Chapter 8
Tyler
“You’re not a woman,” she said, her eyes wide as they took me in.
“Very observant,” I replied. “but most people start with ‘hello.’ Or by introducing themselves?” I mustered my best smile. If I had wanted desperately for this to be the right apartment before, I wanted it so much more when I saw the woman who opened the door.
“What? Oh, I’m sorry, I…” She trailed off.
I tried not to stare, but let my eyes quickly scan her form. Her cheeks were flushed, and I suspected I might be having the same effect on her that she was having on me.
“I requested only women,” she said.
My heart sank. “Sorry,” I said, “I think the website mixed up my name. I just…do I have to stand out here in the hall?”
If I could get her to let me in, maybe I could charm her into giving me the room. Though I’d really like to charm her into letting me into far more than her guest room.
“Sorry, yes, come in.” She opened the door wide enough to let me in. Her perfume wafted up at me as I passed her. Damn! She even smelled delicious.
As I stepped inside, I noticed she was incredibly put together. Sleek jeans, a sexy red button-down blouse, and perfectly manicured nails and toes in a red that matched. You couldn’t always tell, in the gym, what someone’s everyday life was like. This woman was definitely polished and put together. I had to wonder if she was always so buttoned-up.
She crossed her arms and shook her head. As she did, her gorgeous dark brown curls bounced around her shoulders. I had a fleeting mental picture of them bouncing up and down, grazing the skin across my abs, and I tried to push it out of my mind.
“Look, I’m sorry – Tyler, was it? But I’m looking for a female roommate. I’m sorry you bothered to come, but this was a mistake.” She took a step toward the door.
“Hey, listen.” I reached out and gently touched her arm. Her breath caught, but when she turned, and her eyes met mine, I knew she wasn’t afraid of me. That was a good thing, at least. “This is about the fifteenth place I’ve looked at today. Just out of curiosity, how many prospective roommates have you seen for the room?”
Her shoulders dropped a little. “A dozen,” she replied. “You were number thirteen.”
“Hey, lucky thirteen! How do you like that?”
She chuckled a little.
Feeling heartened, I said, “I’ll tell you the worst place I saw if you tell me the worst roommate you interviewed. Deal?”
She smiled. “Well, it would be a toss-up between the girl who was stoned out of her mind, and the one without a job.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “How about you?”
“Well, the hipster in the one-bed studio who looked at me like I was a steak, and the tiny, dark place with the weird smells that I like to refer to as the curry closet.”
I turned on the charm, flashing a big smile, and rubbed the back of my neck with my hand. “Can I at least see the room I’m missing out on?” I asked sheepishly.
“Well, I guess you don’t seem too murder-y,” she said, looking me up and down. “Come on.”
She walked ahead to give me the tour. I had to admit, following her through the apartment, the view of her as in jeans was almost as good as it had been in those lavender yoga pants. The apartment was amazing. It was pretty big, had a great kitchen, and the room I was there to look at had a huge walk-in shower with a bench at the back.
“Yeah, it’s a shame, really,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant. “I’ve got great references. I make a good living, too. I’m a personal trainer, among other things.”
I caught her eyes scan my torso as I said the last phrase. When her gaze met mine, I raised an eyebrow.
“I could certainly provide some free training sessions to my roommate,” I added with a smile.
She tried to look annoyed, but I saw a little grin creeping up at the corner of her lips. That’s it, Lavender Girl. Let me in.
As she showed me the bathroom, my mind flashed to what it would be like to bend her over that shower bench, that fine ass of hers in the air. My heart began to pound a little faster, and I had to make a quick adjustment to my pants, which were growing tighter across the front, while her back was turned.
She took me up to the rooftop terrace to show me the view. “Wow it’s so…peaceful up here,” I said. “You don’t expect to get that in the city.”
“I know, right? It was definitely one of my favorite things about the place when I made the decision to take it.” She looked off across the city and breathed a deep sigh.
“So, did you just recently move in?” I asked.
“Yes, I just moved in, in fact.”
“Well, when I saw you at the gym, I thought you might live in the neighborhood. You do go to Flex, the gym I work at, right?”
“I do. I thought I recognized you,” She looked down for a moment, trying to hide the lie, but I knew she’d recognized me the minute she opened the door. “No, my office is near there. I’m an attorney.” That point seemed to spark some pride. She looked back up at me. “So, that’s what you do? You work at the gym?”
She didn’t use the word just, as in, you just work at the gym, but I felt it even though it wasn’t spoken.
“I work at a night club as well, as a bouncer. I also,” I had perfected the art of saying the next phrase with a mixture of bragging and humility that usually got me into women’s pants. I suspected that Lavender Girl, though, wasn’t most women. “I also do a bit of modeling.”
She scanned my face, and I waited for it. Next would come the look of, “No, that can’t be you,” and finally would come the look of resignation, and hopefully appreciation, that, yes, I was that guy from their favorite fashion or underwear ad. As of that week, my face and torso were literally larger than life, standing forty-seven feet high and twenty-two feet wide in Times Square.
