A dribble, a drabble

A Brief Surprise

Winner of the weekly @ChickLit Flash Fiction Prompt contest - Prompt 15

Heidi ducked down in the dark space between two cars, praying a car didn't turn the corner & highlight her in all her underwear-clad glory. Her best friend Jess was nowhere to be seen, but her apartment was just across the street. One streetlight to dodge then home-free.

She couldn't believe she'd made it all this way without anyone seeing her. She mimicked Jess' voice, "Just a harmless prank! Climb up & throw it through the window." Being tipsy didn't help, or her 3-inch heels. The scratches from the tree & bush she'd landed in stung like crazy. The tree somehow kept her dress for itself as she fell. Thank God she was wearing nice underwear for her moonlight dash through the neighbourhood.

All was quiet so she got ready to run, then froze as her new, sexy neighbor said from behind her, "Is there an underwear party I wasn't invited to?" His coat settled around her shoulders, wrapping her in a scent of cologne & man that hit all the right spots. It was long enough to cover her to mid-thigh as she stood and pulled it closed tightly.

This was definitely not how she'd wanted to meet him. Mortified, she looked up into smiling blue eyes she drowned in. "It was my best friend's really, really, bad idea."

He entranced her further with a smile. "Something your law firm won't want to know?"

Her eyes popped. If the partners found out about this... "How...?"

He extended a hand she automatically shook. "I'm Giles Stern. I believe I'm your new manager starting Monday." He nodded at the building across the street. "The firm rented me this place & told me you live here."

Heidi's jaw & stomach plummeted. She could kiss that promotion goodbye she'd been working her butt off for. She needed to do damage control, fast! She motioned to herself, "This..."

He waved it away with a smile. "No harm, no foul. How about on Monday we pretend we never met? Just hang the coat on the door of 2B." As he walked away, she heard him mutter, "Don't knock, I'll be in a cold shower."