The Arrangement

Dammit, Kayleen.

I was supposed to stay strong. Supposed to get answers. And here was Chase, staring back at me like a deer in headlights. Rubbing absently at about two day’s growth of dark, stubbly beard.

God, even that made him look sexy.

“You sure it’s Monday?”

He was writing — that much I knew. I could tell by the far-away look in his eyes that I’d caught him in ‘the zone’.

Shit, Kayleen. I cursed myself silently. Now you look like a needy asshole!

The zone was something with which I was already familiar. Chase, Nathan, Burke — all three men in the house got into the zone at one time or another. They were all young authors, as well as lifelong friends. All of them working on a novel together, or rather, a series of novels.

A shared trilogy. That’s what they called it.

Ah, now I could remember. Chase had explained it to me in the kitchen once, while keeping me company as I peeled carrots.

“I’m sorry,” I sighed, backing out of the room. All at once I was terribly embarrassed. “Forget I even did this.”

Embarrassment wasn’t usually my thing. But here, I was pretty sure I’d overextended. I’d ventured quickly into you-look-like-an-asshole territory, and I really hated that territory.

“Kayleen, wait…”

Chase backed out of the cockpit by rolling his chair away from the desk. As he approached me, I scanned around his room.

“Not bad,” I said, checking out the decor. “A little more contemporary than I expected, but—”

“Kayleen listen,” he went on. “I—I’m so sorry about last week.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m not.”

He blushed again, his face turning that same adorable red. “Well I’m not either if we’re being honest,” he mumbled, “but it was something I felt I had to say. You know. In light of what happened.”

“What happened is you didn’t call me,” I insinuated. “You didn’t text. Nothing like ‘hey Kayleen, sorry my roommate has disastrously bad timing. Why don’t we meet up during the week for coffee, or drinks, or—’”

“I’m sorry,” he said again. By the way his eyes turned up at the corners I could tell he actually meant it. “I— I really wanted to do that.” He was wringing his hands now. “Believe me I wanted to. But I… I couldn’t…"

“Make a phone call?”

“No. I mean…”

“I get it,” I said. “You were writing. You were in the zone.” I grabbed for the doorknob. “No need to apologize, you’re obviously—”

“I mean I can’t.”

I turned back to him for a moment. A new realization dawned on me.

“Ohh…” I sighed. “Girlfriend.” I nodded, feeling just slightly better. “Got it.”

“No, no,” said Chase. “No girlfriend.”

My brows came together for a moment. “Boyfriend?” I asked hesitantly.

“No,” he said with a little chuckle. “Definitely not.”

“The way you kissed me I didn’t think so,” I chuckled back. “But okay. Whatever it is, no hard feelings. I’ll just get back to the kitchen and—”

“Kayleen…”