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  Right Next Door

  G. Louise Beard

  Glass Spider Publishing

  Copyright ©2021 G. Louise Beard

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 978-1-957917-02-3

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Edited by Vince Font

  Cover design by Judith S. Design & Creativity

  www.judithsdesign.com

  Published by Glass Spider Publishing

  www.glassspiderpublishing.com

  Copyright ©2021 G.

  Louise Beard

  All rights

  reserved.

  ISBN: 978-1-957917-01-6

  Library of Congress

  Control Number: 2020925247

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a

  retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written

  permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book

  review.

  Edited by Vince Font

  Cover design by Judith S. Design & Creativity

  www.judithsdesign.com

  Published by Glass Spider Publishing

  www.glassspiderpublishing.com

  Contents

  Chapter 1: Looking Back to Yesterday

  Chapter 2: Welcome to the Neighborhood

  Chapter 3: Get the Party Started

  Chapter 4: First Date

  Chapter 5: First Love

  Chapter 6: Summer Break

  Chapter 7: The Cruise of a Lifetime

  Chapter 8: Having Fun

  Chapter 9: Oh, What a Night

  Chapter 10: Welcome Home

  Chapter 11: Big Misunderstanding

  Chapter 12: Situations

  Chapter 13: The Thrill is Gone

  Chapter 14: Someone Like Matthew Edwards

  Chapter 15: The Men in Her Life

  Chapter 16: Tonight is the Night

  Chapter 17: Knight in Shining Armor

  Chapter 18: Thinking Back

  Chapter 19: Out with the Old, In with the New

  Chapter 20: The Reception

  Chapter 21: Reset

  Chapter 22: The Real Thing

  Chapter 23: The Final Goodbye

  Chapter 24: It’s Real Love

  Chapter 25: Deceiving Appearances

  Chapter 26: The Payback

  Chapter 27: Apart

  Chapter 28: Something’s Wrong

  Chapter 29: Face It

  Chapter 30: Mission Accomplished

  Chapter 31: What’s It All About?

  Chapter 32: At Last

  Chapter 33: The Morning After

  Chapter 34: Face to Face

  Chapter 35: Setting Things in Order

  Chapter 36: Meeting the Family

  Chapter 37: Talent Revealed

  Chapter 38: Reconciliation

  Chapter 39: I’m Satisfied

  Chapter 40: Being Extravagant

  Chapter 41: All in Agreement

  About the Author

  Chapter 1: Looking Back to Yesterday

  It had been a long day, and Octavia was thankful to finally get home. All she could think of was getting out of her street clothes and into her swimsuit.

  I didn’t get a chance to do my laps this morning, she thought. It’s such a warm evening. I’m going to spend an hour in that pool and then get some of my new ideas on paper.

  It was important for Octavia to get her daily exercise; she was determined to keep her weight down.

  It felt good to be released from the bondage of obesity. She had lost one hundred and twenty-seven pounds. In the seven years since, she hadn’t regained more than five. Swimming laps for an hour every day was a big part of her weight-loss program, along with taking three-mile walks three times a week. She was immensely proud of the fact she had taught herself to enjoy foods that were body friendly.

  Hearing the sound of a piano from the house next door, Octavia stopped in the middle of changing her clothes to listen to the pleasant music.

  I guess the new owners have moved in. I’ll have to get them a welcome gift, she thought.

  She finished changing her clothes, grabbed a bath sheet, and went out to her pool.

  When she finished her swim an hour later, the music was still playing. It was so pleasant and tranquil that she stretched out on a lounge chair to enjoy it.

  Closing her eyes, Octavia thought back over the years. She thought about how she had overcome the crippling unhappiness she’d experienced in high school when she was teased and harassed unmercifully about her weight. She thought about how she longed to be thin and beautiful like the other girls at school. She thought about the names she was called.

  The name she hated most was “Octavia Octagon.” The kids would call her this, saying, “Because she has so many sides, you have to stop when you look at her.”

  Octavia hadn’t had any friends. She felt she couldn’t trust anyone’s friendship. Anytime anyone had befriended her, it always ended with that person playing a cruel trick on her. She remembered the deep hurt that made her cry herself to sleep every night.

  Then Octavia thought of Professor Bradford Harrington, her college English professor, and smiled. The professor had pulled her aside after class one day during her freshman year and asked if she had ever considered writing as a career.

  “You have such flair to your writing that I believe you could be a great novelist,” he said.

  Professor Harrington and his wife, Dora, became Octavia’s mentors. They invited her to book readings, first on campus, then at book stores, and later at their home.

  Octavia was so happy to have honest interactions with others that she became comfortable sharing her thoughts and feelings for the first time in her life. She told Professor and Mrs. Harrington how it felt to be a foster child, and how unsettling it was to not have any family to call her own.

