Page 82 of The Paris Roommates: Dean
Brooke squeezed his hand. “So how about we call Nanine and have her join us. She’ll throw some white flag truce energy into the mix. I still can’t believe she knew about this place but didn’t say anything.”
“I think it’s nice Thea said she wanted her supposed room to be considered a guest room for both of them in case Nanine wanted to stay over too.”
“Only Nanine will never do it,” Brooke told him. “She says staying in her house is what keeps her connected to Bernard’s memory.”
“God, that’s a little sad.” Dean thought about the changes going on, with them moving out of the Girls’ and Boys’ Floors and Thea moving in with Jean Luc. He could pretend nothing had changed at Nanine’s since Thea was always there and had a private place, but it wouldn’t be like that here. It felt kinda weird. “We aren’t all going to be roommates anymore really without Thea.”
“Try and think about how happy she is with Jean Luc.” Brooke gave a sad smile. “That’s what I think about when I miss her. She liked coming into my room at night and lying down and talking like we were little kids. That’s what she’d say.”
He nudged her. “And you loved it. Who could blame you? We all like how we are with each other. I mean, I might pay Sawyer to take another swipe at you with that paintbrush just to see you blanch.”
She fingered his walk of shame clothes as they left the room and headed down the hallway. “Like you’d be fine with these nice threads being ruined.”
More shouting reached their ears. “Are they fighting again?” Dean asked.
“We might have to separate them.” Brooke took off, this time toward the stairs.
That would be a first. He picked up his pace only to see Thea and Jean Luc emerge from the first floor salon area.
“Why are they fighting?” Thea asked, stricken. “Jean Luc told me not to interfere, but this is so not like them.”
Poor Thea would certainly not see the sexual tension, and he wasn’t going to say a word about it. Heck, he didn’t want to mention it to Brooke either, unless it became absolutely necessary.
Brooke patted her on the arm as she swept past. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”
“It’s going to be fine, Thea.” Dean sent her an encouraging smile before booking it to the kitchen after Brooke. He slid to a stop behind her.
Madison was trying to go around Kyle, who’d blocked her way by standing square in front of her. They were both yelling over each other, their words indistinct.
“Stop this!” Like a bouncer, Brooke charged forward and put herself between them. “You’re scaring Thea, and frankly, you’re upsetting the rest of us. Whatever has you so upset that you’re shouting at each other—”
“She’s going shopping!” Kyle said with heat. “For things to make dinner!”
Dean crept forward, wanting to back Brooke up and help defuse the situation because this was crazy.
“I have a new kitchen,” she shot back. “It’s what I do.”
“Dammit!” Kyle replied, his blue eyes a little crazy to Dean’s mind. “You are so not cooking tonight. We are celebrating this new house. I told you I didn’t buy this place so you could cook for us like a freaking servant.”
“I am so not—”
“Enough!” Brooke grabbed Kyle and pulled him off to the side as Dean laid a gentle hand on Madison, causing her to jump. “You two are now in a time-out.”
“Like you can put me there,” Kyle said with a derisive snort.
“I’m calling Nanine to come over right now, so you’d both better get over whatever has crawled up your collective asses and start acting like the good friends you are. Or I swear I’m going to lock you in this kitchen to work things out. Got me?”
“Like I couldn’t pick the lock to that measly door,” Madison said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Boy, they’d both gone a little crazy over this whole house thing. Dean didn’t know what more to add to what Brooke had said, so he settled for pointing to his eyes like he was watching them and then left the kitchen.
He headed to their new garden. “I need some air,” he told Thea and Jean Luc as he let himself out the front door.
Pulling out his phone, he texted Jacqueline.
Sorry I had to leave you again. Long story short, Kyle bought us a new house. Bigger. I’ll be back in king bed city. But until I can host you, how about we meet up tonight at our room in the Ritz for room service and more of what we had last night? I could feast on that and never get tired.
He really was getting more poetic. Feasting? When had he ever said that to a woman? Never.
