Morning's soft rays peeked into the wide living room hundreds of meters up in the sky. While it was far from an immortal realm, the cozy warmth the room was cradled in was something that seemed made specifically for spending the day lazy in bed. Unfortunately, that was not for everyone. It was not for those working for others, and certainly not for an assistant new to her job.
Sharon opened the door of the room she was 'renting', and walked out, clothed for the day ahead. Pants suits with high heels, but not in the same style as the previous day. The only thing in common with the previous day was the confidence the professional outfit seemed to solidify around her like a flowing armor.
Her soft blonde hair was gathered in a bun this time, not a strict one, but one almost casual. Almost, as it lent her just the right amount of casualness, with the softness it added to her look. Her make-up was light, reserved, like the blond of her hair.
As she walked to the kitchen, she was surprised to see the living room empty. Even the treadmill was quiet beside the window where it was. Unlike the previous day, Alex seemed to have not woken up yet.
She pushed back her surprise and took out a bottle of milk from the fridge after serving herself a bowl of cereal, then served herself a glass of juice to complement her modest breakfast.
Sitting at the counter, she ate while looking at the sky. Its calm warmth seemed to shine on her mind, making it unable to tense up even as she thought about the tasks ahead. By the time she was done, she was ready for the day too, full of energy, both mental and physical.
Her face radiated her positivity in a soft glow as she cleaned the utensils she had used. She was drying her hands when the doorbell rang.
*Ding-dong*
The sound, soft but pervasive, rippled through the apartment. She glanced at the door, then Alex's room. But the latter remained quiet, so she could only put the cloth she was wiping her hands with down and go get the door.
*Clack*
Her blue eyes flickered with surprise, and she looked from the property management office's employee outside to the cardboard box half his height on the ground beside him. But her attention was not diverged for long as she returned her gaze to the surprised face in front of her:
"Yes? What is it?"
The employee blinked himself back to awareness, and stuttered:
"Eh… Good morning, madam. This is a parcel for Mr Lenner. It has just arrived. Can I…"
It was Sharon's to blink with mild surprise. Lance might have been wrong with his views on Alex which he shared the previous day, but he seemed to have been right when he said she was the only woman to have been to Alex's apartment. That was the only reason why the employee could have been surprised seeing her, even with Alex's widespread reputation as a playboy.
Pushing those thoughts aside, as well the embarrassment from the previous day when she believed Lance's nonsense about Alex actually being soft deep inside, she looked down again at the box that seemed to hold something flat, like a foldable table, or something of the same proportions, then back at the empty apartment, before she waved her hand:
"Bring it in."
"Yes, madam."
The employee's professionalism was back. He nodded politely but firmly, and carried the delivery inside the apartment. Following her instructions, he put the box against the sofa in the living room, then he turned to look at her.
"Madam, given that you are receiving the parcel for Mr Lenner, can I, please, get your signature?"
Sharon glanced at the master bedroom again, only to find it as quiet as it had been since the beginning. With no other choice but to take responsibility, she nodded:
"Alright. Where?"
"Here, madam."
"..."
"Thank you, madam. Have a nice day."
"Thanks."
A courteous nod, along with a soft but just as courteous smile later, Sharon closed the door, and returned to stand before the large parcel. She was intrigued by the content inside, but it lacked any indication that could help her satiate her curiosity. She shook her head, but only slightly disappointed. She let out a small chuckle at her own curiosity, then turned around to go find her bag and leave for work, only to almost jump out of her skin.
"Ah!"
Sharon cried out in abject surprise. She was so surprised that her heart almost stopped dead in its tracks.
Behind her stood Alex, standing like a ghost as he dried his deep brown hair with a towel. He was in a sleeveless t-shirt and shorts, with sports shoes at his feet. And not only was his hair damp with sweat, his top was also wet to the point that it remained stuck to his skin.
He looked sexy, in more than one way, but Sharon had no leisure to enjoy the spectacle. She pointed at him, the surprise giving way to anger and indignation:
"You! Alex!"
Sharon did not know when he had arrived there, and without a sound, at that. She gulped a big mouthful of air to calm her heart and let her hair stop standing on end. She glanced behind him, then looked at him while trying to ignore the laughter filling his eyes:
"You were upstairs?"
"Yeah?"
The stairs were behind him, in a dim corner, but still leading to the floor without a balcony where she had never been before.
Sharon swallowed the frustration at the mocking edge in the answer she received, and changed the subject:
"You've got a package. I signed off on it for you."
Alex shifted his eyes from his blond housemate to the package, then turned to walk to the kitchen while casually retorting:
"And you are curious about what is inside, so help me open it. You will find what you need in the drawer over there."
Sharon looked at his back as he went away, then at the stairs, before turning to the parcel. After a moment of thought, she went to find the cutter and tore the cardboard box open.
Alex only glanced at the scene once, before he focused on finding things to replenish his energy with. Fruits, milk and cereals were just parts of his breakfast. As he cut the ingredients that needed to be cut, he noticed the silence over on Sharon's side. Glancing up, he saw her standing still, as if frozen, before the revealed content of the package. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity, and looked back down as he asked:
"What is it?"
The voice jolted the blonde out of her daze. Without taking her eyes off the object that had cast the spell, she replied:
"It's a painting, an amazing painting. Did you buy it? Who painted it?"
The hand holding the knife paused, but Alex failed to find after searching in his mind any memory of a painting that should have been delivered today, or any other day, for that matter. So he took the simplest route to address his confusion:
"Let me see."
The calm voice got an immediate answer from the excited blonde:
"Here."
Sharon took hold of the painting and turned it to face Alex. He raised his head to take a look, calm at first, and curious, only for his hand holding the knife to shake in the next instant, and his eyes to narrow abruptly.
The composure he had always held himself with cracked at that moment, blown apart by the unexpected content of the morning delivery.