I stared at him and whispered, Really?

Really, sweetheart, no f**kin joke. Thought I was in an alternate universe when Steve came to see me today. Then again, I saw the results of the visit whoever gave him so Im also not surprised. You f**k folks around, eventually theyll f**k back and since no one likes to be f**ked unless they wanna be, when theyre moved to do it, they f**k harder.

Charlie Philosophy. In the five years Id lived there, hed delivered it often. It was always liberally sprinkled in curse words. And it was always usually right.

Words to live by, I muttered.

Damn straight, Anya. Fuck only when they wanna be f**ked. You never know whats gonna tip someone and you also never know who youre f**kin knows.

Im not a f**k with people person, I shared and he smiled.

Well, just in case you consider a turn to the dark side, Charlie advised.

Right, heard, cataloged, filed. Consider your wisdom processed, Charlie, I assured him and his smile got bigger. I moved as I said, See you later, honey.

Later, sweetheart, he replied, grabbed his ladder and moved down the hall.

I did the juggling bit at the door to open it, walked through and saw the paper on the floor that had been slid under the door. I closed the door, ignored the paper and walked to the kitchen to dump my totes. Then I walked back, bent to retrieve the paper and turned it to face me. On it was a badly photocopied message.

Dear Tenant,

The building call system has been repaired as well as the security keypad. The new code is 7849. This code will be changed monthly and you will be notified by memorandum as well as emailed with the new codes one week prior to the code changing. If we do not have your email on file, please contact us immediately.

In the next two weeks, Charlie will be installing deadbolts and chains on all the doors. We will attempt to do this at your convenience but would prefer to do this during normal working weekday hours. Please complete and detach the slip at the bottom of this memo and return it to the management office with a time within the next two weeks that would be convenient for you.

As this work takes place, we thank you in advance for your patience.

-Management

I stared at the memo, the first of its kind in my tenure there and definitely more polite than Id ever expect in a million years coming from Management otherwise known as Steve, then my eyes drifted to my door. There was one lock, it turned on the knob. Id never thought anything of it but as I stared at the door, a tingle slid up my spine, the back of my neck and radiated over my scalp.

Knight had stared at that door and what he saw pissed him off.

And now, out-of-the-blue, when Id never complained about it, though I didnt know if anyone else did, we were getting deadbolts and chains.

Babe, please tell me you dont live on the first floor.

Hed looked at the elevator. Hed noted the lights.

Pointless but its somethin.

That tingle rushed back down and infused my entire body.

Oh my God, I whispered.

I got this. I heard Charlie say from outside the door.

I got it. I heard another voice I recognized as my out-of-work, moron, slightly creepy, didnt know how he managed to pay his rent, neighbor Dick whose name said it all.

No, I said I got it, Charlie returned firmly then there was banging at my door.

I moved to it, looked out the peephole, saw Charlie and Dick standing out there and opened it because, although Dick was standing out there, so was Charlie.

Hey, I greeted and Charlie stuck out a large, bubble wrap lined envelope at me.

This came for you. Dick accepted receipt, Charlie announced. Now Dicks goin to his place, closing the doors, sittin his ass down and thinkin of baby bunnies.

I avoided Dicks eyes, pressed my lips together, understood Charlies meaning but considered that if Dicks thoughts turned to bunnies they would be thoughts of boiling them or torturing them and I took the envelope. The front had a label that was typed and said only, Anya, 3D

Thanks, uh my eyes slid through Dick, guys.

Later, Anya, Charlie said meaningfully, I looked at him, his face told me to close my damned door because Dick was a dick and Charlie didnt want him around me.

Right, later, I replied and did as I wasnt told but still was.

Then I locked the door that would soon have a deadbolt and chain but my mind wasnt on Dick or Charlie or deadbolts or sudden activity making my apartment building safer at what had to be a serious cost. My mind was on the bubble wrap envelope that had no address, no last name and I hadnt ordered anything.

I took it to the kitchen, ripped it open, upended it and a shiny, black box slid out as did a small, business card sized card.

I stared at the box. Then I pulled out the cardboard tag that held it secure, opened the side and slid out the innards.

Then I froze and stared.

In my hand wrapped up shiny and new, nestled in protective foam packaging was a cell phone the likes Id never seen. Glossy black on its curved shield-shaped outside, the entire front was a screen. I looked at the box and saw the brand. Id never heard of it. I looked back at the phone and its accoutrement. Then I realized my heart was beating and doing it hard.

I put the box and phone down and tagged the card. It had fallen face down on the counter so I flipped it and stared at the black slashes that formed words.

Anya,

No woman should be without a functioning cell.

K

The tingle came back and it didnt start at my spine. It just straight out covered my entire body.

I knew no Ks. No friend. Definitely no family. No workmates. No one.

Except Knight Whoever.

Oh my God, I whispered, my home phone rang and I jumped.

Then I dropped the card and dashed to the one in the kitchen.

Hello, I greeted when I put it to my ear.

Get this, day four almost done, no fucking call.

Sandrine.

I pulled in a breath, tried to shake off what was happening all around me, who I figured was responsible for it and what that might mean and started, Honey

I helped him clean up for like, three hours, in, like, the wee morning hours, she reminded me of something shed already shared several times. Then told me something that made my breath catch. Something she hadnt yet shared in her two days of bitching about Nick Sebring. His brother came back, was a total, freaking ass**le to both of us, and I took that, I cleaned and after that I gave him all my good moves which means he got off twice plus twice more on Sunday. He promised hed call and he hasnt. Player zone I get, it could take two days. Even three. But four?