Ari lay in bed thinking about her new neighbor. When she was with him, she wasn't able to look at him close enough. She was busy not letting her weird side hang out. She let a breath out and closed her eyes. After one millisecond a pair of green big eyes appeared in front of her. Ari was absorbed in that image in front of her eyes. She smiled unconciously and slowly the pair of eyes unfold itself into a face. A smiling face. She noticed the beautiful laugh lines around his wide smile. As she slowly opened her eyes her smile disappeared. She knew she was alone but she felt caught. It was not as she liked him but she had to admit, that he was a really nice neighbor. That wasn't typical for New Yorkians. But since he was from LA she knew why he was the way he was. Plus he was arab and that explained his manners which she was really familiar with due to her own family. She scratched her neck and put the book she had on her belly aside. She closed her eyes to simply fall asleep, not distracting herself with unimportant thoughts anymore.

Next day:

Ari ran from her pan with eggs to pour herself some coffee. She ran and ate like the wind. It was just the first week but she was risking being late at work. She ate her eggs in under one minute and poured her coffee from her mug into a coffee cup to go. She thought what a waste of a mug, she didn't even take a sip from it but later she would need to wash it. She stormed out the door and pushed the elevator button two or three times. When she got that it would take ages until the elevator would come she ran towards the stairs. When she ran down she heard steps behind her "Why are you running like that?" Rami asked running behind her cautiously. Ari didn't even turn her head answering "Oh, I am late for work. But I can make it. I know I can make it when I get the train." Rami suddenly catched up and ran faster than her. He disappeared from her sight. She had two more stairs to go. She didn't see her neighbor on the second nor on the first floor. When she arrived at the exit she saw him standing in the door holding it open. She couldn't believe it and frowned her head while laughing. She exited the building turning her head. Rami standed in the door forming his hand to a fist "You can make it!" he shouted motivating behind her. Darya just smiled and ran towards her aimed location. The subway station.

After some while at work she relaxed and fell back into her black leather chair. She couldn't get her new neighbor out of her head. He was so playful and she had to admit that she really like that. There aren't many grown ups who still like to joke and play around at that kind of age. She thought that it might be okay if she showed him her weird side. At least thats what other people at her age called her when she did her stupid jokes and acted funny. Ari never wanted to fully grow up. She always strived against it. But year by year being surrounded by "normal" people she got adapted to their behaviour. The only people which still frequently saw her true colors was her family. When she did sarcastic jokes and imitated family members. Or just did some weird dance moves. That's why Ari always wanted to live apart from society. She didn't want them to make her the way she was most afraid of.

Ari slowly caught concious and thought how it was how her thoughts carried her away. She simply thought of Rami but it made her think about her whole life. She leaned back to her computer deciding to do some more research before she left work. She turned her computer off and grabbed her bag. On the subway she thought about what to eat for dinner again. She made her way through the tight mass of people to get off the sub. She slowly slendered home with her black bag in her one hand. She thought she could jump home and dance before she arrived. So she danced her last metres into the door. She knew she wasn't a ballerina but she liked to act as if. She pushed the button of the elevator and got in since it came right away. When the doors closed she saw a hand stopping it from closing. When the doors opened again she saw Rami " Oh, hi!" she said. He got in and pushed the button to his floor "I saw you from far and you are such a nice ballerina." he laughed. Ari was embarressed and looked to her side "Oh." she scratched her neck "Well, that was just for fun." she trief to defend herself. Rami laughed "No, that's good. When you want to be a ballerina just be one." he assured her "Do you always take the elevator?" he asked. She looked over to him to just keep a close look at him, not like before "Yes. Usually. Why?" she asked. He shook his head "Just asking. I usually take the stairs." he said shrugging his shoulders. She looked at his body up and down. He looked quite thin but she saw his muscles on his arm since he folded them in front of his breast. She quickly looked away and let out a breath. She the arrived at her floor. She walked out and turned around to wave at Rami "See you later!" he said waving back. Darya frowned her forehead. He smiled "The clock!" he said before the door closed. When he was gone she let out an ah. She quickly grabbed her keys and went into her apartment. She totally forgot he wanted to put the clock for her up. She bit on her lip and depended her arms on the kitchen counter "Ok. Then I need to cook, I guess." she looked around in her kitchen to come up with a recipe. She didn't know what Rami would like and if there was anything he wouldn't eat. In the end she decided to wait for him. It was better than cooking something he wouldn't eat. She layed on her sofa and tried to relax a bit. After some time she heard a knocking on the door. She got up from her half sleep and opened the door. Rami was there with a box in one hand smiling widely. She smiled and signed him to come in "Sorry. Were you asleep?" he put the obvious tool box on the ground. Ari walked behind the kitchen counter "No, no. I just layed on the sofa for a bit." She looked at Rami who was smiling widely with his hands in his pocket. He nodded. Ari took out a pan "So what do you wanna eat? I will cook." Rami waved with his hand "Oh no. No need to cook." Ari laughed loudly "You are indeed middle eastern. It's ok. I will cook for myself anyways. So is there anything you don't like or don't eat?" she knew she was lying. She would have either put something in the oven or ordered food. But she knew after he was going to help her out, even when it's forced, it was the courtesy to offer something in exchange.

