Roommates

This is my first attempt at writing something like this. I welcome constructive criticism! 

I hadn't lived in the city long. To be fair, I hadn't wanted to move in the first place, but when you get the kind of job offer I did, you don't say no. 

My new company put me up in a hotel, until I could get my feet on the ground and find a place to stay. Turns out that's harder to do than I had thought. The only affordable things available were so far outside the city, that it would have added a few hours onto just the commute. After weeks of searching, the only option left was to look for someone to split the rent with. A roommate.  

My past experiences with roommates hadn't gone well, so I was reluctant to repeat that experience. As the days went on, and my stay at the hotel was becoming more of a problem to the company, that was fast becoming the only option. Swallowing my pride, I started looking online. 

At first glance there were some decent prospects, giving me hope. Yet each time those hopes crashed to the ground. There would be some reason that it wouldn't work. Some of my reasons were due to having no desire to live in what was essentially a closet, or living in a party house with a bunch of college kids. My desperation was growing. The company said that they would have to stop paying for my room at the hotel soon and I couldn't afford the rates they were charging on a long term basis. The stress began to effect my work. I needed something to take my mind off the whole thing. 

Head in hands, I scanned some reports on my desk. My mind was mostly on the work but it kept wandering to my predicament. A knock came from my door, jolting me from my fugue state. 

"Hey, you busy?" A coworker, Brian, stood in the now open door, pulling on his jacket, looking at me expectantly.

"Oh hey..." I replied, collecting my thoughts after having them scattered by this surprise visitor, "What was that you said?"

He took a few steps closer to my desk. "I asked if you were busy. Some of us are going out and wanted to see if you'd want to join us tonight?"

I glanced at the screen on my laptop and saw that it was almost six o'clock. I had been going over the same reports for the past few hours. "I really need to finish going over this stuff, so probably not." 

Brian came over, perched on the edge of my desk, leaning over it so he could look at the reports in front of me. "Well that explains it, that's the Steinberg account. Thing's been going on for the past year. At this point we don't know if it's ever going to be finished." He closed the folder on my desk, sliding back towards me. "Come on. Looks like you need a drink." Standing up, he grabbed my coat off a chair in my office. " And everyone's curious about you." He gave me a conspiratorial grin, "I've got five bucks riding on you."

I looked at him, confused. My eyebrows going up. "You guys are betting on me?"

Still grinning, he held my coat out to me, tempting me. "Sure why not? Lot of new people come through here. Some stay for awhile, and some take off after a few months. So we made a game out of getting to know people quick and dirty. I've got five on where you went to college."

Head cocked to the side and with a bit of curiosity, I told him my alma mater, "Brown."

Brian's head fell back as he let out a groaning, "Fuuuuuck...Emily had Brown!"

Normally speaking I wasn't a super social person, but I really didn't know anyone here yet and the thought of some non-work conversation sounded great. I looked from Brian, who was focused on his phone now, to the files. I picked them up, stuffing them in a desk drawer. Standing up, I took my coat from him. "Screw it, yeah, I'll join you guys."

He smiled, pumping his fist in triumph. "Nice!" He turned back to his phone. "I'll let everyone know you're coming. That way they have time to get their cash ready." 

On the way over I thought about how strange it felt being the subject of other people's conversation. I'd never really thought about it, but people had to talk about you when you weren't around at some point, especially when you're the new guy. It's not like I ceased to exist when others weren't around me. I just hadn't given it much thought before now.

We met the others a couple blocks over at a bar. Brain explained that it was their usual hangout for these kinds of things. as far as bars go, it wasn't anything special. dim lighting, boring but functional tables and chairs. A couple bartenders stood behind the bar taking orders, pouring drinks, wiping down the bar top, all the while looking annoyed to be there. Familiar songs came from the now digital jukebox on one wall. It felt nice to be in a place that felt like anywhere else in the country.

Brian and I were the last to arrive. Looking around the people gathered at the table I only recognized one face. Roxanne. Roxy, as I learned she preferred to be called, worked in the same department as Brian and me. She was wearing a dark grey pantsuit tonight. At first I had thought she was upper management. Mostly due to the confidence she exuded. It turned out, while she was my senior, we worked on essentially the same things.

