Good Girl : An Enemies-to-Lovers, Roommate Romance (Alphahole Roommates Book 2), page 12
“Okay.”
“And again, I want it to feel like I live alone.”
“You’ve already said I’m only entitled to my room and the bathroom, so I’ll be out of your sight when you’re here.”
“Fine.”
My heart skips a beat. I have a job. I have a place to stay. I know where Shane is and hopefully he’s going to be getting some real help. I can deal with this guy’s awful attitude if I must. Things could be worse. Way worse.
“Thank you, Austin. I appreciate it.”
“Don’t make me regret it,” he warns.
“So, if you want, we can do a list of the kinds of things you like to eat, anything specific you’d like done for you…”
The look on his face tells me he’d rather be having a root canal than standing here talking to me.
“Or,” I offer, “would you like to hook me up with your housekeeper in California? I can get tips from her.”
“I don’t have a housekeeper in California.”
I’m surprised. And it shows.
“I like Mexican food. Steaks and seafood. Italian. Sushi. Nothing much I don’t like.”
“Okay.”
“I have a big appetite. No bird-sized portions. And I want a bagged lunch every day.”
“Oh?”
“Sometimes hot, sometimes sandwiches. I don’t care how often it’s one or the other, I just want a variety. I just want a bag ready in the morning when I leave for work. Make sure I can find it in the fridge. I’m busy at work and hunger hits me and I hate having to send someone out or call something in. It hits me and I get hangry. I want a cooler bag, something I can have in my desk for when I’m ready.”
“Okay. Hangry? Yikes. Can’t imagine you hangry.”
His eyes narrow and a thrill shoots up my spine. Why though? Why am I provoking him?
I can’t imagine hungry-angry on this guy compared to how he seems, now.
“I don’t like laundry piling up,” he continues. “And I go through clothes fast. I wear a suit to work, I change to work out when I get home, and then I also wear casual clothes in between. There’s gonna be a lot of laundry. I usually shower twice a day so if Aiden doesn’t have a heavy towel supply and you have a problem doing laundry often, we’ll need more towels.”
“Okay.”
“I like things tidy. Spotless, actually.”
And he doesn’t have a housekeeper? Is he exaggerating to try to be a hard-ass? I can take it. I worked for his brother for almost a year; I’m used to terse hard asses. Terse good-looking hard asses, at that.
He keeps talking. “I’ll make a list of everything I can think of that I want for toiletries and snacks I like to have. Drinks.”
“Okay. That’ll be good. I’ve done a bit of shopping for me. Would you like me to make dinner tonight? I have stuff for pasta, I have some chili that I made yesterday, I could do something with some chicken breasts I have in the freezer, or I have, um, eggs and sandwich stuff, and-”
“Start working for me tomorrow. I’ll take care of myself tonight.”
“Okay. Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Carmichael.”
He makes a grumbly sound. “Austin.”
“Okay, then.” I clap my hands. “Austin.”
“I leave for work at seven to seven-thirty. I get home anywhere from five thirty to midnight. Make sure I know where to find my dinner at night for heating up. That’s all I have for you right now. I’ll leave notes on the fridge if I need you to do anything. I’ll work on getting you a new credit card tomorrow. I have to do some stuff with my corporate bank manager, so do you need cash until it comes for food and shit?”
This feels like a test. I’m not failing it.
“I can just spend what I have if you’re going to reimburse me on pay day until that card comes.”
“You’ve got the cash to do that?”
“Carly gave me a loan. I can use some of that.”
He shakes his head. “No. I’ll get you some sort of card tomorrow. I’ll get the bank to put a rush on it.”
“Okay.”
“I’m putting a low limit on it.”
“Fine.”
No way do I want him to think I want cash for something nefarious.
“Can you even cook?”
“Yes, I can cook.”
“We’ll see.”
Yes we will.
He heads to his room and returns with an Xbox console. He moves to the TV and grabs the remote, then leans over and starts setting things up.