She would flip the vegetable in the pan and look at Rami standing on a small ladder trying to set the big clock on the wall next to the entrance. He finally took the drill and positioned it on the wall he started to drill a hole in between two bricks. He then put something in the hole and finally something looking like a nail. He hung the clock up and took a close look at it. He waited a few seconds and wanted to finally get off the ladder when the clock suddenly fell down. Rami stretched his hand out to catch the clock. Also Ari threw the cooking spoon aside in shock heading to Rami's location. He was there in a totally frozen posture with the clock in his hand. Ari let go off the pan.

"Oh no what did you do?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know? You don't KNOW?"
"I mean I tried to hang the clock up."
"Rami! There are broken off brick pieces on the ground."
"Yeah... I'm sorry."
"What am I gonna do? My landlord is gonna kill me."
"No. Don't worry about that."
"Don't worry about that? How? I will have to pay for that. Oh my god."
"No, no. Look first of all I will try it again. I will hang it up a little higher so the damage will be covered by the clock, okay?"
"Are you kidding me? You wanna drill another hole after this?"
"And then, I will talk to you landlord, okay?"
"No why would you? It's my responsibility."
"No I am serious. I will talk to him. I've known him for quite a time. So it will be alright."

Rami stepped down the ladder moved nearer to Ari and put his hand on her shoulder. He carressed it down her arm smiling at her. Ari felt as if a struck hit her. She just looked down and nodded after a few seconds. When she looked up again Rami pulled his hand back. She walked backwards into the kitchen again. She stood behind the pan and couldn't believe how easy he changed her mind. Then she had an oho moment. He manipulated her she thought. She let out a breath "What a bastard." she said in a low voice "Oh no. I said I'm sorry didn't I?" the voice behinf her sounded. He appeared as sudden as it suddenly started to rain. Ari opened her mouth "No. Not you. I am thinking of work." she tried to save herself. She felt hin stepping closer and looking over her shoulder at what she was cooking "That smells so good." he said slowly word by word. Darya didn't dare to look up. She felt his warmth even though they weren't touching. All of a sudden she was getting even more annoyed. Rami looked to his side to get a glimpse of Darya's profile. His mouth was open and his eyes wanderes from her eyes to her nose and finally to her lips. He suddenly put his right hand the kitchen counter. Ari thought when he was going to try any weird move she'd just hit him with the pan. She might seem harmless but when she had to she would defend herself. At that moment Rami pushed himself away from the counter to turn around and rest on it backwards. That way he stood next to Ari and could face her. Ari felt a mix of many feelings. Rami looked at her with his arms folded in front if his breast. He bit on his lips.
"So Darya. How was work? Or how is work in general?"
"Oh today I made it on time. And thanks again for holding the door open. I am sure it's only thanks to that."
"I am happy to do that anytime. And are you happy there?"
"Oh yes really happy. My co workers are really nice and the professor that cares for me is really knowledgable. I love it."
"And you do your own research too, isn't it?"
"Yeah that's right."
"What is your field? I mean what do you research?"
"What? Why would you wanna know that?" Ari laughed.
"Just." Rami shrugged his shoulders.
"I am researching ancient China's relation to other civilizations over the Silk Road."
"Wow." Rami said scratching his chin.
"I'm sorry but when I talk about my work I usually get excited. I made my hobby my job. And that's why I love it so much."
"No that's a really good things. Well when you can, would you teach me about some things?"
Ari picked out two plates and frowning her forehead. Why would he wanna know something like that.
"Why?" now she really thought he was making weird moves.
"Well the thing is, I could use it for my work." they both filled the plates up and moved to the sofa. Rami sat on the couch and Ari took her beloved place on a cushion.
"Your work? What do you actually work as?"
"Well I am an actor."
"An actor?"
"Yes."
"Oh. Isn't that hard? I heard actors really struggle to get their career working." she said with earnesty.
Rami had his hands folded and rested his arms on his knees. When he realized how serious Ari was his mouth moved upwards on one side.
"Well yeah. It can be really tough at times. There's a big big concurrence of course."
Ari nodded eating her food. Rami realized that Ari wasn't the type to turn the tv on so often. He wanted to ask her out loud but he resisted "Darya you are really amazing." he said laughing and falling back into the sofa.
Ari licked her mouth and just looked up at him. She then turned around to look at the clock "Looks good. Thank you."
Rami chewed on his food and smiled "Welcome. And I will talk to the landlord." Ari nodded "Okay. So do you have a role and need my help?"
"Well yeah. It's an ancient movie about the relation of a persian king and a chinese princess. And in you I found both. It couldn't have been better."
"But I am not a chinese princess."
"But you are persian and well studied in China. What more else could I have asked for?" he said.
Ari wasn't sure what he was up to but nodded in agreement. They both finished up and Rami slowly made his way home. Ari couldn't believe how fastly he entered her territory. It was frightening to her but nothing she couldn't handle to this extent. He wasn't being weird actually. Just a normal neighbor.