His foul temper made her giggle.
“It’s not a deal breaker. You mention it being a good neighborhood. What’s the crime rate?”
“How the fuck should I know? It’s safe because I’m here, and I’ve never been robbed while I’ve been here either. I don’t see drugs and stuff. Look, lady, you woke me up. My apartment is fucking amazing, okay? I wouldn’t even be in this situation if it wasn’t for my landlord and his price hike, but I need help. I like my life the way that it is. If you’re a judgey little do-gooder, this room is not for you. I like to have a lot of women in my life, the guys over, and to do my own thing. You can have the room, and I won’t police your every move. If you’re happy to have a roommate you won’t see, then come on over. If not and you can’t keep your opinion to yourself, then don’t bother.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “That sounds like a pretty fantastic room. Can I come over now? I’ll be there in twenty?”
“Sure. I’ll be awake now thanks to you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Hanging up the phone, she grabbed her bag and paper and climbed out of the booth. Taking the cup up to the counter, she left money with plenty of change to tip the waitress and headed out.
She walked down the street, holding her hand out for a taxi. It took four passing before one finally stopped.
She got into the back and told them the address.
Her heart was racing.
This felt like an amazing opportunity. Roommates, no matter what, always held a feel of being with parents.
This guy, whoever he was, sounded like an asshole, but he was offering her a lifeline right now. She didn’t want to have someone breathing down her neck because of the choices she made. This apartment felt positive. It felt like a step in the right direction.
The taxi pulled up outside of the building, and she smiled. The street seemed like a nice place, and the apartment building looked fantastic. There were trees in the pavement that had been planted there a few years ago. The trunks of the trees were not that big. On the sides of the building there with plants and even hanging baskets filled with flowers. At three in the morning it looked like a serene place to be.
Paying up, she got out of the taxi and took a deep breath.
This was to the next stage of her life.
Chapter Two
Jax didn’t know who or what to expect when he opened his apartment door, but it certainly wasn’t a short, full-figured brunette, with huge brown eyes and who wasn’t dressed to kill. She had on a pair of jeans with tears in the knees, a shirt that hung down to mid-thigh, and the strap of her shoulder bag went between the valley of her tits.
She had a nice pair of tits though.
Wore no makeup.
And to make matters worse, she was smiling.
“Morning,” she said.
“There is nothing remotely funny about this morning.” He leaned against the doorframe. “You got a name?”
“Yep, Dani Brooke.” She held her hand out. “What’s yours?”
This was a new experience for him. The past few people he’d interviewed for the room had been less than impressive. They’d wanted him to get rid of his stripper pole, talk about a bathroom schedule. Until tonight, he’d had no intention of having one. Then there was a case of redecorating. His view on parties and curfews. There were three guys that wanted to have a midnight curfew, and if he wasn’t back, they were allowed to lock his door.
That shit wasn’t happening in his time. They each would have keys, and they’d live their life their own way, no curfew or rules. He wasn’t at home with his parents, and he had no intention of ever being told what to do.
“Jax King.”
“That’s your name?”
“Yep. It’s my name.” He stepped away. “Come on in.”
She bounced past him.
“You do know it’s late?”
“Or really early in the morning, depending on how you look at it. Can I see the room?”
“Sure.” Pushing the door closed, he took her into the bedroom that was on the left side of the bathroom. His room was on the right with the bathroom in the middle.
The room was empty. If his friends were over they often crashed on the sofa, and he didn’t see a reason to even bother entering this room.
“Go on in.”
She brushed past him, and he stood in the doorway, watching her. She flicked the light on and stared at the space.
“There’s a closet there.” He pointed toward the door in the far wall.
“Awesome. You don’t have any furniture at all?”
“None. There’s not been any real need for any.”
She stepped into the closet and he waited. “This space is incredible.” She stood in the doorway, and he saw her looking around the room, clearly making notes in her head as she did. “The bathroom is shared?”