The sound of a moving truck backing up interrupted Jane's morning coffee and her puckered mouth turned to a grimace along the brim of her mug. She finished her sip and sat the cup down on the counter with a glance towards the front windows of her small apartment. Curiosity and dread mixed in her gut as she pushed off of the counter ledge and walked across the living room, coming to a stop just before the sheer curtains. Having woken up to a beautiful Saturday morning, she'd pulled up her blinds and opened the windows to let the fresh spring air inside. Normally the well kept street below was quiet on the weekends. Middle class families slept in 'till eleven, taking a much needed break after their nine to five shifts down town and even the paper boy kept quiet on his early morning route. The diesel engine and back up beeping caused a stir in the air, bringing the peaceful street to life.<br/><br/>Jane pulled back a curtain and peered down below as a white box truck sloppily parallel parked along the curb. Her green eyes drifted over to the brick apartments across the way and watched as other curious people appeared in their windows and even emerged onto their porches. It wasn't often new people moved into the neighborhood and much like the stereotypes based on people from the Broncs, everyone was going to be gossiping about it. Two gruff men emerged from the cab and made their way around the truck. They slid open the door and Jane cringed at the grating sound that echoed off of the old walls. "Please don't come here, please don't." she whispered as she watched the two men unload a plastic wrapped couch. They began to head for the door just below her apartment and she groaned. "Of course. Two available units on this street and they pick the one next to mine."<br/><br/>Returning to her now cold coffee, she dumped the cream colored liquid down the drain and put on another pot. She looked around her small kitchen and caught her reflection in the window over the sink. She looked like any woman would after just waking up. Her frazzled bedhead was up in a mocha colored bun atop her head and sleep still lingered in her sapphire eyes. Day old make up clung to her lashes and the faint pink stain of lipstick still coated her plump lips. Even with her "all day stay" foundation caked to her face, she could still make out the tiny freckles that dotted the bridge of her nose and cheeks. Even after pulling forty hours a week at the restaurant and a night at the bar, she still looked flawless. Twenty-five was treating her nicely.<br/><br/>A knock at the door snapped her back to reality and she realized she could hear heavy stomps in the hallway. "Jane? Jane, are you awake?" A small voice called out to her and she moved to open the door. "Ms. Galloway, is everything okay?" Jane asked as she took in the elderly woman standing before her with just a robe and pair of slippers on. In her hand she held a basket of sugar coated scones. Jane looked beyond her as one of the men from the truck hauled in a large box. "Yes, yes. Everything is alright with me. I just came by to see if you wanted to share some scones and talk about the hot hunk moving in next door." The old woman didn't wait for an invite in as she stepped through the door way and hobbled over to the kitchen. "Uh, sure. I just put a fresh pot of coffee on. I know you take yours black."<br/><br/>The two clasped their hot mugs in their hands as they sat across from each other at the kitchen table, two plates filled with sugary crumbs between them. "So what do you know, Miss Nosey?" asked Jane. Margaret Galloway had lived on the main floor of the building since her marriage to her late husband back in the fifties. They'd moved to New York from Scandinavia shortly after their wedding and moved into the neighborhood to start their lives anew. If you needed to know something, you went to Margaret. "Well. Nellie Giovani says he's about thirty years old and single. It looks like he takes care of himself, physically and financially. You know, I bet you'd hit it off with him." Jane almost choked on her coffee. "Anyway, I guess he's got a troubled past. Mary Esposito thinks he did some time in the slammer, probably killed a guy or something."<br/><br/>Having finished their coffee and scones, Ms. Galloway excuse herself saying she had to go give her cat a bath. Jane walked her out and stole one last glance down the hall. Only silence came from the next apartment and she figured the men were taking a break. She shut the door behind her, making sure to secure the lock, and took a seat on the couch. She picked up one of her favorite book and thumbed the pages as she thought about the possible bad guy moving in next door. She'd have to do everything in her power to avoid him.<br/><br/>(Click the link in my signature to read up on this post!)