#apt 203

Lucy Gray held her breath until she made it to the rickety staircase at the end of the hall and collapsed onto the first step.

“Holy hell.”

She set her guitar down and told herself to breathe slowly. In through the nose, out through the mouth, and all that jazz. Easier said than done.

That had been a close one.

Despite her professionalism and bravado, she’d been this close to succumbing to just one kiss from her downstairs neighbor. Billy Taupe had only been present in her mind, because she had forced herself to repeat the fact that he was her boyfriend who she should not be cheating on over and over and over.

And dancing with Coriolanus? Sitting on his lap? Getting close enough to brush his forehead while they danced? Had she been out of her mind?

And here she’d accused him of calling it a date when it was only a private performance.

Ha!

Any male musician that got that private with a fan… Well, one thing would lead to another, and then all of a sudden, bingo! Cheating.

She knew she should be patting herself on the back for not going that far, and for maybe making her besotted neighbor look foolish for propositioning her so fiercely, which he should absolutely feel foolish for, since she had a boyfriend.

But truth be told, her rejecting his advances time and time again had been more of a performance on her end than anything. His words, his actions, how genuine he was? It was exactly the type of things that had her weak at the knees. And why she had to get out of there as quickly as possible before she did something foolish herself.

And that was when she realized she was breathing normally again.

Picking up her guitar, she climbed the rest of the staircase, exited out on the next floor up and walked with a determined step into her apartment.

It would still be a few hours before her little Covey showed up for rehearsals, but she knew she needed a distraction before the throbbing between her legs turned into something serious. And what could get rid of that in a heartbeat – or at least shift it in the right direction?

Why, a visit from her boyfriend, that’s what!

She couldn’t remember the last time they’d really been alone together, since she’d made rehearsals with everybody a priority the last couple months. What’s worse was she couldn’t remember really missing their alone time either. Perhaps it was time she changed that.

Snatching up her phone, she found his name in her contacts, smiled fondly and sent him a quick text.

When the hey left her on read for at least 15 minutes, she decided to make a bolder move and typed out EMERGENCY!!! in all caps instead.

WHAT? WHAT IS IT?? came back a heartbeat later, and Lucy Gray smiled, proud of herself.

Come see me?

Pouty emoji.

A rolling eyes emoji was all she got in return, and she frowned.

PLEASE?

I’m busy.

Too busy to see your GIRLFRIEND?

I’ll see you tonight.

And as much as she tried to ignore them, alarm bells went off in her mind. Between her sexual frustration and his refusal to come over and just be with her, she threw all caution to the wind and texted recklessly.

Don’t bother. We prob don’t need you tonight anyway.

Aww, c’mon. Don’t be like that.

See you tomorrow, BT. If you’re free.

And then she turned her phone off. She’d had enough of men for one day. Well, except CC and Tam Amber. They wouldn’t cause her nearly as much trouble, if any. They would be pleasant and jovial and… Probably be wondering if there were any more cookies from their mysterious downstairs neighbor.

She recalled then that CC had seen her and Coriolanus having a moment the day before. She hadn’t wanted Billy Taupe to know then, but maybe it would serve him right to know she was attracting men other than him now. Maybe he’d get on his hands and knees and plead for her forgiveness then. Hmph.

In the meantime though, she’d take a shower and then a nap and then maybe a walk. And only hope she didn’t bump into either man when she did.

…

Coriolanus was pacing when Tigris came home that evening. She’d been all bright and happy with more recipes in her hands to try out with the neighbors that were playing somewhat off-key when she arrived, but when she saw her cousin frowning and pacing far too fast for his own good, she knew her happy spirit would not be appreciated.

“Uh-oh. What happened?”

He stopped, mid-stride to look at her, a worried expression covering his face, and then resumed pacing.

“Nothing happened. Why would you think something happened?”

Tigris sighed and set her things down.

“Have you eaten?” She entered the kitchen and found the second batch of cookies still untouched, but there was no sign of any other food having been cooked, not even a TV dinner.

“No. Haven’t been hungry.”

“You haven’t eaten anything today?” She blurted, bursting out of the kitchen. “Coryo!”

He stopped and fixed his frown on her.

“What’s going on with you? I thought you were going to be happy tonight, after your date and all. I even brought some recipes home that I thought we could make for them. They must be starving too, especially given they’re off…” She winced when a note came off particularly sharp. “Key.”

Coriolanus sighed dramatically and walked across the room until he could fall back against the couch lining the wall.

“I’ve ruined everything.”

Tigris did her best not to roll her eyes.

She’d helped him prepare everything for the date, and she knew her cousin could be a charmer when he wanted to be, and he definitely wanted to be for this girl. What could have gone wrong?

She came and sat beside him on the couch, and he inched closer to lay his head in her lap.

“I’m sure you didn’t ruin everything.”

She played softly with his curls.

“What went wrong?”

“Everything!”

This time her rolling eyes could not have been avoided.

“You’re going to have to be a little more specific.”

“She has a b…frie…d,” he mumbled under his breath.

“What?” Her fingers stilled.

“You heard me.”

“No, I don’t think I did. Say it so the whole building can hear you.”

He fixed his eyes on her and narrowed them.

“She has a boyfriend! Happy?!”

The music playing above them stopped abruptly, then started a few seconds later.

Tigris stood up and started to pace herself.

“How could you try to date a girl in a relationship?!” she hissed. “And to make me a part of it. I thought she actually liked you back!”

“She does!” Coriolanus snapped, sitting up. “I’m sure of it.”

“If she’s loyal to her boyfriend, there’s no way she’s got feelings for you, Coryo. And I think it’s time you back off before things get really messy.”

“Oh, I’m going to give her some space, don’t worry about that.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“Good. You should.”

“I am. I will.”

“Okay then.”

“But she does like me. She danced with me, Tigris. And she-she accepted the rose I got her. And she…” He blushed a little. “Sat on my lap while she sang to me.” He licked his lips. “If she hadn’t changed her tune the second I professed my feelings for her, I’m convinced we would’ve kissed. In hindsight, I may have come on a little strong.”

Tigris’ jaw was on the floor.

“What?” he asked, confusion evident on his face.

“I…am going to go get us some supper. When I come back, I expect you to have this…this…this…”

“Lucy Gray?”

“This Lucy Gray out of your head until she’s good and single, and even then maybe for a little bit longer. Understood?”

His lips parted, but she held up her hand.

“Nevermind. You can answer me later.”

And then she was out the door, pulling it closed with a slam that made Coriolanus jump.

Coriolanus Snow was a prodigy.

18.

Intelligent. Traditionally attractive. The closest to a royal bloodline as one could get in this part of the world.

But practically penniless when it came to his current financial condition.

The Plinth scholarship had been his easily with all his high grades, extra-curriculars and never missing a class. But unfortunately, that granted him the tuition and what was needed for books and other supplies, not placement in housing.

Plus, he was a freshmen. No matter how prestigious his high school had been, freshmen were automatically lower class and seemingly invisible compared to the seniors and juniors above them. Maybe next year he’d have a shot at one of those fancy schmancy high-rises usually only gifted to the upperclassmen, but this year he had to settle for what was left. And that meant sharing a building with those he considered lesser than himself.

Some were literal filth and probably wouldn’t even last a semester, let alone the whole 4-year term. He was embarrassed and humiliated to have to live near them, but luckily his sister-cousin, Tigris, had found a two-bedroom apartment for them to share on the first floor of the building, and he knew she would do her damndest to make it feel like home.

The day he trudged back to the apartment and flung open the door, he immediately felt so much better. Tigris was pure magic. Standing in the middle of the apartment and doing a spin, she right away pointed all the things that would remind him of home, from little appliances to the wallpaper, to even new coverings on the furniture. And it was the good stuff from home that he liked, not the stuff that reminded him how impoverished they really were.

