The Spare Key is Valuable

“Piper,” I began weakly, my voice strained. “I need my spare key.”

Her grin widened, her gaze flicking up and down my nearly naked form. “Oh, do you now?” she said, her tone dripping with amusement. “And here I thought you just wanted to give the whole building a show.”

I shifted uncomfortably, adjusting the meager scrap of fabric that passed for a towel. “Look, can we skip the games? I’ve had... a day.”

“Oh, I can see that,” she teased, gesturing lazily at my state of undress. “But what’s life without a little fun, Professor Finn?”

I groaned internally. “Piper, please. Just the key.”

She tapped a finger to her chin, feigning deep contemplation. “Tell you what,” she said at last, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “I’ll give you the key... in exchange for that towel.”

My jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Do I look like I’m kidding?” she countered, her grin never faltering.

I stared at her, bewildered, then glanced to either side of the hallway—still mercifully empty. “You can’t seriously expect me to—”

“Oh, I seriously do,” she interrupted, folding her arms across her chest. “Fair trade, don’t you think?”

“Piper—”

“Clock’s ticking, neighbor. Either hand it over, or you can spend the night out here. Your choice.”

I hesitated, my grip tightening on the towel. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to walk away, to find another solution. But the weight of the day’s endless humiliations combined with my utter exhaustion left me defeated.

“Fine,” I muttered through gritted teeth. My hands shook as I slowly peeled the towel from my waist, holding it out at arm’s length like some reluctant offering.

Piper snatched it with a triumphant flourish. “There, that wasn’t so hard, was it? Well something certainly is...”

I glared at her, one hand darting to cover myself instinctively.

“Ah, ah,” she chided, wagging a finger. “Hands aside. You should have taken the key at the same time as the towel, dummy.”

My face burned hotter than the sun as I lowered my hands, baring myself entirely to my neighbor. Piper’s gaze lingered, unabashed.

“Hmm,” she mused, stepping closer. “You’re... surprisingly composed for someone in your situation.”

Piper grabbed the key from her drawer, and began walking towards me. Her fingers trailed lightly across my chest and down my abs as she moved past me, sending a strange, shivering jolt through my body. I stood frozen, too mortified to even breathe as she finally reached my door.

With deliberate slowness, she unlocked it and pushed it open. “There. All set.”

I let out a whoosh of air I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Thank you,” I said stiffly, moving to step inside.

But Piper held up her hand, stopping me. “Not so fast.”

I froze, half-in, half-out of my apartment.

She twirled the spare key around her finger, her grin sharpening. “I think I’ll hold onto this,” she said lightly. “You know, just in case. A spare key should always stay with a neighbor you can trust, don’t you think?”

“Have a good night, Avery.” She winked and stepped back into her apartment, shutting the door with a soft click.

Defeated, humiliated, and entirely naked, I finally stepped into my apartment and slammed the door behind me.