New to the Neighborhood

[BeachBum25]

Michael looked into Claire's eyes as she propped her chin on his chest. His hands slowly caressed her back and his fingertips slid slowly up her spine as he listened to her. Having Claire with him just felt so right, but he knew that it was easier on him than it was for her.

"Claire, I am not asking you for any promises. I understand what is involved." He moved his hand to her chin and cupped it, caressing her cheek with his thumb. He wanted her to know with actions and with words that she was not just somebody he wanted to fuck.... she was someone he cared about and wanted a relationship with... if that was ultimately what she decided she wanted.

"The future is something that nobody knows about. I am going to be right next door. I will be there for you if and when you need me. If you decide that there is nothing that can go on between us, I will respect your decision. It would be hard, but I would accept it. I know it has only been a short time that we have known each other, but, I have come to admire, respect, and genuinely care about you, and I will not do anything that you don't want."

He smiled at her and leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "In the meantime, I am really anxious to taste in that delicious dinner that is on your table. Something tells me you are a great cook in addition to being so beautiful. Oh, and yes, we can do something normal like watching a movie after I clean up after dinner. That is plenty for me Claire, because all of it involves spending time with you."

They kissed softly before getting out of bed. After searching for their clothes, they dressed and headed downstairs; Michael giving Claire a piggyback ride down the steps and into the dining room. After putting Claire down, Michael pulled out the chair and let Claire take a seat. While she sat at the table, Michael heated several of the items in the microwave that had cooled off. After returning the items to the table, Michael took a seat next to Claire, raised his glass, "to a tremendous meal by a beautiful cook."

They enjoyed an amazing meal together; making idle chat, but also flirting just a little. When they were finished, Michael insisted that Claire go in and sit on the sofa and find a movie for them to watch. "Lady's choice." Michael proceeded to clear the table and was the pots, pans and dishes. He tried his best to figure out where everything went. He couldn't figure out where to put the one pan, so, he left it on the counter.

After finishing, Michael joined Claire on the sofa; sitting close to her, but with a little space between them. "So, what are we going to watch?"

They sat together on the sofa watching the movie that Claire had chosen. At times they held hands. At times they leaned against one another. The whole time, Michael felt as if they were a couple. He knew they weren't.... not yet anyway, but he hoped that they would eventually get there.

When the movie ended, he looked over at Claire and gave her a soft kiss. "I want to thank you for a great dinner and an enjoyable evening with you. I think I should continue our "normal" evening by going home and leaving you to your thoughts. Do you agree with me Claire?"

 

[ms_tiff]

Claire slept in the guest room that night, tangled in the sheets that still smelled of sex and Michael. Well, sleep was not quite the right word for the tossing and turning that she did and the barely three hours of sleep that she actually got. Kept awake by the tumultuous thoughts that raced through her mind, the many different scenarios of the direction her life could go with the path she had started down.

As the sun began to peek through the curtains, Claire blinked bloodshot eyes and groaned as she drew a pillow over her face. She needed to figure out what it was that she wanted, but Claire was no closer to a solution than she had been the night before.

With a sigh she crawled out of bed and wandered down into the kitchen. The same kitchen where Michael had cleaned up from their dinner, insisting on doing the small task for her. Claire couldn’t remember the last time her own husband had even put a dish in the sink let alone cleaned up.

Turning on the coffeemaker, Claire fiddled with her wedding ring, spinning it around her finger as the smell of coffee filled the kitchen.

Could she blow up her entire marriage for a man she had only met a few weeks ago? Could she walk away from the life she and Matt were building for something that wasn’t guaranteed? But, on the other hand, was she truly happy with things the way they currently were?

Claire worried her lip, lost in thought as the coffeemaker beeped, signaling the end of its brew. Her gaze drifted to the window, to Michael’s house. Her thoughts followed, wondering what he was doing at that moment. He had promised her space as she decided what she wanted and Claire was grateful for that. But that didn’t negate the fact that she wanted to be near him constantly. She craved the feel of his body cocooning hers, the way her body fit so nicely against his whether they were cuddled on the couch or tangled in bed.

Space, she kept reminding herself as she recalled how perfect things had felt the night before. How…right. Her body and mind didn’t seem to be connecting, however, as Claire reached for her phone.

I miss you.

She sent the text before she could second guess the action. As she waited for the three dots that signaled Michael texting her back, a voice echoed through the house.

