I nodded in satisfaction as I looked around the tiny, yet clean space. I had spent hours scrubbing the kitchen tiles spotless. After managing to get all of the unidentifiable mildew out of the bathtub, every spider had been lovingly squished and every rodent gently chastised with a deadly whack of my broom. Not a particle of dust remained and I felt a wave of pride wash over me. Thirteen straight hours, too many calluses to count, and hell of lot of bleach had turned the run-down apartment into a livable space. With a little paint and some furniture, it would be a home. I smiled at the thought.

I could already imagine the flower boxes I would grow in the window and the well-loved books I would line the shelves with. It still had a long way to go, but it would get there. After a week of sleeping in my car it was just nice to see a mattress shoved against the far wall of the compact bedroom. With a brisk nod, I disentangled myself from the wad of rags I had been using and lifted the box full of water-damaged playboys I had found under the kitchen sink. Hoisting it on my hip, I made my way out of the apartment and into the hallway. Cool, salty air tousled my bangs and I blew them out of my eyes with a huff. That's when I glanced back and noticed that the bucket of soapy water I had been scouring the windows with was still sitting on the patio.

I scowled at the box of disgusting magazines on my hip as I thought for a moment. If I took them both in one trip, that would be one less encounter with the stairs. Yet, I was likely to fall and bust my ass in the process. I figured I would take my chances and with both hands full, I marched down the hallway.

When I got to the stairwell I exhaled slowly. This was one reason that no one had rented the apartment for so long. The stairs looked pitifully old and sorrowfully neglected. Though I had climbed them twice today, they made me uncannily nervous. I bit my lip and inched my way down the narrow staircase. Maybe it was just me, but for a flight of stairs it seemed abnormally long. It creaked and swayed with every step. Once I reached the bottom, I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and smiled in relief. Caught up in my own little world, I didn't bother to notice the careful footsteps behind me.

"Do you need a hand?" The deep voice surprised me and I spun around, losing my grip on the bucket. I took a step forward in hopes of reclaiming the pail, but the damage was already done. The water underfoot caused my shoe to slide across the wood planks and I ended up falling on my ass, drenched in soapy water. Needless to say the box of playboys had slipped from my fingers, so that it sat upturned in the puddle next to me.

It's a widely known fact that when something traumatic, like a car crash, occurs everything happens in slow motion. Well, I'm not sure if my incident could be classified as "traumatic", but it felt pretty distressing from where I sat, (on the floor) and I can tell you that it did not happen in slow motion. It happened much too quickly for me to keep up. When I realized just what a fool I had managed to make of myself, I peeked through my bangs at the tall man, embarrassed. With a chuckle, he extended a hand to help me up. Once I was back on my feet, I set to collecting the disintegrating playboys.

"Sorry about that," I said, eyeing his saturated shoes warily.

"No problem. My name's Felix. I didn't mean to spook you," He bent down to help me, furrowing his brow at the site of the playboys.

"They're not mine." I explained hastily. "I found them while I was cleaning up the upstairs apartment. I'm renting it now. My name's Esme," He stood, pulling me up with him. He had an olive complexion and a short crop of black hair. His eyes danced with amusement.

"Well Esme, It's very nice to meet you," he winked and feeling my blush rise, I studied the floor intently.

"It's nice to meet you as well. Do you live here also?"

"Yes, my apartment's at the end of hall. So you're renting the upstairs apartment? How interesting. I've heard it's in terrible condition. And that's if the staircase doesn't scare you off first."

"Tell me about it," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "The space isn't too bad though. A little paint and it'll be just great." I smiled happily at the thought and he smiled in response. "I knew I shouldn't have tried to walk down the stairs with both hands full. I was actually on the way to my car and I wanted to save myself a trip."

He nodded slyly and picked up the now empty bucket. "Well, can I offer you some help?" he asked as we walked outside of the building to my car.

"Sure, that would be great," I tossed the box into the dumpster that sat nondescriptly to the left of the building and gestured in the direction of my vehicle. He tilted his head to the side for a moment, but didn't comment. I was more than a little surprised that he didn't say anything. My 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo was a piteous site with its different colored doors and rusting hubcaps. I patted the hood of the car affectionately before popping the trunk open and studying its contents.

There were ten boxes total: six full of clothes and the other four filled to the brim with books. My pillow and Grandma's quilt were thrown carelessly in the passengers' seat and a box full of odds and ends sat in the backseat next to my jar of peanut butter. I looked up at Felix, half expecting him to blanche at the site of my unorganized assortment of possessions. He only smiled and gestured towards the boxes.