“Thank you, Tigris. This…it’s perfect.”

And he swooped her into a hug, and they spent the night watching movies, and he thought if every night could be like this one, then perhaps he’d survive this term yet.

Night two was different.

Tigris was out late working her fashion job, and he’d come back from classes with a ton of homework to get started on. This normally wasn’t an issue. Homework had been his full-time career in the academy he’d come from. He thrived on it, took pleasure in it, and beamed proudly when he got all A pluses on the top of his papers.

But that was when he was able to work in complete silence at the top of the Snow penthouse several miles from here.

He shifted uncomfortably as the first drum beat dropped, telling him it was nothing. Then there was a strum of something that could’ve been a guitar. Then a bass. And was that an accordian?

But that was nothing compared to the belt of a loud and obnoxious singer booming at the top of her lungs.

“Oh, hell no.”

He shut his books and went to stand in the center of the living room, and simply glared up at the ceiling, daring them to get louder and continue.

Which, of course, they did.

He told himself he wouldn’t intervene. This building wasn’t just for students of the university, after all. It was for anybody local and was actually positioned three blocks from even the furthest university dorms. He supposed it was only natural for musicians, of all people, to reside here too.

He pulled out his phone and decided petty and somewhat subtle was the best route to go.

He changed his wi-fi name to: APT203ULoudAsFuck, then slid the device back into his pocket.

Nothing changed. The music and loud banging continued. He supposed whoever owned the apartment wouldn’t see it till long after they’d finished for the evening. And given that he didn’t want to sacrifice his own academic wellbeing for the sake of a territorial argument, he gathered his books and headed out to the library to do his studies for the evening.

Three hours later when he returned, Tigris still wasn’t home, but he checked the wi-fi names for the building again, and another had changed. The one beneath his said:

Apt???SayitToMyFace#203

Coriolanus was shell-shocked.

The audacity???

Part of him wanted to laugh. The other part wanted to punch the fuck out of whoever had changed the wi-fi name. Because it definitely couldn’t have been the female singer. Probably was the drummer with a little too many beers under his belt. Or maybe the guy on electric guitar. He thought he heard a tambourine in their somewhere too, and occasionally…maracas? Just how many instruments were in this dumb band?

He huffed, wanting to put an end to it, but also tired from all his studies. So, he pulled out a TV dinner from the freezer and stuck it in the microwave.

Unfortunately, the combined power needed from the microwave, the lights, and all the power needed for various instruments in the apartment above him, caused an instant power-outage in the building.

Coriolanus was about to moan and groan about how woe is me in this exact situation.

But then he heard an Aww, man! coming from above him, and a Lucy Gray! to follow. And smiled to himself.

“It’s not my fault!” Lucy Gray hollered. “None of the rest of you have a space big enough to practice in, and you know it.”

There were mumblings that followed, and several of the band members could be heard walking down the hallway upstairs. For a little bit or for the whole night, it wasn’t certain, but Coriolanus knew one thing.

The universe had listened to him.

He only wished he had done it when he’d needed to study.

Though he supposed he was now without food and lights for goodness knows how long. He waited 10 minutes, then very reluctantly called the son of the precious Plinth fortune, or his quasi-friend from Academy days, Sejanus Plinth, who knew he’d get the job done faster than some maintenance man who maybe wouldn’t come till morning.

“Hey, Coryo!” Sejanus greeted warmly on the other end.

Coriolanus winced. Obviously, one of them felt fonder of their days than the other.

“Sejanus, hey, um, the power went out when I tried to warm up my food in the microwave just now, and I was wondering if maybe you could tell your dad that-”

“Don’t say another word. I’m on my way.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re in the building on Witmore and Attelman, right?”

“…yes,” he said, not trying to sound too suspicious about how he knew his exact location.

Sejanus only sighed deeply.

“Unfortunately, the wiring in that building just continues to get worse. It’s so fragile, because it’s been around for like a hundred years or something. And people keep pushing their luck, even though we ask them not to-”

“There is this band in the apartment above me,” Coriolanus couldn’t help but quip.

“Oh, the Coveys. Yeah, they’ve been there for a few years. Do not get me started on them. If they weren’t so popular back east, we’d have kicked them out long ago.”

“The Coveys?” he asked, mildly intrigued. He’d never heard of them.

“Yeah, Lucy Gray and the Covey Band. Listen, Coryo, I’m hopping in my car. Be there in a few.”

Click.

“Okay. Thanks,” Coriolanus said to nothing.

He checked the wi-fi names just for kicks, to see if anything had changed in the last few minutes, and it had.

Apartment 203’s now said: Apt???HopeYoureHappyNow???

On a particularly excruciatingly off-key note from Lucy Gray, Maude Ivory set down her tambourine and cleared her throat loudly towards the others to do the same with their instruments.

It took a couple more strained notes for Lucy Gray to realize everyone had stopped playing, but sure enough she did, and she turned to look at them.

“What? What’s the problem?”

Maude Ivory looked at everybody and opened her mouth to speak, but Tam Amber spoke before she could.

“You’re singing off-key.”

“Tam Amb-” Barb Azure tried to intervene, but CC was the one that succeeded.

“No, he’s right. What’s going on, Lucy Gray? You never sing off-key.”

Lucy Gray’s mouth ran dry, and she saw the question there plain as day. CC must’ve talked to his brother, must’ve found out he and his girlfriend had gotten into a bit of a fight earlier in the day. Maybe he even wondered if it had something to do with what he’d seen of Lucy Gray and Coriolanus the day before.

“I…I’m not singing off…key,” she managed, but even she didn’t believe the words she was saying.

The silence to her words was deafening.

Barb Azure clapped her hands together and smiled brightly before her announcement.

“I know! Why don’t we all just take a break? Get some water? Take a walk?”

“Okay,” CC said on a sigh.

“Five minutes?” Maude Ivory asked.

“Fifteen,” Tam Amber corrected.

“How about a solid 20,” Barb Azure suggested.

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and set their instruments aside. Some took a seat on the couch or the chairs in the kitchen. Some headed out the door. Barb Azure looped her arm through Lucy Gray’s and lowered her voice.

“Why don’t you and I go for a walk?”

Lucy Gray gulped.

“Okay.”

The two shuffled out the door and walked in tandem down the hall. They took the stairs to the first floor and were walking towards the exit when a pretty blonde exited what looked to be apartment 103 and charged forward on ahead of them.

“That must be Coriolanus’ cousin,” Lucy Gray mused aloud. “I wonder what’s got her in such a hurry.”

She wondered if it was something Coriolanus had told her about their private performance earlier in the day. She slowed down when they got close to apartment 103, and her heart skipped a beat, heat pooling between her legs as she recalled the events of that afternoon.

“Lucy Gray?”

“Hmm?”

She snapped out of her reverie long enough to look at her concerned cousin.

“Oh, right. Sorry. I was just…thinking.”

“Maybe you should start talking too.”

She gulped.

“Where are we going on our walk, Barb Azure?” she asked, deflecting.

Barb Azure did her best not to sigh testily at her cousin’s avoidance of the topic at hand.

“I was thinking the park a block or so away. We can sit on the swings, and you can tell me what’s going on with you.”

Lucy Gray thought about denying the issue at hand but knew there was no point. All of the Covey knew something was going on. And if anyone could help her settle the issues between the men in her life, it was Barb Azure.

So instead, she said, “Okay,” and walked in silence with her cousin until they got to the park just as the sun was starting to set.

