by S D Hegyes
“Shall we?” She jerked a thumb toward the stairs.
“After you.” He followed her up and waited as she unlocked her door before stepping inside.
“Come on in and have a seat. Would you like a drink?” She locked the door behind them.
“I’m good. Thanks.”
At his raised brow, she explained, “First interview didn’t go well. Guy came up looking for a fight and then wouldn’t leave. I doubt he’ll be back, but it’s better safe than sorry.”
Why did I tell him the truth?
She’d lied to everyone else when they asked and claimed it was a habit from living alone for so long. The truth was she only ever locked the door when she left home or at night before she slept.
“Ah.”
“That’s all?” His lack of response surprised her.
His eyebrow arched again. “Should there be more?”
She shrugged. “You took that easy.”
“I work at a prison. No much surprises me anymore, and—” He gave her a roguish grin. “—you’ll find I don’t scare that easy. Nor am I easy to beat in a fight.”
His words invited her to give him another once-over. He certainly didn’t look like a pushover, even if he did have a lighter build than most men who claimed the same.
“Understood. Not to self: don’t take you on in a spar.”
He grinned. “You spar?”a
She settled in the chair across from him and patted her left leg. “I’m always up for a good match. Even if my leg isn’t.”
He laughed and leaned forward, bracing one arm against the table. “Oh, you just got a lot more interesting. So, what do you want to know about me?”
She grinned. “Since you already mentioned it, tell me about working at the prison.”
Larz shrugged, settling back in his chair again, but he didn’t lose the teasing grin on his face. “Been working for various prison systems for over ten years now. My family and I move a lot—we’re really close and have always stuck together when we move—and the prison was the easiest job to get that transferred from state-to-state with few issues.”
“And what do you do?”
“Security guard. Third shift. Probably one of my best qualities honestly. Your ad mentioned you needed privacy. What’s more private than a roommate who’ll spend most of his daytime hours asleep and his nighttime hours at work?”
She tapped her finger against her bottom lip. “Good point. And why do you want to move here? You mentioned you were close to your family?”
He leaned forward, eyes sparkling with mirth. “Would you want to live with your brothers and sisters when you were an adult?”
“I don’t have any siblings, so I wouldn’t know. I guess not though.”
“None?”
She shook her head. Was that really so surprising? Maybe to someone who had brothers and sisters.
“I can’t imagine. I have multiple—well, they aren’t my brothers and sisters, but rather, my cousins.” He closed his eyes and let out an exhausted sigh. “I’ve always lived with them though, and I thought it might be time for a change. When I saw your ad, I jumped at the opportunity.” He grinned.
“I’d wondered about that.” She stood and filled a glass with water, taking a large drink before she returned to her seat. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done so much talking in a single day, and she could feel a scratchiness in her throat.
When she sat again, she studied the young man. He did the same to her, his eyes glinting with mirth, but his body relaxed.
How were they so comfortable around each other already? It was as if they’d known each other for years. Even the silence between them felt like the comfortable quiet of friends who didn’t feel like bullshitting a conversation when neither had anything to say.
“If it makes you feel better,” he said, “I can pay for the first three months.”
He hadn’t struck her as someone with that much money. She took in his appearance, all the piercings in his lip, brow and ears. He said he took them out for work. She preferred him with them in, she decided. She wondered if he had a tongue piercing. She hadn’t seen evidence of it when he spoke, but that didn’t mean anything.
Wasn’t it usually girls who got tongue piercings anyway?
“I. . .” She shook her head, trying to break her train of thought before she said something she didn’t want to. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
She continued through the list of questions she’d asked every other candidate. Most of it was information she already knew from the background checks, but it was always interesting to see whether people lied about their past or if they’d tell the truth.
After she was satisfied he wouldn’t lie to her about anything, she studied him, trying to remember what he’d looked like without his piercings. “Are you sure we haven’t met before? I mean before the whole Barefoot Contessa thing?”
He frowned. “Not that I can recall. Why do you ask?”
She wished she had the ability to tell when someone was lying, like her mother did. It would have made this so much easier. “It’s crazy,” she said, shaking her head, “but I get this feeling we’ve met before. Add in that we’re acting like old friends catching up. . . It feels weird.”
Larz grinned, cocking his head to the side. “Maybe I just have one of those faces?”
“Maybe.” She didn’t buy it though.
“Besides, aren’t you supposed to be comfortable with your roommates?”
“I guess. I don’t know. This is all new to me.”
“What about when you were active duty? What branch were you? Army?”
She nodded. “I trusted the men and women I worked with to keep me alive, and they trusted me to do the same.” She rubbed at her leg unconsciously, only noticing when his gaze followed her movement. “I get your point though.”
“You can trust me, Sorsha.” He braced both arms against the table and met her gaze. She felt those words reach down into her soul and capture her, and even without her mother’s gift, she knew they were true.
“Why do I get the feeling there’s a double meaning behind your words?”
He held up one hand, palm flat. “Scout’s honor.”