“I thought you looked a little familiar,” she said, finally.
Showing me around, she was enthusiastic about the place. I couldn’t help but think this place represented more than just a place to live as far as she was concerned. For me, it couldn’t have been more perfect. Plenty of room, a little peace and quiet, and a gorgeous roommate. It was the perfect place for me while I plotted my next move, whatever that was. I had to have it.
“Anyway,” she said when we got back to the living room, “you do understand. I’d just be more comfortable rooming with a woman. Your references were impeccable, and your background check was the best out of anyone I’ve talked to.” She grinned up at me.
Damn she was stunning! What was that scent she was wearing? Musk and vanilla, maybe? I could get drunk just breathing in the air around her.
“…but I’m sure you’ll find something,” she said.
Shit! I was sure I had missed part of what she had said.
“When do you have to be out of your current place?” She was walking toward the door.
“Oh, well,” I said as I ran my fingers through my hair, wondering if I should tell the truth. Something told me this was not a woman you lied to, though. “This morning, actually. All my stuff is in my Escape downstairs. My buddy is getting married tomorrow. I’m throwing him his bachelor party tonight, actually. When he goes home, it’ll be just him and his fiancée.”
I shrugged, and as I scanned her face, I thought I saw a little sympathy there. I hung my head and looked up at her from under my brows.
“So, yeah,” I continued, “it didn’t seem right to let them start their new married life with me hanging around. That’s why I was really hopeful that you’d be the one.”
“I’m—I’m sorry?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
“You’d be the one – the roommate I’d been looking for.” I took a step toward the door, but she’s stopped in the entryway. “Hey, by the way, I never did get your name.”
Please Lavender Girl, just cave. Give me the place, I thought, willing her to change her mind.
She had her right hand in the front pocket of her jeans. Her left hand crept up to the tips of her hair, and she began twirling one curled tendril with her fingertips, those little red tips of her fingers poking through the dark strands. Damn, she was sexy.
“I’m Grayce,” she said. “Grayce Gladden.” She stuck her right hand out, and I felt something solid and metallic in my palm. “First and last month’s rent, plus utilities. No parties unless we talk about it first. If you fail to pay the rent, I will start eviction proceedings. I am a lawyer, after all. Will that be a problem?”
I opened my palm. She’d given me the apartment key. I met her eyes and she looked serious, but those incredible blue eyes were shining brightly. My saving Grayce, I thought.
“No, it won’t be a problem at all,” I said. “Thank you so much. I’m sure we’re going to get along great.” I gave her shoulder a pat and winked at her.
We stepped into the kitchen, and she pulled a document out of her briefcase, which was on the floor by the island. She stood at the island, going over the sublet agreement with a pen, pointing out different parts.
“Sorry, small print,” I said, stepping around to stand behind her and look over her shoulder.
She must’ve been about five-foot four or five. She had flipped her hair back behind her shoulder, and it cascaded down to just between her shoulder blades, exposing her neck on the side closest to me. It took all of my resolve to not lean down and kiss her in that place, under her ear, where the line of her jaw curved around into her neck. From my angle, I could just see a tiny slice of skin breaking the line of that red blouse. Her breasts weren’t huge, but their curve was a nice balance to the curve of her amazing ass.
“Any questions?” she asked.
“No, I’m good,” I replied, staring down into her intense blue eyes.
She handed the pen to me. I bent down, grasping it, and signed.
“Oh, wait, there is one thing,” I said. “There’s nothing in here about the shirt,” I smirked.
“Shirt? What shirt?” she asked.
“The one you owe me. You did spill coffee all over me, after all, and ruined one of my best workout shirts.” I smirked, raising my eyebrow at her.
“I? I spilled coffee all over you?” She seemed a little put out, but at the same time, I thought she was putting on a little. “You were the one who spilled coffee all over me! I was a mess, and I had a client meeting right after as well. If anything, it’s you who owes me a shirt.”
She turned to face me, crossing her arms, and looked up at me smugly. That was definitely a lawyer’s expression, and the look of one who thought she had just won her case, at that.
“You were the one who was on her phone,” I replied. “Isn’t texting and walking a serious offense in this state?”
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, clearly annoyed, but smirking a little. It was fucking adorable.
“Okay, okay, I concede, counselor. I tell you what, when you need another shirt, I’ll happily give you the one right off my back. Deal?” She laughed nervously at that.
She had a good sense of humor. Yeah, this was going to work out just fine.
“Shouldn’t you be getting your stuff from your truck? Don’t you have a bachelor party or something to get to?” She turned away, signing the agreement herself. “I’ll get you a copy, by the way,” she said, tucking it into her briefcase.
I spent the next hour unloading what few belongings I had and putting them in my new room. I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. For the first time in a few weeks, I felt like things were starting to look up.