I guess I can start looking for someone.
DARCY
No need! I have the perfect person.
ME
Who?
DARCY
I need you to keep an open mind…
Her hesitation is scaring me a little. She and I have always been straight shooters. We tell it like it is.
ME
Ok…
DARCY
It would be a little different. But Waylon is looking for a roommate.
I stare at my phone blankly. Is she fucking yanking my chain? Instead of replying by text, I navigate and click the “call” button. She picks up on the first ring.
“Please tell me you’re joking.” I push a fork through my food, trying to cool it down a bit. Her texts distracted me, and I might’ve left it in a little too long.
“I’m not. He’s looking for someone right now. He just texted Ridge and the guys about it. And he’s in the group, so it wouldn’t be a brand-new person pulled into the circle. He’s already in the circle.”
“What fucking circle are you talking about?” I try taking a biteof the pasta, and it’s still a little too hot. I hear her sigh through the phone.
“Listen, Lyric. I think we can all agree Ridge is a fucking saint. A real good guy. Right?”
“That goes without saying. Your boyfriend is fucking perfect.”
“And these guys, they’re like family to him. And now, they’re like family to me. I trust them. And I think Waylon would be a really good roommate.”
I roll my eyes at the mention of his name again, and a flash of what happened between us rears its ugly head. It wasn’t anything, really. We barely even kissed. But, man. Things were hot and heavy on the flirting when everyone was over that night. We made eyes over the counter. He bent down and whispered little jokes in my ear. I invited him into my bedroom. We kissed a little. But then we talked for hours. He told me about his childhood; I told him about mine. He asked me questions about my job and didn’t seem grossed out by what I do. Which is a big deal because that happens a lot. I fell asleep with my head on his chest.
Sometime in the morning, he slipped out to the kitchen. I heard him tell Ridge “It’s not like that” and “It’s not what you think,” and he never came back in. I thought he might, but when too much time passed, I stopped waiting. Then he never mentioned it again. Like what the hell?
And excuse me, but I’m not going to be one of those pathetic girls who goes chasing after a guy who clearly isn’t interested. It just… it had seemed like he was. I don’t know. Maybe enough time has passed that itwouldn’t be so awkward.
“I guess he can move in,” I say after a quiet minute.
“Well, you’d be moving in with him.”
“Why? I like my place.”
“Because you’re renting and he owns his place. Plus, you’d have your own bathroom. And he has a dog!”
I hadn’t forgotten about the dog. I’ve not met Tater personally, but I have heard about him. And I do like dogs. And the idea that I’d have my own bathroom. So I relent.
“Fine. I guess I can stop by and look at the place or something. But no promises.”
We end the call with her being way too excited and me slightly worried, which is about right. Despite my reservations and resistance, I know I’ll probably end up agreeing. If only because it makes Darcy happy, and if I know anything, it’s that she cares about me and wouldn’t put me in a position if she didn’t trust it.
Which is more than I can say for myself.
