Roommates (Soulmates #1) (15 page)

Chapter 29: Jenny

There was no question that he checked me out when I walked in.

Of course, I was hoping he would. I wouldn't have worn such a
flirty dress otherwise.

But I thought he'd be more subtle about it. Instead, he checked
me out like he couldn’t even help himself, like he didn’t give a shit who
noticed.

No wonder the hostess thought we were a couple.

And as soon as I felt his eyes skim over my body like that I
swear I felt flames shoot up my spine. It was the best feeling ever. I half
expected my head to float away like a balloon after it happened.

But the sound of his voice made me feel grounded all over again.

I rarely showed so much skin. I mean, if there was anything I
couldn't live without, it would be my collection of oversized sweaters.

But the thought of Ethan's eyes resting on parts of me that were
usually covered excited me, and when I slipped the little dress on, it was
almost like wearing a costume. And I'd always felt confident in costumes.

Besides, I was going to need that confidence tonight if I was
going to break my own rules and fill my night with firsts.

As I was getting ready, I tried to remember the last time I
exposed so much skin around him. It had been a rare occurrence.

After all, the few times he came home after he got sent away
were all over Christmas breaks. He must've seen me in nothing but sweaters and
leggings for years on end.

And then it came to me. It was one day at Kelsey's house when her
brother was having a pool party. I still remember the turquoise bikini I was
wearing at the time. It had ruffles.

Anyway, I was young enough that sexual energy was still a total
mystery to me, but I remember being conscious of how I laid across the deck chair,
as if I were channeling Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra or something.

What a joke. I'm not even sure if he noticed me that day. He was
so busy playing chicken with the other popular kids, getting dunked by the
older girls so frequently it made my blood boil.

"So obviously he couldn't promise me anything,” Ethan said.
“But at least the guy has some connections and said he'd be happy to try and
help you any way that he can.”

"Well, I can't thank you enough." I smoothed my napkin
over my lap. "Even if he can't do anything for me, just the experience of
getting in front of someone is a step in the right direction."

"Did you have any luck online today?" he asked, biting
his piece of bruschetta in half.

I shrugged. "It's hard to say." I took a slice of bruschetta
from the center of the table and set it on my bread plate. "I mean, there
is clearly enough work out there that I could get something. However, a few of
the gigs I found might not be a step in the right direction for my dignity, if
that makes sense."

He laughed. "It does, and I hate to break it to you, but
the fact that there's something for everyone in this city is both the best and
worst thing about it."

"Trust me, after checking Craig's list today, I believe
that more than ever."

"Just be careful," he said, his face suddenly serious.

I felt my chest tighten.

"If you even feel moderately sketchy about a job, either
don't go, or ask me to come with you."

"Okay."

"Promise me, Jenny."

"I promise."

"Good. That should help me make progress on how pissed I
still am about what happened to you yesterday."

I raised my eyebrows. "Are you still not over that? Even
I'm over it. Sexual harassment happens, Ethan."

"Not to you it doesn't," he said. "Not on my
watch."

I hated that he was still torn up about it, but I loved the fact
that there was actually a man in my life who wanted to protect me. It felt good
in a way that I wanted to believe I deserved.

And it reminded me of something my mom said once about Ethan's
dad. She said, "I don't care that he's controlling, Jenny. I don't care
that he's set in his ways and that his time in the army will always affect his
personality. And I don't care if other people think the standards he holds
people to are extreme. All I care about is that he would go to his grave trying
to protect the things he loves, and I'm lucky to be one of those things."

And for a split second, it occurred to me that maybe Ethan and
his dad weren't as different as Ethan wanted to believe.

"You enjoying that?" he asked.

I covered my chewing mouth, nodded, and swallowed. "More
than I want to admit."

"Good."

"Don't judge me, but Brandi and I ordered bruschetta at a
restaurant at home last summer-"

"Mistake."

"I know," I said. "But I always wanted to try
it."

"I'm afraid for where this story is going."

"They were out of tomatoes."

He shook his head.

"So they used ketchup."

He raised his eyebrows. "So you essentially ate subpar
pizza bread."

"It wasn't great."

He smiled. "There's a shock."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," he said, leaning back in his chair. His
collared shirt gaped open at the top just enough to keep my eyes from straying
too far.

"What is it that you love so much about bartending?" I
asked, taking a sip of my white wine. "I mean, I know I've been rambling
on about my acting so I'm just curious…"

"There's a lot I like about it," he said. "I like
that I can always get better at it. I like that it's something other people
appreciate, something that's going to be in demand for a long time to
come."

"True."

"And I like that I work around people who are out to have a
good time."

"Understandable."

"I guess after all that time in boarding school where
everything was so regimented and where having too much fun was not only frowned
upon but subject to disciplinary action, it's a relief to spend time in an environment
that's refreshingly unpredictable."

“Mmm.”

"For example." He fixed his eyes on me. "I don't
know if you know this, but in Russia, little kids are taught in school that
they shouldn't go around smiling because it comes across as needy and disingenuous.
Same with people in the workforce. If you're engaged in serious business-
whether you're in sales or waitressing or a postal worker- then you shouldn't
be smiling."

I furrowed my brow. "What?"

"And you definitely aren’t supposed to smile at strangers because
they don't know you so it's considered weird behavior."

I shook my head. "I had no idea. That sounds so
hostile."

He shrugged. "It's just a cultural quirk. And I haven't
seen it myself, but my buddy goes to Russia for work a lot, and he basically
has to get his smiling under control or risk not being taken seriously."

"That's insane."

"It's exhausting is what it is," he said. "And
that's what boarding school was like for me. Year after year of smiling being
treated as suspicious behavior."

