Page 180 of My Ruthless Neighbor

Archer: I forgot to mention that I bought dog food earlier when I was driving Goldie home. I left it by the foyer table.

Hugging the phone to my chest, I fall back on the bed, giggling.

I twist to the side and find Goldie regarding me with a tilted head. Sitting up, I clear my throat.

I brush the hair from my face and tuck it behind my ears. “Pretend you did not see that.”

He literally squints his eyes at me. I’m not even exaggerating. I gape at him. “Mommy is happy, okay? Don’t burst my bubble just yet.”

When he still sends judgy looks my way, I say, “You hungry, baby boy?”

The change in him is instant. His enthusiastic bark makes me laugh.

After we finish eating, I gather my hair and secure it in a messy bun on top of my head. “Time to clean up,” I announce, locking eyes with Goldie.

I start with Archer’s bedroom, sweeping off any hair Goldie shed on the sheets, then make his bed. After that, I clean the table I ate at and at last wash the dishes.

“Phew.” I wipe my forehead. “Mission successful.”

Scanning the surroundings, I notice something is missing.

“Goldie!” I run toward the door and release a long breath when I see the door is locked.

I call out his name two more times before he waltzes out of a hallway. I gasp out loud when I see what he’s carrying in his mouth.

“Goldie!” I dash toward him and sink to my knees, color draining from my face. “Where did you get that?” I scold him as I try to remove Archer’s leather shoe from his mouth.

“Don’t tell me you were in his walk-in closet!” I yell and tug but he doesn’t budge.

“Bad boy, Goldie! Give it to me!” I try to ease my grip because first, I don’t want to harm my baby’s teeth, and second, I don’t want to ruin Archer’s shoe.

A light bulb goes off in my head. “Goldie, let’s go out!” I cry out and he releases the shoe, making me collapse on my back.

He jumps over me and takes off toward the door, while I lie panting on Archer’s living room floor. “N-no treat for you for a month,” I say between breaths.

I swallow, licking my lips. Just when my heartbeats return to normal, the doorbell rings. My eyes widen.

It can’t be Archer as he’s probably at work. And even if he did change his plan and decided to come here, he sure as hell wouldn’t ring the bell.

I scramble off the ground unceremoniously and dart to the door.

Archer will be furious if I answered the door without checking who’s on the other side. He is awfully strict about my safety. He has lectured me countless times about the same.

“It’s non-negotiable for me.” He had said one night when I answered the door in seconds after hearing him knock. I remember the burn on my behind from his palm after I argued with him about it. He had spanked me until I agreed to be careful.

I peer through the peephole and find a woman with salt and pepper hair. She is facing away from the door so I can’t see her face.

Quickly wiping the perspiration off my face, I open the door. “Hello!”

She gives a start and whirls around. We both stare at each other with shock.

“This is Archer’s apartment, no?” She asks in a soft accented voice.

“It is.” I finally speak, flustered. Scratching my hair, I speak, “I’m Summer, his neighbor.” I don’t know what else to say. Then, “And you are?” I ask even though I know the answer.

“I’m Archer’s mother.”

???

---