The McLean sisters Di and Leanne looked through the shades at their new neighbor standing hands on hips watching the to relocation team drive away in their huge truck. Their mom Heather joined them.
"Nice ass."
"Act your age mom," Leanne said and she and Di sniggered.
"I wonder if he likes sex," Di (22) said, winking at her year-older sister, knowing that sort of remark riled their mom. But Heather remained silent and her expression appeared to be reflective. The sisters stared blankly at their mom as if wondering what was going on in her head.
Heather thought he looked about thirty and would be a business executive. Well he'd need to be paying the high price the McLeod's had held out for their substantial home. She was disappointed the guy appeared to be alone. Nothing she saw being carried in suggested a woman's possession and no woman had appeared on the scene.
"I wonder if he'd married?" Di sighed.
"Nah, he's gay. Real men don't stand with hands on hips like a riled woman."
"You'd want to rest your hands on something after lugging in all that furniture and cartons," Heather reasoned. The girls sniggered and she told them to behave like ladies.
She said she hoped there would be a woman, either his mother or a wife or a girlfriend because she'd always been used to having a female friend directly across the street. "Let's find out about him," she said. "We'll make a date and nut log and take over a bottle of wine to welcome him to the neighborhood.
She did the baking unassisted. The girls had rushed off to change and apply make-up.
The guy stood at the door nervously. "Hi."
"Hi, I'm Heather McLean from directly across the street in the cream brick house and this is my eldest Leanne and her sister Di."
"Good evening Heather, Leanne and Di."
There was an awkward pause until he said, "Ah, I'm Hugo Hatfield."
"Are you English?"
"Yes Di. Are you guys American or do you claim Scottish ancestry?"
"Even mom a McCallum was born in Massachusetts and dad's folk have lived here in Springfield since arriving from Scotland in 1902."
"Nicely answered Di."
Heather said, "Hugo, welcome to the neighborhood. Would you please accept this piece of cooking and wine."
"Oh guys, how hospitable and charming. Please come in and view the mess."
* * *
Heather, home at 3.30 after finishing her theatre shift at Baystate Medical Center, handed coffee to her older friend Helen Fields who'd called in.
"What's new Heather?"
"We have a new neighbor in the mansion opposite. Initially he introduced himself just as Hugo Hatfield but I was astonished to find he is our new and fourth orthopedic surgeon and comes from Bristol in England. He arrived from Boston where he qualified for registration and certification and is now undergoing induction, in hip and knee replacement surgery."
"Well that's news. I have a wonky knee. What's his wife like?"
"He's not married and told me women don't take to him romantically."
"What, is it too small?"
They cackled over their coffee.
"Di and Leanne both agree with his assessment of himself. They both made independent pitches for him and got nowhere. He actually took Leanne out to dinner and she told us she was bored stiff. His music tastes are classical, he doesn't read fiction or magazines or watch much television and says his main recreational interests are ice-skating, kayaking and visiting galleries, museums and libraries."
"Claire!"
"What? Oh your Claire. God Helen, it would be a perfect match. He's thirty-three, just a year older than your Claire. Look, let's arrange a dinner party here – I'll get the girls to stay out late – and you bring Barry and just Claire."
"Very well. You set it up."
"Good, I'll just tell him it's dinner with long-standing family friends and their daughter who paints."
"And who is director of Fisher Gallery."
"No, and don't tell Claire he's a surgeon. Give them some things to find out that will surprise them."
* * *
Claire frowned, "Dinner Saturday night at the McLean's? Well I suppose so since Heather has especially invited me. I haven't seen her for a while. Her daughters are a bit scatty for me."
"Oh thank you darling for accepting. We'll try to brighten up your evening. I really do think you should be going out with young men. How can your father and I become grandparents when you steer clear of guys?"
"I'll find the right one eventually and would you and Heather stop ruining my reputation by being worried I might have a closet girlfriend."
"We haven't expressed our fears to anyone."
"Ohmigod, for the first time you've admitted you talk to her about that."
"That's not fair; you tricked me into that admission," Helen complained. "Oh, before I forget. Heather has also invited a new neighbor to dinner."
"Ohmigod, what a couple of scheming women you two are. I ought to refuse to go."
"Aw darling, please.
"Well if you promise we'll leave by 10:15."
"Yes dear, I promise, even if I have to drag you out by your hair."
"Dream on you wicked witch."
Claire, with her wispy blonde hair up but bits dropping down untidily and she drooped, being addicted to soft and unreinforced bras, entered the McLean's home feeling mildly interested. Heather was all over her with kisses and stroking which irritated her, Arnold kissed and performed a mild grope that she habitually tolerated and thank god the kids weren't there. Nor was he. She thought ah well, he probably wouldn't have liked her anyway and was in love with his mirror.