The swung on the swings for a little bit, and then Barb Azure slowed to a stop and waited for Lucy Gray to do the same, which she did, reluctantly. They swayed a little side-to-side, and then Barb Azure prompted her.

“So…”

“Yes?” Lucy Gray blinked innocently.

“Going to make this hard on me, huh?” she asked, with one eyebrow raised.

Lucy Gray bit her bottom lip and said nothing, staring at the ground.

“Why didn’t Billy Taupe come to rehearsal tonight? You two get in a fight?”

Lucy Gray swallowed.

“He must’ve been sick, or something.”

“Or something.”

Silence lingered, and Barb Azure sighed.

“Okay, let’s say for the sake of argument that he was sick. Is that why you were singing off-key, why you were so unfocused tonight? Because you missed him?”

Lucy Gray snorted despite herself, then muttered something under her breath.

Both of Barb Azure’s eyebrows shot up.

“What was that?”

“Nothing!” Lucy Gray returned, her voice far too shrill.

Barb Azure swung into Lucy Gray and held tight to the chain of her swing.

“I love you, Lucy Gray. You know I do. But I need you to be honest with me or our concert is going to suck this weekend. You need to fess up.”

Lucy Gray sighed, knowing she was right.

“Okay,” she said at last, and Barb Azure released her to swing back to her spot. “But no judging, okay?”

“Hey. It’s me.”

Lucy Gray smiled tremulously and took a deep breath.

“Okay. So. Ever since Coriolanus started playing nice – with the cookies and what not, I’ve found myself…drawn to him, flirting with him.”

“You flirt with a lot of people, Lucy Gray. That’s not cheating. Even Billy Taupe knows it’s part of your performance.”

“I know, but this is different. I’m attracted to him – to Coriolanus. And I did a private performance for him today, and he misinterpreted it as a date, and-”

“You set him straight, I assume.”

“Of course I did!” Lucy Gray bolted from the swing and began to pace. “But that didn’t stop him from declaring that he wanted to be with me, whether I was with Billy Taupe or not.”

Barb Azure stood up.

“So, you set him straight again, right?”

“Yes. Yes, immediately I did. And nothing happened. Not really. I mean, we…danced while I was seeing.”

Barb Azure’s eyes widened ever so slightly.

Lucy Gray leaned against the bar of the swing set.

“Oh, I could hardly breathe.”

“But nothing happened, right? I mean, no stolen kisses?” Barb Azure asked carefully.

“Not…today,” Lucy Gray said cautiously.

“Not today?” Barb Azure did her best not to raise her voice.

“Yesterday. Last night. I went to kiss him on the cheek, to thank him for the cookies and to say goodnight. We were in the hallway then. But he turned his head at the last minute, and we…kissed. CC came out right as it happened and saw it.”

“And you still did the private performance today. Even after that.”

Lucy Gray swallowed.

“I did.”

Barb Azure pinched the bridge of her nose.

“I’m beginning to understand the off-key singing.”

“That’s not all.”

“What else could there be?”

“I felt…guilty after the private performance.”

“Understandably.”

“So, I texted Billy Taupe and asked him to come over. Thought if we spent some time together doing coupley things, I could maybe get Coriolanus out of my head. Put some space between us. Get rid of these feelings that have come out of nowhere, and-”

“Let me guess. Billy Taupe didn’t want to come?”

“Well, I don’t know if he didn’t want to, but that’s how I took it. He said he was too busy. So, I told him not to come tonight either and that I’d see him tomorrow.”

“I see.”

“But he’s been acting so weird lately, Barb Azure. Even before Coriolanus came into our lives. Our kisses have been reduced to the cheek. We only see each other when we have to for rehearsals and performing. He doesn’t text me during the day. I can’t even remember the last time we had sex.”

“TMI, Lucy Gray.”

“Sorry.” She blushed. “But then Coriolanus comes along, and he gives me flowers, he wants to dance, he steals a kiss. It feels like everything that’s missing with Billy Taupe.”

“Except the sex.”

“Well, yeah. Though I’m sure it would’ve escalated to that if I’d stayed much longer.”

Barb Azure’s eyes really bulged then.

“But you hardly know him.”

“Since when do you have to know someone really well to have sex with them?”

“Oh…kay, Lucy Gray. I asked for your honesty, and I guess I got it.” She licked her lips. “Here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to walk back with me to the apartment. You’re going to tell everyone to practice without you. Maude Ivory can stand in for the singing part, since she does that sometimes. And you’ll go talk to Billy Taupe at his place and get all of this straightened out.”

“What about Coriolanus?”

“Cut ties with him.”

“But-”

“At least until you feel strong in your relationship with Billy Taupe again. And then make it clear you only want to be friends. If he refuses to accept that, then you cut ties for good. He can be a fan from afar, but that’s it. You can’t sacrifice your years-long relationship for someone you’re just attracted to.”

“And what if Billy Taupe thinks I’m imagining things and refuses to change?”

“Then I’ll knock some sense into him. You two have been together too long to lose it over some miscommunication.”

“Right. Of course. You’re right. I know that.”

“You feel better now? Now that you’ve talked everything out and we have a plan?”

“I think so. Maybe.” She nibbled on her bottom lip. “I don’t know.”

Barb Azure ceased swaying and got up off her swing, then held out her hand to Lucy Gray.

“You will. Trust me.”

Lucy Gray took her hand and got up. Then they looped their arms again and walked back to the apartment building.

The door to 103 opened, just as they were coming down the hall, and Coriolanus came out. Barb Azure tensed up and so did Lucy Gray.

“Keep walking,” Barb Azure whispered, and Lucy Gray nodded.

But the moment Coriolanus saw her, his eyes lit up, and he approached them.

“Lucy Gray! Hey, I didn’t know you were down here.”

“Just out taking a walk with my cousin,” she said politely.

Barb Azure gave him a disapproving once over that didn’t hit home with Coriolanus as his eyes were only on Lucy Gray.

“Oh! Well, you haven’t seen my cousin, have you? A tall, blonde female version of me?”

Lucy Gray opened her mouth to speak, but Barb Azure beat her to it.

“We saw her about 20 minutes ago when we were leaving, Coriolanus. She seemed to be in a hurry.”

“Hmm.”

He seemed troubled, and Lucy Gray felt the urge to comfort him. Barb Azure felt her drawing away from her hold on her the longer the moments passed.

“We really do have to be going though,” Barb Azure persisted.

“Oh!” He finally looked at her. “Yes, of course. Sorry to have-”

“It’s no problem. We hope you find your cousin, and thank you again for yesterday’s cookies.”

He lit up again.

“Of course!”

“Goodnight, Coriolanus,” Barb Azure said before he could launch into another conversation.

“Goodnight, Lucy Gray,” he said softly.

“Goodnight,” she returned, just as soft.

And it was Barb Azure who yanked her cousin the rest of the way down the hall.

Coriolanus couldn’t stop staring. He was riveted, his eyes sparkling as he watched her break away from him long enough to sip her water and pick up her guitar.

He lamented briefly that her picking up her instrument meant they wouldn’t be dancing anymore, but at least she wasn’t leaving. She’d be singing a couple more songs for him first.

But he was already aching for the moment she left him behind. He couldn’t stand it.

How could she have such a hold on him already?

God, she was beautiful. Not just physically, but her voice, and her spirit. It was all he could do to pull her into his arms and kiss her until she was as breathless as he was.

But she’d make it clear she wouldn’t appreciate that – this was not a date, she’d said.

But wasn’t it?

She provided the entertainment, he danced with her, gave her a rose plucked from his own roof garden, a place he desperately wanted to take her in the moonlight after she’d gone and called it magical.

And the way her fingers lingered on his lips when he’d jokingly sealed them closed?

