Accidental Roommate Read online

  My parents had suffered the same fate. They’d met each other at one of those midway carnivals. They were inseparable. I shook my head. I still couldn’t get my head around some of those issues, so I pushed it aside. Someday I would think about it. My boss at Twist, Steve, said that I should become a therapist. I smiled at that. I had always been able to pull that spark out of people to get them to perform their best, whether as a trainer or to talk down those asses who after a six-pack thought they could take on the world.

  I had thought about it. My major was kinesiology in college with a minor in psychology, bankrolled by my uncles so I could do my parents proud. Shane always said I limited myself by going into training after what happened with my family and not getting out there. So says the teacher from a family of teachers.

  I checked my coffee cup and it was empty. I threw the paper cup away and walked around the gym checking to see if anyone had questions. Satisfied, I walked over to the coffee shop.

  I walked in as the beauty in lavender from before, walked out. She glanced down at her phone and ran right into me, spilling coffee everywhere, all over both of us.

  I grabbed napkins off one of the bistro tables and start brushing the coffee off her. Once I looked into her eyes, I had no idea what I said before she grabbed the napkins from me and left. As I watched her tight ass walk away, my groin tightened. I shifted, not uncomfortably. I hadn’t seen her here before and hoped I hadn’t scared her away. I didn’t even catch her name.

  As I walked back to the desk, I got a call from Steve.

  “Steve, what do I owe the pleasure.”

  “You’re not going to like it,” he replied with a chuckle.

  “It’s nine in the morning. When do I ever like to hear from you this early?”

  “True that. Timothy got canned last night,” he said. “Caught him dealing.”

  “Fuck, really? Man, I’m sorry. Thought he was a good kid.”

  “So, did I. Now the reason for the call…”

  I groaned. I knew what was coming.

  “Need you to work tonight. Nine to close,” he said, matter-of-factly.

  “I’m meeting with my agent this afternoon. I don’t think I have anything coming up, but if I do, I’ll call you,” I replied.

  “Sounds good. See you tonight.”

  Fuck. I didn’t want a shift tonight, but Steve was a good boss and I hated seeing him in that position. It was a good thing Steve caught Timothy, and not the cops. That would have closed Twist. Not that the up-and-comers were teetotalers by any means, but more discreet would be a better description.

  After I handled one more guy who couldn’t find the pin for the weights, I had two regulars, Stephanie and Barbara. Stephanie was trying to get over her eating disorder. She had come a long way in the past few months, had put on muscle, and seemed a lot happier. The last one of the day was Barbara. She had written a couple of bestsellers and liked to talk about her books and her cats. A stereotype, but that was her life. I thought it was sad that loneliness was so rampant in New York and she came to the gym to have some company.

  I took a shower and headed over to my agent’s. I’d been with him for a few years and he’d gotten me some incredible gigs. My latest billboard had gone up that morning, though I hadn’t gotten over to see it yet.

  Jason greeted me at the door. “Tyler, have a seat.” It was the more the way he said it than what he said. It didn’t sound good.

  Jason stared at me for a moment, not saying anything, then began to crack a smile. “I have a gig for you tomorrow,” he said leaning forward. “I had you there for a moment, didn’t I?” He chuckled, thinking his game playing was funny.

  I gave a sigh of relief as I shifted in my seat, imagining that he had just put my up for some amazing job.

  I came back to the conversation when I heard Jason say the word “cologne”—the death knell.

  “Jason, did you just say cologne?”

  “I know it’s not what you want to hear, but the fashion plates are calling for younger and younger these days.”

  Doing cologne ads was one step closer to leaving modeling and going into acting. Reluctantly, I agreed to the job, knowing I needed the extra cash..

  My future seemed really hazy.

  The rest of the day was uneventful. I picked up a cute little master’s degree student at Twist after work and headed back to the apartment. She seemed like a sweet girl and I thought her name was Allie. She didn’t seem like a girl who wanted any strings attached, which was great for me.

