Page 11 of Accidental Roommates

I like this girl. She makes me feel… I don’t know the right word… maybe comfortable? At ease? Whatever it is, I no longer want to punch my hand through a wall, and that’s saying a lot because a few minutes ago, I was ready to do just that.

“You need help with your stuff?”

“If you could, that’d be great.” She opens the door. “It’s right out here.”

I follow her outside to an old red station wagon packed to the ceiling with boxes and other stuff.

“It’s my mom’s car,” she says when she notices me looking at it. “It’s really old but it still runs so she refuses to get a new one.”

Kenzie pops open the back and a rolled-up comforter falls out.

“I got it,” I say, grabbing it from the ground. “What else can I take?”

She hands me a duffle bag and a backpack that feels like it’s full of heavy books. “Is that too much?”

“No, it’s fine,” I say, although the weight of the backpack is hurting my shoulder.

I watch as she reaches into the car to get a box. It causes her skirt to ride up and show off more of her legs. I shouldn’t look, but I can’t help myself. She’s got a great body. Long legs. Curvy hips. Round ass.

“We’ll have to make a few trips,” she says, resting the box on her hip as she shuts the door.

“If you have your mom’s car,” I say as we walk to the house, “then what’s your mom using to get around?”

“She isn’t home. She went to South Africa for a semester. She teaches at a community college and they have this teacher exchange thing with the school they just opened in South Africa. She’s always wanted to live in a different country so this is like a dream come true for her. Right now, she’s on a safari with some of her students.”

We go in the house and I lead her to the room that used to belong to Carter.

“It’s not much,” I say, dropping the duffle bag on the bed, “but it’s bigger than a dorm room.”

“It’s great.” She sets the box down and looks around. “A lot better than being homeless.”

“You can do what you want with the room. Move the furniture around. Hang stuff on the walls. Just don’t paint the walls pink.” I smile. “My uncle wouldn’t be okay with that.”

“Got it. No pink walls.” She glances around the room. “How about purple? Like maybe a soft lavender color?”

I’m not sure if she’s serious so I keep quiet as she walks over to the window and opens the drapes.

She looks back at me and smiles. “I was kidding. The wall color is fine. I was just trying to make you laugh.”

“That’s kind of hard to do right now.”

“I feel the same way.” She walks back to me. “But hey, things are already getting better. Just a half hour ago, I thought my world was ending, but then you gave me a place to live and now I feel a little better. It’s amazing how just one little thing can make a big difference. Not that letting me live here is a little thing. You’re doing me a huge favor, but you know what I mean, right?”

“Yeah. And actually, you’re doing me a favor too. If you hadn’t shown up, I’d have to put an ad up for a roommate, then go through the whole interview process to make sure the person isn’t crazy.” I eye her. “You’re not crazy, are you?”

She laughs. “No. Are you?”

I shrug. “A little.”

She frowns. “What do you mean?”

“I’m joking,” I say with a laugh.

She points at me, smiling. “Made you laugh.”

“And I made you laugh. Must mean we’re a good match.”

“Well, we definitely have something in common. Both cheated on? And we find out on the exact same day?”

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