Sue appeared at my door one evening. I wasn't in the best of moods, and I wasn't really listening to her as she stood on my doorstep in the shared entryway to my apartment. Something about her current boyfriend being in the car in the parking lot, blah blah blah.
"Give me your shoes," I said. She asked why, and I started to close the door.
"Wait, wait," she said, putting her hand out to stop me closing the door in her face. She unlaced her sneakers and handed them to me.
"Wait there," I said, closing the door. I took her shoes into the living room, and left them by the couch.
"Socks," I said, opening the door.
"What's this about?" she asked. And I started to close the door again.
"Wait," she said, holding the door again.
"Can I have my shoes back?"
"No," I said, and closed the door. I walked back to the living room and turned on the TV. There was a knock at the door. I opened it, and she stood there, barefoot, and handed me her socks. I took them and closed the door again. I went back to the living room, and put one sock in each shoe, then went back to the door.
"Shirt," I said, opening the door. She was wearing a coat, so she'd have to take that off to get her shirt off, but she wasn't moving.
"Can't I just come in?" she asked.
"Are you going to fight me on this every time?" I asked, and went to close the door.
"Fine," she said, looking around to see if anybody was watching, and took her coat off. She handed it to me, and I held it while she took her shirt off. She handed me the shirt, then took her coat from me and put it back on. I closed the door, and went and put her shirt by her shoes, on the couch. I started back to the front door, but changed my mind. I went back and picked her shirt up from where I'd tossed it, and folded it neatly.
I opened the door again. "Can I come in now?" she asked.
"No," I said.
"Can I have my clothes back?"
"No," I said. We stood and looked at each other.
"Bra," I said. She turned and looked at the front door of my neighbor Andy, across the hallway.
"No," she said.
"Good night," I said, closing the door on her. I went back to the TV, figuring she could walk barefoot back to her boyfriend in the parking lot and explain why she wasn't wearing a shirt. Or shoes.
She knocked on the door again. I opened it again. "Do we have to do this?" she asked.
"Yes," I said.
She looked at me for a few seconds, then did that magic thing women do where they take their bra off under something else, and handed me the bra. She pulled her coat tight around her, and did it up.
"Happy now?" she asked.
"Yes," I said, and closed the door on her.
I walked back to the living room, and put her bra on top of her shirt. I walked back to the door.
"Jeans," I said, opening the door again.
She had a defeated look, and said "I'm not going to be naked out here."
I just looked at her. She looked at Andy's door again, as if she'd be able to see him looking through his peep hole at her, then took her jeans off, wobbling as she went from foot to foot to get them off her legs. I took her jeans from her, and closed the door. I took them into the living room, folded them and put them on the couch, then put her shirt and bra on top of it. I went back to the door.
I opened the door, and she looked at me with pleading eyes.
"Panties," I said.
She looked at me again, waiting, hoping I'd break down and let her in. I didn't. She reached under her coat and took off her panties, handing them to me.
"Can I come in now?" she begged.
"No," I said, and closed the door. I went to the living room and put her panties with her bra, on top of her shirt.
I walked back to the door and opened it, still blocking the path into my hallway.
"Can I come in now?" she asked, holding the zipped up coat tight around to her.
"Undo your coat," I said.
She shook her head. "I don't want to be naked out here."