her head. “It’s Simon,” she whispered.
“Ignore him, maybe he’ll go away.” Mel hissed back.
Simon knocked again. “Elyse, I saw your lights turn on, I saw you walking around. Please, just let me in. After you hear me out, I’ll leave if that’s still what you want.”
She stood there next to the door wanting nothing more than to open it, but the last thing she needed to hear was him telling her what a mistake they’d made.
“Okay, if you won’t let me in. I’ll have to do this through the door. I don’t think Mrs. Friedman will mind. She likes me.”
What? When had he befriended Mrs. Friedman?
She looked through the peephole and watched Simon stuff his hands into the pockets of his jeans, looking incredibly edible. “I’m sorry, Elyse. More sorry than I can ever say.”
She looked over at Mel whose mouth had dropped open.
Elyse shook her head wishing she was Samantha Stevens and could make both of the Spragues disappear with the twitch of her nose.
Simon cleared his throat, drawing her eye back to the peephole. He raked his hand through his hair. “I handled the whole thing badly—I was shocked when I realized . . . I should never have said what I said about you and Mel setting me up. I was way off base. If it’s any consolation, Mel stopped by my place and damn, she ripped me a new one—not that I didn’t deserve it.”
Mel came up close, “He said he’s sorry?” she whispered.
Elyse nodded.
“He never apologizes. Ever. You know that.”
“So?” Elyse whispered back.
“Elyse, please.” Simon continued. Now he was leaning against the wall across the hall so she could see all of him. That was so not fair. “The time I spent with you . . .” He stepped forward and rested both hands on her door and looked as if he could see her through it. “Baby, please let me in. It would be a whole lot easier if I didn’t have to grovel in front of Mrs. Friedman.”
Mel nudged her.
“What?” she hissed at Mel.
“He’s apologizing,” Mel whispered back.
“I know that, I’m not deaf. Everyone of my neighbors knows it too.”
“Well, maybe you should let him in.”
“With you here? Mel, he’ll think it’s another setup.”
“I’ll hide in the bathroom.”
“Oh, that would be just great. That way when he catches you, it will look even worse.”
“Then go out there.”
“In my bathing suit?”
“You look amazing.”
“Right.”
“Elyse.” Simon knocked again. “I know it takes a long time for you to make a decision, but babe, you’re killing me here.” He turned away from the door. “Hi, Mrs. Friedman. No, everything is fine. I’m just waiting for Elyse.”
Mel pointed at the door. “Go out there. I’ve never heard Simon like this. At least hear what he has to say.”
“Elyse, please. Give me a second chance. I’m begging you.” He stepped closer. “Baby, I love the way you move and how you blush all the time. I love that little nervous laugh of yours and the way you tilt your head when you think I’m nuts. I love the way you have to sleep with your feet out, and then you stick them in between mine when they’re cold. I love your smile—it lights up my whole world. I lo—”
Before Elyse knew what had happened, her purse had been dropped over her shoulder and she was being pushed out her own door, right into Simon.
* * *
Simonfelt like a stalker talking to Elyse through her door. He’d broken down and called his mother knowing she would have Elyse’s contact information.
He couldn’t believe he’d been reduced to professing his love through a closed door with Mrs. Friedman watching, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He was just going to have to do it and hope to hell she was listening and not sitting around with headphones stuck in her ears. “Elyse,” he raised his voice a little more. He was well past the point of total embarrassment. He may as well give all the neighbors something to talk about.
Then, she was
“Ignore him, maybe he’ll go away.” Mel hissed back.
Simon knocked again. “Elyse, I saw your lights turn on, I saw you walking around. Please, just let me in. After you hear me out, I’ll leave if that’s still what you want.”
She stood there next to the door wanting nothing more than to open it, but the last thing she needed to hear was him telling her what a mistake they’d made.
“Okay, if you won’t let me in. I’ll have to do this through the door. I don’t think Mrs. Friedman will mind. She likes me.”
What? When had he befriended Mrs. Friedman?
She looked through the peephole and watched Simon stuff his hands into the pockets of his jeans, looking incredibly edible. “I’m sorry, Elyse. More sorry than I can ever say.”
She looked over at Mel whose mouth had dropped open.
Elyse shook her head wishing she was Samantha Stevens and could make both of the Spragues disappear with the twitch of her nose.
Simon cleared his throat, drawing her eye back to the peephole. He raked his hand through his hair. “I handled the whole thing badly—I was shocked when I realized . . . I should never have said what I said about you and Mel setting me up. I was way off base. If it’s any consolation, Mel stopped by my place and damn, she ripped me a new one—not that I didn’t deserve it.”
Mel came up close, “He said he’s sorry?” she whispered.
Elyse nodded.
“He never apologizes. Ever. You know that.”
“So?” Elyse whispered back.
“Elyse, please.” Simon continued. Now he was leaning against the wall across the hall so she could see all of him. That was so not fair. “The time I spent with you . . .” He stepped forward and rested both hands on her door and looked as if he could see her through it. “Baby, please let me in. It would be a whole lot easier if I didn’t have to grovel in front of Mrs. Friedman.”
Mel nudged her.
“What?” she hissed at Mel.
“He’s apologizing,” Mel whispered back.
“I know that, I’m not deaf. Everyone of my neighbors knows it too.”
“Well, maybe you should let him in.”
“With you here? Mel, he’ll think it’s another setup.”
“I’ll hide in the bathroom.”
“Oh, that would be just great. That way when he catches you, it will look even worse.”
“Then go out there.”
“In my bathing suit?”
“You look amazing.”
“Right.”
“Elyse.” Simon knocked again. “I know it takes a long time for you to make a decision, but babe, you’re killing me here.” He turned away from the door. “Hi, Mrs. Friedman. No, everything is fine. I’m just waiting for Elyse.”
Mel pointed at the door. “Go out there. I’ve never heard Simon like this. At least hear what he has to say.”
“Elyse, please. Give me a second chance. I’m begging you.” He stepped closer. “Baby, I love the way you move and how you blush all the time. I love that little nervous laugh of yours and the way you tilt your head when you think I’m nuts. I love the way you have to sleep with your feet out, and then you stick them in between mine when they’re cold. I love your smile—it lights up my whole world. I lo—”
Before Elyse knew what had happened, her purse had been dropped over her shoulder and she was being pushed out her own door, right into Simon.
* * *
Simonfelt like a stalker talking to Elyse through her door. He’d broken down and called his mother knowing she would have Elyse’s contact information.
He couldn’t believe he’d been reduced to professing his love through a closed door with Mrs. Friedman watching, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He was just going to have to do it and hope to hell she was listening and not sitting around with headphones stuck in her ears. “Elyse,” he raised his voice a little more. He was well past the point of total embarrassment. He may as well give all the neighbors something to talk about.
Then, she was
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