Wilson's Hard Lesson (47 page)

The next morning Jess got up at seven to make Paul his
coffee. Over breakfast Paul reminded her that Maggie’s flight got back at three
and she needed to be at the airport to pick her up by 3:20.

“Maggie has another tip in a couple of months. Hope you can
help out again.” Paul smiled. “I’ll send you a reading list in the meantime.
You could be a lot of fun.”

Jess walked over and leaned into Paul’s neck.

“Thank you Sir,” she whispered.

By: Lucy Peters

Stretched by My Neighbor

© Lucy Peters, 2016 – All rights
reserved

Published by Steamy Reads4U

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher,
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or
reviews.

This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, businesses,
places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s
imagination or used in a fictitious manner.  Any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, or actual events are purely coincidental.  This book is
licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

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Warning

This book contains graphic content intended for readers 18+
years old.

If you are under 18 years old, or are not comfortable with
adult content, please close this book now.

“Why are you doing this?”

Erin Dempsey rolled her hazel eyes as she listened to her
boyfriend –
ex-
boyfriend, she reminded herself – ask the same question
for the fourth time today.  She did not stop or look up from her task, grabbing
another sheet of bubble wrap and using it to protect a hurricane glass she had
kept as a souvenir from her twenty-first birthday party in New Orleans last
year.  “I really don’t like to keep repeating myself, Zach,” she said. 

“You sounded just like your mother, when you said that.” 

Erin had to stop and snort out a laugh, shaking her head at
Zach’s obvious attempt to get a rise out of her.  “Nice try,” she said, and
placed the wrapped glassware into the nearly full cardboard box sitting on her
twin bed.  “You’ve never even
met
my mother.  Overhearing one Skype
conversation doesn’t make you an authority on her, either.”  Erin moved around
Zach, avoiding all physical contact which was a feat unto itself in the small
dormitory room.  “I wish you would just accept that it’s over between us and
move on.”  She shot him a thin smile.  “You know, like I am?” 

“Moving back home isn’t the same as moving on, Erin,” Zach
retorted.  “Which is what you’re doing.  Come on – we both know this is
stupid.  How many times have you told me about your mom driving you up the wall
by always trying to tell you how to live your life?  About how she never has
time to spend with you because she’s always so focused on her job?”

“Enough,” Erin said, combing her fingers through her
pixie-cut red hair in frustration.  She turned to face Zach.  She used to get
crazy flutters in her stomach whenever she looked at him.  She had been heavy
into her infatuation with the
Lord of the Rings
movies when they first
met, and thought he could pass for Elijah Wood’s twin with his big, sleepy blue
eyes, dark pink lips, and all those thick, dark brown curls.  She had actually
been the one to pursue him, and after a month her efforts had paid off when
they started dating.  But that had been four years ago, when she first came to
college.  Once she had started to get more involved in her studies, she had
found that she did not have as much time for a boyfriend as she had thought. 
And then there was that incident just eight months ago when she had walked in
and caught Zach making out with her roommate.  Dawn had since moved to another
dormitory, and while Zach swore it had been a one-time thing – they had been
drinking, it was the heat of the moment, and every other clichéd excuse he
could give her – it had been a wake-up call for Erin.  

Now she pointed at her ex.  “
You
really need to back
off and leave me alone about this, Zach.  When I broke it off with you, I
agreed to stay friends because we both enjoy hanging out together and doing
things that have nothing to do with being boyfriend/girlfriend.”  She let her
arm fall back to her side.  “Ever since I announced that I was moving back
home, you started to pressure me about giving our relationship another chance,
and I told you I don’t want that.  I’m done with school, I have my degree, and
I stand a better chance of finding work in Chicago if I’m living there.  I’m
sorry if you can’t accept that, if you have some attachment issues and can’t
seem to let go, but if you want to stay friends then you are going to have to
back off and stop pushing me.  I also told you that I don’t know if I can trust
you again after what happened with Dawn.  I respect that other people have open
relationships but for myself?  I’m the first to admit I don’t like to share.” 
She returned to her packing.  “Besides – we were already drifting apart.  I
take full responsibility for that, and realize I should have ended it before it
got to the point where you started looking for attention from someone else.” 
She frowned, muttering under her breath.  “I just thought
you
would have
had the decency to break it off with
me
if you were going to start
screwing around with my roommate.”

