Small Town Girl (Pink Springs 1)

“Hmm. That’s twice she hasn't been there. I’m thinking she’s probably a drug dealer.”

“You know, if you’re that much in need of excitement, maybe it’s time to come back to the city,” I suggest.

“Maybe.”

I’m surprised by her response, but I don’t push. I’m going to let her settle into the idea because Juno can get scared easily, and I’m not trying to make her do something she doesn’t want to.

“I have to get ready. I have an appointment with a temp agency.”

“All right. Text me after because I want to know how it goes.”

“You know I will,” I tell her before we say our goodbyes.

I grab everything I need for a shower and head into the hallway. There’s only one bathroom, so we have to share. Everything is clean and put away, so that’s nice, but I have seen a few men’s items here and there. Especially in the bathroom.

Maybe Avery’s boyfriend stays over. I never thought about the possibility of one of us having a man over, and now I’m wondering if that would be awkward. No, this is what grownups do, and it’s totally normal stuff. If anyone can deal with a bunch of boys, it's me, and I’m determined to shake my small-town mentality and live the big city life.

I take my shower, making sure to clean up everything after myself. Once I’m finished I wrap my towel around myself before exiting the bathroom. As soon as I step through the door, I freeze. A guy about my age is standing at the end of the hallway and he looks up when he sees me. He’s got wavy blond hair, blue eyes, and looks like an Abercrombie and Fitch model.

“Hey!” His smile is so big and his teeth are so white. “Sorry we’re only just meeting. Between shoots and classes my schedule can get crazy.” He walks down the hallway toward me and holds his hand out. “I’m Avery.”

What. The. Hell.

I’m going to be in so much trouble.

His eyes soften a little and he asks, “Are you hearing impaired?”

“No! Sorry.” I take his hand, realizing I’m being rude.

“Oh, okay. My mom is and wears hearing aids, so you just never know.” He releases my hand and then cocks his head to the side. “Is everything okay?”

“Honestly?”

“Yeah, I think if we’re going to be living together we should be honest with each other. If one of us has a problem we should put it out there.”

“I thought you were going to be a girl.” I’m really going to have to look back over that background check. How did I miss that? Juno is going to have a good laugh about this one, but my brothers won’t think it’s funny at all.

“Sorry to disappoint,” Avery chuckles.

“It’s fine,” I rush to say, and he lifts his eyebrows in disbelief. “Really it is. My brothers might flip, but other than that it's totally cool.” Why am I talking so loudly?

“Don't worry, sunshine. You’re not my type.” He winks at me before heading toward his bedroom.

“Sunshine?” I ask, and he turns back around to face me.

“Lux, it means light, right?”

“Right.” He shuts the door to his room, and I lean up against the wall. That went great for a first impression. An alarm on my phone goes off, reminding me to get moving. I’d set a few to be safe and keep me on task.

I’ll make it up to my new roommate later by ordering a pizza or something. Wait. Can models eat pizza? Everyone eats pizza, right? I think getting him a salad would be weird. I would assume the person thought I was chubby or something. I’ll have to ask Juno later.

“Shit.” I start pulling open boxes, realizing I’m not staying on task. I find a pair of wide-leg slacks and a button-up shirt before grabbing some strappy sandals. It never takes me long to do my hair and makeup, so I quickly braid my hair and put on lip gloss and mascara. Once I grab my phone and purse, I rush out the door.

Not wanting to get lost, I call for a Lyft. I’m still so new I’m sure it would take me twice as long to find the temp agency on my own. Once I learn my way around, I might feel better about driving in the city or even taking public transportation. I’ll explore later, but I should probably finish unpacking first.

“Lady.” Someone whistles loudly. I snap my head in the direction of the voice, seeing a man in his car.

“Are you catcalling me?”

“Did you call for a Lyft or not?” he asks dryly.

Oh. Heat rushes to my face and I realize I’m not starting out today with much grace. My first day in the city is going to be a bust if I don’t turn this around soon.