Robbie steps out without a word of protest. He must really be afraid of Drew.
“Did you really go to med school with the Medical Officer of Health?” I ask Drew.
A smile tugs at his lips. “I’m not sure who it is, so . . . it’s possible I did.”
A giggle slips out of me. “It was a good bluff.”
“Thank you.”
“And that line about drilling holes in his head . . . I think he thought you were serious.”
“Nah,” Drew says, but his lips twitch. “You should move in with me.”
“Drew, I?—”
“Think about it, Ally,” he says, and his expression turns serious. “Robbie’s an asshole, and he’s got a key to this apartment.”
“That’s true,” I admit. “But I’ve lived here for months and he hasn’t tried anything. And I think he’s afraid of you, so?—”
“Ally, there’s a leak in the wall,” Drew points out, gesturing to the bubbling paint. “The next time there’s a rainstorm it’ll probably flood again. And I’ve got extra space in my condo. You might as well stay for the three months we’re pretending to be in a relationship.”
“Well . . .” It’s an incredibly tempting offer. Drew’s condo is gorgeous. It’s close to work, there’s a great view of the lake, and the pull-out couch is stupidly comfortable.
If I live there for three months, it’ll be painful to move out.
But even worse? Living with Drew might trick my heart into thinking this who thing isn’t fake. So far, pretending to date him has been easier than I thought. He’s surprisingly considerate, and there’s a wicked sense of humor underneath the sarcasm.
And watching him take on Robbie this morning? Damned hot.
But Drew’s not looking for a relationship. He made that clear from the start, and I can’t let myself forget it.
“I could pay rent,” I offer. That would make it seem more like a business arrangement. “I might as well give it to you instead of Robbie.”
“No, you couldn’t,” Drew counters. “You’re doing me a favor, remember? When we see Nina Tate at the Spring Fling, we’llbe able to tell her we’re living together. In case she’s still considering coming to Somerset for her post-doc.”
I know there’s a flaw in Drew’s argument. We could lie to Nina Tate about our living arrangements, and she’d never know. It’s not like we haven’t lied about the rest of the relationship.
But right now, I don’t care. If he’s willing to let me live in his condo rent-free, I won’t say no.
“Okay,” I say. “Thank you.”
So I tell Robbie I’d like to take him up on his offer to end my lease early. At Drew’s suggestion, I ask Robbie to send me an email to confirm the arrangement, and he does. He even agrees to return the last month’s rent I paid when I moved in, provided I move out by the end of the month.
Drew and I drive to Wal-Mart for cardboard boxes, then spend the afternoon moving me into his condo. Fortunately, I don’t have much stuff, and nothing’s too big to fit in Drew’s SUV. Equally fortunately, Drew’s condo came with a storage unit in the basement that was sitting empty until today. It easily holds a small armchair, a nightstand, and my disassembled twin bed.
The rest of the furniture came with the apartment, and I’m not sorry to leave it behind.
The move takes three trips, and by six-thirty we’re unloading the last of the boxes from Drew’s car. This is the pots and plates from my kitchen, which are also destined for his storage unit. I’m carrying one box to Drew’s three, because he’s worried about the cut on my arm.
“Not a lot of cyclists in your building, huh,” I joke as we walk past the bike rack. There’s exactly one bike chained there, and it’s mine.
“I think you’re the first,” Drew replies with a grin.
We dump the last of the boxes in his storage unit and head up to his condo.
“Tired?” Drew asks me. “How’s your arm holding up?”
“It’s fine.” Moving didn’t put much stress on my injured arm, mostly because Drew did all the heavy lifting. “I’m hungry, though. We forgot to eat lunch.”
