Lucky Husky 10 - Meeting the Neighbors
#10 of The Lucky Husky
Luke's night goes from amazing to disaster. He also gets some new neighbors but they aren't who you'd expect.
"Well I was just gonna drop off your old key that I found," Mary started "but since you're already having fun, mind if I join you?"
"I can't do this!" Ellen shouted before turning to face Luke with a disgusted look. "This was too fucked up already and I can't believe you talked me into all of what just happened but I'm not gonna be a whore for your girlfriend now too." She ran into the other room.
Mary opened her mouth to say something but Luke cut her off. "What is your problem?" he demanded in a quiet but stern tone. "We aren't dating anymore! Sure, we've had fun but you can't just show up whenever the hell. I'm not your fucking boyfriend!" His voice raised slightly with the last sentence as his annoyance started to show.
Mary flinched slightly as he yelled the last sentence. "Fine." She said dejectedly and then dropped his key on the floor and walked back out of the house.
Luke started to walk into the other room to try and console Ellen when she came storming out, carrying her things. She had hurriedly dressed herself and looked disheveled. "I just have to go. Please don't-" she begged as Luke stepped to intercept her before she walked out of the house. "I'm gonna go to a motel. I don't want to hear from you anymore." She was looking at the ground, refusing to meet his eyes. After a moment of them both standing silently, she finally turned and walked out of the house as well.
The dog finally came out from whatever hiding spot he was apparently in and then sat down next to Luke. Luke looked down at him "well, this kinda sucks." He muttered to the dog before petting his head.
The next month was another return to normalcy for Luke. Work carried on like it always had. The building was big enough that he rarely ever ran into Ellen and on the few occasions where he did, she quickly would leave as soon as possible to avoid even talking to him. After a while he heard she had started dating the obnoxious lab tech.
One particular day, a little over a month after the big blow up, Luke was driving home and as he pulled in he saw a large truck at the vacant house next door. 'Huh, someone finally bought the place.' He thought to himself.
The truck was blocking his view of whoever had moved in so he just shrugged after looking for a minute and went inside. He sat on the couch and watched TV for a while, as he usually did, while the dog lay lazily next to him on the couch. He didn't take the dog out as much as he probably should have so he owed it to him to at least let him be comfortable on the couch.
After a little over an hour of mindlessly watching the crap programming on the television, Luke finally switched it off and got up to go make dinner. He turned on some music and went to the kitchen to search the cupboards for something to eat. Just as he reached for a box of Rice-a-Roni he heard a knock on the door.
"He the hell?" he said out loud to himself. He walked back into the living room and toward the door. The dog stood curious by the door, waiting for Luke to open it. "Hmm, some great guard dog you are!" he said to the dog before opening the door and seeing a large buck standing there.
Luke immediately flashed back to the deer he ravaged at his cabin a while back and suddenly worried that this was a scorned lover. "Um, hi?" Luke said in an unsure tone.
"Hey cutie!" the man said back in an exuberant tone. "I just moved in next door and wanted to meet the neighbors." The buck looked Luke up and down slowly before adding "I am certainly glad I did."
'Well, a pissed off boyfriend then' Luke thought, amused. "I'm flattered, but not at all interested. Sorry."
"Oh, it's OK, we can just be neighbors for now. I'm very patient." The buck replied.
Luke wasn't sure how to respond when another voice came from across his lawn. "Are you teasing the neighbors already?" the voice said. Luke leaned out to see a kangaroo morph coming up toward the two of them. He was an average-sized morph but had a very distinct marking: two black rings in the fur of one ear. "Hi, I'm Jon" the roo stated, holding his hand out to Luke. "This is my husband James and he thinks it's cute to tease people he's never met." That last statement sounded more accusatory than informational.
While James seemed very gay from the moment he started speaking, Jon did not at all. And if it weren't for the fact that he had just playfully kissed James after the last remark he would never have thought he was gay.
"What a cute dog!" Jon said as he reached down to pet the dog that was peeking out from behind the door, finally checking to see who was intruding at his doorstep.
"Ah, yeah. He's not much of a guard dog though." Luke said as the dog rolled onto his back submissively as this complete stranger continued to pet him. 'And the one thing he was good at is of no use to me now' Luke thought to himself.
"Well I think he's great! I wish we had a dog." Jon said before suddenly having a thought and jerking his head to face James. "Hey, we moved out of the city, we can have a dog now!" This epiphany seemed to brighten Jon's mood even more and he vigorously returned to petting the dog.