  I hadn’t really dated anyone seriously in years. It was more fun playing the field, picking up woman from the bar and just living life.

  I started getting hard as I opened the door right into Shane.

  Him being up at two in the morning was unusual. He taught in the morning. Oh, crap.

  “Um, Shane. What gives? This is Allie.” Shane nodded and didn’t say a word.

  Allie looked at Shane and stammered, “Listen, I’m not into threesomes.”

  Shane gave her a look.

  She continued, “Well, maybe you guys have something to talk about. It’s late. Tyler, you have my number.”

  She gave me quick peck on the cheek and left, closing the door behind her.

  Becky walked down the hallway in Shane’s shirt, showing off a set of beautiful legs. She took Shane’s hand and kissed him. It was sweet, but I had a feeling I knew what was coming. It had been that kind of a day.

  Shane cleared his throat. “Tyler, Becky and I have talked. We…damn, this is hard.”

  I looked at Becky. She shuffled back and forth and leaned into Shane for support. Not being an ass, I figured I would talk first and get this over with.

  “Let me help. You two are beginning your lives together and three’s a crowd. Am I close?”

  They both nodded in unison.

  “How soon do you need me out?” I asked.

  “As soon as possible. It’s just the rotating women, late hours, we’re not in college anymore, Tyler.” He pointed to Becky and himself. “We’re both teachers and it’s hard.”

  I looked away. He was right.

  “No, I understand. I’ll be out of your hair in three days,” I replied. “It doesn’t have to be that soon, dude.”

  “It’s a goal,” I said. “I want you guys to have your own place, and your wedding is right around the corner.” I headed back to my bedroom and glanced around. Most of the stuff could stay. I preferred to live light, so there really wasn’t anything but clothes and handful of keepsakes.

  Shane came down the hall to stand in my doorway. “Tyler, you’re still the best man, right?”

  I glanced up from sorting through my shirts to see Shane standing in the doorway. “Of course, Shane. I’ll be there for you. You guys need to start off your new life. I don’t get it after just meeting her four months ago, but you’ve always had good judgement. You’ve saved me from more than one mistake.”

  Shane smiled that Sutton smile, honest and sincere. “It will work out for you, too, Tyler. You’ll see.”

  People in love always seemed to imagine their friends finding someone as well. It was cute in a way, and a little unnerving. Maybe I wasn’t meant to find someone, though. Because if I were, shouldn’t I have found them already?

  I nodded. “I have some early clients tomorrow so I better hit the hay.”

  “Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  “Let’s see how the search for an apartment goes.”

  He nodded and padded down the hall to his and Becky’s room.

  I closed my door and shut off the lights. Fuck.

  Chapter 3

  Grayce

  I did not want to talk to Mommy Dearest. She wasn’t dearest in any way, but I had called her that since she had married husband number two, Leo, a pretentious ass. Money and mistresses. Turned out he’d needed to marry to get his trust fund when he turned forty. He was a regular at Mom’s hair salon. He married her and within two weeks, he was carousing, out on the
town once his money came in.

  Husband number three was Doug. They met when a friend introduced them. He was an interesting guy, with his cardigans and pipe, but he had always been kind to my mom and it was what she needed. I was glad for her sake that he was still around.

  I walked out to my car, getting my keys out of my purse and balancing the phone on my shoulder. Carter had been a shoulder for her to cry on when it went belly up with Leo and he was able to get her a good divorce attorney, which had left my mom a wealthy woman. Now she loved, loved, loved my ex. Dad’s probably doing flips in his grave, I thought.

  “Kiss, kiss, sweetie,” Mom said.

  “Hi, Mom,” I replied.

  “What is this I hear from Carter that you’re not returning his calls?” she asked.

  “That’s right.” The phone call started to go through the speakers as I started the car.

  “Are you driving?” she asked.

  “Yes, I’m going to look at an apartment in Astoria.”

