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My mouth tended to get ahead of me because my brain was always running a mile a minute.Ollie, one of my neighbors, always said that I was his daily entertainment.He was an older man and his kids never stopped by to check on him, so I did.He was a little flirty and that was alright because at seventy-eight years of age, you're allowed to be anything you want.This is what Ollie would say to me when I told him not to be rude to his chess partners at the center.I have another neighbor, but she worked 24-7 and prided herself on that fact.For me, that would never be my badge of honor again.
Our other neighbor just moved in a few months ago, and we still hadn't seen him.We figured he must put his trash out in the middle of the night.
Ollie told me to mind my business, so I did for the first three months.Now it was time to plan my ambush.
The wood counters in my kitchen is where I laid out the tools for my ambush.These included wake-me-up coffee shots, binoculars, latex gloves, and my bandana.I also had my trash bag prepared.
After the sun went below the horizon for the evening, I parked myself near the window facing the street.The building was only two stories, but had four apartments that tended to be spacious.Ollie lived downstairs underneath my unit.My workaholic neighbor lived across from me and the phantom guy lived on the first floor beneath her unit.
Ollie said he'd seen him a few times and from the looks of it, he was a fairly young guy but did not seem approachable.
Not that any of that mattered to me, I was on a mission.
There was no movement for hours and I was tired of playing Sudoku on my phone while listening for the creak of his door.The only reason I knew it had a creak was because the people that lived there before him always chose odd times to leave and the rusty hinges caused a loud creaking as they flexed against the metal door frame plates.Ollie said the neighbors were losers and to stay away from them.I left a note anyway, but the hinges were never fixed.
Something passed by outside causing me to drop my phone and look down.
Shit.
When I looked back up, I noticed a guy dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts making his way to the dumpster.
Quickly, I grabbed my phone, my gloves and bandana and proceeded to leave my apartment.
Shit, I forgot the trash.Running back inside, I grabbed my bag of trash and flew down the stairs.
The guy had just reached the dumpster, so I quickly speed-walked to catch up then slowed down so he would not see me rushing towards him.
“Hey, hey,” I called.
He turned around and holy cow, he was hot.So distractingly hot that I didn't realize I had come to a stop.
“Yeah,” his voice seemed to rumble over my body.
Even his voice was hot.It was smooth, not husky, but it definitely glided over my skin.Almost like he could be a singer or radio show host.
“I'm so glad you’re out here,” I said as I recited my rehearsed lines.“I didn't want to come out here by myself at night, but I cooked fish for dinner, so I had to get it out.Know what I mean?”
He grunted and turned back around to open the dumpster for me.
“Oh wow.Thanks so much,” I exclaimed.
He nodded as I walked closer to him.The man was tall compared to my five-foot-seven-inch frame and he was fair skinned.His dark hair was longer than I expected and unkempt.His beard was also out of control but with or without it, this man was hot.
“I'm Phoebe, your neighbor.”I held out my hand.“I'm in 2a upstairs.Right above Ollie.”
He nodded again but didn't take my hand.
I extended it further just in case he couldn't see my hand in the well-lit,small parking lot that consisted of our four vehicles.
“Are you really not going to shake my hand?”I asked.“I washed my hands after making the fish.”
He looked down at my hand and still didn't take it.
O-kay.
“Well, will you tell me your name?”
He looked back towards the apartments and took a step towards them.
