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Tilly
“What’s with all the food?” Kate says as she looks in my refrigerator for a bottle of water. “I take it Sebastian went grocery shopping?”
I wrinkle my nose at her. “I did.”
“You?” She unscrews the cap of a bottle of sparkling lemon water. “Tilly Baker set foot in a grocery store and came out with more than a pre-made sandwich? What’s this world coming to?”
I try to keep a straight face. “You’re not funny.”
“I’ve known you for how long?” She approaches where I’m already curled up on the sofa. “Six months or so and I’ve never seen your refrigerator that packed.”
“Sebastian told me he likes fruits and vegetables.” I shrug.
She sits next to me, brushing my feet to the side. “So because you’re such a stellar roommate, you went to get him an assortment of his favorite foods?”
I don’t take my eyes from the television screen because I know she’s got a wide grin on her face. “It wouldn’t hurt me to eat healthier, Kate.”
“You’re crushing on your new roomie.”
I laugh. “No. I used the food money he gave me to buy groceries. It’s as simple as that.”
“It has nothing to do with the fact that he’s well-hung and gorgeous?”
I shift so I’m facing her directly. “It’s the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday. Why aren’t you at work?”
A smile blooms on her lips. “I needed an afternoon off and since I don’t have a roommate, I thought I’d come over here and hear about the adventures of your naked one.”
I shoot her a look. “I saw him naked once. Every other time I’ve seen him, he’s been dressed.”
“That’s disappointing.” She adjusts the belt of her black dress. “I take that to mean that he hasn’t visited your bedroom yet.”
“Yet?” I slide to my feet and picked up my empty plate from the coffee table. I’d cut up an apple and an orange and had eaten my makeshift fruit salad after I got back from my mid-morning outing.
After I woke, I’d showered and dressed in jeans and a white sweater with the intention of going to my favorite diner, Crispy Biscuit, for brunch. On my way there I passed a storefront with a vibrant display of fruit. I picked up a few things and came back here to relax with a cup of coffee, hoping Sebastian would be awake.
It wasn’t until I glanced over at his bedroom door that I saw it was ajar. When I approached it, and peeked inside I realized that his bed was made. I have no idea if he even made it home last night.
“You’re going to sleep with him,” she says matter-of-factly. “You’re a beautiful woman. He’s a smoking hot guy. You’re both unattached. It only makes sense that you’d fall into bed together at some point.”
I was on the verge of telling her about my impromptu dinner with Sebastian last night but now I push back the urge to share. It will just add to her delusion that it’s only matter of time before I hook up with my roommate.
There was definitely something in the air between us at Calvetti’s but once I got home and had a hot shower, reality swept over me again.
I have no doubt that a hookup with Sebastian would be mind blowing but when the dust settles, we would be forced to face the fact that Maya and Julian are central parts of our lives.
I don’t want to put myself in a position where I run into an ex lover at every family gathering and since Sebastian is like a brother to Julian, that’s a real and uncomfortable possibility.
“We’re not going to sleep together.” I shake my head. “This is a strictly platonic relationship. He rents a room from me. End of story.”
A loud laugh bubbles out of her. “If you think that’s the end of your story, you’re in for the surprise of your life.”
I arch a brow. “Oh, really?”
“The sparks between you two the other day were obvious, Tilly. I saw the way he was looking at you. Sebastian Wolf wants you. “
“He doesn’t.” I scoff.
She stands. “Don’t be afraid to have fun. People can sleep together and part as friends. I’ve done it with men.”
I’ve tried to do it.
It’s never worked for me.
Sebastian and I are destined to be roommates, nothing more.
“Let’s go to Matiz Cosmetics.” She picks up her purse. “A new lipstick color can change a woman’s life.”
I laugh as I walk toward the kitchen. “My life is good the way it is.”
“Says the woman who hasn’t had sex in months.”
“I’m going to need a reminder of why we’re best friends.” My lips twitch as I try not to smile. “Speaking of reminders...it’s been how long since you slept with a man?”
She runs her hand through her hair. “This is why we need to go on a shopping spree. We need to stop thinking about men, and start thinking about ourselves.”
“I’m all for that,” I say as I reach for my purse and my coat. “Matiz awaits.”
