I Have An Objection! [ Levi x OC ] [ Moderate Editing ]

Ch. 3: The Warmth of a Frigid Male

I couldn't remember the last time someone had genuinely invited me out, let alone a man asking me to take a walk in the park with him. Innocent as it may have seemed, I had my suspicions; I mean, to introduce yourself to a co-worker and within a week's time, they offer to spend time with you outside of the workplace . . . All of it just felt out of the ordinary for me.

Although, perhaps Levi held some compassion underneath that stoic mug of his, and was attempting to be friendly; it would have been rather impolite to not familiarize yourself with an unknown co-worker after coincidentally running into them, at an indie bar nonetheless. Other than that, I couldn't really cast any specific doubts on the sneering male, so in a rare chance, my suspicions were nothing short of paranoia.

Humming like I always did when changing clothes, I threw on some more casual attire instead of the usual nine-to-five workday ensemble. Glancing out my bedroom window, I assumed it wasn't as chilly as it normally was, given the brisk winds had died down over the course of early evening. A preparatory sigh escaped my lips as I squirmed into a thin, burgundy sweater, followed by the mattress of my bed squeaking when I sat down to lace up my boots.

When I was ready to head out, I pushed my phone into my jeans' pocket, only to hear Marco shout from the couch, "Have fun on your date!"

Growling at the inky-haired gent, I simply retorted, "It's a casual get-to-together with a fellow worker at my job. Have you no shame in labeling this as a romantic escapade?"

Marco merely shrugged and grinned. I lolled my eyes and left the apartment silently.

Descending the stairs of the building, I habitually checked my phone for the time, the illuminated, round numbers reading 5:54 across the lock screen. Truthfully, I had another half hour to spare before Levi wanted me to show up, but it never hurt anyone to be punctual; my thanks to Brightfield for drilling that notion into my system.

Before leaving the main doors of the apartment complex, I stopped by the individual mailboxes to check if any new mail had accumulated for Marco or I. Forgetting that my key was back upstairs, I wishfully exhaled as I stared at the silver-placard box with the number 518 carved into the metal. A petite girl extracting her own mail beside me peeked up at my woeful sound, smiling when I drooped my eyelids in ignorance towards myself.

I recognized her as my neighbor's girlfriend—Annalise I believe her name was. She was a slim and perky young woman, with innocent dark eyes and equally dark hair. Returning her polite gesture after some time, she hummed a quiet giggle and collected all of her mail, trotting back towards the staircases when she had locked her compartment back up. Realizing my time had been wasted staring vapidly at the metal containers, I shrugged my shoulders and hiked in the direction of the entrace doors, pushing them open with ease as I was greeted with the evening's pleasant breeze.

I had to admit, the city looked so beautiful at night. All the streetlights, office buildings, and various housing projects lit up from people still hard at work. However, I had to be careful not to bump into anyone while sightseeing; one simple mistake could cost you a verbal beating or threatening remarks when wandering the metropolitan area during the evening hours.

For a woman, it was relatively frightening walking alone down the streets at certain intervals, given the creeps and hoodlums who found it moral to catcall and holler whenever an attractive woman strolled into their vision. On numerous occasions, it has happened to me, and even while in the presence of other women, like Mira for example. It was degrading and ruthless of them, but such was the life of a woman in modern society; either ignore the remarks and continue on, or if it escalates, watch to see who will prevent it.