I looked at Thomas and shook my head. “Don’t listen to her. Being a recluse isn’t as bad as she thinks it is. Plus, I’ll have classes and I will be studying a lot.”
“Not every day and not every night,” Tamlyn retorted. “Think of him as your bodyguard.”
“You’ve described me as a cruise director,” Thomas said as he took another bite of the grilled salmon.
I was doing my best not to look him directly in the eyes. He was sexy as hell. He was so different than I remembered. There was very little of the old Tommy I knew from high school. The man in front of me? Well, he was a man.
I wanted to know a little more about him. Sitting down to dinner with him and Tamlyn seemed like a good time to pick his brain. I was kind of dreading when it was going to be just the two of us. She served as a good buffer.
“So, Thomas, how exactly did you manage to become so successful so soon?” I asked. “You own your own company, but what do you do?”
“I developed an app my second year in school,” he said. “I wanted to sell it but I wasn’t sure how to go about doing it. Technically, I developed the app the first year of school, but it wasn’t until the summer of my second year that I decided to try and sell it. I took a few classes to learn the business side of things and it just kind of went from there.”
“He makes it sound easy, but he struggled,” Tamlyn added.
“I didn’t struggle with the IT. I struggled with not getting screwed over by a bunch of other tech companies that tried to take my app.”
“Take your app?” I asked with confusion.
“Yes,” he said. “I was threatened with failure. I was threatened with frivolous claims that I stole the proprietary information. You name it, those bigger companies did whatever they could to stop me. That’s why I had to form an actual business. I had to protect myself from the lawsuits they threatened me with. It was a bit of a disaster, but I managed to overcome it. My company is really, really small. It’s just me and a handful of people.”
“Are you working on more software or apps?” I asked him.
I was very un-tech-savvy. I had a smart phone that was too smart for me. I used about four of the fifty apps on the thing. When people started talking tech, my eyes glazed over and there was very little I actually heard. It was different when Thomas talked tech. He made it sexy.
“I am,” he said, and I could see the pride in his face. “I’ve got one set to launch very soon. I’m ironing out a few bugs and then we’re ready to go.”
“Does that mean you will hit millionaire status?” Tamlyn asked him.
He grinned at his sister. “I doubt it, but it gets me a little bit closer.”
“What’s the goal?” I asked before I realized I was shifting into marketing manager role. “I mean, do you plan on expanding your company? Do you like it the way it is?”
“I don’t know,” he answered. “I guess we want to be bigger and take our place at the top, but that’s a long way down the road.”
I was excited for him and I had no doubt in my mind that he would be successful. It was kind of cool to be able to say I knew him when. Back in school, I always thought he was someone special. He was always the guy that was going to be the one who actually did something with his life. He was the quiet guy who stood out of the way and never said much. He kept to himself because he was busy thinking and planning. He was making plans for the future and those plans were coming to fruition for him.
“Guys, this has been fun, but I need to get on the road,” Tamlyn said as we headed back to his apartment.
“You’re not staying?” I asked with surprise. I had assumed she was going to. I was almost hoping she would. I was anxious about being alone with Thomas. He was virtually a stranger.
“I have to get up early tomorrow,” she answered. “I’ll call you tomorrow and make sure he’s being a good host.”
I heard Thomas snort. Tamlyn could be slightly embarrassing at times. She said what she wanted and didn’t seem to mind the consequences. Unfortunately, they were my consequences to pay. I gave her a hug and thanked her for all her help before watching her drive away. Then it was upstairs with Thomas. The elevator ride up was quiet and full of awkwardness. I had a feeling we were both missing Tamlyn’s huge personality.
“Do you need anything?” he asked once we were inside the apartment.
“No, I’m good.”
Another awkward silence. “Okay,” he murmured.
“Thomas, thank you for letting me stay here,” I blurted out. “I know Tamlyn put you on the spot. I’m going to get a job and help out with rent.”
“Don’t worry about rent,” he said. “I’ve got it covered.”
“I don’t want to mooch off you.”
“You’re not mooching,” he insisted. “It’s a big place, too big for me, and I can afford it just fine.”
“I want to help,” I said. “I’ll take care of the house cleaning and make dinner.”
“You don’t need to do that,” he said dismissively. “I have a housekeeper that comes in twice a week.”
I could not be a freeloader. I had to pull my own weight. I would never be able to just sit back and let someone else take care of me. “You have to let me do something,” I said. “I can’t be an extra. I don’t want to be a burden.”
“You’re not going to be a burden. I’m not strapped for cash.”
“I’ll take over the housekeeping duties and then you won’t have to pay someone,” I said. “Let me at least take one bill off your plate.”
He grinned and shook his head. “You were always stubborn.”
I had to smile at that. “I prefer to think of it as determined. I am going to look for a job ASAP. I’ll buy groceries and make dinner. Do you cook?”
“Not if I can help it,” he joked.
“I guess living here in the big city, you probably order in a lot. Or do you have dinner at the office? I feel like I don’t even know you. You are not Tommy from school anymore.”
