The Boss And I

Chapter 1 - The New Guy Next Door

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK "HELLLOOO!!!! ANY ONE HOME?" a loud  voice was shouting outside my apartment, I try to ignore the noise but it doesn't leave. I rise irritated from my bed and storm towards the front door. I swing open the door and blindly begin to shout.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT TIME IT IS? WHY ARE YOU KNOCKING SO LOUDLY ON MY DOOR FOR? HUH?? JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU A......" my vision clears mid-rant and standing before me was the most dreamy, firm, tall, god-like guy that seemed to be the same age as me. He gazed at me in amusement then turned to his side and started laughing.

"What's so funny?" I ask angrily, trying to keep up my tough girl facade.

"Oh uhm nothing, don't mind me." he replies as he clears his throat and averts my eyes.

"Gladly but now I'm awake. So for the last time what do you want?" I say fiercely.

The guy takes a step back and shifts his eyes from below my hip to elsewhere, confused I looked down and gasp! I slam the door shut. Laughter can be heard through my door. I was in my undies! I ran into my room and grabbed a pair of sweatpants from my drawer and put them on.

I return to my front door, I look through the peephole and see that they guy is still there crossing his arms trying to keep warm in his puffer jacket. I open the door slowly, mentally preparing to face my embarrassment.

"S..so...sorry ab..about that" I stuttered in a soft voice as I try and hide my embarrassed face by looking down.

The guy smiles gently but then gives a mischievous glance.   

"Why weren't you wearing pants?" He asks in a teasing manner.

"Why are you at my front door?" I reply sharply.

"Hmm.. you're a feisty one, aren't you?" he smirks.

I contemplate whether to shut the door in his face or to invite him inside, its freezing.

I let out a deep sigh.

"Come inside it is freezing out here" I say moving aside and gesturing him to come in.

"No, its fine, I don't want to intrude on your family" He replies as he walks straight passed me whilst taking off his blue sports puffer jacket.

"Uhm Okay? No one else lives here except me" I say as I take his jacket and scarf from him and place it on the coat rack drilled to the wall next to the door.

"Oh, so you're alone too huh?" He asks intrigued as he rubs his hands together to get warm.

"Yeah. What do you mean too? I haven't seen you around here before? You new?" I ask as I watch him find a seat in my living room.

"Yep, you guessed it. I just moved in next door, I came knocking because I wanted to get to know my new neighbours and...so I started with you" He explains as he continues to make himself comfortable on my lounge.

"Honestly dude, if you want to live here don't go around banging on people's doors and screaming at the top of your lungs just to let them know that you're moving in. You're lucky you came to me first cause if you went to someone else you would have been hit with a frying pan" I say walking to the kitchen that is opposite to the lounge room.

"Good thing I am next to you then aye?" He laughs.

"Yeah, lucky me.." I reply sarcastically.

"You want tea?" I ask holding up a mug and a green tea packet.

"Yes thanks" He replies gratefully.

"Uhm, my name is James...by the way" He says awkwardly, fiddling with one of my small flower table ornaments.

"Well nice to know you have a name James, I'm Mia" I chuckle, pouring hot water into the two mugs.

After preparing the tea, I walk towards James and place our drinks on to the coffee table. I sit next to him on the lounge and am really interested in his story, I begin to ask questions.

"So, James, why did you move here? Where did you move from? Are you living alone? Are you working?" I bombard him with questions.

James looked at me speechless for a moment then took a deep breath and began to tell me about his family and his independence.

******One hour later ******

After an hour of conversing about our lives, James gets up and seems to be ready to leave.

"Thanks for the tea and for the little peep show this morning Mia, I liked the pink and black stripes" James says chuckling as he walks towards the door.

"Seriously man! forget that already! I already told you why I didn't have pants on, you're making me regret letting you in" I said looking down at my empty tea cup.

"Haha...anyway its about time for me to get ready for work, it's my first day on the job. Sorry again for this morning" James says exiting my apartment, holding his jacket in one hand and waving at me with the other.

I smile gently and wave as he closes my door. I can't help but think of what an amazing gift to humanity he is! All the stories he had just told me, whom is a complete stranger to him but yet he still opened up to me. I look at my door and see that he has forgotten his scarf, I look at the clock that's hanging in my kitchen, I don't have enough time to return his scarf now so it'll have to wait till tonight.

I then remember that the new boss comes today as I walk into my room and look at the calendar with today's date circled. I really hope this new boss is better than Derek, he was a total tool, he blamed us for everything, especially for his own mistakes. I shake my head and let out a sigh. I prepare my clothes for today and go to take a shower.