"No Longer Neighbors"
Chapter 3
Thank you Ojjacobs for all your help!
Thank you Rainbow for all your Beta help!
A/N: Character's thoughts in Italic.
Previously...
"You can collect it with your hello one on our date." She teased and kept on walking.
…...
"From one huge airport to another." Ashley mumbled to herself as she made her way through the crowd of people to baggage claim. She waited patiently with the other members of her flight for their bags to circle around on the luggage carousel. She easily spotted her bright purple bag, grabbed it, and made her way to the exit to get a taxi. Binkie had dropped her off at the airport on her flight out to Texas. Lester had insisted that he drive her. He wanted to make sure she got there alright and told her it would save her in parking fees. Things that morning didn't quite work out that way, though.
...
Binkie took one look at the two of them and insisted on driving.
"I'm fine. I just need to find the keys." Lester insisted while shielding his eyes from the light.
"They're in the refrigerator on top of the cheese." Binkie shook his head.
"Cheese? I think I had a dream about cheese last night." Ashley stumbled into the living room looking for her shoes.
"Not surprising." Binkie mumbled and reached under the coffee table to grab one of her shoes.
"Oh thanks." She rubbed her head. "Man, my head hurts. I need some aspirin."
"I'm starved. Let's stop on the way and grab something to eat." Lester said while looking for his wallet.
Binkie stood softly laughing to himself as the hung over pair tried to get themselves together.
"Where is my other shoe? I've looked everywhere." Ashley asked while looking under the couch cushions.
"Try on top of the coffee maker." Binkie answered trying to keep a straight face.
"What? That doesn't make any sense." She replied.
"I totally agree with you." He told her.
Lester started humming while he slipped on his boots. Binkie came up behind him and smacked him on the back of his head.
"Hey! What the hell was that for?" Lester rubbed his head.
"I don't ever want to hear that stupid song again!" Binkie walked off mumbling something about men in tights.
"You know what I could go for? A grill cheese." Ashley mentioned as she retrieved her shoe from the coffee maker.
"I don't ever want to hear that either!" Binkie shouted from his room.
"What's your deal this morning?" Les yelled back. "You ready, Sweetness?" He guided Ashley to the door with his arm around her waist.
"My deal? My deal is you two have been driving me crazy. She wants to set the house on fire while 'grilling a cheese', and you with that singing..."
"A grill cheese does sound good, but I don't like mine burned." Ashley added.
Binkie stopped and stared at her for a second, before shaking his head. "You still have the bread crumbs on your shirt from last night's sandwich." He pointed out.
She looked down and was shocked to see he was right. "Huh. Look at that."
He took the keys out of Lester's hand and walked out the door.
"Fine. You can drive, but we have to stop to get something to eat. Now, I am craving grill cheese." Lester yelled to Binkie as he followed them to the car.
...
Ashley made it to the exit and was wondering how much a taxi would cost her, when she saw a sign.
There, next to the exit, stood Lester holding up a sign with "Sweetness" on it.
She laughed and made her way to him.
"Ready for the the ride of your life? " He waggled his eyebrows then pulled her in for a hug. He kissed her cheek, then took her bag from her. "Follow me." He said looping his arm in hers. "Tell me all about your trip."
...
After Les had secured her apartment, she grabbed a couple of beers, and met him on the couch. Seeing him check out the place before she was allowed to enter brought up memories of Tank. She gave her head a small shake and settled in to tell Les about her trip.
"But the best part..."
"Better than the mash potato war?" Les interrupted.
"Yes. Believe it or not." She joked. "The best part..." She started to blush at the thought. "was visiting Woody."
Lester got a big grin on his face. "Visiting? Is that what the kids are calling it now a days?"
She swatted his arm. "Lester." She shook her head. "It's not like that. He says he wants to court me."
Les gave her an incredulous look, but she continued. "We had the best date. It was so romantic! Oh, and when he touched me..."
"Now we're talking! I didn't know I was going to get a blow by blow, you hussy." He winked.
"Les!" She hit him again.
"Well, if you would rather show me." He teased and gathered her in his arms. He then placed loud smacking kisses all over her face.
"Ewe! Les!"
The discussion turned into a tickle war, ending with Ashley gasping for mercy.
After an hour more of talking and goofing off, Les decided it was time to go home.
He stopped by the door and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm proud of you for moving on. If it can't be with me..." He winked. "Then, I'm glad it's with Woody."
