The day was winding down, and Julia was in the process of packing up her things as her office door opened to reveal a cleaning lady.
"Oh, I didn't know you were still here," the cleaning lady remarked, her cart momentarily forgotten.
Julia zipped up her bag and stood, glancing at the clock. "I was just leaving."
As she exited the office, she pulled out her phone to take notes on the current design project for the client. It was a company pioneering a heads-up display for motorbikes, and she was tasked with creating the marketing designs with her team.
Swiping her access card, she entered the elevator to return to the ground floor when her phone began to ring, displaying "Movers" on the screen. Her thumb hovered over the answer button as the phone vibrated, but she sighed and finally swiped to ignore it. She placed her phone into her pocket as she reached the ground level and walked out of the building.
The streets were wet from a light rain, with streetlights reflecting in the puddles. Julia walked through the crosswalk to a small cafe across the street. It was a cozy place with eight tables inside and a few more outside under a canopy. The walls were painted a soft red, and the rustic wood floor matched the distressed wood around the coffee shop.
Inside, only one person sat, hunched over a laptop next to the front window, their face illuminated by the computer screen.
Julia entered, moving to the counter and placing her bag down on a stool. "Hot chocolate," she requested softly, amidst the light acoustic background music.
The barista nodded and began preparing her drink while Julia glanced around at the old photos on the wall.
"Hot chocolate?" came a familiar voice from a booth by the window.
Julia turned to see her neighbor looking at her with disinterest. "What's wrong with hot chocolate?" she replied defensively.
"You don't need to leave the house for something so trivial," he stated, his head resting against the seat, his eyes scrutinizing her every move.
Julia rolled her eyes and turned back to watch the barista. "I don't need caffeine this late," she retorted.
There was a click as her neighbor closed his laptop and put it into his bag. Within moments, he had moved to the counter, sliding into a seat next to her and calling out to the barista, "Parker, can I get one as well?"
Julia turned to look at him in question, and he simply shrugged. "Do you find yourself tolerable?" she asked, her arms crossed.
"At times," he replied nonchalantly.
That earned him a laugh from Julia. She turned as the barista handed her the drink and took her card.
"She's covering mine as well," he said with a cocky smile.
"I will not," Julia protested to the puzzled Parker.
"You owe me."
"For what?" Julia asked, growing annoyed.
"For taking away the peace of my hall," he responded.
Julia looked at him in shock. "Oh, really?"
He nodded, taking her drink and having a sip. "You are insufferable," she said, taking the drink back. "I don't know who you are, but someone needs to tell you the world doesn't revolve around you."
"You wound me," he replied mockingly, and she pushed him playfully to his seat.
He laughed. "I thought women were supposed to be kind and gentle creatures."
"I thought males were supposed to be respectful and honorable," she retorted, removing her hand from him as she finished paying for her drink.
She lifted her bag and stepped away, taking a sip of her drink. "Do you like it?" he asked.
She scowled at him and turned to the door. "I liked it too," he called after her, and she stopped to look back at him. The barista was pretending to be busy, but her neighbor's gaze remained locked on her.
Julia sighed and realized that he had also taken a sip from her cup. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Come on."
He stood up, paid for his drink, and grabbed his things. Julia watched him, unsure of what he was about to do. He walked up to her and switched their drinks, saying, "See, it wasn't too hard to pay for mine, now was it?"
"You are ridiculous," she mumbled before walking out of the coffee shop, with his steps not far behind her as he slowly moved to walk beside her.
"Why are you following me?" she asked, giving him a stern look.
"I'm not following you," he replied, his bag slapping against his side. He sipped his drink. "We aren't walking together. We are just walking in the same direction."
"I didn't invite you to walk with me," Julia said plainly.
"We aren't walking together. We are just walking in the same direction," he repeated with a smirk.
Julia decided to ignore him as they continued on, seemingly heading towards the same destination – home.
The city, which had been so noisy and bustling earlier in the day, had transformed into a tranquil oasis as the rain fell. The only sounds were the rhythmic tap of raindrops on umbrellas, pavement, and the slow drive of nearby cars.
Julia and Alex navigated the slippery streets their feet splashing through puddles without a care as they began to quicken their pace. The sound of rain in the distance began to slowly entencify.
"We should hurry." He said casually affording him a glance from her.
"We?" She said back as she slowed her steps.
Soon a sheet of rain fell before them, heavy and drenching as they both stopped.
They exchanged playful glances, and in those moments, all their previous reservations seemed to melt away. She gave him a look of challenge before her eyes set to their apartment building in the distance.
Julia took off in a run, her bag and drink clinging to her body.
"H-Hey! Wait up!" He called to her as he moved quickly to catch up.
As they continued their impromptu race home, Julia's heart pounded not only from the exercise but also from the exhilaration of the shared experience. It was as though the rain had become a conduit, connecting her in a way that words couldn't.
The rain-soaked world around them felt like a beautiful, secret garden, and for the first time, they weren't just neighbors sharing the same hallway. They were two individuals letting go of their inhibitions and embracing the spontaneity of life. An odd sense of friendship seemed to grow.
Their laughter crescendoed as they approached their apartment building, their breathless giggles mingling with the soft symphony of raindrops as they stood under the awning. They reached the entrance, both soaked to the bone, their clothes clinging to their bodies, and their hot chocolate long forgotten.
Julia wiped raindrops from her face, her cheeks flushed with both the cold and the excitement of the evening. She looked at Alex, who was equally drenched but wore an expression of sheer joy.
"That was-" she managed to say, her voice breathless.
Alex nodded, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "-unexpectedly fun?"
A smile grew on Julia's face as her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. "Yeah." She finally said.