CHAPTER 7 : Playing Along

“Look, I don't mean to hurt your ego or sound rude, but last night was great. The sex was mind-blowing, and I honestly enjoyed myself. However, it was just a one-time thing. I don't intend to get involved with you or make it a regular occurrence. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.” Victoria lowered her gaze, suddenly finding the floor more interesting than his face.

The corners of Ray's lips twitched as he studied her. She genuinely believed they had slept together and that he had taken her virginity. The realization amused him more than he cared to admit. He could have corrected her misunderstanding, but there was no particular reason to do so. Besides, watching her struggle to explain herself was rather entertaining.

“Ouch! That hurts.” He placed a hand over his chest, pretending to nurse an injury to his pride. “I must have been terrible in bed. I always thought that when a woman enjoyed herself, she'd want to come back for more. Apparently, I got that wrong.”

Victoria winced and pressed her lips together. “That's not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?” Ray asked, fighting back a smile.

“I'm saying we should just be friends. Good friends and good neighbours. We can forget about whatever happened and pretend it never did.” She took a small step away from him, putting some much-needed distance between them. The last thing she wanted was to have another uncomfortable conversation about their supposed night together.

Ray watched her retreat with an amused expression before raising both hands in surrender. “Alright. If that's what you want, I won't argue. So, as your good and friendly neighbour, what can I help you with?”

Victoria's shoulders relaxed. At least he wasn't going to make things difficult for her. “We should finish moving the furniture and set up the bed. There's still quite a lot to do.”

“Then let's get to it.”

They returned to work, and for a while, neither seemed particularly interested in making conversation. Ray took charge of the heavier furniture, carrying the boxes and moving the larger items into her bedroom, while Victoria concentrated on arranging the kitchen. Every now and then, she glanced towards the living room to check his progress, only to find him effortlessly lifting another piece of furniture as though it weighed nothing.

She was beginning to appreciate just how helpful her new neighbour was. Had she attempted to handle everything herself, she would probably still be struggling with the first few boxes.

After nearly forty minutes of working in silence, Ray decided it was time to break the awkward atmosphere. He walked into the kitchen and found Victoria arranging some utensils inside one of the cupboards.

“By the way, how was work today?” he asked, leaning against the doorway. “I know we agreed not to discuss yesterday, but I couldn't help noticing that you woke up rather late this morning. I hope it didn't get you into trouble at work.”

Victoria paused briefly, a spoon still in her hand. She knew exactly what he was referring to, but she wasn't particularly interested in discussing the previous night again. Instead, she turned her attention to something that had been bothering her since morning.

“Work was fine. Nothing serious happened.” She placed the spoon inside the drawer before glancing in his direction. “Actually, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. That building we went to... what exactly was it? A hotel or someone's private residence?”

“Oh, that?” Ray scratched his jaw casually. “It's a friend's house.”

“I see.”

“Yeah. I figured since it was supposed to be a one-night stand, there wasn't much point in either of us knowing where the other lived.” He gave her a cheeky grin. “But I guess that precaution turned out to be unnecessary after all.”

Victoria couldn't help laughing. “I guess so.”

She was relieved that he could joke about the whole situation without making her feel uncomfortable. Perhaps he wasn't as difficult to deal with as she had initially imagined. In fact, he seemed rather easygoing, and she was beginning to think that having him as a neighbour might not be such a bad thing after all.

Who knew? Perhaps he could become her first real friend in the city.

She turned towards him, intending to say something else, but the words died on her lips.

Ray had unbuttoned several buttons of his shirt, leaving much of his chest exposed. A faint sheen of sweat covered his skin, and the muscles beneath his shirt were clearly visible. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing strong forearms that looked as though they belonged to someone accustomed to physical work.

Victoria's eyes lingered a second longer than they should have before she quickly looked away.

Bad idea!

She turned back to the cupboards, suddenly finding the arrangement of her kitchen utensils extremely important. She wasn't about to let herself become distracted by her ridiculously handsome neighbour. Ray, seemingly unaware of the effect he had on her, returned to the living room to continue his work.

By the time Victoria finished cleaning and arranging the kitchen, most of the heavy work was already done. She wiped her hands on a kitchen towel before walking towards the living room to check on him.

