Change

"I can see where that would be good news, especially if you have management ambitions," he acknowledged.

"I really hadn't considered a management role with my company because my current manager never would have supported my ambitions in that regard. He takes credit for my work so often that I'm surprised anyone in the company recognized any potential in me. I was hoping to gain enough experience to possibly move on to another company in a few years where I could expand my opportunities, but I now get the chance here. One of the other benefits of the program is that participation includes a housing allowance since managers are required to live within fifty miles of company headquarters. So, even though I already live within the required range, I still get the allowance. You have no idea how that extra money will change things for me."

"Hey, extra money is seldom a bad thing," he agreed as they were just entering the condo complex.

"Well that kills my mood," Rockie said as she gazed down the alley to the spare parking places for the complex. The numbered parking spot for her condo held a customized pick-up truck that he recognized as belonging to the man that shared the condo with her. The one she had called Brad.

"I thought that truck belonged to you or your boyfriend," he said as he reached above her to push the button on the garage door opener remote.

"We were a couple in high school and for a few years after that, but Brad hasn't been my boyfriend for years now. He was never faithful to me. I can't trust him or a thing he says, but I've needed his limited financial contributions to help pay the rent on the condo. He keeps trying to get back together, but the most I will agree to is sharing the condo as long as we have separate rooms, and he keeps his temper in check."

He backed into the garage and turned the car off but made no move to get out. He wanted to talk to Rockie further to understand what her situation with Brad was.

"You don't seem very happy about the truck being there. Is everything all right? This Brad guy isn't violent with you or anything is he?"

She sat silent for a minute, but she also made no attempt to leave the car.

She finally made a deep sigh and said, "No, he's never done anything physical to me, but sometimes I sense that he's restraining himself from doing so. I'm just going through highs and lows, I guess. I'm still angry with Brad for using my car without permission, getting into an accident with it, and then leaving it to be towed to the city impound lot. I am happy about finally meeting you and all that you have done for me today. I am elated about the opportunity that the Emerging Leader program will provide for my career and absolutely ecstatic about the housing allowance since it would allow me to pay my rent without any contributions from Brad. I was just getting excited about telling him he had to move out when I saw his truck and knew he is in the condo. That was a real downer because I had hoped that he would be gone for a few days and I would have a chance to formulate my side of the conversation I need to have with him."

He nodded in understanding and said, "You're more than welcome to hang with me for a while if you need more time to get your thoughts together. I would enjoy the company at dinner for a change."

"You cook too?" she asked.

"I don't have anything special planned, but I could barbeque some chicken thighs marinated in Teriyaki sauce, whip up a salad, and maybe another side dish of some sort if you're interested," he said.

"I've imposed on you enough for one day," she said, reaching for the handle to open her car door.

"Hold on," he said as he jumped out of the car and went around to open the door for her.

"JR, we're not on a date or anything. I can open my own doors." Her tone was once again cheerful.

"Sorry, Rockie, but it was the way I was raised. I mean no offense by it," he replied.

"Well, I appreciate it even if it is behavior that I am unaccustomed to. If you keep acting like such a gentleman around me and I'll have to hone up on my lady-like behavior. Again, something that I am not accustomed to around Brad or any of the men I work with."

He led her through the door into the kitchen and closed the garage door behind them before asking, "Sure that you don't want to hang here for a while and let me cook us some dinner?"

"I really shouldn't. You've done enough already."

"Rockie, I haven't done anything for you that I wouldn't have done for a complete stranger who needed some help. This should be obvious since we were complete strangers before you knocked on my door. You don't have to eat with me but feel free just to relax here for a while and gather your thoughts if that is what you want."

She smiled at him and nodded her acceptance of his offer. "You're being a better friend than I deserve. Thank you."

"I wouldn't categorize us as friends," he replied. "Not yet. We're neighbors doing what neighbors do, help each other out."

"Why can't neighbors also be friends?" she asked. "I think I've seen that happen on TV a few times."

Her smile wavered but didn't disappear entirely.

