Chapter 2 The Woman Next Door!
It was Arlo's first time seeing her, and he couldn't help but breathe quickly, his face turning red.
But soon, the light dimmed, and she disappeared from Arlo's sight.
Arlo lay back on the bed in a daze, the image he had just seen replaying in his mind, making him increasingly unable to sleep.
After tossing and turning, he got up and took several cold showers from head to toe before feeling a bit relieved.
He didn't know how long it took for him to fall asleep groggily. When he was awakened by the alarm clock, it was already dawn.
He hurriedly got ready and left, but as soon as he stepped out, he saw the door of the neighboring room open, and a charming figure appeared in Arlo's sight.
The woman was wearing light makeup, with rosy lips and white teeth, looking delicate and pretty.
She wore tight jeans and a T-shirt, looking tall and slender. The tight clothes accentuated her figure, making it hard for Arlo to look away.
His gaze lingered on her chest for a moment before Arlo smiled and greeted, "Good morning!"
The woman paused for a moment, then smiled at Arlo, "Good morning, are you new here?"
Arlo nodded, noticing her struggling to carry a large box. He volunteered, "Let me help you with that!"
The woman didn't refuse. She looked at Arlo with a smile and said, "Thank you, I'll treat you to breakfast later."
"No need, I... I have to go to work, I'm already late." Arlo couldn't help but blush and his heart raced at the fresh yet slightly seductive scent emanating from the woman.
"Then I'll treat you when you're free!" The woman chuckled, "I'm Skyler Carr, and you?"
Carrying the box, Arlo glanced at the woman beside him. When Skyler smiled, the two shallow dimples on her face made her smile look exceptionally sweet.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Seeing Arlo lost in thought, Skyler stamped her foot playfully.
Arlo snapped out of it, scratching his head and smiling, "I'm Arlo, nice to meet you."
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Skyler suddenly leaned in close to Arlo, her eyes curved as she asked.
Arlo blushed and stuttered, "N-no."
"That's good. You should focus on making money at your age, haha."
Skyler laughed, her laughter shaking like flowers, making Arlo unable to look away.
Sensing his gaze, Skyler blushed, covering her chest with a shy and reproachful look, "Don't stare like that, it's impolite."
"Right, sorry." Arlo blushed, awkwardly averting his gaze, wishing he could find a hole to hide in.
Skyler pursed her lips and looked at him without speaking, and the two walked out of the Urban Village in silence.
"The bus is here, give me the box." Standing at the bus stop, Skyler reached out her hand.
Her hand was beautiful, fair and slender, without any flaws.
Arlo handed her the box with his head down, "Be careful on the way, I... I have to go to work."
With that, he turned and hurried away as if escaping.
Back at the furniture center's loading and unloading area, all morning Arlo's mind was filled with every expression and smile of Skyler.
As noon approached, Arlo had just finished unloading a truck when he saw Skyler not far away, handing out a stack of flyers.
Just as he hesitated whether to go up and say hello, Skyler spotted Arlo.
"Arlo!" Excitedly waving at him, Skyler took small steps towards him.
"Hey, Skyler," Arlo greeted, feeling a warmth in his heart as he looked at her approaching figure.
The sight of her made him forget all about his troubles, at least for the moment.
"What a coincidence, we meet again. Do you work around here?"
Arlo nodded, "Yes, I work as a mover at the furniture store."
"Are you tired?" Seeing Arlo covered in sweat, Skyler pulled out a tissue, saying, "When do you take breaks? Let me treat you to a meal!"
"Thank you, I can rest now." Arlo thanked her, taking the tissue to wipe himself. He chuckled, "But let's forget about the meal, it's just a small favor."
"No, I insist. Would you refuse a meal from such a beautiful woman like me?" Skyler naturally took his hand and walked towards the exit of the furniture store, not minding the dirt on his hands.
Arlo couldn't resist her enthusiasm and agreed.
Sitting down at a random noodle shop, Arlo asked curiously while waiting for their food, "How come you're distributing flyers here?"
Skyler grinned, "I'm a third-year student at Fleross Art School, currently interning at a dance school. My supervisor asked me to distribute flyers, so here I am."
"So you're a dance student, no wonder you have such a good aura and figure!" Arlo complimented with a smile.
Skyler was pleased with Arlo's praise. Resting her chin on her hand, she teased, "You're probably younger than me, right? Do you want me to be your girlfriend?"
"Have... have you just said you want to be my girlfriend?" Arlo's heart raced as he couldn't help but sneak a glance at Skyler. "Really?"
"Of course... Not!" Skyler burst into laughter, her laughter infectious.
Arlo understood that Skyler was joking with him, but he couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed.
After finishing their meal and exchanging contact information, Skyler received a call and hurriedly left.
Back at the furniture store, a coworker approached Arlo, teasing him with a cigarette, "Arlo, not bad, you've been here at Fleross for only a few days, and you've already hooked up with a beauty."
Arlo was taken aback, realizing he was referring to Skyler. He quickly waved his hands, "Erik, it's not like that. She lives next door to me, and we..."
Before he could finish, another coworker, smoking, interrupted, "Arlo, you better be careful. That girl isn't a good person."
"Allen, what do you mean?" Arlo asked, puzzled.
Allen, the coworker, exhaled smoke, saying, "That girl is a kept woman of a rich man. She doesn't usually live around here. She only comes over for a night when the two of them want to do their thing. The rich man's wife even came over here once to catch them but missed them."
Arlo listened with skepticism. He planned to ask Skyler about it after work.
But that evening, Skyler didn't come back.
In the first couple of days, Skyler messaged him every day, and Arlo replied enthusiastically.
The relationship between them was rapidly warming up. Arlo asked her why she hadn't returned for the past two days, and Skyler explained that she had school matters to attend to, which Arlo didn't dwell on.
However, starting from the third day, Skyler stopped messaging him.
The messages Arlo sent to Skyler received no response.
Thinking back to that scene at noon when Skyler hurriedly left after receiving a call, Arlo gradually believed his coworker's words—Skyler was indeed a kept woman of a rich man.
Turning disappointment into motivation, Arlo worked even harder and more desperately.
One noon, just after finishing lunch, Arlo was standing in a shaded area drinking water when he saw a graceful mature woman walking towards him while talking on the phone.
The woman was beautiful, with a rosy complexion on her delicate face, wearing light makeup.
Her peachy eyes were captivating, and the frameless glasses on her nose added a touch of intellect to her appearance.
Wearing a professional Office Lady suit, she looked very capable, and her shapely legs wrapped in black stockings were particularly enticing.
Her graceful and curvaceous figure caught Arlo's attention involuntarily as she walked.
Sensing Arlo's gaze, a cold light flashed in the woman's eyes.
Just as Arlo was about to avert his gaze, he saw the woman standing under a pile of stacked items.
That area was temporary storage for miscellaneous items, with no warning signs or safety measures.
A gust of wind blew, and the towering pile of items swayed dangerously.
Arlo realized the danger and rushed up without thinking, embracing the woman's fragrant and soft body and pushing her down to the ground.