MIDSUMMER CRUSH

CHAPTER 2

Chapter 2

Giselle woke up late with Crusher's wet kisses over her face. It was a much waited weekly off she needed from the restaurant. Assured that she didn't have to slog her ass off at Oh ! Maria, she relaxed and spent some me time with Crusher in the bath tub.

"Eww...did you fart inside the bath tub again?" She wrinkled her nose on seeing bubbles to his side.

If only Crusher could have made hot chocolate and served her on such weekly offs, life would have been much easier she thought. She reminisced the good old days at New Jersey when her mother would do everything for right from cooking to laundry. Now that she was on her own, she terrible missed the comfort.

Just the thought of cleaning up the apartment, doing the laundry and dishes exhausted her. She felt so stressed that she could even hear loud noises in head until she realized they were coming from next door.

"Must be some new tenant who's moving in..." She looked at Crusher as he stood in alertness and fixed his gaze on the wall. "Relax...the noise will stop in sometime. Just pray it isn't some family with excessive photo frames or we'll be traumatized when they start drilling holes here," she frowned and stepped out.

Preparing a cup of hot chocolate, she took Crusher on the treadmill for his morning walk, since she was too lazy to use it herself or take Crusher out to the park. While he sweated it out on the treadmill, she came out to the balcony and watched the busy street below. Scaring off a pair of pigeons, mating right on the ledge, she held her mug and noticed a movers truck parked at the entrance below.

The truck was loaded with cartons and furniture. Giselle watched in boredom as few men unloaded the truck and carried everything inside. "Oh no! The rent..." She recalled the landlady's ultimatum and rushed to check her savings.

Relived that she had saved enough after keeping some to pay her bills, she carried the cash and prepared to leave. However when she tried to push the door, it refused to open. After three failed attempts she realised something huge was obstructing the door from out.

"Dafuq! Will someone move whatever that is?"

"Just a minute, ma'am. We need to get this wardrobe in,"

"Oh well, alright but please hurry, I need to go,"

She frowned and wondered why the doors were designed to push open when it was meant to be pulled inside. Every time a new tenant moved in the apartment opposite her, they would obstruct her way by leaving their furniture in the corridor. Giselle waited for long, until she lost her patience. Assuming the coast was clear, she swiftly pushed open the door when all of a sudden her new neighbour fell forward and landed over his couch.

"Oh Jeez! I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were in front of my door...I," she apologised and controlled her urge to laugh at the funny scenario.

"It's cool, sometimes s**t happens," he replied while he lay flat on the couch. Giselle noticed his shirtless physique and wondered how people still found time to hit the gym.

"Are you okay?" she enquired sheepishly and tilted her head to catch a glimpse of his face.

"I'm cool!" he showed her the thumb and rose from the couch only to fall back when she screamed.

"Oh my God, it's you!"

Aariz raised he head to catch a glimpse of the overzealous neighbour. "Giselle...you live here?" he blinked in astonishment and felt as awkward as her.

"Yeah...I stay here....see this door behind me, I live right beyond it,," she answered like a dumb blonde who had no clue what she was blabbering.

Aariz brushed his hair and smiled coyly at her. "Nice...so that makes us neighbours then," he stated and ran his fingers across the panes of his toned chest.

Giselle couldn't help but blush and look elsewhere, for he looked so desirable and sexy. Wild thoughts of getting it on with him in the bedroom infringed her mind. The mere picture of undressing before him and brushing her body against his sweaty torso, perked up her t**s. She figured she was making it too obvious when his unabashed gaze lingered on her straining blouse buttons.

"Oh so you're the one moving in...I mean I didn't know you were moving in, but I can see you moving in now, so that means you're moving in...Ha-ha..." she blabbered in nervousness and covered her breast with her arms.

"Are you alright?"

He enquired suspiciously while she tried hard to control her anxiety. Purely smiling, she cussed herself for acting like a fool, but this wasn't the first time she had behaved like this. Back in their senior year, she broke all records of making a fool of herself in his presence. She found it unfair how after so many years, his presence was all it took make her appear dumb all over again.

"Erm...you've got a big couch there, you need some help?"

She noticed the couch and offered to help, but he politely refused. Aariz was a guy who would never let a woman do manual or heavy work. He was the perfect gentleman even at St. George.

"No I'm serious, I lift weights at the gym. Taking that in will be like a piece of cake,"

She lied on his face and sucked her tummy in the second he checked her out again. "Besides, I'm your next door neighbour now. Neighbours are supposed to help each other, right?" She twitched her lips in anticipation.

"Oh well, I wouldn't mind if you get my other stuff from downstairs," He finally replied sheepishly and looked all the more cute. Aariz was reserved and shy, a trait that made him appear all the more charming and lovable.

Excited that Aariz was her new neighbour, Giselle enthusiastically rushed down stairs and began carrying his stuff up, forgetting all about paying her dues to Mrs. Partridge. She had fun helping him settle his apartment. She quivered like a teenager every time their fingers brushed. Helping someone move in never seemed so exciting.

"I think the TV should go here, and the couch over there."

She suggested while he willingly followed.

"You may think I'm a sloth, but honestly I'm not good at this."

Aariz felt embarrassed while she kept suggesting what would go where. "Nevermind, as long as you've got me things will be fine," She commented and took an abrupt pause after realising what she had uttered. They shared an awkward silence before breaking into a laugh.

When they were done settling the place, they reached for the couch and sighed together. "Wow, I thought it would never end!" she stretched her waxed legs and gazed up the ceiling.

"Same here, that's why I hate moving from one apartment to another," he replied and invariably placed his arm on the back of the couch.

