GAREN’S APARTMENTS

Ding. The door sounded off as she walked through. A receptionist sat at the counter, and Ashley walked over to her. "Hi, good morning. I’m Ashley," she said to the lady at the front desk.

"Good morning, how may I help you?" the receptionist asked.

"I’m here to view the two-bed, two-bath," Ashley explained.

"Just give me one moment," she said, getting up and walking out of sight. Fifteen minutes later, she returned with a pair of keys and a clipboard. "Follow me," she said, stepping from behind the desk. "We're going to take the side door."

They went through the side door and stopped at a golf cart. "The apartments you’re looking to view are in the back, so we will take a quick ride," she said, starting the golf cart.

Ashley stepped in, and the receptionist began to drive, pointing out various amenities on the property. "On your left, you’ll see a gym open to all residents." They kept driving, passing a basketball court filled with men. Ashley kept her eyes forward, avoiding the distraction. "We have two pools on the property—one indoor and heated, the other outdoors and available to all residents and guests. However, the indoor pool has a monthly fee and is only open to residents in Building A."

"Which building am I viewing?" Ashley asked.

"Building S," she replied, scanning her clipboard. "Do you not have any more apartments open in Building A?" Ashley asked.

"Building A is townhomes only—three bedrooms," she said.

Ashley thought for a moment. "Do I qualify for Building A?" she asked.

"Yes, you do. Actually, if you're interested, we have to return to my office. We only have seven townhomes in total, and you’ve just caught the last one."

The townhouse viewing was unremarkable, similar to many others. Ashley walked around the unit, listening to the receptionist speak. She stepped out onto the balcony and ended up seeing more than she ever expected: strong arms and a sculpted slim body. She quietly watched as her neighbor exercised on his balcony, close enough that she could almost touch him.

"I see you’ve met Mr. Moor," the receptionist said, walking up to her with a smirk. Ashley jumped, having been deeply focused on his body.

“Hello, Mr. Moor,” she called, exposing Ashley's peeping eyes. He looked up, smiling.

"Hi, Dyane," he said.

"Just wanted to introduce you to your soon-to-be new neighbor," Dyane said, gently pulling Ashley outside.

Ashley peeked out awkwardly. “Hi,” she said, waving and turning red in the face. Their eyes met, and her clothes felt like they were falling off as he scanned her before continuing his exercise.

“Neighbor,” he nodded, going back to his routine. Her heart raced as she stepped back inside.

“Well, are you interested in the place?” Dyane asked.

“I can see a possibility,” Ashley said, walking out the door. “The rent is $2,000 a month and $1,000 for the deposit, or the buyout is $24,000,” Dyane explained.

“I have to run to the bank, but the buyout seems to be a better option,” Ashley smiled and shook Dyane's hand. “I’ll be in the office until 4 PM,” Dyane said.

Ashley drove to the bank’s ATM and pulled the money off her card. She held the cash in her hand and thought it over—was it worth it? She could find a cheaper place closer to work. Why was she choosing this place? Were the amenities and the allure of the men worth $24,000 or even $2,000 a month? She had the money, but it came from blood and sweat. Ashley placed the money on her lap, drove home, and slammed onto her bed, watching the clock. 4:00 PM stared back at her, and she simply rolled over. It wasn’t worth it.

The next morning, she woke up without buyer’s remorse. She looked around at all the packed boxes; her lease was up in three days, but she was still looking for a place to live. Ashley's phone pinged, alerting her to a new text message.

"Hello & Good Morning Ms. Harding. I realized you didn’t return to the office to turn in your payment for the A building. Are you no longer interested? If so, can you please contact me and let me know what you didn’t like about the property? The property is 1,800 sqft, a three-bedroom, two-bath, with laundry hook-up included…"

She sighed at the text message and dialed the number. “Hello, I decided not to purchase the property due to the price,” she lied.

“Well, based on your credit and application, you qualify for a discount of up to $2,000 off,” Dyane said, trying to sell her the home.

“Take off $4,000 and I’ll move in within the hour and pay in cash,” Ashley bargained.

The phone went silent for a moment. “That’s within limits,” Dyane said, closing the deal. Ashley was bluffing; those townhomes were worth more than $20,000. She smiled, having scored the ultimate deal. She called the movers and paid extra for the short notice, then headed to Garen’s Apartments.

