Right in Front of You

Gregg saw the man, and as he was asking, "Who's that?" he heard Melanie say, "Oh, my God!"

"If you lock that door, I'll fucking break it down!" the man, who was enraged, screamed at her.

"Landry! Please!" Melanie began.

"You think you can pull this shit on me?" the man growled.

Knowing he couldn't just stand there, Gregg stepped in between there and said, "Why don't you calm down and let the lady..."

Before he could finish, Landry threw a right hand that landed squarely on the left side of Gregg's face sending him crashing into the wall and slumping to the floor.

Melanie screamed, and within seconds, two doors opened slightly down the hallway.

"Call the police!" she screamed as Gregg lay on the floor knocked out cold.

Landry grabbed her and said, "You call the cops on me and I'll kill you!"

A older man from across the hall said very calmly, "I've already called 911."

Landry let go of her and turned toward the door that was barely opened and said, "Then you're a dead man, asshole!"

He took two steps before the door opened and the man pointed a 9mm handgun in Landry's face and said, "This is Texas—asshole. Take one more step and they'll need to bring a hearse."

Landry stopped then slowly put up his hands.

"Now you be a good little boy and stand there until the police arrive or this retired Marine master sergeant is gonna add holes to that thick, neanderthal head of yours," the man said very calmly.

Melanie heard sirens within two minutes, and less than two minutes after that, Landry was in handcuffs, and one of the officers was taking care of Gregg as they waited for backup to arrive.

Melanie had been so afraid she'd forgotten about him.

"Is he okay?" she asked.

"He will be," the police officer told her. "Just put some ice on on your boyfriend's face and give him some Ibuprofen when you get back inside."

"Oh, no. He's not...we're not..."

Gregg was awake and tried to smile and said, "She's out of my league, officer. I just thought I'd see how much of a pounding my face could take tonight."

The officer laughed and asked if Gregg needed anything else.

"No. I'll be okay," he replied.

He went to stand up, then slumped back down.

"Or not," Gregg said.

"Here. Come on," Melanie told him as she and the police officer each offered him an arm.

"I need to check on my mom," Gregg said.

"You need to rest and get some ice on that," the officer told him. "Which door is your mom's?"

He helped Melanie get Gregg inside then asked Gregg for his key before going to explain what all the commotion was about and make sure Gregg's mom was okay while two other uniforms showed up and took Landry away.

He and Melanie thanked both of the officers for their help, and with that, they were gone.

Melanie found some plastic bags and filled them with ice and brought them over to Gregg who was laying down on her couch, his left side toward her.

He reached for them but missed.

"Sorry. Things are still a little blurry," he said as he tried to downplay the problem.

"Here. Let me, okay?" she said as she put a pillow under his head then knelt beside him.

Melanie gently placed the ice on his swollen face, and Gregg winced.

"Sorry!" she said as she pulled it away.

"It's okay," he said. "Go ahead."

Even more gently, she slowly laid it against his skin and held it in place.

"If you can hold it, I'll get you something for the pain," she told him.

She came back with a bottle of Ibuprofen and asked how many he wanted.

"How many milligrams are they?" Gregg asked as he moved the ice away because it was too cold to keep in place.

"Um...200," she said.

"Okay. I'll take four," he told her.

"You sure?" she asked. "That seems like a lot."

"It'll be fine," he told her.

"You're not a doctor so maybe you should try two instead," she offered as she saw the swelling was getting worse.

"No, but I am a dentist, and we a lot of the same training," he told her.

"Wait. You're a dentist?" she asked as though that was impossible.

"I am. Technically anyway. I've been one all of about ten days now," Gregg told her.

"I...thought you said you just graduated from Texas A & M."

"Oh. You uh, you didn't let me finish," he told her. "I was trying to say from Texas A & M dental school."

She handed him four tablets with some water then said, "No offense but you look like you're maybe...20 years old or something."

When Gregg laughed, he winced from the pain.

"Oh. Ouch. That hurts," he said. "Not my face. Your comment."

"I'm so sorry!" Melanie told him even as he almost made her laugh.

"It's okay. I know I look young. I'm actually 25, but I get the 'younger thing' a lot," he said before swallowing the capsules.

"That's still pretty young," Melanie told him.

She looked at him again then said, "I have a confession to make."

Gregg opened one eye and tried to focus as he said, "You're not a serial killer, are you?"

Melanie actually laughed then said, "No, but I do feel bad because I can't remember what you told me your name was."

