The Game Plan (Neighbor from Hell 5)

Stare at the empty hallway.

What…

She stepped out into the hallway and looked towards the front door, expecting to see Greg. When she didn’t see him or anyone for that matter, she rolled her bottom lip between her teeth and looked over her shoulder to find the other end of the hallway empty as well. Shaking her head, she turned around and went back into her apartment. She closed the door and went back to the couch wondering if she had just imag-

Another knock.

This time she didn’t say anything as she turned around, stalked to the door, yanked it open and-

“That’ll be $75.80,” a man wearing the famous Black Jack pizza delivery shirt said with an expectant smile and his arms piled high with pizza and the small boxes that were normally used for appetizers.

“I’m sorry, but I think you have the wrong-”

“I’ve got it,” the familiar deep voice that normally conjured up fantasies of baseball bats and a good swift kick to the balls, said, causing a completely different and unexpected reaction as it came from behind her.

A shiver tore through her even as she jumped, startled to realize that Danny was in her freaking apartment! She probably would have tripped over her own two feet and fallen on her butt if Danny hadn’t placed his hands on her hips, catching her and gently moved her aside so that he could pay the delivery guy. Stunned, she could only stand there looking from Danny to the rest of her apartment and then back again, wondering how he’d been able to sneak inside without her noticing. That of course brought up one very important question.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, reaching up and rubbing her temples in an attempt to ward off the migraine that she knew was coming.

“Keep the change,” Danny said, shutting the door with his foot as he turned around and headed towards her couch, pausing only long enough to lean down and press a swift kiss against her lips, taking her by surprise as he said, “I’m here for our date.”

By the time his words sank in, he’d already placed the food on one of the end tables and disappeared in the kitchen. Giving her head a shake and almost positive that one of them had gone insane, she followed after him only to end up jumping out of the way when he suddenly returned, carrying a six pack of Pepsi that she didn’t remember buying, pausing once again to lean down and brush his lips against her as though he had every right.

“Stop doing that!” she snapped, ignoring the way her heart leapt every time he kissed her and focusing on the fact that he’d invaded her apartment and was clearly insane.

His answering shrug wasn’t really reassuring so she focused on the more pressing issue. “Why are you in my apartment?”

“For our date,” he simply said as he picked up a really thick slice of pizza covered in cheese, meatballs and mushrooms, her favorite, and put it on a plate.

“This isn’t a date,” she explained tightly before adding, “Get out.”

“Yes, it is,” he said with a shrug as he handed her the plate of that incredibly delicious pizza, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since last night thanks to a foolish decision to skip breakfast and Matthew helping himself to her lunch. That pint of ice cream that she’d devoured really hadn’t filled her up either.

“It’s really not,” she said walking over to the couch and forcing herself to place the plate on a stack of folders so that she could gesture for him to get the hell out of her apartment.

“It really is,” he said around a bite of pizza, ignoring her rather obvious gesture as he sat on the couch and got comfortable.

Struggling with an overwhelming urge to cry or throw something at him, she rubbed her hands down her face. “Look, I’m not in the mood to play whatever game you’re playing. I’ve got a lot of work to do tonight thanks to your boss and the Council so we-”

“Have to have our date here,” he finished for her with a putout sigh and a shake of his head.

She rubbed her hands down her face, having absolutely no idea how to deal with a man this stubborn. Normally when she said no to a man, he might make another half ass attempt to get her to change her mind before he shrugged and moved on. Then again, she’d already come to the conclusion that Danny wasn’t normal.

“This isn’t a date,” she said a bit more slowly as she once again gestured towards the door and waited, rather patiently in her opinion, for him to get off his ass and leave before she was forced to do something that would require that defense attorney that she couldn’t afford.

“Yes, it is,” the stubborn bastard said around another bite of pizza.

“No, it’s not!”

“It really is.”

“It isn’t!’

He paused to take a sip of soda before he said, “It really is.”

“Oh my God!” she yelled. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

He blinked up at her, looking adorably innocent and further pissing her off even as she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at him. “Nothing. Why?”

“Because you think we’re on a date!”

“We are,” he said, gesturing for her to sit next to him.

“No, we’re not! For Christ’s sake, you don’t even like me!” she pointed out, the tenuous hold she’d had on her patience quickly running out.

The smoldering look that he shot her sent a warm shiver tearing through her body. It also had her eyes narrowing on him and her hand twitching to grab the can of soda out of his hand and chuck it at his head.

“I like you just fine, Tinkerbelle,” he murmured, running an appreciative gaze over her.

“Well, I don’t like you!” she snapped, because honestly, she really just couldn’t take any more of his bullshit tonight.

He frowned, looking adorably confused, which of course made her wonder how a man who had more than a foot and a hundred pounds on her could possibly look adorable. He quickly dragged her out of her musings when he asked, “Then why did you agree to go out with me?”

Oh, that was it!

“I never agreed to go out with you!” she snapped, shutting the cover on the pizza box, picking up the stack of boxes and dropping them on his lap.

He sighed heavily as he stood up, placed the boxes back on the coffee table and reached for her. Before she knew what was happening he had her in his arms and his lips were hovering a few inches above hers. His expression was tender as he gazed down at her.

“No,” he said with a slight shake of his head as he leaned down, tilting his head to the side and pressing a kiss against her cheek, “but you will.”