"What would you like me to carry?"

"Well, you could take a few of these," I motioned towards the books and he nodded. It was then that I saw how muscular and built he was. His arms rippled easily under the weight of the boxes as he heaved them from the trunk and balanced three of them effortlessly in his hands. I grabbed a box of my own, shut the trunk with a quiet thud, and followed him back to the complex.

Once inside I was reminded again of my oh-so-graceful blunder when I spotted the puddle. Shaking my head and pulling in a deep breath I made my way cautiously up the stairs. As I reached the top, I glanced down in time to see Felix watching me intently.

"Something wrong?" I asked curiously.

"No, not really. Are you sure these stairs are safe?" I laughed freely, shaking my head to indicate 'no'.

"Don't worry though, if they do give out, at least Marcus will be too preoccupied to care about the water all over his floor."

He chuckled, placing his feet firmly on the first step. "This is true. But then you won't have anyone to help you tote the rest of your stuff."

"Ah, well then you best be careful."

"No need to tell me twice," he muttered darkly, making me smile.

"Hey, if all else fails, I've got your back," I said. He glanced up with a sheepish grin on his face. Blowing my bangs out of my eyes, I smirked playfully. I had a feeling that Felix and I were going to be great friends.

Arriving inside my apartment, I directed Felix to stack the boxes under the windows. He took in my tiny living space with unattached curiosity and I waited patiently as he appraised my little collection of rooms. His dark eyes raked over the bare carpet, drinking in my tiny stove and ancient refrigerator. The amusement was painted clear on his face, but it didn't bother me. He didn't strike me as a nonbeliever, but if he was, he would soon find that Esme Platt had no intentions of letting a few antique appliances, or a hazardous staircase, for that matter, slow her down. He cleared his throat and I blinked up surprised, embarrassed to be caught staring.

"Um, how much trouble do you think I'll be in with Marcus?" I asked, wondering if someone had a mop I could borrow.

Felix grinned wickedly. "Probably not too much trouble, assuming he doesn't find out about it."

"Wonderful. Do you have a mop I could borrow, by chance?" I asked hopefully. He nodded and led the way back down the stairs.

I was more careful as I stepped off the staircase this time, wary of the mass of water that was slowly seeping its way into the floor. He would definitely not be happy about that. Under the stairs was a little door that led to an even smaller closet. I wasn't even sure if it could be classified as a closet. He opened the door, drawing out a yarn mop and bucket. I wrinkled my nose as he handed them to me, but smiled gratefully.

"Thanks," I muttered, glancing at the puddle on the floor. Okay, what now? I didn't want to look like a complete idiot, but still, how was I supposed to get all of that water up? I stared at the mop in concentration. The closet door squeak as he closed it, and then large hands wrapped around my fingers. I looked up in surprise, caught off guard yet again. This was different though. It had been weeks since a man had touched me and I yanked my hand away quickly in a knee-jerk reaction. I stared at him warily. He looked apologetic and a little lost. I couldn't bring myself to apologize. I wasn't sorry. I didn't like being touched.

He held my gaze, his forehead furrowed worriedly as he spoke. "I'm sorry. Would you like me to show you how?"

I chewed my lip debating. "I don't want to impose,"

"Don't worry, you're not. Anything for the lovely lady," he said with a wink. I rolled my eyes, handing him the mop and bucket. He demonstrated how to sweep the mop across the floor with fluid strokes and ring the excess water into the bucket. I watched for a moment, then took the mop and mimicked him. It took ten minutes to transfer most of the water into the bucket. We had done all we could.

"Take the bucket outside and dump the water on the grass," Felix commanded as he rung the mop out one last time and placed it back in the closet. I picked up the pail, content to do as he asked. As I turned around to push the door open, I all but collided with the tall dark haired man who was so wrapped up in his conversation he hadn't noticed me. I stepped back, slightly shocked. His think lips curled up into a smirk as he took in me and Felix's guilty expressions. I slipped the pail behind my back and grinned timidly.

"Hi Marcus," I said gently.

I hope you liked it. I'm not sure when the next chappy will be up, but I'll do my best to get it up in the next week. If you have any faith in this story whatsoever, please send me a review. Everyone that reviews will get a preview of the next chappy. ;)

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Toni