Page 93 of My Roommate from Hell
Ah, damn. I was hoping he’d be free so we could go on a date. As incredible as the meeting was, I know the internship isn’t locked in yet. Janet made that very clear: the internship hangs on Leeke’s letter of approval.
As weird as it sounds, it feels like making sure everyone on campus thinks we’re a couple is the best way to secure my future.
It means I need to convince Adam we’re a real couple. He’s the main outlier I’m up against, and maybe it’s the confidence I’ve gained from my meeting with Janet, but I think if I get another shot I could convince him Zarmenus and I are a real couple.
“Could I come with you?”
He sits up straighter. “You sure?”
“Yeah,” I say. “But I think we need to be, like, especially couple-y. We need Adam to believe us.”
“Extra couple-y how?”
“I don’t know,” I say, racking my brain. How do you convince someone you’re a real couple? There are some ways, some physical expressions, but there’s a big wall around them. I don’t want my first kiss to be fake. Maybe I am more superstitious than I thought, or maybe sharing a room with the prince of Hell has changed me, because I don’t like the energy of my first-ever kiss being part of a lie. It feels like it’s setting my life up in a way I won’t enjoy.
“Maybe you could, like, touch me more,” I say. “And I’ll wear that hoodie you gave me. Let’s sell the shit out of this.”
Kissing is a hard limit for me. But touch? I’m fine with that.
“Sounds fun,” he says.
The eyeball winks.
How are couples supposed to act in public?
As the car pulls up at Adam’s mansion, I refresh my phone, hoping that Ashley will have responded to my message.
You’d think I’d know, seeing as Ashley has basically always had a boyfriend, and she’s been with Jackson for over two years now. The three of us hung out all the time, so I was there firsthand to see how a real couple acts when they’re together. I’ve never really felt like a third wheel; my bond with Ashley is too strong for that. I think about the two of them, and try to picture how they signal that they’re a couple.
“Should we hold hands?” asks Zarmenus, as we approach the front door.
I shake my head. Holding hands would be a touch too far. I have only seen Ashley and Jackson hold hands a few times, and that was only when they were walking somewhere. It’s a fine line, and I think holding hands would seem too showy.
“Just stand close to me.”
“Like this?”
He steps beside me, so the sleeves of our shirts are brushing.
“Perfect,” I say.
He rings the doorbell, then gets back into position. Like last time, Adam is the one who opens the door. He smiles at Zarmenus, then narrows his eyes at me.
“Oh, hi, Owen,” he says. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
I don’t know what it is, but it’s like a switch has flipped, and I don’t feel anxious anymore. Actually, I know what it is. It’s my meeting with Janet. All afternoon I’ve found myself thinking about how amazing she is, and how cool it would be to work for her. Not just because of her position, but because she seemed like the ideal mentor. She is clearly incredibly good at her job, and I know I could learn so much from her. My future is on the line, and I’m not going to let a nepo baby like Adam take that from me.
“Hope that’s okay,” I say.
“Sure, come in.”
We go inside. All right, this is so different from last time. This isn’t a party, it’s a performance.
Like before, there’s a drinks station set up in the kitchen. Zarmenus and I each pour ourselves a drink. He pours some of his potion into his glass. The thought of some alcohol to dull the nerves is tempting, but it’ll slow my wits, which is the last thing I need.
My phone buzzes. It’s a response from Ashley.
Hahahahahahaha why?? Going somewhere with a cute demon??
