The Roommate Agreement

I hadn’t put the cup under there.

“Shit!” I yanked open the cupboard and grabbed the nearest cup to shove under the machine. It was emblazoned with the words ‘I’m cute, but I cuss a little’ which seemed fitting for this morning because I’d already cussed at least ten times.

I’d been awake less than thirty minutes.

The haunted hotel article was nearly done, mostly because I’d stayed up until three a.m. working on it. Now, it was seven-thirty, and the only reason I was awake was that I had a phone call with a potential ghostwriting client at eight-fifteen.

As soon as that was done, I was turning in the article and going the heck back to sleep.

“Morning!” Jay bounded into the kitchen with far too much energy for my liking.

I grunted and pulled my cup from the machine to get the milk. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and his gray sweatpants were hung low on his hips, but I was too tired to tell him to put some more clothes on.

“Ah, you got out of bed on the right side today, I see.”

I shut the fridge and glared at him. “Shush. You’re very loud.”

He grinned, grabbing his own coffee cup. “Did you work or get drunk last night?”

I poured the milk into my cup. “Worked until three. Got a call soon.” I took two big mouthfuls of coffee, not caring that it was steaming hot. “Heard you come in at around eleven. Where were you out so late?”

He leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing his legs at his ankles. His biceps flexed as he grabbed the edge of the countertop. “I had a date, then I met Sean for a beer.”

My eyebrows shot up as I did my best to ignore the jealousy that punched me in the gut. “You had a date?”

“I can get them, you know.”

“Never said you couldn’t. I thought you’d sworn off women after the last girl you dated showed up at your door when you’d never given her your address.”

“That was six months ago.” He laughed and grabbed his coffee to put sugar in it. “It was just one date. I don’t think I’ll see her again.”

Damn it. I was way too happy about that.

Stupid emotions.

Stupid feelings.

Stupid Shelby.

“Was it bad?” I perched on one of the stools at the island.

He shook his head. “Nah. I mean, it was bad when I got there and found the table was next to my freakin’ parents.”

I laughed, but my mouth was full of coffee and some of it went up my nose.

Jay smirked. “Elegant.”

I coughed, pinching my nose, and motioned for him to go on.

“Thank you, by the way,” he said, taking the bottle of milk from the island. “For going to see Grams yesterday. She wondered if I was dead, apparently.”

I nodded. “She did. She wanted to know why you were such a heathen who didn’t visit anymore. I told her you were learning to do your own laundry, and she laughed so hard I think she broke a rib.”

He shot me a withering look. “Anyway, I’m headed over there after work to repent for being such a bad grandson and clear her yard of snakes.”

“Corn snakes again?”

He nodded. “She thinks Alice will bring her a present again.”

“I swear that dog is actually a cat in disguise.”

“She does act like it.” His lips twitched. “You’ve also been summoned for dinner. She’s making your favorite because you brought her flowers and made me look bad.”

“Ah, well, I’ve been taking Grams flowers and making you look bad for twenty years now.” Even when we were kids, I’d make daisy chains in her backyard and leave them around her house for her. Now, it’d evolved into carnations every time I needed information for a newspaper article because Betsy Cooper was a walking library.

Also, she made the best cookies, and she always had some on hand.

Work was more fun with cookies.

“Yes, thank you for that,” he said dryly, his bright green eyes twinkling with laughter. “Anyway, like I said, you’ve been summoned for dinner. I figure I’ll head there straight from work, do whatever she needs doing around the house and in the yard, then come back to shower and we’ll head to my parents’ place together?”

I finished my coffee and got up to put the mug in my sink. “You phrase that like it’s a question. As if I’m not coming when she’s making her spaghetti. It’s the best thing ever.”

“I know, I was just checking if you wanted to ride together or not.”

“Why would we take two cars? It’s pointless. Plus, if you drive, I can drink with your mom and laugh at your baby pictures.” I grinned, leaning on the island with my hands flat. “That’s always fun.”

“Depends what your definition of fun is,” Jay said darkly. “You being drunk is rarely fun.”