My Neighbor's Friend

CHAPTER 6: Gunner

It wasn't until tonight in this moment here that I realized she liked Ferris. It was why she dressed the way she did, I could tell. I'm not sure as to why but I kind of feel bad for her. I know what it's like to want somebody who won't want you back.

Then after she downed her drink and after I broke eye contact with my good friend, Firefox, I leaned over towards Arya's ear.

"Don't let it get to you." I tell her.

She looks at me with a raised eyebrow and yet seems to be embarrassed?

"It doesn't. This place is cool." She replies.

I try and keep myself from cracking up with how pathetic and untrue that was.

"Riiight. But for the record, I was talking about your crush on Ferris." I tell her with a wink before shooting back my drink.

She looked down at her hands in her lap then shook her head.

"I'm gonna go. Tell Ferris I was tired." She tells me with half a smile then gets up and leaves some cash down on the table.

I watched her make her way through the crowd of people and couldn't help but feel a pull at my heart strings although I don't know why. I don't care and am not going to get in the middle of that.

Then I heard the announcer say to give it up for Fire Fox and then helps her down as she starts grabbing her clothes and as soon as we lock eyes again, she motions me to go back to the dressing room with her.

So I get up and start heading back and as soon as I got back there all the girls were gawking at me but I personally am not into strippers. In fact, I was originally going to come here to see Fire Fox but it was only because she had messaged me earlier about wanting to catch up since we haven't seen each other in a while and also happened to just move nearby.

Fire Fox aka: Serina and I used to date back when I was going through my FBI training and it didn't last longer than a couple of months before we had both realized we were just better off as friends.

Back when I met her, I was of course still in touch with Ferris as he was going to college but, so he never knew her. She ended up becoming a dispatch for the local police department in the town we were at but then apparently pursued other things and I guess now is a dancer here.

Throughout the years however, she has figured out what I do and is technically the only person who knows and tells me every so often about someone she needs information on that she is about to date.

"Hey." I greet her as I notice her dressed now and fixing her hair and makeup real quick to prepare going out to do private dancing.

"Hey asshole!" She greets me back with a big smile and wraps her arms around me.

"You did great out there, as usual." I tell her.

"Thanks." She says before I notice her look behind me. "Where's your girl?!" She asks.

"I don't have one." I replied. Then I realized she meant Arya. "Oh the girl that was next to me?" I asked just to be sure.

"Duh!" She teases.

"Oh hell no. I'm not with her. She's actually Ferris' neighbor and has a crush on him and thought she would come with us to help get his mind off the girl who just cheated on him." I explain.

"Wow. Sounds complicated." She laughs a little to herself after finishing buckling her strapped heels and has me follow her towards the office in the back.

"So when did you want to get together? What time you get off here?" I asked.

"Not until a few more hours?" She says with a look of hesitation.

"Okay yeah, I'l be asleep by then." I laughed.

"Just let me know when you have time to get together and we'll catch up." I suggest.

"Okay." She smiles." It was good to see you again." She winked and smiled at me.

Next I gave her a kiss on the cheek 'goodbye' then found Ferris and gave him the car keys before then heading out to catch a cab to take me home.

I was surprised when I got outside and saw Arya was still standing outside with her arms around herself trying to keep warm it seemed and I don't know what made me do it but I walked over at her.

"You still here?" I ask.

"Yeah. Just waiting for a cab. They said they would be here shortly." She says while looking out straight ahead towards the street."

I stood there for a moment and then decided to take my jacket off and place it over her shoulders, despite the fact she couldn't zip it up all the way because it was a little smaller than her.

She looked at me surprised and then smiled a little bit too.

"Thanks." She says.

"Yeah, it's not that cold for me so I figured you'd be better off wearing it." I tell her.

I look down at my phone to begin looking for a cab and then suddenly hers pulls up and before she walks towards it, she turns around to face me.

"Do you want a ride?" She offers.

"Sure. Thanks." I smiled and put away my phone then we got into the cab and he started driving off towards the apartment.

Throughout the first several minutes of the cab ride over, we sat there in awkward silence.

"You know, I'm sorry I didn't tell you we were going to a strip club. I wasn't purposely trying to not tell you." I find myself apologizing which is not something I do really especially to a woman.

"It's okay. I shouldn't have come anyways. In fact, when you mentioned Ferris, I felt a little embarrassed because I had thought I had something loud. But I guess instead I wasn't hiding it I guess too good." She finishes.

"Not really." I laughed.

We both started to laugh a little bit and then began talking to each other until we got back to the apartment and after I walked her to her door, before she walked inside, she gave me back my jacket then thanked me and then there was that one moment where you feel as though you and that other person are going to kiss.

We started to lean in closer towards each other and as soon as I could feel her breath against my lips I stopped and when I saw her eyes were closed waiting for me to kiss her, I realized I shouldn't. It wouldn't be fair or right. Might get her to thinking the wrong idea as she seems to be one of those relationship types and not just a hook up. So I just said 'goodnight' and we both went into our apartments.

What the hell was I thinking?!?

Next chapter will be posted soon! :)