She chuckled. “Pretty certain that’s not how it works.” She stood, decision made. “Would you like a tour?”
He glanced around, and she got the feeling he was wondering how much of a tour it would be. “Let me guess,” he said, pointing to the kitchen. “That’s the bathroom.”
A sense of humor. Good. “I don’t think so.”
“No? Dang. Must be the kitchen then. I always get those two confused. I don’t know why.” He winked at her.
“How about I show you your room?”
“My room?” His brow arched again, and she noted how his piercing moved with it. Not that she’d expected any less. She didn’t know what she expected anymore.
“It’s yours if you want it.”
Maybe she wasn’t being as thorough as she should for an interview, but as she’d already told him, she hadn’t ever done this before and was making it all up as she went along. She felt comfortable around Larz, more-so than she had around any of the other interviewees. She knew the man was familiar, and she got the feeling he wasn’t being completely honest with her when he said they hadn’t met before.
She wanted to know him, wanted to know why he felt like an old friend. And, if she were completely honest with herself, she wanted to wrap herself in his arms and find out what kind of sounds he’d make when she tugged on his lip piercing. Irene would have been proud of her train of thought—at least in that direction.
“Alright,” he said, standing. “Show me where you plan to murder me in my sleep.”
She laughed and opened the door to the second bedroom, pushing it open and standing back to allow him to enter first. “No one’s lived here since I’ve moved in.” She’d removed the tubs of decorations from the room and buried them in the back of her closet. She didn’t decorate m
uch anyway.
The room was as simple as hers. A bed, a dresser, a closet. Another door on the far side of the room led to a bathroom with a sink, toilet and stand-up shower.
“Now I remember why I took the other room,” Sorsha said, laughing.
“Oh?”
“My bathroom has a tub. Hope you don’t like baths because I’m not sharing.” Even as she said the words, she regretted them.
A new glimmer of light entered his gaze, heating his expression. “You don’t share?”
“Not my tub.” That hadn’t made the statement any better.
He grinned. “I think I can handle it.”
“Good.” She pulled her keys out of her pocket and handed him the spare set. “Here you are. Rent’s due at the beginning of every month, along with utilities. Wi-Fi password’s on the paper stuck to the router in the living room.”
He pocketed the key before he pulled out his wallet and removed a large wad of cash, handing it to her. “Three month’s rent, as promised. Let me know what utilities are and I’ll get you that as well.”
She stared at the cash and gave him a curious look. She hadn’t thought he was being serious. “How’d you know. . .” Her words trailed off.
He shrugged. “I always come prepared.”
“Hmmm,” she said, but shoved the bills into her pocket, not bothering to count them. “I’ll let you know about utilities by the end of the week.” She smiled at him. “Thanks for being my roommate, Larz.”
“My pleasure, Sorsha.”
She gave him a warm smile and turned away, leaving him alone to explore the room further.
9
“It’s official.”
“What is?” Irene grinned like a fool from over the rim of her drink, telling Sorsha she knew exactly what her friend was talking about.
Sorsha narrowed her eyes at Irene. “I hate you.”
Irene sat her drink down and put her elbow on the table, pointing at Sorsha. “Look, I told you—I told you—you’d want to bone the guy.”
Rolling her eyes, Sorsha took a long draw from her beer. “I know, but I hate that you were right.” She grinned to show she teased.
“You do not.” Irene finished her drink. “So, when do I get to meet the new roommate.”
Sorsha had only told her about Larz after Irene showed up at her place after work. Irene had known about the interviews but had been surprised to learn Sorsha had already chosen a roommate. There was no denying the woman’s curiosity and desire to meet the new roommate.
He hadn’t been there though. He’d been at home with his cousins, packing and preparing to move.
Taking a look around the crowded bar, Sorsha wished she were back home. She’d rather be pouring over the file Tanner sent her about Gloria rather than helping Irene scour for a weekend partner. Or worse, listening to Irene try to convince her to hook up with Larz.
Sorsha’s phone chimed, and she pulled it from her purse. There was a message from Larz.
“Oh,” Irene teased. “Is that the hot Asian man already?” She winked.
“Shut up and go dance or something.” Sorsha laughed as she read over Larz’s text.
Larz here. What are you up to this evening? Got any plans, roomie?
She told him she was at the bar with Irene and sat her phone down. When a waitress walked past, she ordered another beer. It arrived as her phone went off again.
Where at? Mind if I join you? All moved in and bored out of my mind.
Rather than texting him back, Sorsha added his number to her phone and called him. He picked up on the first ring.
“Hey there, roomie,” he said.
“Hey, yourself. Don’t know if I like being called roomie though. Still sounds weird. Anyway, we’re at Wagers. It’s just down the road from home. If you’re prepared for my friend to hound you and possibly attempt to get into your pants, you’re more than welcome to join us.”
“Your friend sounds like a trip.”
“She is.” Irene pointed at the dance floor and then at herself, grinning. Sorsha gave her a thumbs-up and returned her attention to the phone call as the blond slipped away with a knowing grin. “She’s on the prowl now. Never a dull moment with her.”
