Dirty Roomie

by Alycia Taylor

  “So, what are you up to today? You said you had a busy day ahead.”

  She looked embarrassed, and I burst out laughing.

  “You just made that up, didn’t you? You don’t really have anything going on, hey?”

  “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have lied. I just felt so nervous about everything last night.”

  “It’s okay. But you can just be honest with me, okay? I promise I will always understand.”

  She nodded. “How about you? Got any plans?”

  “Yeah, I’m actually heading off to Lawrence.”

  “Lawrence? What are you doing there?”

  “My brother, Dominic, stays there. He plays football for Kansas University. I said I’d go over and meet him for lunch. You’re welcome to join.”

  She shook her head. “I think I’m going to spend some time working on my illustrations. I want to finally start working putting all my ideas together. I have the character and the rough outline of the story. Now I just need to get it together.”

  I grinned at her. “You’re finally going to do it! That’s great news, Riley.”

  “It’s all thanks to you. You gave me the inspiration to do it.”

  “I’m so glad. You’re super talented. Will you personally sign my first book?”

  She chuckled. “Hell, Silas, if I get published, I’m going to dedicate the first book to you.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  I was glad that things were back to normal. It was going to be hard not to flirt with her, but I was glad that we were at least talking like we had before. She was so easy to talk to, and it would’ve been a shame to ruin the friendship that was building up between us. When I left a little later that day, I found her at the big table, with a cup of coffee, a plate of cookies, and paper all around her.

  “This look suits you,” I said as I popped my head around the door.

  She looked up and grinned at me. “Thank you. I’m excited for today. You off?”

  “Yeah, I’m about to head out. Just wanted to say bye. I’ll see you later.”

  “Have fun!”

  Lawrence was a thirty-minute drive away from home, and I was looking forward to seeing Dominic again. The two of us had always gotten along great. Dominic had never teased me like everyone else about my singing career. I needed the boost.

  Dominic was already waiting for me at the café when I arrived. He stood up, and I saw the people around him look up at him. It was hard not to notice someone like Dominic. He was larger than life, and the perfect person to play as a linebacker for the college football team. Most of the men in our family were big, but we all looked small in comparison to him.

  “Silas! Good to see you. It’s been so long. Thanks for coming all the way out here.”

  I chuckled. “It’s only thirty minutes away. I actually don’t know why we don’t see each other more often, to be honest.”

  He sighed. “Yeah. Life, I guess. I ordered you a beer; I hope you don’t mind,” he said as I looked down at the glass in front of me.

  “Do I mind? Of course not! Thanks, man. I’ll only have one because I’m driving, but I cannot tell you how much I feel like this right now.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “Oh yeah? In celebration or . . . ?”

  “Ah,” I frowned. “I just really want to drink.”

  “Uh-oh. Things not going so well? I thought you had a gig the other night?”

  “I did. But, one gig in a tiny pub is not exactly the sort of thing that’s going to give me the confidence I need. I don’t know, Dominic, I’m starting to worry that I’m not cut out for this after all.”

  “Are you kidding me? You’re so talented. Since when have you become so negative about all of this? You’ve always been the positive one in the family.”

  I sighed. “Since I’m not getting ahead. I’m doing better in my construction work than I am in my singing career. Maybe I’m just not cut out for this. Everyone told me that I was crazy to go into this business. Maybe I should’ve listened to them.”

  “No. You will prove them wrong. I have absolute faith in you. Come on, don’t give up.”

  “I’ll hold on a little while longer, but I can’t help but feel like I’m looking for something that is never going to happen.”

  Dominic shook his head. “Nope. I’m not going to listen to you talk like this. You’re going to be fine. I know it.”

  “Thanks, bro. How are things going with you?”

  I sat back and listened to my brother talk about his football. He always got so animated when he talked about the sport, and even though I wasn’t in love with the game like he was, I couldn’t help but feel interested when he spoke about it. We placed orders for burgers and spent some time eating and catching up.

