Page 15 of A Roommate for Christmas
Carter didn’t say anything.He stared at her as if she had just said the Earth was flat.Finally, he rolled his eyes and said, “Not that it’s your business, but I only brought what I needed for a temporary stay.Storage units are a thing, you know.”
And with that he put his earbud back in, grabbed a box, and retreated into his room.
Paige could feel her skin getting hot again.This guy is the actual worst.But she shook off her frustration, remembering it was only temporary.
She grabbed her laptop and started studying other marketing freelancer websites and LinkedIn pages so she could have a good idea of how to position herself when she quit her job in a couple of months.
Later that night, Paige decided to give Carter the benefit of the doubt, so she went out to buy some beers and frozen pizzas from the grocery store to extend one last olive branch.
So far, their interactions had been at the end of a workday and in the middle of moving into the apartment.Paige couldn’t count on one hand the number of stressful days she had had in the office.Perhaps that Thursday they met up had been packed full of meetings that could have been emails.And Paige hated unpacking after a brief weekend vacation—so moving and unpacking into her apartment had been torture.
Maybe she was judging him too harshly given the circumstances of both times they’d been around each other.
Paige walked up to his door and knocked.Nothing.She knocked again.Still nothing.
Just as she lifted her fist to knock a third time, the door swung open.
“Yeah?”Carter asked, the scowl still present on his stupidly handsome face.
“Okay, hi to you too.I just wanted to let you know I got some beers and pizzas to welcome you to the apartment if you want to join me for dinner in twenty minutes?”
“No, thanks,” he said cooly and started closing the door.
Paige stood dumbfounded by his response and instinctively put her hand out to stop the door.
“Are you serious?I’m just trying to be a good friend here.You’re not even going to try to act polite?”
He stared at her again before answering, “I’m not here to make any friends.I just need a place to live for a while—preferably a place where everyone minds their own business.”
And with that, Carter closed the door in Paige’s face.
What.A.Prick.
Paige could hardly believe anyone could be this off-putting, but lo-and-behold here was the man to prove her wrong.
***
Days passed and Paige barely saw Carter—a fact she mostly appreciated.
He left quietly for work each morning and often returned around nine or ten in the evening and went directly to his room without any effort in speaking a word to her.Was it really so hard to say good morning?Would it kill him to fake a smile as he headed out the door?
Although she could have sworn she noticed him checking her out the morning she wore her I-have-a-client-meeting dress.It wasn’t often Paige’s bottom-tier clients came into the office for an in-person meeting, but when they did, she made sure to wear her most flattering girl-boss outfit.
But as much as she didn’t want to interact with him, she didn’t hate her new roommate’s lingering glance.
And it would be a lie if she said she didn’t return the favor.Every time she laid eyes on Carter he looked so fine.
Most mornings he left in a suit, and in the evenings he’d either return in casual business attire or joggers and a T-shirt if he was coming from the gym.Unlike the saying, shedidlove to see him go, because that meant she didn’t have to deal with his arrogance.But she also had to admit she loved to watch him walk away.
For the first time in a long time, Paige was acutely aware of how she looked at home.She and Nadia had never minded looking frumpy when it was just them, but now with Carter’s presence in the apartment, Paige thought twice about going braless.
And it wasn’t even that she felt shehadto change her at-home style.It’s more that she found herselfwantingto.
What is Carter doing to me?She caught herself glancing at herself for an extra two seconds in her bathroom mirror.
On Thursday night, Nadia came over for dinner and theLove is Blindfinale, hoping to spot her replacement in the flesh.
“I can’t wait to see if Mr.Hollywood lives up to his profile picture,” Nadia teased from the couch, her first glass of wine almost empty.
