I opened the chocolates, perusing the options as I absentmindedly replied, “You do?”
He cleared his throat. “The team are traveling to Australia next month for some test matches—”
“That’s exciting,” I said, and popped a salted caramel in my mouth.
“I was wondering how you’d feel about coming, uh”—he stopped himself, swallowed, cleared his throat, and then finished—“how would you feel about traveling with me?”
I’d just swallowed the chocolate when he said the words with me; naturally, I coughed on the caramel.
His eyebrows pulled together. I couldn’t decide if his expression meant he was concerned about my choking or something else.
I shook my head, reaching for my water and chugging until I was sure I could speak. “To Australia?” My voice was still raspy, my airway coated in caramel.
He looked away, seemed to need a moment to gather his thoughts, and then brought his eyes to mine. “Yes. I believe it would be wise to have you there.”
Ah, right. I’d almost forgotten. It was just that living together felt so natural, it was easy to forget this was a job.
“All your expenses would be paid for.”
“But I have college.”
“It’ll be during your spring break, so you’ll have the time off,” he reassured. He also seemed to be observing me closely for a reaction.
I’d intended on spending those days studying and racking up extra hours at my paid internship. Though I had to admit, the idea of going to Australia with Will and the entire rugby team was exciting. And I didn’t feel compelled to go because it was my job. I actually wanted to go. Plus, I could study on the plane and in the hotel room.
Finally, I replied, “Let me check with my internship first, but let’s—tentatively—sign me up.”
He exhaled a small breath, his forehead clearing. Was he relieved? Did he think I’d say no? The way his shoulders relaxed made me suspect I was onto something. Then again, I could be reading too much into it.
“Good. I’ll email you details,” he said just as his phone rang. He glanced at the number, frowned, then went into the living room to answer. I ate another chocolate, then made a start on the dishes while surreptitiously listening to Will’s phone conversation.
“I’m free Saturday night,” Will said to the person on the other end. Whatever he was discussing, he seemed reluctant. I chanced a quick peek in his direction and found him watching me. He really did do that a lot. It wasn’t just my imagination, I was sure of it. Although, maybe he was like that with everyone, watchful, intense.
He does like to watch, after all.
That thought brought heat to my cheeks, so I returned my attention to the safety of the dishes.
“She wants to bring a chaperone?” I heard him say, sounding confused. A moment of silence fell as he listened. “Okay, a double date could work.”
More listening.
“No, don’t do that. I know someone.” He pushed his fingers through his short hair again. I was learning his mannerisms and recognized this was something he did when he was extremely frustrated. “Okay. Talk soon, Annie. Bye.” Will sighed as he returned to the kitchen, slipping his phone in his back pocket. I glanced at him.
“Everything okay?”
He made a gruff sound in the back of his throat. “I’m going on a date with a singer.”
Something about the statement made my heart sink, which made no sense. I tried to muster some enthusiasm. “That’s great, Will.”
“No, it isn’t. It’s all fake. Ronan Fitzpatrick’s wife, Annie, is a PR consultant, and the team hired her to help with my image. The singer is one of her clients, too, and she needs to—I don’t know—gain some street cred by dating a bad boy. It’s ridiculous.”
“It’s showbiz,” I countered, making jazz hands, which immediately made me feel silly, especially since I was dripping water everywhere, so I put them down. “I bet celebrities do this all the time.”
“I’m not a celebrity,” Will grumped.
“Well, you are, sort of. You’re a public figure.”
He made another grunting sound.
“Oh, cheer up, Charlie. It could be worse. If she’s a famous singer, then she’s probably gorgeous.”
His eyes met mine. “I need you to come with me.”
I gave a small snort. “You what?”
“This singer, Ophelia, apparently she’s shy around strangers, so she wants her producer to come and make it a double date.”
I blinked at him. “And you want me to be his date?”
Will nodded.
I raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? You know what I’m like with people, especially when I meet them for the first time. I’m awful.”
“You’re wonderful.”
“You need your head examined,” I laughed, though I was flattered by the compliment. Will was one of the few people in this world who actually got me. It was such a stroke of luck that Bryan and Eilish brought us together. I’d only known him a couple of weeks, but already I was glad to have him as a friend.
“Will you come on the date?” he asked, sounding hopeful.
“Well okay, but be warned. This mouth of mine is liable to make things very weird very fast.”
Now he smiled. I even saw a hint of teeth. “Your mouth is one of my favorite things about you.”
Nine
@JoseyInHeels: I often think about how Bernese Mountain dogs only live for 6 – 8 years and I become unreasonably sad ☹️
@THEBryanLeech to @JoseyInHeels: If @WillthebrickhouseMoore were a dog, that’s what he’d be. Poor giant bastard.
@WillthebrickhouseMoore to @TheBryanLeech and @JoseyInHeels: You know you can ride that dog like a horse, right? #alwaysaplusside
JOSEY
The next day as I was leaving the apartment complex, I was met by a man who I suspected was a journalist before he even opened his mouth. He had that overeager look in his eye. There’d been a few regulars hanging around outside, hoping to get a conversation with Will, but they’d never tried to talk to me. Until now.
