Surrendering (Surrender 1)

I look up to see Abbi and Ella staring at me. They both look confused, but their eyes are warm and understanding.

As we get up, I drop some money on the table for the tip and make sure that the waiter knows. When we get to the bar, Damon saunters over and asks what we want. I decide to stick with the Cosmopolitan. Ella and Abbi agree. We move to the subject of the house.

“Raven, we didn’t tell you, but our dad actually owns the house. You’d actually be leasing from him. He’s an awesome landlord and rarely comes over unless we have problems. If you move in, you’re welcome to paint your room, move in furniture, anything that will help make the house your home. I know we have our stuff everywhere, but we would welcome your influence. Also, even though it’s a two-car garage, we can alternate turns on who can park in it. What kinds of questions do you have for us?”

“I travel pretty light. Since I’ve been living in on-campus housing, my furniture is limited. My bedroom furniture is all I have except for a ton of kitchen items. Even though I haven’t had a full kitchen, I love accessories. I have a lot of entertainment pieces I’d like to get out of storage. The only reason I have them is because I was convinced I was going to have my own place before now and kept buying things.”

“That’s awesome because our kitchen could use some stuff. We just have the basics.” Ella responds.

“I do have a close-knit group of friends that want to plan a trip this semester for a long weekend. I would love for you girls to join us. Our get-togethers can get pretty rowdy, but they’re a lot of fun. My friends are from here as well but are still in school in Atlanta. ”

I take a deep breath because I know my next statement may break this deal. “I’m not sure how you feel about it, but I have one more thing to discuss. How do you feel about security?”

Abbi and Ella take a sip of their drinks and look at me. Neither of them flinch; they just wait for me to continue.

“My dad owns his own business and a piece of that business is security. He’s going to insist we put some secure measures on the house and I was wondering if you would mind a security system. He’d assume responsibility for the total cost and Finn would most likely install it for us. The whole thing would be simple, but would give us a system in case there was ever any danger. What do you think?”

“Dad is going to love this! Raven, our dad has been after us for years to get security in the house, but we haven’t done it. Our brother even rides by the house several times a week after his gigs to see if there are any problems in the neighborhood. If your dad can get a security system in our house, then the answer is yes!!!” Ella practically screams. Damon glances over and smiles at her enthusiasm.

Abbi finally speaks up, “Your girls’ weekends sound fun. Would you want to have the next one at our house since it will be your first ever place? We could help set up.”

“That would be excellent! Now that we have covered almost everything, what do I need to do? Do you need a lease agreement or a credit history? I could get started on these for you tomorrow.”

“I can email you the lease agreement tomorrow morning and I think the credit history is unnecessary since your dad runs a security company and will be installing an alarm. When do you want to move in?”

“As soon as possible, Finn’s house is a little crowded with me staying there.”

“Why are you staying with Finn? Isn’t your parents’ house close by?” Abbi asks.

“It was only for a little while. I wanted to get to know the campus and learn my way around so he offered for me to stay. My parents thought it was a great idea and they are out of town right now. Plus my brother is glad to have me out of the house, he likes the privacy.”

They nod their heads in understanding.

Ella raises her glass again, “One more toast… to new roommates!”

We all cheer and slam back the rest of the Cosmos. I’m so glad Finn is picking me up tonight.

Abbi speaks up, “One more round and then we need to go home. I’m going to call my brother to come get us and come back tomorrow for my car.”

“Okay, one more round. Hey, Damon, can we please get another round? None of us are driving tonight.” He winks and starts to make our drinks.

As Damon comes down the bar to serve us, Ella asks, “Damon, since we valet parked and we’re getting a ride home, how should we handle the car situation?”

“Well, give me your ticket and I’ll go get your keys. I’ll let them know you’re being picked up and will be back tomorrow. Since Sissy met you, she’ll make sure it’s not towed overnight.”

Abbi rummages through her purse for the valet ticket and money for a tip. When she hands them over to him, he winks at me again and takes off around the bar to take care of their car.

“Honestly, you have no interest in that man? You have to give him your number tonight. I’ll give it to him for you.” Ella’s getting feisty now.

“Okay, yes, he’s gorgeous. His body, his eyes, his dimples- all of it. But I’m kind of jaded. With that kind of appeal, he’s intimidating. I’m a relationship girl; I don’t really do casual hook-ups. I think I should probably play the lotto though, this is twice in one day.”

“Wait. What do you mean by ‘twice in one day’?”

I look around to make sure we’re still alone. “Well, on my way back from yoga this morning, I was plowed down in the park by a guy that was running backwards. He wasn’t paying attention and I ended up on my ass. I was so embarrassed. He was HOT! I nicknamed him Holy Hotness. He seemed sincere in his apology and even helped me up. Then he made some crass comment about ‘someone as beautiful as you und

erneath me.’ It was a total player comment, but he was so F-I-N-E. I haven’t stopped thinking about him all day. He said he’s in the same area on Saturdays if I ever want to come back.”

Abbi and Ella stare at me and then start laughing. “Ok, Raven, I’m soooo sorry about your bad luck. Two good-looking guys in one day. One gives you his number and the other practically tells you his whereabouts so you can meet back up,” Abbi says. “You just have the worst luck in the world. As a matter of fact, I think we should go to that park next Saturday to see exactly what this guy looks like.”