Avi had moved in, but I hardly saw him all week. When I left in the mornings, he was still asleep, and he got home hours after I did. While I was at work, he’d moved in a double bed and small dresser, but not much else. Not that I’d snooped. That would be wrong.

My week at work continued to be challenging and interesting. Even though I left with my coworkers at five every day, I still spent an hour or two working in my home office in the evenings. There was positively no way I could convince myself to work less than ten-hour days.

Alex invited me out to happy hour on Friday with a bunch of people from the office to celebrate my first week of work. I slipped off my suit jacket and swiped on a bit of red lipstick before I headed to the nearby cocktail lounge.

Alex was already there, along with several coworkers I recognized and some I didn’t. I hadn’t really gotten to know everyone on the floor below mine, but I assumed that’s where they worked.

“Hey, guys,” I said as I approached the island of tables pushed together.

Alex stood up. “Laurel! Welcome! We have pitchers of margaritas and sangria. If neither of those work for you, feel free to order a drink from the bar and add it to my tab.”

I slid into the seat next to him. “A margarita sounds amazing right now.”

He poured me a glass, and I sipped it while talking to the woman on my other side, Nidhi. She was soft spoken with a lilting Indian accent, so I had to lean close to hear her, but I liked her. She was unaccountably knowledgeable in ways I’d never be—she did some type of programming or engineering or something involving math.

Across from us sat Valentina, another engineer a few years younger than me, originally from Russia. We found a topic we were all interested in, Marvel movies, and a triangle of conversation and debate ensued over which iteration of Spider-Man was the best.

“Tobey Maguire all the way. Although, I refuse to acknowledge the third film,” I said.

“No, no! I stan for Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man,” Valentina declared.

I wrinkled my nose. “Stan? Is that a Russian word I’m supposed to know?”

She laughed. “No, girl. I’ve lived in America since I was sixteen. Ever heard Eminem? I’ll let you Urban Dictionary that.”

“I’ve only lived here two years, and even I know what stanning is,” Nidhi interjected.

I whipped out my phone and did a quick Google search. “Oooooh, stalker plus fan equals stan. I like that.” I put away my phone and grinned across the table. “Thanks for teaching me the hip slang. I have to keep up with the youths.”

Valentina rolled her eyes with a grin. “The youths? What are you, twenty-five?”

My eyes widened. “You’re my new favorite! I haven’t been twenty-five for five years.”

She held her hand up for a high five. “Good job on the aging!”

The three of us sputtered with laughter and poured more drinks all around.

“Both of you are wrong, by the way. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is the best by far,” Nidhi said quietly, but firmly.

“I’ll concede it was a really good movie. But he’s like fifteen in it! I need to be able to lust after my superheroes without feeling squicky!” I said.

We giggled and moved on to debating which Avenger was our favorite—Thor always and forever for me. Before I realized it, I’d downed two large margaritas and felt no pain. Part of my brain was still sober enough to realize it was time to abandon ship, because me plus alcohol inevitably led to hot mess situations.

At the time, it seemed like a good idea to text Avi.

I finally texted him the address of the bar and then promptly forgot about the whole exchange when music started playing. I grabbed Nidhi and Valentina’s hands and dragged them to the dancefloor, but they abandoned me after one song.

I saw Alex at the bar and wandered over there to see if he’d dance with me.

“Hi, Alex.”

He smirked down at me. “Looks like you’re having a good time.”

“Yep.” I leaned in and stage-whispered, “I think I drank too many margaritas, though. Big mistake.”

“We all do that sometimes.” He scratched the back of his neck, and his eyes darted around the bar. “So, uh…how’s your friend Eliza?”

Alex and Eliza had gone on a couple dates months ago that I thought had ended with them both in agreement that they weren’t a match. But now I wasn’t so sure.

“She’s doing well. She and Charlie moved in together a while back. They’re in Japan right now hanging with his family.”

“Sounds serious.”

“I think it’s as serious as it gets.”

He took a drink of the beer the bartender had just set on the bar next to him.

“What about you, Laurel?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, are you seeing anyone?”

“Sadly, no. I mean, I think you’re pretty aware of what went down at my old job, right?”

Alex’s expression turned pained. “Yeah, I’ve heard the basics.”

“So, you know I have shit taste in men.”

He squeezed my shoulder. “I doubt you’ll have any trouble finding someone new when you’re ready.”

“That’s sweet, Alex. I’m so ready, but I really don’t wanna go on the prowl. I want my gentlemen callers to come to me.”

“Laurel.” That voice. I shuddered before I turned around, Alex’s hand falling off my shoulder.

“Avi.”

He came toward me, his eyes moving from me to Alex, then back to me. When he stood in front of me, he said, “Hi, princess.”

And then I remembered my texts to him. Thankfully, I was just drunk enough not to be embarrassed, but not so drunk I wouldn’t remember this tomorrow and probably die.

“Have you come to escort me home?”

He smirked. “I have. My stallion is waiting outside. Oh, and the sunset we’re going to ride off into.”

I smacked his chest. “It’s winter. The sun set before I even left work.”

