“Congratulations! I brought Thai because I thought you could use a little pick-me-up.”
“That’s so sweet!” I said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You’ve been working so hard this last week. I thought I could treat you to a nice dinner.”
“I’ll get plates,” I said. “Pizza and Thai food can go together.”
“There are no rules.” He laughed. “I’m going to change.”
I unpacked the bag and opened the boxes he’d brought in. We had only lived together two weeks, but I already knew what he liked and didn’t like. I dished up a plate for him and added a slice of pizza to the corner. He returned from his bedroom wearing a pair of shorts and T-shirt. We sat down at the kitchen bar and dug into our meals.
“Where did you get a job?” he asked.
“A bookstore of all places,” I said. “I just happened to go in and discovered the owner was in need of help. I asked if I could have an application and she hired me on the spot.”
“No kidding!” he exclaimed. “That’s awesome. A bookstore?”
“Yea, like the old-school kind. Not one of those massive monstrosities. Just books. No coffee bars or games and no music. Just books. It’s very quiet and maybe even a little dusty. It’s quaint. I’m excited. I know this sounds terrible, but I’m not all that worried that it will be slow. I think we’ve established I like slow. I’m hoping I can use the downtime to study. Then I could work more hours. I already cleared it with her and she’s fine with me studying when there’s nothing else to do.”
“I’m so glad you found a job,” he said. “I never doubted it for a second. It sounds like it’s the perfect job for you.”
“It just took a little patience, right?” I teased.
“Sometimes patience is a good thing. Sometimes you have to make things happen. You made it happen because you didn’t give up. Good for you.” He said it with real admiration in his voice. It gave me the warm fuzzies. It was nice to have someone in my corner.
“Thank you,” I said. “Really, thank you for being the cheerleader I needed this last week. I was so ready to give up.”
“I’m glad you stuck it out,” he said.
I took a bite of my pizza. “We should make this our thing,” I said.
“What?” he asked with confusion.
“Our Tuesday tradition,” I said with a laugh. “Tino’s and Thai Tuesdays.”
He flashed a smile before holding up his bottle of beer. I picked mine up and clinked it against his.
“Deal,” he said. “Keep your Tuesdays clear.”
14
Thomas
I stared at the monitors spread across my desk. My eyes were blurring from staring at coding all day. I needed a break before my brain exploded. I had been hyper-focused for hours. I felt my brain coming up for air and knew I needed to take a step back. I checked the time and saw it was after eleven.
Today was Lily’s first day on the job. As it turned out, the bookstore wasn’t all that far from my office. Our friendship was definitely growing. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but I thought that maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny spark between us. I could admit that it might be wishful thinking, but I was sure I noticed a change in the way we interacted. I swore I saw her looking at me differently.
It could be all in my head, but I wanted to believe she noticed me. Like noticed me as the man I was now and not the kid I used to be. I was walking a thin line. I didn’t want to come on strong and make her uncomfortable. A little light flirting was okay, but whenever I was tempted to strut around in nothing but a towel, I talked myself out of it. I didn’t want her to pick up and move.
I was going to continue working the friend angle. If she happened to warm up to me and gave me the green light, I was going for it. To make sure she knew I could be a good choice, I wanted to stay visible, so to speak. We lived together, but that wasn’t exactly romantic. Not yet anyway.
“I’ll be back in an hour,” I said and stopped by Chris’s desk.
“You’re leaving?” he asked with shock.
“I’m going to grab lunch.”
He looked puzzled. “You never leave to grab lunch.”
“I am today.”
“What’s going on?” he asked with actual concern on his face.
I rolled my eyes. “I’m just going to get some lunch.”
“Why don’t you just order it like you always do?”
“Because I want to go out,” I insisted.
He shook his head before pointing a finger at me. “Something’s up. What’s really going on?”
I looked around and made sure no one was eavesdropping. “I want to take Lily lunch,” I confessed. “It’s her first day on the job.”
He grinned. “You’re hot for her.”
“I am not.”
“It’s not like you have to be ashamed of it,” he said. “You don’t have to live like a monk. Go for it. Take her lunch. Hell, take her flowers.”
“I can’t take her flowers,” I said. “That would be a little too obvious. She’s my roommate.”
“I live with my wife,” he said. “Trust me, there is something to be said for living with the woman you’re with. Just think of all the sex. You don’t have to worry about making time or losing sleep or whatever.”
“You are getting way ahead of yourself. I’m just taking her to lunch.”
“But you want it to be more,” he said.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’m not pushing.”
“You’re the owner of a successful business,” he said. “You know how to take risks. You know there is no reward without a risk. You like this girl, so why not see if there is something between you?”
“Things are kind of weird,” I said, trying to explain. “We knew each other before. I had a crush on her back then and she didn’t look at me twice. Things are different now, but I don’t know if she sees me as a viable option. I don’t know what she’s interested in. I don’t want to come on too strong and scare her away.”
