I listened to Seth walk down the hallway and to the kitchen. I felt like a coward hiding here in the bathroom, but I didn't want to deal with him again right now. And it wasn't just because he kept calling me Nebraska. I turned the bathroom door knob, opened the door a few inches, and peeked out through the opening. I felt like a little child after dark trying to sneak around the house. Seth must have been in the kitchen, as I heard the fridge opening. I walked across the hallway to my bedroom and closed the door as quietly as I could. My shoulders relaxed and I let out a breath. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "I'm such a sissy."
I walked over to the bed and grabbed my laptop case. I would find recipes I wanted to make and put in a grocery order. Just then, my stomach growled. Looked like I needed to figure out this food situation a lot sooner than I’d thought. I didn't think I had enough time to find recipes, get Seth's approval, and get the groceries delivered before I passed out from hunger. Besides, I wasn't sure whether I needed to run stuff by Seth, but I wanted to because I didn't want to be an ass. Even if the guy I was babysitting seemed to be an ass most of the time.
I went with my better judgment to check with Seth. I walked out of my bedroom, down the hallway, and across the big living room to the other hallway. With this layout, you sure got a lot of exercise every day. Maybe that was how Seth stayed in such good shape. Not that I was checking him out or anything. Who was I kidding, of course I was. The guy was drop dead gorgeous.
I got to the kitchen, but Seth must've already eaten his food and left. He sure was a fast eater. Or else I'd spent more time hiding from him than I’d thought. I opened the fridge and noticed it was spaghetti or mac and cheese. Well, until I could get some healthier food and better groceries in here I was going to have to eat what was available. I didn't want to take something that would send Seth into a spiral of unhappiness, though. What if mac and cheese was his all-time favorite food, and I ate it? What would happen? Would he get pissed off or sad and want to drink?
I didn't know how alcoholism worked. I wished again that they’d picked someone else instead of me. Or else at least told the temp agency they needed someone that had experience with recovering alcoholics and addicts. I was out of my depth here.
I stood staring into the fridge with the door open, trying to decide whether to find Seth and ask him if it was okay to eat the mac and cheese, or to just eat it. Maybe I was making too much out of this whole thing. I was supposed to be helping Seth get back into a normal life and routine. It wouldn't do him any good for me to kowtow to him over everything, like asking if I could eat the food that was in the fridge. I was done being his little bitch for the day. I grabbed the mac and cheese and put it in the microwave. I set it for a few minutes and then wandered around the kitchen while waiting for it to get done.
The view of the Arizona desert was beautiful from anywhere in the house. That was the only good thing about this layout. I wondered where Seth had gone off to after he ate his food. I didn't know whether to stay on him like glue or to give him some space. I wished I knew more of how to do a good job at what I was supposed to do. I thought back at the instructions that the suits had given me in the office. Be a companion. Well, to be a companion I would have to have somebody to be a companion with. So that meant that I would have to find Seth and see what he was up to.
The microwave dinged. My food was done. I took it out of the microwave, grabbed a fork and another can of pop out of the fridge, and wandered the house to see where Seth was. It was time for me to be the companion part of companionship.