Once I’m in my apartment, I change out of my work clothes and into a comfy pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I nuke a leftover slice of pizza and turn on the television. It’s lame, I know, but the noise helps me to feel a little less lonely. It always has. People, staff, family, and friends chosen by my mother have surrounded me all my life, but it doesn’t change the fact I’ve always felt lonely. I don’t really have an explanation for it; it’s just always been that way with me. The few times I haven’t felt that way have been the times I’ve spent in recent years with my father and sister.
I spot the yellow gift bag on the kitchen counter thinking that maybe I should go over and give it to the neighbors. I spotted the man again yesterday, this time in the parking lot; he was coming in the building with the baby. I felt a sense of relief when I saw that my suspicions were wrong and the baby was okay. I didn’t see the woman again, but I figured she’d likely gone in ahead of them. After seeing that, the conversation I had earlier in the day with Hannah about making new friends popped into my head, so I dropped by a baby store during lunch today and picked up a small gift. I figure now’s as good a time as any, so I move to the kitchen, pick up the gift bag, and head over to their apartment.
I knock on the door feeling all kinds of stupid for coming over here, but it’s the neighborly thing to do, right? I wait but there’s no answer, and I’m almost relieved that no one is home. It would have sucked if he had answered the door. It could have been embarrassing, especially after he caught me in the hallway after he had his thing yesterday. I’m sure it would have been awkward for both of us. I’m just about to turn and walk back to my apartment when the door abruptly opens.
“Yeah?”
It’s him. Of course, it had to be him. Why wouldn’t it be him? This is confirmation of the universe’s constant need to fuck with me. He’s staring at me impatiently, and I can’t help but to give him a once-over. What I notice is that my original assessment of him was slightly off. He’s not hot. He’s oh-my-effing-god hot, and I decide instantly that there’s no way in hell I could ever be friends with his wife because I’d spend my time with her silently lusting after her husband. From my estimation, I’d guess that he’s easily around six-foot-one, muscular, but not overly. You can see just the right amount of muscle tone under his dark gray Henley. His powerful thighs fill his jeans to perfection. I look up noticing that his thick, dark brown hair has just a hint of a wave. The kind that makes you think that maybe he’s slightly overdue for a haircut but you’d like to run your fingers through it anyway. His eyes are a milky colored brown and rimmed with impossibly long lashes. I’m not sure with the dim lighting in this hallway, but I swear I can almost see traces of green in them. He’s just … wow.
“Can I help you?” he asks, pulling me out of my standing coma and clearly losing patience with me.
“Um, hi,” I say with a slight wave. Jesus, I’m a dork. “I’m Emelia. I just moved in across the hall from you.”
His eyes go to my closed front door and then come back to me. With absolutely no mercy, he mutters, “Yeah, the old guy who lived there finally kicked the bucket.”
“The previous tenant passed away?” I ask hesitantly.
“Yeah,” he replies matter-of-factly.
“Oh,” I say all the while thinking that this is just great, that’s all I fucking need is to be haunted by the ghost of a dead guy. “Did he die in the actual apartment?”
“No clue,” he says reaching for something in his apartment and producing a jacket that he wastes no time in putting on. I shake off my shock at the news of a possible death in my apartment and give him a smile.
“Right. Well, anyway. I know you and your wife just had a baby, and I just thought I’d drop by and bring you a little
I spot the yellow gift bag on the kitchen counter thinking that maybe I should go over and give it to the neighbors. I spotted the man again yesterday, this time in the parking lot; he was coming in the building with the baby. I felt a sense of relief when I saw that my suspicions were wrong and the baby was okay. I didn’t see the woman again, but I figured she’d likely gone in ahead of them. After seeing that, the conversation I had earlier in the day with Hannah about making new friends popped into my head, so I dropped by a baby store during lunch today and picked up a small gift. I figure now’s as good a time as any, so I move to the kitchen, pick up the gift bag, and head over to their apartment.
I knock on the door feeling all kinds of stupid for coming over here, but it’s the neighborly thing to do, right? I wait but there’s no answer, and I’m almost relieved that no one is home. It would have sucked if he had answered the door. It could have been embarrassing, especially after he caught me in the hallway after he had his thing yesterday. I’m sure it would have been awkward for both of us. I’m just about to turn and walk back to my apartment when the door abruptly opens.
“Yeah?”
It’s him. Of course, it had to be him. Why wouldn’t it be him? This is confirmation of the universe’s constant need to fuck with me. He’s staring at me impatiently, and I can’t help but to give him a once-over. What I notice is that my original assessment of him was slightly off. He’s not hot. He’s oh-my-effing-god hot, and I decide instantly that there’s no way in hell I could ever be friends with his wife because I’d spend my time with her silently lusting after her husband. From my estimation, I’d guess that he’s easily around six-foot-one, muscular, but not overly. You can see just the right amount of muscle tone under his dark gray Henley. His powerful thighs fill his jeans to perfection. I look up noticing that his thick, dark brown hair has just a hint of a wave. The kind that makes you think that maybe he’s slightly overdue for a haircut but you’d like to run your fingers through it anyway. His eyes are a milky colored brown and rimmed with impossibly long lashes. I’m not sure with the dim lighting in this hallway, but I swear I can almost see traces of green in them. He’s just … wow.
“Can I help you?” he asks, pulling me out of my standing coma and clearly losing patience with me.
“Um, hi,” I say with a slight wave. Jesus, I’m a dork. “I’m Emelia. I just moved in across the hall from you.”
His eyes go to my closed front door and then come back to me. With absolutely no mercy, he mutters, “Yeah, the old guy who lived there finally kicked the bucket.”
“The previous tenant passed away?” I ask hesitantly.
“Yeah,” he replies matter-of-factly.
“Oh,” I say all the while thinking that this is just great, that’s all I fucking need is to be haunted by the ghost of a dead guy. “Did he die in the actual apartment?”
“No clue,” he says reaching for something in his apartment and producing a jacket that he wastes no time in putting on. I shake off my shock at the news of a possible death in my apartment and give him a smile.
“Right. Well, anyway. I know you and your wife just had a baby, and I just thought I’d drop by and bring you a little
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