  Octavia shared the heartbreaking event that had occurred when she was with her last foster parents, the Franklins. On her eighteenth birthday, she hadn’t even received a birthday card. On that same day, the social worker had shown up at 6:00 a.m. and informed her that she had to vacate the home immediately because another child was coming in. Octavia was transported to a transition house and told she had two weeks to find herself an apartment and get a job. She was not a minor anymore, they told her, and the state would no longer support her.

  She told the Harringtons about the counselor at the transition house who seemed like a guardian angel and helped her get a scholarship to the state college.

  “If it hadn’t been for her,” Octavia cried, “I don’t know what would have happened to me. I know that she was just doing her job, but when she dropped me off at my studio apartment near the campus, hugged me and wished me good luck, it was the first time in my life that I could remember anyone hugging me.”

  The Harringtons were compassionate people who freely showed their love to one another, and they also expressed love for Octavia. They began treating her like a daughter, visiting her at her apartment when she didn’t check in with them daily.

  They showered her with advice, compliments, attention, and gifts. It didn’t take long for Octavia to consider them as her parents. They were so kindhearted that she began calling them Mom and Pop Harrington, much to their joy and delight.

  It was Mom Harrington who suggested Octavia start to exercise and experiment with body-friendly foods.

  During the summer between Octavia’s freshman and sophomore year, Mom Harrington had to have double-knee surgery. “Octavia, dear,
” she said, “I need someone to come to the gym with me and help me through my rehabilitation. Would you help me? Brad and I are more than willing to pay you for your time. It can be your summer job.”

  Octavia didn’t think twice about the invitation. “I’d be more than happy to help you,” she said. “Thank you for asking.”

  As a result of that situation, Octavia showed up on campus to start her second year of college fifty pounds lighter and one hundred percent happier. She enjoyed being with Mom Harrington and treasured the time spent helping her, but she mostly enjoyed the feeling she got when she used the machines and felt her muscles develop. Soon her body began to change shape.

  For the remainder of her college career, Octavia stayed close to the kind and loving couple. They encouraged her in her school work just as they encouraged her in her efforts to lose weight. They were with her when she lost the last twenty pounds and had surgery to remove the unwanted skin.

  Mom and Pop Harrington were in the audience when Octavia received the Writers Guild Award for her first book, A Journey to Myself. They were so proud of her that when she went to their home after the ceremony, she found that they’d planned a surprise party. It was the first party she had ever had in her life.

  Feeling the change in temperature and looking up to the darkening sky, Octavia said aloud, “Lord, I’m so grateful for those two angels in my life. Thank you.”

  With that, she grabbed her towel and went inside to take a shower and put on her housecoat and slippers.

  Chapter 2: Welcome to the Neighborhood

  It became a nightly ritual for Octavia to come home, swim a few laps, and spend the rest of the evening doing chores or writing a few ideas on paper while listening to the beautiful piano music from her next-door neighbors. She still had not met them, but she was determined that this weekend she would get them a gift and introduce herself.

  That resolution, however, was a little hard to keep. On Friday night, Octavia had a book reading for her latest novel. Saturday was Mom and Pop Harrington’s forty-fifth wedding anniversary, and she was having a surprise party for them at her house. On Sunday, she planned to climb back into bed after church and read the newspaper from the first to last page.

  “Oh well,” she said to herself, “I’ll figure something out.”

  Thursday afternoon before leaving work, Octavia checked with the caterer, the party planner, and finally, the florist.

  While she was on the phone with the florist, she asked him, “Do you have anything that says welcome to the neighborhood?”

  The florist assured her that a picturesque planter full of beautiful wildflowers would be delivered to her neighbors by noon the next day. Feeling satisfied, Octavia worked to clear her desk and shut down her office. She went home feeling like she had accomplished her goals for the day.

  Turning onto her street, Octavia saw a car in the new neighbor’s driveway and noticed no music coming from the home.

  Oh, she thought, they have company. I’m going to miss the music tonight.

  It was just as well. She had a lot to do to get ready for the Harringtons’ anniversary party, and she really didn’t need the music to distract her.

  By the time she had taken care of all her chores and laid the groundwork for the party planners to arrive early on Saturday morning, Octavia was tired.

  It’s a good thing I don’t have any classes tomorrow, she thought. I’m going to sleep late and go shopping for the anniversary gift before the book reading and signing reception at the Mid-town Book Emporium.

  She locked up for the night, and just as she turned off the lights and lay in her bed, the music began. But tonight, it was not soft and melodious. It was severe and discordant.

  Wow, wonder what they are angry about? she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

  Octavia kept her promise to herself to sleep late, so it was almost ten o’clock when she left her house to go shopping. As she opened her front door to get her mail and pick up the newspaper, she saw a note had been placed under her welcome mat to keep it from blowing away. She picked it up and opened it. There were two words written in calligraphy on the paper: Thank you! It was signed Sebastian.

  Well, she thought, I guess that’s the new neighbor, and the planter must have been delivered.

