Chapter 2
Bob brought Laura to meet the Community Association officers in their various apartments, then brought her back to the 5th floor and around to all the tenants who happened to be at home this evening. He had hoped to bring her into their apartment when he finished, but the party wasn't over yet. Laura pointed at 523.
"You haven't introduced me to my very next door neighbor yet," Laura said.
Bob debated silently to himself, then said, "All right. But I think I should warn you: Howard isn't home very much. He's a navigator for a cargo airline."
Laura smiled. "Oh. A man with his head in the clouds all the time?"
Bob gave a wry smile. "Yes, I guess you could say that."
"Older man? Widowed, maybe?"
"No." Bob hesitated to say more. After listening to Laura talk for the past hour, he was inclined to believe that Laura and Howard were almost two of a kind. In his business, psychology, he knew that could go one of two ways - it could make for a great relationship or a hideous one. Laura was just as flighty as Howard was. Bob knocked on Howard's door.
Howard had changed clothes, obviously. No longer in his airline khakis, he was wearing a pair of blue plaid pants, a solid light-blue long-sleeved shirt, and a blue pullover vest with his airline shoes. Laura's breath drew in when she took a look at Howard - the outfit brought out the blue of his eyes. Howard first looked at Bob and said, "Oh, hi, Bob - again." Then he looked at Laura and sucked in his breath, liking what he saw. "Hi."
"Howard, I'd - I'd like you to meet Laura Barnett, our new neighbor," Bob hesitatingly introduced them. "Laura, this is Howard Borden."
"Wow, glad to meet you. Come in. Pardon my mess, I just got home from Madrid and wasn't expecting company," Howard said, taking Laura by the hand to bring her in and leaving Bob in the hall. Howard shut the door in Bob's face, leaving Bob staring at the closed door with a "523" emblazoned on it. Bob knocked on the door several times before Howard opened it. "Oh! Bob! I'm sorry! I forgot to invite you in, too. Come in!"
"Th - that's OK, Howard. Laura, would you like me to stay and ..."
Laura giggled. "At my age, I don't think I need a chaperone. I AM over 40, you know."
"Are you really?" Howard exclaimed, almost boyishly. "So am I!"
Bob stood there and listened to the two exchange get-to-know-you talk, then decided to see if his apartment was "clear" yet. Howard and Laura both said, "Bye, Bob!" as he exited to his own apartment, still chatting at a jet-speed rate. Bob was getting air sick just listening to the two of them.
Stepping back into his own apartment, Bob was relieved to see that the party was over and the guests had departed. Emily was just cleaning up with the help of one other young teacher.
"Bob, this is Jill, she's going to stay and help me clean up."
"Jill - The gal with the pipe that destroyed your carpet?" Bob stated.
"One and the same," Jill replied. "Any psychologist commentary about dealing with it?"
Bob chuckled. "Get a good plumber and pray that your insurance will cover it."
Jill giggled back. "Got both."
Emily inquired, "Did you show the new tenants around, Bob?"
"New tenant, Emily. Single. In more ways than one."
"Single?" Emily's eyebrows went up. "Another one like Howard?"
"In more ways than one. The only difference - he's a she," Bob stated.
"Huh? Bob, for a psychologist, you're not making a BIT of sense to me!"
"Our new neighbor is a SHE. SHE is divorced, she's about Howard's age, and she's just as - well, she's just like Howard in more ways than one," Bob explained. "Right now, she's over in Howard's apartment and they are discussing the best way to arrange the apartment. Hers is a mirror image of his."
Emily was overjoyed. "Oh, but, Bob! That's Wonderful!"
"No it's not, Emily. That's a recipe for disaster."
"Disaster? You mean, like an earthquake?"
"Two people that are so much alike that it's scary - that's a recipe for disaster. I guarantee it!" Bob was adamant.
There was a knock on the door. Jill excused herself and when Emily answered the door, Jill let herself out when Howard barged in.
"Bob! Emily!" he excitedly said. "Do you happen to still have today's newspaper?"
"As a matter of fact we do, Howard," Emily stated. "You look excited! What's going on?"
Howard grinned somewhat sheepishly and said, "I need to know what's playing in the movie theaters here tomorrow. I have a date with our new neighbor lady tomorrow night!"
In the office the next morning, Bob stepped off the elevator and up to his receptionist's desk. Carol was madly typing - it looked like a billing statement for one of the other doctors that he shared her skills with. When she heard Bob, though, Carol stopped typing and turned to him with a big smile.
"Good morning, Bob!" Carol greeted him..
"Good morning, Carol. Did I get any messages?" he asked.
"Yes, two. Mr. Carlin said he has a lot to talk to you about this morning so he extended his appointment with you. And, Howard Borden called." Carol handed Bob two written phone messages.
"Howard? My neighbor Howard called?" Bob was surprised.
"Yes. He said it's urgent and could you please call him back right away," Carol stated.
