Apartment Tab

“Hey, you’re the new girl, right?” A girl with a short afro approached my desk.

“A-Ah, yeah. I’m Lillian, but you can call me Lily.”

“Jasmine.” She stuck out her hand to shake it.

“Nice to meet you.”

She started to giggle. “Well, now. You don’t need to be that formal.”

I started to laugh with her, “It’s still my first week so I’m nervous.”

“That’s fine. My first week was hell here. I had so many projects I thought I was going to have a break down.”

“Yep. I’m in the same boat.”

“Well anyway. I came over here because I wanted to invite you to our ladies’ night out.”

“Oh okay. That’s great. When is it?”

She looked through her phone. “Not this Friday, but next Friday.”

“Yeah, sure I can make it. So is this like a monthly thing?”

“No. It all depends when the girls here are free. You can also bring a friend if you want to. But only girls allowed.”

“Okay great. Yeah, I can make it.”

“Anyway, I have to get back to work. If you ever want to talk or whatever just turn the corner and I’ll be at the first desk.”

I nodded as she walked away.

    I felt a smile spread across my face. Finally, I get to go out with some girls and just relax.

I looked around the office, which was filled with seven girls. They were all around the same age, but a little older than me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my phone light up. It was a text from Nate.

We need to talk tonight. -Nate.

I didn’t answer. He had texted me the same thing this morning too. I had been avoiding him since the whole situation with my mother two days ago. I looked around the office to make sure no one was behind me and opened my apartment search tab.

* * *

BING!

The elevator yelled and I knew it was time to lie. I will just say I’m not feeling good again. I really don’t want to talk to Nate. Ever since my mother and Mickey came to visit I had been feeling anxious around Nate and I regretted everything.

I opened the door and I heard the shower roaring. Oh my god. This is great, he’s in the shower.

“Lily?” He came out of the bathroom still dry.

Shit.

He had probably just turned on the shower.

“We need to talk.” He came toward me with his blue towel wrapped around his waist.

I tried to look away from his sexy body, but he was shining with sweat. He had just came back from the gym. I needed to focus.

“Can we talk later? I need to finish some things for work as soon as possible.” I lied.

“Lily.” He roared as I walked toward my room.

I slammed the door behind him and he didn’t try to force anything. I could hear him swearing as he walked away. I stood in my room trying to figure out what I should do. I felt so alone. I wanted to cry my eyes out and just disappear.

There was no point being with Nate if we couldn’t be a real couple. I mean it’s not like we can date. Our parents are married. My mom started to freak out when she saw us just getting close.

I let out a heavy sigh and knocked out on my bed. I should have never kissed him. I should have never made that bet with my job. I started to doze off on my bed. I needed a nap. My head was killing me.

I heard my phone ring. It was Mindy. The last time, I talked to Mindy I told her about how Nate and how he told me to dress appropriately. I picked up the phone.

“What the fuck, woman?” She yelled. “You move to Chicago and just disappear?”

I grunted.

“I’ve been really busy.”

“Mmm-hmm.” She somewhat understood. “Well I just took my last summer final and now I am ready to actually have a summer.” She squeaked.

“Where are you going this year? Mexico? Chile? Columbia?” I started to name all the places she visited over the years.

Mindy began to laugh, “CHICAGO!!!” She yelled.

“Wait, are you serious?” I jumped of my bed. I felt excited but also a little worried.

“Yep! I’ve visited family the past years. All I want to do now is visit you and see your sexy roommate.”

“Well. That might be a problem?”

“Whhyyyy?” She made the word longer than it had to be.

“I’m going to move out.”

She was silent for a few seconds. “Whhyyyy?”

“Things have changed.” I mumbled.

“Do you have to pay rent now?” She was trying to figure out what the problem.

“I fucked Nate. I fucked my stepbrother.” I blurted out. “More than once.”

She started to yell and laugh excitingly as if she had just won a large pile of cash.

“Holy Shit! Are you serious? I mean I hope you’re serious. You’ve never done anything that wild. How was it? Does he have a big cock? Thick, long and veiny? Was it worth the two years without a dick in your life?”

“Min. Slow down.” She was getting too excited.

She stopped laughing, “You BITCH! You didn’t call me for weeks and THIS happened!” Her temper was going into overdrive.

“I know. I know I’m sorry. But it’s a long story and things have been going so fast.”

“I got time.” She said in her sassy voice. “I got all the time. In. The. World.”

I told her the whole story from the beginning. From the shower incident, all the way to today. Mindy had nothing to say which was rare. I knew this was not a good sign.

“Min?” I called for her.

“Hmmm.” She replied.

“What’re you thinking?”

“Hmmm. Thoughts.” She replied.

I started to giggle. “I know that, but what do you think I should do.”

“I don’t know. I feel like you aren’t telling me the whole story.” She said with suspicion.

She wasn’t wrong. I didn’t tell her about the part with Holly. I completely skipped the part that my mom and Mickey came to visit. I know how much Mindy doesn’t like my mother.

“I think-,” she grunted. “I think I need to come to Chicago and we can just relax before you make a stupid decision like moving out. Don’t you even dare look at apartments!”

I chuckled a little because she knew I had already started looking at apartments, “Yeah, I think I need to just relax a bit.”

Maybe that’s all I need.

Just to relax.