Love Thy Roommate

by H. S. Volfson

  “He’s not a serial killer,” Janine laughed. “He’s a pediatrician.”

  “Well, maybe you and Dr. Carl can come visit during Winter Break or something – or maybe I could come down during Spring Break and bring the whole crew, make a road trip out of it,” he thought out loud.

  “That would be nice – Leah and Marley have been asking about you.”

  “I just talked to them last weekend. Marley said she loves first grade.”

  “She should – she’s a brainy little thing, that kid. I don’t know where she gets it from; Leah can barely keep up.”

  “I’m telling Leah you said she’s dumb.”

  “Yeah, you do that – she’s sitting right next to me in the car.”

  “Well, tell her hi, and I’m gonna go – I promised Miriam I’d take her to Goodwill and I’m still not back from the gym yet.”

  “Alright, give all your roommates my best – and I look forward to meeting Miriam if you all come down in the spring. She sounds like a nice girl, especially if she puts up with all of you.”

  “Goodbye, Mom.”

  ***

   

  Thanksgiving at Miriam’s parents’ house was a major event. Not only were Miriam, Libby, and the three guys present, along with her parents, but her aunt, uncle, and cousin had driven over from nearby McKinney. The ten of them gathered around the large mahogany table in the beautifully decorated dining room. Jake marveled at all of the food – in addition to the turkey, there was also a brisket, along with a green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, a hash brown casserole, stuffing, crescent rolls, a fresh green salad, and something called kugel that he’d never seen before. Miriam had helped her mom and aunt set up a dessert buffet in the kitchen consisting of apple pie, pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, snickerdoodle bars, fudge brownies, and a cheesecake drizzled with hot fudge. “Wow, Mrs. Silver, you really go all out,” he complimented Miriam’s mother. “This all looks amazing.”

   

  “Thank you, Jake, but I had a lot of help,” she reminded him. It was true – the group had arrived early that morning so that Miriam and Libby could help prepare the meal while the guys watched movies with Miriam’s dad, her uncle, and Sarah, who’d given him a big hug when he’d walked in. “And please, dear, call me Barb – Mrs. Silver was my mother-in-law.”

   

  “I just call you ‘Ma,’“ Fink announced. “As in, ‘Ma, when can we eat?’“ Libby smacked him. “What? I’m hungry and this food smells delicious.”

  “Go ahead and dig in, everyone,” Barb urged, and they did. The food tasted as good as it looked and smelled – Damian pounded down four helpings of turkey and stuffing in under fifteen minutes.

  “Aunt Barb, have you started shopping for a dress yet for the holiday party?” Libby asked, wiping her mouth delicately with a napkin. “I just met an up-and-coming designer who had the most beautiful evening gowns in her debut collection – I could give you her card.”

  “Well, definitely give me her card, but Warren and I won’t be attending the party this year,” Barb replied. “We’re taking a cruise out of Europe – five different destinations in two weeks! We’re leaving on the twenty-third and we’ll be back after New Year’s.”

  “What?” Miriam was surprised. “This is the first I’ve heard about this.”

  “We only just decided a couple of weeks ago, honey, and we wanted to finalize our flight plans before we said anything,” Warren explained. “We’ve both worked very hard this year – me at the firm, your mother with her volunteering, and both of us have done so much for the temple – we couldn’t wait until the spring to take a vacation; we’re just too burnt out.”

  “Oh,” Miriam replied, sipping her Chardonnay. “Well, then, I’m happy for you guys and I hope you’ll have a good time. Can you email me your trip itinerary so I’ll know where you’ll be?”

  “Of course, sweetheart. And I’ll be checking my email at least a couple of times each day – Brian will be in charge of things at the firm while I’m gone, and he’s supposed to update me regularly,” her father promised.

  “Brian – as in Gabe’s dad?” Miriam asked, and Jake stiffened next to her at the mention of the man who had broken his best friend’s heart in such a short space of time. “Do you – do you know if their family will be at the party this year?”

