Page 2
Story: Neighbors
This place is my home away from home.
I’m okay with being single, too. At twenty-five, I don’t really need to get married or anything. Someday, it might be nice to have someone to go home to, but it’s just not in the cards right now. One day, maybe, I’ll give my parents the grandkids they so desperately tell me I need to give them. One day. Maybe. Honestly, I’m still undecided.
I’m deep in my editing process when I hear the bell for the front door. Two Las Vegas Police officers walk in. I look up when they pass me and do a double take. A legit double take. Of course, like an idiot, I’m not only gawking, but my jaw is on the ground.
I blink and try to refocus on my work.
But that is absolutely impossible. Especially after hearing officer “A” laugh at officer “B.” Yup, a laugh that can stop me in my tracks.
That laugh. Oh, that laugh. That deep, rough laugh that soaks into every bone in my body and gives me chills.
I look up as officer “A” laughs. At the last second, he turns and catches me staring, and my heart stops. He gives me a panty-dropping smile. My eyes go wide, and I feel my body heat rising.
Quickly, I glance back at my laptop and try to hide the blush that is definitely creeping up my neck.
Ugh. He just had to look. I feel a little nauseous. My palms grow sweaty and my breathing picks up a bit. I don’t like the attention. Of course, I looked at him first. Which I would not have done, if he wasn’t so fucking hot.
From the quick glimpse I got, officer “A” is a Greek god. He has dark brown hair that almost looks black. His hair’s shaved on the sides but longer on the top. His shoulders are wide, and his arms look powerful. He has a chiseled jawline with lips you could kiss for hours. He’s built like a warrior.
Oh, and the glimpse I had of his eyes when he caught me staring? As blue as the ocean. I could get lost staring into them.
All of this, of course, makes him look heavenly in his uniform. I’ve never been a fan of a guy in a uniform. Yes, I realize I’m strange. I’ve never been one to follow trends. A man in uniform has just never appealed to me—until now, that is. The sex appeal he radiates from across the shop now makes me a woman who likes a man in uniform. Well, at least that particular man in his uniform.
While trying to find my way back into my focus zone, I don’t notice that they moved. It’s only when I hear his voice that I realize they’re closer to me. Out of instinct, I look up and see that they’ve sat at the table right next to mine. Officer “A” also took the seat that looks directly at me.
Now, that might be a complete coincidence, but since he keeps looking my way, I’m going to say it was on purpose.
His eyes. Oh, his beautiful blue eyes. I very much want to get lost in them. Before I can continue with these thoughts, I realize I’m staring right at him again. I know this because I see him smile at me.
Immediately, I look back down at the project I’m working on. Fuck. I got caught.Under the radar, Kat. Under the freaking radar!My breathing picks up a bit, and I count to myself in order to bring my breathing back under control.
Honestly, I’m an awkward person. I haven’t had the best of luck with people in my life. I’ve always been an outcast, so being social is just not something I’m good at.
I have friends, or rather,afriend. Vicki. On a rare occasion, she can convince me to get out, but only at places we have deemed comfortable by my standards. She truly is a saint to put up with me and my bullshit. I just hate being around people. They’re cruel and will stop at nothing to cut you down and make you feel you’re less than human. Your body, your hair, your clothes, anything to tear you apart.
And so, I stray from the social scene, and to be honest, I like a good book and the comfort of my own home.
Right now, I’m definitely being awkward. Mostly because I am looking at a man who defines sexy, but also because my social anxiety doesn’t allow me to just be normal in the world. I can work myself up into a frenzy. I panic at the drop of a hat. Basically, I shut down. Fight or flight situations happen a lot, and I always choose flight.
Focus, Kat. I duck my head back down and return to my project. I’m not sure how long I’m working for, but I hear a shuffle near me. Reacting to the noise, I look up from my screen. Right into officer “A’s” eyes. Damn it.
“Miss, have a nice day.” Officer “A” nods to me as he and his partner leave OneShot.
My mouth drops open, I’m flustered, but I finally squeak out, “Um, yea. Bye.” Remember, I said I was awkward? Yup. I became so panicky I couldn’t even say, “Thanks, you too.”
