And Then It Happened: An Unexpected Romance Read Online Free Page A

finally asked when he continued to say nothing.
    He shrugged. “I think lingerie is nice, but to be honest men don’t really care for the stuff. They’d rather just have a woman naked. Less stuff in the way…”
    “God, you’re such an ass,” I said, taking a step back and trying to close the door on him.
    He intervened, however, barreling into the room before I could lock it.
    “I didn’t say I didn’t like it. It looks good. I’m just telling you…”
    “Well, I didn’t ask for that little useless nugget of advice and I didn’t ask for you to be here right now. So get out,” I demanded, feeling like his pervious comment was a direct slight about me, that he hadn’t liked what he saw.
    Adrian didn’t comply. Instead he bent over my huge pile of underwear and began to shuffle through it. He pulled out a bright red, lacy see-through corset with a black garter belt and a matching thong.
    “This is much better. Try this on,” he said and I yanked it from his hand.
    “Of course you’d like this one.”
    He held up his hands. “You’re the one who picked it out. If I’d known you were into this kinky shit, I’d have started watching you through your window a long time ago.”
    My eyes widened as my jaw dropped. “Are you saying you’ve seen me through my window…naked?”
    He shrugged like it was no big deal. “Sometimes when I get home late from work I notice you walking around in your bra and panties.”
    “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”
    “Because then you’d stop.”
    I glared at him and he gave me a lopsided smile as he lowered himself onto the bench seat once more.
    “Go ahead and try it on and I’m not standing outside this time. I’ve already seen you naked…”
    “You said my bra and panties…”
    “And a few times your tits were hanging out there for all to see.”
    I slapped a hand over my face. “Get out,” I said sternly, pointing toward the door.
    Adrian shook his head like he was disappointed in me before standing up and walking out the door.
    “And don’t wait around. I’m not showing you another outfit.”
    “I was bored anyway,” he said as I slammed the door on his retreating figure.
    I heaved in frustrated anger as I threw the outfit he’d picked out onto the floor. I stared at it, hoping it would burst into flames. It was tragic really because it really was beautiful.
    I spent another thirty minutes going through the rest of my pile, picking out two beautiful lingerie pieces before making my way to the cash register.
    I gingerly set them on the counter as a beautiful red-haired woman with gorgeous green eyes glared at me.
    “You know Adrian?” she asked, a jealous gleam in her eyes.
    I glanced down at her nametag. Yep. Valerie. Figures.
    “He’s my neighbor,” I replied, trying to meet her gaze, but unable to do so. I had a feeling she was trying to wither me up by shooting laser beams out of her eyes.
    “He likes you,” she said after a few awkward moments.
    “I promise you, he doesn’t.”
    “He does.”
    My eyes snapped up and I shook my head. “He doesn’t even know my name. So he doesn’t.”
    This seemed to appease her because she started to ring up my two items in silence. I exhaled in relief. I didn’t know how much longer I could have stood there averting my eyes. Valerie was like an Irish voodoo princess muttering spells under her breath. If my hair started falling out, I knew whom to blame.
    Adrian really did have the worst taste in women.
     
    ***
     
    Later that evening, I stepped out of the bathtub and pulled on my robe. Luckily my hair was still in tact and I hadn’t broken out in boils. But my parents, as expected, had forgotten it was my birthday. Not that I was really hurt by this. Ever since they had divorced, neither remembered the daughter they’d created together. My dad was too busy having children with his thirty-year-old wife and my mother was off traveling South America with her new boyfriend.
    So as usual, I planned