The whole week, Nate was busy with the lawyer with the buying of the apartment. His dad had already transferred the money to his account. Since neither his dad nor Stuart were available to come down to New York to help him with the formalities, he took matters in his own hand and proceeded with the purchase of the apartment. He took help from a lawyer whom his colleague Tom and his family knew. 

However, despite his busy schedule, he never missed going to The Central Pub for a drink every evening. Not because he was an alcoholic but because of a hot girl who would soon be his neighbor. He still didn’t catch her name since he hardly came face to face with her. Everyday he just caught a glimpse of her. She emerged from  her shop at different times and locked up her shop and made a dash before he could even approach her. He knew that she noted his presence at the same table at the pub every day. 

So when it was Friday, he was eager to move out of Aries’s apartment. “I’ll return from work and move into my new house today,” he told Aries. 

“Go on Monday, bro. I have to leave tonight for a project internship at a good reputed Software Development Company in New Jersey. I’ll be done by Sunday evening and help you to shift on Monday. This will give me an experience certificate which will come handy in my job search,” said Aries. Nate’s eyes widened. No way! He wouldn’t stay alone with Andrea. It would be such an awkward situation. 

“I have Tom to help me, don’t worry. I’ll move out tonight,” said Nate. He had already ordered some necessary furniture for his home and the security had informed him today that they had been delivered. Aries didn’t argue any further thankfully. The whole day went by and Nate didn’t have time to go to The Central Pub after work. He went to Aries’s home and packed up his stuff and left. Andrea had invited a friend to stay with her for the weekend and Nate was glad to be out of her way. 

Twenty-two year old Claire Fischer, gave one last look at the Central Pub to ensure that the hot guy wasn’t there. For the last week, she had seen him every day sitting there with a drink in his hand, watching her. Why did he watch her? He looked quite decent and extremely hot, not exactly the terrorist types! Then why did he have to stalk her? She looked around expecting him to approach her like he had the other day but didn’t see him anywhere. Did he lose interest? She thanked God that he finally lost interest and left. Who needed a stalker in their life? She locked up her shop and climbed into her car. 

Ever since she had completed her graduation in Culinary Arts with a specialization in Pastry and Baking skills, she had taken over this dream project of her mom. She sighed even thinking about her mom, Dana Fischer who died six months ago. She still had no idea about the real cause of her death, although the police had declared that it was a hit and run case, an accident. She was sure that it wasn’t an accident. She was sure that her step father Greg Stanford and his horrid son, Robbie Stanford had a hand in her so-called accident. She had no idea why her mom, who was such a sensible and educated woman, married that goon. They had moved into her mom’s house a year back and nothing had been the same ever since. She was forced to move out and rent an apartment for herself. 

Claire sighed as she parked the car in the underground parking of her building and rested her head against the steering wheel. She regretted never going back to see her mom after her marriage. She had been  angry with her for marrying that creep. It was only after her death that she found out about the huge debt that the bakery shop was in. Why her mom took such a lump sum loan from Greg Stanford, she had no idea. How she would repay that debt in just a year? Even if she worked hard, it was impossible to pay it off. Greg’s threat loomed over her head. 

‘If you cannot repay me, I’ll take over the shop. You have one year, Claire.’  

Claire had been too stressed ever since. With only six months remaining, she had not even collected a quarter of the loan amount. So three weeks back when her friend, Christopher Sterling offered her a good way of earning some money, she couldn’t decline. Son of billionaire restaurateur,  Brendon Sterling, Chris was a man wh*re who studied with her at the same college. However, he was never interested in a nerd like her. It was only when she attended his birthday party did things start to get complicated. Amongst all the guests at the party, Claire was the only girl his family liked. They wanted Chris to settle down with a girl like her in order to get the reins of their chain of restaurants. It got Chris thinking and he approached her with an offer she couldn’t resist. He just wanted her to be his fiancé for three months and he would pay her handsomely. Claire had willingly agreed as the amount was enough to pay off her debt. After a small engagement party, she was officially engaged. His family had been extremely happy but ever since Chris had been avoiding her. Claire didn’t mind. It wasn’t a real relationship anyway! But this situation had another benefit. Her step father had stopped hounding her for money knowing that Chris was the sole heir to his dad’s billions and being his fiancé, she could repay the amount easily now. 

Sighing, she walked out of the car and went up the elevator towards her apartment. She was too tired and needed more employees at the bakery shop to help her but with a stringent budget, her hands were tied. Therefore she had more responsibilities at the shop than she could really handle. Now she was so tired that she didn’t feel like making dinner for herself. Freshening up, she changed into a pair of comfortable shorts and a pink top. Her phone kept buzzing but she didn’t feel like attending to it knowing that it would either be her step father or Chris. She didn’t have any friends or the time for any socialization, no parties, no get together, nothing. All she did was work and work. It was a boring and lonely life but she was used to it. Making herself some beef filling, she took out the taco shells and made herself two gooey, cheesy beef tacos. Just the thing she needed to lighten up her mood! 

However, before she could even take a single bite, a loud hammering sound that shook the whole building came from the apartment opposite to hers. The deafening sound drove her crazy and she got up to get her earplugs. Who makes so much noise while moving in? When she had moved in, not a soul in the building had come to know of her existence. Plugging her ears she again sat down  to eat but the sound increased and increased till she pulled the plugs and threw them away. What sort of crazy neighbor had moved in? Claire muttered curses  and seemed to get a headache with the nonstop hammering. 

Getting up, she swore to teach them a lesson. She stormed out of her door and nearly tripped on stuff in the corridor. ‘What utter nonsense!’ she fumed, walking up to the door opposite hers. She was about to ring the doorbell when she noticed that the door wasn’t locked. Hesitant since she didn’t wish to invade someone’s privacy, she was about to go back to her apartment when the hammering increased two-fold.  

Pissed off and disgusted, Claire opened the door and stormed inside an empty apartment with boxes strewn everywhere. Where were the people? She followed the hammering to the dining area and her eyes literally popped out seeing a guy with his back towards her, hammering in the wall in front of him, wearing only a pair of navy blue underwear! What? Who moves into a new house wearing an underwear? Should be some weirdo! Her virgin eyes went to the guys firm butt and the thick se*y, muscular legs. ‘No, what are you doing, Claire? Ogling at your neighbor?’ She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, all her resolutions to bombard the guy completely forgotten. 

“Are you here to stare at me?” said an amused voice which sounded very familiar. Claire opened her eyes and froze when the guy turned around and smirked at her. It was her stalker! The guy who refused to kill a mouse the other day. It was the same guy who had been watching her for a week sitting at The Central Pub. Why the hell was he here?

“You?” she squeaked, her voice not cooperating at all with her.