Neighbors

Saturday morning proved to be a dreary one. The city was clouded with grey skies and heavy snow had been collecting overnight.

Zoe sat in her bed filing her nails as she listened to the weather man.

“We don’t expect this snow to let up anytime soon, so be sure to get home soon as the roads are very dangerous. Expect another foot before 10 o’clock tonight.”

She sighed, turning the TV off and throwing the clicker on her bed.

“I should have gone to the grocery store.” She said aloud. Her fridge was empty, so she’d have to raid her cabinets.

After shoveling down some stale crackers, she remembered a package was supposed to arrive for her today.

“My snack box, ugh yes!” Finally, something to keep me alive!” She threw her thin blue cotton robe over her bra and panties and grabbed her keys.  Sticking her head out her front door, she listened for any signs of movement from Finn upstairs. After a few moment of silence she rushed down the stairs to her mailbox.  There it was in all its glory, a small brown box filled with treats. She hugged the box to her chest for a moment and then got a hold of herself and grabbed the rest of her bills.

She walked quickly back upstairs turning her keys in the door. She threw the snack box on the floor to free up her arms as she struggled to pull her keys free from the lock. As she did so, she lost her footing and her bills went flying back into the hallway.  Rolling her eyes, she placed her keys on the side table in her apartment and turned leaned down to pick up her papers, making sure she kept her foot against the door so it wouldn’t shut, locking her out.  As she gathered up her mail, she heard Finn’s door click open upstairs. Panicked, she grabbed the papers as fast as she could. The last one lay on the first step going downstairs and as she stretched forward to grab it, her foot slipped. She heard her door shut with a bang.

“Zoe?” she heard Finn call out.

Zoe moved to run, planning to hide out under the stairs at the bottom of her building. As she moved, she felt herself pulled back. She turned to see that her door had not only locked her out, but it in fact had closed on the corner of her robe. She was trapped. She yanked at the robe as hard a she could, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Shit, shit shit!” she muttered. She could hear Finn’s footsteps nearing.

She pulled and pulled, but no luck. As she saw Finn’s foot appear on the staircase right across from her door, she gave up. She turned to face her door in defeat, essentially pretending she wasn’t there.

“Zoe?”

“Hi” she said not turning away from her door.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh I just had to grab my mail, so I’m heading back in now.” She fluttered the bills in front of Finn’s face as proof.”

“Ok. I was going to head out to the convenience store next door to see if they were open, do you want to come?”

“No, no I’m fine thanks. I’ve got a lot of stuff to do today, so I’m good thanks.”

“Alright…” he cocked an eyebrow at her.

“Any reason you won’t turn to face me?” he asked.

Zoe turned quickly and gave him a short smile “ Happy?”

“Ecstatic.” He said giving her a grin.

It irritated her how handsome he was. Even all bundled up, he looked like he had stepped out of a magazine.

“Ok well, see you!” she said, desperate for him to leave.

“Yeah, alright.” He brushed past her walking down the stairs.

As she let out a deep breath sighing in relief she heard him behind her again.

“Zoe?”

“mmm?” she said facing her door.

“What’s going on here?”

She turned to face him, clutching her robe closed around her chest.

“Nothing, I’m just thinking about my work week.”

“In  front of your door, in a tiny robe when it feel like 20 degrees in this hallway?”

“Yep.” She rested her forehead on the door to cool her burning red face. She was absolutely mortified.

“Anything you want to tell me?”

“Nope.” She’d be damned if she said it out loud.

“So you’re not locked out of your apartment?”

“Nope.”

Finn laughed. “Look me in the face and tell me you’re not locked out.”

She turned to tell him off and stopped dead in her tracks when her nose brushed his chest.

“Personal space is valued by all Finn.”

He looked down at her, “So is honesty.”

Zoe rolled her eyes.

“Come on Zoe, you can hang out at my place until our landlord can get here.”

“It’s a fricken blizzard for the next 24 hours Finn, he is never going to make it here.”

“Well twhat are you going to do, freeze out here instead?”

“Sure, why not.”

“Christ Woman.” He grabbed her arm directing her towards his apartment.”

She pushed at him, but he only knocked her hands aside and pulled her harder.

“Finn, no!”

She could feel her robe start to slip as he pulled her further from her door.

She lifted her leg giving him a swift kick.

“Jesus Christ Zoe, what the hell.” He looked up at her and his face quickly changed. He began to laugh.

He was looking at where her robe was stuck in the door.

“You must be joking!” he said laughing loudly. “How the fuck did you get stuck like this?”

“I don’t know! Don’t make this worse for me, I’m already mortified!”

“Oh my God Zoe, just pull it.”

She sneered at him, “Oh like I haven’t tried that one!?!”

Finn grabbed the robe corner and began to pull.  After a minute of pulling it, he left go.

“Jeez, must be stuck inside the bolt.”

“Thanks genius!”

“Well, just take it off.”

“You’re out of your mind!” she screeched.

“Well what else do you suggest?”

“Just, ugh I don’t know. Can you bring me your robe, or a long coat?”

Finn smiled “Anything for a damsel in distress?”

“You’re far from a honorable kight you asshat.”

Fin scowled “No need to be rude darling.”

“Ugh, whatever just get me something!”

“Alright princess.”

Zoe felt relief, soon she be detached from her door and out of the freezing hallway.

“But first I’m gonna run out.”

“WHAT?!” she seethed.

“Yeah, gotta get there early in case they close. Hold tight girlie, I’ll be back in a few.” He walked down the stairs.

“FINN, I’m GONNA KILL YOU!”

His laugh echoed down the staircase.