The Roommate (5 page)

The microwave beeped again.
 
I stepped back so he had room to open the door.
 
My doorbell rang.
 
Pizza guy.
 
I paid for the order.
 
The usual driver, so I tipped nice.

“You eat a lot for a little thing,” Patrick said.

“Thank you?”

“It’s not a bad thing. It works for you.”

“Was that a compliment?”

He carried his plate to the far end of the sofa.
 
“Tried to be.”

“I’m teasing, Ricky.”

“I knew that.”
 
Uh-huh.

The guy had grown up being made fun of, but obviously wasn’t used to the gentle ribbing from a friend—or flirtation from a woman.
 
I looked forward to seeing his true personality once he got used to me.
 
With the pizza box on my lap, I passed the remote to him.

“Find something to watch.”

“It’s your television.”

“Would I give up the remote if I didn’t want to share?”

“Fair point.”

What I didn’t anticipate?
 
Patrick cycling through every single listing.
 
Every description.

Good thing I had a medium pizza and parmesan bites to keep me busy.
 
Stuffed myself into a food coma and started drifting.
 
Sleeping in tomorrow would be good.

I woke with my feet on his lap.
 
“Sorry.”
 
Curled them under me.
 
What time was it?

“You stretch in your sleep.”
 
No Dominos boxes.
 
He’d cleaned up after me.

“The couch is yours.”
 
I stretched and padded to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

“Goodnight, Jess.”

Chapter Six

My stomach growling woke me to the scent of…pancakes?
 
Waffles?

“Good morning,” Patrick called from the stove.

“Pancakes?”

“Should be.
How many would you like?”

“You’re making breakfast?”

“I think we already established I like to cook, Jess.”

“Okay.”
 
I shuffled into the bathroom.
 
Long sentences wouldn’t make any sense until my brain was awake.
 
Did my business and splashed cold water on my face.

The tea kettle whistled.
 
That man was too perfect.

“Hungry?” he asked.

I nodded, sitting on a bar stool.
 
He poured hot water in a mug with a tea bag and passed it to me.
 
I pointed at the sugar bowl and got that, too.
 
Hot guy making breakfast in my kitchen…I could get used to this.
 
He slid two pancakes on a plate and retrieved a bottle of syrup.
 
Oh my God, he’d actually gotten real maple.
 
Who was he?

The plate landed in front of me.
 
He’d served me first.
 
We even had napkins.

“Do you do this every Saturday?”

“Pancakes?
No.
Cooking on weekends, yes.
Well, Mom makes breakfast when you live in her house, but…”

“You realize I might not let you move out if you keep feeding me.”

“And they say food is the way to a man’s heart.”
 
He poured a glass of orange juice for me, too.

“Should just say ‘human’.
And some aliens.”

“Aliens?”

“Theoretically.
If they could taste it, they’d like it. It is the culinary
arts
.”

“Good point.”
 
He walked around the counter with his plate.
 
“Here or the sofa?”

“Also have two chairs outside, if the weather’s nice. But it doesn’t matter to me.”

Patrick sat on my sofa.
 
I joined him.
 
It did have the most elbow room.
 
“You mentioned sites to find apartments?”

Sigh.
 
“Yeah.
Advertised on TV all the time.”
 
I held my hand out for his laptop.
 
He passed it to me and I typed the addresses into tabs in his browser.
 
“There you go.”

“Thanks.”
 
He typed in search criteria on the first one.
 
Guess he was eager to get away from me, after all.

I ate, breakfast no longer quite as yummy as it’d been a couple minutes ago.
 
His eyes were glued to the screen.
 
Men and their tunnel vision.

Gave him around five minutes before I asked, “See any potentials?”

“L.A. is very expensive.”

“Yep.”

“From what I see so far, it’ll take me a month to get first and last month’s rent and the security deposit.”

“Worse in
Ros
’ neighborhood.”

His eyes widened.
 
“That’s a mortgage on a large house in Colorado.”

“I know.”

His jaw tightened.
 
“I’ll have to ask my parents for a loan.”