When he and his partner leave, I try to regain some sort of composure and sit back in my chair. He caught me staring at him. How embarrassing is that? Then, of course he had to say bye to me. All the people in here and he had to point out that I was staring at him by saying bye. I wrap my arms around my stomach, growing dizzy. Ok, I need to count again.
Instead of counting, though, when I close my eyes, all I can see are his eyes. Those eyes. Those blue eyes. He has me so agitated I can’t think. His laugh, his eyes, his face. It’a a trifecta of awesomeness that leaves me completely speechless. The other thing that comes to mind is I didn’t run. I normally bolt at the first sign of being in an uneasy situation. Instead, I sat there and became locked in his orbit.
There is no way I’m going to finish working. I start packing up my laptop and all my notes and place them in my bag. After that, I walk outside to my car and decide I’m going to head over to Vicki’s house for a bit before her shift at the bar, Feisty Dragon.
Vicki Newman and I became best friends in high school during our freshman year. Since then, we’ve been attached at the hip. We went to the same college and both majored in English. She, however, decided she didn’t want to do anything with her degree and wanted to work her nights at, Feisty Dragon. It’s a popular bar in the valley for locals that isn’t on the Las Vegas Strip. She does well, and she’s a social butterfly compared to my hermit lifestyle.
“Hey, Kat. I’m in the bathroom getting ready. I’ll be out in a second.” she calls out to me after I unlock the door and walk in. I have a key to her place, and she has one to mine. We also have a system to make sure neither of us ends up in compromising positions if the other one comes over while we are “hosting.” Though, there are reasons I don’t have to worry about that happening. Besides, she usually texts me whenever she has a conquest she’s bringing home for the night. Usually, she’ll text me in the morning to let me know all about it.
When you walk into Vicki’s apartment, you are immediately greeted with the smells of whatever food she had been cooking that day. Vicki loves to cook. Thats one of the reasons she loves this apartment. Her kitchen has an amazing stove and double oven.
Her little one bedroom apartment is an open floorplan. From the front door you can see every room but the bedroom and bathroom. A kitchen island is all that separates the kitchen from the rest of the apartment.
I’m okay with being single, too. At twenty-five, I don’t really need to get married or anything. Someday, it might be nice to have someone to go home to, but it’s just not in the cards right now. One day, maybe, I’ll give my parents the grandkids they so desperately tell me I need to give them. One day. Maybe. Honestly, I’m still undecided.
I’m deep in my editing process when I hear the bell for the front door. Two Las Vegas Police officers walk in. I look up when they pass me and do a double take. A legit double take. Of course, like an idiot, I’m not only gawking, but my jaw is on the ground.
I blink and try to refocus on my work.
But that is absolutely impossible. Especially after hearing officer “A” laugh at officer “B.” Yup, a laugh that can stop me in my tracks.
That laugh. Oh, that laugh. That deep, rough laugh that soaks into every bone in my body and gives me chills.
I look up as officer “A” laughs. At the last second, he turns and catches me staring, and my heart stops. He gives me a panty-dropping smile. My eyes go wide, and I feel my body heat rising.
Quickly, I glance back at my laptop and try to hide the blush that is definitely creeping up my neck.
Ugh. He just had to look. I feel a little nauseous. My palms grow sweaty and my breathing picks up a bit. I don’t like the attention. Of course, I looked at him first. Which I would not have done, if he wasn’t so fucking hot.
From the quick glimpse I got, officer “A” is a Greek god. He has dark brown hair that almost looks black. His hair’s shaved on the sides but longer on the top. His shoulders are wide, and his arms look powerful. He has a chiseled jawline with lips you could kiss for hours. He’s built like a warrior.
Oh, and the glimpse I had of his eyes when he caught me staring? As blue as the ocean. I could get lost staring into them.
All of this, of course, makes him look heavenly in his uniform. I’ve never been a fan of a guy in a uniform. Yes, I realize I’m strange. I’ve never been one to follow trends. A man in uniform has just never appealed to me—until now, that is. The sex appeal he radiates from across the shop now makes me a woman who likes a man in uniform. Well, at least that particular man in his uniform.
