Dirty Roomie

by Alycia Taylor

  I smiled at the thought. I hadn’t told Paisley how jealous I had been that night and how annoyed I had been when I had seen her flirting with him.

  “Nah, there’s nothing going on between the two of us anyway. He’s just my friend. We get along very well.”

  “Well, that’s no joke. I know the two of you get along well.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “I mean you haven’t been around as much as before. I hardly see you anymore.”

  “What? I see you all the time!” I said.

  “At work doesn’t count! We just don’t spend as much time together as we used to. Anyway, I’m not complaining. I know you like the guy. But I do miss you sometimes too.”

  “Sorry, Pais!” I said. “It’s not because of Silas though. I’ve been putting a lot more effort into my drawings and my writing lately.” It wasn’t a lie, but it also wasn’t entirely the truth. I had actually spent a lot of time with Silas since he moved in, and I had seen Paisley less because of it. I felt terrible now.

  “You have? That’s great news. I always thought you were too talented for this place. You must show me what you’ve done.”

  “I’ll show you soon. It’s early days still, but I’m getting there, and I’m really enjoying it. I don’t know why I left it for so long. But you’re definitely right about us not spending enough time together. I would love to change that. Let’s make a plan to do something soon. Just us two.”

  “I like the way you think. Uh oh, the blue-eyed boy is looking your way. Should I go and distract him for you?”

  I chuckled. “Please!” I had absolutely no problems with her flirting with Christopher. She could flirt with him as much as she wanted to as far as I was concerned.

  The rest of the night went by quickly, and after Paisley had flirted with Christopher, he actually left me alone. Seemed he didn’t mind the waitresses flirting with him at all. Once we were clearing up, I heard our boss complaining about how one of the live acts canceled on him for the following night.

  “It’s so frustrating when the bands do this to me. I had the whole thing planned for tomorrow night, and there’s no way that I can get someone else on such short notice. I’ve been calling around, but nobody is available.”

  I immediately thought about Silas and quickly walked forward to tell him.

  “My housemate is a singer and a guitar player, and he’s really good. I’m sure I can get him to play tomorrow night.”

  “Who is he?”

  “Uh, Silas Aarons. He plays country music.”

  “Country, huh? That’s different. But is he any good? And I don’t just want you to tell me that he’s good because he’s your friend. I need to know the truth.”

  “I can vouch for him. Honestly, he’s fantastic,” I said with confidence.

  “Okay, then. He better be good, Riley.”

  As I walked out, Paisley came running out to me.

  “Have you heard him sing?” she asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah, I wasn’t just making that up. He’s excellent.”

  “He better be. Your job is on the line if he’s not.”

  I smiled. “That’s how confident I am.”

  I felt so excited as I made my way home. But the moment I opened the door, I realized that I hadn’t even asked Silas whether or not he was free. If he said no, then I was going to be in even more trouble with my boss. Silas was sitting in the living room watching a movie when I walked in.

  “Hey, you,” he said, and he paused the movie to smile up at me. “Good night?”

  “It was okay. Much of the same. Uh, I have something to ask you. I just hope you’re not mad at me. Please just hear me out.”

  He frowned. “Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you? What’s going on?”

  I sat down and looked nervously at him. “Well, the thing is, there was a live band set to play at my work tomorrow night. They canceled at the last minute, and my boss couldn’t find anyone to take their place. He called around but said it was so last minute and nobody was free. So, uh, I sort of volunteered for you to play instead.”

  He stared at me in surprise. “Are you serious? And your boss said yes to that? He actually said that I could play at his pub?”

  “Uh yeah. He said it would be fine,” I didn’t want him to know how skeptical my boss really was at the thought of hiring someone he didn’t know. I didn’t want to put any added pressure on Silas. “So, you’re not mad at me? I thought you’d be upset that I just volunteered you without asking you.”

  “Riley! This is amazing news. Of course I’m not mad. It probably doesn’t look great that I’m the only person available on such short notice, but it’s the truth of the matter, and there’s no point denying it. You do realize that’s the biggest venue I would’ve ever played at? I know it’s not really that big or anything, but it’s a far cry from the small dives I’ve been playing in recently. It’s probably not a massive deal for most people, but it’s a huge deal for me. I can’t tell you how happy I am to at least be given this opportunity.” He couldn’t stop smiling, and it felt so good to know that I was the one that had put that smile on his face.

  “I’m so relieved. I was so worried you would be mad that I did that. Also, my boss said that if he’s happy with you, he’ll pay you a thousand bucks for the night. And I promise you that I’ll hold him to that. I may not like him all that much, but he’s good when it comes to payment.”

  “A thousand dollars? The last place didn’t even give me fifty. I would’ve been happy to play for free. But, uh, don’t tell him that, of course. A thousand dollars is a lot better than nothing.”

  “I take it this is all good news, then?” I said.

  “This is incredible news. Will you be there?”

  I grinned and nodded. “Of course I will be there. Trust me; I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Silas. It’s the one time I actually want to be at work.”

  He high-fived the air, and I chuckled. Then he stood up, walked over to me and planted a kiss on my mouth. A slow, lingering kiss that immediately set my heart racing. I felt disappointed when he walked back to where he was sitting.

