Page 72 of Roommates

She snaps her fingers at me. She knows my name. I laugh.

‘Servant boy,’ I respond, deadpan. Ariella laughs.

‘Servant boy. Tequila. Lime. Salt. Lots of it. What’s this?’ She looks at the screen. ‘Sopranos– perfect. Has Tony’s mother ordered the hit on her son yet?’

‘Oh come on!’ I complain.

She fixes me with her beautiful eyes. ‘Shut up…You’re so late, this show can drink legally in New Jersey. You deserve the spoilers. You just wait till they get into the whole storyline with Bobby and—’

‘Stop!’ Ariella shouts and bursts out laughing.

Lara hugs Ariella tighter and they hold on like they need each other to breathe. Lara turns her head to face me, winks and mouths the words ‘thank you’. I smile, head to the kitchen and grab some tequila, lime, salt and shot glasses.

‘Things are about to get messy,’ I announce.

‘Yes! Rack them up.’ Lara slaps her hands together and rubs them quickly.

Ariella frowns. ‘Just one. I’m not meant to be drinking after an attack.’

‘Just one,’ Lara assures her.

It’s enough to make her groggy. She doesn’t last half an hour, so Lara puts her to bed and stays with her until she falls asleep.

‘She’s sleeping. What happened?’ Lara tiptoes back and sits opposite me in the lotus position. I can’t help noticing how perfectly hourglass-shaped she is. I like a woman who fills her clothes and—

‘Pervert! Stop staring at my boobs and pay attention.’ She snaps her fingers at me and pushes her wild hair away from her face. She oozes sex.

‘Pervert?’ I laugh, as I pour her another tequila shot and pass it to her. She knocks it back and beckons for a refill. I happily oblige.

‘I know exactly who you are and I’m trying not to get killed by Nicole.’

‘Nicole?’ I ask, not knowing how to respond.

‘Don’t try that ignorant shit with me. Yes, Nicole.Voguecover model meets psychotic, narcissistic sociopath.ThatNicole.’

‘We’re just friends.’

‘Funny, so are we. I’ll be sure to tell her you said that. When you’re done thinking with your dick, want to tell me what happened with Ariella?’

I like it. I have started in worse positions. She’ll take a little time, that’s all.

‘She and Jasper got into a fight. He walked away from her mid-panic attack. He came back, she was gone, he spent two hours looking for her and eventually ended up here.’

‘Dahlia and Hugh are going to kill him.’ She smirks.

‘You’re going to tell them?’

‘Of course not. Ariella would murder me. I bet if we ask her what happened in the morning, she’ll come out with a version that doesn’t completely nail his arse to the cross. It makes me so mad!’

‘I can tell. You’re cute when you’re mad.’

She narrows her eyes at me. Feisty.

‘Am I?’

She rolls her eyes and I take my swing.

‘And you’re much more beautiful up close. I’ve seen you in the office and you turn my head every time, but up close, you’re…wow.’

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