by J. L. Drake
“Hey, beautiful.” He hugged me back, lifting me off the ground.
“Em.” Seth’s annoyed voice rang out from behind me.
I ignored him. “How’s your day going?”
“Um, pretty good, other than this guy.” He pointed to Seth. “He was freaking out when you didn’t answer his calls.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that.”
He shrugged. “Just glad you’re okay.”
“So, Erin is coming over tonight for dinner. Why don’t you guys join us and we’ll barbecue?”
Garrett glanced at Seth again. I turned to him too. We both grinned, hoping to guilt him into it.
He rolled his eyes. “All right. We get off at six.” I could have sworn I saw a hint of a smile run over his lips, but it was gone before I was sure.
Garrett’s phone rang. He excused himself and walked a few feet away.
Seth took my hand and pulled me toward him. “You need to keep your phone with you,” he said sharply.
I felt so stupid. “I will, but I’m sure I just overreacted last night.”
“It doesn’t matter. You are here by yourself all the time. What if something happened to you?”
I pointed off in the direction of my neighbor’s house. “Travis is around.” He gave me a look. He wasn’t sure about Travis yet. I sighed. “Okay, I will. Thanks for checking on me and staying over last night.” He held my hand for a moment, his eyes softening. He started to say something when Garrett interrupted him.
“Connors, we gotta go.”
Seth leaned in close to my ear. “Please keep your phone on you.”
“I will.”
“See you tonight,” Garrett said, starting the car. He flicked on the sirens and they drove off.
Preparing for the barbecue was fun. I pulled out some steaks and was making a salad when Erin came through the front door. “Knock, knock!” she yelled.
“Kitchen.”
“Don’t you look cute?” she said, smiling at my bikini top and ripped jean shorts. “Were you tanning?”
“Yes, but I couldn’t last very long. It’s friggin’ hot!”
She went to the freezer and pulled out some ice, then held up some margarita mix. “Thirsty?”
“Yes!” I pointed to the counter where the blender was sitting. “You got my text about the guys joining us tonight?”
Her eyes lit up and her goofy grin grew wider. “Yeah, sounds good.” I turned the music up, smiling back. When dinner was prepped, we started blending our drinks and moved to the patio. I turned the music up even louder and lit the barbecue.
“Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson pounded through the speakers. Erin looked at me and started dancing. “Come on, Em, don’t act like you don’t remember.”
We had done a talent show to this song our senior year. It was hilarious, and everyone got a kick out of it. She came up and started moving her hips in front of me. I jumped in and did my part. We were almost crying, we were laughing so hard.
“Wow, I guess we’re late,” Seth said, leaning against the frame of the patio doors and flashing his knee-buckling smile.
“Cold beers in the fridge. Help yourselves,” I called over my shoulder, pretending not to notice Erin watching me. Garrett came over and gave me a side hug. Then he went over to join Erin. I went into the house to grab the steaks. Seth was in the fridge, filling it with more beer they had brought. He looked good in a dark green t-shirt and dark shorts “Hey.”
He looked at me, opened a beer, and leaned against the fridge. “Hey.” His hat shaded his eyes.
“You still mad at me?”
He shook his head, taking a sip of his beer. “I wasn’t mad, just worried.”
My back was to him as I cut up some onions and fresh garlic.
I heard him shift. “Have you thought about getting a roommate?”
“What?” I paused. “No, I guess I’ve never thought about it.”
“Your mother is never home, and you’re alone a lot.”
I shrugged. “Maybe I’ll ask Joshua,” I said over my shoulder and smiled. Joshua was a friend of ours who had tried to get me to go out with him a few times.
Seth cleared his throat. “When I said ‘roommate,’ I didn’t actually mean a mate for your bedroom.”
I laughed. “Honestly, though.” I washed off my hands. “I guess it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. I could put an ad out at school tomorrow for the last minute people who are still looking. See who bites.”
