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SIX
Briar
Arlo knockson my apartment door ten minutes later and I smile as I swing the door open and usher him in. My place isn’t much and I can’t believe that they have to fumigate it, especially so close to the semester starting.
When they told me about having to find a new place to stay for a couple of days, I panicked. It had only been a week and I hadn’t really met anyone that I felt comfortable asking to let me crash with them. Then I thought of Arlo.
To be honest, the idea of spending the next couple of days with Arlo sounds amazing. I like spending time with him and I’m excited to get to spend more time with him. I wonder if something will happen between us these next couple of days.
Arlo walks into my place and gives me a quick hug before he walks over to my bags that are packed and sitting on top of the futon. He easily lifts them before he turns back to me.
“Are you sure this is all you want to take with you?” He asks.
“Yeah. They said that it was only going to be for a couple of days.”
“Ok, and then you’re going to spend the weekend at my place too so that we can work on our project, right?”
“Oh, right.” I say as I go over what I packed.
I sigh as I head over to my small dresser and grab a couple more change of clothes, stuffing them into one of the bags. I look around my place one more time before I try to grab one of my bags out of Arlo’s hands. He doesn’t let them go though and we end up having some weird tug of war with the strap.
“I got it, Briar.” He says as he starts to walk towards the door.
I smile as I follow him out the door. He waits in the hallway while I lock the door and then leads the way out to his car. His black Audi is waiting at the curb and he throws the bags in the back before he hurries over to get the passenger door for me.
He asks if I’m hungry and we decide on some pizza place that’s on the way to his house for dinner. I order it on my phone, and he runs in to grab it while I wait in the car. He hands the pizza boxes over to me and slips behind the wheel, driving the short way back to his apartment. He parks in the parking garage and opens my door before he grabs my bags and leads me inside. We ride up to the top floor and I wonder what his apartment will look like while we ride in silence.
The doors open to a hallway and I follow Arlo to the left and wait while he unlocks his door. He pushes the door open and ushers me inside. I walk in and set the pizza down on the counter while I look around at his place.
He lives in the Black Pearl District, only a couple of blocks from the Tulane University campus. It’s a nice part of New Orleans and his building is far nicer than mine. His apartment is also bigger than mine and I spend the next couple of minutes looking around his living room and kitchen. His place is pretty bare and is decorated like a typical man’s place.
He has a big leather sectional that divides the kitchen from the living room. A flat-screen tv is mounted on the wall with a dark blue tv stand underneath. There’s an Xbox and tv console sitting on top. A blue and grey rug covers part of the hardwood floor in the living room.
The kitchen is pretty much the same. Just a blender and coffee maker on the counter. There are several wood and metal bar stools tucked under the kitchen counter but that’s it. Aside from some pictures of his family hanging on the walls, this place looks pretty empty.
“I’ll set your bags in the guest room.” He says before he heads down the hallway towards the back of the apartment.
I follow him down the hallway and into the guest room. It’s pretty simple with just a queen-size bed and a dresser. He sets my bags on the bed and turns back to face me.
“There’s a bathroom through that door and I’m right down the hall.”
I nod before we head back down the hallway and back into the kitchen. He hands me a plate and we each grab some pizza before we take a seat at the counter. He asks me how my classes have been going as we eat. We polish off most of the pizza before we’re both stuffed. We move over to the couch then and turn on the tv, flipping through channels until we land on some nature show. We spend the rest of the night talking until I can’t keep my eyes open any longer.
I must have dozed off on the couch because the next thing I know, it’s morning and I’m waking up sprawled next to a sleeping Arlo. He looks so boyish with his face smooshed into the smooth leather. I have to leave soon to get to class but I can spend a couple more minutes watching Arlo.
His phone starts to vibrate, and I watch as Arlo blinks his blue eyes open, turning off his alarm. He stretches, his eyes sliding over me while he yawns before his eyes snap back to mine. He sits up suddenly, wiping his face off and straightening his shirt as he stands up off the couch.
“Are you hungry?” He asks and I smile.
“I could eat.”