  “You’re amazing, Riley,” he said and smiled at me.

  And just like that, I knew that I liked him far more than I was telling myself. I knew that I could easily allow myself to fall for him. But he was sitting away from me now, not kissing me anymore. What did that mean? Did I like him more than he liked me?

  “So, what are we watching?” I said and turned toward the TV. I was going to have to put my wall up a little, just in case he didn’t really feel anything for me. I didn’t want to lose him as a housemate, and I also didn’t want to lose him as a friend.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Silas

  It was hard for me to fall asleep on any given night, but knowing that I had a gig on the following evening at a well-known pub meant that I lay wide-eyed for far longer than usual. I kept thinking about going to see Riley and crawling into bed beside her. I liked the thought of her cuddling up to me. She’d slept in my bed twice, and both times I’d slept better than ever before. But I still wasn’t sure if she wanted me to take things further with her. After she’d given me the news that she had gotten me a gig at her work, I couldn’t help but kiss her. Her lips had felt soft and warm against mine, and I’d immediately wanted to take her in my arms. But I’d noticed a slight hesitation in her voice, and I decided to back away. But now, as I lay in bed, I wasn’t sure if I had made the right move. It would’ve been so much better having her with me now.

  Eventually, though, I fell asleep, and I woke up the next morning with the thought of the upcoming night in my mind. When I looked around for Riley, she was nowhere to be seen, but I saw a note on the kitchen counter telling me to meet her outside and to bring coffee. I made us both a cup and found her outside in the garden, sitting on a blanket and enjoying the morning sun. It was a very pleasant sight. I loved how beautiful she looked first thing in the morning. I almost preferred t
o when she dressed up.

  “Good morning! This is cool,” I said as I joined her on the blanket. “I like this idea.”

  She grinned. “Morning. Ooh, thanks for the coffee. I was hoping you’d be up soon. I don’t think we make the most of this back yard. I woke up and looked out and realized I never sit outside. I spent far too long holed up in an apartment not to make the most of all of this now. I mean, this lawn is incredible.”

  “You’re right. It’s a great yard.”

  “I can imagine tea parties happening here many years ago. People dressing up and sitting on the lawn eating little finger foods.”

  “And playing croquet.”

  “And sipping tea with their fingers in the air.”

  “Are you thinking of recreating that?” I asked.

  She chuckled. “It’s also seriously overgrown. Can you imagine having people here now? It’s beautiful but kind of a mess. Not exactly the picturesque tea garden image that I have in my mind. I guess I need to start getting someone to come and help with the maintenance around here. I thought of doing it myself, but I don’t know a thing about gardens. And I have a feeling this is not something that can be done by just anybody. This place is too big.”

  “I would offer to help, but I don’t have a green thumb,” I said. “And trust, I have tried before. I got a cactus once. One of those little ones. And I only got it because if figured it was the one plant that I wouldn’t kill. Of course, I put it in the wrong place. It had too much sun. Or too little, I can’t remember. And I killed it.”

  She chuckled. “Okay, then I’m definitely not going to ask you to do it. I’m the same, though. It’s not my strong point.”

  “Well, it’s still nice to sit out here,” I said. “And you’re right; we should do it more often.”

  “I thought it would be a nice way to start your big day. How are you feeling, by the way? Did you actually get any sleep last night?”

  I smiled. I thought about telling her how much I wished she had been with me last night. How I had imagined her in bed with me. But I changed my mind.

  “It took me a while to fall asleep,” I admitted. “You know what I’m like. I battle to fall asleep easily at the best of times. Having something like this on my mind just made it so much worse. But I’m excited. Nervous though.”

  “You shouldn’t be nervous. You’ve played up on stage plenty times. And you’re brilliant. It’s not like it’s your first time.”

  “And yet, it never gets any easier.”

  “Really?”

  I nodded. “Oh yeah. I get nervous every single time without fail.” It was a strange sort of nervousness though. I almost enjoyed it.

  “You honestly don’t look at all nervous when you’re up on stage.”

  “That’s good to know,” I said. “As long as I don’t look nervous, I’m happy. Listen, Riley, I just want to tell you how happy I am that you gave me this opportunity. I know that you put your job on the line for me because of this.”

  “Nah, I think you’re great, and I know my boss will think so too. I honestly wouldn’t worry about that. I’ve heard you sing, Silas. You’re amazing. And if there’s one thing I can say for my boss, it is that he has good taste.”

  “Thank you. That’s nice of you to say. It will be fun. Nerves or not I always have the best time when I’m up on stage.”

  We spent a relaxing morning together out in the sun. We kept going back inside to get more refreshments or snacks, or books to read. It was the most relaxed I had been in a very long time, and we made a promise to do it more often. It was probably the best way for me to spend my day before a big gig. Riley then went out for the afternoon to go do some shopping and said that she had promised to spend some time with Paisley. I told her that I would meet her at the pub if I didn’t see her.

