The soft splatter of water running in the shower filtered into Lauren’s room. Even through her closed door, she could hear the muted sounds of Hayley humming. A loud crash and a quiet “mother fuddrucker” woke Lauren fully. She rolled over and checked her phone. Still four hours before she had to be at the diner. Another thud and she was up slipping on her robe.
Lauren rapped a knuckle on the door to the washroom. “Are you okay in there?” No answer. “Hayley?” When she didn’t get an answer, she poked her head in and stopped in shock. The place was a disaster. Wet towels were strewn on the floor, one draped over the toilet, and the sink had clogged (something it was prone to do) with a sludge of blue water.
It had been only a couple of days since Hayley had taken over the spare bedroom, and taken over was the right way to put it. Hayley had a way of spreading. Lauren didn’t think she meant to be messy, but her things just had a way of showing up. Everywhere. The bathroom cupboard, the sides of the tub, the coffee table, coat rack, even the kitchen table. Lauren had made the mistake of peering into the room she was increasingly thinking of as Hayley’s, and it was hard to see where Lauren’s well-organized storage ended and Hayley’s stuff began.
It was too early to deal with all this. Lauren shut the door to escape to the kitchen, which hadn’t fared any better.
“I was going to clean it before you got up.” Hayley appeared behind Lauren wearing a loose T-shirt and yoga shorts, a towel wrapped around her hair.
“How?” Lauren looked over at the fridge, a large smear of dark muck dripping down the handle. “How do you manage to get it so messy?” She’d been working with cooks for almost half her life now and had never seen anything so extreme. If Lauren had tried to be messy while cooking, she wouldn’t be able to reproduce the havoc Hayley managed to create by accident.
“I don’t know. It just happens.”
“What were you trying to make?”
Hayley brushed past Lauren and grabbed a mug from the cupboard. She smelled like coconut and soap. “Coffee.” She poured Lauren a mug and handed it to her.
Lauren stood shocked as she surveyed the damage. “All this because of coffee?”
“I wasn’t sure where you kept your beans, so I had to go through some cupboards.” It was as if Hayley had transferred the contents of the cupboards to the counters. Hayley had apparently sorted through the piles of stacked dishes and also decided to empty the dishwasher, but had no idea where anything went.
Lauren took her coffee to the kitchen table and sat, pulling the unfinished crossword puzzle from yesterday’s paper toward her. Her first sip was heavenly. “This is amazing. Thank you.”
Hayley leaned back against the cupboard. “It was no trouble.”
Lauren paused and looked up from her crossword puzzle. From where she was sitting, Hayley’s idea of “no trouble” wasn’t even on Lauren’s scale. But she didn’t comment. Usually, when she didn’t work mornings, she liked to sit with the puzzle and wake up slowly. At the diner she had her routine and the quiet of the morning. Now that Hayley was here, she’d have to think about the schedule. Obviously, both having the morning off wasn’t going to give her the peace she was used to.
As she scanned the clues she could hear Hayley in the kitchen shifting things back to their rightful place. At least she didn’t talk or try to intrude on Lauren’s time, and for that she was grateful.
After a few minutes of quiet, Lauren raised her head, expecting to find the kitchen empty, but instead, Hayley was leaning against the counter, sipping her coffee and watching her.
“What?”
“I was just curious. When’s the last time you lived with anyone?”
“Besides a moody cat?”
Hayley smiled. “As much of a pain in the ass I’m sure he is, pets don’t count.”
Lauren clicked her pen a few times and set it next to the crossword. “I guess Greta was the last person, and that would’ve been over four years ago. Why?”
“No reason. She owned the diner before Aaron?”
“Yep. Aaron’s mom.”
Hayley nodded and leaned forward. The towel uncoiled, revealing deep blue beneath. She flipped her head back, the hair slapping against her back. Lauren watched, mesmerized by the motion of Hayley’s fingers combing the strands.
“I always wondered how you got it so blue.” Lauren pointed at the wet locks draped over Hayley’s shoulder. “Why blue?”
Hayley pulled a strand through her fingers, examining the colour. “Blue’s my favourite, but it’s not always blue. Depends on my mood.”
“Have you ever dyed it a normal colour?”
“Normal?” The look on Hayley’s face made Lauren wish she could take back the question.
“I only meant not something from the rainbow.”