She smiled and kissed him back. Which gained her another eyebrow waggle. After she shut the door, she leaned against it, and thought about how happy she was with her life.
I have a good friend here again,
and...
Woody.
She sighed happily.
...
The next week flew by. Woody stilled called, texted, or Skyped her everyday as always, but now their conversations were longer and full of laughter. There were also gifts.
One day she opened the door to find a delivery man holding a beautiful bouquet of yellow roses. The card simply stated, "To help you think of me and Texas."
A day later, she received a small box containing a jar of Texas hot sauce. Inside the box was a note. "Let me spice up your life."
She smiled to herself as she marked off the days on her wall calendar till Woody's visit. She put a big circle around the fourteenth, and wrote, "Woody!" next to it.
She smiled and stepped back, but then froze when she paid closer attention to the calendar. Next to Woody's name, on the day before, was Tank's name. She had forgotten she had wrote that there a while ago. She had written his name on the thirteen of December. She had done it all those months ago to remind herself of what she had lost. This year would have been their first wedding anniversary. The thought made her knees wobble. She held on to the desk to steady herself as she sat down in the chair. She was surprised at how much the thought still hurt even after she had moved on.
I guess I'll always love you Tank.
That kind of love was hard to forget.
Woody noticed a difference in her domeanor when he talked her the next day.
"What's bothering you, Ashley?" He asked concerned.
She shook her head to herself.
He knows me too well.
"I promise I'm OK." She answered hoping that would be enough to satisfy him.
"Good. Now, what's bothering you?" He persisted.
She chuckled. "It's nothing really. I can't wait to see you on the fourteenth." She said trying to change the subject.
"Yep. Sure you are. Now, what's up?"
She exhaled, then just blurted it out. "I was marking off days on the calendar till you get here, and realized that it is almost December thirteenth...and even though I have moved on...it still hurts when I think of the importance of that day...and..."
"Him." He finished for her. "I should have realized."
"I'm sorry, Woody. I really am ready to move on. It's..."
"You have no reason to apologize. So stop." He reassured her. "It would be callous of you not to feel anything when you think back on the man you were about to start a life with. I know you have moved on. I can see it, but that doesn't mean he didn't mean a lot to you. I get it. Would you like me to change my flight? I can come in a day early. I can be there for you. Hell, we can make some good memories of that day for you." He joked.
"Thanks, Woody." She sighed. "How on Earth did I ever meet such an angel like you?" As soon as the word "angel" left her lips she realized her mistake. She felt the pain in her heart hearing the pet name Tank called her. "No. I think I need to do this on my own. Don't change your flight, but thank you for offering."
He agreed to her wishes, but wanted to be by her side right then.
Woody called Lester and ask if he would "just be in the neighborhood and drop by" on her on the thirteenth.
"No problem, man. I can get her mind off him and give her some real good thoughts about me." Les teased.
Woody chuckled. "Thanks. I knew I could count on you."
"When I'm done with her, she won't even remember you."
"Alright, Les. I'm hanging up now." Woody shook his head.
"Wait! You didn't even let me get to the part where I lick..." Les looked at his phone in shock. "He hung up on me!"
...
Ashley was ready. She had already taken off a couple of days from work to spend with Woody, but she asked for the thirteenth off as well.
Better safe than sorry.
I don't want to be at work and then start crying like an idiot.
She had gathered her supplies and was ready for the day. She had it all planned out. She was going to wear her favorite pjs all day and curl up on the couch and watch her favorite movies.
She wasn't planning to cry, but was fully prepared to let it out. She told herself that she was not going to look through old pictures of him. She would let happy memories in and only focus on the future. She did allow herself one wallowing moment. She called Sal's Pizza and placed a delivery order. Tank's favorite. The same pizza he ordered them on their first date. She sighed and opened a bottle of red wine. That too, was one of his favorites. She poured herself a glass, and a tear slipped down her cheek.
She took a sip and savored the flavor.
Maybe it wouldn't hurt to look at a picture or two.
She sniffled.
After all, today would have been our anniversary.
With that thought, the tears fell.
A few minutes later, she was startled by the doorbell.
"That was fast." She said grabbing her purse to pay the delivery man.
She opened the door, and was shocked to see him leaning against the door frame.
"T..T..Tank." She gasps.
"Happy anniversary, Angel." He smiled.
Her legs went weak and then everything went black.
...
I hope you liked it!
Melanie
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