She walked along the pathway to the looming building, looking up slowly in a timid manner. Her long brunette hair flowed in the light New York City breeze as she stood there, shivering. It was a new chapter for her…a new beginning…a clean slate to start from.
No, she was not Carly Norris…nor was she Naomi Singer…but she was the owner of Apartment 20 B in the infamous Sliver building. Her name was Cristina Scaramanga. She had moved in not even a day ago and had just gone to the market across the street for a few staple groceries.
Lowering her dark eyes, she straightened and resumed her walk towards the building, laden down with the groceries and a box of her belongings. As she approached the glass door, she noticed, with utter disdain, that the doorman wasn't at his post.
"Shit" she whispered to herself "Of all the luck. I really don't need this today"
As she stood there, impatiently tapping her foot, Zeke Hawkins rushed to open the door for her.
"Let me help you with that" he said, holding the door open for her as she stepped inside "Those look heavy"
"Oh thank you, Zeke" she said, grateful for the assistance "My arms were beginning to get sore from all the heavy lifting"
"It's no problem" he said, taking the box from her as the doorman rushed up to the door, a blush creeping across his face.
"I'll just have to check my mail" Cristina said, setting down the groceries to take her keys out of her purse "It will take a second"…
… Jack Landsford had walked off the elevator and approached his mailbox when he heard a beautiful voice. He slowly backed away from the mail pillar to study the astonishing seraph that had just walked in.
'My, my' he thought, studying her with his steely blue eyes as she chatted with Zeke the geek 'Young and beautiful'
He was entranced by her long legs and her musical laugh and felt a strong wave of desire as he saw her smile. She had classy taste in her business clothes and had the hard figure of a fitness model. It was hard to believe that a girl like her was living alone in a building like this one.
"Cristina, if you need anything done in your apartment" he heard Zeke say as he quickly focused back on getting his mail "I have some pull with the manager and will make sure you get what you need"
"Thank you, Zeke" she said, heading towards the elevator with him "I will keep that in mind"
Jack spun around slowly to get another glimpse of Cristina as she and Zeke waited for the elevator.
'Luscious ass' he thought, a sly smile creeping across his face 'I could have a lot of fun with her'
The elevator doors opened and the two stepped inside, leaving Jack to retrieve his mail…
… Cristina stood among throngs of unopened moving boxes in her apartment, setting her groceries down on the counter. She loved her new apartment and hoped to stay there a long time before she met her Mr. Right. Seeing as how she was totally available, she knew it would be a while.
After putting away the few groceries she'd bought, she started unpacking the boxes and arranging her furniture.
Afternoon had faded into night as she had unpacked the last box and arranged her photos on the glass coffee table the way they had been when she lived with her ex fiancé Tyler. Just the thought of his name threatened to bring tears to her eyes.
"After more than two years" she whispered to herself sadly, shaking her head "He has to go and cheat on me with my best friend…right when we're planning our wedding. What did I do wrong?"
She quickly pushed the negative thoughts out of her subconscious, studying the way she'd arranged everything in her apartment. Everything looked great.
She stood there, admiring her arrangements before deciding to reward her efforts with a long, hot bath and a glass of strawberry zinfandel. She walked slowly into the bathroom and lit a few candles that she had put on the edge of the circular tub, smiling faintly as the scent of jasmine and gardenias filled the room. Turning on the hot water, she poured in her jasmine bath salts and poured in her favorite jasmine bubble bath before heading into the kitchen for her wine and a glass.
"I knew there was something missing" she murmured, noticing how eerily quiet her apartment was.
She turned on her stereo system and popped in her Phantom of the Opera CD, smiling as the music of her favorite broadway show filled the air. Walking into the bathroom, she set the bottle and glass on the ledge opposite of her candles and quickly shed off her soiled clothing. Letting her lingerie float down to the floor, she turned the water off and gingerly stepped into the soothing hot waters…
… In a room filled with monitors and surveillance equipment, someone zeroed in on Cristina as she relaxed in her bath, her eyes closed. He heard the faint sounds of music as he watched her long legs as they crossed and uncrossed above the water and tapped the touch screen to zero in on every inch of her irresistible body.
His pulse quickened as she reached for her glass of wine, sipping it slowly but with relish. He loved the way her full lips kissed the glass as she sipped. She was the most perfect woman he had ever seen and he had seen a lot of women come and go from this building. Cristina was everything he wanted and more. He had to have her.
"Cristina" he whispered, stroking her face through the screen "Sweet, innocent Cristina"…