The Roommate Equation

by Jillian Quinn

  Ash collects a few of her favorites and moves them between Nico and her on the couch. She wets her index finger with the tip of her tongue, like an old lady flipping through her coupons, and flicks the top screenplay's pages.

  “I like this one for you,” Ash says, handing the script to Nico. “It’s Vinnie’s first choice, too.”

  Nico looks at the title page and nods. “The Fallen Empire. Sounds cool. What’s it about?”

  “A modernized version of the Roman Empire.”

  He perks up at the idea. “Who would I play?”

  “His name is Marx Aralia, a spin on Marcus Aurelius.”

  “So, I’d be an emperor? Yeah, that sounds cool. What else you got?”

  Ash goes over the next two screenplays with Nico, oblivious to his flirting and disgusting stares. He offers me a drink midway through, which I decline. It’s bad enough I had to leave the office midmorning when I have tons of shit to do.

  But how could turn Ash down?

  I could have paid for her Uber and went back to my day without thinking about her. But I owe her more than a favor for screwing her over five years ago. This is the least I can do.

  Thirty minutes later, Ash pushes herself up from the couch. Nico gives her a drunken one-arm hug, and his fingers lightly touch her ass. He’s pushing every single button with me today. Men like Nico make false promises to a girl like Ash, assuming she’s happy to get fucked by someone hot, wealthy, and famous.

  But this dickhead doesn’t know Ash the way I do. He would need to do a lot more than flirt and offer her a drink to get her into bed. She could have fucked her way into a movie gig like many other actresses have done before her. Not Ash, though. She would refuse on principle alone.

  After we’re in my car and driving off Nico’s property, I turn right and head toward the office.

  Ash taps her red nails on the center console. “Can we get something to eat? I’m starving.”

  “How about Spago? We’re only a few blocks away.”

  Ash looks at me like I’m insane. “Sloan gave me twenty dollars, which wouldn’t even buy a salad at Spago.”

  No, it would not.

  “We can share a pizza,” I suggest.

  It’s not like I am letting her pay.

  She shrugs against the seat. “I was thinking something quick and cheap like Chipotle.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  She nods. “Yeah, that sounds good. I could go for a chicken burrito with lots of rice and sour cream.” Ash turns to the side, lifting her ass, and gives it a quick tap. “Need to add more fat to my booty.”

  Chapter Ten

  Ash

  The house is empty for the first time since I moved to Malibu. Dylan and Sloan went to a friend’s house. So, while the boys are away, I will play.

  If I were still living in my apartment, I’d be curled up on my old couch with my notepad, staring out the window overlooking the parking lot, hoping to get some inspiration for another screenplay. People watching is fun. I like observing people from a distance, studying them in their natural habitat. Like they’re fish in a bowl. My neighborhood, with all of its craziness, has a lot of material for my writing.

  I swap my jean shorts and tank top for my favorite red bikini. The color is slightly faded, now more pink than red, but I love the way it feels against my skin. I also know it will drive Dylan insane if he sees me in it. Well, that’s if they even come home. Sloan mentioned a party before he left the house.

  When I step onto the deck, a soft breeze floats off the ocean, blowing through my hair. I wish I could stay here. This house is like a palace compared to my apartment.

  The zero-gravity pool overlooks the Pacific Ocean, making me feel like I’m at the edge of the world. I dip my toes into the water, relieved that it’s warm. The ocean is usually freeze-your-ass-off cold, so I’ll stick to the heated pool. I wade through the water and sit on a ledge that has jets shooting out from the wall. Closing my eyes, I lean into the sprays that feel amazing on my back as I soak up the sun.

  “Having fun?”

  My eyes snap open, and I jump at the sound of Dylan’s voice. Where the hell did he come from?

  “I was until you showed up,” I quip.

  He folds his arms over his chest and snickers.

  “I thought you and Sloan were going to a party.”

  Dylan shakes his head.

  “Where is my brother?”

  He moves closer to the pool with his eyes lasered on me. “I dropped Sloan off.”

