Then I sat back and thumbed the file folder containing the lease agreement while I watched the crowed with unfocusedeyes. Who was I kidding? This place wasnt bad. My run of bad luck would have happened whether I lived here, in Denver, in New York, in fucking Antarctica. This place was the crime scene, not the murder weapon. All the things wrong in my life were my own fault, not that of Tucker Springs.
But maybe things would look up now.
If Michael agreed to move in.
Hell, if he didnt, I could always find a different roommate, but
I liked the idea of someone with a mutual friend. And I wasnt opposed to a little eye candy. I could look but not touch, after all.
Yeah, right. I was asking to drive myself insane with a guy like him around my house. God help me if he brought home any “company” for an evening.
And speak of the devil, there he was. One second, the crowd was a blur of faces, the next it was a blur of faces behind Michael as he strolled toward me, sunglasses on and hands in the pockets of his blue jeans. The sun glinted off his watch, drawing my attention to his arms. His sleeves were rolled to the elbows again, revealing his lightly tanned forearms under a sprinkling of dark hair.
I stood, and we shook hands before we both sat, metal chair legs scraping across cobbles as we inched our chairs closer to the small round table between us.
Michael rested his foot on his opposite knee and absently — nervously?—tapping the side of his ankle with his fingers. “So, this sharing a place, you really think its a good idea?”
“You dont?”
He’s here, though. That’s a good sign.
He shrugged. “Just mulling it over, I guess. Its tempting, Ill
give you that. Im just not sure if…” He trailed off.
“Maybe its a good idea, maybe it isnt.” I sat back, folding my
hands in my lap. “If it doesnt work out, theres nothing saying we
have to stick with it forever.”
“Except the whole bit about paying first and last month on a
new apartment, deposits, all that shit.” He blew out a breath. “This
isnt an entirely risk-free proposition.”
“Is any proposition?”
“No, I suppose it isnt.” He was quiet for a moment, then
gestured at the file folderbeneath my wallet and keys. “Thats the
lease agreement, I assume?”
I slid it toward him. “Its nothing out of the ordinary. Just a
boilerplate agreement I found online last night. Its all negotiable if
theres anything you dont like.”
Michael picked it up, and as he perused the pages, I didnt take
advantage of his preoccupation and check him out. Not me. No
way. Because he totally wasnt at just the perfect angle to, when he
tilted his head forward to read, make me wonder what the skin of
his neck tasted like. Didnt cross my mind at all. Not once. Jason. Dude. Snap the fuck out of it.
I muffled a cough. “By the way, in the interest of full
disclosure, the mortgage payments are twenty-three hundred. For
rent, Im asking for a thousand a month. Thatll include everything
except food and what not.”
“Really?” He cocked his head, inadvertently exposing another
fraction of an inch of his neck. “Not fifty-fifty?”
“Not when Im getting equity on the place and youre not,” I
said.
“Hmm, good point. But Im bringing two people in, not just
one.”
“And hes only there half the time anyway. But Im not too
worried since I have to pay the mortgage either way, and quite
honestly, at this point, I just need something to supplement it. And
if I ask any more, it isnt really worth your while, since rent on a
twobedroom is about twelve hundred or so.”
“Plus utilities and that shit.” He smiled. “Youre offering a
pretty appealing arrangement, I just dont want to fuck you over.” You can fuck me over anything you—
“Dont worry about it,” I said. “Youd be doing me a huge
favor paying half that much.”
Michael closed the folder. “Well, Id like to see the place
before I commit to it.”
“I can understand that.” I took out my phone. “Want
But maybe things would look up now.
If Michael agreed to move in.
Hell, if he didnt, I could always find a different roommate, but
I liked the idea of someone with a mutual friend. And I wasnt opposed to a little eye candy. I could look but not touch, after all.
Yeah, right. I was asking to drive myself insane with a guy like him around my house. God help me if he brought home any “company” for an evening.
And speak of the devil, there he was. One second, the crowd was a blur of faces, the next it was a blur of faces behind Michael as he strolled toward me, sunglasses on and hands in the pockets of his blue jeans. The sun glinted off his watch, drawing my attention to his arms. His sleeves were rolled to the elbows again, revealing his lightly tanned forearms under a sprinkling of dark hair.
I stood, and we shook hands before we both sat, metal chair legs scraping across cobbles as we inched our chairs closer to the small round table between us.
Michael rested his foot on his opposite knee and absently — nervously?—tapping the side of his ankle with his fingers. “So, this sharing a place, you really think its a good idea?”
“You dont?”
He’s here, though. That’s a good sign.
He shrugged. “Just mulling it over, I guess. Its tempting, Ill
give you that. Im just not sure if…” He trailed off.
“Maybe its a good idea, maybe it isnt.” I sat back, folding my
hands in my lap. “If it doesnt work out, theres nothing saying we
have to stick with it forever.”
“Except the whole bit about paying first and last month on a
new apartment, deposits, all that shit.” He blew out a breath. “This
isnt an entirely risk-free proposition.”
“Is any proposition?”
“No, I suppose it isnt.” He was quiet for a moment, then
gestured at the file folderbeneath my wallet and keys. “Thats the
lease agreement, I assume?”
I slid it toward him. “Its nothing out of the ordinary. Just a
boilerplate agreement I found online last night. Its all negotiable if
theres anything you dont like.”
Michael picked it up, and as he perused the pages, I didnt take
advantage of his preoccupation and check him out. Not me. No
way. Because he totally wasnt at just the perfect angle to, when he
tilted his head forward to read, make me wonder what the skin of
his neck tasted like. Didnt cross my mind at all. Not once. Jason. Dude. Snap the fuck out of it.
I muffled a cough. “By the way, in the interest of full
disclosure, the mortgage payments are twenty-three hundred. For
rent, Im asking for a thousand a month. Thatll include everything
except food and what not.”
“Really?” He cocked his head, inadvertently exposing another
fraction of an inch of his neck. “Not fifty-fifty?”
“Not when Im getting equity on the place and youre not,” I
said.
“Hmm, good point. But Im bringing two people in, not just
one.”
“And hes only there half the time anyway. But Im not too
worried since I have to pay the mortgage either way, and quite
honestly, at this point, I just need something to supplement it. And
if I ask any more, it isnt really worth your while, since rent on a
twobedroom is about twelve hundred or so.”
“Plus utilities and that shit.” He smiled. “Youre offering a
pretty appealing arrangement, I just dont want to fuck you over.” You can fuck me over anything you—
“Dont worry about it,” I said. “Youd be doing me a huge
favor paying half that much.”
Michael closed the folder. “Well, Id like to see the place
before I commit to it.”
“I can understand that.” I took out my phone. “Want
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