Secrets and Love

The Redhead Next Door

Summary: Dot meets a new person in her building

(The OC characters are there to make the story flow, and they and the storyline belong to me, unlike the characters, they all belong to their rightful owners)

(Also English is not my first language, so excuse any mistakes, and feel free to point it out to me.)

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Dorothea P.O.V

For the past 2 weeks, she has been seeing movers move buckets of paints, portrait, brushes, and so many things that an artist will use to the second floor of her building to the room right across from where she lives, according to the landlord some lady rented the place to use it as a painting studio.

And it seems that yesterday was the last day for the moving process, so today she decided to introduce herself to the mysterious artist, Dot always been a fan of art, she couldn't help herself she had to meet the new occupant.

So here she is standing Knocking on the door of her kind of new neighbor with a basket of muffins, because it is the polite thing to do, as she waited she overheard someone from the other side of the door mumbling something along the lines of "just a second I'm coming" while waiting for a few seconds, the door flew open revealing a redhead who had her hair in a messy pun held on by a painting brush, she wore a green maxi skirt with a white blouse complemented by a pair of black flats and a couple of bangles decorating her left arm.

Dot took a couple of seconds to look her over, she appears to be in her mid to late 30th, but she looked good, she seems to one of those people who age well as time goes by, she almost looked like a hipster but in a good way, she is one of those people how could pull off such a look.

"I'm sorry can I help you with something?" the redhead stared at her with a raised eyebrow.

It took Dot a couple of seconds to realize that she was staring at the redhead.

"Sorry I'm Dorothea Rollin, but everyone calls me Dot, I live right across you and I own the antique store on the first floor"

The redhead took a couple of seconds and stared at her as if she is trying to figure something out, but whatever it was it passed away quickly as her entire demeanor changed and suddenly she looked very friendly as she introduced herself "Oh, hi I'm Jocelyn, Jocelyn Garroway"

Deciding to ignore the redhead's behavior who now she knew as Jocelyn she decided to hand he muffins "Hear, I baked some muffins as welcome to the bulling gift"

"Thank you, that very sweet of you" Jocelyn looked pleased with her offer and with friendly smile invited her in.

As she entered she tried to look around without seeming too obvious while Jocelyn placed the muffins basket aside, the place indeed looked like an art studio it was filled with finished and unfished paintings, bucket of paints and brushes the place wasn't organized per say, well not on traditional senses, if anyone tried to look for something in here they will not find it, but the person who is using this studio may not have the same problem, that the thing about artists there is always a method to their madness, to others this studio well look unorganized but to the artist itself it is organized enough.

"So, you're moving here?", now Dot knew that Jocelyn was just renting the place to draw not live thanks to her landlord who loves to gossip, but she had to start the conversions somehow without looking like a noisy person or a stalker.

"No, I'm just renting this place to paint in peace, with my two oldest daughters" seeing Dot's puzzled expression she went on to explain "I have to paint for my art exhibition, and my house is still being arranged so I can't paint there"

"I see, and what art exhibition may I ask? I'm a fan of art myself" which wasn't a lie

"It's called "hidden beauty", it going to be at the beginning of the next month" Jocelyn proceeded to tell her as she led her the couch.

"Month?! it's that too soon? and you're renting this pace to start painting now?" as they sat opposite each other on the two couch.

"No, it really not, I already painted some things for the exhibition, I just have a couple of paintings to finish"

"I see, must have been difficult painting with the move"

"Not really, we just moved here around 3 weeks ago and I already painted most of my painting in my old art studio"

"Why didn't you rent the same studio again then?" Dot figured she probably did that because this place it closer to her new home but she was trying to get the conversation going and Jocelyn doesn't make any effort to do so, she only offers any piece of information if Dot askes otherwise she doesn't even bother.

"Will it a little bit difficult to do so, considering the fact it was in Australia"

Now that is not the answer she expected, she thought her new neighbor must have moved from another state, not another country.

Her surprise must have been evident on her face judging by Jocelyn amused smile but she didn't comment on it, so she attempted to continue the conversation as the room was overtaken by silences and again Jocelyn didn't attempt to change that "So, you're new to town?"

"Yes I'm, me and my family moved her at the beginning of the month"

"I see, well welcome to Brooklyn I think"

"Well it's nice to be welcomed"

"I see, so how many kids you got?"

"Five, 2 sons and 3 daughters"

"That's a big family you got there" it really was, she doesn't see many women these days who even want to have more than 2 children.

"Thanks," Jocelyn said as she continued to smile again not attempting to move the conversion along she's just sitting and smiling at her, it was really becoming irritating, it felt like Dot is in integration and she is the one who is trying to drag out the information.

And the more she looked at it the more Jocelyn's smile seemed faked, she got the senses that the other women really has no interest in setting her and chatting with Dot, So Dot took it as her cue to leave.

"Well I will leave you to it, I hope to see more of you in future"

"So, do I and again thanks for the muffins"

"No problem, By"

"By Dot, I'll be seeing you around," Jocelyn told still wearing that fake smile, which told Dot everything she needed to know, Jocelyn won't go out of her way to interact with Dot if anything she seems to see her as annoying and nosey.

And if Dot only could see that moment the door closed Jocelyn's smile dropped a turned into a strong glare she would have known that it was more than the fact that her new neighbor finds Dot annoying but it was something else completely.

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Will, how was it? please leave a review or feedback and vote, I really like to hear your thoughts. and don't forget to share.

you can also find my story on fanfiction.net under username summer-162 and AO3 under the username summer162