"It's Wayne," he said trying not to smile.

"Wayne. Yes, now I remember," she told him.

He opened the eye again, and in spite of the pain laughed.

"It's Gregg."

"Wait. Is it really Gregg or is it Wayne?"

"I was just joking around," he told her. "It's really Gregg. I won't ask if you remember my last name."

He tried to smile when he said that, and Melanie didn't laugh, but she did feel bad for him.

"Well, I am just so sorry this happened...Gregg. But I do want to thank you. That was very brave of you."

"No. It was pretty stupid of me, but I was brought up to protect a woman, so there was no way I was going to stand there and let him do that to you."

He opened the eye a little then said, "Not that he'd have done that to you, of course."

Melanie looked down then said very quietly, "I'm not so sure of that."

She was coming into focus now, and Gregg remembered how attractive he thought she was as he said, "He's hit you before, hasn't he?"

"Maybe," she said just as quietly.

"It's none of my business, but why does a beautiful woman like you put up with that?"

"Well, now that is the proverbial $64,000 question, isn't it?" she asked rhetorically back.

"It's not like you're unattractive and can't find a nice-looking guy who'll treat you right," Gregg told her.

"Well, thank you for saying that, but I seem to have this unhealthy addiction to men who aren't exactly the kind of guys who treat women well."

"Addictions are just deeply-ingrained habits," Gregg told her as he put the ice back on his cheek.

"Maybe so, but I don't know how to break the cycle," she told him in a rare moment of honesty.

"If I was a better-looking guy, I'd ask you to start with me," he told her as he tried to smile.

"Oh, come on! You're nice enough lookin'," Melanie told him even though she knew it wasn't true.

"Uh-huh. Sure," Gregg said. "I'm very comfortable with who I am, but life has taught me that girls like you don't go out with guys like me. It isn't a put down or a lack of self-confidence. It's just a statement of fact."

Feeling even worse for him, Melanie said, "Maybe it would be better to say that well-educated professionals like yourself don't go out with girls like me who barely finished high school."

Gregg managed a weak smile just as Melanie added, "Besides, I'm a whole lot older than you are, so you'd never be interested in me anyway."

He forced his eye open as far as he could then said, "Wait a second. I'm 25 and you can't be much older than me."

Melanie laughed then said, "Oh, trust me. I'm definitely older than you."

"Are you even 30?" Gregg asked.

"Um...maybe," she said with another smile.

"No. Wait. You're more than 30?" he said, the incredulity heavy in his voice.

Melanie only smiled as Gregg shook his head.

"I'm not buying that," he told her.

"You're sweet," she told him in her mild Texas drawl.

"So if you don't mind me asking, how'd you get involved with Bluto?"

His reference to the huge cartoon character in the early years of Popeye went right over her head.

"Who?" she asked.

Gregg explained and Melanie laughed again.

"Ah. Okay. I remember seeing a guy named Brutus but not Bluto," she told him, and Gregg didn't feel like explaining the difference, but Melanie did explain how she and Landry met.

Then it was Gregg's turn to say, "Ah. Okay."

That, too, made her laugh before he asked, "Are you going to get a restraining order against him?"

"Oh. Um, I...I don't know. Wouldn't that just make him even angrier?" she suggested.

"In all honesty I'd recommend a gun because a piece of paper won't do much if he ever decides to try something like that again. But a restraining order is the least you should do. Pressing charges is in order, too."

"But he'd go to jail and lose his job and..."

"And you'd be safe," Gregg told her.

"But I'd have to go to court and testify and I'd be scared to death," she told him.

"I'll be happy to go with you, if that would help," he offered.

"You really are a decent guy, aren't you?" she said quietly.

"I try," he said forcing another painful smile.

"Now, you see, if I could just get over this...addiction of mine...and date a nice guy like you, I wouldn't be 35 and..."

She stopped in mid-sentence.

Gregg lowered the ice bag, turned toward her and said, "You're 35?"

"I wasn't intendin' on sayin' that," she replied. "But now that the cat's out of the bag..."

He shook his head slowly and said, "I just can't believe that."

"Well, I can't believe you're 25 and a dentist," she told him trying to sound playful.

Gregg smiled then said, "Okay. Fair enough."

He went to sit up, but the pain caused him to groan and lay back down.

"You just lay still," he told her.

"No. I need to check in on my mom," he told her as he forced himself to sit up.

