Love Thy Neighbor

Chapter 6

I pace around my condo for a good ten minutes trying to decide if I should go over to his place. I could take the gift card with me, but I know he won't take it. I look like crap after traveling. I'm wearing leggings, a big sweater, and my hair is in a messy pony tail. Not that it matters what I look like. This guy dates women on a much higher plane than where I am located on my best day.

Confession: after I met Shawn, I started following him on social media and maybe even stalked him a bit online. I learned that the blonde who fell into my condo was a model who he'd been linked to off and on for ages. I learned that she was one of many model-beautiful women who he had flings with. He definitely has a type.

I finally decide to man-up (woman-up!) and accept his offer to come over. I grab my keys, cross the hall, and knock gently on his door.

No response.

I knock a bit louder.

No response.

He's obviously not home, which has me feeling a mixture of relief and disappointment.

I'm about to open my door again when I hear his open.

"Hey, Jess," he says. "Want a drink?"

I turn and smile, butterflies in my stomach. "Sure. But just one. I have work tomorrow." And just like that I go into his condo.

His condo is amazing, by the way. Twice as big as mine and decked out beautifully. I walk around while he makes us each a whiskey ginger. I pause by the room-length window and admire the view of the CN Tower.

"Here you go," Shawn says as he hands me a drink. "How was your Thanksgiving?"

"Full of family and food," I reply smiling. "Yours?" I take a sip of the drink. It's lovely, if not a bit strong.

"I went to my parents' house. It was great. I don't see them enough even though they aren't that far away."

I hadn't really pegged him as someone family oriented.

He gestures to the couch, indicating that we should sit. "Tell me something about yourself that I would never guess," he says once he's situated on the sectional sofa.

I wrack my brain for a minute, taking several long sips of the strong drink in my hand. I don't want to say anything too personal. Finally I speak.

"I got teased a lot growing up because I love math so much."

His eyebrows raise. My answer is not particularly revealing or interesting, but it obviously was not what he expected.

"Tell me more about this love of math," he responds.

So I do. I start with how I could add and subtract two digit problems before I was potty trained and ended with how I basically taught advanced discrete math to my peers my senior year in college since I had a better grasp of it than the guy who was supposed to be instructing us. I think he's impressed, but he might just be weirded out. Like maybe he thinks I am a freak.

"I'm impressed," he says.

Phew. But he probably would not tell me if it was more the freak thing.

"I need to go," I say as a stand up. I've already stayed twice as long as I'd planned.

"But it's my turn," he says, as he pats his hand on the couch, making it clear I should sit back down. So I do.

"Okay. Tell me your darkest secret."

He laughs loudly. "Ha! Nope. You aren't getting that kind of info. I did want to tell you something, though. You do know who I am, right?"

I roll my eyes. "Yes."

"About the gift card..." he starts, "my manager told me I needed to make the gesture."

I must have frowned or made a face because he puts his hands up defensively and continues.

"I feel genuinely sorry about it. I really do. That's no way to meet your neighbor. I'm embarrassed that my friend and I got so carried away in the hall."

"It would have been okay if it had just been your door and not mine. So your manager was just worried I might tell someone? Or go to the press?" I query.

He nods.

"I would never do that."

And I wouldn't. We might not be friends, but I respect that he deserves privacy.

"And I'm still not taking the gift card," I say with a smirk.

Shawn just shakes his head, chuckling. "I wasted $50 on a turkey for nothing?"

I smile and stand again. "Thanks for the drink, Shawn. See you around." And I leave.