The Girl Next Door
By Tvdfanpam
Ch. 2
Housewarming Presents
Phoebe was excited to make cookies for Miss Gail and her man. Usually Phoebe was shy around men she didn't know but she acted excited to meet Miss Gail's man. She had heard a lady on a TV show call her husband 'her man' and thought that was cool so that is what she said too! Ana vowed not to let her watch reality TV again until she was older.
"Here's a nice bag to put the cookies in." Phoebe took the bag from her mom and shoved the Ziploc baggie full of cookies down in there. "Easy! You'll break the cookies!" Ana admonished Phoebe gently. "Miss Gail's husband will think you sat on the cookies!" Ana joked to lighten the mood. Phoebe hated to be scolded by her mother so Ana tried not to do it but it was necessary from time to time. Phoebe was very moody and Ana swore she was a teenager in training.
Ana helped Phoebe get her shoes on and then put her own shoes on and grabbed the bag with the cookies and Phoebe's hand as they walked out their front door and down the steps. Phoebe was into skipping instead of walking now so she skipped down the street holding her mom's hand like she didn't have a care in the world.
Phoebe ran ahead of Ana and jumped up to ring the doorbell on Miss Gail's front door. She stood their impatiently fidgeting while waiting for someone to open the door. Ana caught up to Phoebe just as Jason Taylor opened the door.
"Hello there." He said to Phoebe, squatting down to her level. "Who do we have here?" he asked kindly, smiling at Phoebe.
Phoebe tried to hide behind Ana when she saw the big tall man in the doorway. "Hi, I'm Ana Brown and this is Phoebe, my daughter. She's a little shy. We met your wife Gail last night and wanted to welcome you two to the neighborhood. We made you some chocolate chip cookies."
"Well, thank you. Please come in. Gail is in the kitchen. She loves her kitchen and is still putting things away in there." Jason stepped to the side of the door to allow Ana and Phoebe to come into the house.
"Miss Gail!" Phoebe launched herself at Gail, thankfully Gail heard them at the door and was waiting for them and caught Phoebe before she knocked them both down. "We brought you and your man some cookies!" Phoebe said rather loudly. The adults smiled at her antics.
Ana blushed. "I'm sorry! She knows you have a husband but insists on saying 'your man' like on television." Ana was so embarrassed but Phoebe was just being Phoebe. "We can't stay long, just wanted to bring you some cookies and welcome you to the neighborhood. It's a quiet street and the other neighbors are friendly when you see them but everyone works and does their own thing; there are mostly middle aged professionals on this block. My dad said it would be perfectly safe for me and Phoebe. The schools are great here if you ever have any children." Ana was rambling again.
"Thank you Ana and Phoebe for the cookies, these are my favorite kind." Jason said looking down in the bag. "I will have some for dessert tonight." The doorbell rang again. "I'll get that, excuse me." He walked to the front door and opened it. "Hello sir. Come in. We were just getting to know a couple of our new neighbors. They are with Gail in the kitchen."
"Sure Taylor. I will bring this gift in to give to Gail then I need to head out." Christian Grey was holding a large gift basket full of gourmet kitchen gadgets and utensils and fancy cheeses and crackers. He walked behind Jason Taylor into the kitchen and nearly dropped the basket when he saw a girl with long dark hair hanging down her back stooped down to a miniature of herself.
"Mr. Grey! Thank you for coming to our new home! Thank you for the basket of stuff. What do we have in here?" Gail clapped her hands in excitement then leaned over to peer in the basket. She loved new things for her kitchen!
"It looks like a present. Is it your birthday Miss Gail?" Phoebe asked in a whisper from behind Ana's leg.
"No, it's a housewarming present, like the cookies you brought." Gail explained to the little girl. "It's what people do for other people when they buy their first home."
"Mr. Grey, these are our neighbors Ana and Phoebe Brown. They brought some chocolate chip cookies." Gail pointed to the bag of cookies on the counter. Phoebe had taken them out of the gift bag so she could show Gail. "Ana and Phoebe, this is our boss Mr. Grey."
"Nice to meet you ladies." Christian said to Ana and Phoebe. Phoebe was still standing behind Ana and was clutching her leg tightly. Ana tried to get her to let go but Phoebe wasn't budging.
