Good Neighbors Ch. 110

(Hello Reader. I know this should be a special holiday episode. The thing is by the time this one gets published, I will be thirty stories ahead on what I have written. Thank you so much for allowing me to write this series. I hope you still enjoy the story of Leo and his neighbor. )

I have a hard fast rule that I try to avoid mixing my personal life with my professional life. It was one of the first rules I learned when I started working part-time as a teenager. There was a cute girl who I wanted to go out with. When I asked her out, she declined. Then her brother came over my house to threaten me for asking his sister out at work a few days later. It was a quick fight, resulting in him hitting the ground before his sister came out of his car screaming. I ended up quitting that job a few days later because of what happened. But the lesson stuck.

When we first started our business, Matt was dead set on not hiring any of our friends for that very reason. Then Aubrey applied with an awesome resume' followed by Deb and Jan until we had a cadre of about ten of our friends who became the core of our company. Except for Aubrey, all of them were from Matt's friend circle. Still, I endeavored to keep clear of some of the drama. Still, we were successful, and we looked back at those hires as some of the best.

It was this in mind that I had to keep reminding myself as Aubrey was coming over to my neighbor's house for her birthday. I was tasked to bring certain things while my neighbor was cooking dinner. It was after two thank you sessions with my neighbor, so I was feeling no pain. As I started to help her set the table, she looked over at me and smiled.

"So, what are your plans tonight, Romeo?"

I looked at her surprisingly before she looked at me with a different look.

"I am keeping on the tradition Missy told me about. She would take Aubrey out to dinner every year and talk about you. You can't be here when we do that. Plus, it will keep your rule intact."

I looked at her in disbelief before I resigned myself to the fact that she was right. She went through all that trouble to invite her over and do her thing. I walked over to her and kissed her on the forehead before she looked up and kissed me deeply on the lips. It was a few moments of our lips moving before she pulled back.

"Can I come over after she falls asleep? I have the guest room set up for her tonight."

"Of course," I answered, trying not to betray my little bit of hurt I felt.

She kissed me once more before looking me in the eye.

"I will make this up to you. Just let me fulfill Missy's wish tonight."

I turned and walked towards the door before Aubrey knocked. I froze for a moment before she opened the door.

"I'm here...oh hi, Leo!" she said chipperly.

I smiled before my neighbor interjected.

"Well, there goes that plan."

"Not really. I thought maybe Leo was going to tag along. But if he needs to go..."

"Yeah, I have a call with Matt to take. I know she has you in good hands."

I opened my arms for a hug and Aubrey slowly walked in. I closed my arms around her and hugged her tight.

"Happy birthday," I whispered before I let her go.

I could see a tear in her eye as I turned to walk out the front door. It was a quiet walk to my empty house. As I entered in, I called Sal's and ordered a small pizza with a side salad. As I waited, I went ahead and stripped back out of my dress clothes and put on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. The delivery driver rang the doorbell after and apologized for going to the neighbor's instead of my house. I smiled and tipped him before taking my food inside and digging in. I turned on the television and began to look for something to watch before my phone rang. It was my neighbor.

"Hi, Leo. Aubrey wants to know if you could come over. She wanted to ask you some questions."

Her request was followed by her drunken giggle. I was already on alert. I went ahead and slipped on some loafers before walking back over. By the time I went through the door, both girls were on the couch laughing with each other, their wine glasses almost empty. I decided to be the gentleman and refill them just to be polite before they both looked at me.

"He looks so much different out of his dress clothes, doesn't he?" Aubrey asked.

"He still looks like a stud to me," my neighbor answered before both laughed uncontrollably

I looked at them in disbelief before Aubrey opened her mouth.

"So, Leo, how did you meet your neighbor?"

I started telling the story of how we met soon after we moved in and how we became good friends prior to our spouses passing. Aubrey looked at me with a quizzical look on her face.

"I meant, how did you two become an item?"

I stopped talking before I looked at my neighbor. She gave me that look before both girls laughed a bit more. I smiled as they let that laugh out of their systems before my neighbor ushered Aubrey into the bathroom for her bath bombs. She came out soon after and walked over before kissing me on the lips.

"I had no idea she was gonna ask that," she said apologetically.

"It's alright. Should I go back next door?"

"You could...or you could stay over here and let me attack you while she takes her bath. Those bath bombs are good for a while."

"What about Aubrey?"

"It was her idea actually. She told me what you did for her today at work and mentioned I should give you a hero's reward. What do you say, Hero?"

I kissed her again before she went to check on Aubrey. A few moments later, she walked back into my arms.

"My room, now, Master," she whispered.