~ chapter 04 ~

° Julia °

____________________

The embarassing 2 minute encounter was enough for me to overthink the whole night about it. I had decided I'm not gonna initiate any kind of conversation the next time I meet him. I won't even look at him and his suit.

That suit tho.

Ahem.. anyways.. It's been a busy couple of weeks and I had a huge gig coming up, a lot of copies to work on and this was a client I had been trying to score since long. I'm too excited to work with them.

It's Sunday today and I've to go for a run to clear out my head before I start working obsessively. I tend to latch on my bed for hours working, when I get my head into it. I need to pick groceries too.

I clear out the trash can and put the garbage in a bag. I go out, and see the hallway totally empty and think that it's a lucky day, because I won't run into him accidentally again.

I haven't since last week when we shared the elevator for 45 whole seconds, where I forced my head to not turn towards him and succeeded in not looking at him for more than 3 seconds. While he was too busy with something on his iPad.

And before that, when I ran into him in the parking area, where he was talking with someone. He looked my way, for a couple of seconds, or maybe I was being delusional. Surely, the latter.

And then before that, when I was trying to unlock my door, and had gotten the wrong key inside the keyhole. Because, I was so sleepy. I swear I heard him laughing at me, before going back into his own house.

Anyways, I haven't seen him since the awkward 45 seconds elevator ride and, that's good.

Please Universe, keep it that way!

I suddenly remember that I forgot my headphones inside. A run without my favorite playlist, mostly blasting 'Daechwita' by Agust-D is not a run! I come back to the elevator, only to find myself disappointed.

It's broken, for the 2nd time this year!

Hopefully, they'll repair it soon. 'I hope, it won't take an annoying period of, say, 15 days this time.' I think as I move towards the stairs.

It's okay, I just have to walk down four flights of stairs, run a mile and then climb back four flights of stairs again! Cool... enough exercise for the entire work session that's coming up.

My thoughts consume me. I almost never find myself alone, with these sometimes sarcastic, sometimes dry humored comments my brain keeps passing on to me. Like the one I'm thinking right now that, I'm sure, I've never made anyone laugh with my comments. That must be because, I don't have an active social life, or any friends as a matter of fact.

I stop suddenly, because there was a shoe, infront of me on the staircase with a leg.

Yeah, it was attached to a person.

I look up and yeah!

Damn you, Universe. Is it just me, or when you,

pray for something to the Universe, it'll show you just how funny it can be??

Because in front of me was standing my neighbour.

My neighbour who loves suits. My neighbour - Dr. Torres - who's obsessed with suits. Why won't he, though? He looked devastatingly handsome in those. But today, he wasn't wearing one. He was still in formals. Duh!

A plain white buttoned up shirt. And I didn't dare look down, or he may catch me staring for too long to just look at the color of his trousers. And would I be guilty? That's for me and my eyes to know.

He says something on his phone, and mouths me a "sorry!" I wave my hand, to say "oh no, it's fine." I think to myself that I should go on my way, hopefully avoiding conversation. But, he then cuts his call, and says "Hey. I'm sorry, to stand like this on the way.. it's mostly empty. I found the lift broken yesterday."

Ah, so it's been a day. I wouldn't have known, because I was home since Friday.

I force an awkward smile, and say "it's alright. It's the second time, this year that it's broken! And it's empty, because we are the only ones on the 4th floor right now."

"Oh, I didn't know that. I was wondering why do people not come out of their houses here." He pinched the bridge of his nose and his lips were transformed to somewhat of a smile.

"Anyways, it was nice running into you."

"Likewise, Dr. Torres!" I say and smile back.

"Oh, please. Call me Enzo!"

"Alright, I'll see you around then, En-zo." I say each syllable clear and the corner of his lips twitch.

I start to move my way down, but he calls back.

"I forgot what your name was?"

"That's because you never asked. And I never answered." I say back, loud and clear.

"Okay, excellent point." he tries to hide back his smile and says "I'm asking now, then. What do I call you, Miss 'I jog wearing two different shoes'?"

I look down and at this moment I just want the staircase to open from the middle and swallow me down. I was wearing two different jogging shoes. One black and another light purple.

"Gosh, I - I'm.. I hadn't noticed." I say embarassingly, and he presses his lips together, maybe to stop himself from laughing at the clown I was.

"I thought it was some new fashion trend or something! Anyways, you didn't answer my question yet, or should I go with the name I just used?" he lets out a soft laugh.

"I was thinking about my work and I didn't notice it. I swear, I'm not usually like this." I say, face palming myself.

"Okay, whatever you say, ma'am. I never doubt people who put in wrong things at wrong places."

"I knew it. I knew you laughed at me that night, when I was locked out."

"I didn't laugh. I snorted" he says in a calm demeanor. I give him a look, which says "Seriously!?" he shrugs, giving me a look which says, "What else was I supposed to do?" and I can't help myself but laugh.

A real laugh. For a second, I stopped and thought, if I was imagining things. Because it's been months, since I had let myself have a real laugh. I second guessed myself, and thought if I was actually laughing right now, if I was actually happy or was it a fake laugh.

No, it was genuine. Because there was this tightness in my chest, which relaxed a bit. And my eyes were crinkled at their corners. And my cheeks were lifted up, which felt unfamiliar and it hurt a bit. I had forgotten how I looked while smiling.

"so, what is it?" he asks and it brings me out of the trance.

"Julia." I say, "Julia Morias." I cupped my cheeks with my palms because it was hurting, and then smiled at him.

He nods his head, but I see his jaw clench a bit. Something flashed for a second, right there in those dark brown eyes of his. But he soon relaxes and smiles back at me.

His phone rings again, and he sighs.

"I'll see you around, then Miss Morias." he says and I frown, not sure what for. Was I hoping he'd call me by my first name, because he just asked me to call him by his? and because we just shared a laugh?

Maybe it wasn't as rare for him as it was for me.

I collect my thoughts back to place and nod my head. He runs down the stairs and I run back up to change my shoes.

...

I run 2 miles and when I get back home, there were men working on the elevator. I heaved a sigh of relief and got inside my house, locked it and got myself ready to work for the next 10 hours straight.

Dream life, here I come!