Then there was Akoni and Emily who both worked in legal, Matteo from the filing department, and finally Tony. Tony didn't actually work at our company, but contracted with the IT department.

After introductions, Brian bought the first round. Once everyone had a drink, he made a show of paying Emily for the bet she had won while she gloated. As soon as money was exchanged, the rest began to bombard me with questions. Each answer brought an exchange of money. More drinks were bought and consumed as I was forced to share more and more about myself. Thankfully I grew more comfortable with each drink I had. There were loud cheers of approval when a bet was won, groans when one was lost. It was a good time I had to admit. It also felt kind of nice being the center of attention. It was like a birthday without all the pomp surrounding it.

As the night wore on Matteo, Tony, and Emily said their goodbyes, leaving Brian, Roxy, and I to continue drinking. They filled me in on all the office gossip for the company, who I needed to talk to about certain things and who to avoid at any company event.

I lost track of how much we had drank, when I finally looked down at my watch. It had become quite late. "Well shit, lost track of time. Looks like I need to be going I think." 

Brian stood up and stretched. "Yeah, same. I'll catch you all later!" He gathered his things, waved, and left. 

Standing up, I put on my coat. Checking to make sure I had all my belongings. "You sticking around, Roxy?"

She finished the last of her drink before plunking the empty bottle down on the table.  "Nope, that's it for me." Standing up, she smoothed out her pencil skirt. "Which way are you headed?" She asked, as she pulled on a long, high collared coat.

When I told her where my hotel was. She grimaced. "Oh god. That was the place they stuck you?" She cocked her head to one side in thought. "I guess it's better than paying the prices for anything closer." She walked over to the bar to pay her tab. 

I walked up to do the same, pulling out my wallet, only to have Roxy push it away. "New guy doesn't pay. That's one of the rules."

"But you didn't win any money?" I was pleasantly surprised by her forwardness.

Roxy shrugged. "Eh, that's the way it goes sometimes. Besides, everyone's been buying your rounds all night. Not like I'm getting stiffed with the check."

She paid and turned to leave. "Come on. You can crash at my place tonight."

My stomach knotted up, immediately becoming nervous. "Uhh...thats ok, really. I'll just grab the train." I stammered out. We had only just met and we barely knew each other. I had never had a woman make the first move in this kind of situation before.

In a surprisingly aggressive move, she grabbed my arm and pulled me outside. "Shut up. I know what train you'd have to take and it sucks this time of night on a Friday." She walked outside and waved down a cab.

"My place is like fifteen minutes from here. It'll be way better than being crammed in with everyone else on the train." Was it just the drinks getting to me, or had she planned this? My mind spun with what was happening. I had never had a woman be that forward with me. It intimidating... and thrilling.

The beginnings of a polite protest formed on my lips, but her grip just tightened as she opened the back door to the car. "Hurry up, it's cold out!" I scooted across the seat as Roxy slid in beside me. She told the driver where to go and we were off. I marveled at how Roxy was wearing a pencil skirt and heels on such a cold night. She seemed completely comfortable as she crossed her legs towards me.

She hadn't been wrong. Her building was much closer. It would have been another half hour at least before I would have even gotten to my stop. Plus, it felt good to be in a warm, cab when it was so cold out.

Her apartment was on the fifth floor of her building. As we rode the elevator, Roxy filled me in on some of the good places to eat around the area, easing my mind. I almost forgot I was going to spend the night at a stranger's place. Let alone a woman like Roxy's apartment.

"Oh and don't trust the soup at Alfonso's. I've gotten sick from there twice now."

A shocked laugh burst from me. "Why would you go back?" I asked, incredulous, "And then order the same thing?" 

She shrugged, smiling cheekily, her back against the wall of the elevator. "Sometimes you gotta roll the dice."

Once we got into her apartment she dumped her purse on a small end table near a closet. Leaning against the frame of the closet, she pulled her heels off and tossed them aside. Removing my own shoes, I placed them near the door rather than tossing them.

