The Boy Next Door

Sitting in the Starbucks only a few blocks down the street from Grey’s apartment building, sipping my iced coffee, I saw a familiar GMC pull up in front of the building. When I saw Erik’s towering figure emerge from the vehicle, in a plain white tee, well broken-in jeans, and a pair of silver aviators, I was glad I had chosen a cold drink.

He tossed the door open, scanning the room. I fluttered my manicured fingers at him, and as he approached the table in what seemed like slow motion, Let’s Get It On by Marvin Gaye played in my head. When he pulled his chair out, the metal scraping against the tile mimicked the record coming to an abrupt stop.

“Thank you so much for coming to get me, I really appreciate it.” He gave me a nod, a strange look in his eyes. “So...what’s up, big shot?”

“Are...are you okay?” he asked, almost in a whisper.

I blinked. “Huh?” I responded, before I could stop myself. My mother had always scorned me for saying that, because it didn’t sound ‘distinguished’ or ‘ladylike.’ But after 21 years of living, she should have known I didn’t think before I spoke.

“I mean, you just got out of a relationship. You’re not upset at all?” His head had practically sunk down into his shoulders, like he was expecting me to burst into tears in the middle of the Starbucks at any moment.

“If anything, I guess I’m just disappointed; disappointed he couldn’t behave like an adult, and that I’d wasted six months of my life with a guy who seemed like he was perfect, but was so quick to snap and turn into some angry guy I don't even know. I wish I could have seen through it.”

He shrugged. “I wouldn’t think about it that way. I mean, you were happy with him, weren’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Then it wasn’t time wasted.”

I smiled. “You’re right.” Though I liked to think I wasn’t an emotional creature, I admired the way Erik, and guys in general, had the ability to see things so simply. Not because they couldn’t see the complexity in things, but because simple always seemed to be...easier.

“You sure you’re okay, though? I mean, no offense, but you look like a wreck.”

I spat out a laugh, burying my face in my sleeve-covered palms. “When I woke up this morning Brock jumped in the shower before I could to wash the slut off of himself, and then Greg showed up.”

“Oh yeah?” he asked, perking up. “And how’d that go?”

I raised a brow at him. “...Good? He’s a great guy. Really helped me with the whole Grey situation.”

Erik nodded, looking down at his lap. “Ever since I met him in bantam hockey he’s been like a brother to me. You won’t find a nicer guy than Mels out there who still knows how to have a good time,” he said with a chuckle.

“Mels? Is that his nickname?”

Erik nodded with a serene smile. “Yeah, it’s from his last name, Melo. Not like, chill mellow, but M-e-l-o." With each letter came a wag of his finger, and I bit my lip to avoid grinning like a fool over how cute he was. "His dad is Portuguese.”

“Oh. Well that last name would have been incredibly appropriate.” Erik laughed and nodded. “So you and Mr. Melo played hockey together?” I asked, adding a certain sophistication to the way I said Greg’s last name.

He smiled lightly, his straight teeth coming into view. “Yeah, for a year. But he, uh..." His voice trailed off, his gaze averting mine. "He quit.”

My brows fell from inquisition to confusion. “What? Why?”

“Mels, he...he went through a lot in high school.”

“...Oh.” Suddenly, the conversation had taken a turn. I had meant for this afternoon to be a fun pick-me-up after my now ex-boyfriend had turned into the Incredible Hulk, but we ended up talking about bumpy pasts and feelings. I didn't want to go there, and any guy certainly wouldn't. I sighed to myself to fill the air with something other than dead silence. I had pictured more playfulness between us, more banter. Any other guy I'd ever spoken with was so quick to flirt and try to retort with a clever line, all while a trail of drool streamed down their chin. Erik was almost...aloof. I quickly realized that Erik wasn't just any guy. He was an NHL up-and-comer. He surely could have had his pick of women, and yet another one throwing herself at him wouldn’t be anything new or exciting. With me, he would have had to tread lightly; I was a longtime friend of the family and a next-door neighbour. It would certainly be a challenge, but I absolutely wasn’t going to give up after getting thrown out of the apartment of a guy I’d given up for him.

I sat up straight, tossing my hair behind my shoulders. “You getting a drink?”

“Sure. What’s good?”

I set my elbow down on the table, placing my chin in my hand and fluttering my fingertips along the side of my cheek in thought. I knew exactly what I was going to get him, but I had to make him wait on me. After a moment, I finally piped up. “I have just the thing.”

“You do, eh?” I nodded, and he handed me a five dollar bill. He watched me get up and order his drink, and I looked over my shoulder at him as I leaned on the counter. When his warm brown eyes finally met mine, I held his gaze. Erik Gudbranson. The boy next door. The boy I’d seen through his Power Ranger phase, through his Pokemon phase, who I’d played street hockey with every day, and who I’d seen through his awkward years as a teenager. I’d seen him grow up, and now he was a man. A real man. His long legs barely fit under the table, he had a five o’clock shadow at all hours of the day, and he had a jaw chiseled by a sculptor of Greek gods. The kid I’d grown up with was this. It made me think of when we were kids; we’d play Pokemon on our Gameboy Colors side by side in his basement. He had Pokemon Red, I Pokemon Blue. I always chose Squirtle, and he always chose Charmander. Now, it was like he’d evolved into Charizard.