“I get that, but don’t wait too long,” he warned. “If she finds a new man, you’re never going to get a chance.”
That was one of my biggest fears. I wasn’t sure how I would handle it if she got a boyfriend and brought him over. What if the guy stayed the night and I had to listen to them fucking in her room? I was sure that would tear me apart.
“I’ll start with lunch,” I said. “We’ll go from there.”
“Turn on that charm I know you’ve got hidden under that goofy exterior,” he called out.
“Thanks,” I said and walked out.
I picked up a Cobb salad and a diet drink. The salad wasn’t a hint or an insult. I knew she loved Cobb salads and I wasn’t sure when she would get the chance to eat her lunch. I parked my car and looked around the area. I felt a sense of protectiveness over her and wanted to make sure she wasn’t working in a dangerous area. It looked fine.
I walked into the bookstore and immediately understood why she was drawn to the place. It had a certain charm to it.
She popped out from behind one of the rows. “Hey!” she exclaimed.
“Hi.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked. “Is everything okay?”
I held up a bag. “I thought I would stop by and check things out, and I brought you lunch.”
Her smile lit up my world. “You brought me lunch?”
“I did,” I said and handed her the bag.
“Thank you. This is so kind.”
“How do you like it so far?” I asked.
“It’s fun,” I said. “I’ve been dusting and tidying up. She actually left me alone to run the place.”
“Wow. That’s impressive. She must trust you.”
“I think the poor lady was exhausted and needed some time off,” she said.
“I guess there isn’t a lot of business that comes through?”
“Not so much,” she said with a laugh.
There was a pause in the
conversation. I was suddenly uncomfortable. “I should let you get back to work,” I said. “I just wanted to say good luck on your first day.”
“Thank you so much for this,” she said.
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you tonight.”
She stunned me when she lunged at me and gave me a hug. “Thank you,” she said again. “You have seriously helped me so much. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
I hugged her back. “You’re welcome.”
I walked out of the bookstore and felt buoyed. I didn’t want to get too excited, but I was more certain than ever things were definitely evolving between us. I felt like there might be a real chance of this thing between us becoming real. The hope stirred up a lot of old feelings. I used to daydream about us being together. Lily had been the star in many of my wet dreams.
I headed back to the office and was about to go in when my phone rang. It was Tamlyn. “Hello?” I answered.
“Hey, little brother,” she said in her usual cheery voice.
“What’s up?”
“How’s Lily?” she asked.
“Why don’t you call her and ask how she’s doing?” I replied.
“Because she won’t tell me the truth,” she answered like it was so obvious.
“What does that mean?”
“I know Lily and she will always say everything is okay, even when it isn’t okay,” she said. “I want to know how she’s really doing. She told me it took a while to get a job. I know Lily and that would stress her out.”
“She seems fine to me,” I said. “I know she was a little stressed, but I think she’s more upbeat now.”
“What about the living situation?” she questioned.
“What about it?”
I was beginning to feel like I was being interrogated. My sister was not known for her tact. She liked to call out a problem when she saw it.
“Are you guys getting along?” she asked. “I know I kind of pushed you into taking her as a roommate, and I appreciate that, but are you guys okay?”
“You wait until now to ask me if I’m okay with this?” I said with a laugh.
“I knew you would be okay with her living with you,” she said. “Are you being your usual obnoxious self?”
“I’m not obnoxious. I think you might be referring to yourself.”
“Are you making her feel welcome?” she pressed.
“Yes, Tamlyn,” I groaned. “We’re fine. She’s been an amazing roommate. Is that what you want to hear?”
“No, I want the truth. I know you both. You’re both anti-social. I can only imagine what that must be like. Do you guys even talk or just hide out in your rooms?”
“We talk. We eat dinner together and usually have breakfast together. I know she felt bad about not getting a job right away. She makes dinner all the time. She keeps the apartment clean to the point my housekeeper has suggested she find another client. She’s been a great roommate. We do hang out.”
“Hang out? Like you go out?”
“No,” I said. “At home. We’ve worked out once. We went down to one of the socials the building put on. We don’t hide in our rooms.”
“Thank goodness.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “Have you guys gone out on the town?”
“Nope. Believe it or not, that is not something we are big on. We like hanging out at home.”
“Home?” she questioned. “You sound like you guys are really settling in.”
“We are,” I said.
There was a pause in the conversation. “Are you guys becoming friends?” she asked. “Like real friends.”
“I think so,” I said. “It’s nice to have someone to talk to at the end of the day.”
She laughed and I could almost hear her smugness. “I did good.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You were lonely and now you’re not. I found you a friend. I think you owe me a thank you.”
“For what?”
“Taking care of my little brother,” she cooed. “Now you’re not lonely. But you guys have to lean on each other and start venturing out of the apartment. You have a friend now. She can be your wingman.”
