The Neighbor Read online

  “Get him off of your mind Jenna. Distant memory like I said.”

  “I will see you in Columbia. I am going to disconnect. I feel like rockin’ out.”

  I sped off as I listened to an Iggy Azalea tune. It was another part of the mix made by my nephew – my mixologist. I was driving in the fast lane. I hummed the tune and I knew it would be in my head for the rest of the day. I was feeling the freedom of being away from home and I had not yet driven 30 miles.

  It had always been my plan to attend college. Neither of my parents were college educated. They did all right up until the point my father got ill so they had earmarked money for school. My own summer savings plus financial aid made it possible. I was undeclared as far as a major went. Like many young women, I thought I was going to be a music star as I produced my own music videos on You Tube. I spent a great deal of time singing into my hairbrush.

  “Shit,” I said as I noticed the flashing lights behind me. I was driving 75 mph in a 65 mph zone up US-26 without a care in the world. Apparently, the state trooper was paying attention while I was not.

  I pulled over my Sol. It was a male officer. I was young, innocent, and generally attractive. Maybe not so much innocent but it’s not like the trooper knew I gave guys blowjobs on the first date. I decided to act as women did in the movies. I attempted to use my feminine wiles. I quickly released my ponytail and unfastened my top button.

  “License and registration.” So far, it was just as on television. I flashed a bashful grin.

  “I am so embarrassed. This is my first traffic violation. You will have to excuse me if I seem nervous. I am off to college and this a big day for me.” I hoped he would take pity on me. The man smelled like stale coffee and he had yellow teeth.

  “Are you aware of why I pulled you over mam?” The man showed no hint of a smile. He had probably pulled over hundreds of prospective students already. For all I knew he was not interested in women. He returned to his vehicle to check my information.

  He returned to my car. I was sweating. My nerves were getting to me. I was living on a very carefully balanced budget. If the scales tipped, I would be screwed.

  “I am going to write you a ticket Ms. Walsh. You are young and it is a good time for you to learn a lesson. Speeding is unacceptable and dangerous to both you and others who share the road. I suggest you pay the fine and try not to take this to court. I am not like others in that I show up for all of my court dates.”

  “Okay. Bye officer.” I drove away having not said thank you or have a nice day. I was pissed and he was an asshole with shitty breath. It made me think of Ryder’s sweet breath. I couldn’t help it. All roads led back to Ryder. I had to stop thinking of him. I called Sayler.

  “Where are you?” I asked.

  “I just passed you while you were speaking with the officer.”

  “Thanks for stopping and helping me out.”

  “Seriously Jenna. What was I going to do? You were probably turning on the charm. They hate that because it’s so overdone. You actually piss them off when you try that shit. Statistics show that female drivers have a better chance of getting off with women officers. It is a sisterhood kind of thing,” Sayler said.

  “All I know is that you are paying for the pizza tonight. My ticket is for $180. I thought they were more like $50.”

  “I guess you learned your lesson.” She laughed.

  “Shut up! That’s what the cop said. Why does everyone think I have a lesson to learn? I’m hanging up now.”

  Wanting to hear a refreshing voice, I called ahead to Max.

  “Hey Max. It’s me and I’m heading your way. Take a load of stuff up to my room and Sayler will buy us a pizza.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Guess what?”

  “Do I want to know?”

  “I am taking freshman sex ed…with you.”

  “You’re what? Is it that good that you retaking it? Do they think we need it at this age? They should have given us the class when we hit puberty.”

  “I skipped it last year,” Max said.

  “Let me guess, you thought you were exempt due to previous experience?” I laughed.

  “Something like that. But I actually didn’t realize it was a requirement. It will be an easy A which my GPA can use.”

  “It will be fun attending with a friend I guess. In case you were wondering, I will not be available to be your test subject. Anything you get in class, we have probably covered.”

  He chuckled. “Ain’t that the truth. I will see you when you get here. I’ll bring some beer.”

  Max disconnected and I threw my phone in the passenger’s seat.

  ****

  After arriving at my dormitory, it was time to get to eating and gossip. Sayler bought the pizza at my assistance. We ordered it with just about everything except for green peppers, which I detested.

  “Two of my best friends in one room. Pizza is a nice addition,” I commented.

  “Beer?” Max asked.

  “No thanks. I went over my limit a few days ago and I felt like shit the following day,” I said.

  “Did you have a Ryder hangover or a wine hangover?” Sayler winked.

  “Nice of you to bring him up. I have spent all day trying to forget the man but thoughts of him keep haunting me. I thought we agreed to keep this between us.”

  Sayler ignored me and Max’s interest was piqued.

  “Bad date Jenna?” Max asked.

  “No, actually. I would rather not talk about it. I’m at school now and he is back home. He had potential but it was poor timing and he was older – at a different place in his life.”

  “That is not the truth Max. Mystery Ryder faded to black. I believe Jenna would have been open to continuing the friendship.” Sayler felt compelled to clue Max in on the situation.

