The Girl Across the Hall

by Thayer King

  “Noah sent them.”

  “Oh. Did you break the bad news to him gently?”

  “Yes.” She didn’t bother correcting Felicia. She would never believe that Noah was interested in Zoe instead.

  Felicia picked up the card and read it. “Becoming his friend would be unwise. He’d just use you to get close to me. I’ve seen it time and time again.”

  Zoe made a noncommittal noise. She loved her cousin, but constantly stroking her ego could be tiresome. Aunt Amanda explained that Felicia’s constant need for reassurance stemmed from her father’s abandonment. Prior to his leaving, he and Felicia had been very close. He’d died a year later in a knife fight in a nightclub. Whether Aunt Amanda was correct or not, Zoe didn’t know, but she tried to be sensitive to her cousin’s insecurities. “Is there some reason you wanted to see me?”

  “I can’t just drop in to say hello? We won’t be working together much longer.”

  “Of course,” she said, but she could guess at Felicia’s real motives. More than likely, Felicia had seen the flowers arrive and she’d been curious.

  Felicia nodded. “Henry and I were thinking of throwing an engagement party after my two weeks are up. We’d like it if you’d come.”

  She hated parties. Felicia knew this. And any party of Felicia and Henry’s would be full of their “friends.” They weren’t real friends—just people who they thought would help further either their career or their social status. She wouldn’t know anyone there and it was unlikely any of them would be interested in talking to her since she was just a lowly IT tech. “Um…let me know when it is and I’ll try to make it.”

  Felicia shrugged. “Whatever.” She examined her nails. “I’ve gotta go. Henry and I are going to lunch.” She nudged one of the tulips, causing three of them to sway. “Remember what I said about him.”

  Zoe wondered which of her many warnings Felicia was referring to, but she refused to ask. She waited until the sound of Felicia’s heels had faded away before picking up her cell and calling the number Noah had provided her.

  “Hello?” His voice was far deeper than she recalled.

  “H-hi, Noah. This is Zoe.”

  “Ah, Zoe,” he purred with such masculine satisfaction that Zoe found herself pressing her knees together to assuage a sudden ache between her thighs.

  “Um, I called to thank you for the flowers. They’re beautiful.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m glad you like them. Have you considered my request?”

  “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

  “Why? Because I want to lick your pussy until you’re screaming my name and begging me to fuck you?”

  Zoe almost dropped her phone. “You can’t talk to me like that, Noah. I’m at work.”

  He chuckled. “So am I.”

  She’d been surprised when he told her that he was co-owner of a bookstore with his brother. No one would look at Noah and guess that he spent his days surrounded by books. Now if he’d said he owned a bar or a club, she wouldn’t have batted an eyelash. “But you’re your own boss,” she pointed out.

  “True, but back to the topic, why can’t we be friends? And I’m demanding a good reason. My wanting to fuck you is my problem, not yours. I’m not an animal. I won’t jump you.”

  Zoe waffled. It wasn’t like she had so many friends that she could spurn offers of friendship. Besides, she could always cut him off if he tried to cross the line of propriety. “Okay. What does being your friend entail?”

  “Nothing too trying—some hanging out, the occasional meal. In fact, what are you doing tonight? I’ll cook for you.”

  “You know how to cook?” This she found unbelievable. Over the course of the six months that they’d been neighbors, she’d seen him receive takeout as often as she.

  “I can cook, but I’ll pick up something. My fridge is empty.”

  Zoe squeezed her eyes closed and took a deep breath. “Okay,” she said before she could change her mind. Once she committed to something, she would go through with it. So she never said yes lightly.

  ***

  “Great. I’ll see you around six?”

  “Okay,” she agreed but Noah could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

  “Until then,” he said and ended the call before she could change her mind. He was really looking forward to tonight. A grin stretched his lips.

  “Good news?” Warren asked.

  “What?” He glanced over at his brother.

  Warren placed a cardboard box on the countertop. He opened a few drawers before producing scissors and cutting the tape securing the flaps. “You looked like you got some really good news.”

  Noah shrugged. “Sort of. Just making dinner plans.”

  “Ah,” he said with a wealth of meaning that Noah couldn’t miss.

  “It’s not like that. It’s just a friend.” At least for now. He’d gladly leap for more if Zoe offered. Something about the shy woman intrigued him. He couldn’t seem to shake thoughts of her. Usually when a girl made it plain that her interests did not align with his, he moved on. After all, there were plenty of women out there. But it wasn’t just laziness that kept him with Sharon. He was bored with the club. He was tired of picking up women in bars. The mere thought of going to either left him restless and depressed. Things always played out the same way. He could identify a woman who just wanted a wild night or two. And he could also spot trouble. He stayed away from women who were in relationships or looking for a revenge fuck. He didn’t need to get his face rearranged over some woman he barely knew.

  “Yeah right. Was that Avery? Are you two finally giving it a go?”

  He frowned. Did everyone in his family think that there was something going on between him and Avery? “No.”

  Warren had been unpacking books. He paused and his brows rose. “Something going on between you and Ty I should know about?”

  Noah laughed. “Her name is Zoe.”