The weather was blazing hot. Ashley wore high-waisted shorts and a tank top, sweating while helping move all her furniture into the townhouse. The workers constantly told her they didn’t need her help, but she insisted. After everything was moved in, she was satisfied. She didn’t have to unpack; everything was put where it needed to be. She sat in the quiet condo for hours, feeling lonely. Her phone was dry, and so were her social media accounts. She was on vacation for another week, so her hands were tied.

Ashley walked out of her apartment and knocked on Mr. Moor’s door. Nobody answered at first, so she walked away. The door creaked open, and a woman with a Latin accent stepped out.

“Yes?” the woman called out.

“I’m sorry, I was looking for Mr. Moor,” Ashley told her.

The woman frowned and showed her wedding ring. “No English,” she said before turning around and walking back inside.

Ashley went back into her apartment feeling awkward. She sat on the couch and laughed out loud to fix her embarrassment. There was a hard knock at her door. She peeked out to see Mr. Moor standing outside. She shook her head; she didn’t know what he was going to say. It was 8 PM, and she had gone to his house unannounced.

Ashley opened the door with her heart racing. “Look, I apologize for interrupting your evening. I hope I didn’t start trouble with your wife,” she said quickly.

He just stood there and laughed. “I don’t have a wife,” he said, looking at her confused.

“Well, your woman—she answered your door,” Ashley said.

“Oh, you mean Rosa,” he said, smacking his head. “She’s simply a childhood friend,” he explained.

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” she said, trying to sound casual.

“Where is your husband or boyfriend?” he asked, prying into her life.

“I’m single and have no friends,” she told him.

“Oh, you must be a crazy one,” he said, laughing.

“Aren’t we all?” she said, laughing with him.

“Some crazier than others,” he said with a straight face.

“How about you come in, and I'll show you just how uncrazy I am,” she said, opening her door.

“Okay,” he said, stepping into her apartment.

“Nani Harding,” she said, holding out her hand, "but everyone calls me Ashley."

“Ali Moor,” he said, kissing her hand. She froze in time. “I’m sorry, did I overstep?” he asked.

“No, sorry, I was deep in my thoughts,” she lied. “Would you like a drink?” she asked him.

“Should crazy people have alcohol?” he joked.

“We are both grown and single,” she said, smiling.

“Something dark if you have it,” he responded.

“Is there any other kind?” she joked. Nani walked into the kitchen with her heart racing; she had never encountered a man like him before. Normally, she was the one in charge, but in this situation, he had her in his net.

She hadn’t been with a man in over two years and wanted a simple one-night stand, but not with a neighbor. You don’t mix business with pleasure. She pressed the glass against the touch-screen fridge, added some ice cubes, then grabbed some dark liquor and poured two glasses.

She handed him the glass, and he inspected it. “What?” she asked.

“You trying to steal my organs or take my goodies?” he asked with a straight face.

She almost dropped her glass from laughing. “Is it this easy to do that?” she asked him.

“It is when you’re as beautiful as you are,” he said, smirking.

“Aww, whatever, I’m average,” she said.

“Not even close,” he said, touching her face and then sipping his glass. “A beautiful grown woman inviting a stranger into her home for sex with no strings—let me see your papers,” he said.

She slid open her coffee desk drawer, pulled out her papers, and handed them to him. “Your turn,” she said, waiting for his results. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his pictures, showing her his papers. They were both clean, and their papers were very up-to-date, like last week.

“So, are we going to do the midnight dance?”

"Honestly, yes, I am," she admitted.

"When was the last time?" he asked.

"Two years ago," she answered honestly.

"Why now? Why me?" he probed.

"Now because I’m not busy… And I didn’t have a preference, you just happen to be here."

"Okay, I see," he said, rubbing his hand up her shorts all the way to her hot zone. She jumped, feeling a sudden rush of heat.

"Let me go and freshen up; I’ve been moving all day," she told him, needing to prepare.

"I know, I watched you, and that’s why I’m so allured by you," he said. She got up and walked into her master bathroom. "Make yourself at home," she called back, disappearing into the shower. She ran around her room, looking for something sexy to slip into. He wasn’t like anyone she had ever encountered, and she needed to impress.

She found an old gown that was still sexy and in good shape but had no matching panties. Frantically, she searched for something sexy but only found an old giant t-shirt. She grabbed it with some thigh-high socks and ran into the shower.