  “Come on. You can tell me more Jenna.”

  “Hmm…well he loves golf, which is how I met him. He happened to move in next-door to my mom. I know he is 33. He’s hip and everything that entails. He has his finger on the pulse of what’s going on.”

  “That’s all you can say about him Jenna?” Sayler couldn’t leave the subject alone.

  I returned to eating my pizza slice. Max and I were done being sexually involved, but it still felt weird talking about other guys with him.

  “I will tell him. She - in her own words – sucked him like a Dyson. You must remember what that is like where Jenna is concerned.” Sayler had one beer too many. I wanted to throw her out for revealing secrets that Max didn’t need to know.

  “Really?” Max seemed surprised.

  “Yeah...but we didn’t fuck though.”

  “But you were open to it?”

  “Yes Max. Do you have a problem with that?”

  “No. It’s more awkward than anything.”

  “Then don’t ask questions Max,” I told him.

  “Great pizza,” Sayler said, trying to stop the tension in the room. I could tell by the look she gave me that she was sorry she brought the topic up.

  “So Max, what have you heard about the professor teaching sex ed?” I asked.

  “He was on sabbatical last year. He apparently travelled to Europe. He is a young guy so he is supposed to be relatable. It would be weird to be lectured about sex from an old man. We lucked out in that we are in the same class. Many freshman girls were interested in his class because they say he is hot.”

  “Sounds promising. Maybe this professor will be able to hold our attention,” I said.

  I made plans to meet Max in the morning. I unpacked my things. As many freshman did I brought too much stuff for the small space I was given. I had not met my roommate yet. She was from out of state and would not arrive until the following day.

  I was placing clothes in the closet when I came across a golf hat from Magnolia Country Club. It seemed to be never ending. There were reminders of my night with Ryder everywhere. I needed them to stop.

  Chapter Ten

  Sayler decided not to stay the n
ight. My things were somewhat unpacked and I was looking forward to a quiet night. My phone began playing. I was always changing the ringtone so I almost didn’t recognize it.

  “Hey Max. Miss me already? What’s up?”

  “Tomorrow we begin classes and things will get crazy. Why don’t you hit the bar with me? We can grab something to eat. Sayler wolfed down more than her share of the pizza and I’m still hungry,” Max said.

  “Not tonight Max. I’m exhausted. One drink will put me to sleep.”

  “Please Jenna – for old time’s sake,” Max pleaded.

  “Come and get me because I don’t know where your dorm is and this place is like a maze. I‘ll get lost.”

  “I’ll be there in 10-minutes.” Ryder hung up.

  Ugh. I was not looking forward to spending time alone with Max. I could tell that he didn’t like me with another guy. Falling back into old habits with him was a dangerous prospect.

  I guess hanging out with him was a good opportunity to assure there were no hurt feelings after the discussion about Ryder and the blowjob. There was his name again. I couldn’t get Ryder off my mind.

  Before I knew it, Max knocked on my door.

  “You look great Jenna,” Max said as soon as I opened the door.

  “Max, I haven’t changed in the two-hours since you saw me last. I put on some lip gloss and took my ponytail down.”

  “That must be it. You always look great. That never changes.” Max smiled.

  I ignored the comment. I thought we were good friends but he seemed to be hitting on me. Maybe he was only interested in having sex with me.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “We are going to a spot named The Spot. They have good bar food and inexpensive beers. Just our style. They have dancing too. We owned the dance floor back home. We did quite a bit of bumping and grinding. It got R-rated…remember?”

  I did not want to remember those days. I wanted to just be college buddies and nothing more.

  “I do remember Max. That was a long time ago though. Let’s just worry about right now and not the past.”

  “If that’s what you want Jenna.”

  I grinned and nodded my head before we walked into The Spot. The party was raging but we were lucky enough to find a booth.

  “How about a domestic ale. I usually get whatever they have on tap.” Max flagged down the server.

  “I will have what he has to drink. No food for me.” Skipping the food would make the evening move more quickly.

  “Are you sure? I’m gonna have some fried shrimp. It has been frozen but I like it,” Max said.

  Ryder again came to mind. It was fresh shrimp and fine wine at his house. Max offered something entirely different.

  Our food and beer came. After we ate, I assumed the evening would be over. We discussed our history together as children, deleting the times we hated each other. It was a nice walk down memory lane. He popped the last shrimp in his mouth and wiped his hands on his pants.

  “Man. That shit was greasy. Are you ready to show the people of Columbia how we dance?”

  “Do I have a choice?” I asked.

  “No. It will be a blast. This DJ knows how to spin tunes. We will have to come here when there is a home football game. If we can get in that is because there is usually a line around the corner.”

  I chugged the remainder of my beer. I was definitely beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol. Max grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor. We immediately fell into a rhythm. The moves were familiar and almost comforting. He smashed his groin into my backside. I was thrown off balance but he saved me. When I turned I found his face inches from mine. He was staring at me intensely, just as he once did.