“Hello Miss, you live with William Moore, don’t you?”
“No comment,” I replied. I didn’t have time for this since I was in a hurry to get to class. But even if I wasn’t in a rush, there was no chance I’d talk to this joker.
“I’d just like to get his side of the story,” the guy continued, walking alongside me.
“I said no comment.”
“Are you his girlfriend? What do you think about the stories that are circulating?”
It took willpower of steel not to reply.
“I mean, if I were you, I’d be pissed. I can’t imagine how humiliating it must be to find out your other half is having sex with prostitutes. Or, well, he wasn’t exactly having sex with them, was he?”
I stopped walking and grit my teeth. I opened my mouth, about to put this piece of work in his place, but then thought better of it. He was purposely trying to rile me. All he wanted was a reaction so he could write about it in whatever crappy magazine or website he worked for.
Finally, I said, “No comment, and if you don’t stop following me, I’ll call the police.”
This time when I walked away, he didn’t follow. For the rest of the day, I had a knot in my belly. I worried for Will and where all this media attention was going to lead. Surely, if he kept himself on the straight and narrow they’d lose interest over time.
But what really worried me was my own personal feelings on the matter. I’d wanted to turn around and give that journalist a piece of my mind. I’d wanted to defend Will like he was mine to defend, like I actually was his girlfriend and not merely his roommate.
I needed to reel it in and remind myself that this was nothing more than a working arrangement, a friendship at best.
When I arrived home that evening, Will was sitting on the couch wearing his black-rimmed reading glasses, his e-reader on his lap. The glasses were cute, but what was even cuter was the fact
that Rocky was curled up asleep under his arm.
It hadn’t taken long for my dog to charm Will. Now I was certain he was slipping him extra treats and taking him for walks when I was in class. It warmed the cockles of my foolish heart.
“Hey,” I said as I came in. “I have had such a day. I stepped on gum and tracked it into my classroom, and my shoe made that noise—you know, when something sticky is on it?”
Will gave me a nod and a half-smile, listening. Rocky lifted his head, saw it was me, then went back to sleep.
Hmm. Some people’s loyalties were easily bought.
“Anyway, I needed to pick it off, but I didn’t have anything, and this guy in my class offered me a napkin. So, of course I used it. But then I looked at the logo on the napkin and I didn’t recognize it, so I asked him about it and—turns out—it was from a solicitor’s office! What kind of solicitor has logos on their napkins? Weird, right?”
“Yeah. Strange.” His smile grew and he returned his attention to whatever he was reading.
I went into my room to change into some lounge clothes, stopping short when I reached the threshold. There on the windows were a set of brand new blinds. Will had put them up for me.
For some reason, I felt emotional. I knew it was a small thing, and Will probably would’ve put them up anyway, but it was just so nice of him to do it. Ever since I moved in, I’d been getting fully dressed in the bathroom after my showers. And I did love to potter around in my underwear from time to time.
I walked back out into the living room, unable to keep the smile off my face.
Will must’ve sensed my attention because his gaze flicked up. “Everything okay?”
“You put blinds on my windows.”
“I said I would.”
“Yes, but, well, it was very kind. Thank you.”
Will grinned, a full on, teeth showing smile, and it took my breath away. We stayed like that for what felt like a full minute, just grinning at one another like a pair of loons. My cheeks started to heat. I coughed and looked away.
I was having…feelings.
I couldn’t tell if they were platonic or romantic, but there was this hot itch under my skin that wouldn’t go away. And my stomach was all tense and achy, like I was hungry, but different.
This was compounded by the fact that, well, I noticed him watching me all the time.
If I was playing with Rocky, or folding laundry, or making a cup of tea, he watched. I didn’t find it disconcerting, but I did find it curious. I felt like I was Jane and he was Tarzan, studying me so he could figure out what made humans tick, what our facial expressions and body language meant.
Obviously, that wasn’t the case with Will because he’d been raised by human beings and not animals in the jungle.
So why did he watch me so much?
For a second, I considered asking Eilish to ask Bryan if Will watched him too, when they lived together, but thought better of it. Bryan would probably say something to Will and then there’d be an atmosphere.
I hated atmospheres. Usually because I had a habit of creating them.
“I could wash your laundry,” I blurted.
“Pardon?”
“You’ve got a pile of dirty training gear in the basket by your bed. Not that I was lurking in your room. I just saw them when I was walking by, you know, out of the corner of my eye. I wasn’t looking directly through your door, it just casually caught my attention. I was like, ‘Oh! Look at that laundry.’ Anyway, since you put up the blinds for me, you should let me wash them for you.”
Will’s mouth crinkled at the edges like he was trying not to smile again. “Josey.”
“Yes?”
“You’re not washing my dirty jocks. This isn’t quid pro quo.”
I flushed at the mention of his underwear and struggled on. “Well it should be. We’re roommates. I don’t want to feel like I’m taking advantage.”
“Now that would be something,” he muttered quietly.
“What?”
He leveled me with an intense stare. “Enjoy the blinds. No return favor needed.” He turned his attention back to his book.
