He grabbed the plate, ha maybe he wasn't gay after all, Missy was always telling me how to get to a guy, you can do it two ways one with food and two with your boobs, they go for both every time no matter the guy, in her experience even married men go for it.
I fiddled around the house putting stuff away and vacuuming, I hadn’t in about a month but I was never in the house very long, I was doing out of boredom more than anything, and the sound of the vacuum drowned out my thinking for the most part.... the bakery I had to start making plans and looking for another job here soon, I was hardly making anything most days no one even came in but who was I to blame?
I fell onto the couch and groaned as the phone rang I looked at the caller ID and ignored it I didn’t feel like talking to anyone at this time never mind the collections who have been wanting to get a hold of me for a year now ever since my business started going down hill....fast...
I put my classical music on, I went to the bathroom and stripped out of my clothes and made the vain move of looking at myself in the mirror on the wall, I wasn’t a super model but I was aware that I wasn’t that bad looking even if I might have gained an extra few pounds since running the bakery, but who wouldn’t? There is cookies! I slipped into the hot bath that smelled of lavender, you wouldn’t believe how hard it was to run a business when no one showed up and money you could literally see falling away, the stress was unfathomable. The how water was soothing and I sighed in contempt and closed my eyes laying back resting on the back of the tub. I grabbed the purple bath sponge and rubbed it up my arms and around the back of my neck and smiled to myself, if I could spend all my time in the bath I would, bubble bath was the world’s greatest creation!
But the water ran cold and I had to leave the water I grabbed the robe that hung on the back of the bathroom door and pulled it on tying it tight around my waist.
“come on Jesse call me back!” Missy yelled over the answering machine I grabbed the phone
“I'm here sorry I was in the bath” I said as I shut off the music
“So how is the person living next to you?” she asked
“he is kind of... odd actually not in a scary way well maybe but he was maybe just really serious”
“and you gave him cookies?” she asked
“yup”
“he must be gay” she laughed and I rolled my eyes.
“so what do you know about him?”
“nothing I left before I could embarrass myself further it was clear he wanted to get back to work”
“well that sucks I wanted to know the juicy details”
“sorry”
“well get them and I will talk to you later”
“wait how do I go about asking? It would be weird if I just went over and started asking question”
“oh you will think of something, oh and did you close the curtain in the bathroom?” she asked and was instantly mortified, no I hadn’t no one had been in that house for so long I had forgotten that my bathroom window over looked his kitchen window.
“no” I growled out and she started laughing
“well I'm sure you have loads to talk about now!” she said and she was still laughing when the line went dead when she hung up.
I glanced out my living room window and saw him sitting in his kitchen eating at his kitchen table facing my house.
Ugh great! I closed the curtains and went to the bathroom and closed them as well, why did all my windows have to be on one side of the god damn house! why did I have to have a huge clear window in my bathroom? And why did I have to practically put on a show as I checked myself out in the mirror? I groaned and sat on the couch grabbing the TV remote.
I must have fallen asleep as I woke with a startle at the sound of a big thump outside, I got up and peeked outside to the new neighbour.
He was out there but I couldn't see what he was doing, he brought his hand down a few times and the thumps continued, but I couldn't see what he was doing, I glanced at the stove in the kitchen and looked at the clock that read it was three in the morning. What was he doing?
It was none of my concern, I shut the curtains tightly and wandered to the bedroom falling on the bed and falling asleep.
The phone rang off the hook for over a half hour I was too lazy to go and pick it up but as it continued I had no choice, I got up grumpy and walked over to it.
“what?” I asked picking it up
“hi this is Mrs Gray from down the street”
“hi what do you need” I said sighing
“I saw yesterday you have a new neighbour” she said and I heard the kids in the back ground.
“yes”
“well I thought you should know as I saw you talking to him that he isn’t safe sweetie, he just got out of prison, maximum security if I heard right”
I was shocked “what for do you know?” I asked
“for murder” she said in a whisper and I swallowed hard, not being able to breathe I have a murderer living next door to me!
“wow” I didn’t know what to say
“I thought you should know honey, others and myself are trying to pass around a letter with signatures on it we want him out of our neighbourhood” she said
“okay when I have some time I will come by to sign it as well”
“oh thank you sweetie see you soon” she chimed and hung up.
I got dressed and had some coffee , trying very hard not to think about the murderer next to me.
Maybe I should go over and ask who he is before I make a truth out of something Mrs Gray said she was a babbling boob job trophy wife who made her career of gossip, and I could choke a horse with all the blonde hair dye she uses.
I slipped on my shoes and left the house before I lost my nerve. I walked over to his house and up to his front door and banged on it.
And banged on it
And again
And again
Nothing, great now he wasn’t even home! I started to walk away when the door flung open.
“I said hold on a minute” he said and I turned to see him holding a towel around his waist, his tanned fingers clutched the towel and his skin glistened, droplets of water slid down his chest and I had the dying urge to follow that water trail with my tongue ... but I successfully suppressed that urge, I snapped my gaze back up to his face and he frowned “is there something you need?” he asked irritated, I opened my mouth but nothing came out, I took a deep breath and then sputtered out something
“were you really in prison for murder?” I said and his frown grew graver and I wanted to run away from him but I stood still on his front door.
“yes I was, are you gathering information to share with the rest of the gossip bitches that I have already had the pleasure of meeting” he snapped
“no I ... I just wanted to see if it was true I'm not in the habit of listening to what any of them say”
“well the answer is yes, I killed someone”
“oh” I said and started backing away from him
“I was sixteen a very long eighteen years I spent behind bars” he said and I nodded, but left his property. I had work to do at the bakery I had to start packing up my equipment before it was sold to the highest bidder.
I heard the door shut as I got into my car and started to drive away when Mrs Gray knocked on the window
“Did I really just see talking to him dear?” she asked
“I have to go to work” I said not happy with being cornered.
“oh darling why do you bother with that little cafe?” she asked and I resisted to roll my eyes at her.
“I really need to go now” I said as polite as I could and started to drive away she walked back to her house which was down the block, I drove and pulled out of my driveway and slowed down as I looked at Matthews house, he stood in the living room window looking at me, I drove faster away and to the bakery.
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