  “I’ve never heard you mention her before. I thought you said she was a friend.”

  “She’s a new friend.”

  “Whatever. I love you, bro. You really keep the pressure off me and Kels with your refusal to settle down.”

  “Well, I’ve been doing you that favor for years. Think you and Kelsey could return it by popping out a grandkid for the parents?”

  “We plan to as soon as the situation calms down at Kelsey’s job.”

  Noah didn’t bother to mention that they’d been saying that same thing for years. Kelsey was a defense attorney. There were some jobs that never got easier and life had a way of getting away from a person. They were never going to have kids if they waited for her to have a lull in her workload. Noah was more of a “seize the day” sort of person. And he’d done plenty of seizing in his time.

  A customer approached to check out, interrupting his conversation with his brother. Noah was fine with that. He and Warren had an unstated agreement of sorts. They didn’t pry into the other’s personal affairs. If they needed help, then they had to ask for it.

  At the end of the day, Noah was anxious to leave. He’d called in an order of Chinese food at the restaurant Zoe patronized. He’d seen her with their carryout bags on multiple occasions. But he didn’t know what she would like so he purchased a variety of items. He only hoped that she would like something that he’d bought. On a whim, he stopped and got a bottle of wine. Zoe didn’t look like the beer type and that’s all he had in his fridge aside from water.

  He had just enough time to put the wine in the refrigerator to chill and lay out the food before Zoe knocked on the door. She was a punctual little thing, he noted. Of course, she didn’t have far to travel. “Zoe,” he said, grinning down at her. She was so lovely. He wondered why she was so determined to hide it. She wore dress that had to be two, possibly three sizes too large, and the oversized sweater he’d seen her wearing in her apartment. “Should I take your sweater or would you like me to lower the temperature in here?” he asked, closing the door behind her
.

  “Um….” She tugged at one sleeve. “I-I guess you can take it.” She shrugged it off slowly as though reluctant to part with it.

  Noah hung it in his coat closet and then led her to the kitchen. “I didn’t know what you liked so-”

  “This looks like a buffet,” she exclaimed, her dark brown eyes widening as she took in the food containers stretching from one end of his countertop to the other. “You could have just called me and asked.”

  He laughed. “And ruin the surprise? No way.” He reached into a cabinet and pulled down a couple of plates. He handed one to Zoe. He’d already taken out serving spoons. “I hope you don’t mind serving yourself.”

  She shook her head.

  “Good. Dig in. Take as much as you like since I tend to forget leftovers.” While he filled his plate with a little of every dish, Zoe only chose the fried rice and lo mein. “I’ve got wine in the fridge.”

  “I don’t drink.”

  “Then I’ve got water. Any reason you don’t drink?” he asked and then wished he could recall the question. She could be an alcoholic and he’d just brought up a sensitive subject. She was already as skittish as hell around him. The last thing he needed was to offend her as well.

  She gave him a timid smile. “I’m afraid of what I might say or…do.”

  He grinned and immediately fought the devilish urge to get her drunk. “Ah, you’re a control freak.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe.”

  Once they had finished filling their plates and he got a bottle of water for her and a beer for himself, they sat at the table. “So how was your day?”

  “Fine. Aside from replacing the CD drive on a computer, it was nothing out of the ordinary. How was your day?”

  “Filled with books, books, and more books.”

  She shook her head. “I find that incredible.”

  “That I know how to read?”

  Zoe rolled her eyes. “You don’t exactly fit my idea of a bookstore owner.”

  “I don’t have to read the books to sell them,” he teased. He did love to read. His parents had made sure of that when he was a kid. During slow periods at the store, he’d find a quiet spot and read. Sometimes he kept a book behind the counter.

  “I saw the bookshelf in your den.”

  He laughed. “So you caught me.”

  “When do you find the time with…um…your other activities?” She filled her mouth with noodles.

  Noah grinned. He speared a piece of broccoli with his fork. “You mean my whoring around?”

  Zoe coughed. “I didn’t mean— I wouldn’t have put it that way.”

  “That’s the way everyone else puts it.” He sighed. “I read in my spare time at work. And I am a single guy so that leaves me with lots of alone time at home—despite the whoring. That usually just takes up my weekends.”

  “Before we go any further with this…I need to know you’re serious about being friends—that this isn’t some lame attempt to get me into your bed.”

  “I’m not going to lie to you. I do want to be your friend. But if you were ever to decide you wanted more, my pants would be around my ankles so fast.”

  ***

  Noah was too gorgeous for his own good, Zoe thought. What was worse was that he knew it. He wasn’t conceited or arrogant, which would have been a turn off. But he was definitely aware of his appeal and it gave him an irresistible charm and confidence. Saying no to him was difficult. So after dinner when she wanted to leave, he somehow convinced her to stay and watch a marathon of Chopped with him. This led to them betting on who would be chopped from each round.

  “He’s definitely winning this round,” Noah said. “He made risotto.”

  Zoe disagreed. She’d never had risotto, but she’d watched enough episodes of Chopped to know how this would go. “Guaranteed it’s crunchy. It takes longer than that to make risotto. It’s an unnecessary risk since it doesn’t even incorporate any of the mandatory ingredients. He’s going to get eliminated.”

