Summer glared after the departing van, then eyed her boxes, piled on the sidewalk. Fine. Fine; she’d just — go inside and ask her new neighbors for help. Squaring her shoulders, she marched to the first door she saw and knocked. “Uh, hi?” she said to the person who opened it. “I’m your new neighbor, and I have a huge favor to ask.”
Arthur looked at her, raising an eyebrow – great. Just another factor to the madness they called their floor. He sighed, forcing a smile.
“And what’s that?” he asked; he was in his pajamas still, a grey tank top he had thrown in, and Merls was still asleep in the bedroom.
She made a disgusted face. “The movers just left all my boxes piled out in the road and drove off. Could you possibly help me carry some of it inside? I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’ll pay you in pizza and beer.”
“Fine, no need to pay me, though,” Arthur said with a crooked smile, his eyes still half closed. “Just let me go throw some.clothes on, I guess.”
She grinned. “Don’t be silly, I can’t ask you to do a lot of hard work and not offer something in return.” Smothering a smirk and glancing up and down, she went on, “You do look pretty cute with all your muscles showing like that, but you probably had better get dressed. And /I/ had better go see if I can recruit some more help.”
“I uh- thanks?” he said, with a crease in his brow.
Chuckling, Summer said, “Go on, now. I’m at the end of the hall. The door’s open.” She went to the next door along and knocked on it too.