And then a few seconds later, he looks over his shoulder at me. I’m still sitting at the island.
I guess I was staring at him bent over. He has a pretty great ass.
He cocks an eyebrow and stares.
A pretty great ass for an ass.
And I’m not sure why he’s giving me a dark look, so I stare back.
“This isn’t gonna work if you can’t follow basic instructions.”
“I don’t understand,” I say.
He rolls his eyes.
“Oh.” It hits me. He wants me to go. I’m not to be around when he’s home. Right. I ignore the sting of that as I jump down and go to the guest room. I peek at him just before my door is closed and he’s already turned back to installing his Xbox.
God, he’s so dismissive. And grouchy. And Carly says this isn’t really him so I can’t imagine what’s going on in this guy’s life that he’s this crabby.
If this isn’t him, he definitely hates me. I wonder what it’d be like if the night he came I was just sitting here, waiting for him to arrive with an empty, clean, well-stocked apartment.
Oh well. It is what it is.
Whatever comes of this, I’m just relieved to have a job, I have a temporary place to stay, I know where my brother is, know he’s not on drugs, and that’s all I need for today.
My life has sucked lately, but today sucks far less than yesterday.
14
Austin
I feel a stab of guilt as Jada goes to her room. I can’t seem to shake my sour mood. My mood isn’t her fault, but having her foisted on me as a roommate when I’m feeling just miserable isn’t helping.
I need to kill stuff. I set my Xbox up and spend the next few hours doing that.
At one point she comes out looking contrite as she reaches into the fridge to take out some water and nuke something in a container.
I do my best to ignore her, but feel her eyes on me and it’s annoying.
“Sorry, I haven’t eaten all day,” she whispers. “I’ll get outta here stat.”
I should’ve set my Xbox up in the bedroom. Maybe I’ll move it.
No. Fuck that. She can be uncomfortable. This isn’t her place. It’s not mine either but I am a lot more entitled to stay here than she is.
The microwave beeps and she’s gone behind her closed bedroom door and whatever she’s eating, it smells good. I order pizza, thinking I should’ve let her make me dinner tonight.
The pizza is all right but I’m exhausted, so I eat just one slice and put the rest in the fridge before crashing early.
***
It’s nearly one in the morning when food smells hit me and wake me up from a dead sleep.
I’m practically drooling in bed when I sit up, annoyed. I go to the ensuite bathroom and take a leak, thinking cooking after midnight isn’t remotely conducive to being unobtrusive here.
I find myself storming to the kitchen and seeing her at the stove with a frying pan of steaming meat and vegetables.
“What the fuck?” I snap.
She startles with a shriek and then her eyes land on me. She grasps her chest at her heart and blows out relieved breaths.
I’m in my underwear. Just my underwear.
She looks away, pulling her lips tight.
And just seeing her in her bare feet, with those same clothes on but I’m pretty sure she ditched the bra, and all those smells hitting my nose, I’m livid and talking my cock down, so I don’t wind up with a semi that she’d definitely notice.
“I have to get up in a few hours and you’re out here cooking?”
“Sorry,” she says. “I…”
“Night one and you’re already pissing me off? This won’t work.”
I have to tear my eyes off her tits. She’s definitely not wearing a bra.
“I’m sorry I woke you. I just…”
“Have some fucking consideration,” I clip, “I’m going back to bed. Shit like this happens again, you’re gone.”
I storm back to bed.
***
It’s the next day and it’s noon when my phone buzzes. I’m neck-deep in spreadsheet hell trying to figure out some Enron-esque shit Bassell’s tried to pull with the books. It’s my assistant Candy calling. I hit the speaker key.
“Yeah, Candy?”
“Hi Austin!” she sings. “Jada Miller is here for you. She’s not in the book, but says it’s important. Do I show her in, or should I ask her to make an appointment?”
What? What the fuck is Jada doing here at my office?
This chick is gonna have to go sooner than later.
“Come,” I growl and fix my eyes on the door as I toss my pen down hard on the desk.