"I like red hair." Phoebe said shyly, looking right at Christian. "My friend Tegan has red hair too."
"Thank you Miss Phoebe. I like your pretty brown hair. It looks just like your sister's hair." Christian said sincerely to the little girl.
Phoebe giggled. "Silly Mr. Grey, this is my mommy. She's old! She is 27!" Ana blushed and smiled through her embarrassment.
"I guess I have a young face." Ana said sheepishly. "Nice to meet you Mr. Grey." Ana said softly. "Phoebe and I need to be going. Enjoy the cookies, Gail and Jason. Goodbye everybody."
"No need for anybody to rush off." Jason said quickly. "We bought a new gas grill and have steaks and chicken breasts and hotdogs ready to cook! Gail made some salads to go with the meat. Please stay for supper!"
"Please mommy? I love hotdogs!" Phoebe said excitedly. It was one food she would eat besides chicken nuggets.
"Sure, that would be great. I have some food I can bring. I made a broccoli and rice casserole earlier. I will just run back down the street and get it." Ana volunteered.
Christian finally found his tongue. "Do you need any help carrying anything?" Phoebe spoke up before Ana could say anything.
"I want to stay here and help Miss Gail. Is that okay mommy?" Phoebe gave puppy dog eyes again.
"Of course it is okay with me!" Gail said excitedly. "You can help me open this gift basket. Do you think there are any chocolates in there? I love chocolate!" Gail and Phoebe were busy unpacking the basket.
Ana and Christian walked out the front door and down the block. "Is there a Mr. Brown?" Christian couldn't stop himself from asking.
"There was, but he died of an aneurism shortly before Phoebe was born. It's just me and Phoebe." Ana rambled as they walked quickly down the block to her house. She pulled out her house key and unlocked the front door. "Please excuse the clutter. Phoebe has a lot of toys and she wants them in whatever room she is playing in."
"No worries. Your home looks lived in. It's homey." He said, looking around the house. He noted the pictures on the wall of Ana and Phoebe and other people. "Are these people your parents? You look just like your mom if it is indeed your mom." He indicated a picture of Ana's parents on the wall in the hallway.
"Yes, my mom and dad. Phoebe and I both look like my mom." Ana rambled again. "Here is the casserole. I will put it in this big basket, it's easier to carry that way." Ana stuck her head in a lower cabinet and pulled out a sippy cup with a lid. "For Phoebe, I don't want her to spill her drink in Gail and Jason's new house."
"Do you have everything you need?" Christian asked to Ana's back as she looked in the refrigerator.
"Phoebe likes a certain brand of ketchup and puts Ranch dressing on everything." She turned around with the items in her hand. "I think this is it. Shall we go back?"
Christian put the items in the basket and picked it up from the counter. "After you." He motioned for Ana to walk in front of him. "Do you want to lock the door back?" He asked, hoping she would. He took safety very seriously and hoped she did too.
"Yeah, I'll lock it. I don't know how long we will be gone and don't want to come home to any nasty surprises or surprise guests." Ana stepped around Christian and locked the door and put the key in her pocket then followed Christian down her front side walk. "Your name sounds familiar? Do you have a sister named Mia Grey? I met her at my book club meeting. She likes to talk! I think I remember her saying she has two brothers."
"Saying that Mia likes to talk is like saying you like to breathe." He chuckled. "I am surprised she let anyone else speak. She is very passionate about books and loves her book club. She mentions it every time we see each other. She started her own library in her apartment, custom made shelving and a ladder on wheels." He smiled at the memory. "She mentioned you too, the tragic young widow!"
"Oh my gosh!" Ana frowned. "I wonder if that is what everyone in book club thinks about me." She sighed. "I don't feel like a widow anymore, just a single mom."
"I'm sure that if you began dating again, no one would think that about you anymore. Would you like to go out together sometime? I broke up with a girl I dated for two years and haven't been out with anyone for three months. My family is hinting around that they are going to start fixing me up with women if I don't take matters into my own hands." He smiled at her and she smiled back.
"Yes, I would like that." He smiled back and nodded.