She releases a giant breath, “I’ve probably told you more about myself in those three minutes than I would on the first five dates with someone. Any questions?”
“No. I’m pretty sure you’ve covered everything I could possibly ever want to know.” I set my boxes down on the bed and turn back around to face her.
“Okay, I’ll leave you to get settled. If you need help unpacking, you should probably call someone else. I’m making pasta for dinner.” She calls out, already halfway down the hallway. I’m hanging onto the door frame as I watch her hips sway. When she’s out of sight I retreat into my new room and close the bedroom door.
This is going to be harder than I thought. I’d heard Gabby talk about Tash, but only snippets. Evidently, snippets I wasn’t really paying attention to. And, despite hanging out with her with the group, I didn’t really know anything about her. She was quiet, or maybe I just wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have been.
She seemed to get on well with the girls last night. But now that I think about it, I recall seeing a photo of her with Gabby and Katie a while ago. So maybe that was it, she’d had bonus time to bond with them.
I want to bang my head against a wall but I’m afraid the noise would draw Tash’s attention. All those times I’d met her before she was just Gabby’s hot friend.
She’d immediately been marked as off limits because I couldn’t trust myself not to screw up their friendship. All those times I’d kept my distance, I’d done the right thing - the good guy thing. So why did it feel so wrong that I hadn’t been paying attention to her?
Now… well now she’s my roommate, where does that leave us? Friends? Acquaintances? Roommates who avoid each other because one of them wants to fuck the other? I have no idea.
I pull out my phone, dial Gabby’s number and wait for her to answer. She’s got to have an answer. She did this, she needs to fix it. “Hey, Luke! What’s going on?”
I shoulder the phone to my ear as I start to unpack. I don’t have much in the way of clothes and possessions so it’s rather easy. Clothes go in the drawers; charger goes on the nightstand and toiletries in the bathroom.
“Are you for real? You want me to live with this chick?” I exclaim before thinking better of it. Well shit, that didn’t come out how I meant it to.
“Luke, that’s not nice! You haven’t even given her a chance. Are you even there yet? And that is one of my best friends you’re talking about, by the way.” Ooh, she’s pissed. Rightly so, I sound like a complete tool.
“Obviously, you’re taking what I’m saying the wrong way. Gabs, she’s going to drive me nuts. Like, in the best possible way though. She’s carefree, she fucking cooks, she has a cat named Whiskey for fuck’s sake. Do not even get me started on her ass. Gabby, I’ve never been so hard from looking at someone in my entire life. That’s including high school!”
“Gross. Way too much information there, Luke. But, I’m glad you seem to be getting along.”
“Gabby are you even listening to the words I’m saying; I don’t want to get along with her. I want to be getting it on with her.” I sigh already exhausted. “The way she just talked to me, and that feisty sparkle in her eye… why hasn’t she ever been like that before?”
“I heard you. She’s just a little shyer in public. She’s a real homebody, right now you’re in her comfort zone, of course she’s going to be herself. And all I’d like to say is, check and mate.”
“What? Did you set this up?”
“Of course, how else am I going to win the bet. You have no idea how long I’ve been planning this. And, look how my plan is turning out. First day and you’re already majorly crushing on her. Personally, I thought it’d take longer than that.”
“THERE’S A BET!” What the hell is happening right now? Shit. I think my heart stops beating. I hold my breath as I listen for movement in the hallway. Nothing. Maybe she didn’t hear me.
“Yep, on who can hook you up first. And I am going for gold baby.”
“Ugh,” I groan. “What the hell do you win?”
“Bragging rights, obviously, and two hundred dollars.”
“I really can’t believe this.” My own friends are betting on my love life. On any other day, I’d say they should know better but I fear Gabby may have a real chance here.
“Well, believe it. Look, I gotta go. You enjoy your carbonara.” Carbonara?
“What how did you kn-” And she hung up. Fan-fucking-tastic. I’m guessing she planted that little seed as well.
I need a game plan. It’s not that I’m against being set up, it’s not even that I don’t want to be set up with Tash. But, if something were to happen between us, I’d want it to happen naturally - not because it was forced. And, if that did happen, then I would proceed to tell her about the bet that our moronic friends have going.
First things first, I need to taste the carbonara my little pixie is making.
5
Bree
So far, so good. It’s only been a week, and I’ve only really seen Luke in passing but it’s run smoothly. I picked up a few extra shifts at the restaurant this week which is why when Luke gets home from work every night at half five, I’m already out.