“Honey, I’m home!” Matt’s voice startled her and Claire dropped her phone with a clatter. Quickly stooping to pick it up she ran a hand through her hair and tried to make herself somewhat presentable.

“Matt!” She said, surprised as he walked into the kitchen. “I thought you weren’t coming home until tomorrow night.”

Matt pulled her in and kissed her, his mouth feeling wrong against hers. Or maybe it was because she was still thinking about Michael and his mouth.

“Can’t a guy just miss his wife?” Matt laughed, his hands on her hips, pulling Claire close to him.

“I guess…but you were really excited about this trip.” Claire tried not to look down at her phone where she had just set it on the counter.

“Well, if you must know, Jack had too many shots and decided he could fly. So the idiot jumped off the balcony and broke his leg.” Matt laughs and shakes his head.

“Oh well that’s -” Claire’s words cut off sharply as her phone buzzes and Michael’s name popped up on the screen. She quickly grabbed her phone before Matt could see whatever Michael had texted.

Matt looked at her, brow arched in question at her sudden movement.

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly, “been waiting for the girls to message me with our brunch plan for today. I should probably go get ready.” She backed up and forced a smile at her husband. “I’ll uh…I’ll catch up with you when I get back.”

She quickly retreated up the stairs only to stop abruptly in front of the guest room and the rumpled bed sheets that shone like a beacon of her adultery. She moved quickly, stripping the bed and shoving the sheets into the hamper before closing the guest room door and praying that Matt didn’t wander inside before she had a chance to remake the bed.

Thirty minutes later, Claire was showered, dressed and out the door with no destination in mind. She just drove and drove, until she came across a small park and decided that fresh air would help to clear her head.

Getting out of the car, Claire began to wander the nature path around the park, lost in thought and not paying attention to anything around her.

 

[BeachBum25]

Despite how hard it was to leave, Michael went home after kissing Claire goodnight. He wanted to give her space. Michael knew that Claire had a difficult decision to make, and it was not a decision that she should take lightly. He wanted to make sure that he did not do anything that put undue influence on her. The only way that could happen was for him to put some distance between them.

After going to his house, he went to the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. After opening it, and tossing the cap on the counter, Michael walked out onto the porch and he sat in the dark. His mind wandered. He went through many scenarios in his head. He wondered what would happen if Claire decided she wanted to try to build something with him? He also thought about what it would be like if she decided she wanted to stay and make her marriage work. Michael wondered if it would be possible for him to stay in the house if Claire decided to work on her marriage. Would he be able to see her every day?

Another thing that went through Michael's mind was that he was being a homewrecker. Granted, there were no children involved, which was a good thing, but still, he was interfering with a marriage. No, it wasn't like it was all his doing. He had tried to remove himself from the situation in the very beginning, but Claire had insisted. He wasn't innocent in any way. He still could have said no.

Before Michael knew it, his beer had been empty for hours and the sun was starting to make an appearance. He put his feet up on another chair and fell asleep. The next thing Michael knew, he heard a car door slam closed. He opened his eyes and saw Claire's husband heading toward their front door. He said a little prayer of thanks that they had not spent the night together.

Picking up his empty beer bottle, Michael headed into the house to make some coffee. While the coffee was brewing, Michael went upstairs and changed. He put on a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt, grabbed a pair of socks and his running shoes and went back downstairs. After pouring a cup of coffee, He sat at the counter with it; his mind still wandering.

Looking out the side window, Michael saw Claire leave the house and get in her vehicle and drive away. At that moment, he decided to make his run a long one; hoping to clear his head a little. After putting on his socks and running shoes, Michael made his way out. He started with a long circuit through the neighborhood and then headed out onto the main road. He had no idea where he was going. He wasn't focusing on the path he was taking. He was only thinking about Claire and what decision she would make.

As he made his way along the road, he saw the entrance to a park. He had never been in the park. In fact, he never knew the park existed. As he turned onto one of the paths, leading into the park, Michael wondered how long it would take for Claire to make her decision. He wouldn't do anything to accelerate the decision, but he knew the wait would be painful.

Running down the path, he passed a large playground, and once again was thankful there were no children involved in the situation. Children would have complicated the situation even more than it already was. Michael wondered if anything would have ever happened between Claire and him if Claire and her husband had children.

As he continued through the park, Michael started to feel the effects of the lack of sleep and was finding himself starting to fatigue. Up ahead, he saw a parking lot, and figured that would lead him back to the main road and give him his route home. He noticed a woman walking on the path in front of him and couldn't help but notice that she had a fantastic ass. He moved off the path and continued toward the parking lot as he started to make his way home.