  “Get in.” I pat the surface of the water with my hand. “It’s nice and warm in here.”

  He stares at me for a long while before he kicks off his sneakers. I can’t stop looking at him as he pulls his shirt over his head. And when he slides his cargo shorts over his hips, my mouth is wide enough to throw popcorn into it.

  He strolls his cute butt into the pool and winks at me. Damn him. Dylan never misses a beat when he’s around me. While I’m busy observing him, he’s studying me like a specimen under a microscope. He glides through the water until he’s a few inches from me. I can feel his eyes on every part of my body, my skin instantly on fire from his heated gaze.

  “How come you’re not at the party?”

  Dylan rolls his shoulders.

  “This is like old times,” I point out.

  He inches closer, creating ripples in the water. “How so?”

  “All of this started with you ditching a party to be with me.”

  “Who says I’m here for you?”

  The sparks between us could level the house. I take a deep breath, still holding his gaze, afraid of what will happen if he moves any closer.

  “Let me rephrase,” I say. “Why are you here instead of the party?”

  “Because I’m not in the mood.”

  “You’re such a grouch.”

  He runs a wet hand through his dark, curly hair, pushing it off his forehead. “I would be in a better mood if—”

  “If I wasn’t here.”

  He groans. “Don’t put words in my mouth, Ash.”

  “It’s true,” I challenge. “You don’t want me here. You made it crystal clear.”

  Now, he’s next to me, leaning his elbow on the edge of the pool. “I don’t adapt well to change.”

  “I’m well aware.” A smirk tugs at the corner of my mouth. “You’re afraid that Sloan will find out the longer I live here. Am I right?”

  He turns his head to look at the ocean.

  “You don’t like me upsetting your little ecosystem. Me being here messes with your head, doesn’t it?”

  “You’ve always made my head hurt,” he says, his eyes now back on mine. “You’re the one problem I can’t solve.”

  “I’m not an equation, Dylan. You can’t solve me.”

  His mouth is inches from mine, the heat from his breath dancing along my lips. “I wish I could, Ash. I wish I knew the right thing to do when it comes to you.”

  “You already had your chance and blew it.”

  He sighs. “I messed up.”

  “What is it about me that bothers you so much?”

  He presses his lips together, deep in thought. As he processes my question, I watch him, his mind like a computer that needs to spit out an answer.

  Dylan is unlike anyone I have ever known. He’s smart and complicated, brilliant but also stupid. I mean, why else did Dylan let me walk away five years ago?

  After the longest minute of silence in history, Dylan’s lips part, drawing my attention to his gorgeous mouth. He’s not hot by Hollywood standards. Hell, he’s not hot by most people’s standards. But he’s still yummy in his ways.

  He looks like the boy next door, with his messy brown curls that never stay in place. His blue eyes have always reminded me of the ocean, which is why I love it so much. I love that when he smiles, the cutest dimple pops in his right cheek. I love that when he thinks he makes a fish face. And I love that he’s oblivious to the fact that his looks were never the reas
on I liked him.

  Herein lies the problem…

  I’m still in love with Dylan Banks.

  The boy next door.

  My brother’s best friend.

  My super sexy ex-boyfriend.

  The one person I should never have had.

  “I’m not bothered by you,” Dylan finally says. “It’s… you.”

  “Finish that thought.”

  He leans his back against the side of the pool, his arm inches from mine. “I like that you don’t give a shit about anything. And I hate that I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you moved into my house…”

  I have no idea what to say in response. Dylan might as well have taken a machete to my heart when he broke it. Every word he spoke made me want to rip it from my chest, even for a second, as long as it would take the pain away. Losing him left a gaping hole inside me. I tried my best to find someone else and forget about him.

  And when I met Josh, I thought I had moved on from the past. But the physical and emotional scars left behind made that impossible. Dylan doesn’t even know how much one night changed both of our lives. He thinks he only lost me, and that’s how I wanted it, but I lost so much more—more than I’m willing to share with anyone.

  “I have some stuff I need to do for work,” I lie.