  She put the note in her purse, closed her door, and went shopping. It was after six o’clock when she returned from the day’s activities. She looked at her neighbor’s yard and there was the planter, sitting near the footpath at the end of the front door landing. It looked beautiful.

  Chapter 3: Get the Party Started

  Getting Mom and Pop Harrington to the surprise party was a lot easier than Octavia thought it would be. She decided to be straightforward. “Pop, can you and Mom come over tonight for an anniversary dinner?” she asked.

  “Of course,” he replied, “we’d love to come to your beautiful home. What time?”

  Since the happy couple would be there by 6:15, the guests were told to arrive no later than 5:55. The last thing that had to be done was to write a note to the new neighbors, the Sebastians, to let them know she was having a patio party and that it would last until midnight at the latest. She apologized in advance for any inconvenience.

  Octavia dashed across the lawn, but before she could leave the note or ring the bell, the door was snatched open. She looked up into a face that seemed vaguely familiar, even through the scowl that was on it now.

  “What?” the man growled.

  “Good after—” Octavia began, then continued, “I was going to leave this note for you. I wasn’t sure if you were home or not.”

  She handed the man the note and quickly ran back to her house. When she got to her porch, she looked across the lawn to get another look at the familiar stranger, but he had quickly stepped back into his house and slammed the door.

  “Surprise! Happy Anniversary!” everyone shouted when the Harringtons stepped out of the house into Octavia’s beautifully decorated backyard.

  “Young one, what have you done?” Mom Harrington said. “This is wonderful.”

  The party was a success. Everyone had a good time, and the guests of honor were pleased with the state of affairs. Everyone seemed to get along well. The attendees seemed to find their own groups, and the conversations flowed freely.

  Octavia went to the kitchen to get more punch. Earlier, she had combined pineapple juice, sliced lemons, and orange juice in large containers and was just adding champagne to another batch when someone stepped through the door.

  Not paying attention, she pointed to the hall on the other side of the kitchen. “The bathroom is just through the door down the hall on the right,” she said without looking up from the punch bowl.

  “I’ll keep that in mind in case I’m looking for it later,” a smooth, pleasant voice replied. Octavia looked up into the handsome face of Professor Matthew Scott Edwards. He smiled and said, “I just came to see if you needed help carrying the punch bowl, Professor Peterson.”

  “I’ll let you do just that if you promise to call me Octavia,” she said, stepping back from the punch bowl. “Thank you. It is heavy when it’s full. You take this out, and I’ll bring out some more salads and another meat platter.”

  For the rest of the night, it seemed that Professor Edwards was right there to offer a helping hand whenever she needed assistance. After the party, he didn’t leave until all of the tables and chairs had been folded and piled in the shed so they could be picked up on Monday morning.

  “This was a great party, Octavia,” he said. “I’m glad I came.”

  Professor Matthew Edwards was a very handsome man. He was extremely well-groomed and very poised; he seemed to radiate confidence and self-assurance. His voice was so smooth that it was almost hypnotic. To Octavia, the man was fine!

  “Thank you for coming, Professor,” Octavia said, smiling broadly, breathing softly.

  When she reached out to shake his hand, he took it and pulled her in to a quick and unexpected hug
. “As you know,” he whispered into her ear, “I’m new in town, and I need a tour guide. Would you be my guide, Octavia?”

  When they broke the embrace, she looked into his eyes and uttered one word, “Yes,” breathlessly.

  Chapter 4: First Date

  After giving the professor her information and saying the final good-nights, Octavia gave her house and back yard a final inspection. Later, as she was stepping out of the shower, she heard a familiar sound. Her neighbor, Mr. Sebastian, was playing that haunting melody again.

  It’s two o’clock in the morning, she thought. I wonder if they ever sleep over there. She yawned, climbed into bed, and as usual the music was so soothing that Octavia went to sleep with a satisfied smile on her face.

  Intending to keep her promise to herself, Octavia headed straight home after church the next morning. She turned on the tea kettle and changed her clothes while the water was heating. By the time she had on her silk pajamas, the kettle was whistling, and she made a large mug of strawberry green tea.

  Before she was able to get into her bed, the phone rang. It was Professor Edwards.

  “You’re finally home,” he said. “How was church this morning?”

  “Good afternoon, Professor Edwards,” Octavia said, “church was wonderful. The sermon was about living life God’s way.”

  “That sounds good. Maybe I can go with you one Sunday.”

  “I would like that, Professor, and I’m sure you would enjoy yourself, too.”

  “Thank you, it’s a date. But while that’s a ways off, would you have dinner with me tonight?”

  Octavia was excited when she hung up the phone. She ran to her closet and spent the next hour trying to find the right outfit to wear to the first date she’d ever had.

  By the time 5:30 in the evening came around, she was dressed in a black two-piece dress with red shoes and a matching clutch purse. Her hair was combed in a simple, no-bangs pageboy, and she had on gold hoop earrings with a matching gold single-strand wheat chain necklace, bracelet, and watch.