Chapter 5 5

Linda Martins

I came back home so happy. I was overjoyed that my stupidity didn't cost me my job. I thought Mr. Smith would definitely punish me for my act but he was surprisingly calm. Initially, I doubted and all day I kept praying for him not to change his decision but I sighed in relief when he went out after lunch, giving me a huge load of work. I have never been happier receiving such work

I was doing some skin treatment in the bathroom when I heard the ringing of the doorbell. I lowered the volume and glanced at the watch. It was ten past eight at night. "Must be Susan," I mumbled.

Jumping while still listening to the song, I made my way to the door. I was just two steps away from the door when the bell rang again.

"Oh, goodness, Susan stop pressing the doorbell. I have only two legs. It takes time to reach the door." I shouted irritatedly and swung the door open.

"Susan"

My eyes came out of the sockets when I saw someone else standing there instead of Susan. It was someone I could never expect would come to my doorstep. I was shocked to see him standing there that too at an unusual time. I thought I was dreaming so I shut my eyes tightly, hoping when I open them I won't see the person but when I opened my eyes again I found him standing there.

He was actually here! What was he doing here?

"Miss-"

Before he could say anything I remembered that I was looking like she-hulk with the green face mask on.

Panicked, shocked, and embarrassed, I did what I was good at. Stupidity.

I shut the door in his face.

God, he saw me in an awful state. Why! Why! Why! Why do all the embarrassing things happen to me?

___________________________________________

Tyler Smith

On my way back to my home after having a talk with my grandma I kept on thinking about my own stupidity. I was pooled with confusion and annoyance. Grandma trapped me in her trap so smoothly that I couldn't do anything.

Now I had to think of something to bring myself out of the problem that I created.

I couldn't ask for my friends' help as they would just make fun of me to death. Moreover, I didn't want them to know that I had mistakenly involved my P.A. in my plan. I didn't want them to know that I wanted my P.A. to live with me.

Without waiting for another second I took out my phone and went through the employee's database to look for her address. I had never cared about knowing her address as it was never required but now I needed it. As soon as I got her address I drove to her place.

Standing in front of her house I scanned the surrounding. It was night time and it felt odd to visit someone's house without prior notice at an unusual hour. But it was not the time to think about that so I took a deep breath and marched towards the door. Now, standing at the wooden deck in front of the door I again contemplated whether to ring the bell or to back out and think of some other plan.

"Fuck it." I pressed the doorbell before I could change my mind and waited for the door to open. I heard muffled yelling before the door opened and I came face to face with a green-faced girl.

"Susan-" Her eyes turned wide and she studied me for a while. My eyes traveled from her green face to her outfit, oversized t-shirt and shorts, and then to her bare legs and then to her barefoot. I switched my eyes to her masked face again.

Okay... I indeed knocked on someone's door at the wrong time. Well, that was awkward. For a second, I thought of going back but then I remembered my work was more important than anything.

"Miss-" Before I could ask her if she was Miss Martins, the door was shut in my face.

Wait, was she Miss Martins? And did she just shut the door in my face?

Shrugging, I again pressed the doorbell but no one answered. Frowning, I again pressed the bell, and then again, and again but no one answered. I thought of shouting Miss Martins's name but decided against it as that would be odd to do and might force the neighbors to come out. So, I decided to give her a phone call but before I could take out the from my pocket the door of the house swung open and there stood clear-faced Miss Martins with her t-shirt wet around her neck, slightly wet hair, and still barefoot.

"Sir?"

Embarrassed of what I was doing I averted my eyes from her for a second then again gazed at her face. Clearing my throat I asked,

"Why did you shut the door in my face?"

Her eyes turned wide and uneasiness surfaced on her face. "Me? No, it wasn't me. It was my housemate who did that. Sorry about her." She chuckled nervously.

My eyes got filled with amusement and my lips battled to twitch up but I stopped them from doing so. She didn't want me to know that the green-faced girl who opened the door was her.

"Do you and your housemate...wear the same clothes?" I quirked an eyebrow.

She lowered her eyes on her outfit then looked up but didn't meet my eyes. And I could bet on my fortune that I saw a tint of red on her cheek. Shifting on her feet she again laughed nervously.

"Hehe. Ahem, What are you doing here? I...I mean do you have some work?"

Yeah, come to the point, Tyler.

I straightened my posture and adjusted my suit jacket. "Are you free?" I asked.

"Uh, I..."

"Doesn't matter. I have something important to talk to you about."

"Oh."

Awkward silence.

"Won't you invite me in?"

As soon as those words left my mouth she came out of her house, shutting the door behind her. Honestly, I was taken aback by her action. For a second I thought I might have requested something unusual but then I thought I had only asked her to invite me in. That wasn't a big deal, right? Or perhaps she had a messy house or a man living with her that's why she did that. But again, it was not my place to ask as I had arrived at her doorstep unannounced.

"Uh...Erm...sorry but I can't invite you in. If I do so I'll be thrown out of the house." She said hesitantly.

I kept staring at her in confusion as I couldn't comprehend the reason she gave me. She looked at her right side and scoffing, she then looked at me.

"Uh, don't react but can you see the lady in the adjoining house peeking through the window? She's my landlord and she has a strict rule that men aren't allowed in."

"What?" I saw a lady peeking through the window, scrutinizing us. "What kind of absurd rule is this?"

Miss Martins waved her hand. "She is still living in the stone age." She then laughed. Weird!

"Whatever. We can't talk here. Would you mind if we talk somewhere else? Maybe a restaurant?" I asked.

"Is it that important?" Her frown deepened and hesitation lurked her face.

"Yes."

"Umm... can't we talk in the office?"

"If I could wait that long I wouldn't have been standing here."

"Umm..."

Please say yes. Please.

"O...okay but first let me change."

Phew! Thank goodness she agreed.

I nodded my head. "I'll be waiting in my car."