While trying to find my way back into my focus zone, I don’t notice that they moved. It’s only when I hear his voice that I realize they’re closer to me. Out of instinct, I look up and see that they’ve sat at the table right next to mine. Officer “A” also took the seat that looks directly at me.
Now, that might be a complete coincidence, but since he keeps looking my way, I’m going to say it was on purpose.
His eyes. Oh, his beautiful blue eyes. I very much want to get lost in them. Before I can continue with these thoughts, I realize I’m staring right at him again. I know this because I see him smile at me.
Immediately, I look back down at the project I’m working on. Fuck. I got caught.Under the radar, Kat. Under the freaking radar!My breathing picks up a bit, and I count to myself in order to bring my breathing back under control.
Honestly, I’m an awkward person. I haven’t had the best of luck with people in my life. I’ve always been an outcast, so being social is just not something I’m good at.
I have friends, or rather,afriend. Vicki. On a rare occasion, she can convince me to get out, but only at places we have deemed comfortable by my standards. She truly is a saint to put up with me and my bullshit. I just hate being around people. They’re cruel and will stop at nothing to cut you down and make you feel you’re less than human. Your body, your hair, your clothes, anything to tear you apart.
And so, I stray from the social scene, and to be honest, I like a good book and the comfort of my own home.
Right now, I’m definitely being awkward. Mostly because I am looking at a man who defines sexy, but also because my social anxiety doesn’t allow me to just be normal in the world. I can work myself up into a frenzy. I panic at the drop of a hat. Basically, I shut down. Fight or flight situations happen a lot, and I always choose flight.
Focus, Kat. I duck my head back down and return to my project. I’m not sure how long I’m working for, but I hear a shuffle near me. Reacting to the noise, I look up from my screen. Right into officer “A’s” eyes. Damn it.
“Miss, have a nice day.” Officer “A” nods to me as he and his partner leave OneShot.
My mouth drops open, I’m flustered, but I finally squeak out, “Um, yea. Bye.” Remember, I said I was awkward? Yup. I became so panicky I couldn’t even say, “Thanks, you too.”
When he and his partner leave, I try to regain some sort of composure and sit back in my chair. He caught me staring at him. How embarrassing is that? Then, of course he had to say bye to me. All the people in here and he had to point out that I was staring at him by saying bye. I wrap my arms around my stomach, growing dizzy. Ok, I need to count again.
Instead of counting, though, when I close my eyes, all I can see are his eyes. Those eyes. Those blue eyes. He has me so agitated I can’t think. His laugh, his eyes, his face. It’a a trifecta of awesomeness that leaves me completely speechless. The other thing that comes to mind is I didn’t run. I normally bolt at the first sign of being in an uneasy situation. Instead, I sat there and became locked in his orbit.
There is no way I’m going to finish working. I start packing up my laptop and all my notes and place them in my bag. After that, I walk outside to my car and decide I’m going to head over to Vicki’s house for a bit before her shift at the bar, Feisty Dragon.
Vicki Newman and I became best friends in high school during our freshman year. Since then, we’ve been attached at the hip. We went to the same college and both majored in English. She, however, decided she didn’t want to do anything with her degree and wanted to work her nights at, Feisty Dragon. It’s a popular bar in the valley for locals that isn’t on the Las Vegas Strip. She does well, and she’s a social butterfly compared to my hermit lifestyle.
“Hey, Kat. I’m in the bathroom getting ready. I’ll be out in a second.” she calls out to me after I unlock the door and walk in. I have a key to her place, and she has one to mine. We also have a system to make sure neither of us ends up in compromising positions if the other one comes over while we are “hosting.” Though, there are reasons I don’t have to worry about that happening. Besides, she usually texts me whenever she has a conquest she’s bringing home for the night. Usually, she’ll text me in the morning to let me know all about it.
When you walk into Vicki’s apartment, you are immediately greeted with the smells of whatever food she had been cooking that day. Vicki loves to cook. Thats one of the reasons she loves this apartment. Her kitchen has an amazing stove and double oven.
Her little one bedroom apartment is an open floorplan. From the front door you can see every room but the bedroom and bathroom. A kitchen island is all that separates the kitchen from the rest of the apartment.
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