X-Treme Measure (2 page)

My head snapped up and I looked back at him. “I’m sorry?”

“Shocked? Well, yes. I am Ashley Wells. If you’re still interested, I’ll give you the grand tour.”

“You are a guy.”

“Last time I checked.”

“I’m a girl.”

He gave me that long look people did when they were trying to figure out what a person was about and I knew how I looked. Ragged. My dirty blonde hair was in desperate need of some highlights. My cheeks were pink from the heat and I huffed and puffed my way up these stairs to get here so I was still trying to catch my breath. With my MLP tee, shorts, and sandals, I hadn’t thought I looked like something the cat drug in but the way this guy looked, well, I looked like trailer trash.

“You look like one. But I can’t be for certain. Are you?”

Wasn’t he sarcastic? Was I going to like that in a roommate? I sighed, the outside heat and the exertion it took to walk up those flights of stairs were finally getting to me. With a little bit more snap, I said, “Of course I am. That might be the problem, won’t it?”

His brow quirked high as a smirk tilted his lips. “For who?”

“Your equally hot girlfriend.”

His head popped back and his eyes widened. “No girlfriend. Why would she be hot though?”

Was this guy really that clueless? He looked smart enough but that response just made my eyes roll.

“Look at yourself.”

“I do. Every day.”

“You’re hot.”

“Quite. Thank you, but I’m bisexual. I usually bat for the other team, and you’re not exactly my type. So there would be no problem.”

“Wow, I feel so unattractive right now.”

“Nothing to feel unattractive about. You look like a pixie gone wild. And please, come in from that heat, it looks like you’re about to expire.”

I cautiously walked in, like I was actually considering living with a guy. Gay, bisexual or whatever—he was still a guy with guy parts.

And holy crap. This place was immaculate. I felt dirty.

I sat down on his pristine leather sofa. On the edge. Just like how I felt.

“Now that you know who I am. Who are you and what is your name?”

“I’m Moriah Augustus.”

“Pretty name.”

“Sorry, but I have to ask, how can you afford this place?”

Oh, God. Foot in mouth. Idiot.

Ashley’s eyes widened as he said, “Do I look like I can’t?”

“No. Sorry. That was so inappropriate.”

“It’s okay, Moriah. My father owns the apartment building. I live here free. I want some extra cash. I’m not some spoiled princess though. I work, I study and I live. If you’d like I’ll give you the tour and show you where you’ll be sleeping and all that jazz.”

I nodded and got up to follow him. He led me down a hallway that held a ton of art. No personal photos of him and friends or family.

“This is the bathroom, which doesn’t really get too much use since we both have bathrooms in our rooms. I don’t normally have company over. Do you?”

“No, not really.”

“A loner, huh?”

“Not by choice. I just have a lot going on with school. I don’t have time for friends. I work at Chili’s Bar and Grill on Buffalo Speedway, so I have coworkers I sometimes go out for a drink with, but no besties.”

I know how lonely and pathetic that sounded but that’s just how I was. I’ve been a loner for all my life. I didn’t mind it.

Ashley nodded and continued to show me the kitchen. And what a kitchen it was. Oh. Em. Gee. This kitchen was like brand new.

“Do you ever cook in here?”

“Of course. I do clean up after myself and I have a cleaning lady who comes once a week to clean the place. Of course, if you choose to have a lock on your door, please keep your room clean. That’s all I ask.”

“Yes, of course.”

Was I was seriously thinking about moving in here. This was like a dream come true. A little pricey for me, but it just might be worth it.

“If there is nothing to your liking in the fridge, I do encourage you to go out and get whatever you like. I don’t mind sharing. Okay, now to show you the room you’d be staying in. I really do hope you like it, if you decide to move in.”

I followed him down a hallway with more art photos and inside a big room which almost looked like a master bedroom.

“Is this the master bedroom?”

“No, mine is and almost twice as big. I custom made this apartment to my liking.”

I looked around and it was already furnished. A queen size four poster bed sat in the middle of the room, with a boudoir. Yeah. One of those like in Beauty and the Beast. Except for the whole talking thing. Then he beckoned me to the closet, and while I thought maybe walk-in, this was like live-in.

“I do not have enough clothes for this closet.”

“Then use it as storage, desk space, however. You haven’t even seen the best part. Follow me.”

And I did. Like a freaking puppy. This was like a dream room. For the price he was asking for, it was like an apartment all in itself. Then he walked into the bathroom. As soon as I stepped a foot inside, I was instantly floored. Holy baby Jesus.

This bathroom should be in like a magazine. A huge whirlpool tub with jets and everything. Oh, mama. Then a separate shower room, and a double sink. This bathroom was huge!

“My apartment is the biggest apartment in the entire building. Even the four bedrooms. They are not as big as this. I have a gaming/theatre room. Which if you like gaming, then I could totally use a partner in crime.”

I just shrugged. I wasn’t really into video games very much, but there was a couple at work who were serious gamers in their spare time.

“Hmmm…you could be tempted though, huh?”

“Maybe. If I learned how. I’ve never really played video games. I had a Super Nintendo when I was a kid. That was pretty much the extent of my gaming experience.”

“Oh, a classic. I have that, too.”

I’m pretty sure I was sold on this apartment. I didn’t know how I would feel living with a guy, his sexual orientation notwithstanding. A guy was a guy was a guy. Never lived with one before. It’s not like I had guy friends.