 

[ms_tiff]

The walk had done nothing to clear her head and, with a sigh Claire headed back for her car. Reaching into her pocket for her keys, she cursed when her fingers touched nothing but lint.

“Fuck,” she muttered under her breath, searching the ground around her for the keys.

“Where the fuck did they go?” She walked the parking lot slowly, watching the ground, searching for the telltale glint of metal in the sun. Claire looked up at the path she had come from, praying that she hadn’t dropped them somewhere along her walk. Because there was no way that Claire would be able to retrace her steps if that was the case. She had been zoned out during her walk she would never be able to remember which paths she had taken through the park.

Turning back to her car, Claire kicked the wheel angrily. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” She punctuated each word with another kick. “Fuck. Fuck.” Tears pricked at her eyes and, before Claire knew it, she was leaning against her car, face pressed to the warm metal, tears spilling down her face as her body shook with the force of her sobs.

Claire was vaguely aware of others in the parking lot, but she didn’t care. Rather, she couldn’t bring herself to care. She felt a presence behind her and then strong arms enveloped her, familiar arms. Claire turned and buried her face in a familiar chest, breathing in Michael’s scent.

In that moment, with her tears and snot soaking into Michael’s shirt and her car keys who knows where, Claire had a sense of clarity. This. This was what she wanted, what she needed. This sense of security and safety and…home.

 

[BeachBum25]

As he moved off the path, Michael realized that the woman in front of him was Claire. He slowed his pace a little and changed his course. Not that he really wanted to avoid her, but he wanted to be true to his word about giving her the space to make her decision.

The longer route that he took brought him back to the parking lot. There, he saw Claire cursing, and kicking the tire to her car, and it also appeared that she was crying. Michael saw others looking at her and watched as she turned and leaned into her car.

Moving behind her, Michael took her in his arms. Yes, his shirt was covered in sweat, but he was hoping she wouldn't mind it. When she turned and buried her face in his chest, Michael caressed her back softly. "Ssshhhhh. Whatever it is, it will be okay. Just relax Claire."

After that, he remained quiet and just let Claire try to calm down. He didn't care who saw him take Claire in his arms; right now all that mattered to him was that he wanted her to relax and try to figure out how he could help her.

Once Claire told him what the problem was, Michael kissed the top of her head. "Listen, it will be okay Claire. I will call the Autoclub and have them send a tow truck to take the car to your house. You can use your spare set of keys to drive it after that. You do have a spare set of keys, don't you?"

After Claire assured him she had a spare set, Michael took his cell phone out and called the Autoclub and had them send a towtruck. After waiting for a while for its arrival, Claire's car was hooked up and ready to be taken to her house. "You are going to have to ride with the driver. Just go ahead home and relax. Everything is going to be fine." He kissed her on the cheek and watched as the towtruck pulled away with Claire and her car.

Michael went back down the nature path where he had fist seen Claire walking. Taking his time, he looked around to see if he could find her keys. He thought that if he found the keys it would put Claire's mind at ease and she wouldn't worry about anyone coming into her home or taking her car. Having no idea what the true route Claire had taken through the park, Michael wandered around for about an hour before deciding that it he wasn't going to find the keys.

Walking through a grassy area to get back to the path, Michael figured that a nice sprint home from here would cap off his run. As he approached the path, his foot kicked something. When he looked down, he saw a set of keys. The car key was the same make as Claire's. "No shit. How is that for luck." He picked up the keys and made his way back to the path. From there he began to run home at a fast pace.

When he got home, he saw that both cars were in his neighbor's driveway. He didn't dare go to their house. He went up onto the porch of his house, took off his running shoes and went into the house. He placed Claire's keys on his kitchen counter, grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, and headed upstairs to get a shower.

While in the shower, he thought of Claire and wondered what decision she would come to. He also wondered how her decision would impact him. Either way, he would have decisions to make. If she stayed with her husband, could Michael continue to live next door to them? If she wanted to be with Michael, what would happen? Would she move into his house? Would her husband leave their house? Would they have to move away? "Fuck Michael, why do you always have to pick the difficult path?"

 

[ms_tiff]

After her breakdown at the park, the realization of what she wanted, and the ride home with the tow truck driver who tried to make conversation while ignoring the obvious fact that Claire had been crying, Claire walked into her house with shoulders back and mind made up.