His heart nearly leapt out of his chest.

He’d never kissed a girl, never had sex, and it was only thanks to Tigris last night that he’d learned how to dance, but he wanted all those things with Lucy Gray.

Why did she have to have a boyfriend? Ugh. Did she love him too?

Probably. That was annoying.

“What’s wrong?”

He blinked and pulled himself from his angsty thoughts.

“What?”

Lucy Gray burst out laughing now that she had his attention.

“What?” he asked, feeling frustration bubble up in him, but the sight of her joyful, exuberant self in front of him tugged a smile at his lips.

It was inevitable. He started laughing too.

“What?” he demanded, struggling to get his laughter under control.

She set her guitar back down.

“Dance with me!”

He chuckled and bounded over to her. Now he was smiling so wide his cheeks hurt. He slipped his arms around her waist, and she draped her arms around his neck, pulling him down so their foreheads brushed each other.

“There,” she said. “No more frowning.”

“Lucy Gray…”

Butterflies.

So many damn butterflies exploding inside him.

He wanted to kiss her so badly.

Her infectious smile and sparkling doe eyes darted away from his for a moment. She didn’t distance herself from him, but he could feel her trying to pull away. Surely she couldn’t ignore what was happening between them, could she? He sure as hell couldn’t.

“I’ll sing part two,” she said.

“Huh?”

“Of the song.”

“Oh, right.”

He’d wanted that, hadn’t he?

“Then we can keep dancing,” she said, pulling her face away, so she could look up into his crystal-clear, blue eyes.

He grinned smugly.

“I’d do anything to keep dancing with you, Lucy Gray.”

And for a moment he thought he saw her eyes flicker down to his lips, same as his were doing to hers, but then her lips parted, and she started to sing again, and he let her distract him from what he really wanted to do.

They moved as one then, spinning in circles, swaying side to side, as she sang her folk song of the fate of another Lucy Gray.

Near the end he dipped her, and she let herself be dipped, smiling all the while. When he lifted her back up, it was there again. That tension. That magic. That almost kiss.

It was driving him insane.

“Okay.” She untangled herself from his grasp. “Let me get some water, and then I’ll do one last song for you.”

One last song? He frowned again.

“I can feel you frowning,” she said into the glass, then turned around. “Yep. Knew it. What’s making you sad, Mr. Snow?” she asked, setting the glass down and making him weak at the knees.

“I don’t want you to go.”

She smiled faintly.

“Well, I can’t stay here all day.”

“Can’t you?” he asked, approaching her and taking her hands in his, intertwining their fingers.

She tensed.

“Coriolanus…”

“I like you, Lucy Gray.”

His voice was low and gravelly, making it clear that he didn’t mean as a friend.

“You hardly know me,” she said.

He huffed and crowded closer.

“I know enough.”

“Yeah?” She pulled away and picked up her guitar, lightly strumming it. “What do you know?”

“I know that you’re beautiful. You’re talented. You’re feisty and flirty and…fuck!”

She raised her eyebrows.

“Fuck?”

“I don’t know how to explain it, Lucy Gray. There’s just something inside of me I feel whenever I’m with you or without you, just thinking about you, dreaming about you…”

“Dreaming about me? Should you be admitting to that?” She laughed a little nervously.

“Yeah.”

“Well.” She strummed her guitar a few more times. “I’ll tell you some more that you know about me.”

He waited.

“You know that I’m not easily won over.” Another strum. “You know that I’m stubborn.” Strum. “And most importantly, you know that I have a boyfriend.”

“I don’t care.”

“You don’t care? You’d rather I cheat on him?” she asked, clearly amused and not taking his outbursts seriously.

“I’d rather you break up with him, but I’ll take you any way I can get you.”

“You’re sounding a bit possessive now. I should file a restraining order maybe.”

“I’m not stalking you,” he said, offended.

She rolled her eyes, set her guitar aside and then walked straight up to him, pressing her hand to the middle of his chest and pushing until he started walking backwards and fell onto the couch against the back wall.

“Ah!”

She giggled and straddled him, squeezing her thighs tightly around his legs. He gulped, hoping he wouldn’t get a hard-on again right here, but she was making it difficult to control himself.

“Is this what you want, Coriolanus Snow?” She drew her finger down his parted lips, then pulled back and got off of him before he could kiss even an inch of skin on her pretty, slim, calloused fingers.

“Not exactly,” he grumbled.

She giggled and picked her guitar back up.

“Do you think you’re the first fan of mine to have fallen in love with me at first sight? To come onto me?”

Love?

He was shook. Was he really in love with her? He didn’t think so. After all, they hardly knew each other. She’d said so herself. But then, he’d never felt this way before. And if being in love was even more intense than what he felt now, he didn’t think he could handle that.

“I’m used to it, Mr. Snow. But I’m loyal to my boyfriend, and as long as I am, you’re not getting that side of me. Now should I play my last song or does that permanent frown on your face want me to leave?”

His frown deepened.

“I don’t want you to go,” he grumbled.

She laughed.

“Alright then. Sit back and enjoy.”

She strummed her guitar for a minute longer and then broke into song. This one he could tell was used to having more instruments with it, but it still sounded good without it. In fact, it sounded excellent without it. Everything sounded better when it was just Lucy Gray.

When she finished, he was in an undeniably better mood, and he clapped for her.

She curtsied and spun around, and he was riveted once more, wondering how he was going to cope when she walked out that door and he was alone again.

“Thank you. Thank you.” She winked. “Now, I know you don’t want me to go, but you’ll hear me through the ceiling in a few hours and maybe you’ll come to our concert this Friday?”

“That’s two days away!”

“Aww.” She reached up and patted his cheek. “Poor baby.”

Then she turned away, finished the glass of water, and set it down. When she reached for her guitar, however, he placed his hand over hers.

“Wait,” he pleaded.

And she tensed, all her flirtations and easy pushback perhaps taking a toll?

“The recipe.”

She relaxed.

“Right.”

He released her and went to get the little slip of paper Tigris had left with him. When he returned, Lucy Gray stood by the door, holding her hand out, and he approached her.

“Here.”

“Thank you.”

She folded the slip of paper over and slipped it into the pocket in her skirt.

“I’m sorry if I…offended you at all.”

She smiled.

“Not at all, Mr. Snow.” She took a deep breath. “I should be going though.”

He opened the door for her before she could, and she smiled pristinely as she went through, waved and then turned down the hall, disappearing in the stairwell before he could say anything more.

He closed the door behind him and frowned.

Maybe professing his undying like for her had been a bit much. And it hadn’t ended in the kiss he’d thought it would either.

He’d have to plan more carefully next time, maybe give her some more space, let her miss him a little.

Would she miss him though?

His frown deepened.

Today was Wednesday.

It was halfway through the week.

And Lucy Gray had no classes today.

So she had all morning and afternoon to prepare for her private performance with Coriolanus that mid-afternoon.

She’d already showered and was currently stabbing her spoon repeatedly into an already crunched up cereal in her tiny, little kitchen. She looked up and glared at her untuned guitar across the room next to her microphone and other loud speakers.

Her Covey wouldn’t be showing up till after the performance. She knew she could change that if she really wanted to. She could stand Coriolanus up, and say it had simply worked out better to have the practice earlier in the day due to her lack of classes. But several of the Covey had jobs they tended to during the day. She couldn’t force them all to abandon their duties just because she was feeling things she should not be feeling and didn’t know how to proceed.

If only her boyfriend she was ever so devoted to was a little more affectionate.

She didn’t want to complain. He still came to all the practices. Still pressed his lips to her cheek when he came and went. Still looked at her like she was his.

