This Interesting Man

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: going home

After a full thirteen hours of burning work, you change your shoes from heels to flats, and walk the seven blocks to your apartment. It's two thirty a.m, and you're tired, hungry, and dreary. You very, very slowly make your way up the two flights of stairs to your apartment. God, how you wished for a lift. But they're reserved for people in crutches or wheelchairs. You take your key out of your bag, and blindly try to open your door, not realising that you're jamming the wrong key into the lock. Your eyes can't hold open anymore, and you almost fall asleep out on the door.

"Hey.. Miss? Miss? Are you awake miss?" you hear a mans voice say. Still too tired to open your eyes, you merely nod your head. He hear a little giggle, hear a jangle of keys and something opening. Suddenly you're being lifted off the ground. Thinking its only a dream, you stay in your state of hovering between consciousness and being asleep. You feel yourself being placed on your small couch, then hear another tender giggle, and a door closing.

~*~

You awake with the sun in your eyes. Sitting up on the couch, you're wondering how you got there, not remembering the events that happened the night before. You can't recall, but hope you do soon. Still in your office clothing, you go into your room to change into more comfortable clothes. Today is your day off, so you decide to just wear some sweats and a black tank top. You take down your hair, letting it fall down your shoulders, and take off your makeup.

You go outside to the balcony to see what type of day it was. Cold and windy, but still sunny. You turn on the T.V. To the news channel, hearing about someone eating another mans face in America.

"Good lord, those Americans get stranger and stranger each day" you scoff, flipping the channel to something else. There's a sudden, light nock on the door. You glance at the clock, and see that it's already ten am. You jump up and rush toward the door, and look through the peep-hole to see who it is. It was the man you had spilled tea all over the previous day. You make a face of worry and open the door. "Uh... Good morning.." you greet him after opening the door just a crack. The man smiled.

"Good morning, miss. I'm sorry if I had hurt you last night." he said, raising an eyebrow. You feel yourself make a tense look, and slightly worried about what happened, not remembering.

"W-what happened last night?" you ask a little louder than you intended. He laughed and asked gently

"Oh, you don't remember? You fell asleep outside your door, so I unlocked it and carried you to your couch for you." he cast a very adorable smile. You open the door wider.

"Oh..." you say slowly, offering a small smile. "Why, thank you.." you avoid his eyes. "Would you like to come in?" you ask, fully opening the door. "I'm not dressed, I just changed, so pardon me." you add hurriedly, embarrassed for your state of clothing. He smiled again.

"Thank you, miss." he said, and stepped inside. "Oh, and by the way, my name is Thomas. You can call me Tom." he said over his shoulder.

"Hello, Tom. Nice to meet you" you give him your name with an outstretched hand. He takes your hand, and instead of shaking it, like you thought, he pressed your had to his lips. You blush, and avoid eye contact again. "Thanks again, for taking me inside. Not a lot of people would do that." you tell him, while walking into the kitchen. "You want something to eat?" you ask, opening the fridge.

"Oh, no, it's fine, miss. And it wasn't a big deal. Just treating my new neighbour." he said, casting a side glance in my direction. So he's the new neighbour!

"Oh, you're the one who moved in next door?" you wonder, regretting you said it, since he basically just stated that. He nodded his head.

"Would you like to come over some time?" he asked. "Only if it's convenient to you." he quickly stated afterword. You smiled.

"Sure. When I can." you exit the kitchen, and stand with Tom. "Have you eaten yet?" he asked you, and you just realised how tall he really was. He towered over you, like some sort of Bigfoot- but extremely handsome. And not so hairy.

"No, not yet. Why?" you raise an eyebrow.

"Would you like to dine with me?"

You looked up at him. Was he asking for a date? You blush.

"Maybe.. What time?" you feel your cheeks glow red and you look down at your feet- you felt like a teenager in high school.

"Whenever you're ready, miss." Tom gave out that amazing smile again.

"Oh.. Ok, sure. I just have to shower and change and..." you look down at yourself and attire, not completing your sentence.

"Of course. Just knock on my door when you're ready." he smiled again, and left out the door.

"Thanks again!" you yell after him. He nodded his head, smiled, and vanished.