He shrugged his impossibly broad and muscular shoulders that would be so easy to hold onto while he took me against the wall… I shook my head. Bad brain. No thinking about your brand-new roommate in that way.

“The sunset is more metaphorical,” he said.

I smacked his chest again. “Hey, Avi. Meet Alex!” I turned to Alex, who was sipping his beer, watching our exchange.

“What’s up, man?” Avi said.

Alex tipped his beer at him. “Nice to meet you.”

“Avi’s my new roommate.”

Alex furrowed his brows. “Yeah?”

Avi crossed his arms over his chest. “Laurel makes me muffins every day.”

Mimicking Avi’s stance, Alex crossed his arms. “Me too.”

I snorted. I did bake every morning, and I always left one or two for Avi, then took the rest to the office. I’d stopped and chatted with Ron and Tyrell every morning before work too. Tyrell told me which elevator was the fastest and Ron gave me tips on the least used bathrooms in the building. I left the rest of the muffins in the breakroom where they were devoured in about three minutes.

I raised my hands in surrender. “You caught me! I’m a baking slut. I give it up to everyone!” Then I slapped my hands over my mouth. Not really the thing I should be saying to my boss and brand-new roommate.

Avi held his hand out. “Come on, princess. Time to go home.”

I slid my hand into his. “Bye, Alex! Please forget the last five minutes ever happened!”

He laughed as I walked away with Avi. We stopped by the table so I could grab my things, and when I leaned over, Nidhi whispered, “Who’s that?”

“My roommate. Hot, right?” I tried to whisper, but I probably actually spoke at full volume based on Avi chuckling behind me.

After I waved to all my coworkers, I walked out of the lounge, heading toward my car with Avi on my heels. I stopped suddenly, and he collided into my back, almost knocking me over. But he steadied me, probably aiming for my waist, but instead gripping me high on my ribs, right under my breasts. He moved his hands quickly up to my shoulders until I regained my footing.

I giggled. “Didn’t know you’d have to babysit me when you signed that lease, did you?”

“I don’t mind. You’re amusing.”

“Amusing. Exactly what I’m going for. Anyway, I stopped because I was going to ask where you parked.”

He shook his head. “I took an Uber. I thought I would drive your car back.”

“Aren’t you smart?”

“On occasion.”

Avi drove us home while I tried to sober up. On most days, I was pretty at peace with my diminutive size. I came from a family of short, loud Italians, and I fit right in. The only thing that really sucked was I couldn’t hold my liquor. Two margaritas, and I was a mess. Meanwhile, Nidhi and Valentina only got giggly and chatty. It really wasn’t fair at all.

When we got home, I changed into my flannel pajamas and scrubbed my face, then went back downstairs, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge before I flopped on the couch next to Avi. After taking a long drink of the cold water, my head started to clear somewhat.

“What are you wearing?” Avi asked.

I looked down at my plaid, button-down pajamas and scrunched my nose at him. “Are you dissing my jams, man?”

“Dissing? Is this 1995?”

“Some words never go out of style!”

“True. But dissing is not one of those words.”

I smacked his arm with the back of my hand. “Do you know what the word ‘stan’ means? I just learned it tonight.”

He laughed lightly. “Yes, Laurel, I know that word. You are very funny.”

“Jeez, sorry. My knowledge of pop culture was stunted in childhood apparently.”

Avi picked up the remote and turned on the TV. “Want to watch something?”

“You pick. I’ll probably get my laptop out once the room stops spinning and do some work.”

He raised a brow. “Do they expect you to work on a Friday night?”

I leaned my head back on the cushion and looked up at the ceiling, sighing. “Probably not. I just don’t know how not to.”

“I think you should relax.”

“Maybe. I’ll try. You might have to pin me to the couch if I try to go get my laptop, though.”

He turned toward me and stretched out on the couch, slinging his long legs across my lap. “There, now you’re trapped.”

I looked at his bare feet: neatly trimmed nails, long, elegant toes, and heels that looked softer than my own.

“Do you get pedicures?”

He wiggled his toes. “Why do you ask?”

“Your feet look better than mine!”

“I have gotten pedicures in the past. I do work in the beauty industry. I take care of my shit.” He looked down at my feet, which I’d tucked under myself. “Do you have little troll feet?”

I rolled my eyes. “They’re not that bad!”

Avi reached for my thick sock and tried to pull it off, but I kicked his hand away. “Let me see your little troll feet!”

“Never!” I grabbed his foot and ran my nail over the sole, making his toes curl and leg spasm.

“No, that’s torture!” he cried.

I hovered my nail above his foot. “Are you going to leave my troll feet alone?”

“Yes, yes! I promise. Just stop doing that!”

I laughed and let go of his foot.

“You are a very evil woman.”

I tapped his knee. “Remember that, buddy.”

After that, Avi turned on a movie or a show...I’m not sure which. The only things on my mind were his legs draped across my lap and the feeling of how comfortable it was just hanging out with him—a guy I hadn’t even known a week.

I knew then we’d have a good roommate relationship. I also knew I’d have to remind myself that was all it would ever be.