Hayley shrugged. “Normal’s boring.” She balled up the towel and pushed off from the counter. “I’ll go clean up my mess.” She breezed by, her expression neutral, and Lauren couldn’t be sure if she’d insulted her or not.
“Rats.”
* * *
“So you’re saying you have the hots for your boss, who is now also your roommate.” Kalini tsked and continued through the aisle. Every few minutes she’d pick up an item and scan it, then replace it on the shelf.
“That’s not what I said at all.”
“I was reading the subtext in your story.”
“All I said was that she’s a bit Felix to my Oscar.”
“And by that admission, you’re saying you care what she thinks. I’ve lived with you, remember? You never cared how messy you were before. Does she strut around in the buff?”
“Of course not.” Hayley grabbed a vegetable spiralizer out of Kalini’s hand before she could add it to her wedding registry. “You don’t need that.”
“How do you know?”
“You hate vegetables.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t hate them so much if they came in spiral form.”
They’d been in the depths of the Bay for over an hour, adding things to Kalini’s registry—her mother had insisted—and since her parents were helping out with the cost of the wedding, she found it hard to refuse.
“This is pointless. You don’t even like half the stuff you’ve picked. You’ll just end up returning it anyway.”
“Exactly. Then we’ll get cash, which is what we want anyway.”
Hayley picked up a bronze statue of a cat licking itself to examine the price. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Kalini linked her arm with Hayley’s and dragged her to the next aisle. “More important, what are we going to do about your hot lady boss?” She slapped Hayley with the scanner. “I know. Why don’t you bring her with you to Jo’s show? It’s like a date but not a date.”
Hayley stopped mid-aisle and stared at Kalini. “I’m not trying to date my boss. That’s not what we’re brainstorming here…Besides, she’s straight.”
“Did you check her straight card at the door?”
“Someone said she’d been married to some guy a while back.”
Kalini chucked a small moustache pillow back onto the shelf. “Oh yeah, because no gay woman has ever been married to a dude before.”
“I’m not bringing her.”
“Fine, but you’re still coming, right? It’s on the eleventh.”
“Of course I’m coming, I’ve already told Lauren I can’t work that day.”
“Lauren? That’s her name?” Kalini pretended to swoon.
“Get off it. What’re you, twelve?”
“It’s one of many things Jo loves about me. Okay.” Kalini waved her hands in front of her. “I’m done with this whole ‘being a good daughter’ thing. Let’s go get something to eat. I’m starving.”
Twenty minutes later and they were hopping off the streetcar in front of Greta’s. “Why’d you bring me home? I thought we were grabbing something to eat.”
“And does this fine establishment not offer food?” As Kalini crossed the street, she dodged a guy riding his bike with a pug strapped to the front basket.
When they entered, the place was almost dead. It was half past one, so the lunch rush had just ended. Kalini snagged the back booth and slid in, grabbing a menu from the holder as she did. “I need to see what we’re working with.” She peered around her menu, eyeing the servers. “Which one is she?”
“No. You’re not bringing crazytown to my place of work.”
“Oh, good. They’re wearing name tags. I don’t need you for this.”
Hayley covered her face with her hands. It was too much to hope that Lauren wasn’t working this shift, but Hayley knew Lauren’s schedule by heart, much to her embarrassment.
“Hi, Hayley. Who’s your friend?” Hayley looked up through her hands. Lauren was carrying a carafe of coffee, a huge grin on her face.
Kalini held her hand out. “It’s so nice to meet you, Lauren. I’m Kalini. Hayley and I used to be roommates. I hear you now have that honour.”
Lauren shook hands, her smile faltering. “You’re the one who kicked her out?”
“What?” Kalini shifted gears, turning to stare at Hayley. “Is that what you told her?”
“No. That’s not what I said. That’s not what happened.”
Lauren hitched her free hand on her hip. “She’s rooming with me because she didn’t have a place to live.” Lauren lowered her voice. “I found her sleeping in the diner.”
“What?” Kalini’s face fell. “Hale, you told me you’d found a good place.”
“I would hardly call the Palace Arms a ‘good place.’” Lauren turned, probably to make sure no one was listening.
Kalini whupped Hayley on the head with her menu. “I told you to check out the youth hostel on Spadina. What the fuck were you doing at the Palace Arms?”