But would it have killed him to kiss her lips, so she could bury Coriolanus’ kiss in the past? Her lips were still buzzing a whole day later.

And Tam Amber had been right. Billy Taupe didn’t flirt with her. Not anymore at least. She couldn’t remember the last time they’d had sex either. Ever since he’d started…

She shook her head.

No. She was not going to assume the worst. Billy Taupe had been a protective friend to her for years before they’d gotten together. He’d not once appeared to have a wandering eye. Why should she think he might now? Just because…because…

A splash of milk hit just under her eye, and she realized she’d beat her cereal to death and now there was practically nothing but crumbs floating in the soupy consistency before her.

“Oh, for crying out loud,” she huffed and pushed the bowl away, then stood up and disposed of the paper bowl. “It wasn’t even that good of a kiss.”

She reached for her phone, intending on calling Barb Azure and getting her advice on the matter but inevitably decided against it. Only CC had caught them in the act, and from what she could tell he hadn’t told his brother or anyone else in the Covey. She needed to talk to him, make sure he didn’t before she had a chance to, before it built into anything. But she also didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, because if she didn’t, then maybe it wouldn’t be to anyone else either.

Her emotions were swirling. Fans had pressed quick kisses to her in the past. After performances and the like. Why did this feel so different?

The first screen that popped up when she opened her phone, even after she’d decided not to call her closest cousin was the wi-fi screen. And, true to his word, Coriolanus had changed it to something sweeter.

Apt203TheSweetestSound#103

Her heart fluttered, her finger hovering over the letters as she imagined him coming up with the flattering name before typing it up and inputting it into the system. A breathy smile on her face told her she was in deep shit before she had the sense to get rid of it.

She set her phone down, and then walked over to her guitar. She tuned it and practiced, just as she’d intended, not thinking for a moment that he’d be hearing the same songs that afternoon as he’d probably heard all day through the ceiling of his apartment.

Then again, he’d probably have classes to go to.

She put him out of her head entirely and just focused on the music. With the microphone turned off and only her guitar strumming, she wasn’t even a threat to the rest of the building.

She relaxed and became one with the songs. That was where she was most at peace. And it did wonders, more than any pep talk from anyone in her Covey could’ve done. More than any confession could’ve either.

She was going to be alright.

…

Several hours later, Lucy Gray knocked on the door with 103 shining in gold-tinted letters on the wood. Her jitters had returned, but she clutched her guitar in one hand and smoothed her purpley dress down with the other and told herself it was just that, jitters. This was not a date.

The door swung open a moment later, and there Coriolanus was – in black dress pants and a buttoned-down shirt with a snazzy vest and the head of a red rose pinned to his chest. He beamed brilliantly, looking undeniably handsome, and extended a single white rose to her.

“Oh! For me?” she asked, the flutters returning to her.

Because who didn’t love receiving pretty gifts from pretty, strange men? A slight blush even tinted her cheeks.

He nodded.

“I- Thank you.”

She took the rose from him and inhaled its scent.

“Smells lovely.”

“It’s from my grandmaam’s penthouse,” he blurted, then looked like he was scolding himself.

“Oh? She has a garden?”

“On the roof.”

Her eyes lit up.

“A rooftop garden? That sounds magical.”

Was she was swooning? She was definitely swooning. She needed to stop it.

“It is.”

He pursed his lips, then took a step back.

“Would you like to come inside?”

“Oh. Right.” She cleared her throat, hesitated for only a moment, then crossed the threshold. “How were your classes today?” she asked, setting her guitar against the little kitchen table for the time being.

“Huh? Oh, my classes.” He’d disappeared into the kitchen and then re-emerged with a little slip of paper. “They were fine, I guess. Boring really. I was looking forward to this instead.”

That little blush set fire to her cheeks again.

“Mmm. What’s this?” She scanned the small slip of paper and thought she knew what it was but looked to him for clarification anyway.

“It’s the recipe. For the cookies. My cousin put it together for you last night when I told her you’d be coming.” He licked his lips. “Would you like something to drink? Or- I have more cookies left from yesterday?”

“Just water is fine. I should have some if I’ll be performing for you for a while.”

“Right.”

He went back into the kitchen and returned shortly with the glass of water.

“What did your cousin think of my coming here today? She couldn’t have been happy about the source of the noise coming down for a visit. Despite giving the recipe. And making the cookies yesterday.” She frowned, not sure she had his cousin figured out either, in addition to Coriolanus.

“She did find it a little strange,” he admitted, as she took a sip. “Wanted to know how I’d ended up getting a date with the girl who…are you alright?” he asked, concerned as Lucy Gray appeared to be choking on the tiniest of sips she’d just taken.

“I’m – uh – excuse me, did you say date?”

“Well, uh, yeah. That’s what I called it last night, but we can call it something else. What would you call it?”

“A private performance,” she said, exasperated, with half a mind to turn around and bolt.

“Right. I’m sorry. Please don’t go,” he said, tension radiating off of him in waves, and she knew then she was being a bit ridiculous. Or was she?

“Fine. I won’t,” she bristled. “But only if you promise to never call this a date again.”

“I won’t. I promise.” He pretended to zip his lips and throw away the key, then tried to speak with his lips closed and faked like he couldn’t do it due to the ‘key’ being thrown away.

She heard herself giggling and approached him, pretending to take a key out of her pocket to unlock his lips, letting her fingertips brush those full lips she’d been dying to touch again.

For a moment, time stilled, and she found it difficult to pull her hand away from his face.

“Lucy Gray.”

She blinked, the moment shattered, and yet the tension still very palpable.

“Hmm?”

“Could we dance?”

“What?” she asked breathlessly. She couldn’t remember the last time Billy Taupe had caved to dancing with her, let alone asked.

“While you sing, could we dance?”

Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment.

“But…my guitar…” she trailed off, turning to look at it.

“You can sing more than one song, surely. I’ll sit on the couch for the others.”

“Okay.”

“Do you mind if I…” He took the white rose caught between her fingers and broke the stem in half, then sifted it into her air and situated it just behind her ear. “There, beautiful.”

Her breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t look away.

“Now, what will you be singing first?”

She licked her lips to give them some attention, though not the attention they really wanted, and she knew it. Still, she had to try.

“It’s actually called Lucy Gray,” she said.

“Really? It’s named after you?”

She laughed. “More like I’m named after it. It’s an old folk song, and it’s very pretty. My mother used to sing it to me before she died.”

“My mom used to sing songs to me before she died too,” he confided. “I haven’t really been exposed to music since then. I was so little when…”

“Me too.”

A moment of silence, then he held his arms out to her.

She smiled gently, then went into his arms. She could tell a little bit that for all his bravado, he maybe hadn’t danced in a while either, or had just learned how to recently. But she decided not to point that out. It was sweet that he wanted to, for her.

One arm snuck around her waist, and the other held one of her hands clasped in his. Then they started to sway, and to his credit, he did not step on her toes.

She started to sing.

“Oft I'd heard of Lucy Gray And when I crossed the wild I chanced to see at break of day The solitary child,”

“No mate, no comrade Lucy knew She dwelt where none abide The sweetest thing that ever grew Upon the mountainside…”

She continued with the sweet lyrics, as they swayed, eventually giving way to humming the tune when Coriolanus took her off-guard and spun her in a circle before capturing her close to his chest.

“I like this one,” he whispered, and she nodded breathlessly.

“It’s a good one.”

She resumed singing as he attempted to tuck a curl behind her ear and distanced herself somewhat as they continued to dance.

She longed to lay her head on his chest or wrap her arms around his neck, but she knew she couldn’t. That would be too much, too intimate for someone she barely knew showing all this affection for her.

