Page 26 of The Import Slot
Ryan
WhenIgetbackfrom the gym, Danny is lounging on the sofa in the living room, flicking through the channels on the flat-screen. He’s nursing a hangover and he looks like shit.
I pull my t-shirt off and toss it in the wash hamper before grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge just as there’s a knock on our door. Danny rolls off the sofa and drags himself to the front door, letting out a disappointed huff when he opens it.
“Sorry to disappoint you!” a familiar voice says, recognising Danny’s disappointment.
“Come on in.” Danny opens the door wide, and Jen walks through, wheeling two suitcases behind her.
“Oh, my God.” She spots me at the kitchen counter, shirtless in just my gym shorts and runners. She looks over at Danny, her eyes wide.
“How has no one mentioned that you two are rooming together? Has it slipped your minds?” She shuffles uncomfortably, letting go of the cases.
“I asked if you were okay with him!” Danny says, irritated, draping himself back over the sofa. Jen gapes at him, then looks at me.
“That was ages ago, and you did not mean it like that!” she scowls.
“Morning,” I say, clearing my throat and picking up my water bottle.
“Hi,” she answers breathlessly. She appears awkward, as if trying to focus on something else, while her eyes are on me. I give her a look to catch her eye, but my gaze drops to her feet, where I see a familiar pair of red and white tennis shoes.
“I could have sworn I told you,” Danny says, but we’re both too distracted to respond.
“Nice shoes. Are they new?” I ask Jen, my tone sounding harsher than I intended. There’s a knot of something in my stomach. Is it jealousy? She looks confused momentarily before catching on to where I’m looking.
“Oh no, they’re great for squats because of the flat surface. If I wear my trainers to the gym, I find the soles too flexible,” she says.
Danny lets out a howl. “Ha. When was the last time you went to the gym, Jen?”
She glowers at him and I can’t say I blame her. It’s likely that Jen has been more frequently than Danny. I’m genuinely shocked at how little exercise he does, considering he has to keep fit.
“Yesterday, but I’ve had to do without them, as I’ve only just had them back from Becca. She borrowed them but then forgot she borrowed them, so I had to bug her for them back,” Jen says.
I glance over to Danny, who seems oblivious that I’ve just worked out who he’s sleeping with.
“Did you enjoy last night?” Jen asks Danny, his eyes glued to the TV screen.
“Yeah, it was fine, thanks.”
“You look like shit,” she says, honestly.
“Ha, ha. How was your night?” Danny asks her.
“Great, thanks,” she smiles at me. It’s a smile that tells me she enjoyed my company as much as I enjoyed hers. “I’ve borrowed Becca’s car, and she looks rough today too. What did you guys get up to?”
“Nothing. Why?” Danny snaps back quickly.
Jen brushes this off. “She must have had a booty call, and she looked like she’d hardly slept. I don’t think she should have driven over. I tried to get her to tell me more, but she won’t tell me who the guy was.”
Danny’s phone rings, and he silences it before excusing himself. “Look, I’m sorry I need to head off, but I can pop back later to help you with the rest of your stuff, unless you don’t mind helping Jen, mate?” Danny says to me. “Jen, just put your stuff in my room, it’ll be fine.” He exits quickly, leaving us standing there alone.
“Tell me more about Becca,” I say.
“Are you interested?” she asks.
“In Becca? No way. I got up for a run on Friday morning. Danny was still in his room, but your shoes were on the floor next to the door. Obviously, a mistake,” I say.
Jen’s eyes widen in surprise. “Oh, my God. How could I be so blind?!” she says, pulling out her phone and tapping away quickly. “Just asking Becca if she can come and help me unload. I guarantee she’ll be busy because that’s where Danny has just gone. He probably couldn’t stay the night because Becca lives with her brother and he works weird hours.”