"Friendship involves a degree of trust and sharing that we might develop eventually, but I don't believe it exists between us right now. Plus, boy-girl friendships need to be nurtured carefully or they can get complicated really quick. You're already in a complicated relationship, so you probably don't need to add another one right now."

Rockie walked into the living room and sat on the sofa, "How old are you?" she asked.

He leaned back against the kitchen counter and said, "I'm almost twenty-three. Why?"

"You must have an old soul for you to be so mature at such a young age," she replied. "I'm twenty-five and you make me feel almost like an adolescent with some of your comments and observations."

He stared at her for several seconds but decided not to respond to her comments.

Pushing himself away from the counter, he asked, "Would you like something to drink? I don't entertain, so your choices are going to be limited".

He walked to the refrigerator, opened it, and looked inside. "Water, beer, milk, or orange juice?"

"Beer, please. I don't need a glass."

He pulled two beers out of the refrigerator, opened both bottles, and delivered one to her.

As he handed it to her, he winked and said "Drinking straight from the bottle? Not very ladylike."

"I'll show you ladylike," she said sticking her tongue out at him.

He chuckled and returned to the kitchen.

"Make yourself at home. I'm going to start my dinner, so just holler if you need anything."

She said, "Thanks, JR. May I use your restroom?"

"Sure, it's right..."

"Should I use the powder room or the full bath off the master bedroom?"

He nodded in comprehension that she would know the layout of his condo based on the layout of hers.

"You know your needs better than I do, so it's your choice."

She smiled at him and turned. He watched her walk through the doors to the master suite.

Rockie had never intentionally paid so much attention to someone else's home, but her intrigue from this morning persisted. She noticed that the king-size bed was not only made but made very well. Not a wrinkle or misaligned piece of bedding was evident. All the surfaces were clean of any dust, the hardwood floors were immaculate, and upon entering the master bathroom, she found the toilet seat was down. She was beginning to wonder if JR was gay.

The first sign that a man in his early twenties lived here came when she was washing her hands and spotted a box of unopened condoms on the counter. So, he apparently wasn't a celibate monk.

Rockie returned to the living room, and then pulled her cell phone out of her purse and settled back on the sofa to read e-mails.

She glanced up on occasion to look around at the paintings and photos in the living room or to watch JR as he went out onto the patio to start the barbeque or moved around his kitchen preparing side dishes and a salad. His motions seemed natural and instinctive. She decided that he certainly knew his way around a kitchen as she watched him chopping vegetables with the skill of a professional chef.

The smell of the barbeque was making her mouth water and her appetite grow. Her earlier decline of his offer of dinner now haunted her. How could she gracefully change her mind? Should she change her mind?

JR decided for her by setting the dining table for two. As he expertly laid out the silverware and place settings, he smiled over at her and winked. She took this as her cue.

"What can I do to help?"

"If you would like to carry the salad and pasta in from the kitchen, I'll get the chicken off the barbeque. Grab yourself another beer if you want one."

She made separate trips with the salad and pasta before going to the patio door and calling out to JR, "Would you like me to get you another beer too?"

He was just returning from the barbeque with a plate of chicken when he replied to her, "I think I'm still good with what I have but help yourself to another."

She retrieved another beer for herself and met him at the dining table. He held a chair out for her.

She winked and said, "Thank you, sir," as she took the proffered seat and scooted up to the table. "You make it tough for a girl to stick to her word," she playfully chided.

"What? You mean you were serious?" he countered with a grin, "It's not much of a meal, but I hope you enjoy it."

"Everything looks and smells wonderful," she said as she held her plate for him to serve her a piece of chicken. "Your mom must be very proud of your bachelor skills."

JR laughed. "My kid sister was more of a motivation for me to learn how to cook. For years she wouldn't eat anything unless it was made by me. It drove my parents crazy. Help yourself to pasta and salad. There is a choice of salad dressings here."

He pointed to a serving carousel that held a half-dozen bowls with various salad dressings in them.

"Are all your meals this formal, or is this for my benefit?" she asked.

