The Neighbor #2 (The Neighbor Romance Series - Book #2) (3 page)

“You are the girl from freshman Sex Ed.” The girl
with the spastic head and her friend were looking at me. I had nothing to say.
There was an awkward silence as the duo stared at me quizzically.

“Yes I am a freshman Sex Ed student, along with over
a thousand other people. I hope you were able to find the dining hall,” I said.

“My dorm is right next to the dining hall. I can get
there blindfolded,” The girl with another equally messy ponytail said. She
threw her hands on her hips. I wondered if the girl was gas lighting me or
perhaps my mind was playing tricks on me.

“Oh, I must have you confused with someone else,” I
said, although I was sure she had asked me for directions.

“The first day of school can get crazy. I am
Rozi
and this is my friend Rosemary.” I looked at them and
I knew it was my turn to react. I extended my hand.

“I’m Jenna Walsh. I certainly remember seeing you in
the front row Rosemary.” I smiled.

“That was me. How do you like the professor?”

Awkward.

“He is one of my younger professors. I suppose he is
fine so far. It was nice meeting you both. I have to run and meet someone. I
will see you in class.” I started to walk away.

“Wait Jenna.
I thought you mentioned to your friend that you knew Professor Curran?”
Rozi
asked.

“Now I think
you
are crazy. I never would have said that because I do not know Ryder. If you
heard me commenting to my friend, you must have just misunderstood. We were
talking about my father and his name is Ryder. I was telling my friend that I blew
by him on the highway on the way to school,” I lied.

Great!
I had made up a story about
my dead father and gave him a new name.
Good job Jenna.

“I guess I will see you in class Jenna,”
Rozi
said, as the two girls scattered away like palmetto
bugs when the lights turned on.

That was too close for comfort. Being kicked out of
school was not in my life plan. I didn’t have a plan really but more of a
general idea and college was a part of it.

I was in a new environment and I needed a change.
Earlier I had passed by a hair salon in the Campus Center building. A shampoo
and a pedicure were what I needed. My ass was still buzzing with messages,
presumably from Ryder. My resolve was wearing down and I was tempted to return
his messages. I needed something to take my mind off matters. But with no
distraction in sight I peeked at my phone.

Can’t
sleep.
Call me!

Call
me – any time

We
need to talk. Didn’t know

Miss
u

Pls
Jenna

Now he misses me. He probably wants to make sure I
didn’t tell anyone.
Too late.

There were twenty more messages. The salon was
closed. I was so amped up on sugar and I needed to do something. Out of the
corner of my eye, I spotted a barber pole. I figured I had nothing to lose so I
sashayed over to the shop, which was open. Two college-aged students were laid
back in chairs waiting for customers. A man getting ready for ROTC or he just
liked his hair very short sat in one of the seats. Piled in his lap were
ringlets of black hair. I walked through the door, which activated a bell.

“Hey, can I help you with something” A man sprang up
with clippers in his hand.

“Hello. You give haircuts here right?”

I removed my baseball cap and released my locks. My
hair felt longer than I remembered from hours before. I remembered how Ryder’s fingers
were tangled in it.

“There is a woman’s salon not far from here. They
are closed now but they will open up tomorrow at 9 AM. I think you will find
the place more suitable. To be honest, I am new to this barber deal. It is a
work study gig.” As he spoke, he clicked on and off the clippers. The sound was
unsettling.

“I am in the right place. You can practice. Are you
game?” I asked.

“Hop on.” He brushed off the chair and patted the
seat. The other barbers started paying attention. The other customer with his
hair only half finished raised his hand.

“Wait a sec dude. I
gotta
see this,” he said.

“Okay mam. My name is Ryder by the way. What do you
want exactly?” he asked.

What a day. Of course, he would be named Ryder.

“Not really sure.
Shortish
or shorter.
Use
your imagination. I am accustomed to bringing in a page torn out of a fashion
magazine. I am trying to forget someone. Have you ever heard the expression?
I’m
gonna
wash that man right out of my hair
. I am trying to cut him out,” I said.

“Cool. I want a chick to do that in my honor
someday. It’s a little sexy.
Not to be inappropriate or
anything.”
Ryder the barber was suddenly interested.

“This is good shit. Can I film this?” the other
barber chimed in.

“I would rather you not. I already have a friend who
is an aspiring director. He gets first dibs on anything I do.” I laughed as I
thought of Max.

Ryder the barber started spraying my hair with the
water bottle.

“It is easier to cut hair when it is wet. That is
what I heard. You are a special customer so I want to get this right.”

He started running his fingers through my hair. I
closed my eyes and thought for a moment that it was
my
Ryder. I opened my eyes and I remembered where I was. My
reflection in the mirror with the black cape draped over my shoulders made me
nervous. Ryder the barber ran his comb the length of my hair, which came just
below my shoulders.

“Let’s get this party started Ryder,” I said.

He placed the steel blades against my chin. It was
an oddly erotic feeling or it would have been if the right person
was
holding the sheers.

“No,” I said and Ryder the barber jerked away the
scissors.

“Are you having second thoughts Jenna?”

“I want you to start with the clippers. Go up from
the back of my neck. Just leave a little in the front.”

I closed my eyes. Ryder the barber was breathing
heavily. His breath smelled of coffee and the burrito that lay half eaten
nearby. He started the clipper, which began to hum.

My phone rang and Ryder the barber stepped away.
When I saw it was Sayler I thumbed the answer button.

“Poor timing Sayler.
I am at the hair salon…barbershop. Out with the old and in with the new.”

