The next morning, Quinn woke up ready to put the whole "mysterious neighbor" incident out of her mind. The odds of seeing him again were slim—she hoped. She had a company to run, deadlines to meet, and no time to get caught up in random encounters with strangers.
But fate had other plans.
As she headed out the door, juggling her laptop bag, phone, and a coffee cup that seemed determined to slip from her grip, she stepped straight into someone's path.
Him.
It was definitely him. Ethan. The guy she'd practically shooed out of her doorway like an unwanted cat. Today, he was dressed in a sleek suit, his cold, calm aura intact. He looked at her, one eyebrow raised, as if silently challenging her to explain herself.
For a brief moment, they just stared at each other. Quinn's mind scrambled to find something to say, anything to break the awkward silence.
"So… not the delivery man?" she ventured, half-jokingly.
Ethan's eyebrow inched higher. "Not quite."
She could feel her cheeks heating up. "Right. Sorry about that." She cleared her throat, trying to regain some dignity. "I was just... caught off guard."
Ethan's expression didn't change, but there was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "So you give low ratings to delivery services for mistaken identity?"
Quinn almost choked on her coffee. "Only if they deserve it." She tried to sound confident, but the smirk on his face told her he was enjoying this way too much.
"Well, I'll try not to take it personally," he replied coolly, stepping aside to let her pass. But as she brushed by, she caught the faintest hint of a smile. It was there and gone in a flash, and it left her wondering if she'd imagined it.
Quinn shook her head, forcing herself to focus on the day ahead. She had a big meeting with her team, and they were down to the wire on their project timeline. It wasn't the time to get distracted by mysterious, smirking neighbors with annoyingly perfect hair.
---
Later that day, back at the office, Quinn threw herself into work with everything she had. Her team was waiting on her final input, and she was in her element, juggling multiple tasks, pushing everyone toward the finish line with her usual unrelenting energy.
But even amid the chaos, her mind kept drifting back to Ethan's cool stare, the way he had stood there without a trace of fluster while she'd rambled on about delivery ratings. Who was this guy, anyway?
---
That evening, as she arrived back at her condo, she spotted a note on her door. It was written on a small slip of paper and simply read:
"Consider this an apology for the mix-up. – Ethan."
Curious, Quinn glanced around, but the hallway was empty. She tucked the note into her pocket, shaking her head as she opened her door.
But there, waiting on her kitchen counter, was a small, neatly wrapped package with her name on it.
Quinn opened it cautiously, half-expecting another prank from Ava. But this time, it was a box of chocolates, simple and classy. She wasn't sure if it was a peace offering or a subtle jab, but somehow, it made her smile.
"Touché, Ethan," she muttered, shaking her head with a chuckle. She wasn't quite sure what to make of her new neighbor, but one thing was clear—he wasn't as cold as he seemed.