“Excuse me? Your drink?” the barista asked timidly. I was still staring at Erik, who was now looking down at his lap, typing away on his phone.

“Oh!” I took Erik’s drink from the counter, thanking her. I set the strawberry frappuccino down in front of him.

He started to giggle. “That is the girliest drink I have ever seen.”

“Hey, don’t knock it until you try it. Pink things taste better.”

“When did I say girly was bad?” He raised a brow playfully at me, and he took a sip. “Not bad.”

I nodded. “Mhm. But the cinnamon frappucinnos are even better.”

His brows rose. "What? Then why’d you buy me this one?”

I goofily flashed a smile. “Because I wanted to see the new big burly Erik drinking a little pink drink.”

Despite his eyes that were narrowing sardonically, his bright white smile was in full form. “Very cute. Speaking of cute, last night you were -- ”

“Oh god, here we go.”

“...Pretty funny,” he continued. “I knew you partied in high school, but not like that.”

“I’ve changed,” I said, sucking up the last of my caramel macchiato. “I’m not the cutesy cheerleader I was in high school. I know how to let loose.”

Erik was frozen as he watched me lick every last drop of my drink from my lips. He finally looked down, clearing his throat, and I tried to hide a triumphant smile. “I, uh...got that impression.”

I held a smirk, leaning forward and resting my arms on the table. "Tell me about your first year in the NHL. How was it?” I asked eagerly, placing my chin in my hand. I wanted to show my true interest in his life, as being self-centered was certainly one of the most unattractive qualities in existence.

“Amazing. Such a dream come true. I mean, you knew how much I wanted to play in the NHL when we were kids.”

“Oh yeah. All you’d talk about when we played was stats stats stats, and how one day that’d be you. Now here we are, Mr. Big Shot!” I playfully whacked his firm shoulder, and my hand practically rebounded. He gave me a full-hearted laugh, his dimples on full display. His eyes were soft, almost in a look of disbelief; either disbelief that he had just finished his first NHL season, or disbelief that he was sitting there with me. Maybe it was a bit of both. “Hey, what are you doing tomorrow night?”

“Buddy of mine’s having a kegger. Gotta keep the beer gut under control before camp, but a couple brews won’t hurt,” he added with a smile, rubbing his stomach. “What’d you have in mind?”

“Well, my best girlfriends and I were going to get together, I thought that if you, Greg and Ryan came along that it’d be fun.”

“Well they’re going to be there tomorrow night, what if you guys came along? If I talked to my buddy I bet you ladies wouldn’t have to pay to get in. As long as you don’t have thirty best girlfriends,” Erik replied with a chuckle.

I laughed. “No, just two, Jenny and Taylor. You’ll love them.” I sighed, thinking about how my group had dwindled from five to three. Leslie, Kendra, Jenny, Taylor and I used to do everything together. We were the fab five, hitting the town and breaking hearts left and right. Now, Leslie was gone, and Kendra was in Sweden visiting her boyfriend, Mika. Jenny and Taylor were amazing and I always had lots of fun with them, but things weren’t the same without Leslie, and now Kendra. I had pictured spending a summer evening on the veranda in my parents’ backyard, having casual drinks, spending intimate time with Erik, but now, we were going to a kegger, which I was sure would be filled with beautiful drunk girls waiting to pounce on the Panther. However, being controlling before we were even together wouldn’t have ended well. So, I put on a smile, and tucked a loose wave behind my ear. “Sounds great!”

* * *

That evening, I sat in my room, freshly showered and legs folded Buddha style, waiting for Skype on my Mac to connect. When it finally connected, there was no video, and all I heard were rustling noises. “Hello?” I heard in a familiar Swedish accent.

“Dave! I can’t see you!”

“Oh! Sorry, still trying to figure this thing out. Gimme a second.” I heard a few seconds of silence, then heard Dave silently curse to himself. I tried not to giggle, since he could see me. Finally, I saw his handsome face pop up on my scream. He still had his floppy 1980s haircut, and had a slight bit of stubble, but he was still the Dave I remembered. “There we go.”

“How’s it going Dave? Holding down the fort in Phoenix?”

“I am. But if you ask this girl you might get a different opinion.”

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, Leslie appeared in the shot, parking herself on Dave’s lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. “RANDA!” she practically screamed, causing Dave’s face to tense up. “I’ve missed you so much!” Leslie looked even prettier than I remembered, with caramel highlights in her hair, much darker skin, and barely any makeup that showed her natural beauty.

“I’ve missed you too! How is everything down there?”

“Amazing! I love it, but I really have to get used to this desert weather. Dave and I both prefer the cold, but my skin would say otherwise.” She held out her arms to proudly display the amount of colour she'd picked up.

“Yeah, couldn’t help but notice how dark you are, so jealous. And look at that ROCK!”

