That Handsome Billionaire Is My Neighbour

Chapter 7: Can You Cook?

Mia tossed her leg across her bed only for the mug by her bedside to crash on the floor

"MIA?!" Grannie's voice was heard at her door.

Mia opened one of her eyes in fright

She knew why Grannie had yelled her name.

"Can't you do without breaking something whenever you wake up?!" She asked, hitting the door with her walking stick.

Mia sits up on her bed, yawning as her eyes caught the broken mug on the floor. She just got that mug like a week ago and she had saved a lot of money to get that particular mug.

"Aiyo," she said, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a bird's nest for short. She looked like she had travelled to the past to fight ancient wars.

Mia was a very disorganized person; she was always late for work and had to turn her room upside down, just to get ready in time.

Mia shook her head as she noticed how disorganized her room was.

Luckily enough for her, it was a Saturday. She doesn't work on Saturdays and Sundays. She calls it her weekly days off just to cover up for how much work she does during the week. She wasn't as strong as she looked.

"You had better arrange that room or else I won't let you meet the handsome neighbour next door," Grannie said.

Mia's ears perked up at those words and soon stood up to arrange her room.

Her apartment was a small one and more of an open-plan house.

"How could you let this happen?" Mia asked herself as she took a full glance at her entire apartment. It was a jungle!

Plates were in the sink, and her clothes were in the living room, and the kitchen too. She had dirty clothes piled up and empty pizza boxes to take out

"Let's get started, Missy," Mia said.

She gathered all the clothes and separated the dirty ones from the clean ones. She hung her clothes in her wardrobe and cleaned up her room.

While her clothes were in the washing machine, she did the dishes and packed all the dirt in a refuse bag.

Mia took in a breath of fresh air as she prided herself on her hard work. Her apartment looked presentable and organized too.

She threw the dirt out and gathered the washed clothes in a basket before heading out to spread them dry on the cloth hanger just outside the house.

The house was a Korean-style shared and rooftop setting.

She had the next room neighbour on her right and one just below her floor. Grannie stays below too but she wouldn't mind climbing the stairs up just to give you a piece of her mind.

Mia sighed as the warm sun hit her skin and admired the houses below. It was not in the outskirts where one would see movIng cars and skyscrapers. The only thing worthy of sight here is the blue sky and the clustered houses below.

Mia spreads her clothes and glances at the house next door. It was as high as theirs but a lot prettier than hers.

"Lucky you," Mia said, admiring the house.

It was then Grannies' words rang in her ears.

...handsome neighbour next door

Mia hurried into her apartment and took a shower, got dressed, and hurried down to the ground floor to see Grannie.

The ground floor had no roof as you approach the centre. There was just about enough sunlight in the room.

"Good morning Grannie!" Mia chirped happily as she found her way to the older lady's kitchen.

Grannie was preparing to boil water for tea when she heard Mia's footsteps behind her.

"Who knew telling you about the neighbour could get you out of that bed fast enough?" Grannie shook her head; Mia was almost a lost cause.

"Is it true? We have a new neighbour?" Mia asked again.

Mia was often envious of Grannie, she was this old but always managed to keep her things neat all the time.

"Will you let me cook in peace?" Grannie yelled.

"You have to tell me! You can't make me do all that work and not tell me if it's true or not" Mia pouts.

"Yes, Miss feisty we have a new neighbour, a handsome one at that" Kimpab said sitting on the centre table.

"Will you get up from that table you adult baby!!!"

"Grannie there's no need to yell all the time. It's bad for your health" Mark said, heading towards the exit. He was the neighbour living just below Mia.

"Good morning Mark" Mia greeted

"Good morning Mia. Watch Grannie's health. Yelling will do her no good. If she comes to the clinic complaining about her health again, I would have to get her bedridden" Mark said

"Are you ill Grannie?" Mia asked in worry.

"I'm as healthy as a bull!" She said,

"Just watch her Mia"

"I will"

"I might be home late today. Don't wait for me. Good day"

The young doctor was soon on his way out of the house with no further words spoken.

"If you all can behave yourselves for once, I wouldn't have to raise my voice," Grannie said.

"We promise to behave, now the neighbour," Mia asked in excitement.

"Ask Kimpab. He was the one who gave him the key to the apartment," Grannie said, waving Mia to move out of the way as she placed a tray of hot pie on the centre table. She glared at Kimpab who moved further away from the table before leaving to check on the water she was boiling.

"Kimpab?" Mia called with a hint of gentleness in her tone.

Kimpab stood up with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a cup of coffee.

"I'd give him 200 over 10 you know. If only beautiful could be used to qualify a man. He was a sight to behold, to be honest." Kimpab admits.

Mia had her eyes closed, allowing her imagination to run wild

Having a handsome neighbour….then love….then marriage….

"But he is the coldest being I have ever seen! He has this look that makes shivers run down my spine!"

Mia opened her eyes and glared at Kimpab as though she was going to beat him up.