"My parents call it 'civilized'. If you want to see formal dining, you should see my mom's idea of a holiday meal."

"Where's home for you, JR?"

"Right now, this is it. My parents and younger sister still live in our house in Texas."

Rockie watched as he bowed his head and silently said grace before starting on his meal. She felt ashamed for not asking him if he said grace before his meals, so she tried to make amends.

"This pasta is delicious. What kind is it?" she asked.

"It's just some Angel Hair pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese mixed in. I'm glad you like it."

"And the chicken practically melts in my mouth! You said this was marinated in Teriyaki sauce?"

He nodded. "Marinated and then brushed with more Teriyaki while on the barbeque. A simple preparation that makes the chicken more tender."

She nodded in agreement, smiled, and said, "How much do you charge for cooking lessons?"

He just grinned in response and changed the subject, "You mentioned that your car was in an accident?"

She finished the bite of food that she had been chewing and said, "That's what Brad told me. He ran out of gas in his truck last night, so he took my car to get a can filled. Somewhere along the way back to his truck, he hit something that damaged my car so that it wasn't drivable. Apparently, he left it parked illegally while he carried the gas can to his truck because when he drove back past where he had left it, my car had been towed by the police and is now in the city impound lot,"

"Do you know how bad the damage is to your car?"

She shook her head and said, "No. It was too dark, and Brad couldn't tell how bad it was. I told him that I expected him to pay the impound charges as well as my insurance deductible, and he said that was too much money for him to come up with. We argued about it this morning and he got pretty angry. When I was getting dressed for work, he threw my cell phone out the back door and stormed off."

"Who is your insurance with?" he asked.

"Jupiter is the name of the company," she replied. "Do you know of them?"

"I've heard of them. Until you get things worked out with your car, you can count on me for any rides you might need."

"Thank you." With a wink and a big smile, she added, "Maybe sometime I'll get to ride on your handlebars too."

Was she flirting with him? He sensed that Rockie had a playful side but didn't want to encourage her by playing along. He liked her, but he didn't need any complications either.

"Have you had enough to eat?" he asked when he noticed her plate was empty except for the chicken bones.

"I am very satisfied. Can I help you clean up?"

JR stood and pulled out Rockie's chair as she pushed away from the table.

"You can help carry things to the counter, then I'll take it from there. We would just end up bumping into each other if we tried to put stuff away at the same time."

There was no discussion as they made quick work of clearing the table. She returned to her spot on the sofa when the table was done and retrieved her cell phone.

"Well, I suppose I should go next door and see what Brad's mood is," she said. "I don't want to drag things out too long, but I don't want a messy confrontation either."

JR came out of the kitchen to walk her to the door, "I'm sure you will find the right time to discuss what you need. If you want a ride to work in the morning, you know where to find me."

"I'll take you up on that tomorrow. Thanks again for everything you've done for me today. The dinner was wonderful, and I can't thank you enough for finding and fixing my cell phone."

As they reached the front door and he opened it for her, she paused to consider what physical contact that he would find acceptable. She knew that even a kiss on the cheek would probably be inappropriate but going to the other extreme and offering her hand for him to shake was unacceptable to her. She settled for placing her hand on his forearm and gently patting it as she walked through the doorway past him.

Chapter Three

Watching Rockie stroll down the sidewalk towards the walkway that led to her condo, JR noticed that the sun was still relatively high in the western sky. He closed the door and returned to the kitchen where a glance at the clock on the microwave confirmed that it was not even six o'clock yet. There were at least two hours before sunset.

He put any food items that required refrigeration away but left the rest of the clean-up for later. He could finish that after sunset, but he couldn't clean the community pool in the dark. Even though he didn't have any classes on Friday, he wanted to leave his schedule for tomorrow as open as possible, doing the pool chores this afternoon would help with that objective.

He took off his shoes and took the chain with a key to his condo and put it around his neck. Grabbing a hand towel from the linen closet was the last thing he did before leaving the condo and locking the door. He had just stepped off his porch and onto the sidewalk when he heard someone speaking to him.