He shrugged and looked around. “I’m still Tommy, but I prefer to be called Thomas. It’s hard to be twenty-two in this business and be taken seriously. I need all the adult cred I can get.”
I laughed and nodded. “Understandable.”
“Seriously, Lily, you are here to go to school. You don’t have to worry about paying bills and being my housekeeper.”
“I do and I will,” I said firmly.
“I’m helping out an old family friend,” he said with a small smile. “It’s what friends do.”
“Well, it’s a huge gift. I seriously have no idea how I was going to make this work. I got the acceptance letter at the last possible minute. I was convinced I wasn’t getting in. I stopped looking for places here and accepted the fact I had reached the top of my education. Tamlyn suggested your place and I rejected the idea right away. She insisted. I know she can be kind of pushy. I can only imagine how much she pressured you into doing this for me.”
“She didn’t pressure me at all. I wanted to do it. Like I said, the room was empty. I’m not here all that often anyway. We’ll have plenty of space.”
He was a nice guy. He was doing this because he wanted to be the same nice guy I knew him to be. I had to find a way to contribute. I didn’t know what that was going to be just yet, but I would think of something.
“I’m going to get my bed put together,” I said with a sigh. I was not looking forward to the project. I was tired and ready to sleep for twelve hours. The last few weeks had been hectic. And moving sucked. Even if I didn’t have much to move, it sucked the life right out of a person.
“Do you need any help?” he asked.
I could definitely use some help. “Do you have stuff to do?” I questioned.
“Yes, but it’s nothing that can’t wait.”
“If you want to help me get the frame together, that would be great,” I said. “I promise, I will find a way to pay you back for all the help and everything else you are doing for me.”
&n
bsp; “Stop insisting you pay me back,” he said as we walked to my room that was still a disaster. I dreaded unpacking.
“I can’t feel like I’m taking advantage of you,” I told him. “I need to feel like I’m contributing in some way. I will get depressed and be miserable if I can’t help.”
He laughed and pushed a few boxes out of the way to make room for the bed frame. “Fine, but you are not obligated to do anything. If you don’t have money, don’t stress about paying for something. And I’ll keep the housekeeper for now.”
“Why?” I asked. “I’m a neat person. I can keep an apartment clean.”
“Think of it as her needing the job,” he said. “I don’t want to fire her. She’s got kids to feed and her own bills to pay.”
He was switching tactics to appeal to my sensitive side. “Low,” I teased.
“Effective,” he shot back. “Besides, she always leaves a mint on my pillow.”
I burst into laughter. “I’ll keep that in mind. What about laundry?”
He made a face. “I do have a laundry service I use. I drop it off and pick it up all clean and folded.”
I groaned and looked at the ceiling. “I can do laundry. I have to do my own laundry. The least I can do is throw yours in with mine. And don’t tell me there are going to be starving kids if you stop using the service.”
He looked like he was going to say no. “We’ll negotiate later. Let’s get your bed put together. I’ll help you get situated in here.”
“You don’t—”
He held up a hand. “Lily, I want to. You are not a burden. We’re old friends helping each other out.”
“You’re helping me out,” I shot back.
“And one day you’ll help me,” he said nonchalantly.
I seriously doubted that was ever going to happen, but I might need to bank on it just to avoid feeling like a total failure.
8
Thomas
We managed to get the bed put together and pushed into the right spot. “Thank you so much,” she said once we moved the rest of her bedroom furniture into the right places.
“You’re welcome to put your stuff around the apartment,” I told her. “Pictures or pillows or whatever.”
“Thank you. I got rid of almost everything I had. I didn’t want to pay for storage, and I didn’t want to crowd your space.”
“Lily, please, you don’t have to feel like you’re crowding me. The place could use a little sprucing up.”
“Thank you,” she said with a bright smile. “I do have a couple of pictures I wouldn’t mind putting up. I’ll check with you first.”
I could feel her unease. I would probably feel the same way. I liked being independent. I hated being a burden. It was a pride thing. I understood it and I was going to do my best to make her comfortable. I knew she was struggling financially. I had been there myself. She was probably going to go on and have a great job.
I realized I wasn’t even sure what she was going to school for.
“Are you going to crash or be up for a bit?” I asked.
“I wasn’t going to go straight to bed,” she said shyly. “You don’t have to help me. I can do this. I’m sure you have other stuff to do.”
“I was going to show you around the building,” I said.
“Show me around?”
This was when I could take some pride in where I lived. I could show off all the amenities. “This building is a community unto itself. I don’t take advantage of all the amenities nearly enough. I’m hoping you will.”
“I’d like that, thank you.”
We left the apartment and headed to the lobby area. “Nothing fancy here,” I started. “But it’s a nice place to wait for a ride or if you are meeting someone and don’t want to take them to your apartment.”
The lobby area was furnished with several different conversation areas. Couches and chairs were situated around a massive gas fireplace. There were some baskets on tables filled with bottles of room-temperature water and cheap granola bars.
“It’s very hotel-like,” she commented.