He nodded, but I knew he was thinking something else. “What about Erin?”
“No, she’s thinking about moving in with Alex soon. They feel it’s time.” Alex was a great guy for Erin. They’d been dating for almost two years and were clearly good for each other. “Thanks for the idea.” I picked up the tray of food and headed out.
Garret came over and bumped my hip with his. “I got this.” He winked, taking the tongs from me. “Sauce?” His eyebrow raised.
“No.” I tried to hide my smile. I knew where this was going.
“Salt and pepper?”
“Yes.”
“Garlic?”
“Mm…hmm.”
“Onions…” He held up a finger to let him finish. “…sautéed in butter?”
“Of course.”
He nodded at me approvingly. “Very good.”
I laughed. God forbid I screw up the steaks! Garrett had a knack for barbecuing. In fact, he was almost OCD with it. I watched as he pulled out a small bottle from his pocket and gingerly poured a brown sauce over the meat.
“Ahh, the O’Brian Special.” I leaned forward, getting a better look.
He moved the silicone brush back and forth, glancing over at me and grinning. “Yes, it’s one of my many secrets.”
“So mysterious.”
Dinner was tasty, and the drinks kept flowing. I turned on the twinkle lights that adorned the patio. We started a game of poker, and I promised I’d go easy on them. Garrett was winning, and I assured him I was letting him win because I knew it was no fun losing every time they played with me. I loved giving them a hard time. The truth was that my father had taught me everything there was to know about poker. I used to sit on his knee when they’d have guys’ night, and he’d let me play right along with him.
Erin got a call from Alex, who had just gotten off work. He was coming by to pick her up. “Garrett, we can give you a lift,” she said, giving me a sideways glance. Sneaky woman.
After a while, we heard Alex honk his horn twice. Garrett leaned over. “Thanks, Em, I had a great time.”
“You’re always welcome.”
Garrett helped Erin with her bag. They waved goodbye as they left.
I started cleaning up, and Seth came in and helped me. I looked at the clock—2:00 a.m.—and yawned. “That was fun.”
“Yeah, it was. Thanks.” He started closing up the house. I took a t-shirt from the laundry room and pulled it on. Seth went into the living room and turned on the TV. I stood in the doorway of the kitchen.
“Seth?” He looked up, his blue eyes finding mine. “It’s…well, it’s kind of late. Could you stay?” I hated to show I didn’t want to be alone again. The truth was I simply slept better when he was near.
He walked over to me and slid his hand down my arm. “Yeah, of course.” He cupped his hand in mine, leading me to the couch.
Something in my stomach flipped, but I quickly pushed it away. We settled down on the plush cushions, and he pulled a blanket over the two of us, making sure I was warm. Seth was always thoughtful. His parents had raised him well, and he was respectful, kind, and loving. I found myself falling even harder for this man.
I sighed inwardly and tried to tuck the feelings aside. We’d known each other long enough that if something were going to happen, it already would have.
He flicked through the channels and stopped to watch the news. The reporter was talking about a murder that had happened in east L.A. A man had killed two women while they slept in their home. An officer ca
me on the screen, and Seth made a noise.
“Do you know him?”
“Yeah, that’s Kirk Adams. He works with the LAPD. Good guy. He just got married recently. I didn’t realize he was back from his honeymoon already.”
“What a case to come back to.” I made a face as I turned my attention back to the TV. The cameras were focused on the body bags coming out of the house.
“Oh God.” I covered my eyes. “How do you look at that and not get freaked out?”
Seth shrugged. “It’s part of the job, I guess.”
He changed the station to Seinfeld. I curled up and rested my head on his shoulder. He shifted, wrapping his arm around me. I tried not to let my imagination run with this warm feeling I felt in his arms. We often sat close to one another. He hugged me all the time, but I knew he was just “friendly affectionate” with me. He’d never crossed that line. I could tell he was very controlled when it came to his feelings. I turned off my brain, letting myself enjoy the moment.