"Where are you heading, JR?"

He turned to see Rockie sitting on the bench in the courtyard in front of their two condos. She held her cell phone and had apparently been texting, using e-mail, or playing a game.

"I am going to go clean the pool. I usually do it on Friday so that it's ready for the weekend but figured that I would knock it out today. Why are you sitting out here?"

"Brad is being a tad difficult," she said, "but he'll be leaving for a date soon, so I thought I would just wait out here until he left. Want some company while you clean the pool?"

He considered her request for a few seconds. "It's not a very exciting event, but you're welcome to tag along. There are usually a few people in the hot tub, so you won't be stuck with just me."

She stood and walked through the grass the few steps to the sidewalk.

Approaching him, she said, "We'll see. I'm not a very social person but maybe meeting you today will prove to be an inspiration for me to meet other neighbors."

They turned together and walked down the winding sidewalk toward the center of the condo complex. JR used his condo key to open the security gate at the community pool, and then tucked the chain and key into his back pocket. As he had predicted, the main pool was empty, but the hot tub had two couples in it, chatting amicably with each other.

Giving the people in the hot tub a wave, JR otherwise ignored them and went to the equipment shed to pull out the chemicals and other items that he would need to clean the pool. Rockie settled into a chair at a table with an open umbrella for shade and just watched JR as he set to work testing the pool water to see what chemicals might be needed, and in what quantity.

It took him about fifteen minutes to adjust the chemical balance of the water and clean the pool filters. Rockie kept watching his actions, realizing that what he was doing didn't interest her as much as watching him do it. His skill and confidence were obvious, but he seemed so relaxed and in his element that she envied the contentment that these menial tasks gave him. Then again, he had behaved the same way while cooking dinner for them earlier. She wondered if he was as confident and content with everything he did.

Preparing to vacuum the pool, he was stretching out the long vacuum hose around the pool deck. With his back to the security gate, he didn't hear it open, but Rockie did. When she saw Brad ignoring her and heading directly toward JR, she jumped up and ran to intercede between them. JR heard her running footsteps and turned at the sound, dropping the vacuum hose. Rockie stood panting in front of him, facing the approach of her roommate. JR saw what the situation was and pulled a resistant Rockie behind him just as Brad reached them.

"This the new guy, Rockie?" Brad asked with a premature distaste for what he expected the answer to be. "This the guy that has been driving you around, feeding you, and fucking you for all I know?"

"Don't hurt him!" She said through her panting.

At six-foot-three, Brad was at least four inches taller than JR and outweighed him by more than seventy-five pounds. While JR appeared to be in good physical shape, Brad had a gym and steroid-toned physique and wore tight clothes that showed it off to intimidate people.

JR stood still and just silently appraised the guy before him. His expression was calm and passive, which he knew would agitate the typical aggressive personality. He was right.

"What, are you retarded or something, Asshole?" Brad taunted as he stepped closer. "I want to know why you think you can spend time with my girl behind my back?"

He remained silent but anticipated Brad's attack. The surprise head butt that Brad attempted met only thin air as his forehead missed its target completely when JR moved even quicker to pick up Rockie and move them both out of the way of Brad's attack.

Finding no resistance to his momentum caused Brad to stumble into the very place where JR had been just seconds before. By the time he had regained his balance and barely avoided falling into the pool, JR was leading Rockie over to a chair, so she would be out of the way.

He then turned and walked towards Brad to place a greater distance between them and Rockie. The couples in the hot tub had begun to get out of the water for a better view of the action.

Brad didn't waste time on talk but strode up to JR and tried a roundhouse side kick to his head. JR grabbed the foot and pushed back, once again throwing Brad off balance, causing him to fall onto his ass to the pool deck. The couples by the hot tub erupted into laughter.

He remained in the same spot, with the same expression as before on his face while he watched Brad get to his feet with a look of rage on his reddening face. He walked more cautiously back to where his opponent stood to wait and contemplated his next attack.