“Jenna. Are you drunk?” Sayler screamed into the
phone.

“No. I am as sober as a
judge
.
I am on a bit of a sugar high but my wits are about me. I have come across a guy
who is going to give me a drastic new look. His name is Ryder. What are the
chances? I’m in good hands.”

“You aren’t thinking clearly Jenna. I don’t care how
the hell you look but you care. I remember when I convinced you to cut your
beautiful long hair before. The first hunk of hair that fell to the ground was
traumatizing. As your tresses fell you got upset. If you still want to do this
tomorrow. I will drive up and do it with you. Please wait until tomorrow
Jenna.”

I thought for a moment as I sat looking in the
mirror. I had a moment of clarity.

“You seem like a nice guy. I am going to put my
sheering on hold. If I decide to go through with this I will definitely look
you up.” Ryder the barber looked crestfallen as he removed my black cape.

“You will know where to find me Jenna. Whoever you
are trying to cut out, is a pretty
eff’n
lucky
person.”

I grinned. “Thanks.”

I climbed out of the chair with my phone still
pressed against my ear. She had heard the decision to postpone my haircut.

“Okay I’m back,” I told her.

“Thank god you didn’t do it. I am the first one to
act on impulse but I’m glad you decided wisely. Just sleep it off. Ryder Curran
can wait until tomorrow. I will call you in the morning.” Sayler disconnected
and I walked back to my room.

The buzzing had stopped. Ryder must have fallen
asleep. I imagined him snuggled beneath the blankets. The place I had been not
long ago. I wanted to be lying next to him as much as I knew it wasn’t right. I
went to sleep to the cadence of Kelly’s snoring.

Chapter
Three

Leach Hall was quiet at 6 AM and Kelly was still
sleeping a couple of yards from me. It was going to take time getting used to
sleeping with another person in the room. I had slept in the room with my
parents a few times when I was young. I had slept in the same bed with Sayler
and with some other girls at summer camp. Of course, there was one other person
I had slept in the same room with and that was Ryder. All roads in my mind still
led back to Ryder.

Kelly and I had managed to merge our styles, which
were both eclectic. Somehow, together they blended nicely. I was beach
bohemian, whatever that meant. Kelly was Midwestern cosmopolitan, which was
equally as obscure. It showed that we were both trying to figure out who we
were and who we wanted to become.

It was apparent that we slept differently. She
snored and I did not. I expected a farm girl who would rise at dawn like
myself
. She showed no signs of movement at six. I wore a nightshirt
when it was appropriate and I preferred to sleep naked. From beneath Kelly’s mountain
of blankets peaked giant cow slippers and red plaid pajamas. She was showing a
hint of the farm girl I had expected.

My bed was low to the ground and Kelly’s was close
to the ceiling. We didn’t have bunk beds but decided to use our space
differently. Her desk was underneath her bed and mine was at the foot of my
bed.

I thought of Ryder’s spacious bedroom. Two of my
dorm rooms would fit into his place.

I had brought a rug. My mom picked it up at a garage
sale. Who knows what type of bodily fluids were on the thing but it was cute. A
beige Berber covered in seahorses. If I ever had trouble sleeping, it would
provide an alternative to counting sheep.

Smell was the most difficult thing to get used
to
. I realized that scent was subjective. If Kelly favored
patchouli or something else I didn’t care for, I could deal. The odor was of
the personal nature. Sweet Kelly had dragon breath. I had never sniffed a
dragon’s breath but I imagined it would be similar. It smelled like dog shit
and this I had smelled. I knew I had to address Kelly about it at some point. I
asked the advice of others and searched online. Sayler said, “Tell Her.” She
was blunt and I was not. I tried the passive approach, left out mouthwash, and
offered her mints and gum. I resorted to bobbing and weaving to avoid a direct
hit. Oh well, it took my mind off Ryder for a moment. It didn’t work for long
because I started to wonder how he would handle the situation.

“Housing didn’t ask me if I wanted to room with an
early riser.” Kelly stretched and yawned. Her open mouth filled the entire room
with her odor. It would have filled a space half the size.

“I got in to the habit. Soccer practice at school took
place before classes. My classes begin at 8 AM so I hope you can adjust. I will
try to be quiet,” I said

“I will get some of those night shades like they
give you on the airplane. My parents fly a lot so they can hook me up. Where
did you go last night? It’s none of my business but I was worried. You were bent
out of shape after that Sex Ed professor thing.”

“It is a long story Kelly. It’s all good and I feel
better after a solid night sleep.”

I tugged my ponytail to assure that it was still
there. I was relieved but thought the experience of almost doing something
spontaneous exciting.

“I am going to hit the showers Kelly. Today I will
try not to spend the day regretting my attire.”

The showers were prison-like. I had finally gotten
around to watching
Orange is the New
Black
. I had never been to prison but they were not much different from
depicted. They smelled of antiseptic cleanser, which was better than Kelly’s
breath. I thought that perhaps I could get her to gargle with the stuff. I
washed and conditioned my hair. I was happy it was in my hands and not in the
hands of Ryder the barber.
Wrong Ryder.

I thought college life was unpredictable until I
realized there was more than showering happening in the next stall. I was in
the single sex women’s shower room but there was definitely a male voice emanating
from over the concrete divider. It was combined with a female voice. At first,
I was alarmed but they were willing participants in their antics. It was just
before 7 AM and the pair thought they had privacy. I planned to allow them go
about their business. I would shower quietly and exit when I was done. Almost
finished, I dropped my bar of soap. It slipped under the tiled concrete
divider.