The Girl Next Door (Chris Evans Fanfiction)

Chapter 2

Jacky's golden fur shone in the sunshine as he ran around chasing a butterfly in the backyard. Erica giggled watching her dog but then looked back down at the little side table she was working on sanding so that she could repaint it. She loved to finally have a big backyard to do her projects and while she stood up to go get the wood stain from it's spot on her deck, she danced along and sang to the music she had playing.

"I like the way you work it, no diggity, I got to bag it up," Erica swung her hips back and forth while singing loudly and quite badly, "Hey oh hey oh hey oh hey ohhhhhh!"

"Wow, you are completely off key!" She heard a low voice chuckle before the gate in the fence squeaked.

"Just because I can't sing, doesn't mean I won't sing," Erica said with a big smile, sitting down on the grass in front of her sanded table while Dodger trotted over in front of her master to sniff it.

"Obviously," Chris joked, earning him one of Erica's wadded up paper towels at him. He then turned serious and asked, "Am I interrupting?"

"No, not at all!" She happily grinned.

Chris picked up a ball lying in the grass and threw it all the way across the backyard effortlessly, sending the two dogs running. He then walked over and sat his big frame down on the grass across from Erica and motioned to the small table that was laid on it's side and asked her, "What are you doing?"

"I really like to refurbish furniture and so I'm just sanding this down and I think I might build an extra drawer. Then I'll paint it," Erica explained.

"Is this what you do? Like for a job?" He was curious, lightly running his fingertips along the smooth wood.

She shook her head, her dark hair bouncing back and forth as she did so, "No, it's more of a hobby. I'm a receptionist at a doctor's office... it's a good job but it's not too exciting, unlike what you do. I looked you up on the internet last night."

"Uh-oh," Chris laughed before Dodger and Jacky came running to him with the ball so he threw it again before adding, "That might be terrifying!"

"I didn't get too deep in searching. I mostly just read your wikipedia page although I did find out that you like Starburst jelly beans and Disney so I've officially decided that I like you," Her pink lips parted to make way for her white teeth smiling at him.

He slapped his hand to his toned chest and snickered, "Well that's good! Although I have to say, I feel as though I'm at a disadvantage because I can't read a wikipedia page about you."

Erica put her brush down and ran the back of her hand along her forehead, pushing her dark bangs off to the side. She then put her hands behind her in the grass and leaned back before looking into Chris' steel blue eyes and spoke through her smile, "If I had a wikipedia page, it would be really short, but it would tell you I was born in 1984, went to college at Boston University to get a degree in marketing, then after getting a job in marketing, I quickly found out I hated it and I've been a receptionist ever since."

"What are some things that wouldn't be on your wikipedia page?" Chris asked her. "Other than I take it you like Starburst jelly beans and Disney."

Erica dipped her brush in the wood stain and began brushing it back and forth before telling him, "Well I love music, especially 90's music and I sing along all the time even though I'm terrible at it. I cry at commercials. I don't like to wear white because I usually spill things on it. And Jacky is pretty much like my boyfriend."

"He sure is a good looking boyfriend," Chris said while Jacky trotted over and laid his head in the hunky man's lap while Chris rubbed his fur.

"You have a cute buddy too," Erica patted her lap for Dodger who hopped over happily and snuggled right on her legs. "Jacky is so happy have a friend next door now."

"Well so is Dodger. He keeps barking to get me to let him out in the backyard and then makes a beeline for the fence. I know the second that I try to take him back over, he'll be right at the fence again," He told her.

"If you don't have plans, why don't you just stay for dinner, that way the dogs can play until they tire themselves out," She suggested as the two dogs got up and started playing again.

Chris happily agreed and after a while he took Dodger home to give him a bath while Erica cooked dinner and changed her clothes. When Chris came back over, Jacky came running out to the backyard and he let Dodger run around with him while he knocked on the back door and peeked his head in.

"Come on in," Erica looked up from the pot she was stirring.

While Chris stepped in, he couldn't help but let his blue eyes trace over her frame. She was a very pretty girl with a beautiful figure. Chris noticed her slender shoulders that flowed into the curve of her thin waist and then flared back out for her hips and round behind and then went down to her mile long legs.

Erica had porcelain skin that provided contrast to her dark chocolate hair. He loved watching her curls bounce with laughter and he wanted to run his hands through it. His favorite thing about her though was that wide smile of hers. It made her whole face light up and he swore when she smiled, the entire space around her shone brighter. She was just so genuine and casual, she made him feel so comfortable and Chris was incredibly drawn to her.

"So, what made you want to move out here to Sudbury?" Chris was curious, coming over to lean against the counter.

She shrugged, "Well my apartment in the city was so expensive and I didn't have a yard or anything for Jacky, and a friend of mine is a realtor and saw that this place was a good deal so he called me and that was that. What about you? What's a big hollywood star doing in this suburban neighborhood?"

Erica pulled out two plates and put them on the kitchen table while they sat down. She dished up their food while Chris explained, "My mom still lives in the same house we had when we were all kids and my sisters both still live there with my nephews and niece and whenever I come home, I always stay there too. Anyway, I've been spending a lot more time at home and I was dating this one girl for a little while and it was getting more serious so I bought the house thinking this would be a good place for a family one day."

"Are you going to be starting a family anytime soon then?" Erica was curious.

Chris stared down at his plate for a little while before telling her, "It didn't end up working out between us."

"Oh Chris, I'm sorry," She was genuinely sympathetic.

"It's okay," He told her. "It's for the best. She didn't really want kids, I want a lot of kids. She was really independent and I'm a family guy. She had a demanding job and so do I. There just was too many road blocks. But it was still good to get my own place, I mean I still spend a lot of time at my Ma's house but it gives me my own place to come back to when I'm not in LA."

"I get that... okay well I don't literally get it because I don't go back and forth between houses after filming million dollar movie shoots but I understand what you're meaning," Erica chuckled, making Chris laugh.

"Well I love being home. I'm on a break for a couple months so I'm looking forward to just enjoying time off," He told her. "And I think I'm going to be enjoying it even more living next to you."