"I'll do that. I hope everything's OK. Oh, before I forget," Bob said, going into his briefcase and taking out a foil-covered plate, two plastic containers, and a plastic fork. "Emily sent these for you, for your snack."
"Oh, great! Tell Emily, thanks! What is it?"
"Leftovers from a baby shower she threw for another teacher last night. Better for your snack than my dinner," Bob grumbled a little. Carol grabbed the items and stowed them in her lunchbox as Bob went into his office. He hung up his coat on the coat rack, parked his briefcase on top of his desk, sat down, and picked up the phone to dial Howard.
"Howard? It's Bob Hartley. Carol said you called and it's urgent. ... Yes, I remember the new neighbor, Laura, I showed her around, remember? ... What movie did you choose? … I don't know, I haven't seen it myself, but one of my patients said it's a good one … Of course it's normal to be nervous on your first date with a woman … Howard, just be yourself. … Your normal, everyday self. … Yes, that's the self I'm talking about. … She seemed like she liked you, Howard. I wouldn't worry about it. If it's meant to be, it will work out. Just be yourself. … No, I don't think you should wear your airline uniform. … Why don't you ask Emily what you should wear, she's better at that than I am. … Howard, be yourself. Now, go take a few deep breaths and run up and down the stairs in the apartment before you take a shower. … Because it will give you a reason to take a shower. … Have a good time, Howard." Bob hung up just as Carol knocked and came into the room.
"Bob, your next patient, Mr. Fieldstone, is waiting," Carol said.
"Thanks, Carol. Send him in, please?"
"So what's Howard's problem?" Carol was terribly curious.
"He's just nervous about a date he's got tonight."
"Howard? Nervous about a date? Did you tell him to just be himself?"
"Yes, I did."
"Poor gal. That will scare her away."
Bob shook his head. "I don't think so. This one's as in the clouds as HE is!" Bob turned his back to grab his notepad as Carol went out in the hallway to bring in the next patient.
That evening, Bob and Emily settled back to watch television while having dessert together. "Bob, you never introduced me to the new neighbor," Emily said. "Howard came over and asked me what he should wear, and told me a little about her."
"What did you advise him to wear?"
"Something that he was comfortable wearing, that matched. I went over and helped him pick out something," Emily said. "He said she's divorced like he is, but there were no children, though I guess she likes children?"
"That's good. All I found out is that she's a nurse, and when I saw a piano in the apartment, she said she plays."
"Piano! That must have been fun to haul up to a fifth floor apartment!" Emily rolled her eyes.
"She said they used the freight elevator. It's only one of those short ones - spinet, I think you call it?" Bob put his pie plate down on the coffee table and took Emily in his arms. "Why are we wasting time talking about Howard and his date when we could be…"
Emily chuckled, and the two kissed. As they were kissing, there was a knock on the door. "Bob, did you invite anyone over tonight?"
"No, but I'll get it and chase whoever it is, off," he replied. He peeked through the viewer. "I think it's just Howard." Bob opened the door and standing there, holding hands, were Howard and Laura.
"Hi, Bob, hi, Emily. Laura said she didn't get to meet you, Emily, so I thought I'd bring her over here," Howard said.
"Oh! Come in, please. Laura, I'm Emily Hartley, Bob's wife and your neighbor."
"Glad to meet you, Emily. Your husband was very nice last night. And really kind to introduce me to Howard," Laura stated.
"Why don't you sit down and I'll get some dessert? I made banana cream pie - would you like some?" Emily was ever the hostess, immediately heading for the kitchen. "And perhaps some iced tea?"
"That would be lovely, Emily," Laura stated, as she sat close to Howard on the sofa.
"Me, too, Emily," Howard added.
"So what movie did you go see?" Bob asked.
"The Shaggy D.A. - it's a Disney movie. It was really funny," Laura said. "I like clean, family type movies."
Emily laughed a little from the kitchen. "Several of my students said their parents took them to see it. I've been trying to get Bob to go, but we haven't had much time recently."
The conversation continued for another hour. Bob looked at the time, which was getting late. After throwing several hints to both Howard and Laura that perhaps it was time for them to move on, he finally did what he often did in this situation. Bob stood up and said, "Emily, it's time for bed. We have to get up early in the morning. Howard, lock up when you leave, will you? You know where everything is."
Howard was too busy making eyes at Laura, who was making eyes back at him, to have heard what Bob said. Emily noticed and said to Bob, "I don't know, Bob, maybe they need a chaperone?" As she moved towards Bob, and turned her back, Howard made his move and kissed Laura gently on the lips. Emily turned back around to catch the last of the kiss. "Yes, Bob, maybe they do."
Bob noticed and said pointedly to Howard, "Howard, you DO have your own apartment." Then Bob took Emily's arm and went into their bedroom, leaving Howard and Laura necking on their sofa.