  “Oh, I forgot to ask you about your new place,” Dominic said suddenly. “I’m glad I remembered now. I’ve been wondering how the big move went.”

  “You will not believe the house I am living in. I have photos,” I said and got out my phone. I’d walked around that first day snapping photos of the place because I knew that I would want to show people. I handed him the phone and laughed at his shocked reaction.

  “You live here? Seriously? This place is insane, Silas. It’s like you’re living in a mansion. Is it really this big?”

  “Yeah, it’s huge. And absolutely magnificent. It feels like you’ve stepped inside a movie. Riley, that’s the girl that owns it, inherited it from her grandmother. She keeps saying she wants to change the décor to something more modern but so far, she hasn’t found herself able to do it. It’s just too amazing to change.”

  “I don’t blame her. It looks incredible. I don’t really like old-looking places, but I don’t think I’d want to change a place like that. It just suits it.”

  “That’s exactly what Riley said.”

  “And what is she like, this Riley girl? Do the two of you get along?”

  I chuckled. “Yeah, you could say that.”

  “Uh-oh. What does that mean?”

  “She’s beautiful,” I said. “And really, really nice. Very sweet girl. And so talented. You won’t believe what an incredible illustrator she is.”

  “Sounds like someone is smitten. Did something happen between the two of you? Because it sounds like something did.”

  I sighed. “Yeah. Last night.”

  “Why the sigh? Wasn’t it good?” he asked.

  I almost laughed at that. It had been one of the best nights of my life. “It was great. Amazing, really. But she feels weird about it because we are living together. And I guess I understand. We’re just going to carry on like we were before. I just hope we haven’t ruined things because I really don’t want to have to move out. You won’t believe how cheap the rent is. I’m saving so much money by staying there.”

  “Yeah, be careful man. I know you like her, but you really don’t want to mess things up. And what if you meet someone else? Will she be jealous?”

  “Jealous? Nothing to be jealous about. I mean, we’re not going out or anything.”

  “Women always get jealous.”

  “Nah, it’s not like that. She’s a great girl. She wouldn’t let things get awkward between us.”

  “Just be careful, that’s all I’m saying.”

  I nodded. “I am. We are. Hopefully, we can just go back to the way things were before.”

  I wasn’t sure though. It hadn’t even been a full day, and already I had thought about Riley without her clothes on more than occasion. It was going to be tough living with her as friends when I knew how she felt, her skin against mine. But I couldn’t afford to ruin the good thing we had going between the two of us. I was simply going to have to put my thoughts aside.

  “Trust me,” I said. “Riley has a very level head. Things are going to be fine between us. There’s no way I’m going to move out.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Riley

  A week had passed since that night with Silas, and things were finall
y starting to feel normal between us again. He’d been a great sport about it all and hadn’t tried anything with me since that night. I wasn’t sure if that made me happy or not, though, even if it was what I had asked of him. I couldn’t exactly be upset about something that I had asked for. I would be lying if I said I didn’t fantasize about him often, and at night, when it was just myself and my thoughts, I couldn’t help but close my eyes and picture him next to me. It didn’t help that he was living in the same house as me and that all it would take is for me to go up to him and kiss him again. But he was a great housemate, and I was glad that the two of us were getting along fine.

  For the most part, though, we didn’t really see each other. We held different working hours. I’d taken on a lot of extra shifts at work, mostly to get out the house, while he had taken on more construction. He worked during the day, and I worked in the evening. Some days we didn’t see each other at all.

  But that morning, I woke up thinking that there was no way I would be able to avoid him. I had absolutely nothing to do all day, and no work planned for that night. And, from what I could remember, I was sure that he had the day off too. I lay in bed for a long time, just reading my book and trying to distract myself. But I got out eventually, mostly because my desire for coffee was too strong. And really, I was only going to have to face my fears eventually. It wasn’t like me to avoid my problems.