Finally, the song’s stanzas came to a close, and she untangled her fingers from his long enough to step aside for some water.

“That’s part one,” she said when she returned, half the water consumed.

“Part one?” he blanched. “How many parts are there?”

She allowed herself to laugh. “Just two.”

“Will you sing the other one?”

She smiled. “Maybe another time.”

“Not today?” He frowned.

“Gotta keep you in suspense, Coriolanus…?”

“Snow.”

Coriolanus practically skipped down the hallway, down the stairs, and down to his own hallway on the floor below. When he finally swung the door to his apartment open, empty cookie plate in hand, he was grinning from ear to ear.

“How did the cookies…go?”

Tigris immediately frowned when she saw the smug look on her cousin’s face.

“What did you do?”

Coriolanus’ smile dropped, but only a fraction. He was in too good of a mood to let his cousin’s cold accusations affect him negatively. He’d just kissed Lucy Gray.

True, he’d tricked her into the kiss, but it was her own fault for stealing a cheek kiss. And she was still coming for a private performance the following day, so his kiss full on the lips hadn’t dissuaded her from that. His unspoken plan to make her his was already falling into place. Especially if her boyfriend could be easily distracted by something as simple as a plate of cookies.

Maybe he should keep that second batch handy for another day…

“Coryo.”

He blinked, focusing back in on his cousin.

“I…what? Nothing. I took the plate of cookies up, like you suggested. They devoured them, and now Lucy Gray and I are going on a date tomorrow night! All is well.”

He smiled cheekily and took the empty plate into the kitchen, setting it down on the counter next to the sink before snagging one of the chocolate chip cookies from the second batch. One cookie never hurt anyone. And he didn’t need to tell Tigris Lucy Gray had a boyfriend either. That would only complicate matters.

“A date, huh?” Tigris asked suspiciously.

“Uh-huh.”

“You’ve never been on a date in your life.”

Coriolanus frowned. Did she have to point it out with that tone exactly?

“Why now? Why her? None of the pretty girls back at the Academy caught your attention.”

Coriolanus snorted.

“None of them even came close.”

Besides, they were all so…mean to him.

“She’s pretty?”

“Beautiful.” His eyes lit up. “And she can sing like a dream. Besides, she flirted with me.” He beamed.

“She’s a musician, Coryo. I imagine she flirts with all her potential fans.”

“Yes, but I was not a fan when I first got up there,” he reminded her. “She didn’t have to- Can you write up your recipe?”

“Recipe?”

“For the cookies,” he said with a patience he didn’t feel. “The Covey really liked them, and Lucy Gray wants to try to bake them for them on her own.”

“The Covey?”

“Lucy Gray’s band?” he said with a continued strained patience. “They’re all cousins and friends of each other. And they all play a different instrument. It’s cool.”

“Cool.”

“Am I missing something here?” he scowled. “You don’t seem all that happy for me.”

“It’s not that, Coryo. It’s just…” She tucked her legs under her on the couch and pulled the blanket over her lap.

“What?”

“Well, what are you going to do about the noise? About studying?”

“I’ll go to the library.” He shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.”

“And if there’s another power outage? You going to sit in the dark all night long? Keep Sejanus on speed dial?”

He scowled again.

“I’m sure it won’t happen again.”

He wasn’t that sure. From Sejanus’ conversation with Lucy Gray, it was a fairly normal occurrence.

Still, Tigris’ unsure stare from across the room was starting to annoy him.

“You just have to meet her, Tigris. Then you’d understand. I’d put up with any noise or power disruptions for the chance to see her again.”

Her eyes lit up with understanding.

“You have a crush.”

A renewed blush crept up his neck.

“Well, yeah. Date tomorrow, so…implied?”

“Are you going to get her anything?” she asked, her tone shifting to that of more excitement.

“Get her anything?” he asked, confused.

“For the date.”

“I’m supposed to get her something?”

Now he was panicking.

“Well. Girls like that. It doesn’t have to be something big and extravagant. Maybe some flowers.”

“Some flowers?” Did he have money for that?

“Why don’t you pull some of the roses from the penthouse?”

He relaxed. Oh. He could do that.

“Maybe just one.”

“A single rose?”

“A white single rose. Those are more rare. And a whole bouquet of them might be overwhelming.”

“Right. That makes sense.”

“Though, you probably shouldn’t tell Grandma’am what it’s for. If she finds out you’re dating someone from outside our little circle… Well, you know how badly she always wanted you to end up with Livia Cardew.”

He grumbled, his face scrunched up in disgust to the point Tigris would’ve likely laughed if she’d been paying attention.

“Livia is a bully.”

“I know.”

Tigris’ face softened, as she looked up at her cousin, standing there staring at the floor. He looked sad now, and for good reason. He’d come home crying many a time as a child from Livia’s spewing insults about his orphan status or that little stutter he’d developed for a few months when talking about his deceased parents. Why anyone would want him with such a little demon was beyond her.

“Come on. Let’s come finish the movie.” She held out her arms to him, and he came to her beckoning. “I don’t think we can get a second one in tonight anymore, but we should sleep well tonight with just one.”

“Wait. I want to change clothes. Now that I’m not trying to impress anyone anymore.”

Her hands dropped, and she nodded.

“Okay, I’ll wait.”

He turned direction for his room and quickly got to work changing clothes. He looked down at his crotch, which had not burst to life a second time when he’d gone to deliver cookies thankfully, and wondered what Lucy Gray would think of it if she got a good look.

The thought made blush burn bright in his cheeks. He was still a virgin, but if Lucy Gray had a boyfriend, chances were, she was not. And once she was his, truly his in every sense of the word, she would likely want to have sex. The thought made him unbearably nervous but also excited.

His cock twitched beneath his underwear.

“Okay, okay, we’re not doing anything tonight.”

And with that, he pulled on his jammies and joined his cousin on the couch.

They had just pressed play on the dvd player for a night of action, adventure and some romance – Tigris’ preference this time – when a burst of noise from the apartment above them caused them to lose any semblance of what the dialogue could possibly be from the TV in front of them.

The strumming of guitar, drumming of percussion, and low booming of the bass, followed by a trickle from an accordion brought to life the music of the Covey band. And when Lucy Gray’s gorgeous voice came clear and vibrant through the lot of it, Tigris turned her head to look at her cousin, and knew he’d be perfectly content not to watch another movie in his life.

“Hmm.”

“Isn’t she beautiful?”

“Yeah.” Because she was, she had to agree, but it still made her get off the couch.

“Where are you going?”

“Going to write down that recipe. You’ll need it.”

Lucy Gray watched from across the room as her boyfriend, Billy Taupe, of all people, welcomed in the new-comer who just two minutes prior had enraged her unlike any other. She rolled her eyes, as he wrapped his arm around the tall blonde and pulled him into the circle. Everyone in her little Covey band set down their instruments and came over to engorge themselves on the plate of cookies.

Meanwhile, she kept her distance, testing out the acoustics on their plugged-in speakers and preparing to get started as soon as her little family’s tummy was full. It wouldn’t take long, and then she could put the neighbor behind her and all her wasted flirtation that would’ve probably resulted in Coriolanus asking her to ‘keep it down’.

“Hey, Lucy Gray, you want one?” CC, a boy about her age, asked as he extended his arm out and held a good-sized cookie for her to take.

“They’re really good,” Tam Amber, an older member of the band said, chomping on the cookie in his possession.

“Oh, how easy all of you are won over, hmm?” she asked testily, not making eye contact with any of them but taking to tuning her guitar strings.

“Aww, come on, Lucy Gray,” the older, more mature, usually more cautious Barb Azure said. “It was an honest mistake, and he’s trying to make amends. I thought you were one to believe in second chances.”