“Where have you been?” Matt asked, taking in her tear streaked face and red-rimmed eyes.

Determined to get out what she wanted to say, Claire shook her head and held up her hand to stop his question.

“We need to talk.” She said, her voice steely with resolve and brooking no argument. Matt watched her as she moved into the kitchen and poured herself a fresh cup of coffee. Doctoring the cup just how she wanted, Claire turned back around and leaned against the counter. She took a long sip of her coffee and, finally, met Matt’s questioning gaze.

“So here’s the thing…”

Claire texted Michael later that night after Matt had packed his things and left.

Give me some time, she wrote. Matt and I are separating. I want to be with you, but need a little time to heal first.

The conversation with Matt had been long and emotional, leaving Claire drained but she did not waiver. There had been accusations and name calling on both sides, every word aimed to wound and tear the other down. Claire wasn’t proud of how it went down, but things were said that needed to be said and, in the end, when they were both too emotionally drained to attack, they had reached an agreement. Matt had packed a few bags and left for…well Claire didn’t know where he was going, only that he was gone.

The house was hers, purchased before their marriage. In all their years together, she had never gotten around to putting Matt’s name on the deed. The divorce, when it finally came to that, should be easy as they both maintained separate accounts in addition to their joint one. But Claire didn’t want to think about that yet. Right now, all she wanted to do was curl up in bed and mourn the loss of her marriage. It felt hypocritical to be sad, but Claire couldn’t help but feel the loss of all those years.

For three days, Claire lay in bed, getting up only for food and bathroom breaks. Between crying jags, Claire texted Michael to assure him she was fine, that they would see each other as soon as she was ready. They texted about everything other than her separation and their feelings. They chatted about the little things like favorite movies and foods, and the bigger things like childhood memories and family. But always skating around what they really wanted to talk about.

Finally, Claire pulled herself from bed, showered, and dressed in skinny jeans and a plain white t-shirt. She threw her hair up into a messy bun as she walked down the stairs into her home office to get a few hours of work in. As she waited for her computer to boot up, she texted Michael.

Dinner tonight? A real date this time at a restaurant and everything.

 

[BeachBum25]

"Take your time. You know where to find me when you are ready."

He had to be honest, he was surprised that it happened that quickly after Claire's car issue at the park. He also had to be honest that he was happy to hear that it was happening. It did not make him proud that he was responsible for the breakup of Claire's marriage. Michael did not feel good about that, but if it happened in such a short time of his moving into the neighborhood, there had to be other issues.... didn't there. It couldn't all be him.

Michael was happy to get the texts from Claire letting him know she was okay. He was not going to initiate anything, because he did not want to seem pushy or insensitive, but he was glad to hear from her. Their texts gave him a deeper insight into Claire the person. He avoided anything about the separation. He avoided asking if she was okay. Michael figured that if Claire was texting with him, and their text conversations were positive in nature, that Claire was doing okay.

Work kept him busy during the days, but he always took the time to answer Claire's texts when they came in no matter what he was in the middle of. Michael also came to understand that he was not very well liked in the neighborhood. Both men and women gave him dirty looks when they saw him. People who had previously said hello to him, now completely ignored him. The neighborhood busybodies, who had always stopped by his house when he was outside no longer paid their visits.... not that he really cared about them. Actually, he was more concerned with how Claire would be treated. This was her neighborhood. Some of these people were her friends. He did not want to ruin that... or for that matter, anything.... for her.

When he got the text about dinner and a real date, he smiled. He also put his concerns about others out of his mind.

I would love that. I'll make reservations. I will pick you up at 8.

He made two phone calls after sending the text in order to make plans for the evening. The rest of the day went S L O W L Y. Michael was really looking forward to spending time with Claire. He had come to know a little more about her from the text messages that had been exchanged between them. Now he hoped to learn even more about her.

Around 5:30, Michael got into the shower. He took his time. His mind working through what their date might be like. After getting out of the shower and toweling off, Michael put on a pair of black boxerbriefs, a light blue dress shirt, a pair of gray dress pants and black shoes. After finishing his preparations, he went downstairs, got into his car and drove to the florist, which had been the second phone call he made after confirming the date with Claire.

After picking up the flowers he ordered, Michael drove back home. Instead of pulling into his driveway, he parked his car in front of Claire's house. Walking up to her door at exactly 8:00, he knocked lightly and waited. When Claire answered the door, Michael was speechless. She looked amazing. He smiled at her, and handed her the bouquet of white roses.