“Jesus, Erin – how many times do I have to say I’m sorry for
that?” Zach demanded.  “Yes, I messed up.  And yes, it’s because you never
seemed to have time for me anymore.”  He moved in closer, reaching out to place
his hand on her shoulder.  Erin stiffened at the touch.  He smiled, his voice
softening.  “I just thought maybe now that we’re both done with college, we can
actually focus on making this work.  We’re good friends.  We were good in other
ways, too.  I just think we can be that way again, now that we don’t have the
pressure of school to get in the way.”

“I hear what
you’re
saying.”  With a heavy sigh, Erin
reached up and pulled his hand away.  “But once again, you’re not hearing
me
.”
 She looked into his eyes.  “For the last four years, my life has been all
about writing term papers, passing classes, and living on a campus in another
part of the country from where I grew up.  I need to go home, Zach.  I need to
go back to my roots and decompress, and then focus on where I’m going for the
next phase of my life.  I want to stay friends with you because I like you.  I
don’t want you to wait around, thinking there might be a chance of getting back
together, while I’m figuring out what I want to do.  It might be years before
I’m ready to be in another relationship, with you or anyone else.  Right now, I
just want to go home.  Even if you can’t understand this, if you really do care
about me then please try to accept it.”

It came as no surprise to Erin that her mother could not
pick her up at the airport.  At this early hour, she would more than likely be
getting ready to start her day at Northwestern Memorial Hospital where she
headed up an academic team teaching students in residency.  Erin did not expect
to see her mother until much later, possibly evening, depending on when she
decided to pull herself away from work.  Zach had been right about that
particular fact: Erin’s mom could be so focused on her work that she forgot she
had a home and family.

Locating a taxi, Erin climbed into the back seat, dragging
her two carry-ons with her.  The rest of her belongings had been shipped back
home from California.  She expected they would arrive today.  “Adler
Planetarium,” she told the driver, and settled back for the long ride.  She
could have just told him to take her straight to Evanston, the suburb just
north of Chicago along the lakeshore. 
All in good time,
she thought
with a smile.  She had taken an early morning flight for several reasons.  She
knew the airports would be less crowded and traffic would be less congested. 
On a less practical level, she wanted to see her hometown as the sun began to
rise over Lake Michigan and its golden light chased away the blue-grey shadows
that clung to that familiar, beloved skyline.  She had always loved going
downtown to watch Chicago wake up.  New York might tout itself as “the city
that never sleeps,” but Chicago did, and Erin had found it endearing to see it
come to life every morning.

The cab reached its destination, a cluster of buildings in
the neoclassical style, and Erin took a few minutes to gaze out the window at
the city across the way, rising up above the harbor.  She could see Navy Pier
in the distance, just to the north, jutting out into the water parallel to the
planetarium.  Drinking it in, Erin smiled.  “Okay,” she said, “can you take me
to the Pancake House up on Lincoln, now?”

“Sure thing,” the driver replied, his south-side accent
pronounced.  “You gonna want to go anywhere else after that?”

“Eventually,” Erin said.  “But I’d rather do it after I’ve
had a Dutch Baby and some coffee.”

He laughed.  “Yeah, I hear ya.”  Turning right onto Lake
Shore Drive, he headed toward the city. 

A few minutes later, Erin found herself on the corner facing
the old landmark diner that stood on the corner of Clark Street across from
Lincoln Park.  She gave the cabbie a good tip before sliding out with her bags
in tow.  The smells of fried eggs, maple syrup, and coffee hit her nose as she
pushed through the door leading into the restaurant.  It did not surprise her
to find the place already busy. 

“It’s going to be a twenty minute wait,” the hostess said.

A man at the table closest to the entrance twisted around to
look at Erin.  He smiled.  “You’re welcome to share with me,” he said.

“Oh, that’s okay,” Erin said, with a polite wave.  “You
don’t have to do that.”

“It’s all right, really,” he said.  “It seems a shame that I
have an entire table to myself when there’s room for one more.  Besides, those
bags look pretty heavy – I wouldn’t feel right if you had to stand there with
them until another spot opens up.”  He jerked his head, the lines at the corners
of his light blue eyes creasing.  “Come on,” he implored.  “I promise, I won’t
bite.”

Erin had to chuckle at the wide grin he gave her.  “Said the
man with the smile that could put a shark to shame.”  Shaking her head, she
decided to take him up on the generous offer.  Tucking her bags out of the way
of foot traffic, she sat down across from the older man and reached across the
table with her right hand.  “Hi.  I’m Erin.”

“Hello, Erin.”  Folding up his copy of the morning Trib, he
put the newspaper aside and clasped her fingers.  “I’m Michael.”  He glanced
up, catching the attention of a nearby waitress carrying a pot of coffee with a
jerk of his chin.  “You want some coffee?”