  “Alison told me the other day when we were volunteering together at St. Jude’s that they received an invitation, but she didn’t indicate whether or not Gabe would be coming with them,” Barb answered for her husband. “There will be a lot of people there, sweetie – you probably won’t even run into him.”

  “Yeah.” Miriam’s eyes were downcast. “You’re probably right. No big deal.” Jake reached for her hand under the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Her mouth lifted up at the corners slightly as she squeezed back. The exchange went unnoticed by everyone at the table – with the exception of Miriam’s dad.

  ***

  Over dessert, Warren turned his attention to Jake, who was attacking the slice of sweet potato pie on his plate with unbridled fervor. They were the last two at the table; Damian and Fink had graciously offered to wash the dishes under Miriam’s uncle’s supervision while the women and Sarah had retired to the living room to relax with more wine. Jake and Warren had stayed behind to finish their coffee and sneak some more pie.

  “So, Jake,” Warren began, “it’s come to my attention that you’ve been in school for quite a few years now.”

  Jake looked up, his fork paused in mid-air. “Yes, sir – this is actually my seventh year. I’ve been going part-time for the last several years so that I can work full-time to pay for school myself instead of putting myself in unnecessary debt.” He cleared his throat, shifting his gaze. “I learned a long time ago that the pressure of various debts led my dad to run away and leave my family behind; I decided to learn from his mistakes, so I pay cash for everything – school, my car, my other bills. I might have to work a little harder than the others, but at least I can call myself a free man, you know?”

  “That’s very admirable, son,” Warren smiled warmly at him. “I put myself through school, too – when all was said and done, it took me more than a decade from my first undergrad class to my first day as a practicing attorney. I wouldn’t trade that sort of life experience for the world.” He cleared his throat. “I brought it up because I was curious about your post-graduate plans. Your degree – it’ll be in English, right?”

  “Yes, sir. I’m actually on track to graduate in May with my bachelor’s, but I’m a little lost – I’ve spent a lot of time on this goal to finish my degree, but to be honest...” Jake sighed. “I’m not sure what I want to do once I achieve it.”

  “You’re not the first to experience that feeling,” Warren assured him. “My brother-in-law, Aaron – the man in the kitchen making sure none of our fine china gets broken – owns a very successful publishing company in Addison, Hardt Publications. I’m sure he’d be happy to set you up with an internship for the summer if you’re interested – it’d be paid, certainly, and it would almost definitely lead to something full-time in the fall.”

  “Wow.” Jake shook his head. “I hadn’t really thought much about publishing, but that might be something for me to look into. I really appreciate the help and advice, Mr. Silver.”

  “Warren, please,” Miriam’s father corrected him good-naturedly, dismissing the formalities. “And it’s the least I can do for you – you’re an excellent friend to my little girl. I know how you take care of her, not letting her walk alone in the dark like she used to do all the time before she moved in with you boys, making sure she eats when she’s upset, coming with her to take Sarah trick-or-treating,” Warren smiled. “I know I can rest easy when she’s with you. It reminds me a little of when Barb and I first became friends in college – and a few years later, we were married with our little girl on the way.”

  “Um,” Jake shifted uncomfortably. “I just do what any friend would do
, sir. Damian, Fink, and Libby would all do the same.”

  “I’m sure they would,” Warren nodded amusedly; he took note of Jake’s discomfort and nervousness at the implication that there was something between himself and Miriam. “Well, let’s see how those gentlemen are doing with the dishes, shall we? I suppose we’ve lingered over dessert long enough.”

  ***

  Two weeks before Christmas, just a few days into Winter Break, Miriam received a very interesting phone call.

  “Devorah, I’m flattered!” she gasped into the phone, pouring a glass of orange juice and setting it on the kitchen counter in front of her. “Of course, I’ll do it – I won’t let you down. Do you have any specific requests? I can start looking for music now...oh, of course. I’ll keep an eye out for your email. Don’t worry; the party will be great, I promise. Thank you for thinking of me!” She paused, making a silly face at Jake, who’d come into the kitchen for snacks and was now rifling through the pantry noisily. He emerged with a bag of chips as Miriam said cheerfully, “Okay, bye!” and hung up the phone.