Looking for clean, non-smoking, responsible roommate. House off campus. Must have own car. Move in ASAP.
***
Lasko
I watched her as she reached up to staple the sign to the bulletin board. Her smooth skin peeked out above her pants. I wondered how she’d feel against me. I pushed my thumb between my eyes, trying to relieve the massive headache that had me wincing in pain. My other hand moved around on the passenger seat, seeking out my saddle bag. I found what I was looking for, flipped the top off the bottle of Vicodin, and tossed three pills into my mouth. I chased it with a warm rum and Coke. When I looked back up, she was gone. “Shit!” I hissed as I punched the dash of my Toyota Camry. I picked up my camera and scrolled through the four pictures I had taken moments ago.
***
Emily
I shook my head in disbelief. Not even an hour after posting the three signs, my cell started ringing. I set up two serious inquires for that evening.
The doorbell rang at 7:15. The first girl, who was supposed to show up at 6:30, had called and said she had found a place that was closer to her work. I opened the door to find a tall, rather good-looking guy standing on my front porch. He turned and flashed a smile at me, extending his hand. “Hi, Emily, I’m Jamie.”
“Hi, Jamie, come on in,” I said, moving aside. I was a little confused, as the person I had spoken to on the phone earlier was female. At least, I assumed it had been a female.
“Nice place you have here. May I look around?”
After I gave him the tour, we sat down at the kitchen table and discussed the details of what I wanted in a roommate. He seemed friendly enough, and I discovered that his sister was originally the one who was interested in the place. She had found an apartment with her friend and thought he might like the house instead.
I heard the front door open. A moment later, Seth came walking through the kitchen. His eyes narrowed when he saw my company. Jamie shot me a look, and I smiled, knowing how that uniform made people uneasy. It was like they started second-guessing their every move. I personally found it entertaining.
“Seth, this is Jamie. He’s interested in maybe being my roommate.”
“Hi.” Seth nodded, giving a small smile. He opened a beer and leaned against the counter facing us.
Jamie leaned over. “Boyfriend?”
“Nope, friend.” I glanced up at Seth, who was watching me.
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
Seth unclipped his belt and set it loudly on the counter. I flinched in my seat, feeling my face go pink. “Umm…no.”
Jamie relaxed a little. He picked up the agreement papers and smiled. “Well, everything looks great. I could move in as early as next Tuesday if you’d like.”
“Okay, well, I have a few other interviews, but I’ll let you know later on in the week.” I stood up, showing him to the door.
I watched as he climbed into his car and drove down my long driveway. I turned to find Seth standing in the kitchen doorway.
“Seems like a keeper,” he joked.
I rolled my eyes. “Could you be any more intimidating? You might as well have done target practice out on the patio.” I tapped his hip to move him aside, walking to the counter to pour myself a glass of wine.
“That’s a good plan, actually. I’ll keep that in mind.” I glared over at him and watched his face soften. “Em, are you really going to let that guy move in with you?”
I felt my defenses come up. “Maybe,” I shot back.
He face went tense. “What about a female roommate?”
“Why does it matter so much?” As soon as the words came out, I wished I hadn’t said them. I didn’t want to know the answer.
His face looked surprised. “I just want to make sure you’re all right.”
“Honestly, I am,” I sighed. “I’m not your little sister, Seth.” I turned toward the living room.
Seth stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “I’ve never thought of you as my little sister.”
That’s a relief.
He looked down at me closely. “I don’t like you being all alone here.”
I went over to a basket on the counter, then slid my hand into his pocket. He looked puzzled. I pulled out his keys and hooked my spare house key on his ring. “There, I found my roommate.” I stared him in the eye, challenging him.
“I didn’t mean me.” His eyes widened as he watched me holding his keys. “I just think you need to get a girl to live with you.”
