“This is a lazy day essential, right?”
Beck nods with his eyes closed and the corners of his mouth tugging upward. “Oh yeah, it’s a necessity at this point. Did you get someone to cover your shift?”
“Yeah, Mia said she’s got it.”
“Sweet, so get two gummies out, Killer, we’re starting our lazy day.”
By the end ofThe Nightmare Before Christmasthe gummies have officially kicked in. I’ve completely taken over the majority of the couch. Lying back, I’ve got my feet up with Dottie sleeping next to my legs. Beck’s leaned back on the other side, his glasses are back on and his feet are propped on the coffee table.
“Smash or pass, Jack Skellington?” I say as the credits roll.
Beck doesn’t hesitate. “Smash. Sally?”
My eyes stay locked on the screen as I tilt my head side to side, weighing my options. “Yeah, yeah, smash. I’d be their third.”
“And who would judge you?” Beck starts to laugh, which in turn makes me laugh.
“I don’t know. Some people just don’t get it.”
A long, drawn-out sigh comes from Beck. “No, they really don’t.”
The question of why he stopped laughing is on the tip of my tongue, but then my phone rings on the table. “Ah, it’s my sister. She’s FaceTiming me.”
Beck pulls out his phone next. “You answer that, and I’m going to DoorDash us a ridiculous amount of food.”
“Oh god, please order chicken tenders.”
Beck looks at me like I’m dumb. “Of course I’m going to get chicken tenders and a shit ton of wings.”
“Ooo, hot ones, please.”
He waves me off. “I know what to do, answer the phone.”
Without hesitation, I lift my foot up pushing his bicep before sitting up and answering. “Helloooo, Stella.”
And from that alone, my sister is well aware of my predicament. “Jensen James, are you high right now?”
“I…” My mouth opens—and frankly doesn’t shut, not even to form a response.
Beck snorts. “Busted.”
I kick his side this time. “Shut up, you are too.”
My sister sighs. “Who’s that?”
Beck reaches over taking my phone. “Hey, I’m Beck, your sister’s new roommate,” he says, then hands it right back.
A small beat of silence sits, and suddenly I can’t remember if I told Stella about anything that’s happened over the last two days.
“Roommate? Beck, as in the baseball player is your roommate?”
Okay, yep definitely haven’t told her. “So, funny story, well, it feels more funny now, but anyway—Charlie went major creep mode after I made the astronomical rent raise. He told me I had to get rid of Dottie and that sure as shit wasn’t happening.”
“No, obviously we’d get rid of Dottie over our dead bodies,” Stella agrees.
With her name being mentioned, Dottie’s head perks up in the middle of Beck and me. Beck leans down to plant a kiss on her head before adding some pets.
“Stella gets it, doesn’t she, Dot?”