  She wasn’t home by the time I had to leave, so I made my way over to the pub by myself. I felt a flutter of nerves and excitement as I arrived, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at the difference between this pub and the one I was used to singing at. This place was packed with people, with a line of people still waiting to go in. I walked to the front and told the bouncer my name, and he let me in. It was the most I had ever felt like a celebrity in my life, and I enjoyed the feeling. I probably wasn’t going to be afforded this opportunity again for a long time, and I wanted to make the most of it. I saw someone look at me as the bouncer let me in. I was sure they were trying to figure out who I was and why I was being given special attention. If this got me excited, then I couldn’t even imagine how I was going to feel if I ever really made it big. Was that a feeling that people just got used to?

  The minute I walked in, I saw Riley. She came running over to me with a huge grin on her face, and I knew that I would play my heart out just so that I didn’t let her down. She said she had faith in me but that only made me want to prove to her that she was right to give me a chance. She took me over to her boss and introduced me to him.

  I could see why Riley didn’t like him all that much. He wasn’t the most pleasant man to talk to, and he made it perfectly clear that I was only there as a favor to Riley. Unlike the bouncer, he didn’t seem to be treating me with any sort of respect whatsoever. I would have to also prove to him that I was worth the effort.

  “Don’t let me down, Silas. Riley said you are good and right now the only thing I can do is trust her.” He said it in a way that made me think that he didn’t trust her at all. Poor Riley. I felt bad that she had to put up with this guy all the time. She said that he was very nice to the other bands that played, but that he took a long time to warm up to people.

  I smiled. “I’ll do my best,” I said and hoped he didn’t notice how nervous I was. I saw Riley throwing daggers his way.

  “You’ll need to do more than your best,” he said. “Okay, are you ready to go on?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said and followed him up onto the stage. I stood to the side as he spoke to the audience and saw that Riley had pushed her way to the front. I took a deep breath as he called my name and I walked out onto the stage to more cheers than I had ever experienced before.

  As usual, once I got up and started singing, I forgot about everyone and everything around me. I was glad that I was able to do this despite being in front of such a big audience. I felt nervous at first, but the moment I started singing, I got straight into the familiar groove that I was used to. This was a longer set than usual, and I’d prepared a few extra songs to perform, but I was surprised at how quick it went regardless. I loved every moment of being up on stage, and I didn’t once wish to be anywhere else. This was a feeling I didn’t get from construction work, or from anything else in my life. This was a feeling that completed me. I had to keep this dream alive. I couldn’t give up. I had one more song to go, and as I looked out, I smiled when I saw how many people were watching me. I scanned the audience until I found Riley and beamed at her. Then I played my last song as passionately and soulfully as I could. When I finished, the lights came on, and the entire audience began to chant my name.

  It was only then that I felt the nerves come rushing back, and as I walked off stage, I thought my legs were going to collapse on me. They felt like jelly. I was just about to walk toward Riley when a man came up to me and pulled me aside.

  “Sorry about that,” he said. “I just wanted to talk to you before you got engulfed in that crowd.”

  I tried to figure out if I recognized him, but he didn’t look familiar to me. He was a middle-aged man with a big smile and beady eyes. I couldn’t decide whether or not I liked him or not, but he was smiling at me so broadly that it was hard not to smile back.

  “Do I know you?” I asked.

  His grin widened. “I’m Garren Knead. I was actually here to watch the band that was supposed to come on. I was annoyed when I heard that they got canceled and I almost didn’t bother staying. I’m glad I did now. I’m an agent, and I’m always on the lookout for fresh new talent. I love it when things like this h
appen. I was here for one band, and now you’re here in front of me. I always feel like it was meant to be when this happens.”

  I stared at him, still trying to comprehend what he was telling me. He was an agent? An agent was standing in front of me? Was my dream really coming true? My mouth had gone dry, and I was desperate for a glass of water. My knees had felt weak when I’d come off the stage, but they were barely supporting me at all now. I realized that I had better say something because I was coming across like a complete idiot.

  “An agent?” I managed to gasp.

  “Tell me you don’t already have one.”

  I shook my head. “No, I don’t.” Perhaps I should’ve lied and told him that I had a few people interested in me. Maybe it would’ve looked good if I at least pretended that there were other people that wanted to sign me up. But at that moment, I simply couldn’t help but tell the truth. My mind was just not working fast enough.

  “Then please, take my card and call me next week. I would love the chance to talk more with you. You’re just the sort of guy I’m looking for. Hopefully you’ll be as interested in me as I am with you. Give it some thought and let’s talk more. Like I said, you’re just the kind of guy I’m looking to sign up.”

  “You want to sign me up?” I said in surprise. I had dreamed of this moment in forever, and in all those dreams I was cool, calm, and collected. Not this bumbling idiot that stood there now. But I couldn’t help myself. I was just too surprised. Even though I wanted to happen, and even though I always told everyone that it was going to happen, I wasn’t sure how much I believed it. More and more I had started to believe that my dream of becoming a singer was never going to happen.

  “I sure do. You’ve got talent, Silas. Some serious talent. A lot of guys think they have talent and want to have talent, but not a lot of them actually do. But you do. And you’ve got the looks. You’re the whole package. Which, of course, makes my job a whole lot easier. But listen, I have to run off. I have a plane to catch, and I’m already running late. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”