chapter 4
"what are you doing?! give me my doorknob!" i yell after meeting him in what is apparently the break room. he shoots me a glance, obviously annoyed, and plops down on the floor with my lock and hairpins. i just stare as he pops the rubber ends off the pins, partially straightens both of them so they're at ninety degree angles and inserts one pin into the top and one in the bottom of the keyhole. he slowly turns the pins, holding the lock steady between his knees, until i hear a faint click. he looks up at me with a smug expression on his face and turns the knob.
"told you that you were doing it wrong," he states with a smirk.
"don't gloat 'kay?" 'cause it's really unattractive," i say and his smirk slides into a half-smile.
"your turn, cupcake," he tells me and reaches up, catching my wrist and yanking me to the floor beside him.
"um alright," i stammer, taking the pins and lock from him. "wait," i pause and he looks over, expectantly, "how did you learn how to do this?" he looks at the floor, then the wall beside my head, seeming to suddenly find the cream-coloured paint to be fascinating.
"well?" i prod him.
"growing up in the neighborhood i did, you pick up a few things," he mumbles so low i think i might've missed imagined it. adding to my concern for my sanity, he turns and smirks at me like nothing happened.
"so are you going to just stare at that lock, or are you going to pick it?"
"okay, okay," i steady the knob between my bent knees, mimicking his movements from moments ago. i shove the pins in the keyhole, earning a disapproving protest from mr. cuteness.
"are you trying to break the pins?" he scolds me "jesus woman, be gentle with it. having to prepare two more pins will just waste time. and time is something you don't usually have an abundance of when breaking into things."
i sigh and make a point of pulling the pins out and gently inserting them back into the lock.
"better," he states "now turn." i slowly twist the pins until i feel it move. it goes about a millimeter then stops.
"you suck at this."
"gee thanks," i reply, complete with an eye roll.
"see you tomorrow," he says getting up from the floor.
"what? it didn't work," i inform him.
"well if it had you wouldn't need me tomorrow, now would you?" he smirks at me once more, those beautiful eyes glistening, then turns and stalks out of the room. i remain on the floor, staring after the mysterious guy until the back of his chocolate-brown head disappears around a corner.