“Yes, it is,” I agreed. “This is for the public. Through here is where you will need a code. It’s our apartment number and the last four of my social. I’ll write it down for you.”
It felt strange to call it our apartment. We were cohabitating. That was crazy and kind of cool at the same time.
“You don’t have to do that,” she said. “I probably shouldn’t have that information.”
“Hey, it’s fine,” I assured her. “You don’t know the other five numbers.”
“True.”
I punched in the code and opened the door. I gestured for her to go ahead. “We’ve got the fitness center through here,” I said and pushed open another door. There were a couple of residents working out. “You’ve got treadmills, ellipticals and a variety of weight machines. It’s open twenty-four-seven.”
“Wow. That’s cool. Is this where you work out?”
She knew I worked out. I couldn’t help but flex a little. I was glad she noticed the effort I put in. “I try, but I’m not very dedicated to it. I prefer swimming.”
“Does this place have a pool?”
“It does, right through here.”
We walked to the large open area where the pool was situated. It was bigger than the standard apartment pool. It resembled more of a high-end hotel pool with the curves and hot tub at the end. There were several umbrellas covering lounge chairs facing the pool.
“Wow,” she exclaimed. “This is gorgeous.”
“Over here, we have a few outdoor kitchens you can reserve if you want to host a barbecue or something.” I gestured toward the tables and chairs arranged around the area.
“Does it get used often?” she asked.
“Not a lot,” I admitted. “The building puts on monthly barbecues and social things.”
“What’s that over there?” She pointed to the clubhouse.
“That’s an indoor gathering place,” I said. “The clubhouse. There’s a juice bar and it’s a cool place to hang out.”
“Very cool,” she said.
“You’ve got to see this,” I told her and led her towards the end of the outdoor space. I opened another door and was immediately hit with the smell of wet dog.
“What is this?” she asked with confusion.
“Dog wash.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Dog wash?”
“Yep. The apartment building is very pro-dog. They want those dogs to be clean. There’s also a dog park of sorts attached to the complex, but I see most residents going over to the actual dog park.”
“Are you going to get a dog?” she asked as we slowly walked through the pool area.
“Hadn’t thought about it,” I answered. “I’m not sure I would want a dog in an apartment.”
“Good point.”
“I don’t know. Maybe. They do have a dog-walking service.”
She laughed and shook her head. “You are really living a different life than you did back home.”
“Is that your goal?” I asked.
“To live a different life?” she questioned.
“Yes. Do you want your own apartment like this? Do you want to be wealthy or are you looking for comfortable?”
“I wouldn’t say I have a goal to be wealthy, but I do want to be successful. I want to feel like I’m at the top.”
I definitely understood that sentiment. “I think it’s cool you’re going to grad school. That’s impressive. A lot of work, but it will definitely pay off.”
“I hope so,” she muttered.
“Are you on a scholarship?” I asked and hoped it wasn’t too personal.
“I do have a scholarship. It doesn’t cover everything, but I’ve been working a lot this summer and will be able to cover the rest. Except an apartment. That’s where things were tricky. You really saved my bacon.”
“I’m happy I could help.”
We walked into the apartment and were le
ft with a what-now feeling. “So, I, uh, I have some dishes and stuff. How are you for kitchen supplies?”
I laughed, walked to the kitchen, pulled open a few cupboards, and left them hanging open. They were essentially bare with just a few basic plates, bowls and cups.
She looked at me, then the cupboards. “I’m guessing you rely heavily on the takeout.”
I pulled open a drawer and grabbed a stack of menus. “You could say that.”
“I don’t have much, and it isn’t pretty, but it is functional. I do have a couple of appliances I love. If you don’t mind, can I put them in the kitchen?”
I could see this was going to take some getting used to for her. “Lily, please, make yourself at home. I’ve never had a roommate, but I don’t want us to be the kind of roommates that have to label our food and we have a kitchen schedule. I think we are both adults and can figure out a good balance.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I had one roommate my first year at the university. It only lasted a few months before she moved out and stuck me with all the bills and a huge mess. I’ve avoided roommates ever since.”
“I think that’s why I’ve never had roommates,” I told her. “I’ve heard a lot of horror stories.”
“It was awful,” she said with a shake of her head. “She took a lot of my stuff. I was at school and came home to find the apartment trashed. I lost the security deposit. It took me a good year to recover from that episode.”
“I’m sorry,” I told her. “That really sucks. I promise, I will not be that kind of a roommate.”
“And I promise I won’t trash your very nice apartment,” she said with a bright smile. “If I do something that annoys you, please tell me. Don’t let it fester. Nip it in the bud.”
“Good plan and same to you. If I’m doing something you don’t like, tell me. I don’t want to be an asshole.”
“It’s your apartment,” she reminded me. “You get to be an asshole if you want to be.”
“It’s ours.”
“You’re very generous. I’ll let you get back to your work. I’m going to unpack a bit.”
I was a little bummed to know our night was over. “I’ll see you in the morning,” I said. “Holler if you need anything.”
Match Me Up Page 5