  Silas was sitting in the living room, a newspaper in front of him, as I walked past. For a moment, I just stood there, watching him. It was strange to think how normal it was to be living with him when just a few weeks ago I had never even met the guy. It wasn’t often that I felt so at ease with someone so quickly. It normally took me ages to feel like I could be myself in front of a stranger. I watched him now as his eyes moved over the paper, and I wondered what he was thinking. I also wondered how he could do nothing and yet look so handsome at the same time. His charm was effortless, natural. When he became famous, the girls were going to love him. He had something about him that just made me know he was going to be a star.

  “Anything exciting happening in the world?” I said and chuckled as he jumped at the sound of my voice. “Sorry for the fright.”

  He laughed. “I didn’t hear you coming. Nothing interesting at all. I’m not sure why I even bother to read the paper. It’s always just bad news, to be honest. Sometimes I just skip straight to the comics.”

  “I do the same. Well, I guess it could make you feel grateful for your own life. Whenever I read the newspaper, I’m reminded of how lucky I am to live such a boring life.”

  “Boring is good.”

  “Boring is great. Coffee?”

  He held up his cup. “I’d love another one. You read my mind. Thank you.”

  I walked to the kitchen and made us both a cup, and took it back to the living room. I handed him a cup and took a seat.

  “I’m not sure what I’d do without coffee,” he said after he took a sip.

  “Tell me about it. I once tried to give up, but I only lasted a few days until I realized what a stupid idea that was.”

  He laughed. “You tried to quit caffeine? No! That’s a terrible move.”

  “Tell me about it. Thankfully, I learned my lesson pretty quickly.”

  “So, what are you doing today? Other than drinking coffee, of course.”

  I smiled. “Actually, I have nothing to do with my day. And nothing to do tonight. What a great feeling. I hate working at the pub on a Friday. It’s my worst day to work.”

  “But the best day for tips, I’m sure?” he asked.

  “Absolutely. Sometimes it doesn’t feel worth it though. I think I’d rather walk away with less money and have a less stressful night. I don’t know. Paisley loves the busy nights, but she’s far more into the job then I am. I’m purely doing it just to get by.”

  “I’m sure. Also, you’ve been working a lot this week. You’ve had a shift almost every day, haven’t you? You must be exhausted.”

  “Yeah. One of the girls was sick, so I took over,” I said. It wasn’t entirely true. She’d only been sick for one of her shifts, but I’d asked to work the whole week. But Silas didn’t have to know that. I didn’t want him to know I was avoiding him. It would only open up a whole new line of conversation that I wasn’t ready to go into yet. “How about you? Do you have today off?”

  “I do. Oh, I actually have something I want to show you. When we’re finished our coffee.”

  “You do? Ooh, now I’m curious. What is it?”

  He laughed. “My bike. It’s in the garage. I went to get it yesterday. I spent most of my evening cleaning it up. Couldn’t believe how dusty that thing was. Poor thing hadn’t been ridden in ages.”

  “Really? That’s great! So, does that mean you’re taking me for a spin today?”

  “Do you want to?”

  “I’d love to!” I said. It was funny, really, to go from avoiding him all week to suddenly asking him to take me for a ride on his motorcycle. But, I couldn’t help myself. I hadn’t been on a bike in such a long time, and it wasn’t often that I got the opportunity.

  “Then I’d love to take you. Should we go cruising after breakfast?”

  “Yes!”

  I made a quick breakfast, took a shower, and then walked to the garage to take a look at the bike. Silas was already there, and I could see the excitement in his eyes as I walked in. He was obviously very proud of the machine. And I didn’t blame him. It was incredible. It had a very vintage feel to it even though I was sure it wasn’t old at all. I could see why he loved it so much.

  “Wow, I love it,” I said as I ran my hand over it. “It’s so cool. And so shiny.”