Looking around I was surprised by how large of an apartment she had. I had not expected that from her. As I moved around, checking things out, I observed that it was well-furnished and everything looked recently purchased. Roxy stood in the kitchen filling a large water bottle, which she handed to me. "Here, you can sleep on the couch. I'll get you a blanket." The way she said it had me taken aback. Was this just a game she played with everyone she brought back to her apartment?

My answer came a few minutes later Roxy came back with a large fluffy blanket and a pillow. "Here." She tossed them on the couch unceremoniously. "I'm going to bed now. Night." She trudged into her room and closed the door.

Letting out a slightly confused sigh, I removed my shirt and layed down on the couch. I was glad there was no pressure from her for anything else. This evening had turned out to be something entirely different and new for me. It was exciting.

The smell of bacon and coffee woke me. Sitting up on the couch, it took me a few seconds to get my bearings. As the previous nights events played out, I turned to see Roxy standing in her kitchen at the stove. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, wearing what appeared to be an old t-shirt and some workout shorts. The stark casualness of it was surprisingly attractive. There was even a pang of guilt. Had I missed an opportunity the night before? No. We had both been drunk and it was never a great idea to sleep with your coworkers.

"Morning." I said, announcing that I was there. In case she had somehow forgotten. She turned, a piece of bacon sticking out of her mouth, greeting me with a muffled, "mornin". She scooped eggs off a pan onto two waiting plates. Each already containing a piece of toast and some bacon, before bringing me one. "Coffee's over there." She gestured towards the waiting pot and an empty mug.

We talked over breakfast. Each learning a little more about the other. She had grown up in another section of the city, the oldest of three. She had moved into her current apartment here a year prior. Her last roommate had recently gotten married and moved out.

"It's been rough trying to float the rent since she left. I keep trying to get someone in here but you would not believe the amount of creeps and weirdos out there!" She looked up from her plate, "Speaking of which. You find a place yet? Can't really stay at that hotel forever right?"

I shook my head. My shoulders sagged as my reality set back in. "Not yet. Everything's either super expensive, or crazy far away. I've been looking at getting a roommate to split something with but that's been just as hard, like you said."

She nodded in understanding. "Well if you don't mind rooming with a coworker, you could rent the other room here."

I choked on my coffee a little. Was she this forward with everything? I tried to play it off to not make it seem strange. "I mean...that would be cool. But you don't really know me? You cool with that? I could be some crazy serial killer..." I mimed pulling out a knife and stabbing someone.

She sipped on her coffee like it was a normal everyday thing. "Nah, it would be super unlikely to have two serial killers in the same house."

I stared at her across my plate. "How do you feel about knives?"

She stared back, "Love em. You cool with muffled screams?"

I took a bite of bacon, my eyes locked on hers. "I encourage it."

"Yeah, this is gonna be good. Alright, your share of the rent is due at the first of the month. It's $1,300 plus we split the utilities. You good with that?" 

The price was a bit of a shock. I had to think about what I was making and was it worth it to live this close to work. Even at a quick calculation, the amount I'd save on the train would be worth it in the long run.

"I can do that."

Her mouth was full of bacon and toast as she gave me a thumbs up. "Awesome, well you can move in whenever." Standing up, she walked over to a drawer in the kitchen and took a ring with two keys out. Tossing it to me. "One is for the building, the other is for the front door. I'll get the sublet forms from the building manager for you to fill out. You clean up your own bloody messes and I'll be sure to rinse out the bathtub after I melt someone in it." She stuck her hand out.

"Deal." I narrowed my eyes and tried to do my best psycho voice. "I'll have them move the surgical equipment in on Friday."

Flopping down on the couch I let a deep sigh rush out. It had been a long day and I was looking forward to chilling out a bit in front of the tv. I had just finished my second glass of whiskey when the front door opened and Roxy stomped in. Looking at the clock on my phone I became confused. It was only eight.

"I thought you had a date tonight?" 

Leaning against the wall, she pulled her shoes off, angrily tossing them in the closet. "I did."

My eyebrow went up as I sucked air through my clenched teeth. "That bad huh?"

Nodding, "that bad." She walked into the kitchen, grabbed two beers from the fridge and handed me one before falling into the couch herself. 