There’s a quick knock and the door flies open. Candy smiles wide at me. She’s blonde, stacked, sexy. And she’s trying to get my attention. I’ve been a prick to most everyone, but somehow I haven’t been able to take it out on her. I can’t help but lose the scowl.
Jada comes in behind her and Jada’s dressed in business clothes. This throws me. She’s wearing a cream-colored power suit with a feminine blouse. She’s even wearing heels. Her hair is down and she’s wearing makeup and jewelry. It’s tasteful, nothing like the night I met her.
“I’m heading to lunch soon, Austin. Do you need me to pick anything up for you?” Candy bats her eyelashes at me.
I’m about to reply that yes, I’m starved, but Jada holds up a blue and purple cooler bag.
“Not necessary. I’m here to save the day.”
Candy’s expression drops and she looks Jada over with distaste.
“I’m Austin’s other assistant. I guess we’re like twins. But I take care of his personal stuff,” she says to Candy with a smile.
Candy’s face has gone sour. And Candy doesn’t look so sexy suddenly.
I clamp my mouth shut, realizing I’m gaping.
“If you don’t need anything else, I’ll go to lunch, Austin.”
“Go ahead.”
“I forwarded calls to Liv.”
“Thanks, Candy.”
She closes the door after shooting Jada a dirty look.
Jada heads to my desk and holds the cooler bag out, gesturing for me to grab it.
I stare at it and my expression must make her think it’s with disdain because she says, “You can take it, you know. You’re looking at it like you don’t wanna touch it because I have the cooties.”
“Do you?” I ask, straight-faced.
Jada rolls her eyes and huffs. “I was cootie-vaccinated as a child, I’ll have you know. I got it while doing a handstand for three whole minutes and nearly passed out, but my cousin Darlene informed me those efforts meant it was good for life.”
I almost laugh. Almost.
“Anyway,” she continues, “I warmed it up before I hopped in the taxi so it should still be hot if you’re hungry now.”
I fold my arms over my chest and stare at her. “Why are you interrupting my workday, Jada?”
“You forgot it.”
“I did?” I didn’t check the fridge for a lunch. I didn’t think we were starting that until tomorrow.
“Yeah. This is what I was cooking for at that ungodly hour.”
A pang of guilt hits.
She leans in a little. I find myself leaning back.
“You know, you could’ve asked me what I was doing.” She looks annoyed. She looks like she wants to shoot lasers from her eyes at me. “You told me to stay out of your way, but you also wanted bagged lunches, so I got up in the middle of the night to cook food for your lunch so I wouldn’t be in your way and then you hollered at me and threatened to fire me.”
“I get it. And I wasn’t expecting lunch today since we’re just starting today. Obviously a misunderstanding,” I say.
“Yeah. Funny how misunderstandings happen sometimes. They happen to… us all.”
She stares.
I stare.
“Anyway,” she looks away. “Your lunch is hot if you’re hungry. I put all the stuff in the thermos and wrapped the tortillas in foil and hopefully they’re still warm. Cold stuff is on one side, hot on the other. The thermos will help if you don’t want to nuke everything. I didn’t know if you liked guac or not, so I put some in.”
“Guac?”
“You said you like Mexican. I made you chicken fajitas.”
I blink.
“I hope that’s okay. That’s what I had on hand for ingredients. I put a paper in there with my cell number on it. We haven’t exchanged numbers yet so if you could put it in your phone and then text me so I’ve got you in my phone that’d be good. I’m grocery shopping this afternoon so if you have anything you’d like, feel free to let me know in the text. Otherwise I’ll try to wing it. Please bring that home and leave it where I can find it for tomorrow’s lunch.”
“You don’t have a credit card yet, do you want…” I lean sideways so I can fish my wallet out.
“I’ve got it. In fact, I’ve got the groceries this week. They’re on me. Or Carly, really, but I’ll be paying her back.”
I stare.
“Just my way of saying thanks for giving me a chance,” she adds.