  “You should’ve seen it last night; it wasn’t shiny at all then. I’m glad you’re only seeing it now. It’s hard to show something off that’s covered in a thick layer of dust. But yeah, I’ve always taken good care of it. Once the dust was removed, it was back to normal. Now we just need to ride it. You ready?”

  “I am. Ah, but what about a helmet? I don’t have one.”

  “I have one for you. I have a few actually. Don’t ask me why. I guess I just went through kind of an obsessive stage. I have all these accessories. Here, take your pick.”

  I looked at the four helmets on display and pointed to the smallest of the bunch. A bright red helmet that matched the bike.

  “Good choice,” he said.

  I put my helmet on and waited for him to move his bike out the garage so I could close the door behind us. Then I hopped on, wrapped my arms around him, and off we went. There was nothing quite like the feeling of riding on a bike. I wondered what it must be like for the driver and reminded myself to get some lessons from him. I’d always been a bit of a tomboy and had felt exhilarated when I had first learned how to drive a car. I was sure that riding a motorcycle must be a million times better than driving a car, and I couldn’t wait to try it.

  It was also nice holding onto Silas. I could smell his aftershave, a fresh musky aroma that I breathed in as we rode. I liked that he couldn’t see my face and how much I was smiling as I held onto him. It was good to be so close to him again, even if was just temporary. I was going to have to go on more rides with him if I wanted to be close to him again. We rode for about half an hour when suddenly a funny sound began to emanate from the bike. Silas stopped, and we climbed off to examine what was wrong.

  “What’s going on?” I said. I knew nothing about motorcycles. Nothing looked wrong, but it had made a strange sound.

  He shrugged. “I have no idea. That was a weird noise, wasn’t it? Maybe it’s because I haven’t taken it for a ride in such a long time. The poor thing has just been sitting there unloved for so long.”

  I chuckled. “I love how you refer to it like it’s a human being.”

  “Feels like it sometimes. My brother even named his. I forgot what the name was. He thinks nobody knows, but I heard him talk to the bike once,” he said and chuckled. “Oh well, at least we broke down here. Look
how beautiful that field looks.”

  I looked out and smiled at the vast expanse in front of us. The field looked like it went on forever, and because of a recent and sudden downpour, little flowers had begun to bloom all over. It was hard not to feel relaxed in a place like that.

  “I can’t believe we broke down though,” he said. “Your first ride with me and this happens.”

  “It’s not your fault. But what are we going to do? I mean, we can’t exactly walk home. It’s pretty far. And we can’t just leave your bike here.”

  “Yeah, we definitely can’t leave the bike here. Well, I’m going to have to fix it.”

  “Think you can?”

  “I’m certainly going to try.”

  I smiled. I liked that he took control when it came to things like this. I liked that he was confident enough to attempt to fix it. I would’ve just called someone without even bothering to look at it myself.

  “Can you push it a little more toward the field?” I asked. “I want to sit on the grass.”

  “You’re not going to help?” he said.

  “Oh. Of course. I’m so sorry!” I said, and I could feel the heat rising to my face. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t even offered to help. I just thought he wouldn’t want me to, considering how little I knew about bikes.

  He laughed. “I’m just kidding. I don’t want you to help. Let’s push it toward the grass. I’m glad to at least have some company while I fix it up. And don’t worry, I will fix it. I’ve done this so many times before.”

  I took a seat on the soft grass and watched him work. It was clear that he felt comfortable with the bike. I had no idea what he was doing, but he seemed to know just what to do to fix the problem. I couldn’t help but think how good he looked there. It annoyed me just how good looking he was at that moment. How sexy he was as he fixed the bike. I lay back and watched him, allowing myself a little bit of pleasure for a change. It was like I was privy to my own private show. I half expected him to take his shirt off and for me to start hooting and hollering for him. I swallowed hard, and I tried to clear my head from all thoughts of him without his shirt on.