Leslie smiled, holding up her hand, which held both her engagement ring and her wedding ring. Her engagement ring was flashy yet classic, with a square-cut diamond and smaller diamonds lining the band. Her wedding band matched, the diamonds lining the band smaller than those of the engagement ring. “Thank you, Dave picked well! And it’s not like it’s winter in Ottawa right now. Go outside, get some sun!”

“I’d love to, but I’ve spent most of the afternoon looking for a damn job. It’s like they’re all hiding from me.”

“What about a lifeguarding job? You didn’t get your Bronze Cross for nothing.”

“I kind of saw it as a last resort, ya know? Oh well, with school ending for kids soon I should probably act fast. This guy I met yesterday named Greg would maybe be able to pull some strings for me, he works at a hockey camp and they go to an outdoor pool every day in the afternoon. Maybe I can get as crispy as you!”

“Ooooh, who’s Greg, a new boy?” Leslie asked excitedly, while Dave’s eyes started to glaze over.

“Just a friend. But he was so helpful this morning, I can’t imagine asking him for more.”

“Helped you? How?”

“Well...long story. But first of all, you should know...I broke up with Grey.”

Leslie gasped like someone had vacuumed all of the air out of her, while Dave’s eyebrows rose. “What?! Why? Ok babe, girl talk time. Now is your chance to escape or else you’re stuck here,” she said, turning her head towards Dave.

“Don’t worry, I’m out of here,” came his reply. He lifted her tiny frame effortlessly off his lap by her waist, plopped her back down in the desk chair and kissed her temple.

“So??” she begged impatiently, practically bouncing in the chair.

I told her about everything that had transpired over the past 24 hours, from drooling over Erik at the barbecue to coffee that afternoon. The whole time, Leslie was silent, nodding intently and with an enthralled look. When I finished, she simply stared, taken aback. “...Wow,” she finally answered breathlessly.

“Yeah.”

“I know who he is, but I didn’t know that you knew him, let alone grew up with him. How did that somehow slip your mind for our almost seven years of friendship? Especially when ‘that’ is so extremely good-looking?” I heard Dave mutter something to Leslie from across the room, but it was too muffled to hear. She shook her head and giggled. “Don’t worry Dave, you’re still my number one." She gave him an exaggerated sarcastic smile. "But if I ever met him I don't know if I'd still -- ” She screamed, and all of a sudden, Dave appeared in a flash on the screen, wrapping his arms around Leslie and burying his face in her neck. The chair rolled as he attacked her with force, and she let out a laugh. He tilted his head up to whisper something in her ear. While she listened, her mouth dropped open and she playfully slapped him across the shoulder, yet her lips slowly formed into a smile. While I watched what unfolded in front of me, I couldn’t help but smile. I had never seen two people look at each other like Leslie and Dave did in my entire life. Though there may have been a strong physical connection between Dave and I in the fall, it was never anything more than that. With these two, it was beyond love. It was something else I couldn’t even imagine. The way they were smiling at each other and seemed to forget the existence of anything else other than each other, including me, was what I knew I wanted. What I wanted wasn’t to get married. It wasn’t to marry a rich hockey player. It was to share that unconditional gaze with someone. It was to forget the presence of anyone and anything else when we shared that gaze. It was to have...that.

“Ooh, Randa, I’m so sorry, but we have to go! I guess we’ll just have to continue this conversation in person.”

“Okay, I guess -- wait, what did you just say?”

A slow grin spread from ear to ear across her face. “I’m coming to Ottawa! I arrive tomorrow morning!”

“No way!!” I shrieked, doing a little cross-legged dance. “No fucking WAY!”

“Yes! Dave’s headed to Sweden for two weeks so I thought, hey, why don’t I head home too? So I'm staying with my parents for the next two weeks!”

“Oh my god, Leslie, I can’t wait!" My cheeks were starting to hurt from my smile. "You totally have to come to the kegger tomorrow night. I’ll tell Erik to add you to the list!”

“Sounds great, I can’t wait to meet him!” Suddenly, Dave straightened up, giving Leslie a look.

“Don’t worry, Dave, I’ll look out for your wife.” Wife. The word barely escaped my lips.

“Thank you, Miranda. You can’t trust those NHL hockey players. Bad folk.”

I laughed, while Leslie rolled her eyes at him again. “Bye Miranda, see you tomorrow! Good luck with the job search!”

“Love you, safe travels you two!” Leslie waved, and Dave pursed his lips, giving me a quick nod. With that, I shut my computer and sank into my bed, my hands by my ears, gently touching my damp hair. My mind clouded with images of the next day. My best friend that I hadn’t seen in months would finally be by my side tomorrow. I was single, and would be at a party with Erik involving a lot of beer and the heat of the night. To top it all off, I’d talk to Greg about getting me a job. For the past 24 hours, I’d been on a rollercoaster; the highs were high and the dips made my stomach sink, but I hoped that tomorrow, after the loop-de-loop, I’d be able to ride the rest out with a smile on my face and the wind blowing through my hair.