They were lying in Zoe’s bed together one Sunday morning, relaxing away from the blissful grown-up world of post-university first jobs. Jack had already gone out and returned with papers and breakfast burritos, Zoe taking the burden on herself to stay in bed and keep it warm for him. They swapped burritos halfway, reading the supplements and lying against each other, occasionally kissing as one of them came to the end of an article, trying to keep the noise down for the benefit of Zoe’s silent Finnish housemate. Zoe offered Jack a piece on a new parade of shops opening in North London.
‘Any good for a potential shop?’
Jack skimmed over the article, taking another bite of burrito. ‘I don’t know, Zo. The few designs I’ve had out have sold well, and the orders have been going up, but … it still seems too soon. I don’t want to rush into committing to something like that if a year later I’m just going to be economically and professionally hollowed out.’
‘I’ve literally never been so turned on. I think it’s your go-getting spirit that does it.’
Jack laughed. ‘I have to admit that the place does look good. I just don’t want to fuck up something that’s so important. We’re talking about something I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to get it right.’
‘Well. Speaking of doing something right,’ Zoe gulped, ‘how about, in the meantime, we commit to not taking the bus every time we want to see each other?’
‘Meaning …?’
‘If you don’t fancy opening a shop right now, how about you come and put all your stuff with my stuff? Well, maybe not in this flat, which really only fits us both if we’re lying down. But in the same flat. Without a … roommate,’ she mouthed. ‘Like … we live together.’
Jack threw his newspaper over his shoulder and pulled the blanket over them both. ‘Really?’
‘Yes.’
‘You and me?’
‘Yes.’
‘Living together?’
‘By jove, I think he’s got it.’
‘Yeah, alright then.’
Zoe gave a whoop and kissed him. Then he kissed her, in a way that made her think she could probably wait for them to start house hunting for at least a few hours.