AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh,” Aanya said as Jenny’s face turned beet red. Spotting the cookies, Jenny rushed toward them.
“Did you make cookies? You did! Thank you! Okay, now I’m gonna go die of embarrassment.AfterI finish eating the cookies,” Jenny blabbered as she grabbed a few before dragging a stupefied Aanya out of the room behind her.
Brady and I stared at each other for a few seconds before bursting out laughing. God, I was going to miss them so much.
3
Scott
ThebellrangasI was setting up the table, and I checked my watch. It seemed like Luke was a punctual man. Straightening up my shirt and running a hand through my hair, I made my way to the door. I knew Luke had asked for this dinner because he wanted his friend’s opinion of the room, and maybe of me as well. Honestly, I didn’t fault him for it. From what I’d observed last time, he wasn’t the type to trust someone easily. And if meeting his friend made him feel more comfortable with trusting me and sharing an apartment with me, then I had no problem meeting her. Plus, Angie Grace was the writer of my favorite column, so meeting her was going to be a pleasure anyway.
My eyes fell on Luke the moment I opened the door, and I gave him a soft smile. He was dressed much like the last time we’d met, except his hoodie was a baby-blue color this time around. I smiled at the woman I presumed was Angie, who observed me with a poker face as I stepped back to let them in. I took a moment to process the fact that Angie looked nothing like I’d expected her to. Where I’d imagined a bubbly, cheerful woman with a big smile, Angie gave out a definite ‘stay the fuck away from me’ vibe. I'd read her pieces, though, and I knew a sweet, empathic soul hid somewhere under that cold exterior.
Closing the door, I turned around to face them. “Can I get you anything to drink? Water, wine, beer?”
“Um, water would be fine,” Luke said, and I could see that the ease he’d found on his last visit was gone and he was back to his nervous self.
“Beer for me, thanks.” Angie glanced around the room as she spoke, and I hoped she found the place good enough for her friend. It wasn’t a huge place, but it was in the nicepart of town, so I counted that as a plus. I’d bought it two years ago from the money I’d received from my godfather's will, and I loved the place. The living room was just big enough to entertain a few friends without it getting cramped, not that I did much entertaining. My favorite part of the room was the electric furnace and the deep mahogany couch I’d invested in because of its comfortable size. I could easily fall asleep on it while reading without the fear of an aching back in the morning. I really hoped Luke and Angie liked the place as much as I did.
I grabbed two bottles of water and a beer out of the refrigerator, handing them out to Luke and Angie.
“Um, you can check out the room while I serve dinner, if you want?”
Angie nodded and stalked off down the hallway without another word, Luke following while shaking his head. “You don’t even know which room it is.” He sounded amused as he reached her and led her toward the correct room.
Grinning, I dished up the chicken casserole, mashed potatoes, and gingerbread I’d finally decided on a couple of hours ago. The casserole was a recipe Rochelle—my best friend’s wife—had taught me, and I hoped it tasted as good as hers.
They walked back into the room just as I finished slicing the bread, and I gestured toward the table. “Take a seat. Would you like some wine with dinner, or would you prefer a refill?”
“A refill, please,” Luke murmured as he took a seat. Angie asked for a refill as well, without the please, obviously. Honestly, I couldn’t figure out how this goth-emo girl wrote those pieces that almost always made me tear up. I guessed that was my fault for judging someone by their looks.
I placed the beer and water by their dishes before getting seated. We ate in silence for a while, and though it wasn’t uncomfortable, it seemed like Luke and Angie were having some kind of debate without speaking a word. With a glare at Luke, Angie turned to face me, and Luke dropped his eyes to the dish before looking up at me. “This is really good. You made it?”
I nodded, glad to see that small smile curving his lips. “Yeah. I’m glad you like it.”
Luke’s smile widened infinitesimally before he ducked his head. Before I could think of anything else to say, Angie trained her eyes on me, pinning me with a look. God, she was a scary woman.
“Okay, Scott. I have some questions for you,” she stated in a no-nonsense voice, and I straightened up and gave her a nod even as Luke glared at her. She didn’t spare him a glance, her focus completely on me. I felt as if a Spanish Inquisition was in my near future.
“Do you have a problem with homosexuality or anyone on the spectrum?”
Luke buried his face in his hands with a groan, and I sympathized with him even as I scrambled to answer. “I’m part of the community too, so no.”
Angie tilted her head, but I didn’t elaborate. My sexuality had nothing to do with my ability to be a good roommate, so I didn’t think it was something she needed to know about.
“I noticed the room is fully furnished. It’s a pretty big room, too. Why are you charging such low rent then? What’s the catch?”
I almost laughed, but reined myself in to reply seriously. “No catch. I own this place. The room was lying useless and empty, so I figured renting it out would be better than leaving it to rot.” I wasn’t about to tell her that I was looking to share because I felt lonely. Nuh-uh, especially not in front of my future roommate.
Angie stared at me for a few seconds as if trying to decide if I was lying, but then she nodded. And then the next question came.
“Do you drink a lot?” I shook my head, wondering if Angie was just extremely protective of Luke or if he had a past that made it necessary for her to be. I had a feeling it was the latter, given how nervous Luke always seemed to be. I really hoped he’d feel more comfortable around me once he moved in.
“Drugs? Weed?”
“No and no. I don’t have any kind of addiction, unless you count coffee.”
Angie nodded. “Do you get a lot of visitors? The stay-the-night kind?”