Well, I guess that was that. I swallowed. “Okay.”
“And Josey?”
“Uh huh.”
“Quit peeking in my room. I’m supposed to be the pervert here.” His mouth curved into another full smile, a cheeky one this time. I chuckled and lifted a pillow to throw at his head.
“I wasn’t peeking! I just noticed the laundry when I was walking to the bathroom.”
“Out of the corner of your eye, of course.”
I huffed and folded my arms, exasperated yet charmed by his teasing. “That’s it. I’m taking Rocky.”
I strode forward and picked up my sleeping dog, then marched into my bedroom and plopped him on my bed. He hopped down straight away and ran back out to curl up beside Will.
“Traitor!” I called, and then heard Will’s deep, masculine chuckle from the living room.
I woke up at 2:00 a.m., needing to pee. I went to the bathroom, took care of business, then on my way back noticed a light shining down the hallway. Will must’ve forgotten to turn a lamp off.
I walked out into the living room and got a surprise to find he was still up. He sat on the couch, fully dressed, laptop open in front of him. My mind put two and two together and came up with trolling for couples on the internet. Will blinked and sat up straighter when he saw me.
“You’re online?” I asked, glancing between him and his laptop.
He coughed and shifted uncomfortably. “I was just Skyping with my brother. My dad had an accident on the farm and hurt his shoulder. I needed to check if he was okay.”
I narrowed my gaze, not sure if I believed him. “And is he okay?”
Will blinked. “Yes, he just needs minor surgery.”
There was a beat of silence while I glared at him, my eyes moving between Will and his laptop. “I should check your history.”
His lips parted in surprise. “My . . . history?”
“Your search history and the websites you’ve visited.” I crossed my arms. “I haven’t done it yet and it’s part of my job, right?”
Will stared at me a moment, his expression unreadable, then held his laptop out for me to take. “Go ahead.”
I took it and sat down on the couch next to him. Will watched while I hit CTRL + H. This felt weird and invasive. I wished I never woke up to pee. Damn you, tiny bladder. Then again, maybe this awkward encounter was for the best. If he was trolling for couples, then at least this way I could prevent him from doing anything he might regret. This was why he hired me. This was why he trusted me.
What if I actually find something?
I wasn’t sure how I’d feel if Will was seeking out couples to watch.
Dammit, Josey, it shouldn’t matter how you feel. This is a job, plain and simple.
But it wasn’t simple and that was the problem.
I liked him.
It was tough to admit but it was true. Sure, I was aware nothing would ever happen between us.
Will is out of my league.
Plus, he’s going to start dating that singer.
I bet he falls for her.
This last thought formed a lump in my throat.
Pushing aside my unfortunate and wholly inconvenient feelings, I scanned down the list of recent websites; Gmail, sports news, a men’s footwear retailer where it appeared he’d bought a pair of leather dress shoes. I swallowed when I saw he’d been looking up articles about himself.
“You shouldn’t read that crap.” My voice was full of empathy. I knew how horrible it must feel to read those articles, how powerless to know you can’t stop the lies.
Will shrugged. “I haven’t been. But today I was curious.”
“Nothing good ever comes from Googling oneself,” I said and wagged my finger at him.
He nodded his agreement.
I gave him a look. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.??
?
“Are you sure? I’m here if you ever want to talk.”
He stared at me a moment, then gave a slight shake of his head. I pursed my lips and returned my attention to the screen. I was relieved I hadn’t found anything unusual yet. Then as I scrolled down, a few web pages caught my eye, not because they were suspicious, but more because they were unexpected. I had to blink to make sure I was seeing them correctly.
Victoria’s Secret?
Don’t say anything, Josey. It’s not a site where he can find couples, and therefore it’s none of your business what he was doing on there.
DON’T. SAY. ANYTHING.
“Buying some lingerie for a lady friend, were we?”
Damn you, mouth. Damn you to hell. And vocal chords? You’re just as bad. Also, brain? Go to the naughty chair.
Will’s posture tensed, and that’s when things got awkward. He hadn’t meant for me to see this. Maybe he forgot he was on there, or perhaps he didn’t delete the history correctly when he thought he did.
“I, ah…”
Oh man, now he was lost for words. I glanced at him and his face was turning red. This was so bad. Why couldn’t I have just stayed silent?
I patted his leg, intending it to be friendly, but it just ended up clumsy and stiff. “It’s fine. If I were a man, I’d be looking at this site, too.”
Actually, I wouldn’t. I’d just go check out some porn, but I was trying to make him feel better.
Why didn’t he just look at porn?
Lingerie websites were the sort of thing that was titillating to teenage boys. And these days, probably not even. Porn was everywhere and entirely too accessible.
Don’t say it, Josey. Keep that trap of yours shut.
“Can I ask a question?”
Will’s jaw tensed. “Uh—”
“Why don’t you just look up some porn?”
Here I go again.
He exhaled deeply, looking like he wasn’t too keen on discussing this. There was a moment of quiet before he answered, “I consciously choose not to support an industry that exploits the poor, abused, or underprivileged.”