“It was the only place I could afford. Jason didn’t want me staying on the couch…” Hayley shrugged. “So I got a place.”
“Fuck Jason. We would’ve made it work. The Palace Arms is an absolute shithole. Only addicts use that place. God.” Kalini slumped back, folding her arms.
Lauren took a step back. “I’m going to give you two a few more minutes. Let me know when you’re ready to order.”
Kalini stared up at the ceiling, silent, shaking her head every few seconds. Hayley reached across the table. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. Things just spiralled really fast.”
Kalini shrugged and shook her head again. “I’m upset you didn’t think you could come to us. You thought we would be okay with you being homeless?”
“I hadn’t known you guys that long, and Jason was really bitchy about everything. I didn’t want to impose.”
“Hale, you’re family now. If we’d known, Jo and I would’ve figured something out.”
Hayley didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t even considered asking them for help, thinking since they had their own lives and problems. Her whole life she’d grown up with the belief that cities were cold and unfeeling, but so far she’d only been welcomed and folded into the fabric of life here.
Before Hayley could say anything, Kalini waved her off. “I hate all this sappy bullshit.” She picked up her menu. “What’s good here?”
“Everything.”
Kalini lowered her menu. “Well, the good news is, she is definitely into you.”
“She thinks I’m weird looking.”
Kalini just smiled. “Even if she doesn’t know it, she likes you.”
* * *
Hayley pulled the Post-it from the fridge door and read it. “You’ve got to be shitting me. There’s a chart?” She scrunched up the note and tossed it on the counter. Jerkface pounced on the Post-it from the shelf he’d been lounging on and batted the ball back and forth between his paws a few times before slapping it toward Hayley. She resisted the urge to knock him off the counter.
He’d recently found a new hobby: peeing on her things. She couldn’t leave anything lying around, even for a few seconds, or it would be marked with the telltale musk that Hayley had come to loathe. Two days ago she’d thrown her coat on the couch to run back to her room to grab something, and by the time she came back it had a wet patch on the left sleeve. She hadn’t even seen Jerkface creep from his hiding spot.
Growing up she’d had dogs, a chocolate Lab named Almond, and then later, Dirk, a pit-bull/husky mix she’d rescued when he was a puppy. She was dog people. Dogs were easy to deal with. They loved you unconditionally, were great walking companions and bed warmers.
Jerkface was the complete opposite. He had this weird quirk where he would sit in a room and meow until you brought him water. Once the water was set in front of him, he would take two sips, then saunter off. It was Lauren’s fault for catering to the asshole, but Hayley had also heard how loud Jerkface could vocalize. It was like having an angry toddler scream at you. Sometimes it was just easier to give in.
Hayley opened the fridge and nudged the milk slightly out of line with the Brita water behind it, closed the fridge, and left to get out of her work clothes. She felt better until the front door opened and Lauren swept in.
“I don’t want to hear the word ‘substitution’ for at least a week.” She collapsed on the couch with a loud groan. “My feet are done. They hate me.”
Hayley shoved her head through her comfiest hoodie and strolled into the living room, where Lauren was resting with her head back and eyes closed. Even after a full day on her feet dealing with customers, she still looked fresh. And beautiful. Hayley tried not to think about that part, but she did. It wasn’t even a subjective thing.
Hayley walked into the kitchen and moved the milk back into place. “Why don’t we order a pizza and binge-watch British Bake Off?” Hayley took a seat a cushion away.
Lauren turned her head on the back headrest to face Hayley. “Can it have red peppers on it?”
“Yep.”
“And Italian sausage?”
“Sure.”
“And anchovies?”
“Um?”
Lauren reached over and squeezed Hayley’s knee. “I’m kidding. I hate Italian sausage.” Hayley’s brain was still trying to put out the explosion of sensation happening somewhere around her knee when Lauren burst into laughter. “You should see your face, Hale.” She pushed herself up from the couch. “Priceless.”
Hayley could hear Lauren unzip her uniform as she entered her room. It was one of those cotton-blend dresses designed to look like something from a diner in the fifties. Luna and Vic complained about them constantly. Hayley’s imagination at that moment was located somewhere between Lauren’s breasts, and while her body was thoroughly enjoying the experience, her mind was not. She looked up at the ceiling and whispered, “This is so not fair.”