"Whoa."

"Don't get me wrong. I needed to go. I had no respect for
authority, and I was channeling my energy in all the wrong ways."

“Yeah.”

"But now I just want to be around people who fucking want
to smile and have a good time."

"That makes perfect sense."

"So for the record, I won't be looking for work in Moscow
anytime soon,” he said. "After all, I'd much rather be smiling here with
you."

Chapter 30: Ethan

"What's the damage?" she asked when the bill came.

"None of your business," I said, sliding my card in
the small leather folder.

She furrowed her brow. "Are you sure? I really don't mind
paying my way."

"Someday you can get me back when you're a big star."

She smiled. "I like the sound of that."

The evening air was warm and energizing when we hit the
sidewalk, and I was already wishing it were earlier. I had so much more to say
to her, and I just wasn't sure how I was going to do it.

"What would you like to do?" I asked. "Go for a
drink? Try and get some scalped tickets for a show?"

"I think you've spent enough on me tonight," she said,
her hand with the flowers swinging beside her. "Plus, last night was
pretty boozy."

"You bounced back well enough."

"Yeah, but I'd be happy to just go back and have a glass of
wine. Listen to some music. Is that totally lame on a Friday night?"

"Not at all," I said. "Lame is not doing what you
want. And I'm always out on a Friday so I'm absolutely fine with that
plan."

"Great," she said. "We'll pick something up on
the walk home."

"No need," I said. "I've got more wine at my
place than-"

"Condoms?"

I raised my eyebrows. "What?"

"Sorry," she said, her cheeks blushing. "I might
have accidentally seen that you're hoarding condoms for the apocalypse."

I rolled my eyes. They never seemed to last very long, but I
wasn't about to tell her that. "Did you go through all my drawers or just
my underwear drawer?"

"Just that one," she said. "The day I arrived. But
I swear I stopped snooping as soon as I saw your stash."

Half my mouth curled into a smile, and I nodded across the
street. "Let's cut through the park."

"I shouldn't
have
mentioned it," she said, her hair shining under the street lights as we
crossed in front of the stalled traffic. "Besides, I suppose it would be
more embarrassing for you if you didn't have condoms at your place."

"That's right," I said, stepping to the side so she
could walk through the black iron gates into the park. "Is there anything
else you want to ask me since we're suddenly discussing my sex life?"

She stopped in her tracks.

I turned back to look at her, realizing I was far more amused
than she was.

"Oh god." She scrunched her face. "We were having
such a nice time and then I had to blow it by being awkward."

"Hey." I squared my shoulders to face her.
"You're not awkward." I glanced down at her lips. "You're funny
and charming, and I couldn't care less that you went through my shit."

She covered her face with her hands.

I grabbed her wrists and pulled them down so I could see her
shiny eyes again. "Jenny."

She squinted. "What?"

"Pull it together so we can take this conversation about
your fascination with my condom collection back to mine."

She swallowed.

"Hell, I'll even model a few of them for you if you
want-"

She pushed my chest away. "Don't be stupid."

I grabbed her shoulders and pressed my cheek against hers so I
could whisper in her ear. "Don't pretend the thought hasn't crossed your
mind."

"It has." She spoke so softly her words were like a
breeze. "Does that make me terrible?"

"No," I said, loosening the grip I had on her when I
realized I was touching her bare flesh. "Not any more terrible than me
anyway."

She craned her neck back and looked at me, her eyes searching
mine. "Really?"

I dropped my hands. "I might be a prick, but I'm not a
liar."

Her lips fell apart.

"Come on," I said, tilting my head behind me.
"Let's get out of-"

"Wait," she said, laying her free hand on my chest and
staring at it.

Her hand on my body made me feel hot all over.

She looked up at me, letting her eyes drop to my mouth.

And I went for it, pressing my lips against hers in the middle
of the public park.

She leaned into me and slipped her tongue in my mouth.

I slid my hands around her lower back, pulling her against my
hips as I swelled for her and sucked the sweetness from her wine soaked tongue.

It was a long kiss, and it might've been even longer if an
eruption of applause hadn't interrupted us so soon.

Jenny pulled back and looked past me.

I looked over my shoulder and saw half a dozen teenage boys
drinking poorly disguised cans of beer down the path to our left. When I looked
back at Jenny, she was flushed.

The cheering continued.

"I wonder would they be clapping if they knew," she
said.

"To be honest, I think they'd be clapping if I was a
squirrel who just found a nut."

"Perhaps," she said, starting towards the path that
led away from the boys.

"Though I suppose I feel much the same way."

"What do you mean?" she asked, hooking her arm around
mine.

"I mean now that you're here, it feels like I've found
something I misplaced."

She glanced at me.

"I don't know if that makes sense-"

"It does," she said. "Though I'm not sure
misplaced is the right word."

I furrowed my brow. "What would be the right word?”

"Misunderstood?"

"Mmm." I walked along beside her, my chest bursting
like fireworks as I tried to make sense of what just happened.

"Ethan?"

"Yeah?"

"What are we going to do now?"

"We're going to go back to my apartment like we discussed."

"Uh-huh."

"And then we're going to have a few glasses of wine and
listen to some music."

"Okay."

"And then we're going to do whatever we want cause that's
the theme of the night."

She swallowed.

"And we won't overthink anything until tomorrow morning."

"I like that idea."

I turned towards her. Her face was glowing from the kissing and
the wine, and I swear she'd never looked more beautiful. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "That sounds like the kind of fun I've wanted
to have for a long time."

I smiled. "You and me both, Jenny. You and me both."