“I’ve got it covered.” She saw him out and was heading back to her room when Jax stopped her.
“Everything okay?”
“More than fine, thanks.” She took a few more steps then stopped. “I’m ordering pizza later. I’ll let you all know in case you want something.”
“Are you paying?”
“For my pizza, but you can pay for your own.” Entering her bedroom once again, she closed the door, leaning against it, and stared at her room. She could do this. Another step in her life.
She got to work fixing up her bed like she did the last time.
Every now and again she huffed and puffed as she had to move the piece of furniture, but she got it into place, and before long, the mattress was on the frame. She collapsed on top, pushing some of her hair out of her face.
Her stomach grumbled, letting her know she was hungry.
“I better go and tell him.”
She went up onto her elbows, glanced around the room, and then it hit her. She was now sharing an apartment with a guy. In the past week, she hadn’t learned anything about Jax. She’d barely seen him.
He said that she could use the key to come and go as she pleased, and she’d been doing exactly that.
Since leaving home at eighteen, she’d not been playing by anyone’s rules but her own.
This was her life now.
No rules.
Just fun.
Checking the time, she saw in a couple of hours she’d have to be at Arnold’s bar. Getting to her feet, she left her room and the talking once again stopped.
“I’m ordering now. You guys want anything?”
They started giving her their orders, and making a note of everything, she grabbed her cell phone and placed the order.
“So, Dani, how do you like being Jax’s roommate?” Wes, she thought his name was, asked.
“I don’t know. It’s only been a couple of days. We’re roommates. I don’t see what the big deal is.” She grabbed a bottle of water she’d placed in there just the other day, standing in the living room as they all stared at her. “Are they not used to you having a roommate?”
“Not in some time. Believe me. The gawking and weird looks will stop soon.”
“Awesome. Is he a murderer or something?” she asked.
“He’s an asshole. You do know he brings a new woman here, like, every night.”
She laughed. “Why do I care? I’m not his girlfriend.”
“See, that is what I’ve been telling them.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got no illusions about all of this.” She shrugged. “I’m only here, guys, for the apartment. Nothing else.”
“Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.”
She drank her water and headed back into her room. She picked some clothes and went to the bathroom. Closing and locking the door, she took a quick shower, scrubbing away the day’s sweat from painting and any remnants in her hair or on her body. Once she finished, she got out, dried her body, and wrapped her hair up in a towel as she finished getting dressed. Rubbing out the extra water, she plugged in her hair dryer and quickly dried her hair, brushing it out so it was long, wavy, and would look presentable for work. As she finished with her outfit, she heard the doorbell ring.
Dumping her dirty clothes into the laundry basket, finding a spare space in the cupboard for her hairdryer, she left the bathroom. The pizzas were already on the table, the men diving in.
Running fingers through her hair, she opened up her spicy meat pizza, grabbed a slice and a napkin, and took a large bite.
“I paid them,” Jax said.
She reached into her pocket and handed him the money for her portion. “Thank you.”
Finishing off two more slices, she checked the time, and knew she had to head out to work.
“I’ve got to go. Later.”
Getting to her feet, she felt their gazes on her but didn’t stop to think about it. Leaving her apartment, which felt good to say, she headed out into the city. Arnold’s bar was only a twenty-minute walk from her apartment.
Her room was all decorated.
One part of her life was completely closed up, and she was in heaven.
Part of her wished she didn’t have a roommate, but she couldn’t have everything her own way even if she tried. She wasn’t going to let that one part upset her or get her down. This was about moving forward. Enjoying life.
If anything, Jax wouldn’t try to interfere with her life, and she was all over that.
Chapter Three
One week later
“So how is life with a roommate?” Ryan asked.
Jax unscrewed the cap off the beer bottle and handed it to the customer, taking the money held out to him and ringing him up before returning the change.
“What is it with you and finding out everything to do with my new roomie?”