“Love some,” Erin said.  She took a moment to unzip and
shoulder out of her venerable White Sox hoodie, letting it drape around her
waist.  She gave Michael a quick once-over with her gaze.  A handsome guy,
definitely older than her – perhaps around forty – he had very Germanic
features with his fair complexion, square jaw, high cheekbones, and light brown
hair shaped into what she liked to refer to as one those Roman Centurion razor
cuts.  The only thing that threw her off was the slight Irish lilt to his
otherwise raspy baritone.  Of course, the Windy City did have as many Irish as
it did Germans, as the annual St. Patrick’s Day tradition of dyeing the Chicago
River a bright, almost neon green could attest.  She could not help herself
from watching Michael’s hands as he motioned to the waitress and then gestured
to Erin. 
Gorgeous,
Erin thought, admiring his long fingers and broad
palms.  She had always had a “thing” for hands.  And blue eyes.  Zach’s had
been a darker shade, but Michael’s looked like arctic ice, cool and bright. 
The only thing that made her heart sink a little was the gold band Michael wore
on his left ring finger. 
And married.  Damn.

She thanked the waitress for the cup set in front of her,
and reached for the cream and sugar.  “I appreciate you offering to share,”
Erin said, stirring in just enough half and half to turn the dark, steaming
liquid a light golden color.  “I just got in at O’Hare about an hour ago, and
was determined to make this one of my stops before I headed home.”

“Oh?”  Michael took a sip of his own coffee, swallowed and
licked his lips.  “You’re from here, originally?”

“Yes.  You?”

“First generation born here in the States,” he said.  “Well,
for my mother’s side.  She came over as a girl from Ireland.  My father’s
family has been here since the mid-1800s.”

“German?”

He chuckled.  “Is it that obvious?”

She wrinkled her nose and held up a hand, thumb and
forefinger just a few millimeters apart.  “Just a little.”  He laughed and she
grinned.  “The Irish is a little more apparent.”

“Ah, yes.”  He sighed.  “The accent always gives me away.” 
He eyed her.  “Although I’d say you’ve got a bit of the Blarney in you, as
well…the bright red hair and those freckles being a dead giveaway.”

She shrugged.  “And the fact that I have an Irish name,
right?”

“That, too.  But I’ve always believed we can spot our own.”

“I guess we can.”  The waitress returned with a menu for
Erin but she just handed it back.  “Dutch baby for me, please.”  She looked at
Michael.  “I’ve been craving one of those for
ages
.”

“I know what you mean.”  He clasped his hands under his chin
and stroked one thumb across the reddish stubble over his upper lip.  “So, what
took you away from home, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“College,” she said.  “I just got my Bachelor’s.  I thought
about going for my PhD but wanted to take a break and come back for a while
before I make that decision.”

“What’s your course of study?”

“Marine Biology.  I’m going to see if I can get a job either
at the aquarium, or one of the zoos.”

“Well, I might put in a good word for you,” he said.  He
lowered his arms, elbows resting on the table, and jerked his head toward the
street-facing windows.  “I work over at Lincoln Park, Behavioral Husbandry and
Enrichment manager.”

Erin’s eyebrows snapped upward at this information.  “Get
out of here!  Well, I guess the luck of the Irish is with me today, in more
ways than one.  Not only did I meet someone generous enough to share his table
with me, it turns out we’re in a similar line of work.”

“Kismet,” Michael said, winking as he saluted her with his
cup.

Their food arrived.  Erin never pretended to be a dainty
eater – she had a healthy appetite and dove right into anything put in front of
her.  The Dutch baby didn’t stand a chance.  Erin pounced on that thick,
pancake-on-steroids treat with unabashed gusto.   She moaned around the first mouthful,
her eyes rolling back in her head.  “Oh, yeah.  That’s the stuff.”

“Tastes like home?” Michael asked, watching her with
amusement.

She nodded.  “You know it.” 

Michael had ordered the standard eggs, sausage, toast, and a
short stack on the side.  They continued to talk as they ate, mostly about
their shared interest in zoology.  Michael, it turned out, worked primarily
with the otters, wolves, and other animals indigenous to North America on
exhibit.  “I know you’ve probably got a lot of catching up to do, now that
you’re home,” he said, “but maybe once you have some free time, you could think
about coming to the zoo and letting me show you around.”

“I would love that,” Erin said.  She washed down the last
bite of breakfast with her second cup of coffee.  The waitress came by and
placed their tickets on the table.  Erin reached for hers but Michael got there
first, snagging both with one of those big hands.  Erin looked at him,
surprised.  “What are you doing?”

