“Who do you owe, Mark?” I ask, reminding myself why I’m meeting him with an envelope of cold, hard cash.
“Just some guys. Got in a little over my head,” Mark says with a shrug before stuffing another forkful of pancakes in his mouth.
“A little?” I say sarcastically.
“Thanks, man. For bailing me out. I’ll pay you back,” he says begrudgingly.
I won’t hold my breath. We both know he’s not going to pay me back, but I just shrug and continue eating. No use in voicing it.
“These guys, should we be worried about them?”
“Nah, I’ve got it handled.”
Translation: be worried about them.
“Okay. Well, this is the last time. You need to find a job and quit trying to get rich quick. I can put a good word in for you with Jimmy, the guy who gets me odd jobs every once in a while.”
“I don’t want to do odd jobs,” he says, a little bit of pancake falling out of his mouth, and I cringe.
“Well, what you are doing right now isn’t really working out so well, is it?”
He glares at me, and I glare right back. I won’t back down now. I’m tired, and I don’t want to parent him anymore. I pull my wrist up and check the time, wanting to be anywhere but here.
“Yeah, I hear you. This coming from the guy who kicked me out.” He brings it up again.
“Look, you forced me to. I have a new roommate now, one who doesn’t try to steal my things.” I wipe my mouth and stand, throwing a twenty on the table to cover my meal. “You have my number and my help. Use it. Quit hanging out with Pete. He’s not a good friend.”
I force myself to walk away while Mark shakes his head at me. Maybe tough love will work now. Lord knows that soft love isn’t working.
I promised Pepper I would pick up a few things from the grocery store on my way home. She’s cooking for her parents, and I could feel the tension in the air before I left as she scrambled around the kitchen, a wild look in her eyes. I was kind of grateful to be able to leave, but meeting with Mark was just as stressful.
Pushing open the apartment door, I’m greeted with a delicious smell that sets my stomach rumbling even though I just ate a second breakfast. Pepper is looking frantic and bouncing back and forth in the kitchen, her hair up in a fluffy bun that I want to unravel and run my fingers through.
“Hey,” she says, her tone bright, and she has a warm smile on her face, making my heart jump a little.
I’ve never been affected by someone like this, and I wonder if I’m just letting the stress get to me.
“Got your stuff,” I say, holding the bag up, walking into the kitchen, and setting it on the counter.
“Thank you,” she says, rising up on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around me, shocking me.
I freeze for a second but then wrap my arms around her. It feels good to be holding her. If this is how I can feel with her skin underneath mine, then I’ll let her caress me in the kitchen over a bag of ingredients from the store.
“When are you headed to get your parents?”
“Oh, great news. They decided to rent a car, so they’ll be here in …” She pulls her phone off the counter and checks the time. “Oh my God, I’ve got to get in the shower.”
She takes off for the hallway, and I watch her go. Then, I glance back at the oven as it counts down. Pepper runs back out clutching a wad of clothes and looks at the timer too.
“Will you take those out when the timer goes off?” she yells behind her as goes back down the hallway, and I hear the door to the bathroom slam shut.
I still don’t know when her parents are supposed to be here, and now, I’m left to guard the cookies and the door, praying with all my might that she’s ready before they arrive.
No such luck.
The shower is still running when I hear a knock on the door. Danger barks, and I have the urge to slink into my bedroom by myself and pretend that I didn’t hear the knock.
Danger stands at the door and continues barking, ruining my plans, and now, I have to open the door to Pepper’s parents’ smiling faces and greet them with my own.
Glancing back toward the hallway, I confirm that Pepper still hasn’t come out of the bathroom, and the blaring music under the door tells me she definitely didn’t hear the knock. This is all on me, and honestly, I’m not sure if she’s even told them about me.
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Stratten,” I say after opening the door.
If there’s anything I can do, it’s good manners. They look confused for a moment, wondering who this strange man is, opening their daughter’s door, and why I know their name.
Mrs. Stratten recovers first.
“Hello,” she says, giving me a tight smile. “Who are you?” She cocks an eyebrow.
“I’m Ben, Pepper’s roommate. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I stick my hand out between us, hoping one of them will take it.
Mr. Stratten steps forward across the threshold and clasps my hand in his, a tight grip that doesn’t feel too friendly. It more or less says, You’d better not have touched my daughter, or I’m fucking your shit up.
“Roommate?” Mrs. Stratten asks, the last part coming out high-pitched, as if she doesn’t believe her daughter could hide something like this from her.
Believe me, she’s hiding more than that. Is her name even Pepper?
“Yes, ma’am. She’s in the bathroom right now, but she should be out soon.”
Mrs. Stratten nods at my statement and lets her gaze peruse the living room we’re standing in. “Pepper didn’t tell us she had a male roommate.”
Pepper hasn’t
