Playing With Fire || z.m

"Hi, neighbour!"

ELLIE

One thing I couldn’t stand was a bad driver so this arsehole driving along tailgating me was getting on my last nerve. What is this idiot achieving by being so intimidating? I feel my stress levels rising with every inch I drive and by the time I reach the next set of traffic lights I’ve had it.

“What’s your problem?” I shout as I jump out of my car and stomp over to the driver in the car behind me. “Do you want to get in my boot or something mate?” I don’t give him the chance to reply. “I’m not exactly driving slowly! What’s your deal?” To my surprise he is a young bloke, with a cigarette hanging out his mouth and expensive looking sunglasses on his face.

He smirks, blowing smoke at me out his mouth. “Feisty, aren’t you.” He chuckles.  

“I’m sorry?” Did he really just call me feisty? I watch as he takes another drag from his cigarette and swipes his glasses from his face. He was actually a decent looking guy, with dark hair styled into a messy quiff and sparkling brown eyes.    

“I like it.” I was stumped. “I like your temper, I tailgated you for half a mile and you jumped out the car at the first given opportunity to tell me to fuck off.”

“So you admit you’re a shit driver?” I take a moment to check out his motor, I couldn’t resist a sports car. It was a beautiful black Bentley that looked very well looked after and possibly brand new.

“Like what you see?” I snap my attention back to the young guy who still has a stupid smirk plastered on his pretty face.

“Back the fuck off, yeah?” Of course I like what I see, but as if I was going to admit that to this guy who had just intimidated me while I was trying to drive home. I turn towards my car, my face flushed with anger and surprise. Oh, one more thing before this conversation was over, “Dickhead.” I call before I jump back into my car, driving away from the intimidating prick.

*

I pull up outside my house two minutes later and jump out onto the pavement, checking out my new motor. I’d bought it three days previously and just couldn’t stop looking at it! I’d saved up every penny myself to pay for my £10,000 silver Suzuki Swift so was feeling very proud of my self.

I open the boot, pulling out my handbag, my work bag and my big heavy folder full of boring paper work when a car horn pulls me suddenly from my thoughts. I snap my head round as I pull the boot shut, my eyes falling on the same black car that had tailgated me two minutes ago. It stops on the other side of the road outside the house opposite mine.

“Have you followed me?” I shout. The young guy turns his engine off and steps out the car looking strangely pleased with himself.

“Hi, neighbour.” He says with a slight northern accent as he pushes his sunglasses onto his head.

“Neighbour?” I repeat.

“Yeah.” The guy was fairly tall with beautiful Asian skin. “Moved in yesterday.” He gestures with his key to the house he was parked outside.

“You’ve got to be kidding me?”

He shakes his head, “No, I’m not kidding you. I’ll let you know when the house warming party is, babe.” He winks and saunters up the pathway to his large wooden front door and he quickly disappears into his new house.

“As if I’d want to come to your party.” I mutter, making my way to my own front door. I let myself in and plonk all my stuff down on the floor in the hall. I couldn’t wait; I was desperate for a smoke. I practically run into the kitchen and grab a fag and a lighter out the cupboard before yanking open the garden door. I stumble onto the patio and sit myself in my favourite spot; my Grandad’s old favourite wooden bench that I saved from his house when he died. I light the cigarette and take a long drag from it, feeling my shoulders relax.

Something about that arsehole had really got under my skin. I have no idea what exactly annoys me about him: His posh car, huge house, the fact that he now lives opposite me, his awful driving, his arrogance, his smirk, his expensive looking clothes, his big brown eyes. Or am I just listing stuff that makes him really sexy?

He is undeniably sexy.

I face palm myself, what is wrong with me? 

My list causes a debate in my mind. Everything I know about him so far makes me angry yet excited. Even though I am telling myself I dislike him, I secretly, deep down, have a little bit of a thing for him and I don’t even know his name.