Page 6 of Euphoria

“Why not?” Hugh asked. “I mean, who knows how things will go with us living together? We really don’t know each other, so maybe a schedule or even some rules might be helpful.”

Colter looked at him as though he had lost his mind, and when he finally nodded his agreement, Hugh let out a breaththat he didn’t know that he was holding. “Fine, but let’s not get too stringent in our rules. I mean, we have to leave room for human error, right?”

“Of course,” Hugh agreed. “We can make as many or as few rules as you’d like.”

“Okay, well, I get up at about six in the morning to work out, and I usually shower at about eight,” Colter said. “Would that work with your schedule?” Was this the part where Hugh admitted that he really didn’t have a schedule? He got up about an hour before having to be at work, showered, and went in. Hell, he didn’t even work out on a regular basis, and his dad bod was proof.

“Um, sure,” Hugh agreed.

“If you want to work out with me, you can. I have a gym set up in the basement,” Colter offered. “It’s fully outfitted and better than any gym around here—well, if they had a gym around here. The closest one is about forty minutes away.” Hugh was beginning to wonder if his guess about Colter being loaded was correct. His house was huge and knowing the market in town, it had to have cost a pretty penny. Now, he was going on about his fully outfitted gym in the basement. Hugh didn’t care one way or the other, and there was no way that he’d flat-out ask him again.

“So, is that a yes?” Colter asked, drawing him back to the conversation.

“A yes to what?” Hugh asked. “I’m sorry, my mind kind of wandered off,” he admitted.

“No problem,” Colter said, “it’s probably been a long day for you. I was asking if you’d like me to wake you to work out with me?” Hugh wondered if “God, no” was an appropriate answer to give to his new boss or not.

“Um, I’m not really a workout kind of guy. I mean, this all doesn’t happen by running on a treadmill,” he teased, rubbing his tummy.

Colter chuckled, “Okay, well, if you change your mind, just let me know.”

“Thanks,” Hugh breathed, “so, we have the shower schedule all worked out then. You’ll grab one first and then, I’ll get one later.”

“I take it you’re not much of a morning person,” Colter said. He wasn’t. In fact, Hugh would sleep past noon if his schedule would allow it. Working at a bar was going to involve late hours and not getting his sleep would make him grumpy as hell.

“It’s not that I’m not a morning person. I just like my sleep and if I don’t get enough, I’m a bear,” Hugh admitted.

“Well, I will try to be quiet when I get up in the morning, so I don’t wake you. I also usually make a pot of coffee. Does that work for you, or do you drink something else in the morning?” Colter asked.

“Coffee is great,” Hugh agreed. “I usually get mine on the way to work, but I guess that the diner is my only option for a cup of coffee in town.”

“Yep, and although their food is great, their coffee is like sludge,” Colter said.

“Well, I’ll try not to drink the whole pot myself,” Hugh teased.

“No worries,” Colter drawled, “I have a coffee pot in my office at the bar. Help yourself anytime.”

“Thanks, man,” Hugh said. He stood and gathered both of their plates from the table. “How about chores?” he asked. “I don’t mind helping out around here. Hell, I can do the majority of the chores since you’re kind enough to let me stay with you until an apartment opens up.”

“Um, that’s not necessary,” Colter assured. “I have a cleaning company that comes in twice a week and does the whole house. I try to keep up on laundry and dishes though.”

“Twice a week?” Hugh asked. “Doesn’t that seem a bit excessive?” He couldn’t imagine being dirty enough to have his place cleaned twice a week, but maybe Colter was.

“I’m kind of a neat freak, so it works for me. Plus, I can afford it, so why not have that one luxury?” Hugh looked around the place as he started washing the dishes. It seemed as though Colter had quite a few luxuries, but it wasn’t Hugh’s place to judge.

“You have a look on your face. What’s that about?” Colter asked. People liked to tell Hugh that he wore his emotions on his face. If he didn’t like something, everyone around him could tell without him saying a word. Apparently, Colter was already able to pick up on that.

“My face isn’t doing anything,” Hugh lied.

“Bullshit,” Colter grumbled. He took the clean plate from Hugh and started to dry it. “You look as though you don’t approve and I’m just trying to figure out what you don’t approve of.”

“It’s not that I don’t approve,” Hugh said. He sighed knowing that he was going to have to come clean with Colter and clear the air. “I just think that you might be a little bit spoiled.”

Colter barked out his laugh, and Hugh worried that he had said too much. “You’re right. I am spoiled now. I lost my parents when I was only seven, and my grandfather raised me. From what the lawyers told me, after my grandfather’s death, my parents had left me some money, and with the money that my grandpa had put away for me, well I’m a very rich man. But I didn’t grow up that way.”

“You didn’t grow up with money?” Hugh asked.

“Nope,” he admitted. “My grandpa had a modest house in the country, and I wore hand-me-downs most of my childhood. He’d say that new clothes for a young boy were a waste since I’d just ware them out climbing trees and all the other boy stuff I did.I honestly didn’t mind. Most kids where I was from didn’t have much, and I guess my grandpa didn’t want me to be any different from them.”

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