“While that may be…” she trailed off, then finally sighed and made eye contact, saw them all watching her, waiting for what she would do. Was she being ridiculous? Maybe. “Oh, alright, let me have a taste.”

CC and the others visibly relaxed, including Coriolanus, who’d been silent as a mouse ever since he was let in but without her approval.

“Mmm.” Her eyes dilated, and she moaned. “These are good. Did you make them yourself?”

She asked it curiously, and he was strangely silent to the point that everyone started looking at him, waiting for his answer.

“Well, I’d like to say yes. If only to take credit for the look on your face.” Tam Amber chuckled. “But unfortunately, no, my cousin made them. She lives with my downstairs in 103. She has another batch ready actually if you guys finish this one.” He paused. “It was her idea actually that I come up and offer them as a peace offering.”

“I see. Well, you can thank her for us. Or maybe she’ll come up sometime to visit herself and maybe hand over the recipe.”

“You’ve never been a baker,” Tam Amber said, and Lucy Gray blushed fiercely at that remark.

“Maybe not, but I can learn!”

“Of course you can,” Barb Azure said, coming over to soothe her. “And once we get that recipe, we can work on it together. Maybe even…?” She looked to Coriolanus to supply the name of his cousin.

“Tigris.”

“Tigris. Maybe even Tigris could help us. We could all become better acquainted.”

“I’m sure she’d like that,” Coriolanus said. “She’d never stop gloating about it to me either.”

One more cookie remained, and the smallest of them, little Maude Ivory came and snatched it up, licking her lips as the smeared chocolate chips left a mark on her top lip.

“I’ll go get the other batch,” Coriolanus said hurriedly, but Lucy Gray decided it was high time she stepped in.

“No, that’s alright. We have to get to practicing our set. We’ve gotten a late start already. I’ll walk you to the door.” She pushed past the Covey members, and they scurried to their spots in the living room where they’d left their instruments while they swarmed the neighbor for his cookies.

This time Lucy Gray pushed Coriolanus gently out into the hall and stepped out with him entirely, closing the door behind him.

She looked him up and down, still somewhat suspicious, but he was nervous as a shivering church mouse in winter, and she felt her remaining aggression fall to pieces on the floor.

“Thank you for the cookies again. That was very kind of you, and I know I speak for everyone when I say how admirable your persistence is.”

“Of course.” He shook his head. “It was petty of me to go changing the wi-fi name, and to something so…cruel at that. I’ll change it, don’t worry. You won’t get another nasty remark from me, I promise.”

She looked at him in awe, suspicion giving way to confusion and admiration. Then her shoulders slumped as she finally gave in.

“It’s just that we don’t have much to our name. Our band is how we make money, how I get to keep this place and how I can attend the university at all.”

His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped.

“You attend the university?”

“Don’t sound so surprised.” She smacked his arm, and he winced, rubbing it. “I can only enroll for one or two classes at a time because of the cost, but yes. I hope to be a music major. Something to fall back on if the worst should happen.”

“That’s smart.”

“Of course it is. I thought it up.”

He smirked.

“You’re very sure of yourself, aren’t you, Lucy Gray?”

Her eyes twinkled.

“I have to be. The six of us only have each other. It’s always been that way. I’m just lucky Barb Azure does some sewing on the side, and Tam Amber he’s a bit of a carpenter. Billy Taupe, my beau, gives piano lessons too. He’s been giving them recently to the mayor’s daughter, and that’s been bringing in enough cash, all of them combined for them to get some shabby little apartments to share. None of them are big as mine though. People really pay to hear me sing.”

“I’d love to hear you sing sometime, Lucy Gray.”

“A private performance?” She took a step closer.

His voice grew low and raspy. “I’d love a private performance.”

She pushed him back against the other wall and giggled.

“Well, for that you’ll have to give me something other than cookies.”

He took one step forward so they were mere inches apart once more.

“What if I gave you a kiss?” he said, brushing two fingers around the curve of her chin. “Would that be adequate payment?”

“I don’t think Billy Taupe would like that too much,” she said, letting her eyes drop to his full lips before she could stop herself.

“And what would Lucy Gray think?” he whispered.

She swallowed, her eyes not looking a single other place than those very tempting lips right in front of her.

“I…um…”

The door behind them opened suddenly with a crash and a bang.

“Lucy Gray! Oh.”

Luckily, it was only CC, and Coriolanus and Lucy Gray had quite quickly broken apart.

“We’re ready for you,” he said shyly, and she nodded.

“I’ll be right in.”

The door closed softly, and Lucy Gray turned back to Coriolanus.

“Maybe I could visit you tomorrow. I could come by before everyone shows up. Will your cousin be home?”

“No, she works late at her fashion job,” he said.

“Oh.”

“But I’m sure we won’t have eaten the whole second batch of cookies. And I can ask her to set aside the recipe for you.”

She lit up.

“That would be great.” She hesitated, then threw all caution to the wind, went up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Or she would have, had he not turned his head at the most precise moment and altered time itself by landing his lips against hers.

She’d pulled back before he could cradle her face and sift his fingers through her hair, but the damage had been done.

“Goodnight, Coriolanus,” she said, stepping back until her back was up against her door and she was fumbling for the doorknob.

“Goodnight.”

She found the knob and turned it before she forgot she had a boyfriend again and kissed him on purpose. Then she disappeared inside and got straight to work on rehearsals. After all, Friday’s performance wouldn’t ready itself. And by the time she picked up her guitar and adjusted her microphone, she’d all but forgotten the fullness of Coriolanus’ lips pressed against hers.

The next day came and went, but Lucy Gray’s Covey band did not disrupt Coriolanus’ peace of mind the following afternoon when he came home from classes. Tigris came home early to enjoy the rest of the tasty lasagna with him, and then they chatted about each other’s day while they wound down for the night.

It was a nice Tuesday evening that reminded him of his childhood when things were sweet, and of home in general. They were through half of the first movie of the night when Tigris spoke up.

“Coryo?”

And he should’ve heard it in the tone of her voice that he was not going to like whatever was about to come out of her mouth.

“Yeah?”

He turned to look at her and found her brows furrowed as she looked down at her phone screen that showed clear as day what he most feared: the wi-fi names of the various building tenants.

Tigris turned her phone to show him, as if he hadn’t just become painfully aware.

He suddenly felt it hard to breathe.

“Did you get into it with one of the neighbors yesterday?”

He cleared his throat one too many times and reached for her empty lasagna dish.

“Are you finished with that? Let me get it for you. Put it away.”

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, but she let him take the dish.

“Why did you change the wi-fi name?”

Coriolanus took his time returning to the couch and slid his hands into his pockets as he awkwardly took a seat back beside her.

“There’s not much to the story,” he said carefully. “I was trying to study, and the neighbor was being loud.”

“Loud how?” she asked carefully.

“Playing music.”

“Oh, that’s not so bad. I don’t know that it required you to do all this?” She looked down at the phone in disgust.

He could tell she wanted to spout the words back at him, but she wasn’t one to swear unless she was really upset, so the fact that she didn’t say it boded somewhat well for him.

“She wasn’t playing music on a CD or on her phone, Tigris. She had a whole bunch of people in her apartment playing instruments. Some that plugged into the wall to enhance the sound. The whole building could hear her. The power went out.”

He decided to leave out the part where him trying to use the microwave had been the last straw.

Tigris’ eyes widened.

“I see. So that’s when…?”

“Sejanus came by, yeah.”

“So, he didn’t just drop off lasagna because he missed us.”

A sheepish expression crossed Coriolanus’ face, and a pretty pink tint covered his cheeks.