"Are you sure? I mean, I can go talk to her and see if..."

"No. She's probably worried sick already. I know the officer talked to her, but I really need to get home."

"Well, okay," Melanie said.

"Let me...let me give you a hand, okay?"

She stood up then tried to decide how best to help him get up. After several false starts, she held out both hands and once he took them, she let him pull as she did the same. It took three tries, but he eventually stood up.

He no sooner got on his feet than he felt lightheaded to the point where he instinctively reached for her. Melanie threw her arms under his and kept him from falling. Greg put his around her and held on tight.

"Thank you," he said. "I thought I was going down for another eight count."

"A what?" she asked.

In spite of the pain in his head he laughed quietly.

"See? I told you I wasn't very smart," Melanie said, although she was smart enough to know she was missing something—again.

"You're smart," he told her as he forced himself to stand up straight. "You just don't give yourself enough credit."

For someone she didn't find very attractive, Melanie was wondering why she found herself looking at him the way she was in spite of his face that was now swollen and very lopsided.

Unable to answer her question, she said, "You should really get that checked out. You might have a broken bone."

"The cheekbone could be fractured," Gregg replied. "But there's not much they can do for that. It's the same with ribs. They don't really even wrap them anymore if you fracture one. It just has to heal on its own and that takes time. I'll snag a couple of my mom's oxycodone pills and tough it out."

Melanie turned sideways as Gregg draped an arm around her shoulder.

As they began walking very slowly she said, "Do you mind me askin' what's wrong with your momma?"

"She had surgery on her back a few days after I got home. She's not healing well, and even getting up is a real struggle, so she'd pretty much bedridden."

"Oh, poor thing!" Melanie replied. "If there's ever anything I can do to help, you just let me know okay?"

"Oh, sure. Thanks, Melanie," he told her.

"Ha! Unlike me, you remembered my name."

"Guys like me never forget a pretty girl's name," Gregg told her as he tried to smile.

"You see. There you go again. Bein' all sweet!"

He fumbled for his keys, but couldn't reach them.

"Here. Let me," she said.

She ended up reaching into his pocket in spite of his protestations, and when she did, she felt something a lot larger than his keys. She flinched slightly then grabbed the keys and removed her hand.

"That's why I didn't want you reaching in there," Gregg said rather sheepishly. "I apologize. Sincerely."

Melanie couldn't help but smile and said, "No. It's okay. I'm...flattered."

She put the key in the lock then said with a smile, "I think."

"Yeah, it's hard to imagine that could even happen after what just happened to me, but like I said, you're a very attractive woman."

She unlocked the door, pushed it open, then said, referring to the 'large bulge' she'd just encountered in his pants, "I believe I just found evidence to support your belief in that claim."

She saw Gregg try and smile, and that made her laugh, but the laugh ended when she heard a woman call out, "Gregg? Honey? Is that you?"

"Hey, Mom. Yeah. I'll be right there."

"Are you okay? I've been worried sick!"

Melanie helped him to her room then said, "I should probably go."

"Who's that?" Gregg's mom called out.

"It's our neighbor, Mom," Gregg said to Melanie who wanted to say 'hi' but didn't want to walk into someone else's bedroom.

"Go ahead. Say 'hey'," Gregg told her.

Melanie stuck her head in and said, "Hello."

Gregg's mom saw her and said, "Oh. Hi, there. I believe I've seen you a few times."

"Yes, ma'am," Melanie told her. "I've seen you a time or two, also. I'm Melanie."

"Hello, Melanie. I'm Beverly. Gregg's mom."

"I think she figured that out, Mom," Gregg said as he stepped into view.

"Oh, my Lord!" his mother said when she saw him.

"It looks a lot worse than it is," he said trying to calm her down.

"It looks terrible!" Beverly said, a look of horror on her face. "The police officer told me someone hit you, but I had no idea it was this bad!"

"I'll be fine, Mom. I just need to keep some ice on it and take something until the swelling goes down."

"Your son tried to protect me," Melanie let her know.

"I didn't do anything other than let The Hulk use my face as a punching bag," Gregg said modestly.

"Well, you were very brave, and you're my hero," Melanie told him trying not to laugh at his Hulk comment. "And I really am grateful."

"That's Gregg," Beverly said. "He's always been like that."

"Mom? Come on," he said.

"Well, it's true," she insisted.

"I...I should probably get home," Melanie said.

"I'd offer to walk you back, but that's probably not smart," Gregg told her as he tried to smile again.