  Well, I suppose I could read a few scripts to help Nico Chase find a role in his next movie. It would get me a few brownie points with Vinnie.

  Dylan grunts in response. I guess he expected me to pour my heart out to him. Nope, not going to happen. Never again will I lower my guard with him. If Dylan only wanted my body, I would give it to him. But my heart isn’t ready for more.

  I get out of the pool and dry myself off with a fluffy towel that smells like Dylan’s laundry detergent. Water splashes behind me, and within seconds, Dylan is on my ass.

  He hovers over me. “What are you wearing?”

  “A bikini,” I shoot back. “You got a problem with it?”

  His fingers slide down my arm. “You’re making this hard for me.”

  “You mean, I’m making you hard. There’s a difference.”

  He groans, moving his hand to my hip, and now I’m having trouble focusing. I haven’t had sex in ages, and Dylan is still the best I have ever had. What if all we need is to get this sexual tension out of our bodies? Could we possibly have sex once and walk away?

  “Cover me,” I say, handing Dylan my towel.

  I tug at the strings of my bikini top, and he curses under his breath as he holds the towel up to shield me.

  “What the fuck, Ash?”

  “I have to pee, and I doubt you want me walking through your pristine house soaking wet.”

  My top hits the pavement, and Dylan makes a noise that sounds like a growl. “You’re killing me.”

  “I’m sure you have women you can call, and they’ll come running over to serve you.”

  “I’m not Sloan,” he hisses.

  “No, you were never like him.”

  “I only want one woman,” he challenges.

  After I take off my bottoms, I grab the towel from his hands and wrap it around my naked body.

  “You should call her,” I say as I walk toward the house.

  He laughs. “Go grab your phone.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Dylan

  I can’t get Ash out of my head. She laughed off my comment earlier about wanting to fuck her, and I haven’t seen her since. All afternoon, especially after seeing her naked, my mind has been racing with crazy thoughts.

  Staring at the computer monitor, I try to shake my feelings for Ash, but it’s impossible. Sloan is still at the party I dropped him off at in Beverly Hills. Ash hasn’t come out of her bedroom since our encounter earlier. I’m bored out of my skull, even though I have tons of work to do. For every line of code I write, I waste another ten minutes thinking about Ash.

  Fuck it.

  I slide my chair out from the desk and head toward Ash’s bedroom. I’m hungry, and I doubt she’s eaten all day. I knock on Ash’s door, and as expected, she ignores me.

  The more she pretends I don’t exist, the more I want to talk to her. That’s how it has always been with us. Balling my hand into a fist, I knock a few more times with the same result.

  “Ash, I’m coming in,” I warn before I push open the door.

  She has her back to me, her cell phone raised to her ear. “Look, Vin, I’m working on it. Give me until the end of the weekend.” Ash groans, and then a long pause ensues before she says, “If this doesn’t work out, then I get it. Yep. Uh-huh… Sounds good.”

  She ends the call and then curses under her breath, throwing her cell phone onto the bed. “What a dick face.”

  “Everything okay?”

  She gasps and then spins around. “Dylan, what the hell? Why do you keep sneaking up on me today? Are you trying to give me a damn heart attack?”

  “After the stunt you pulled earlier, I’m pretty sure you’re trying to give me one.”

  She throws her head back and laughs. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  I enter her bedroom, careful to keep my distance from her. “Have dinner with me.”

  She narrows her eyes at me. “Ummm… How about no?”

  Of course, she has to be complicated. Everything with Ash is always a production. She can’t say yes and go with the flow.

  “You need to eat, do you not?”

  She clicks her tongue. “I don’t need you and Sloan breathing down my neck all the time. You guys don’t need to baby me. I’m a grown woman who can feed herself, thank you very much.”

  I stuff my hands into my pockets and sigh. “I’m trying here, Ash. Work with me, would you?”

  “Okay,” she says with a smile. “You want to work together? Then, you can help me comb through the box of scripts.” She points at a bankers box overflowing with paper. “I have to come up with something for Nico Chase.”