"I really don't understand why you would straight up lie on your profile. Like, I'm going to have to meet you eventually." She took a long swig from her bottle. "Dude was in his late fifties! Which I'm not against, mind you."

"Gotta love a sugar daddy." I offered, taking a drink of the beer she handed me.

She pointed. "Exactly! Girl's got a lifestyle to afford. But how do you say you're 32, have a profile pic that looks like it. Then show up to our date looking like the damn crypt keeper!" She shook her head, taking a long pull on the bottle "Fucking bullshit!"

I chuckled. "He got you with that McDonalds ad trick."

"Fucking right! Why is it so hard to get a nice firm but fluffy bun between my hands?" She held her hands out in front of her, grasping an invisible burger.

I fought to swallow before I choked on my beer, "Are we still talking about hamburgers?"

A mischievous grin formed on her face. "What else would I be talking about?" She took another long drink. "And now I'm hungry."

I held up my phone. "I was gonna order some Chinese. You want in?" She nodded. "Get what you want. My treat tonight." I said, handing my phone over to her.

We both changed into some comfortable clothes, returning to the couch. We sat comparing our unique difficulties with dating in the current world. When both of our beers were empty, Roxy stood up. "You want another?"

I thought for a second "I'll have one yeah, but I have something else that might be good to go along with it." Jumping off the couch I went to my room, coming back with my stash box. I sat back down on the couch, the box in my lap.

Roxy, handed me a new beer, leaned over to get a better look at what I had brought out. Opening it up, I pulled out my pipe, a glass jar with several nugs inside, and my grinder.

She laughed and shoved my shoulder. "You've been holding out on me!"

Shrugging playfully, I went through the process of grinding and packing the glass pipe. "I wasn't holding out. I just wasn't sure if you smoked." She lounged back on the opposite side of the couch, smiling. 

"Not regularly, but I'll get down when I can. Fair warning though, I can get a little weird when I'm high."

I let out a short laugh. "Don't we all?"

"Fair enough, just letting you know." Her voice hinted at something but I couldn't make it out.

Finished packing the bowl, I passed it to her with a lighter. We each took a couple hits and were just relaxing when the buzzer rang, announcing our food's arrival. My stomach growled in response. Eager to get eat.

The food was eaten quickly, with a brief battle over a spare egg roll that had found its way into our order. I eventually conceded letting Roxy have it. We ate our fill before putting the food away and starting to search for something to watch on tv.

We settled on a crappy B horror movie. It was easy to sit back, laughing and making fun of it in our inebriated state.

We finished the first movie and took a couple more hits off the pipe before selecting something else. It was some drama that Roxy said looked good. I had never heard of it but figured what the hell. 

I quickly lost interest in the movie. It wasn't super great and the plot bored me. The actors and actresses were good looking and that was about its only saving grace. While I didn't enjoy it, I was pretty high and super relaxed by then, so I decided not to say anything since she seemed to be enjoying it.

About an hour into the movie, I noticed Roxy had begun to fidget. It wasn't anything too distracting, I just happened to notice it out of the corner of my eye and became curious. My focus went back to the movie. After a bit I noticed it happening again. Glancing over, I tried to see what was going on.

She sat with her left knee raised while her right was stretched out on the ottoman. One hand lay across her lap, while the other was resting between her legs.

She was just getting comfortable was my first thought. Before I could return my attention to the movie, I noticed her shift the arm in her lap. It began to caress the inside of her thighs. It had me intrigued.

Not trying to seem too interested in what she was doing, I adjusted myself so I could observe out of the corner of my eye.

As I watched, I saw that the other hand wasn't resting in her lap as I had thought. Her raised leg had blocked me from seeing it fully, but her hand was slipped beneath the waistband of the loose fitting shorts she wore.

My heart did a quick jump. Realization dawning on me. My eyes snapped back to the tv, trying to justify what I had seen. There was no way, I kept telling myself. Roxy and I had only been living together for about two months now. We got along great, but not that great! I admit, I did find her attractive. I doubt there was a single person that would say she was unattractive. It was just that I hadn't really thought about her in a sexual way up until that moment.