I open my eyes on Friday the 16^th thinking it is going to be the best day of my life. Outside, the sun is shining brightly and I just know I’m going to kill it at the big presentation I’ll be making later. It is the most important and biggest milestone of my career, but I am so prepared and ready my body feels like it is vibrating. I spring out of bed so fast I startle Draco, who gives a little yelp of surprise.

On my way to the kitchen, the doorbell rings.

There is a big smile on my face as I open the door to the postman. “Good morning, Tom,” I greet brightly.

“I see someone’s in a good mood this morning,” he remarks handing me a package.

It’s not for me, it’s for my roomie, Danny. While I’m signing for it, Draco makes a mad dash out of the door.

“Come back here,” I yell.

Of course, he doesn’t come back. Ducking through a hole in the hedge fence, he runs up towards my super sexy, emerald-eyed, completely lickable neighbor’s front door. Calmly, he does his morning business on his brown welcome mat.

No, Draco, no!

Normally, such behavior from Draco would have annoyed me, but not this morning. This morning, I’m on fire. The poo is a dry, well-formed thing so cleaning it up should be fairly easy. No one needs know, especially not my hot neighbor.

The man moved in two weeks ago and I guess, I have a bit of crush on him. Who wouldn’t? The man looks like he stepped out of an Abercrombie and Fitch life size poster. He’s the first man I can imagine pouring cream on his abs and licking it all off.

I rush off to the kitchen, get some cleaning supplies, and hurry out again, only to see Mr. Abercrombie open his front door and step right into Draco’s shit. All my fantasies of putting on a coat of raspberry lipstick and my long black dress before knocking on his door to borrow a cup of sugar evaporate into nothing right before my eyes.

His gaze moves from the mess under his shoe and starts travelling upwards. Slowly. From my fluffy bear slippers, up my stripy pajamas, to my hands clutching paper towels and cleaning liquid, higher up to my chest, then the tips of my sleep-tangled hair, then on to my neck and unmade face. He stops at my frankly horrified eyes.

For a second— neither of us moves.

We just stare at each other. God, the guy has a really sensuous mouth. And that lantern jaw. You could start a war with it.

“Hi,” I whisper. Surprisingly, my voice comes out sounding all hoarse and sexy. This might work out after all. Draco’s talent might have been matchmaker all along. In fact, this could be the beginning of a totally awesome romance.

But he doesn’t return the greeting, he exhales emitting a short, disbelieving sound. There is a flicker of something in his eyes. Looks a bit like annoyance or irritation.

I blink and wake up from my ridiculous fantasy. What the hell are you doing staring at him like a love-struck teenager? Without thinking, I rush forward suddenly and crouching in front of him, start cleaning his shoe with the kitchen towel while apologizing frantically. I can hear myself…I sound like a demented pigeon, but I can’t stop.

“Leave it. It’s fine,” he says.

But he has one of those panty-melting voices that confuses me and makes me grab onto the hard muscles of his calves as I double down on my task of getting rid of the poo. Somehow, I manage to lift his shoe off the ground and finish the task. “There you go. All done,” I say lifting my head. I am now eye level with his crotch. Holy Moly! It looks like he’s packing a seriously big lunch box in there.

At this point, my neighbor abruptly steps away from me.

Hot blood floods into my face as I stand up. I can’t believe I was staring at his crotch. I can’t even look him in the eye. What an idiot I am.

“Well, thank you for that,” he says suavely.

“Don’t worry I’ll—I’ll get the mat cleaned o-off,” I stutter.

“No need. I’ll get another one.”

I shake my head. “No, no, I absolutely insist.”

He frowns, then nods his utterly gorgeous head, and walks off.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” I curse myself, as his olive-green Maserati roars off, and I pick his mat up by the edge. What is the matter with me? Why on earth did I not just say that I would replace the mat?

It takes ages for me to hose down the damn thing. And the smell! Draco can make glass melt with some of his messes and this one is no exception. It puts me right off breakfast. Funny though, how I didn’t even notice it while I was crouched in front of that man’s lovely thighs.

I put it all behind me while I’m in the shower. I need to focus on looking my best. I get into the clothes I have already laid out last night and carefully do my face and hair. Slipping into my lucky shoes, I take a deep breath and go to stand in front of the full-length mirror in the hallway. Yes, I look the part. My shoulders are straight, and I’m fully determined to put the morning’s incident, well, all right—humiliating fiasco, behind me and take on the world.

“Wish me luck, Draco,” I whisper in his ear.

He tries to turn his head and slobber all over my face, but I’m too quick for him.

“Nah, you’ve done enough damage this morning, don’t you think?”

He makes a disapproving noise as I close the front door. I slide behind the wheel of my car, turn on the ignition, and the damn thing won’t start. But it worked fine last night.

Calm down, Lauren. Calm down. You still have plenty of time.