  “Was that my mom?” Fink asked as she and Jake made their way back into the living room to join him, Damian, and Libby in front of the TV. They were having a ‘chill-out’ day since none of them had to work (it was a Saturday) and all any of them felt like doing was relax; it had been a busy semester, and they were grateful for the month off from classes.

  “It was,” Miriam answered, sitting in the chair closest to the door. Jake settled down on the couch beside Fink and Libby, leaving Damian in the other chair. “The band she hired for the holiday party had to cancel, and she wants me to be the replacement entertainment.”

  “Wow!” Fink exclaimed, sitting up straight. “That’s great, Miriam!”

  “I’m kind of nervous, though,” she admitted, sipping her juice. “I don’t want to disappoint anyone, you know?”

  “There’s no chance of that,” Damian argued.

  “He’s right,” Jake added. “You’re a great singer. Everyone will love you.”

  “Thanks, you guys. I have to get in touch with some of the other musicians in my classes, though – she mentioned at least two songs that are typically duets and I’d need a guy for those.” She frowned. “Most of them have already gone home for the holidays, so I’m not really sure what to do. The ones that live nearby are probably spending Christmas with their families.”

  “Jake can do it,” Fink suggested. Jake choked on a chip.

  Miriam laughed. “What? Jake doesn’t sing!” She looked to Damian for confirmation, who said nothing. She turned to Jake, her eyes wide. “You don’t sing, Jake.”

  He shrugged nervously under her gaze. “I sing a little.”

  Miriam stared at him blankly. “What.”

  “I kind of...used to be a music major,” Jake admitted, rubbing the back of his neck like he always did when he was uncomfortable. “Vocal studies. English was my minor back then.”

  “How have we been friends and roommates for a year and a half, and I don’t know this about you?” Miriam asked incredulously. “I know your middle name. I know your mom’s middle name! I–” She stopped abruptly, too shocked at this news to continue.

  “I don’t really like to discuss it,” he said uneasily. “It was a long time ago, and a lot’s changed since then.”

  “I’ll be happy to fill in the blanks,” Fink piped up, mimicking a movie narrator’s voice. “Jake had aspirations of becoming a singer-songwriter – his songs were pretty good, actually, for that indie and alt-rock crap you two love so much – and he played guitar and lead vocals for a local band during our first couple of years here. But after he and Callie started dating, almost three years ago, he became ‘disillusioned, ‘ decided music wasn’t his ‘thing’ anymore, changed his major to English since he already had a good number of credits in it from his minor, and became the Grumpy Gus we know today.”

  “That about covers it,” Damian nodded, “although he was kind of grumpy to begin with. But he was a grumpy rock star, so it was cool then.”

  “Jake Perry in a band,” Libby mused, curling up on the couch and snuggling closer to Fink. “Sounds hot. I’d pay to see that.”

  “My mind is blown,” Miriam shook her head.

  “Oh, a lot of people paid to see him play – that’s how he paid the bills since he was only working part-time. But when he lost his groove, Charlie promoted him, and now he pays the bills a lot less creatively,” Damian informed the girls. “The Rambos were really popular back then, but when he left, they sort of dwindled for a few years and broke up.”

  “You were the front man for The Rambos?” Libby was shocked. “I remember when we went to see you guys play at Hailey’s when Miriam and I were freshmen! Miriam, don’t you remember telling me how hot you thought the lead singer was?”

  “Mind. Blown,” Miriam repeated, dazed, not having heard Libby. Damian and Fink exchanged smirks at Libby’s outburst as she turned to Jake. “Would you be willing to come out of retirement for one night? Please?” The Bambi eyes were out in full force.

  Jake groaned. “I’d really rather not. I didn’t like being on stage then, and I still don’t like it now.”

