1.2 Good On Paper

After Gavin and Clara left, Annelise got back to unpacking and settling into her house. The house was furnished with the necessities, but the house felt empty to her with the bare walls. Still, this was home now. She put on her freshly washed sheets on the bed, happy that she would be able to sleep tonight even if she didn't finish the rest of the house. 

It didn't take too long to finish organizing the rest of the house because she didn't bring a lot with her. when she moved. She set up her computer on the old desk and decided that she'd better start looking for a job. She graduated University with a bachelors degree in Business, but she wasn't sure what she wanted to do with that. She considered pursuing her law degree, but wasn't sure if that was where her passion was. She knew that jobs in Riverview weren't always easy to come by because the town was pretty small with few corporations. Most of the big companies were based out of Bridgeport. 

As she pursued the job boards, she didn't see much. She saw an advertisement for a Barista at the local coffee shop, and a position working in the medical field, and even an open recruitment for entry level law enforcement. None of those sounded appealing to her. Annelise wasn't really worried about finding a job right away. Two years before she moved to Riverview, she was involved in a car wreck with a drunk driver. She was severely injured in her car wreck and was lucky to survive the accident. She had received a settlement that helped her move to Riverview and she knew she had enough money to live on for at least three months. "I'll look again tomorrow," she thought. 

By 8:30, Annelise was exhausted. Her house was unpacked and organized so she was ready to call it a day and get some rest. She sat on her bed in her new bedroom, and looked around. She felt on edge, and her mind was racing, thinking about the things she still needed to take care of over the next few days.

When she finally laid down, she thought about her neighbor. "Was I rude to him?" She wondered. "I just don't want him to get the wrong idea, but he's the only person I know so far in this town." She drifted off to sleep, hoping she'd see him again. Maybe making a friend in her new town isn't the worst thing that could happen. 

The following day, Annelise slept in for the most of the morning. She was still exhausted, emotionally and physically from her move. She spent most of the day job searching, grocery shopping, reading and watching some TV. By the end of the day, she found herself hovering near the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Gavin. 

When she saw his car pull up to his house, she scurried outside to her mailbox, trying to act surprised to have ran into him. She waved him over as he got out of his car.

"Gavin, hey! How was work?" She asked.

"Oh, you know, work!" He laughed.

"So, where is Clara?" Annelise asked.

"She is still at the babysitters house. Our babysitter drops her off here every afternoon."

"Listen Gavin, I am sorry if I came across abrupt yesterday afternoon. I enjoyed talking to you, and I shouldn't have turned down your offer to hang out so fast. I could really use a friend, you're the only person I know!"

Gavin laughed and told her that he wasn't offended. She offered to have him and Clara over for dinner, and asked him if he would help her move a few piecs of heavy furniture around.

"I have to warn you Gavin, I do not consider myself the best cook. I can whip up some fine mac and cheese though!" She said.

Gavin laughed again and said "That sounds great. Mac and Cheese is Clara's favorite. We'll come right over once the babysitter drops Clara off."

Annelise got right to work in the kitchen. She grabbed some Mac and Cheese from the cupboard and was glad to see she had milk and butter in the refrigerator. She made a note to find some recipes online because she really was hopeless in the kitchen. At least while she wasn't working she would have time to learn to cook!

When Gavin and Clara came over thirty minutes later, Clara was asleep in his arms. They laid her down in Annelise's bedroom, and sat down at her table to eat. 

"Annelise, I have to be honest with you. I am attracted to you. I would love to be your friend, but I am curious, why are you already closing that door of a potential relationship before we even have a chance to open it?"

Annelise sat there stunned at his boldness. She stared in her macaroni and Gavin asked "Did someone hurt you in the past? Is that why you moved to town?"

Annelise shurgged. "I mean, we've all been hurt, haven't we? I like you too. And Clara is a sweet heart. But I just don't know if we're compatible," she said.

She bit her lip as the real reasons flashed through her mind. "A toddler is just too much for me. I can't be a step-mom!" She thought. And she really didn't want to invest her heart into a man who still had such strong ties to an ex. She didn't want to compete with someone ever again. "Been there, done that." She thought.

They ate the rest of their dinner quietly, and when Clara woke up, they moved to the couch. As Clara played quietly on the floor near them, Annelise finally spoke. "Gavin, you were right. I am nursing some wounds in my heart from a past relationship. And I am asking you if you are wiling to just be my friend. I know it might be a lot to ask, but I can't make you any promises. I don't want to lose you as a friend if I am a sucky girlfriend."

Gavin sighed and looked at her softly. "I will be whatever you want me to be. I can be your friend, Annelise. I'm here."

The next morning, Annelise headed to the court house to get some final paperwork for her moved processed. She needed to get her address changed and register her car, and on her way in, she noticed a good looking business man following her.

"Excuse me, miss?" a voice behind her called.
Annelise turned, and a broad-shouldered blonde haired man was smiling. "You look familiar...have we met before?" He asked.

"Umm, no, probably not. I am new in town." She replied.

The blonde guy flashed her another pearly white smile. "New in town? I think its my duty to take you to lunch. Its the hospitable thing to do to welcome you! We have the best spot just around the corner for here. I am in court all morning, so how about I meet you back here around noon?"

Annelise stuttered. "Um-um--I think I have to..."

"Great. So I will see you at noon. I can't wait to take you to this spot, you will love it. Oh by the way, I am Alex Erickson. I am the District Attorney here in Riverview, and you are the most gorgeous being to step foot in this town in years."

Annelise laughed. "I'm flattered. I don't normally make a habit out of going to lunch with strangers, but I guess I can make an exception for you. I'll see you at 12!"

Annelise and Eric went to the neighborhood Bistro , and Annelise overheard the hostess tell someone the wait was 40 minutes. When Alex walked up, he whispered something in the young hostesses ear, and they were seated within minutes. "Who IS this guy?" Annelise wondered.

Over lunch, she learned that he was single, owned a home in the prestigious RiverFront neighborhood, and he had worked his way up the Legal Career Track quickly. He was in his thirties and had never been married, had no kids, and brought home over six figures a year. He was the kind of guy that has all the qualities that a woman should be looking for in a man. One that is great on paper with money, education,  a stable job, no baggage, etc. "This is the kind of guy I should settle down with," she thought to herself.

After they finished lunch and they were in his sports car, Alex, a smooth talker asked when he could take her out again. She felt a twinge in her stomach, as her neighbor Gavins face flashed across her mind again. She immediately pushed that thought aside. "How about tomorrow?" She said. And when he kissed her goodbye in his car, she didn't stop him.