Strawberry Blonde Angel

She couldn't see me coming. She didn't even know I existed. I would just be a face from the street, a stranger that she might have seen before.

But i know her. I see the way she swings her hips as she walks. I know that she plaits the under-layer of her hair when she gets nervous, and that she bites her lips when she tries not to cry.

I know that every night she goes into her apartment, completely oblivious to the fact that her windows face the street, that everyone can see in.

She'll put her hair in a bun, change into some pyjamas, usually shorts and a vest top, and sit on her couch to watch Netflix.

Her cat will snuggle into her side, and she will stroke his soft fur as she watches the screen in front of her. Then she will pause it and make herself a drink. It depends on her day.

Wine for the bad days, tea for the good. If it's an especially bad day, she takes the wine bottle with her to the lounge area, as opposed to putting it back in the fridge.

No boys ever go near her apartment, and on occasion a friend will go in.

Here's the thing, Jenny is not the most social of people. Most of her friends are online. So she depends on them to keep her company, but they can't keep her warm at night. Not like I can.

As I make my way into the building, wearing my uniform, she walks straight by me. She is talking to someone on the phone, but even still, she takes a break to smile at me as she passes. Her face seemed to glow as her lips curved into a smile.

Those lips.

She began to climb the stairs, her heels clicking as she walks. That's another thing about Jenny, she is deathly afraid of elevators.

Even though she lives on the fourth floor, she would rather climb the stairs, no matter how tired she is, or how many groceries she is carrying.

Tonight was the night though. I promised myself i would wait until the day she wore the colour red. Normally she stuck to neutral colours, so that her coworkers don't point it out. They have a habit of doing so, or at least i heard her telling her friends she did.

I finished cleaning up the lobby, and made my way to the basement to the 'janitor's office'. It was basically a broom cupboard with a broken desk in it.

However, i had access to most of the building's utilities. Though i wasn't trained to go near them.

But the maintenance man often refused to show up for work, and issues in the building were not an unusual occurrence. Leaky pipes, rats and blocked water filters were fairly common, especially within the last few months.

So with the picture of Jenny in my mind, i made my way over to the breakers, switching the fuse to one that had been previously blown, and allowing the leaky pipe to drip onto it.

I heard the unmistakable fizzle of electricity, and made my way to the exit. People in the building could be heard rustling around in their apartments, likely looking for candles or torches.

I walked slowly up to the fourth floor, and knocked on her door.

"Oh, hello. Can I help?" Her strawberry blonde hair flowed loosely around her shoulders as she leaned her head out of the door, likely trying to see if it was just her apartment.

"I was just coming to check on how you're doing. Maintenance has been called, and they should be here soon." I explained with a smile, and her composure seemed to relax a bit.

"Would you like to come in?" She stepped back slightly.

"Sure. It's Jenny, right?" I followed her into the small apartment, and clicked a torch from my waistband on, so that we could see. I closed the door, and silently turned the lock.

"Yes, and i'm really sorry, but i don't actually know your name. Wine?"

"Cameron, and yes please." I made my way around the apartment, shining my torch on various items, and taking in the sweet scent of vanilla that stayed around everything that she owned.

She made her way towards me, and we sat on her sofas.

"I think i have some candles in the kitchen drawer, let me just go check." She smiled as she made her way out of the room. As she left i properly took in her appearance. She was dressed in some black shorts and a white knitted jumper. I could see the straps of a black bralette sticking out from underneath the jumper, and i struggled to hold in a groan.

When she was out of sight, i fished the small vial of liquid from my pocket, and poured it into her drink.

She returned again, and lit the candles, which gave the room a warm glow, making it seem even more romantic, and i felt my muscles tense.

We got to talking, and eventually i saw her eyelids begin to flutter closed, the orange-tinted light shining on her face. I reached out and stroked her face, allowing my fingers to run over the dimples and curves of her face.

My pulse raced as I watched her sleep, and then I laid a blanket over her, and sat on the chair opposite her keeping my eyes steady on her as her chest rose and fell.

Then, once the lights came back on, i picked her up, and carried her to the elevator, where i pressed the ground floor level. She stirred slightly in her sleep, and i smiled down at her sleeping figure.

I carried her out to my van once we reached the bottom, and climb into the back with her. Her delicate wrists were easy to put into the zip ties, but i was careful with the tape over her mouth, sticking it down and placing a gentle kiss over it.

I finally had my strawberry blonde angel.