Chapter 68: First Impressions Matter
"Is something wrong?"
David blinked.
He turned away from the notification still hovering at the edge of his vision and looked at April, who was still in her doorway.
"Me? No." He shook his head.
"You sure? Cause you kinda just yelled out of no where."
"I’m good."
’I am not good.’ He thought to himself.
She gave him a once-over, clearly unconvinced, then shrugged and disappeared back into her apartment with one of her boxes in hand.
The moment the door clicked shut, David turned back to the notification.
’You cocksucker. Why did you accept the challenge?’
He stared at the glowing text like it had personally wronged him — because it had.
[You did not provide a distinct answer. Silence was interpreted as consent.]
David’s eye twitched.
’Silence was interpreted as—’ He stopped. Restarted. ’In what universe does that logic make sense?’
[I don’t have the answer to that question.]
[This system operates in your best interest.]
’My best interest?’
[Correct.]
’My best interest,’ David continued, ignoring it entirely, ’would have been if you’d just let me stand here, watch her ass and mind my business.’
[Timer: 19:31.]
He exhaled slowly through his nose.
The door to the building swung open.
April stepped out, glancing around — and then her eyes landed on him. She stopped.
"Oh." A small pause. "You’re still here."
"Yeah." He nodded once. "I’m still here."
She studied him the way people do when they’re trying to figure out whether something is weird or whether they’re just imagining it. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything’s fine. Nothing’s wrong. I’m good." He said it all in one breath, which probably didn’t help.
"...Okay." She reached down and picked up one of the remaining boxes from the front step. "I thought you said you were heading to the gym?"
David looked at the timer.
[18:33.]
He looked back at her.
"Change of heart, I guess." he said.
She straightened up. "Change of heart?"
"Yeah."
She waited, like maybe there was more.
There wasn’t.
"About the gym?"
"Yeah...uh, yeah. " he confirmed. "Figured I’d — " he gestured vaguely at the boxes, then at her, then at the building " — be a good neighbor and help you out since I’m here. First impression matters right?"
April stared at him for a second. Then a slow smile pulled at the corner of her mouth, and she tilted her head.
"And what impression would that be? A knight in shining armor?" she said, dry as paint.
David laughed. It came out more naturally than it should have.
"Something like that."
She seemed to consider it for exactly half a second before nodding. "Alright. If you want to help, honestly, take any box you want. They’re not labeled in any order." She moved toward the remaining stack, and David was already turning away — already giving himself credit for handling that smoothly — when she bent down to pick up the next one.
The bum shorts she was wearing wasn’t doing him any favors.
Neither was the soft grunt she made when she lifted it — something small and feminine and entirely too effortless — before she straightened up and padded back through the door without a word.
David stood very still for a moment.
’I am so cooked,’ he thought simply.
’I am genuinely cooked.’
He walked over to the remaining boxes, crouched down, and picked one up.
Then he stepped into the apartment.
The apartment wasn’t much to look at.
She had only just moved in, and it showed.
A single couch rested against one wall, looking strangely lonely in the otherwise empty living room. Boxes were everywhere. Some were stacked neatly, others had already been opened, their contents spilling halfway out as if she’d been too exhausted to finish unpacking. A few still waited by the entrance, untouched.
The place felt lived in...
Just barely.
"Come on, come on," she called, waving him over as she bent to pick up another box.
He grabbed one himself and followed after her.
She walked ahead without a second thought, carrying her box toward the bedroom.
His steps slowed.
For the briefest moment, his gaze drifted to her ass— his goal — watching it tremble with each step she took.
’ shit...alright...I need to think this through.’
A plan. He needed a plan.
His expression gradually stiffened.
’How exactly am I supposed to do it?’
’If it had only been a normal spank... I could’ve probably thought of a way.’
His face twitched.
’But it said spank and knead her... There’s most definitely no escaping an explanation.’
The bedroom door was half-open. April came through first, set the box down near the foot of the bed, and bent at the waist to lower it the rest of the way.
David walked in right on cue.
He caught the full view of her curves for exactly two seconds before she straightened and pivoted, and the moment her eyes started to swing in his direction his gaze had already travelled to the wall on the left. Very interesting wall. Excellent texture. He cleared his throat.
"Thanks again," she said, brushing her hands on her thighs. "You really didn’t have to."
"It’s fine." He added as he returned his gaze.
She looked at him for a beat, then nodded toward the hallway. "There’s still one more."
"Yeah."
They went back out. David fell into step behind her and immediately started doing the thing where he stared at the ceiling.
’Okay,’ he thought. ’Plan. I need a plan. I have an objective and I currently have zero strategy... mostly because there can’t be any strategy!’
The system had thoughts on this.
[Host is progressing according to optimal parameters. Every action taken in service of the path will bear fruit. Trust the process.]
’Don’t talk to me right now.’
[The roadwork is necessary. Tonight—]
’I said don’t talk to me.’
He grabbed a box from the stack and followed her back.
April leaned into the bedroom to set hers down, and when she turned back around David was standing in the doorway.
She didn’t say anything. He didn’t say anything. He moved, took a step sideways, and went to set his box down near the window.
Soon, they went for the last one.
On the way back up, David was behind her again. He kept his eyes at shoulder level, still pondering on himself for a plan.
In the hallway outside the bedroom, April stopped and turned. David pivoted to face her eyes in the same motion, box in hand, as innocent as he could.
"David."
"Yeah?" A pause. "Is something wrong?"
She paused for a moment, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"No."
Almost immediately, she set her box down and folded her arms.
"Actually," she said, "that’s the question I should be asking you."
David turned around. "What do you mean?"
April looked at him. Very flat. Very even.
"You keep staring at my ass." A brief pause.
"Is there something on it?"
The hallway was quiet.