4 - Teddy

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Mia did a good job ignoring her neighbor. He left earlier than her each morning in his work clothes and pickup truck. She worked in business attire which always included stockings and high heels. Working at a high profile foundation, she had to look the part. However she changed into comfortable sweatpants or pajama bottoms the minute she arrived home. Derek complained she didn't leave her sexy clothes on for him. She had no interest in cooking dinner in high heels like a nineteen-fifties housewife.

She looked like a slob with sweats and an oversized t-shirt and her long auburn hair in a ponytail when she answered a knock at her back door. She knew who it had been before she opened the door.  He wore faded jeans and a tee with his hair disheveled. She appreciated his more than a day's growth on his face.

Mia didn't speak but waited for him to tell her why he had knocked. His voice was deep and without emotion. "I need to check your breaker box."

She stepped aside. "I assume you know where it is."

He nodded and as he walked towards the cellar stairs, he glanced at the cookies cooling on racks. She had baked  chocolate chip cookies for her coworkers.  When he returned, he looked at the cooling cookies again.

"Do you want some?"

He stared at her with his cold gray blue eyes.

Quickly, she clarified her question. "Some cookies. Here."

She ripped a paper towel off the roll and grabbed three cookies and reached out her hand.

He put his hand out as she dropped the bundle into his open palm. "Thank you."

He turned as she appreciated how his jeans fit very nicely from behind. Mia contemplated his 'thank you' was the nicest thing he had said to her.

Sage called her and demanded. "You're coming out with us on Saturday night."

"Out where?"

"Dinner."

"Come see my new apartment. I'll cook for you."

"No, I have a friend I want you to meet."

"No way! I'm done with fix ups."

"Please, he just ended a relationship too. You're both lonely. I don't expect you to marry him, but perhaps a little fling to forget about what's his name."

"I don't do flings." Adamantly, Mia told the truth. She had always had relationships. The closest she came to a fling was kissing a stranger on the garden path.

"You'll change your mind, when you see Teddy."

"Teddy." She mocked. "How old is he?"

"Older than me, but I've known him forever."

"Unless he's related to your housekeeper or some other household staff, I'm not interested. Celia wanted me to show Monty what a real girl is like and I told her no thank you!"

"Oh please, Monty is a child compared to Teddy. He and Aidan get along great."

"Is he one of your type? You know I'm not comfortable with rich people."

"You're practically best friends with Celia Whitby. She's wealthy." It was Sage's way of reminding her she preferred the word wealthy over rich.

"She's my employer. You can dress me up, but I'm still the hired help."

"Professional help." Sage argued. "Just one dinner as friends. He's my friend and you're my sister."

"I'm not going to one of your fancy restaurants. I want to wear jeans and I don't want daintily curled or carved vegetables on my practically empty plate. I like to eat. I will not pretend to be a woman who doesn't eat."

Sage laughed. "Have you forgotten who you're talking to."

Mia remembered her first breakfast with Sage.  "Yes, but you always choose restaurants where every item has an ingredient I never heard of."

"Fine. Burgers, pasta? You decided."

"Authentic Italian."

"Okay. You drive a hard bargain. Aidan will probably kiss you. He hates those pretentious restaurants too."

"You'll wear jeans." Mia wasn't asking but demanding.

"Yes, I'll tell Teddy. Don't tell Aidan, but I like him in jeans."

Mia wondered if he'd look better than her neighbor. Somehow she seriously doubted it was possible.

"Maybe you should be dating him."

"Aidan knows I had a crush on Teddy when I was too young. He's like my brother."

"Brother! I don't admire how Aidan wears denim."

Sage laughed. "You don't know what you're missing."

"Now you're just gross." She smiled and laughed as she ended the call.

On Saturday night the only reason she didn't cancel was because she missed Sage and Aidan. They didn't come home from New York often enough.

She dressed in skinny jeans and a light sweater with a scoop neck which enhanced her curves. She wasn't overly endowed. She overfilled a B cup, but had excess room in a C cup. The sweater looked better if she spilled out of the smaller cup size. She wore her long wavy auburn hair down and applied enough makeup to resent she wasn't staying home in her pajamas.

Mia wasn't the only one going out for the evening. She had seen her neighbor leave earlier. He looked more casual than before when he climbed into his truck.

She took her time and wanted to be fashionably late. The restaurant Sage chose was in the next town where she had lived with Derek. They often ate there together.

When she arrived, she waved off the hostess and explained she was meeting friends. She looked around the room full of diners and froze when her eyes found the correct table. Sitting with her brother and sister-in-law was a tall built man with brown hair.

If he wasn't her neighbor then he was a twin, but Mia didn't want to find out and turned to leave. She hadn't reached the door when Sage pulled on her shoulder.

"Where are you going?" She hissed.

"Leaving. I, um."

What could she say? Your friend is my rude neighbor. She didn't think so.

"Come on. Dating is like riding a bike."

"Sage, I can't!" Her protests fell on deaf ears.

"For Aidan. He misses his little sister."

Mia laughed because she knew Sage was full of it. She was still laughing when they reached the table with Sage pulling on her hand. Aidan jumped up and hugged her. It was only after he released her she turned to see him looking at her. She wasn't prepared for what she saw.

His face was shaved clean and his hair was trimmed and neat without any rogue pieces falling out of place. What startled her the most was his eyes. They were a different shade of blue. Looking at him, she was afraid he didn't just look like Edward Calhoun.

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