A smile spread across her face when she saw how much progress he had made. The sofa was in place, the boxes had been moved, and the furniture was arranged almost exactly where she wanted it.

“Wow. You've done quite a lot,” she remarked appreciatively.

Ray glanced over his shoulder. “I told you we'd get it done.”

Victoria looked around once more, feeling genuinely grateful. She had underestimated how exhausting moving into a new apartment could be, and without his help, she wouldn't have accomplished half as much. Her back was beginning to ache, and all she wanted was a warm bath followed by a few hours of uninterrupted rest.

Still, she couldn't simply abandon her guest after all the help he'd given her. As tempting as it was to send him home immediately, she needed to be a gracious host, especially since he was her new neighbour.

“So, what exactly do you do for a living?” she asked from the doorway. It seemed like a safe enough topic, and certainly better than discussing their supposed night together.

Ray put down the tool in his hand and looked at her. “I fix things. I do different kinds of handworks. I had a job interview today, though. If everything goes well, I might become a company driver.”

“Oh!”

Victoria's eyebrows lifted slightly. A driver? She looked him over again, trying to reconcile the information with the man standing before her. He didn't exactly look like someone who spent his days fixing broken furniture or doing odd jobs. There was something about his appearance and mannerisms that made her imagine him in a very different profession.

Ray caught the slight change in her expression.

“What's that look for?” he asked, amused.

“Nothing,” she replied quickly.

“Come on. You don't have to pretend.” He straightened up, wiping his palms against his trousers. “I know it's not the most impressive job in the world, but my work takes care of most of my bills. I just need something more stable to keep my body and soul together.”

Victoria nodded, although a small frown remained on her face.

Ray smiled at her reaction. He had noticed the dirt smudge on her cheek, just beside the thick glasses sitting on her nose. It was a rather amusing contrast. She looked like someone who had spent the entire afternoon wrestling with cardboard boxes, yet somehow managed to remain pretty despite the mess.

As she approached with a few photo frames, he reached out to take them from her.

“Here, let me help you with those.”

“Thank you.”

He picked up one of the frames and examined the photograph inside. It showed Victoria standing beside a young man, their arms resting comfortably across each other's shoulders as they smiled at the camera.

Ray studied the picture for a moment before glancing at her.

“Your boyfriend?”

Victoria followed his gaze and chuckled. “I wish.”

His eyebrows rose.

“That's my brother, Clinton. He would have helped me move, but my relocation was rather sudden, and he couldn't get leave from work at such short notice.” She took another frame from his hand and examined the wall, trying to decide where it would look best. “He's a medical doctor, so his schedule can be quite demanding.”

“Oh, I see.”

Ray felt an unexpected sense of relief. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath until the words left his mouth. The young man in the photograph was her brother. Good.

He placed the frame carefully on the table while Victoria continued examining the walls.

They worked for another few minutes, occasionally exchanging brief comments about where things should go. By the time the clock approached nine, the apartment had finally begun to resemble a proper home rather than a storage room filled with unopened boxes.

Ray glanced at the time before picking up his belongings.

“Since we've finished most of the heavy work, I'll leave you to arrange the remaining little things. I should get back to my apartment anyway. I have to prepare for work tomorrow.”

Victoria turned towards him. “You're leaving already?”

“Unless you have another wardrobe you want me to carry.” He flashed her a playful smile.

She laughed. “No, I think you've done enough for today. Thank you. I really appreciate your help.”

“Don't mention it. That's what neighbours are for.”

He walked towards the door, and Victoria followed him. Just as he was about to step outside, she remembered something.

“Oh, wait! the snacks you brought earlier. Would you like to have some?”

“That's very thoughtful of you.” He picked up the tray she offered. “It's for you, so enjoy it. I've got some at home already. You can bring the tray back to my apartment when you're done.”

Before she could respond, he stepped into the corridor and pulled the door shut behind him.

The moment he was out of sight, a satisfied grin spread across his face. He had managed to help her move, earn her gratitude, and leave without making their arrangement uncomfortable. Not bad for someone who had supposedly been rejected after a mind-

blowing night.

Victoria wanted a good, friendly neighbour?

Well, Ray was perfectly happy to play that role.

At least for now.