He smiled at her, smug.  “Call it a homecoming present,” he
said.  He slid out of his seat and stood up, and Erin got a good look at him
for the first time.  Tall and lean, his brown Henley stretched tight across his
broad chest, faded jeans fitting him tight in all the right places...especially
that very
full
place right in front…  He dug his wallet out of his back
pocket and threw down a few bills for the tip.  “I’ve got to run.  It was great
meeting you, and a genuine pleasure being able to talk to someone who
understands my passion for preserving the world’s endangered species.” 

“Well, considering what we’re doing to the planet, we’re all
going to wind up as endangered.”  Erin smiled up at him.  “And I’ve never been
religious but according to the Bible, Man was created to take care of the
animals who were put here, first.”  She shrugged.  “We kind of dropped the ball
on that one, but there’s still time to recover so I’m determined to do my part
to make sure we don’t screw things up permanently.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”  Michael extended his hand again
and Erin shook it, holding on a little longer than the first time.  “Welcome
home.”

“Thanks.”  Erin watched him walk over to the register to pay
for their meals.  He glanced her way again and waved just before he left the
restaurant.  Looking out the window, she saw him cross the street and jog up
the sidewalk toward the zoo’s entrance.  She sighed and smiled.

Her phone went off at that moment, the ring tone one she had
assigned to her mother.  Erin fished the device out of her hoodie’s pocket and
swiped her thumb across the screen.  “Good morning, Mom.”

“Hello, honey.  I thought I’d give you a call and see if
your flight arrived on time.”

“Yeah, I got in around five o’clock.  I stopped for
breakfast before heading up to the house.”  Erin swirled a finger through some
powdered sugar on the edge of her plate.  “I figured you’d probably be at the
hospital before I got there.”

“Yes, I’m already here.  Listen, Erin – I know you’re
probably looking forward to catching up with some of your old friends in the
area, but I was hoping you would hold off until tomorrow.  I’ve made
reservations for dinner tonight at Boka on Halstead.  I have a little bit of a
surprise and I’ve been holding off on telling you until you came home.”

“Okay,” Erin said, wary.  Experience taught her that her
mother’s idea of a surprise usually meant something bad.  Like the time she had
surprised Erin when she had made the announcement at the annual family
Christmas get-together that she had filed for divorce from Erin’s father, thus
explaining why Dad had chosen not to attend the party.  Erin had been fourteen
at the time and while she had been aware of trouble brewing in the marriage, it
had come as a shock.  Two years later, her mother had hit her with another of
her “surprises” after they had gone to dinner and a play, and on the way home
broke the news of her grandmother being diagnosed with cancer.  “Just tell me
right now if anyone is dead or dying.  I don’t want to wait to find out.”

Her mother responded with one of her light, dry chuckles. 
“Oh, Erin.  I can assure you, it’s nothing like that.  This is
good
news.”  Erin could hear voices in the background, the sounds of the hospital
that she had come to associate with most of her mother’s calls.  “The
reservation is for seven.  I’ll be heading to the restaurant straight from work
so we’ll have to meet there.”

“No problem, Mom.”  Erin sucked the sugar off her finger. 
Throughout her high school years, any time spent with her mother had to be a
series of coordinated scheduling, meeting up instead of just going together
from home.  Or spending time together
at
home.  Being the youngest of
three children – unplanned, as her mother had once admitted – and the only
girl, Erin had learned to be independent early on with her two older siblings
caught up in their own lives, their father traveling abroad with his architect
firm, and their mother spending more time teaching than raising a family. 
“I’ll go home, grab a nap, and then I’ll see you tonight at dinner.”

“Good.”  At that moment, an urgent beeping sound came over
the line. 

“Sounds like a code blue,” Erin said.  She had heard it
enough either during phone calls or in her mother’s presence to recognize it.

“That it is,” Mom said, her tone going grim.  “All right,
I’ve got to go, honey.  See you tonight.” 

With that, she hung up.  Erin no longer took offense at the
abrupt endings to their conversations.  When your mother is a doctor in a busy
teaching hospital, it came with the territory.  She finished her coffee and
pulled on her hoodie.  Outside, she could see traffic had picked up
considerably.  Chicago had awakened.  Making her way to the curb with her two
bags, Erin managed to hail a cab in a matter of moments.  “Evanston,” she said,
and gave the house address.  As the taxi drifted past the gates of Lincoln Park
Zoo, she thought about Michael again and smiled.  Even if he
was
married, there had been no denying the instant click between them.  If nothing
else, she could have found a new friend – and if things worked out in her favor
and Michael had been serious about putting in a good word for her, she might
even have a new job.