  “It’s not very hip.” My mother had decided she was an authority on all things cool, apparently.

  “Mom, you live in Stony Brook, with Doug.”

  He was really a nice guy, a computer professor who worked at Stony Brook University. He made her happy. He was similar to Dad and he really loved my mom but let her know where he stood when it came to money. Stony Brook was a nice, family-oriented area with many computer companies nearby. Mom fit right in with them and had my sister’s and brother’s kids to keep her company. It didn’t stop her from asking, on a regular basis, when Carter and I would have kids.

  “You should move back in with Carter. It’s just a passing phase for him. Just wait, he’ll come back. He’s a wonderful husband and he’ll be a great father someday,” she implored.

  “No, Mom, he wasn’t a great husband, hence the fact we are divorced.”

  I didn’t bring up the fact that Carter had every excuse in the book as to why he didn’t want kids. I’d never told anyone but Ella that Carter really didn’t like children.

  “You shouldn’t have moved out,” Mom said.

  “I came home to him fucking our legal assistant…in our bed. This isn’t news to you. And he told me to leave.”

  I heard her sigh on the phone. “He’s just finding himself, dear. Give him some time.”

  Un-fucking-believable.

  I thought of the guy from the gym who had tried to dry me off. I wondered if he was trying to find himself as well. I shook the thought out of my head as I squirmed in the car seat, a little turned on as I remembered his hands on me, aside from the hot coffee.

  “No, I’m looking at an apartment in a few minutes. I gave him six years of my life that I can’t get back. Our marriage actually lasted less than a Botox treatment.”

  “Men cheat, sweetie, that’s how it is.” She said it authoritatively, as though it were fact.

  “No, they don’t. Dad didn’t cheat, Doug’s not a cheater. Most men are decent. Carter and Leo are not.”

  She sucked in her breath. “Don’t speak that vile man’s name to me.” I knew she meant Leo and not Dad.

  That headache was making its way back. “Sorry, Mom.”

  Dad had seen through Carter. Before I stormed out of that fateful Thanksgiving dinner six years before, he’d taken me to the side, concerned for me. But back then, I could only see the wrapping on the present.

  “Baby, I don’t care how good-looking he is, who he knows, or how much money he makes—he’s not good people,” my father had said.

  I had grabbed my sweater and coat and dragged Carter out of there.

  Dad had been right, though. Blinded by the life Carter lived, a world I knew nothing about, I was distracted by the sparkles, the shiny life he presented, and the disgusting amounts of money he threw at me, even before the first time we slept together. I was a small-town Jersey girl with big dreams to be a corporate lawyer. With scholarships, I had made my way through law school and up through the ranks and into one of the most prestigious law firms in New York, Thomas and Thomas.

  When our relationship fell apart, Carter had confessed that he married me because it made his family happy. It wasn’t for love or for the sex, which for the record had been fine, but not awe-inspiring. My mom wouldn’t even let me live with her when I first left Carter, because she wanted us to work things out.

  “Listen, I’m almost at the apartment so I’ll give you a call later, okay?” I asked.

  “Fine, but don’t sign it just to spite me. Make sure you can afford it. Consider going back to Carter, dear. It would make me happy to see you happy.”

  Nothing like pressure.

  “Yes, Mom, love you, Mom, pulling up now.”

  “Remember we’re having brunch this Sunday at Del Fresco’s.”

  “I know. Bye.” I hit the button on the dashboard as soon as I heard her take another breath to say something else.

  I parallel parked like a pro and got out. I looked up at the townhouse. Dad was a bricklayer. He would have said this building had good bones. The building had a cute park across the street full of stay-at-home moms swinging their kids. Just looking at this place calmed me down. Spring was beginning to peek through the dreary earth, and there was a little greenery just perking up. I was reminded of all the times I would go with my dad as a kid to watch him work – spring was when business began picking up for him.

  The outside of the building was gorgeous and for the first time, I started to doubt that I was worth something so pretty. Pretty was an odd word for a building, but pretty was how it felt.