“Well, there’s only one thing for it,” Tigris said, tossing the knitted blanket to the side and standing to her feet.

“What’s that?”

“We will go and talk to the neighbor.”

Coriolanus’ eyes bulged.

“But Tigris. She’s not playing tonight. And Sejanus already tried talking to her. She slammed the door in his face. Besides, we’re in the middle of a movie.”

The strums of an electric guitar bursting to life were immediately heard just overhead, and Tigris gave him a knowing look.

“Guess she is now.”

“That’s not her,” he muttered, crossing his arms in annoyance.

“Yeah. How do you know?”

“She’s the singer. She doesn’t play an instrument.”

Of course he didn’t know that for sure. He hadn’t actually seen her perform, or practice for that matter. But he had to guess. The woman in question simply expressed herself with her voice, and quite loudly too. His bitterness from the night before resurfaced as a bass was heard and then quite possibly…a cello?

Also. Drums.

He grumbled.

“Go on. Change out of your pajamas. Butter her up with your charm. Meanwhile, I’ll make some cookies, and you can deliver them.”

“What?!” he burst, following her into the kitchen.

“A little cookie will go a long way, trust me, cousin.”

She pulled out some cake pans and butter and mix, then a bowl and a few mixing spoons.

“Cookies will not make her stop practicing when I’m trying to study, Tigris. If anything, it’ll make her bolder. She might play into the night when we’re trying to sleep!”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“What if the power goes out again?”

“Then I better make these cookies fast.” She smirked. “Go. The maroon button-down with the black jeans. They make you look so handsome.”

He sighed, ran a hand through his curls and knew there would be no arguing with her.

“Oh, and change that wi-fi name for the love of God. Back to Verizon whatever-whatever it was. No need to announce to the whole building how you feel about that particularly apartment unit.”

Coriolanus mumbled some more and went into his bedroom to change. By the time he came out, his cousin’s hands were busy rolling some dough and putting it on the buttered cake pans, so she couldn’t fix his appearance. He left before she got a chance to wash her hands and try.

Buttoned all the way up to the crook of his neck, Coriolanus couldn’t stop muttering about how stupid this was. Lucy Gray was not going to change her mind about practicing. And he wouldn’t be able to believably pass off being kind about asking her to. This was a whole waste of time. The only thing that wouldn’t be was all those cookies his cousin would be baking that he’d make it his mission to convince her to let the two of them eat, not Lucy Gray’s little band.

But he came to a stop when he reached the door that had a swinging 2 on it, followed by two rusty numbers, a zero and a three, and knocked. He had to knock a second time, harder, louder, because no one came to the door, and they clearly hadn’t heard him.

“Oh, my god, if that’s Sejanus again, I swear to g-”

The door flung open, and then…time stopped.

She was riveting.

Silky brown curls that cascaded down her neck and over her shoulders. Deep brown eyes he could drown himself in. And the prettiest ruby lips – was she wearing makeup? To practice? She didn’t need to. She was obviously a natural beauty. And if he had jumped to conclusions, and her lips were naturally red, he might just be in heaven.

Red was his favorite. And they would match.

“Oh. Can I help you?”

“I’m Coriolanus.”

He thrust his hand out for her to shake, which she did reluctantly.

“Hi, Coriolanus, I’m Lucy Gray. Are you…selling something or are you just happy to see me?”

“I, uh…huh?” His brow started to perspire.

She glanced down pointedly, and he followed suit, mortified to find a prominent bulge forming from his crotch region.

“Oh, god. I- no. Huh-mmm. This is embarrassing.”

How would he explain this to Tigris?

“So, you are happy to see me,” Lucy Gray said, taking a tiny step into the hall and twirling a curl around one of her fingers. “Are you a fan? Come for an autograph?”

“I- um- well, I-”

“Lucy Gray!” came an annoying male yodel from inside that equally irked both of them. “Wrap it up, we’ve got to get going.”

“Can it, Billy Taupe!” Someone else said. “It’s not like you flirt with her.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? And who’s-”

Lucy Gray took another step out into the hall, unintentionally bringing herself flush against Coriolanus’ aroused body for a heartbeat longer than he thought he could handle while she closed the door behind her.

“I’m the neighbor,” he blurted.

“What, darlin’?” she asked, looking up at him with those well-deep doe eyes.

He nearly moaned aloud.

“From downstairs. I’m your downstairs neighbor.”

She froze, then took a step back. He watched as the flirtation disappeared, and a simmering rage took its place.

“103?” she demanded, and he swore he saw smoke fuming out of her ears and nostrils and fire blazing in her eyes. “You the neighbor that called us in last night before the power went out?”

“I did not call you in.”

Her eyes blazed brighter. They were the most beautiful, angry eyes he’d ever seen in his life.

“Not before,” he amended. “And Sejanus is my friend. I just wanted the power turned back-”

“Ha! What did you do? Turn on a light switch? Heat the stove? Plug in the toaster?!”

His big, blue eyes widened dramatically, and he held his hands up.

“Listen, Lucy Gray-”

“Oh, don’t Lucy Gray me,” she fumed. “Go back to that hell hole you crawled out of, and don’t even try to stop us from being as loud as fuck ever again. This is our livelihood, and you are not going to take that away from us!”

SLAM!

And just like that, he was alone in the hallway again, still rock hard and more scared than ever. Yet, he couldn’t just leave it hang like that. He reached forward and knocked daintily on the wooden door. The hanging 2 fell and clattered on the floor.

“Oops.”

The door swung open surprisingly, but this time a tall, scruffy-looking mess of a man stood there. Coriolanus straightened himself as best he could, but he only came barely an inch taller than him.

I could take him.

But he didn’t want to start a fight. He just wanted to clear up the misunderstanding and never make one again.

“Please, if I could, is- Lucy Gray?”

He tried to look around the man’s figure for the petite angel he’d set on fire, but the man kept moving, so he couldn’t see past him.

“She’s busy at the moment.”

Coriolanus sighed.

“Look, it’s all just a big misunderstanding. If you could just let me tal-”

“Actually, we’re all quite busy tonight. Being loud as fuck.”

Then he took a step back into the apartment and smiled in a way that really pissed Coriolanus off.

“Goodnight.”

The blonde scoffed and shook his head as the music came to life again behind the door. He grabbed the 2 from the floor and stuffed it in his pocket, then grumbled his way all the way back downstairs to his apartment with Tigris.

“Cookies are ready!” she declared in a sing-song voice when he walked through the door. “What’s wrong?” her face immediately fell. Then something else got her attention, and she covered her eyes. “Oh, Coryo, what in the world, go- take care of that.”

“What?” He glanced down, somehow having been unaware after his awkward walk down that he still had a ‘problem’ to take care of. “Oh. Jesus.” He stalked over to the bathroom and closed that door behind him, turning on a cold shower for him to quicken up the process.

“What happened up there? Are things alright now?”

“Check your phone,” he said, not even bothering to look himself. He knew what had changed.

Tigris set down the plates she’d been holding and collected her phone where it sat on the couch. She scrolled through the wi-fi names and then collapsed onto the cushions, for indeed 203’s name had changed.

It now read: Apt103Go2Hell#203

“Well. That went well.”

She waited, not saying anything, till he returned from his short-lived shower and made a beeline for her plate of cookies, popping one into his mouth as he headed back for the door.

“Coryo, what are y-”

“Rwound Twoo,” came muffled around half a cookie, as he disappeared into the hallway again.

Tigris heard four large poundings on the door upstairs about a minute later. She winced, simultaneously holding her breath for what would come next.

A whoosh and a creak betrayed the door being opened just above her. She waited with baited breath.