscle tone, and...

"Hi, are you okay?"

I closed my eyes and composed myself.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I'm fighting a hang over."

"Oh, got yeah, like I said I didn't mean to scare you, I'm Nicolai." I looked up at him.

He couldn't be much older than I was.

"You're young."

"Thanks, I think."

"No, it's just between the name and how Vincent made you sound, you sounded old."

"Okay, then what would you suggest?"

"Could I call you Nick or Nico?"

"Nick is fine."

"Okay, then Nick, it is."

We sat there in a weird silence.

"So what are you doing in here without letting me know you were coming?"

He got up and kept looking around.

"The floor."

"What about them?"

"They don't match and if you're going to sell the house, that might be a good idea if they looked a little more leveled."

I looked at the floor and could see his point the floors had holes where we stabbed them with pencils or where the chairs dragged a little too hard. As I looked, I felt his eyes on me, they were scanning me like the cat's. I looked up at him and the intensity changed.

"I agree I hadn't really noticed until you just pointed it out."

He shrugged and kept looking at me.

"You might want to put on some actual clothes."

I looked down at myself and felt my face burn with self awareness. I had really short, almost booty shorts on and a white tank top that was transparent. I hugged myself and walked out backwards to my room. Just as I closed my door, I heard him say.

"Whew, this is going to be interesting."

I got dressed and we got to work pulling all the old floor out and checked. the holes didn't go deeper and there wasn't any rot or more mice holes. With that, we took all the old floor out.

"That's done, are you coming with me to pick up the floor or do you have it ordered?"

"No, I wanted to check it out for myself, the stuff online isn't always accurate, so let's go."

"Let's take your truck. If they have it, then we can pick it up right away."

"Okay."

We got in the truck and we drove to Ceder. When we got there, they had half of the amount we needed. We would have to wait for the rest.

"Good thing we didn't do the bathrooms." I told myself.

We got what we needed and I looked around at the beds, and picked one.

"You don't have a bed?"

"No, and as much as I love my inflatable mattress, it's time for an upgrade."

He helped the employees get in the truck and I helped him get it out when we got back. While he finished doing the floor, which he told me he would be able to do faster without me, I fixed my bed and got the sheets and blankets on it. In two hours, we both had everything done.

"Wow, I thought that would take you longer."

He smiled and it made my heart somersault in my chest, but he caught himself and stopped.

"I know what I'm doing, it doesn't take that long when you know what to do."

"Well, thanks, if you want the rest of the day, it's fine."

"I just need to cut the grass and I'll go."

"Right now, it's like 90 degrees outside."

"I'll be fine, it is part of the job."

"Okay if you say so."

He went outside and I was just getting some lemonade out of the fridge, when I heard the lawn mower start. I needed to see how much I still had because Dad had given me a budget. I was just going to sit down when I almost tripped.

This man had a whole hunk of a man hiding under his clothes, he was cutting the lawn shirtless, he wasn't ripped but had nice muscle. Not a six pack but light abs, those eyes and the dark hair made him look like a male super model, he was sweating a little, his body seemed to glisten a little from the sweat. He was handsome.

I laughed at myself for falling for the oldest trick in the book; the nice body. He was just a worker. As soon as we were done with all this, he would leave and so would I.

The next few days, Nick would come help me with the house, then after lunch would leave for the rest of the day. Three weeks was just like that, until one day, we were just getting the rooms done when a knock came at the door.I went to answer. It was Jesse.

"Hey, I wanted to give you this. There's a party and I wanted to pass on the invitation."

"Thanks, Jesse." I said a little cheerfully, and he seemed to think I didn't remember what happened,but better for me if he thought I forgot.

"Okay well, see ya there."

"Um... maybe."

He nodded and left. As I closed the door, I suddenly realized something. He wanted to get me alone again. I groaned and sighed in frustration.

"What's wrong?"asked Nick as I walked back.

"Nothing, it just sucks being single."

"Why?"

I handed him the invitation, and he understood.

"So if you don't go..."

"I end up disappointing an old friend and he might think I'm running from him."

"Whose him?"

I realized there really wasn't anything holding me back, it was just the fact that I knew what Jesse wanted me at the party for. Then the crazy thought hit me.

"Nick, will you be my date for that night?"

"Andrea, you're not a little kid. If you don't want to go, then don't go."

"Please, nothing inappropriate will happen, you're just my date."

He gave me a look and sighed.

"Fine, but don't push it."

"Thank you, I'll pick you up..."

"No, I'll pick you up just be ready."

"Okay, thank you."