"Right. I'd just end up having to help you get back down here again, huh?" she said with a sweet smile.

"It was nice meeting you, Beverly," Melanie told the woman laying in bed.

"Same here, Melanie. Stop by anytime."

"You, too," she said. "Once you're feeling better, that is."

Gregg took a couple of steps with her then stopped.

Melanie looked at him then said as sincerely as she could, "Thank you, Gregg. Thank you so much for standing up for me."

"Actually, I just ended up sitting down, but..."

Melanie laughed politely at his humor then leaned over and kissed him on the undamaged cheek.

"Thank you and good night," she said.

As she walked away Gregg said, "Oh. Don't forget about that carpet. I'm still willing to install it for you."

"Maybe you should heal up first?" she suggested with another sweet smile.

"Good point. Yeah, let's hold off until tomorrow then," he said with a deadpan delivery.

Melanie laughed again then told him goodnight one more time before leaving and closing the door behind her.

"She seems nice," Gregg heard his mom say.

He stepped back into the room then said, "Yes, she does."

"Maybe you could ask her out sometime," his mom said with a weak smile.

"Mom. Did you see her?" her son said.

"Yes. She's very pretty."

"And are you looking at me?" he said pointing to his face.

"That'll heal soon enough," she told him.

"Yes, and then I'll still be me," he let her know indicating she was too attractive for him.

"Yes. Yes, you will. And you'll still be a doctor when you're healed up."

"No. I'll be a dentist. An average-looking dentist who still doesn't have a job."

"She'd be lucky to have you, honey," his mom said. "Any girl would."

Gregg knew she meant it, but then, she was his mother, and mothers were hopelessly optimistic. And although he wasn't going to say anything, Melanie had...issues...that almost made Gregg glad she was 'off limits'.

And yet, even though that was true, he'd been unable to stop thinking about her since he nearly ran into in the hall that day. He wasn't the kind of guy to crush on a woman, but he had to admit he might just be doing that a little bit with his pretty, older neighbor.

For now, his head was throbbing, and although the Ibuprofen was kicking in, he asked his mom if he could steal one her pain pills. She didn't like taking them because of the way they made her feel, and she was all too happy to let him take whatever he needed.

"Just one for now," he said with the best smile he could muster.

"Then come tell me what happened tonight," she said as he went to get some water and some new ice.

Melanie was up until around 3 am, another habit she'd acquired since her teen years. She woke up around 10 am, had some toast then took a shower and got dressed.

Around noon, she walked down the hall and quietly knocked on the door. It took close to a minute, but Gregg made his way to it and opened it up.

"Melanie. Hi," he said as he tried to smile.

The right side of his face was black and blue, and Melanie couldn't stop staring.

"Oh, my God. Gregg, are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. It's just the body's way of healing a facial wound like this. All that unsightly blue color is my body removing the damaged tissue. It hurts like hell, but I'm fine."

"Oh, good. I...I just wanted to stop by and see if you needed anything."

"Gregg? Who's at the door?" they heard Beverly call out.

"Can you afford to come in and say 'hi'?" he asked her.

"Oh. Um...sure. I can do that," Melanie said.

Beverly was glad to see her again and asked how she was doing.

"I see where your son gets his concern from. You had surgery and he got beat up, and both of you are asking about me," she said with a sincere smile.

"But neither one of us has a Bluto to contend with," Gregg told her.

Melanie laughed now that she knew what he meant.

"You really do need to file a restraining order," he said politely again.

He saw the concerned look so Gregg said, "I've only got one cheek left. Once that's gone..."

Melanie tried not to laugh, but when he smiled a lopsided smile she couldn't help it.

"You see. I told you you were a really sweet guy."

"And he's a doctor," Beverly chimed in saying.

Gregg didn't bother correcting his mom again before he and Melanie stepped out of the bedroom.

"She thinks we should...I don't know...be a couple or something," Gregg said in a way that indicated he knew how absurd that was.

Melanie smiled then said, "But I wouldn't know what to do if the guy I was with treated me with respect."

It was meant to be funny, but Gregg neither laughed nor smiled.

"Respect is a given," he told her quietly. "You deserve that as the bare minimum and then a whole lot more."

The way he said it made Melanie feel something she'd never felt before. The feeling was so foreign to her, she wasn't sure what it was or how to even describe it. But it was nonetheless a very pleasant feeling, and she thanked him for saying that.