  I had money left from my job and great things going on with my new office, thanks to Mr. Jensen. Maybe I could swing this.

  I saw a woman in a pink suit which screamed “leasing agent” on the porch. I walked over to her and she said in a high voice that should only belong to a cartoon character that her name was Jacqueline and she was here to show me the townhouse. She immediately shoved her paperwork at me.

  She took me up in the elevator to the third floor and walked to the third door over and unlocked it. It was as beautiful inside as out. Light beige outer walls with cream interior, two bedrooms, a home office. The bathrooms had been redone with a Jacuzzi bathtub in one room and a shower with a bench in the other. Sweet!

  The leasing agent took me outside to a nice little hangout area for tenants. The kicker, and the agent knew it as she smiled sideways at me, was a tranquil garden being tended by what I assumed were some of the residents.

  As I walked around the rooftop terrace, I felt the stress of the day leave me. Sure, you could never get away from the sound of New York; it was part of the ambiance. Here, though, you could feel a moment to yourself regardless of the bustling of the world around you.

  As we walked down to the apartment, I asked about the price, which was a tad bit higher than what I’d seen in the ad.

  “The other one was rented this morning shortly after you called. This one is furnished, and these apartments used to be corporate short-term leases, but the company who owned them went a different route and it’s now up for rent.” She tapped her pen on her clipboard and checked her watch. “I do have someone coming in just a few minutes, so I need an answer.”

  The best part about having this place was no Noah and Ella, though a part of me hated saying that. It was time to move out. Ella was right. I needed to be on my own and get back that part of me that I’d lost during the six years Carter and I were together. I felt discarded, unwanted, and I hated that feeling and wanted it gone.

  The old me spoke up in my head. This was a place I could grow into. I’m a strong and confident lawyer, just like Carter. I can do this on my own.

  “Let me take one more walk around.”

  I can do it on my own, I said again to my unconfident self. I walked through the apartment and knew it was exactly what I needed to help me start my new life. I wandered through the second bedroom and remembered all the art projects I had loved doing. This would be a nice place to start. I’d a
bandoned art when I went to law school and it was always more of a hobby than anything else, but it would be a great pastime to help me relax. Maybe a reading room for those suspense stories I love, I mused. I thought of all the things that I could do, activities which didn’t include anybody but me. No men, no roommates, no babysitting. Just me.

  I finished walking through the apartment and back to the agent.

  “I'll take it,” I said, and sat down to fill out the application. The hefty check almost didn’t leave my hand, it felt so heavy. It could have sustained my spanking new law practice for six months on what I had doled out.

  The leasing agent gave me the keys and let herself out.

  I went to the windows and threw open the curtains. The windows looked out over the park outside. Nothing was going to ruin this day. For the first time in six months, I felt in control.

  Chapter 4

  Tyler

  My day started off normal. Two guys were working on their form for their latest competition. Stephanie came in. She’d had a setback overnight with binging and I told her it meant nothing, and we would be on track again today. She smiled her tremulous smile. Eating disorders were common in the health field. Either people were getting over them or trying to conquer them. The lifestyle trends of fast food and easy living meant I had my work cut out for me and I saw people like Stephanie every week.

  Shane was getting married in two days and I wanted to make sure I had a place when they came back from their wedding night. They could only take a day off and would have an official honeymoon when summer break started in a few months. I was still the best man and I would double check the evening for the whole “take him out to the titty bars” tradition.

  I wanted to make sure I was out of the house in the next two days. That was the deadline I was giving myself. That way, I wouldn’t impede on their newfound wedded bliss. It was nice to see him happy. He had always been very particular with the women he dated, and the fact he’d met Becky at a teacher’s conference when he asked her for a pen of all things, seemed to speak volumes. You just never knew. As my mind wandered in that direction, I noticed the woman with the lavender outfit from yesterday hadn’t come in. I really hoped I hadn’t scared her off.