Status: Complete
The Bad Boy Next Door
"If you ever get lonely..."
Four hours since he'd first sat down, and the screen in front of him was just as blank as it had been when he'd started. Frank pushed away from the computer, deciding he needed to get a little fresh air and stretch his legs. Maybe then something would finally come to him.
He went out the backdoor, sitting on the concrete steps. He looked across the way to see Jo, sitting on the steps of her own back porch, her head buried in her hands. She looked up after a moment, staring forward into nothingness, and Frank realized she was crying. He knew he shouldn't intrude, but he couldn't stop himself from getting up and walking over there, stepping over the short row of shrubbery that separated the two houses.
Frank stopped when he got to Jo, suddenly not sure what to do. They'd barely had any more contact than their morning greetings, and now he found himself at a loss for words.
Jo looked up, her streaked face making Frank want to lean down and kiss the tears away. "Can I help you?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from wavering.
"What's wrong?"
Jo sniffled. "I don't want to talk about it."
Frank had figured as much. "Is there anything I can do?"
Jo looked up at him, her expression one of surprised confusion. Neighbor or not, he was a virtual stranger, and here he was, asking if he could help her with her silly little emotional outburst. Not knowing what to say, she looked away, hoping he'd take the hint that she wanted to be alone.
Frank knew he should just turn around and leave, but he couldn't repress his urge to comfort her. He sat down beside her, awkwardly patting her back. Jo bristled at the unfamiliar touch, and Frank pulled away. He still sat beside her, not sure of what his next move should be. When Jo said nothing, he started to stand.
"I had an argument with my husband."
Frank froze, sitting back down. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said, hoping Jo couldn't tell just how much he was lying.
"He's always gone," Jo said. "I mean, I know his job pays well, but I never see him." She started crying again, burying her face in her hands.
Frank reached out, rubbing her back again. Pete was more of a stupid fuck than he'd originally assumed. Who left a woman like this home alone all the time? "I'm sure he just wants what's best for the both of you," Frank said lamely.
"I know, I just get…lonely…" Jo wiped her eyes. "I don't know why I'm telling you this."
"Maybe because I'm listening?"
Jo smiled a little. "Maybe."
"You know, if you ever get lonely, you can come over to my place." Jo looked at him in shock, and Frank realized how she'd taken his invitation. "To talk, I mean," he added quickly.
Jo turned bright red embarrassed by her quick assumption as to his meaning. "I'll…I'll keep that in mind." She stood. "I should really get back in. I have…things to do."
Frank stood as well. "Right. Um, let me know if you ever need anything…neighborly, that is."
"I will," Jo said, going towards her door. "Thanks."
"Good going," Frank muttered to himself once Jo was gone. "Now she probably thinks you're a complete fucktard." He walked back to his house, grumbling all the way.
He went out the backdoor, sitting on the concrete steps. He looked across the way to see Jo, sitting on the steps of her own back porch, her head buried in her hands. She looked up after a moment, staring forward into nothingness, and Frank realized she was crying. He knew he shouldn't intrude, but he couldn't stop himself from getting up and walking over there, stepping over the short row of shrubbery that separated the two houses.
Frank stopped when he got to Jo, suddenly not sure what to do. They'd barely had any more contact than their morning greetings, and now he found himself at a loss for words.
Jo looked up, her streaked face making Frank want to lean down and kiss the tears away. "Can I help you?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from wavering.
"What's wrong?"
Jo sniffled. "I don't want to talk about it."
Frank had figured as much. "Is there anything I can do?"
Jo looked up at him, her expression one of surprised confusion. Neighbor or not, he was a virtual stranger, and here he was, asking if he could help her with her silly little emotional outburst. Not knowing what to say, she looked away, hoping he'd take the hint that she wanted to be alone.
Frank knew he should just turn around and leave, but he couldn't repress his urge to comfort her. He sat down beside her, awkwardly patting her back. Jo bristled at the unfamiliar touch, and Frank pulled away. He still sat beside her, not sure of what his next move should be. When Jo said nothing, he started to stand.
"I had an argument with my husband."
Frank froze, sitting back down. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said, hoping Jo couldn't tell just how much he was lying.
"He's always gone," Jo said. "I mean, I know his job pays well, but I never see him." She started crying again, burying her face in her hands.
Frank reached out, rubbing her back again. Pete was more of a stupid fuck than he'd originally assumed. Who left a woman like this home alone all the time? "I'm sure he just wants what's best for the both of you," Frank said lamely.
"I know, I just get…lonely…" Jo wiped her eyes. "I don't know why I'm telling you this."
"Maybe because I'm listening?"
Jo smiled a little. "Maybe."
"You know, if you ever get lonely, you can come over to my place." Jo looked at him in shock, and Frank realized how she'd taken his invitation. "To talk, I mean," he added quickly.
Jo turned bright red embarrassed by her quick assumption as to his meaning. "I'll…I'll keep that in mind." She stood. "I should really get back in. I have…things to do."
Frank stood as well. "Right. Um, let me know if you ever need anything…neighborly, that is."
"I will," Jo said, going towards her door. "Thanks."
"Good going," Frank muttered to himself once Jo was gone. "Now she probably thinks you're a complete fucktard." He walked back to his house, grumbling all the way.