Chapter Two
The next week flew by. I ended up booking five interviews for the roommate spot. I narrowed it down to two girls or Jamie. Seth kept his eye on me throughout the evenings but didn’t bring up the roommate thing. Saturday morning came faster than I expected. Erin had to bail on yoga class because of some work thing, so I decided to go for a run instead. I changed into running gear and went down to the beach. I did some stretches, put my earphones in, and started to run. I cleared my head and went as far as I could.
I returned about two hours later. I turned off my music and flopped down on the sand, breathing heavily.
“Hey, neighbor,” Travis said, running up to me in only a pair of shorts and a ball hat. He had a nice body, just as I had expected he would. Nothing like Seth and Garrett, but still nice.
I shaded my eyes with my hand as he got closer. “Morning.”
“You’re up early.”
“Trying to beat the heat.”
He nodded. “Yeah, really.” He paused as if trying to think of something to say. “You start school soon, right?”
I sighed. “Yes.”
“Well, if you ever need anything...” He paused again, awkwardly. “Here, let me give you my number. That way you can just shoot me a text or call me.”
I programmed his number into my cell. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“Anytime. I should get going. See ya around.” He waved and jogged off.
I walked up onto my property and saw Seth standing on the porch, watching me and drinking a cup of coffee.
“Hey.”
He waved, meeting me halfway down the stairs. “How was your run?”
“Great, but it’s getting hot.” He handed me his mug. “When did you get here?” I asked.
He ignored my comment and watched Travis running in the distance. “What did he have to say this morning?”
I rolled my eyes. “He was letting me know that if I ever needed anything, I could call him.”
“Mmm…I bet.” He laughed.
“He’s new, and he’s trying to be a good neighbor. Be nice.”
“So. I’m here to try out my new key.” He held up his keys.
“Oh no!” My hand flew to my mouth.
Seth’s face dropped.
“I gotta let Jamie know he can’t move in,” I joked, sipping the coffee. Yikes, it was hot!
Seth raised an eyebrow, taking his coffee back. “Nope, you’re stuck with me.”
“I think I’m all right with that.” I glan
ced down at his open shirt and had to turn so he wouldn’t catch me gawking.
Car tires and an engine caught my attention, drawing my overactive mind to a halt. A red car rolled up, and Garrett hopped out wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and a ball hat. “Morning, beautiful.” He flashed his cheerful smile. “Seth, I got your text, and I’m free today.”
“Great. Thanks, man.” I looked at Seth, wondering what he meant. “Garrett’s going to help me move my stuff in.”
“Oh, nice.” I walked up the stairs to open the door. I tried desperately to hide my excitement. Not only was I happy that Seth was moving in, but I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders at not having to live with a stranger.
The guys came in with some boxes, weights, and some other workout equipment. “Where do you want this to go, Em?” Garrett asked.
“The third bedroom on the left can be his workout room.”
They worked for a few hours. Boxes came and went. I offered to help, but they seemed to have a good rhythm going without me. I tried desperately not to gawk, but there was something to be said about Seth in shorts and nothing else.
“Like the view, McPhee?” Garrett called over his shoulder as he set the box on the floor. He wiggled his butt in the air, laughing. “Or am I in the way?”
“Shut up.” I laughed, knowing I had just been caught red handed sneaking a peek at the sweaty muscle that had walked by a moment ago. I heard my cell ring and walked back into my room before Seth could see the color of red I was sporting.
Erin: Twenty mins, Huntington Beach?
I looked up and saw Garrett grinning as he walked by my room. Yes, the beach sounded like the perfect place to cool off.
Emily: See you there.
I changed into a white bikini with a gold-colored robe cover up and a pair of matching gold wedge heels. I threw on some light makeup, found my purse, and hurried down the stairs, not wanting to get in the guys’ way. I opened the door to the kitchen for a bottle of water and found the guys taking a break and drinking a beer. When I walked over to the fridge, they stopped their conversation. I turned to see them both staring at me.