My Achilles Shoe | ONC 2024

○ Chapter 02 ○

The first thing that I did when I woke up the next morning was to check for my missing item. It wasn't that hard, considering there was only one shoe near my window.

Of course, he was gonna scream after getting hit by a shoe. I gulped when the realization struck me. He didn't come up to my apartment to have a row with me. ‘Thank God.’ Thinking about it now, I felt like I overreacted to my fears last night.

“Well, it was his fault to creep me out first,” I tried to reason with myself.

I was annoyed, though, to find that my other shoe was missing when I looked down the window. It was my favorite pair, after all. 

‘Yeah, and what did I expect after throwing a shoe at someone? That he'll gift it back to me by placing it on my doormat?’

Since I couldn't afford to sulk on this matter the whole day, I decided to get ready for my office.

Within half an hour, I was ready, steady and almost on the go. I say, almost because Mr. and Mrs. Brown found the exact moment to come out of their apartment. They both gave me their coldest looks. They were like two peas in a pod. Belonged together.

Mrs. Brown came forward and sneered at me, “What were you even doing so late at night? Quacking around like an unfed duck.” She leaned onto her cane and took deep breaths to regain her breathing. “Richie couldn't sleep the whole night. Now look at him.” She shook her cane in her husband's direction.

“Oh, come on, darling. I am fine now,” Mr. Brown assured his wife but not before throwing an angry look my way. “And you, missy, please do mind about your neighbors as well.”

Embarrassed, I tucked a stray hair behind my ear and gave them an apologetic smile. “I am so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Brown.” I waited for them to nod their heads. “But, I really was… an unfed duck last night,” I joked, laughing.

“Ms. Kristen Reese!” Both of them exclaimed in unison, unamused. Like I said, two peas in a pod.

Well, it was safe to say that I had three sets of grandparents. Yet none matched my level of sarcasm and humor.

Before they could stop and lecture me more, I turned around and left the building in haste. As I was walking toward the nearest bus stop, I glanced at my wristwatch to see that I could  still reach my office in time.

However, my day had begun on a bad note because I bumped into someone. Hard.

“I am sorry.”

“Sorry.”

We both said at the same time. I looked up to see a really handsome guy who would not be a year older than me. It was paradoxical how his eyes were the softest blues I'd ever seen but they shone with anger. His features were sharp, attractive, charming even, but there was a hint of annoyance with the way he was frowning.

I thought his anger was directed at me for bumping into him but he apologized again and left. He was mad at something and boy, was I glad to not be on the receiving end of it.

My eyes trailed him and saw him walking inside my apartment building. Since it had just two apartments, the downstairs belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Brown and upstairs belonged to me, I assumed he was meeting the old couple. And, also I wasn't expecting anyone, especially not that handsome man.

Was he their grandson? The handsome one that they couldn't stop yapping about at every chance they got?

Shrugging my shoulders, I went on my way. But for some reason, I couldn't get the handsome guy out of my head.