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“You know I’d love to offer, but my place is under construction too—with the expansion and all,” Hawk says.
As I listen to the exchange, I silently pray. I pray because I know, and Hawk knows, that I have an unoccupied spare room that literally has nothing in it.Please no. Please no. Please no.
“God, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Derek continues. “I’m starting to feel slightly panicked.”
Hawk shakes his head back and forth, appearing to be in deep thought about the situation. We each take more bites of our sandwich, then Hawk looks up at me. “I know,” he says. “Will, you have a spare room, right?”
Fuck, fuck, double fuck, son of a bitch.
“Uh, yeah,” I say, nearly whispering. “But Derek doesn’t want to cram himself in that tiny room.” I wave my hand in the air as if the tiny room is somehow worse than being homeless.
“Willette, my dear, it’s your spare room or a cardboard box at this point,” Derek says, his eyes holding a level of pleading emotion.
“I mean, well, sure. Of course you can stay with me until you find somewhere,” I say, faking as much cheerfulness as I can muster.Do not panic, Will. Don’t. Do. It.
“Oh my god, you’re a lifesaver,” Derek says. “And I’ll pay you, of course.”
I wave off his offer of payment while knowing he will insist paying anyway.
“Good, it’s settled then,” Hawk says. “You can look for a place with less worry now, and you have a backup plan if you run out of time.”
Great. Just great.I guess everybody wins then, huh? Nope. Not me. Not Will. I get to be roomies with the boy I’ve had a crush on since puberty. Awesome.
Derek exits a few minutes later, leaving me alone with Hawk, who is completely oblivious to the mess he’s just made for me.
“Dude,” I say. “Why?”
“What?” he asks, tilting his head at me like I’m a puppy.
“Nothing,” I say. “Never mind.”
“Okay…” His response trails off to nothing, as he looks at me quizzically.
“I have to go yell at a paint guy,” I blurt, grabbing my cell phone and walking away. I figure if I’m going to be screaming—and I will be—I should do it outside. Not only does he deserve to be screamed at, but I have an overwhelming need to scream in general. At the top of my lungs. Into a pillow.
As fate would have it, I’ll aim it at the guy who fucked up the smaller part of my day.
GOOD TO BE A MAN
DEREK
Isign my name to the bottom of the storage unit form, crossing the T in my last name and handing the pen back. I just locked up my entire life in an alarmingly small space and paid it three months in advance.
Not that I have any reason to suspect it will take that long to find a place, but it’s easier for me to pay and put it out of my mind. I’ve never been particularly good at remembering small things like that.
I throw my copy of the paperwork in the passenger seat, the back and trunk filled with some essentials. Given Will’s spare room was empty, I did manage to fit my bed and a dresser in there. Aside from that, I’m only taking clothes, some books, and some items from my home office, just in case.
She wasn’t lying when she said it was tiny. When I say I managed to fit my bed and a dresser, I quite literally mean that’s all that would fit. It’s a squeeze to be sure.
A few minutes later, I pull into the parking lot of the apartment building that will be my home for a little while.
I don’t think being Will’s roommate will be that bad. If I recall, she’s a hell of a cook, and I’m hoping I get to reap at least that benefit while I’m here.
I swipe the spare key she gave me from the side pocket of my briefcase and sling my duffel over my shoulder.Here goes nothing.Three flights of stairs no less than twice a day will sort of make up for the fact that I haven’t been to the gym, right?
Will isn’t here right now. She said she’d still be at work, but to make myself comfortable and settle in.
My furniture was delivered and set up yesterday, so all I have to do is throw some sheets on and then I can sleep. I’ve been off work for a few days sorting this out, and I’ll have to work night shift for the next few days. Not that I mind. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the night crew, and they’re definitely a different sort of bunch. But it also means I need sleep very soon.