“I’ve got to get back to work,” I said. “Lily is fine. If you want to know more, call her.”
“I’m going to,” she said. “Get her out of that apartment. Don’t let her become a recluse. You guys have to get out and enjoy that fabulous city.”
“Got it,” I said. “I’ve got to get back to work. I’ll talk to you later.”
I ended the call before she could say anything more. Tamlyn meant well, but she didn’t understand that not everyone was like her. We didn’t all have to be social butterflies. There were other ways to be happy.
When I went back to the office, I had barely sat down when Chris came into my office and closed the door behind him. “Well?” he asked. “Is there more happening? Is romance blooming?”
“I took her a salad,” I said. “That’s not exactly the ticket to a relationship.”
“But do you think it could?” he pressed. “Baby steps. I get it. You want to take it slow and easy.”
“I do,” I said. “I don’t want things to get mixed up. I like what I have with her. I like our easy friendship. I don’t know if what I feel for her is because of what I felt back then or if it’s real. It’s only been a couple of weeks. I want to see where it goes without a lot of pressure.”
“I get it,” he said. “I think it’s awesome and I hope it does work out. I’ve noticed the change in you since she started living with you.”
“I haven’t changed.”
He laughed. “Oh, yes you have. I have never known you to leave by five every single day. You practically fly out of here because you want to get home. I know the feeling. I have it most days. Not every day. The honeymoon period wore off, but I still look forward to going home every night.”
He wasn’t much older than I was, but he seemed to be a lot farther along on the road of life. I wondered what it would be like to be welcomed home every night by a large family excited to see me.
Was that in my future?
15
Lily
Gloria, my new boss, came out of her office with her purse slung over her shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t mind picking up the extra hours?” she asked me.
“I’m thrilled to pick up the extra hours. My classes start next week. I may as well get as much time in as I can and you should take full advantage of me. Take some time off and rest.”
“I appreciate that,” she said with a warm smile. “You have my number. If you have any problems, you just give me a call.”
“I will,” I said and watched her walk away.
After she left, I got busy putting away the new shipment of books that had come in. It was a collection of new and used. After I put them away, I wandered over to the vintage and antique wall of books. I wasn’t big on the old books, but they were kind of awe-inspiring. I pulled an old copy of Little Women from the shelf. I opened it up and ran my hand over the front page. How many people had held this book? I imagined a young woman reading by candlelight or maybe, after finishing her chores for the day, she went outside to read under a tree.
I heard the bells on the door and put the book back in its place. A young woman looked a little lost. “Can I help you?” I asked her.
“I think I might be in the wrong place,” she said.
“What place are you looking for?”
“I, uh, I was hoping to find a book for my computer class,” she said.
“I think you’re probably looking for the bookstore on the other side of the campus,” I said. “But we do have some books on computers.”
She didn’t look convinced. “Thanks, but I need something a little more modern.”
She walked out of the bookstore. I wasn’t surprised. I held the belief that bookstores like this only appealed to a very select group of people. I went in the back and grabbed the dusting supplies. Once again,
I was interrupted by the bells.
This time, I was certain I would be making a sale. A middle-aged man in a polo and khakis walked right to a row. “Let me know if I can help you with anything,” I said and left him alone to browse.
He jerked around when he saw me. “You work here?”
“I do.”
“Where’s Gloria?” he asked.
I wasn’t sure what kind of crime this area had, but I couldn’t imagine bookstore owners were regular victims, which was what he seemed to imply with his question. His eyes were darting around the store like he was either looking for her body or an escape.
“She took the day off,” I said. “I just started working a couple of days ago.”
He studied me carefully and then finally nodded once. “I’m fine,” he said.
I took that as his acceptance of my story. I left him to browse and went back to my cleaning duties. Eventually, he made his way to the counter and deposited three books on the surface. I couldn’t help but notice the titles were all on the paranormal. It certainly explained his weirdness.
“Here you go,” I said in a cheery voice and handed him the bag with his books inside.
“Thank you. Do you know much about books?”
“I read a lot, if that’s what you mean,” I said with a laugh.
He didn’t find it funny and quickly left the store. I wasn’t sure there was a right answer to his question. I shrugged off the man and went back to work. Throughout the day, I served a few more customers before things died down again. I found myself browsing the romance section. I pulled books off the shelf and looked at the covers.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” I laughed aloud and slid another title back onto the shelf.
I found myself drawn to the covers with the hero wearing glasses or looking just a little on the bookish side. The muscle-bound, long-haired jocks weren’t doing it for me. It was the men who most resembled Thomas, I suddenly realized.
I put the books back on the shelf and locked the doors at closing time. I did what Gloria told me to do for closing duties and went out the back door. When I got home, Thomas was just coming out of his room. He was wearing his usual workout clothes, which I found odd given the time.
Match Me Up Page 9