Giselle quivered and leaned forward before glancing at his arm through the corner of her eyes. It struck her later that she was dressed a tad bit sexy that day. She had been strutting all over his place, flashing her long exposed legs in those denim shorts. And the blouse soaked in sweat had clinched to her body exposing her well define curves. But Aariz didn't mind it or so she assumed until she caught him staring at her again.

"So you've been living in New York for long, huh? I thought you returned to Bahrain after graduation," she crossed her arms and withdrew her legs.

"It's been three years since I moved back, I like it better here," he smiled and wiped his sweat with a towel.

"Same here..." she glanced at his shoulder and smiled dreamily. "Why was he so hot," she murmured and sighed in helplessness.

"You said something?"

Giselle shook her head in denial. Aariz noticed her sweaty body and offered a towel.

"No, thank you! I'll rather catch a quick shower,"

Aariz suddenly turned red and looked in the direction of the bathroom, before Giselle figured out what had happened. "In my place..." she added cheekily and blushed wondering why their paths never crossed earlier.

"As you wish..." he smirked and excited her. "By the way thanks a bunch for helping me settle in, I wish I could offer you some coffee in return, but I'm yet to unpack my stuff. You look tired, though" he explained and appeared concerned.

"Oh relax! It's not mandatory to offer me something in return. By the way you just gave me a brilliant idea," she rose on her feet and puzzled him.

"Do you like your coffee strong?" she asked and rubbed her hands.

"Erm...yes I do," he looked at her suspiciously.

"Well then would you mind coming over for a cup of strong coffee, it's right next door." She smiled and crossed her fingers until he agreed.

"Nice place, you've done up your apartment beautifully," he admired her humble abode.

"You don't have to be so formal, Aariz. I know this place is a mess," She cringed and walked up to the kitchen.

While she prepared coffee, she visually surveyed her living room and wondered what had attracted Aariz. Her house was simple. There was a rug with fancy cushions lined over it, two green ottoman around a coffee table and a painting of New York city on the wall, created by her.

"You've changed a lot since I last saw you," He distracted her train of thoughts.

Giselle smiled and reminisced the past when she was a bit overweight and wore glasses to class. She knew she wasn't counted in the prettiest lot.

"Your hair was longer, right?...brown and wavy I suppose," he stared into her eyes and studied her features.

Gisele was overwhelmed by his memory. She found it surprising that he mentioned about her hair, while all the time she expected he was referring to her weight and geeky glasses.

"Hmm...That was five years back, times change, people change,"

She smiled and handed him the coffee mug. "I'm glad you remembered how I looked, but you missed my Potter glasses," she winked and heard him chuckle.

"I still have a pair, though," she added and requested him to sit beside her on the rug.

"Well, I had a pair too, though I never wore it much. Now I wear lenses," he stated.

"Don't say! You mean you had glasses too? I don't remember..." she wrinkled her nose and tried hard to recollect, but in vain.

"I guess you forgot how I looked," he said softly and felt awkward. "It's alright though, you can't expect everyone to remember every detail of you, right?" he added and smiled again before they drank their coffee in silence.

It wasn't long before Crusher appeared out of nowhere and began growling at Aariz from a distance. "Is that your dog?" he asked as she reached for Crusher and calmed him down. "Yes he is, sorry if he scared you, I'll lock him in if you aren't too comfortable," she said and held crusher in her arms.

"That's not necessary, I like dogs though I never got to keep one at home. What's his name?" he rose from the rug and approached them. "He's Crusher, oh and I think he likes you," she giggled as Crusher wagged his tail and licked Aariz's hands.

"It's good to have a pet," he said as he cuddled Crusher lovingly.

"Crusher is not a pet, we're more like buddies rooming together ha-ha he's all I have in the city," She quoted.

"You mean you're single?" He tilted his head and stared in astonishment.

"Uhm...Yeah, It's just me and Crusher, though Mrs. Partridge has other views," She made a face and suddenly wondered how she rented out the apartment to a bachelor in the first place. As far as she was told, no single men were allowed to rent the apartment. Only girls like her or families could rent one. While she pondered for an explanation, she noticed someone sneak into Aariz's apartment.

"Hey, I someone broke into your house," She alerted him before they rushed back to his place. Giselle was taken aback when she came across a small boy seated on a carton with a sullen face.

"Naman!" Aariz called out to him and rushed to his side.

"s**t! I'm extremely sorry! I forgot to pick you up from school again, didn't I?" He sighed at his absentmindedness.

"You always forget, tell me something new,"

The boy cribbed and looked away with his hands crossed over his chest. Giselle watched the two as she stood in the doorway figuring how the boy was related to Aariz. She finally got her answers when Aariz introduced them to each other.

"He's Naman, my five years old son, and she's my friend and our neighbour from now on. Say hi to her," he explained and left her terribly speechless.

Naman reluctantly acknowledged her and looked at Aariz, While Giselle stared at the father son duo. She felt like an i***t watching them from a distance. She had forgotten that Aariz, her crush had married his sweetheart five years ago on graduation day, the day she had intentionally given their graduation ceremony a miss and sat crying at home. Like a cold wave it all came swirling back to her, how could she forget that Aariz was a married man? Surged with mixed feelings she saw his son and lowered her gaze. No wonder Mrs. Partridge let them rent the apartment to begin with, she murmured.

"Why are you standing there, Giselle? Come in," Aariz grabbed her attention and called out to her, but she refused.

"I think I should leave now, I've got loads of pending work," She excused herself and bid them good bye. As she closed the door gently, she not only closed it, but closed all those feelings and dreams that reprised for a brief moment before realizing he was married and had a son.