Next Door Neighbors by Frances Hoelsema

he’s got a bit of a curl once it gets long enough.” Jill’s finger did a couple of loops in the air as she described the top of Brian’s head.
                  “Wow! He sounds attractive,” Jill’s mom smiled.
                  Jill gave her a nasty glare.
                  “Well, he does!” she first laughed, and then added, “What does he do?”
                  “What doesn’t he do is what I’m trying to figure out. I mean, he owns a hardware store, but they also do all kinds of services for people and their homes. He’s really handy. But this guy can also cook a meal that I swear you would think was from a five-star restaurant!” Jill put the last bit of her bagel into her mouth.
                  “He sounds like a really decent guy,” Jill’s mom stated.
                  “Yeah, I guess.”
                  “You know, Jill, he’s only about two years older than you. Maybe you guys –”
                  “Stop right there, mom. I’m not…”
                  The young girl who had waited on them came back. She put the bill on the table and wished them both a good day.
                  When the waitress was again out of ear shot, Jill continued, “I’m not interested, mom. I highly doubt he’s interested in me either.”
                  “Oh, I’m just teasing. I do worry about you, though.”
                  “I’m fine. Can’t you see that? And with everything I’ve been through with Mark, there’s no way I’d want to go down that road again. Even if Brian was interested, I can’t see it working out.”
                  Jill’s mom nodded slowly as if she could see Jill’s point of view, although she couldn’t help but feel sad for her only daughter. She wished things had turned out very differently for her.
                  Looking down at her watch, Jill noticed that they had better get going. Her mom got out enough cash to pay for the food, and then each of them grabbed their purse and stood up.
                  As Jill turned around toward the bar, her heart dropped to her stomach and she forgot to breathe. There at the bar, his back towards both women, sat Brian.
                  How long had he been there? Did he hear anything we talked about?
                  Swallowing her fears, she drew a deep breath and decided she would introduce her mom. After all, there was no way they would be able to leave without him seeing both of them. “Brian? You’re back already?”
                  “Oh, hi, Jill,” Brian beamed as he stood up. “Just got back a little while ago. Thought I’d catch a drink before heading to my mom’s.”
                  He seems surprised to see me so maybe he didn’t hear anything!
                  “I see.”
                  Jill’s mom could sense there was some sort of chemistry between the two of them, but remained quiet on the subject. Instead, she coughed to give her daughter the clue to introduce her to this seemingly charming guy.
                  “Oh, sorry. Brian, this is my mom. Mom, this is Brian, my next door neighbor’s son.”
                  “Nice to meet you,” Brian smiled, hand out ready to shake it like the professional he was.
                  “Likewise,” Jill’s mom agreed.
                  Making the encounter as quick and painless as possible, Jill insisted they get going. “Sorry to make this short, but we’ve got to go. I’m sure I’ll see you around, though. Elena will be glad you’re back!”
                  “Yep! Have fun, ladies,” Brian directed.
                  “We will,” both of them said in unison.
                  Brian sat back down to get back to his drink, as Jill and her mom