"You can have this one." Luke said, half joking.
"Really?" Jon said, suddenly looking more like an excited child than a fully grown adult. "You don't want your dog?"
"Well, he was actually originally a present for a girl..." Luke trailed off for a second. "It was complicated. But it's just me here and I don't always have time for him so it might be better for him to live in a more full house. Besides, he really seems to like you."
Jon looked over at James who shrugged in acceptance and Jon stood and unexpectedly hugged Luke. "Wow, you're the best! I love this neighborhood already!" he looked down at the dog again. "So what's his name?"
"You know, it's funny. I've had him for a month and I haven't even given him a name."
"One second" James interrupted "The more important thing here is that you got to hug our new puppy and I haven't." Without hesitation James then reached out and gave Luke a big hug. When he released him, Luke chuckled slightly and Jon just buried his face in his palm.
"OK, we're leaving now." Jon said and grabbed James with one hand while coaxing the dog with the other. "Thank you so much! I'll stop by again at some point, hopefully without this moron!" he then playfully slapped James' butt and the both walked back over to their house.
Over the next few days Luke got to talk to his new neighbors on several occasions and they both ended up being great guys. After getting to know him, James' flamboyancy became more endearing than annoying and Jon just seemed like an all-around good guy. They also have an adopted daughter who was still in high school but Luke had never met her. Apparently they had a hard time really getting her to listen or spend much time with them.
About a week after moving in, on a Friday afternoon, Luke heard a knocking on the door and opened it to find a somewhat distraught-looking Jon standing there. "I hate to bother you" the man started, bouncing nervously. "Can you do us a huge favor tonight?"
"Jon, I already told James that I won't be in a sandwich with you guys." Luke said jokingly, hoping to lighten the mood of the upset roo.
"What? No! Wait, did he ask you..." Jon started, obviously flustered "No, never mind. We were hoping you could watch Mia tonight?"
"Your daughter?"
"Yeah, we're going out and the usual sitter called off last minute saying she's sick. We have been wanting to go out since the move and just haven't had the chance."
"Didn't you say she's a senior in high school?"
"I know, but with her sneaking out and hanging out with questionable friends and everything... We just want someone to be there. "
"Alright, well, I'm not really doing much so I can come hang out there."
"Really? Oh my God, you are a lifesaver, Luke!" Jon exclaimed before pulling him into a big hug. "We're ready to go whenever you are ready so I'll let you go and you can just come over whenever."
"Well, I'm not doing anything, I can just come right over now." Luke said. He grabbed his keys and before the excitable man got any more excited, Luke closed the door behind him and followed his neighbor back to the house next door.
Once Jon opened the door Luke instantly heard the argument taking place already inside the house.
"This isn't fair! I don't need a sitter! I'm old enough to take care of myself. Hell, I'll be moving out in 2 months when I turn 18, why the hell would I need a sitter?!" an angry female voice screamed. Luke figured that was Mia.
Jon went in and joined the conversation "Listen, we just worry. I don't know what's been going on lately but you aren't acting like the same good little girl we raised. Luke is just going to hang out here. He isn't a babysitter, he's just a neighbor coming to visit."
"It's the same thing! And I don't need him to visit with me. I don't even know him!"
"Well if you were ever home you would have met him" James added. 'Apparently he can be serious' Luke thought as he heard James' stern tone with that last comment.
"Fine, whatever! Just go on your stupid date. I'll be in my room."
As she stomped through the house, the two men came back to the entryway where Luke was awkwardly standing, unsure of what to say or do. "Sorry about her" Jon said. Let me show you around real quick. I'd let James do it but if I don't send him out to start the car he'll spend the whole tour trying to grab your ass."
Luke shot a glance at James who met his eyes and grinned. "He knows me too well." He said unapologetically and then walked out of the house.
Jon showed Luke the various rooms of the house and when they got to Mia's room, he knocked on the door. "Can you at least come meet the neighbor before you ignore him all night?" Jon pleaded with the girl.
"You said she's a husky too, right?" Luke asked him.
"Yeah, why?"
"Why not just leave her be for now. Let her cool off. I'm sure she'll come out later and I'll say hi to her." Luke offered. "Sometimes we huskies can have tempers so there's no reason to bug her more if she's already upset."
Jon thought on it for a moment before nodding and walking Luke back to the front door. "Thanks again!" Jon said and then turned and left.
"Well, this will be fun..." Luke muttered to himself while shaking his head and closing the door.