  “You work for Vinnie, not Nico. Why do you care if Vinnie reps him?”

  “If I can help Nico get back on his feet, then there’s some hope for me.”

  I love that Ash is so selfless and caring, a sweet girl in a world full of assholes who do nothing but take. Her kindness often gets her into trouble. Many people have taken advantage of her, and I hate to see her waste her time and lose herself to help a jerk like Nico Chase.

  “If I help you, will you have dinner with me?”

  Ash presses her index finger to her lips. “Hmm… I guess. How about a working dinner? You should be used to those by now.”

  I wanted to have a real dinner at a restaurant, but I guess I have to take what I can get.

  “I’ll order us a pizza. You still like pepperoni and sausage?”

  She bobs her head, a smile in place.

  “C’mon.” I tip my head toward the door. “We can eat in the living room.”

  Her eyes widen. “You would let me eat in your precious living room?” She throws her hand over her mouth in mock surprise. “But what if I get crumbs on the couch? You might need to have it professionally cleaned and sanitized.”

  “Don’t get smart,” I snap.

  She wiggles her eyebrows and then blows me a kiss. “Don’t be annoying, and we can have some fun.”

  I consider debating with her and stop myself. She thinks I’m boring because I like things a certain way. Actions speak louder than words. I’ll prove to her that I can let go of my annoying habits.

  I won’t yell at her to keep her feet off my couch, and I will try my best not to clean every surface around her. It will be hard. My OCD even drives me nuts. So, I guess we’ll have to see how it goes.

  “Make yourself useful and grab the box.” Ash winks, walking past me to leave her bedroom.

  She’s trying to work my nerves, and because of that, I will stay strong. I won’t allow her to get under my skin.

  I lift the box from the floor and follow behind Ash into the living room. As expected, she plops down on th
e couch and puts her feet on the fabric. I’m getting it cleaned, but I’m not telling her that. I won’t give her the satisfaction of knowing that she’s bothering me.

  Ash peeks up at me and rubs her stomach, pushing up her tank top. And now, I can’t stop staring at her smooth skin. I can’t stop thinking about how good she looked naked, my mind wandering to all of the places I have been with her.

  “Are you ordering us a pizza or what?” Ash groans. “I’m a grown woman. I need to eat.”

  I remove my cell phone from my pocket and order two large pizzas from DoorDash. “They’ll be here in forty minutes,” I say as I sit next to Ash on the couch. “So, how does this work?”

  She digs through dozens of scripts. In typical Ash fashion, everything is out of order, the papers messy and torn in certain places. There’s a giant hole through the middle of one of the scripts, which is weird.

  “What happened to this one?” I ask as I remove it from the box, holding it up for Ash to see.

  Ash chuckles. “Vinnie ripped it out of a junior agent’s hand and nailed it to a cork board before he told the guy to get the fuck out of his office.”

  “He sounds like fun to work for.”

  She rolls her shoulders. “He’s an ass. But he likes me.”

  “Given his reputation for firing assistants after a few days, I’d say he likes you.”

  “You know Vinnie, right?”

  I nod. “He came to a party we hosted for Date Crashers with a few of his clients.”

  She frowns. “How come I wasn’t invited?”

  “You were still working at Jamba Juice back then. He brought a tall redhead with him, his assistant, I think.”

  “Lucy,” Ash says with laughter in her tone. “I’ve heard so many stories about her. She got caught having sex with an agent in the copy room. Vinnie warned me not to fraternize with employees because of her.”

  “What about Vinnie? He ever hit on you?”

  Ash gives me a confused look. “Yeah, right.”

  “He also has a reputation for being a total sleaze-ball.”

  She wrinkles her nose. “He’s old enough to be my dad.” Ash flips through the scripts and then hands one to me. “Start with this one. Nico might like it. Well…” She bites her bottom lip. “I’m not sure what is good for him anymore. He hasn’t responded well to anything I’ve given him. It’s like he doesn’t want to work… But according to Vinnie, Nico is bleeding through his money. So, I don’t know why he’s wasting his time drinking and sleeping all day.”