“How are your neighbors?”

“Oh, yes.” We walked back into the living room and sat down in front of his 72’ inch flat screen, mounted TV set and he looked somehow relieved.

“The neighbor on the left is an older couple, in their forties. Mr. and Mrs. Klosky. And on the right is a middle aged woman, she’s a lawyer. And across from us is a single father, Daniel Greensboro and his nine year old daughter, Reighlyn.”

A single dad. Wow. Tough break.

“Still interested?”

“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Most people, if they stick around this long after learning who I am, when they hear the neighbor has a kid, well, the few bailed.”

“Kids don’t bother me. I want to be a child’s therapist. That’s my major. Child Psychology.”

“Then this is definitely the place for you. That girl is sweet and sassy and has her daddy wrapped around her little finger.”

“Yes, I know this might sound coming off as a little shystie, but is $430 for rent, electricity, water, etc.?”

“Yes. You needn’t pay for anything else. I would just ask if you use a lot of the Wi-Fi, to go in on half the bill. Not much, about twenty dollars.”

“Reasonable. Alright. You have a roommate!”

There was just something about Ashley that seemed safe. He was nice. I didn’t get any weird, creepy vibes from him, so unless my instincts were just whacked from being in this magnificent apartment, or in his presence, well, I couldn’t be any happier. Especially since the semester was just about over and I had to get out of the dorm.

“How soon can I move in?”

“Whenever you want.”

He sounded happy and pleased to have a roommate and I prayed this worked out.

I got up, excited to go back to the dorm to start packing.

“Oh, here, don’t forget.” He walked me to the front door, opened a foyer desk drawer and handed me a key. “It opens the bolt and the lock. Feel free to bring whatever it is you want whenever you like. I will be gone most of the week. I’m usually in and out a lot, so you’ll have the apartment to yourself quite a bit. Thank you for not freaking out when you realized it was me you’ll have as a roommate.”

“Parents had a thing for Gone with the Wind? And my only issue was the whole I’ve never lived with a guy before. This will be new territory for me.”

“Eh, kind of. They thought if they gave me a rich, white dude’s name, I’d have a rich future.”

“And do you?”

“I’m all good.” He opened the door, stuck out his hand for mine which I took. “Welcome home, Moriah.”

“Riri.”

“Welcome home, Riri.”

I waved to Ashley and turned to the stairs. I dreaded the walk down, but I was too excited to really care about the ache my thighs would feel later.

“Riri!”

Just as I stepped on the first step, I turned to see Ashley point to something.

“There is an elevator. Behind the stairs, and just inside the building. You have to use a separate key,” He disappeared inside and in just moments, had given me another key. “This will let you inside and you could use the elevator just in case the steps don’t agree with you.”

“That bad, huh?”

He chuckled, placed a hand on my shoulder and said, “You’ll get used to it. But if you want to, the elevator is more convenient. Oh, also, since it’s the middle of the month, don’t worry about rent. Just consider this a probationary period. If you like the living conditions, then rent is due on the fifth of June.”

“Wow. Thanks, Ashley.”

He nodded and closed the door behind him. Right now I didn’t let the steps bother me too much because I was excited to find a great room this quickly. I know it might sound cheap, but I was happy that the rent would include cost for utilities. Tallying it up in my head, phone, car insurance, rent—yeah. I got so super lucky. I now had a freaking bounce in my step as I went down the stairs and got back in my cavalier.

It hadn’t taken me long to pack up my belongings. Five boxes and two duffel bags later, I was taking my dorm key back to the RA. The resident advisor Marilyn was sad to see me go, but wished me luck. I said thanks and on my way back to the apartment, I stopped at Wal-Mart and got a few groceries that I knew I couldn’t live without.

Why stay at the dorm when I could live at the apartment already? Ashley already had a comforter and sheets on the bed and if I wanted he said I could use those or get my own. Which I will as soon as I got the money. I was used to full size beds at the dorm so having a big space all on my own was definitely something new. I’ve never slept on anything bigger than a dorm bed.

After grabbing some essentials and food, I stopped and grabbed some Subway. I didn’t even have Ashley’s cell phone number. Must get. I wondered if he was home. Maybe I should pick him up something, too. I went ahead and ordered two of the same, hopefully if he didn’t like plain, he had the stuff at the apartment or if he didn’t like it, I’d eat it for dinner later. I was glad I was off today and tomorrow.

Working in a restaurant most of the time required you to work weekends. I had no problem with that because I banked on the weekend shifts. I could make rent on a Friday and Saturday night. I was a bartender with many regulars. When I began bartending, I’ve had to educate myself in sports, which was difficult and I sometimes got some things confused, but I could keep a convo with the more sporty drinkers. It was nice being so close to River Oaks and their occupants. Most were pretty generous with their tips. That or they liked how I looked. Could go either way.

Houston was a hustle and bustle city where I could walk to most places. There was always something going on at Discovery Green Park. It was a beautiful place to walk, see the sights of Houston. They had tons of events there.

Pulling into the parking garage, I got out, grabbed the groceries, and my lunch before making my way inside to the elevator. I had a HAIM song in my head as I waited for the elevator to ding and when it did it was like my eyes slowly opened with the sliding doors at the sight in front of me.