"You just ruined my fantasy," she said

"I'm being honest. Being good-looking is good but with a bad attitude? That's the worst" Kimpab said, settling by the table with his eyes fixed on the pie.

"If you touch that pie I will increase your rent for the month!" Grannie said without staring in his direction.

Kim grumbled as he moves away from the pie.

"Hey, help me with the tea if you know you want breakfast," Grannie said to Kimpab.

"Definitely ma'am" Kimpab rolled up his sleeves and approached the kitchen to help Grannie with the mugs.

"I don't believe he is that bad a person. You're just exaggerating" Mia said, helping Grannie with the kettle.

"If you know you want to go greet him you better go prepare something" Grannie instructed.

"I almost forgot. A pie!" Mia hurried up the stairs to her apartment.

"She's going to be so disappointed," Kimpab said.

"Let her be. It won't be as bad as you think" Grannie said with a mischievous smile on her face.

***********

Mia inhaled the sweet smell of her pie and smiled at her accomplishment. It tastes as good as it smells.

She packed it in a basket and hurried to her room to make use of her body spray.

"The presenter must smell as good as the pie," she said smiling.

She was soon on her way down and had a beautiful smile on her face.

"You're done?" Grannie asked

"She's going to be disappointed," Kimpab said, scrubbing the pie pan.

Grannie hits him on the head with a spoon

"Is that what I told you to do? Scrub. Not talk" she scolded

"Yes ma'am," Kim replied.

"Go on"

Mia took her to leave with a smile on her face, happy to meet the handsome neighbour next door. Mia pushed the doorbell twice and waited for a reply.

"Who is it?" A masculine tone asked

"Hello. I'm your next-door neighbour Mia" she said

"Go away"

Mia stood still in shock. Did he just tell her to leave?

So rude!

Or is he used to people wanting to meet him because of his looks?

"I came here to say hello. And I even made him a pie. I worked so hard to get this done" Mia whined loud enough for him to hear.

The gate swings open automatically and Mia smiles to herself mischievously.; she knew she had her way with words. Even Grannie couldn't resist her.

Mia stepped into the compound, admiring the house in awe. It was very beautiful and minimalist too.

Mia opened the front door and stepped in quietly. It was a hallway painted in white and a few paintings were on the walls. Mia walked straight ahead until she found the living area.

"Woah"

The entire house must have been painted white. The seats were grey and the colour was as minimalistic as possible. It was the kind of house that is suitable for a single person.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" She asked, taking cautious steps towards the kitchen.

"What are you doing here?"

Mia jumped in fright and turned to see a familiar face staring back at her in a bathrobe.

In a bathrobe!

Mia made a brutal U-turn only to crash into a flower vase, smashing it into pieces.

"Oh my…" Mia turned to face Ryan with an apology written all over her face.

"I'm... I'm so sorry"

Ryan's cold look almost made her flinch in fright. She didn't know there was a vase where she stood and besides, who shows up in a bathrobe when you know you have a visitor?

Ryan moved closer to her while she moved back in fright.

"I'm...I said I'm sorry," Mia apologized.

"W... what are you doing? I...I didn't mean to.. " she stammered as he leaned closer, placing his hand on the wall just beside her head.

He glared down at her. The water from his hair dripped down on her face as she met his eyes, dancing and fluttering her eyes open and close.

"What are you doing in my apartment?" he asked, staring down at her and then at the broken flower vase on the floor. It was back behind the door. Fixed.

"I already fixed it,"

"And the door was opened too. I thought you opened it for me to come in," she said quietly.

"Because you can change the past doesn't take away the fact that you broke it in the first place," Ryan said." and I didn't let you in. I told you to go away"

"You did but then the door opened!" Mia said with honesty.

Ryan stared down at her lovely eyes in silence, trying to recall if he did let her in….

He had pushed the open button instead of disconnect.

"I'm sorry" Mia apologized with her eyes closed.

"Why are you here?" Ryan asked, stepping away from her as he made his way to his bedroom.

If Mia knew Ryan was her neighbour, she wouldn't have bothered herself at all.

Not after the stunt, he pulled the night she tried to save him.

She had gone back without her umbrella after she boarded the bus in anger. She felt bad for him because his car fell off the bridge and she decided to go back to him with an umbrella only for her to see him driving off in a car.

So much for wanting to help.

"I wanted to welcome my new neighbour. I wouldn't have bothered if I knew it was you…"

Ryan returned to the living area, shirtless and his hair was damp. Mia couldn't take her eyes off his abs and had to force her eyes away from him to stare at the wall instead.

"Couldn't you at least get dressed in your room instead?"

"The last time I checked this is my apartment, '' Ryan said, pulling a hoodie over his head.

He glanced at the basket in Mia's hands.

"What's that?" He asked

Mia took a peep before facing him.

"Pie. It's a welcome gift. Again, I wouldn't have bothered if I knew it was you" Mia hoped she drove her point home.

"Can you cook?" He asked with his hands in his hoodie.

Mia stared at him in pure silence; his damp hair formed a bang around his face and he looked so cute with his eyes fixed on her like that…..