  “But his dish was the most creative.”

  “Yes, but as you know, you can’t just throw art onto a plate. It has to be edible as well.”

  He grinned at her. His bright eyes danced with devilry and before he even spoke, she knew she wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “If I’m right, you have to kiss me.”

  She inhaled sharply. “Noah!”

  He held up a broad palm. “And if you’re right, I have to kiss you.”

  She rolled her eyes at the ridiculous wager. “Winner buys the next dinner,” she countered.

  “If you want to go with the boring, safe bet….”

  “Yes, I do.”

  He grumbled, but quieted down so that they could hear the judges’ comments about each of the contestants’ dishes. They had to wait until after the commercial break to hear the judges’ decision. “Bathroom break,” Noah said. “Do you want anything while I’m up?”

  “No, I’m fine.” While he was gone, it gave her more of an opportunity to look around his den. The layout of his apartment was different from hers. Upon entering her door, you were in her tiny kitchen. On this side of the building, you entered the den first and the kitchen was at the back. Noah’s apartment was surprisingly neat and organized. His books were arranged by height on his bookshelf. A row of shiny silver framed photos lined the top. A stack of coasters sat on one end of his coffee table. He’d set his beer bottle on one when they moved to the den area and then tossed the bottle as soon as it was empty. He didn’t leave dirty dishes, trash, or clothing strung about.

  The commercial break was just ending as Noah plopped down beside her on the sofa. He groaned when the chef who’d made the risotto was sent home. “You’ve seen this before,” he accused.

  Zoe laughed. “I’ve seen the show before but not this specific episode.”

  “You’re beautiful when you laugh. Well, you’re beautiful anyway, but even more so when your face lights up like that.”

  Zoe bit her lip. “Thank you.”

  His eyes flicked over her from head to toe. “Why do you dress the way you do? Why try to hide how beautiful you are?”

  “I-I’m not hiding,” she lied because in a way she was.

  “Bullshit. Do your clothes even graze your body when you’re standing?”

  Zoe dried her suddenly wet palms on her dress, effectively tugging it down and away from her body. She debated how much to tell him. He claimed to want to be a friend, but that didn’t earn him the immediate right to her trust. But it wasn’t like it was some huge secret. “I-I like my clothing this way. It’s more comfortable. B-but also…I don’t like drawing attention to myself. I don’t get a lot of attention this way.” Her eyes met his. “Except from you.”

  He grinned. “Good to know that I don’t have any competition.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I should go. It’s getting late.”

  “Don’t you want to know who’s going to win?”

  “Okay, but this is the last one and then I’m leaving. I’ve got work tomorrow.”

  “Me, too, but I’m a night owl by nature.” Noah leaned back and put his arm on the back of the sofa behind her head. “So who do you think will win this round?”

  “Whoever makes ice cream and doesn’t over churn it.”

  He laughed. “How many episodes of this show have you seen?”

  She shrugged and smiled. “Maybe a few seasons.”

  “Does that mean you can cook?”

  Zoe laughed. “Would you really want me to make any of the strange concoctions they produce on this show?”

  He shuddered. “I could do without the Rocky Mountain oysters, thank you, but I’ve picked up a few basics here and there.”

  “I can cook, but I usually don’t since it’s just me. Chinese food usually lasts a few days. Pizza is an entire week worth of dinners.”

  Noah grinned. “Well, now we can share our culinary masterpieces. I’ll cook for you first since I lost the bet. Say Monday night? By then we should
both be out of leftovers.”

  “Sure,” she agreed, beginning to get excited about having someone to share her evenings with. She was already planning her dinner menu. “And I’ll do Tuesday.”

  “Deal.” He held out his hand for her to shake. His warm palm engulfed her smaller hand and his glowing eyes locked on hers. His eyes were the most brilliant shade of aqua blue. Zoe found it difficult to look away especially when his irises darkened and his pupils enlarged. His thick lashes lowered as his gaze dropped to her mouth.

  Suddenly, Noah was much too close, so close that she could feel his breath on her lips. Realizing what was about to happen, Zoe practically threw his hand back at him and jumped up. She glanced at the television. The winner was pumping her fists in triumph. Zoe cleared her throat. “Um, well, I’d…I’d better go.”

  Noah ran a hand over his mouth. Five o’clock shadow darkened his square jaw. “Okay.” Grimacing a bit, he stood much slower than she had and walked her to the door. “I had a lovely evening with you, Zoe.”

  She couldn’t meet his gaze. “I enjoyed it, too. Thank you for dinner.”

  “Zoe?”

  “Yes?”

  “Look at me.” He raised her face with a finger under her chin. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I’m never going to do anything you don’t want me to do.” And then he kissed her cheek so that the corners of their mouths touched and she had to suppress a groan because she wanted so much more. She wanted to feel the full impact of his soft lips. But it was best this way. The man could prove addictive and the last thing she needed was to fall for a man who had no intention of making a lasting commitment. Then she’d have to break her lease because there was no way she’d be able to bear watching him bring home other women. She just needed to keep her head on straight and keep Noah strictly in the friend zone.

  Chapter Six