Hazel screamed from the back of the apartment. “Get me a wrench or something!! Hurry!”
“Hey… umm … something’s wrong in the bathroom,” the girl explained. “Umm… David is trying to help her, but …”
“Mind if I have a look?” I asked.
“Yeah, but she’s gonna be really mad that I let you in,” she frowned.
“Let me worry about that,” I told her as I headed towards the bathroom.
When I walked into the small dilapidated bathroom, it took me a second to register what I was seeing. Between all the screaming and the water, it was fucking chaos. The showerhead had broken off from the wall and water was spewing all over the room. With one hand, Hazel had a bath towel covering the huge gaping hole in the wall while her hand continuously turned the faucet knob round and round in a failed attempt to turn off the water. Nothing she was doing was working, not even a little bit, and she was drenched from head to toe. She turned with her mouth open, ready to scream again, and a look of pure horror crossed her face when she noticed me standing in the doorway.
David came rushing up behind me with a wrench in his hand. I took it from him and said, “Thanks, buddy.”
I walked over to the tub and knelt by the faucet. After removing the cheap plastic covering, I used the wrench to twist the water off. As soon as the water stopped gushing from the wall, the room fell silent. Still kneeling down, I glanced up at her, but when I noticed her white t-shirt was completely soaked, I quickly turned away. The last thing I needed was her seeing the smile that inched across my face when I saw her perfect breasts beneath the wet fabric. Damn. Damn it all to hell. Seeing her standing there looking so vulnerable and downright beautiful stirred something inside of me that I hadn’t expected to feel.
“Exactly what are you doing here?” she sneered.
Throwing her attitude right back at her, I stood up and growled, “Doing whatever it takes to make you stop making so much damn racket. The walls are thin, remember? Some of us are actually trying to sleep around here.”
Her cheeks blushed red as she stumbled, “I’m … umm …”
I crossed my arms and, with a raised eyebrow, said, “This is where you say thank you.”
She cut her eyes at me and spat, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll come back after work tomorrow to fix the showerhead. Just leave it for now.”
“No. I’ll just tell Louise. She’ll get someone to—”
“I told you I’d fix it tomorrow,” I snapped as I started towards the door. “Don’t want to take a chance on someone screwing it up.” Before I left the room, I turned to her and said, “And just so we’re clear: you were right about the thin walls, and you scream like a dying hyena.”
I couldn’t sleep. I wanted to blame the uncomfortable sofa for my insomnia, but I knew the lumpy cushions weren’t at fault … at least not this time. Every time I closed my eyes, he was there: my too-hot-for-his-own-good neighbor, the man of my dreams and my worst nightmares wrapped into one. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t get him out of my head. I should have been grateful that he’d come and saved us from a complete disaster, but I wasn’t. Instead, I was just plain mad. I couldn’t believe he just barged into my apartment looking all disheveled and sexy as hell while I looked like a total mess. I could feel the heat crawl up my face when I thought about that sexy little smirk that crossed his face when he glanced up at my wet chest. Jerk. Then to make matters even worse, he had the nerve to say that I sound like a dying hyena. I had never, nor would I ever, sound like a hyena—dying or otherwise. It was ludicrous, all of it. I would have eventually figured out how to turn the stupid water off. I was just flustered … and wet. I wasn’t thinking straight. I sure as hell didn’t need him coming in there making me feel like a complete pathetic moron, but he did.
I was lying there still fuming when Hadley walked into the living room. She came over to the edge of the sofa. “Can I lie down with you for a little