He laughed. “And you? Are you on the prowl as well?”
“I come as moral support.”
“Well then, I’ll come be your moral support for her moral support. Be there in a few.”
“See you soon.”
True to his word, Larz slipped into the seat beside her a few minutes later. She laughed as he flagged down a waitress and ordered a Jäger Bomb. Then he looked at her, dark eyes shining, light dancing across his skin.
He wore all his piercings tonight, which pleased her more than she allowed herself to admit. He was a good-looking man without them, but she had to admit he looked better with them. It seemed more natural for him.
Tonight’s shirt advertised a video game she’d heard about but never played, and there were rips in the knees of his jeans.
“Been here long?” He thanked the waitress who dropped off his drink.
“About an hour now.” She shrugged one shoulder. “I’ve gotten pretty used to it. I can usually slip away by now, but then you called. . .” She let the rest of her words hang. Let him interpret that the way he wanted. She didn’t mind.
Sorsha spotted Irene in an instant. “My friend is the horny bitch ganging up that man over there.”
Larz laughed. “Horny bitch? Doesn’t sound friendly.”
“She knows I love her, but Irene started it, so I can’t take credit for that one.”
They bantered back and forth for a couple more minutes. Being around Larz was easy, almost as easy as it had been around Tanner. The thought made her frown.
“This guy bothering you, sweetheart?”
Sorsha laughed and looked at Irene as she appeared beside the table. The man she’d been dancing with had an arm slung over her shoulder.
“Larz, this is Irene. Irene, this is my new roommate, Larz.”
“Oh! This is the roommate!” Irene clapped her hands together. “Love the piercings. Got tats too?”
Larz grinned at her. “Only in places you can’t see, darling.” He winked at her.
Sorsha leaned back from the table, checking him out.
Irene swatted her arm. “I saw that.” Then she looked at Larz. “Nice to meet you. I can see why Sorsha likes you.” She patted the arm of the man she’d been dancing with. “This is Brandon.”
“Nice to meet you, Brandon.”
“Likewise.” He turned to Larz and accepted his hand. The two men exchanged a grin, and Sorsha got the feeling there was a wordless exchange of accomplishment and congratulations between the two.
“So, Larz, you don’t have a date and you’re now my friend’s roommate, so I must know—” Irene grinned. “Are you gay?”
Sorsha choked on her drink, spitting it back into the bottle and coughing. Larz patted her back. “Irene!”
Larz only laughed though. “No. I’m not gay. Been a while since I dated though, so maybe I’ve lost my touch.”
“Doubtful. I remember hearing there’s been some very healthy flirting between the pair of you.” Irene winked at him.
Sorsha wished she would shut up. She hid her face in her hands.
“True. Then again, I wasn’t angling to be a roommate at the time.”
“And now?” Sorsha wanted to smack Irene for the round of questioning. Were they in high school or something? “What’s your intentions now?”
“Intentions?”
“Are you trying to fuck Sorsha?”
“Way to be blunt, Irene.”
If Irene heard the sarcasm in Sorsha’s voice, she chose to ignore it. “Someone’s got to look out for you.”
“You do realize I can take care of myself, right?”
Irene’s lip curled. “When was the last time you went on a date?” Sorsha didn’t reply. “When was the last time you had any fun at all?” Irene added in.<
br />
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
“Masturbation, my friend. It’s the single woman’s—” Brandon cleared his throat behind her. “—and man’s—friend. When was the last time you watched some good porn and played with yourself.”
“Dear, god!” Sorsha buried her face in her hands. “Really, Irene? Really? Does this seem like the time to bring this up?” She didn’t dare look at anyone. She wasn’t normally one to blush, but she could feel her face burning. “Because this is a great conversation to have with someone who just moved in with you.”
She felt Irene pat her shoulder. “You know I got your back.”
Sorsha groaned. “Some friend you are. Why am I friends with you again?”
“Because I saw you being a lonely slouch and decided to take you under my wing and drag you here one evening after work. You’re avoiding the subject. Answer the question.”
With a groan, Sorsha said, “It’s been a while.”
“So? Time to get back on the horse. Now, Larz.” Irene’s attention diverted from Sorsha, but before she could say anything else, Larz held up a hand.
“I refuse to answer that question because to do so would bring further questions I don’t want to answer,” he told Irene grinning.
Irene returned the grin. “Thanks! You just answered my question actually. Recently, and it was Sorsha you imagined. Don’t lie.”
“I plead the fifth on that one.” He laughed though, which seemed to be enough of an answer for Irene.
Sorsha rolled her eyes. “I did warn you she was a bit wild,” she told Larz.
“You’re just jealous because you’re not having any fun.”
“I have plenty of fun.”
“Right.” Of course Irene didn’t believe her. “You two have my permission to fuck each other. Besides,” Irene said, giggling and winking at Sorsha. “You’re both adults and didn’t really need my permission in the first place.”
Behind them, Brandon laughed. “You going to be this much of a handful in bed?”