“Or…”
 
Crazy idea incoming.
 
“You could stay.”

“No.”

“Hear me out—”

“Jess, there isn’t enough space.”

“That’s why I was going to suggest a two-bedroom.”

“What?
Where?”

“There’s a unit open here.”

“You’d give up your apartment?”

“I’m married to the building, not the unit. We could split the rent.”

“Jess, I—”

“I know it’s not what you had in mind, but from what I’ve seen so far, you’re a pretty easy roommate to have, and we’d both save money splitting the cost.”

He sighed.
 
“I’ll look at it. Make no promises beyond that.”

“That’s fair.”

“I don’t understand why you’d do this.”

“Maybe it’s nice having you around. Maybe I want to help you out ‘
cause
I’m cool like that. Maybe I want more home-cooked meals.”

“So there is an agenda.”

“You caught me. I’m using you for your kitchen skills.”

He shook his head, but there was a small smile on his lips.
 
“I can’t seem to win an argument with you.”

“I’m usually right. It’s a thing.”

A light shove to my shoulder.
 
I blew a raspberry at him.
 
He tried hard to not grin.

“Scrolling through this list, the cheapest buildings are a long commute from my work.”

“Some people drive two hours one way here just to be able to own a home in the ‘burbs.”

“That’s insane.”

“Maybe.
We all have to make the compromises we can be happy with.”

“True.”

“Hey. I know this venture hasn’t gone like you expected, but you don’t regret coming out here, do you?”

He met my eyes.
 
“No.”

“Good. Eat. Cold pancakes are gross.”

He took a bite.
 
“You’re right.”
 
Carried the plate to the microwave.

Once I finished, I dressed with the intention of stopping by the manager’s office.
 
That two-bedroom wouldn’t stay available for long and the sign went up yesterday.

“Where are you going?” Patrick asked.

“The manager’s office.”

“You don’t waste time.”

“L.A. is a fast lifestyle, Ricky.”
 
I winked.

He washed his hands and followed me out.
 
“Will they mind the two of us asking for this unit?”

“Why would he?”

“A man and a woman that aren’t married?”

“It’s cute you think so.”
 
We reached the elevator.
 
“It’s 2016. We could be plaid unicorns as long as our references are good. Don’t worry.”

“Easy for you to say,” he grumbled.

I was right, of course.
 
The manager had always liked me.
 
I’d never missed a payment in three years, or been late, so he could already count on my reputation.
 
He also batted for the other team, though it wasn’t obvious, so Patrick was the perfect eye candy to seal the deal.

Brent was all too happy to give us the tour right away.

The two-bed was on the top floor.
 
Paint the same stock color as my apartment.
 
Same wood floors.
 
Kitchen about the same size, but the living room was bigger.
 
Same balcony.
 
The bedrooms with en-suite baths was the main difference.
 
Equal size, I think, and a little smaller than my room downstairs, but there was a walk-in closet instead of the type with sliding doors.

The price was less than twice my rent, so I was right about saving money, too.

“Well?” Brent asked Patrick.
 

He’d been stoic this whole trip.
 
“What are the building amenities?”

Brent happily listed all the perks I already knew and Patrick had become familiar with.

“Have you shown this unit to anyone else, yet?”

“Three appointments tomorrow.”

“I don’t know, Jess, the rent seems a bit high considering you’re already a tenant.
 
We can—”

“I can waive the first and last deposit since Jessica has been a model resident.”

“And a free month,” Patrick said.
 
Still stoic.

Brent glanced at me.
 
I didn’t blink.

“Done!
Do you want to fill out the paperwork now?”

“I have something to add. Since the month just started and rent is normally due on the 5
^th
, I’d rather not pay for my unit when I’m about to move.”

“Good point. She shouldn’t have to pay for days she’s not living in the apartment.”

“You two are a formidable team! Let’s go write this up before I come to my senses,” Brent said.

We left first so he could lock the door, and exchanged a smile.
 
Honestly, I didn’t think Patrick would decide so soon.
 
He kept surprising me.
 