Her shoulders jiggle as she scoffs, then she shoots me a dirty look. “And don’t choke on your thanks or anything. Have a good rest of your day. I’ll make sure dinner is ready by five thirty.”
She goes to leave, but collides with a redhead in the doorway.
Fuck. No.
That redhead.
“Oh,” Jada says to Sienna Greer. “Sorry.” And then Jada rears back with a weird look on her face.
Recognition?
“Uh,” Sienna returns. “Yeah. Excuse you.” She smooths out her skirt and breezes by Jada, eyes on me.
And Sienna is dressed head to toe in designer clothes, carrying a bag that probably cost her father five-grand. She walks like everyone has eyes on her, like things can finally get started now that she’s arrived. The bitch thinks her shit doesn’t stink and every eye just has to be on her and only her. She drops her bag on my desk and rounds the desk.
“Austin. Hot stuff,” she greets and opens her arms.
Jada shoots me a dirty look and then she leaves.
My focus moves to the bitch standing over me. I stand up and look down at her.
“You’ve got a lot of fucking nerve. I suggest you turn around and fuck off right now.”
She smirks and then rolls her eyes.
“Austin, Austin… we need to chat.”
This ought to be good.
She continues. “My father called and said you’re talking about pressing charges against me. Austin, I don’t know what on earth you drank that night before we ran into one another or how you think things went, but you were all over me.” She sits on the edge of my desk, shoving my laptop back.
“And I enjoyed every minute of it,” she adds, opening her legs wide, giving me a view of red lace panties.
She smiles.
“I had a drug test,” I say.
She tries to hide the flinch behind what might be a very convincing poker face, but not to me, because I know this bitch can lie. I’ve known her since we were kids and I’ve watched her practiced lies more than once in my life. More than twice. She used them to get out of shit with her parents, with other authority figures, to get what she wanted with my brother on more than one occasion, too. And she’s a mean girl. I’ve seen her reduce teenage girls at our parents’ country club and our private school to tears.
“I did not drug you, Austin. That’s ridiculous. Maybe someone else did.”
“I’ve just hit record on my phone,” I say, setting it on the desk. “So, Sienna Greer, you know this conversation is being recorded by me, Austin Carmichael. Understand?”
“Don’t be so silly. I don’t know how many people served you drinks that night, Auz, but probably several since you were at a wedding reception, and-”
“I want you to leave, now, and I’m also telling you I’m pressing charges. I was gonna have you arrested in San Diego, but since you’re here, you might want to turn yourself in to the cops.”
“I’m doing no such thing. I don’t know what you’re pressing charges for since you were the one that came onto me, unhappy that the girl you liked showed up at Aiden’s wedding with her fiancé who beat you up.”
“Really, Sienna?”
“Really, Austin. You approached me at that bar. You were feeling sorry for yourself with your broken heart and your black eye, and I freely admit, I was broken up about Aiden getting married, so you and me wallowed in the bottle together. We got drunk and then we had sex. End of story. If you took drugs, that’s on you or if it was slipped to you, it had to be on some bartender or other scammer that maybe hung out waiting for an opportunity to drug you so they could rob you or something. That’s not on me. In fact, if that happened to you, it’s a good thing we were together because maybe you’d have woken up in a bathtub with vital organs missing if I hadn’t been there.”
“Tell it to the judge, baby,” I tell her. “Now go. I’m not speaking further to you. You have something to say to me, like that you’re sorry for drugging me and date raping me, it should go through your lawyer.”
She barks out a laugh. “Date rape? Look at the size of you and the size of me. That’s rich. I didn’t do anything to you that you didn’t want. And newsflash. You did stuff to me, too. You made me come twice that night, Auz. You were a very, very willing and responsive participant. I was gonna wait till you got home to reconnect, but after Dad called and told me you were being a little bitch about this, I decided to make a special trip to tell you that maybe your memory is murky from that night, but we had a great time. You are damn good in bed and I wouldn’t mind another round. As long as you stop being a whiny bitch, that is…”