  “You okay? I got a little carried away.”

  “I’m fine Ryder – Uh, I mean Max.” Shit.

  Max didn’t respond. Instead he pulled me in close. Beneath his jeans, I could feel his dick growing. It was an old feeling with Max that didn’t feel right.

  “Let’s get out of here Jenna. I want to show you my room,” he whispered in my ear.

  He turned his back to me and led me off the dance floor with his hand. I didn’t know why I didn’t just say no at that point. I took his hand and followed. A part of me wanted to see Max’s room. It felt natural because we had done it so often in the past.

  “Whew. It was hot in that place. What are you thinking about?” Max asked as we reached the sidewalk.

  “I don’t really have anything profound to say. I am tired and I just hope we are not making a mistake. This feels safe, right?”

  “Safe is good. We’re not making a mistake.”

  If I was with anyone else it would have seemed like I was trying to forget Ryder. In the recess of my mind perhaps I was. It was unfair to Max but I still followed him back to the college and climbed the stairs to his low-rise dormitory.

  Max had a single room because it was his second year on the floor. It was organized and clean. I felt as if he was expecting company. The Max I knew was a slob. A queen futon was set in the bed position. It was turned down, which I viewed as a bit much. Since it was the only place to sit in the room, I sat down on the edge of the cushion.

  “This is Chez Max. It is a step up from last year. I can get things done in this space that I could never do with a roommate.”

  I looked at Max and laughed.

  “I mean studying and shit. I can see that dirty mind of yours at work.”

  Max sat next to me. I was a little tipsy and I felt like I was in one of those bad sit-coms that show the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. Max leaned in to kiss me. His lips and tongue waited for reciprocation. I tried, but I pulled back.

  “Sorry Max. I am just not ready for this to happen. I need to be alone for a while so I can get used to being away from home.” I stood up from the futon and stepped back

  “Jenna, I don’t think it’s about being away from home. You and Sayler joked about this Ryder guy but I think there’s more to it. I think he hurt you and you can’t admit it.”

  “When did you get so enlightened?” I laughed. “Maybe someday Max.”

  “I’ll walk back to your room with you. You are still planning to sit next to me in sex ed, right?” Max said.

  “Of course Max.” I laughed.

  Max took me home. We were both silent the entire way and when we reached my dormitory he hugged me and quickly said goodbye.

  ****

  I didn’t sleep well that night. I had not been expecting the Max drama and I was worried things would be tense between us. In addition, I had a splitting headache from the beer.

  I managed to roll out of bed in the morning. There was not time for a shower so in went the ponytail.

  “Good Morning Max,” I said to him in front of the dining common.

  “Hey Jenna. Are you ready to learn all about sex? Not as if you need the help.” Max smiled.

  “Please Max. Let’s not make my sex life a running joke. I also want to make sure that we are cool after last night.”

  “My ego was slightly bruised but I will be fine. I will not mention last night or Ryder again.”

  “I thought I could go one day without hearing the man’s name. Perhaps tomorrow.”

  “Sorry Jenna. Today is the last day you’ll hear his name.”

  I sighed.

  With my heavy bag of books in tow, I walked into the cavernous Tobin lecture hall. The scene was intimidating. It was packed to capacity because it was a requirement to take it. I thought it was a way to control the spread of STD’s on campus. It was not a bad idea since there were also new one’s cropping up.

  When I got settled in my chair, I heard the door close. My first college lecture was set to begin.

  I was still retrieving my things from my bag when I heard the professor state, “Welcome to Freshman Human Sexuality.”

  The familiar voice stunned me.

  “I am Ryder Curran. I will be your instructor this semester.”
>
  My hands were too slick to hold a pen. My palms were soaked in nervous sweat and I began trembling. My sex education instructor stood at the lectern. The man I had given a blowjob. The man whose mind I blew. The man who blew all over me.

  I grabbed the syllabus, which confirmed my fears. It was Ryder. The man I tried to forget and now had to see three times per week in Tobin Hall. Do I approach him after class? If I do what the hell do I say – Hi, remember me I’m the 18 year old who sucked your cock last week. Do I tell Max or anyone else? Do I attempt to crawl under my chair? Maybe I should transfer to a school in another state or a different country.

  I turned a vibrant shade of red. I could feel the heat spread across my face. I gazed at my watch and hoped I could get through class without him noticing me. It would provide me the time I needed to figure out what to do. I watched the second hand slowly sweep by.

  Max was wrong. Today wasn’t going to be the last day I would hear Ryder’s name.

  Follow the passionate story of Jenna and Ryder in The Neighbor—Book 2 on October 22nd

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  Once complete The Neighbor series will consist of 4 books in total.

  The Neighbor - Release schedule:

  Book 1: October 8th

  Book 2: October 22nd

  Book 3: November 5th

  Book 4: November 19th

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2014 Claire Adams