Brent led us back to the office.
 
He gave Patrick the standard credit check form to fill out,
then
started typing on his computer.

“I’ll put the terms in writing so everyone’s happy. Will one week be enough time to move, Jessica?”

“Depends what day you give me the keys.”

“The unit has already been prepared for a new tenant, so I can do that today once the paperwork goes through.”

“Then yes. A week is fine.”
 
Only had to cart my stuff over, after all.
 
Patrick didn’t have furniture.

“Great. Okay, I need a security deposit, and for you both to sign and initial this contract. First rent is due on the 5
^th
of next month.
 
You may pay with two equal checks or one for the whole bill. As I said before, water, gas, and trash are included. Electricity is on you. Clear?”
 
He printed a sheet of paper.
 
“This is the terms we agreed upon.
If you can both sign at the bottom, please.”

We did.
 
Patrick filled out his application while I went through the contract, then I passed it to him.
 
We were really going to be roommates.

It wasn’t crazy, right?
 
It made sense for the situation.
 
He needed help.
 
I was compelled to give it, and I’d found a solution that still preserved his pride.
 
He’d no longer be a freeloader.

Finished, we shook hands with Brent.
 
He said to come back by five o’clock to pick up the keys.

“Having second thoughts?” Patrick asked when we were alone.

“No.
You?”

“I’m a bit overwhelmed.”

I chuckled.
 
“Understandable.”

“I only hope you don’t regret this a month from now.”

“Will you?”

“Beggars can’t be choosers.”

“Patrick, you’re just getting established. Stop acting like you’re this massive burden.”

“As you wish.”
 
Baby steps.

“Now, I need to pick up some boxes.”

“How much is yours?”

“Living room and bedroom furniture and the fridge.”

“A moving company would be wise for the heavy items.”

“You think?”

“Well, we don’t have the equipment to wheel your refrigerator up a floor.”

“Yeah.
Or the sofa.”

A running list of things to do
started
building in my head.
 
Have to call the cable company, and power company.
 
Change my address on the important stuff.
 
Hire a mover.
 
Clean the apartment once everything is out of it.
 
I let us back into my place.

“Should we celebrate?”

“It’s not a done deal,” he replied.

“Anything on your record that would scare them?”

“Of course not.”

“Then
relax
. You do know how to do that, don’t you?”

“You’re hilarious,” he deadpanned.
 
“You should hire a moving company today since we’re short on time. It might not be easy to find one with open dates.”

A practicality-loving buzzkill.
 
“Worry about your own stuff, mister. You have no furniture at all.”

He shook his head.
 
“I do. It’s just in Colorado.”

“Then you better figure out how to get it here, unless you want to keep sleeping on my sofa. Personally…”
 
I sat on said sofa.
 
“I’m parking my butt until it’s time to return to the office. This week will be crazy and this is probably the last moment of relaxation I’ll get until this move is done.”
 
Kicked off my shoes.

Patrick went out on the balcony with his phone.

Ros
was probably going to freak when she got the news.
 
What would he tell his parents?
 
They were more traditional than mine, so he might omit the fact that his new roomie was a girl.

It wouldn’t sink in until I had the keys.
 
Or stood in the new apartment.
 
Or said goodnight to him at the entrances of our new rooms.
 
Didn’t know what that moment would be, but I was taking the bedroom with the window.
 
Kinda my right to call dibs, after all.

I was less
nervous/excited
when I signed for my first apartment.
 
Living with Patrick…ask
me Monday and the idea would’ve been absurd.
 
Sharing a place with not just any guy, but my best friend’s little brother that I had a crush on.
 
Crazy.
 
But none of my choices regarding him since picking him up at the airport had felt wrong.

Brent called an hour later and said the keys were ours.

“I’m going to let you keep the mail key for your current unit until there’s a new tenant, Jess.”

“That’s helpful. We all know how jumbled it can be during the transition.”

We signed a clipboard, indicating we’d each received a door key and mail key for the new unit, plus one spare.

“Congratulations, kids. Now go celebrate.”