She shaved everything off—if it wasn’t on her head, it was gone. The cold air rushed into the shower, causing her to shiver. She quickly closed her eyes, waiting, then peeked, but nobody was there. She walked out of the bathroom, then out of her bedroom and down the hall, to find a full glass and a missing person. Did he change his mind? She had only been gone for fifteen minutes. She plopped down on the couch, soaking wet and upset. She drank the drink she had made for him and lay on the couch, feeling useless. What felt like hours passed by, and she was drunk as a skunk. She couldn’t even stand.

The front door eased open, and in he stepped. "Oh, you came back," she slurred her words.

"Yeah, I left a note," he said, coming over to her. He picked up his empty glass and peeled the paper from underneath it. "I did try to leave a note. I had a quick business situation," he explained. "Are you okay?" he asked, frowning.

"No, I had way too much to drink," she said, leaning over.

"I see. Well, let's get you to bed, and we can try again tomorrow without the drinks," he smirked.

"Lay with me for a while?" she asked him.

"You might vomit on me," he said with a serious face.

"I won't; I can handle my liquor," she insisted.

"I'll hold you to it," he said, climbing into bed with her. She cuddled under him and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Ashley woke up the next morning to find herself nestled against Ali. The warmth of his body was comforting, and she took a moment to enjoy the rare feeling of closeness. Slowly, she extricated herself from his embrace and tiptoed to the kitchen. Her head was pounding, a reminder of the previous night’s excess. She grabbed a bottle of water and a couple of painkillers, hoping to alleviate the hangover before he woke up.

As she sipped her water, Ali stirred and opened his eyes. "Good morning," he said, his voice still thick with sleep.

"Good morning," she replied, giving him a small smile. "How did you sleep?"

"Pretty well, considering the circumstances," he said, sitting up and stretching. "How about you?"

"I've had better nights," she admitted, "but it wasn't all bad."

They shared a quiet moment, the awkwardness of the previous night lingering between them. Ashley broke the silence. "I’m sorry about last night. I wasn’t expecting to drink that much."

"It’s fine," he said, waving off her apology. "We can start over today. Maybe go out for breakfast?"

"That sounds nice," she said, genuinely liking the idea. "Give me a few minutes to get ready."

Ashley hurried to her bathroom, splashed cold water on her face, and quickly brushed her teeth. She slipped into a casual yet flattering outfit: a pair of jeans and a soft, form-fitting sweater. She took a deep breath, feeling more herself.

When she emerged, Ali was already by the door, looking effortlessly handsome in a simple t-shirt and jeans. "Ready?" he asked, flashing a charming smile.

"Ready," she confirmed, grabbing her keys and bag.

They headed out, the morning sun warming their skin. They decided on a nearby café that Ali recommended. It had a cozy, inviting atmosphere, and they found a table near the window.

Over breakfast, the conversation flowed easily. They talked about their jobs, their hobbies, and their families. Ashley found herself laughing more than she had in a long time. Ali was engaging and attentive, making her feel at ease.

"So, tell me more about why you decided to move here," Ali said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I needed a change," she admitted. "My old place was... well, let’s just say it was time to move on. This place seemed like a fresh start."

"And how are you liking it so far?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"It's been interesting," she said, smiling. "Meeting new people, like you, has definitely made it worthwhile."

"I'm glad to hear that," he said, his eyes locking with hers.

After breakfast, they walked back to the apartments, enjoying the pleasant weather. Ali suggested they check out the gym together, and Ashley agreed, wanting to prolong the time they spent together.

In the gym, they worked out side by side, exchanging playful banter. Ali was impressed by her determination and strength, while Ashley admired his dedication and athleticism. After their workout, they sat on a bench outside, catching their breath.

"I have to say, you’re full of surprises," Ali said, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Is that a good thing?" she asked, teasingly.

"Definitely," he said, grinning.

As the day went on, they continued to explore the complex together, discovering shared interests and enjoying each other’s company. By the time they returned to their respective apartments, it was late afternoon, and Ashley felt a sense of contentment she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

"Thank you for today," she said, standing at her door.

"Anytime," Ali replied. "I had a great time too."

They stood there for a moment, an unspoken understanding passing between them. Finally, Ashley leaned in and gave him a quick, sincere hug. "Goodnight, Ali."

"Goodnight, Ashley," he said, watching her as she went inside.

As she closed the door behind her, Ashley couldn’t help but smile. Maybe this move was exactly what she needed. She looked around her new home, feeling a sense of optimism about the future. For the first time in a long time, she was genuinely excited about what was to come.