  “Oh, whatever,” Fink snorted. “You were fine being onstage until you started dating Callie, and she constantly bitched about girls flirting with you after shows and you not paying her enough attention because you were too busy ‘trying to be Bon Jovi’ to be a good boyfriend – which is ridiculous, because you weren’t remotely close to Bon Jovi’s status and you didn’t play anything that sounded like him. And I seem to remember her telling you that you looked silly up there and you should focus more on school. So you quit the band and changed your major to something academic, and she left you anyway – you gave up your dream for a cold-hearted, conniving–”

  “Yes, we get it.” Jake glared at Fink.

  “Do it for my dad, bro,” Fink suggested, ignoring him. “He’d be so impressed.”

  Jake sighed in defeat. “Okay, fine. Miriam, let’s do this.”

  Miriam jumped up from her chair and hugged Jake tightly. “Thank you so much! You’re the best! We’ll make a great team, I know it.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Jake rolled his eyes. “Let’s just try not to screw this up.”

  ***

  Jake tugged at the lapels of the tuxedo that Fink had rented for him – he couldn’t believe he was wearing a cranberry red tie and matching vest under this thing. “I look ridiculous,” he muttered.

  “No, you look handsome,” Miriam assured him, tapping her mic to make sure it was in working order. In a long, sparkly red ball gown and matching heels, she looked like royalty. “Dashing, even. Debonair.”

  “You never say I look ‘hot’ – it’s always ‘handsome.’ My mother calls me handsome, you know,” he complained. “Ugh, I feel so silly in this penguin suit.”

  Miriam rolled her eyes. “Jake,” she said, tugging on his lapels to drag him closer, so their faces were close together, her lips barely inches from hers. He gulped. “You look so hot. I’m quivering in my heels because of how incredibly sexy you look. See?” She gestured to her ankles. He glanced down and she patted his chest. “Made you look,” she whispered cheekily.

  “Funny,” he mumbled, his face hot, as he fought to control his physical reaction.

  “Besides, everyone here is dressed to the nines,” she pointed out, scanning the room. “You fit in nicely with the crowd. Actually, I think Fink’s dad is wearing the same tux you are.”

  “Really?” Jake brightened as he spotted Ben Finkelstein chatting with a few other men in suits and tuxedos. “He looks like James Bond.”

  “Well, then, so do you,” Miriam shrugged. “But we’ll pretend that James Bond moonlights as singer for holiday parties, okay?” He could tell she was nervous. “Let’s go over the plan again – we’re doing three songs in a row, then taking twenty minutes or so off to rest our voices, then another three songs and another twenty-minute break...we’ll keep goi
ng like until we run out of songs – or breath. Are you ready?” She felt anxious all of a sudden. “I’m starting with ‘Winter Wonderland’ and ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,’ so I just need you for ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’ and then we’ll take a break–”

  “I know, you made an ordered list, remember?” he reminded her. “We put all the tracks Fink’s mom emailed us in order on the CD, and I gave it to the DJ earlier. It’ll be fine.”

  “I guess I’m just a little bit nervous,” she admitted, twirling a curly lock of hair around one finger.

  “You’ll be great,” Jake promised, squeezing her hand. “And I’ll be right here next to the stage until you need me.” He jumped down from the makeshift stage and grinned up at her as the DJ changed the music from the instrumental brilliance of Mannheim Steamroller to the opening sounds of ‘Winter Wonderland’ and its jazzy introduction. People started to gather closer to the stage, Jake gave Miriam a grin and a thumbs-up, and Miriam began to sing.

  He loved to hear Miriam sing. He was reminded of that first open mic night the year before, when she’d given him chills at the piano. Now here she was, over a year later, in that fancy ball gown, reminding him for all the world of Ella Fitzgerald or Etta James as she sang her heart out. When it was time for their first duet of the night, he hopped onstage, grabbed his mic from the stand, and sang with her just like they’d rehearsed. Rather than feeling self-conscious, he felt confident singing next to his best friend as the party-goers danced and swayed along to the music.