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“What do you mean?”
“I mean, remember who you are and where you come from. It’s easy, I’m sure, to be swept up into a life of personal drivers, luxury brands, a housekeeper-slash-chef. This brownstone.” She waves her arms in the air as if to encompass it all.
“I’m well aware I’m on borrowed time,” I say. It comes out sounding more defensive than I meant it to. But does Ella truly believe I’m kidding myself? I know none of this is mine.
But does it mean I can’t enjoy it while I have it?
“I’m not trying to be harsh. I’m not. I’m all for this switch you and Elijah agreed to. You needed this shot. And honestly, he definitely seems like someone who could use a break. I’ve just seen too many of these Cinderella movies to know that if you get swept away by it, the clock is gonna strike midnight before you’re ready and all you’re left with is a pumpkin and some rats.”
“That won’t happen to me. When it’s time for this to end, I’ll be ready to give it all up. For sure,” I say. I have to be. Because at the end of the day, what choice do I have?
14
elijah
“Two minutes,” someone says to me, knocking on the bathroom door.
There are ten of us in this apartment with one full bathroom. To avoid any confusion or fighting, we have a strict schedule. In the mornings, we each are allotted twelve minutes to do what we need to do before we have to head to the office.
I have three bathrooms to myself in my part of the house in Korea. Until this summer, I don’t think I’ve ever rushed to get ready or timed my showers in my life. But here, it’s all about prioritization.
I look at myself in the mirror, check my jawline and cheeks. I can probably skip shaving for the next couple days. That’ll buy me some time to actually do something with the overgrown mess on the top of my head. I put on deodorant, rub some gel in my hands, and run my fingers through my wet hair. That will have to do. I take one last look, grab my Dopp Kit, and open the door.
Jason is waiting outside for his turn. He’s whistling some song that he sang at karaoke last night, a ballad from a K-drama OST.
“Someone’s in a good mood,” I say.
“I had fun yesterday. I definitely want to try and hang out with her again. You need to make your way to California sometime soon. Maybe we can all go on a double date since the rest of us live there.”
The suggestion catches me off guard. A double date? And who, exactly, does he have matched up in his head? Surely, Jason means he’d be with Ella and I’d be with Jessica. Right? Because if not, I might have to push him off the top bunk while he’s sleeping. He’d probably only break a rib or an arm or something.
I need to chill.
Maybe I was a fool thinking I could do this, spend this much time with Jessica, without falling for her. But it’s impossible to not be attracted to someone so smart, and driven, and freaking adorable. I want to be around her all the time.
I’m so screwed.
“Dude, outta the way. I only have eleven minutes now,” Jason says, pushing past me into the bathroom. “Oh, and I used the last of your milk in the fridge. Mine was expired.”
So much for having cereal before work.
I drop my stuff on my bunk bed and grab my phone.
Me:Do you have any of those cereal bars left at your place?
I wait for Jessica to get my plea for some morning sugary carbs, and luckily she texts right back.
Jessica:Yup. Will 3 be enough? :)
Me:Perfect. And thanks.
Jessica:See you soon
It’s all so easy. So domestic, even. I don’t have to put my walls up or worry what someone will want from me in return when they offer me something. We’ve already laid all of that in the open right from the start when we made this arrangement. Maybe that’s why everything feels safe with Jessica. I wipe the smile off my face before someone catches me.
Yeah, I gotta avoid any more talking or even thinking about dates. Not gonna happen.
And yet, on the subway ride heading to work, I find myself looking up places we could go and things we could do to show Jessica more of the city.
