Bad Roommate

by Allie Valentine

  Hunter: Charles from Legal is on the bar dancing. I think he’s trying to twerk.

  Bailey snorted at the mental image of the older man trying to shake his booty. The marketing firm where they worked was a pretty conservative place and when she’d first started interning here, she’d been really intimidated. Everyone seemed so busy and professional, like they all had their shit together and she was just trying to figure out what she wanted to do after college. But after a few Friday nights hanging out with the office crew, she’d discovered that even the most conservative types had a wild side.

  Not that she wanted to picture the nice older man who always helped her with legal questions trying to gyrate his nonexistent ass. Bailey giggled at just the thought.

  Hunter: Seriously, where the hell are you?

  Fed up, Bailey finally responded. Damn, Hunter could be such a drama king sometimes.

  Bailey: Trying to finish all this work Mr. D gave me at the last minute. I could finish faster if you’d stop texting me!

  Bailey returned to her computer screen and squinted at the small column of numbers. She sighed. Numbers weren’t her thing and she’d thought she was safe by majoring in marketing. But apparently even marketing majors needed to know how to adhere to a budget for their projects, though her boss, Mr. Dent, didn’t really seem to understand the budget all that well himself. Probably why he’d dumped this on her at the last minute.

  After making a few minor changes to the numbers she’d entered earlier, she saved the file to the project drive and printed. It wasn’t perfect but that was the best she could do. What the hell could he really expect at the last minute on a Friday? It was already eight o’clock and no one else had stayed this late. If she was lucky, Mr. Dent had fallen asleep at his desk again and she could just slide this into his inbox without having to interact with him.

  She hated having to talk to her creepy older boss, a man who still thought a comb over was preferable to just being bald. Especially when there was no one else there to act as a buffer. It wasn’t any one thing he’d done that made her uncomfortable; there was just something about the way he looked at her. Bailey shuddered as she gathered her things. He looked at her like he wished he could see through her clothes. Bailey sighed, realizing his cringeworthy gazes were the only action she’d seen in months.

  Bailey walked down the hallway toward Mr. Dent’s corner office. Her handbag thumped against her thigh as she walked awkwardly, trying to type a text to Hunter at the same time. Maybe if she hadn’t been distracted she would have heard the noises before she got to the doorway.

  “Oh yes, that’s it. Suck that dick.”

  Bailey halted in the doorway, the hand that was holding her phone going up to cover her mouth. Her brain was in such shock that she tried to cover her mouth and her eyes simultaneously but she couldn’t block the grotesque image playing out right in front of her.

  The light was off in the room but Mr. Dent had a large picture window right behind him and the late evening light was more than enough to illuminate what he was doing. He’d pushed his chair back from his desk and sat with his legs spread, creating more room for him as his meaty hand tugged at the short, stubby penis protruding from his pants.

  Bailey clutched her phone tighter, her mouth opening and closing in shock. She knew she should probably move, but what if he saw her from the corner of his eye? So far he hadn’t noticed her and she definitely didn’t want to do anything to draw his attention.

  “Oh fuck yeah. That’s it. Yes. Yes. Bailey!” He shouted her name and let out a long, agonizing groan.

  His hand moved so fast it was a blur, but there was no missing the stream of white that sprayed everywhere as he continued to groan out her name. Her name.

  “That’s it Bailey, lick it all up. Good girl.”

  Horrified, Bailey backed out of the room slowly. Luckily Mr. Dent still had his eyes squeezed closed as his hand continued to pump absently at his now deflated mini-sausage. There was an expression of complete and total satisfaction on his face.

  OhmygodOhmygodOhmygod.

  Her heart was practically beating out of her chest as she trotted down the hallway, her phone still clutched in her hand. What the hell was that? Had he actually said her name?

  She squeezed her eyes shut as a wave of revulsion swept through her. The elevator was right in front of her but she was scared to hit the button. What if he heard her? Then she thought fuck it, and hit the button to call the elevator. If he hadn’t heard her running down the hallway then she was probably safe.

  The entire walk over to Happy’s, she replayed the last five minutes. It felt like a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from. This was her boss! She had to go back to work on Monday and look him in the eye like nothing had happened! She almost gagged just thinking about all the times he’d come up behind her at her desk and put his hand on her shoulder.

  For the rest of eternity, she’d have a new image of exactly where his hands had been. Shudder.

  Hunter texted her again. Without even reading his message, she typed back.

  Bailey: I am traumatized. There better be a drink waiting for me when I get there.

  Suddenly the phone in her hand rang. Bailey answered with a shaky “Hello?”

  “What the hell happened? Do I need to kick someone’s ass?” Hunter growled.

  Bailey clutched her bag tighter as she sped up. The front door of the bar was now visible. “It’s so much worse than that. I’m almost there. And Hunter?”

  “Yeah, baby girl?”

  “I was serious about that drink. In fact, make it two.”

  The things he did for the friend that he’d been secretly crushing on for months…

  They’d been friends ever since she started interning at Bold Horizons last summer. She’d accidentally spilled her coffee on him her first day and he’d spent every day since daydreaming about her. There was a slight age difference—she was still in college, after all. But Hunter didn’t think that twenty-four was too old. There were advantages in dating a guy who was a little older. Advantages like the ability to not come in the first five minutes of sex and knowing what the clitoris was capable of.

  Hunter had mastered both in college and was a much better man for it. If only Bailey would let him show her. But she didn’t see him that way. He was the charming guy who worked a floor above hers and was always up for a coffee run. Not the one she wanted to drag into the supply closet and make out with.

  As soon as Bailey appeared in the doorway of the bar, Hunter could tell something was seriously wrong. She obviously hadn’t been exaggerating when she said she was traumatized. Her eyes darted around the room wildly, like she’d just seen a ghost, and her hands shook as she tried to straighten her hair. That was another clue. Bailey always looked perfect. He’d never seen her with a hair out of place. But the bun she always wore was torn down and her hair hung loosely around her neck. When she saw him, her eyes lit up, which made Hunter feel about ten feet tall.

  Bailey pushed her way through the crowd and dropped into the chair across from him. Tables were always at a premium so there were several other people he didn’t know at the other end of the table. Bailey snatched one of the vodka shots from in front of him and tossed it back. Hunter watched in amazement as she winced and then blew out a breath. Then she reached over and took the other one, the one he’d been saving for himself, and drank that too.

  “What the hell happened to you?” he finally asked.

  “Oh god. I don’t even know where to start.” She dropped her head into her hand.

  He’d seen that she texted him some random video earlier but he hadn’t had a chance to watch it because her other texts had come rushing in. Knowing Bailey, she’d probably sent him another blurry video as she walked around the office. He’d never met a person worse with technology than Bailey. She also managed to butt-dial him frequently.

  Finally she leaned closer. “You can’t tell anyone this. I’m serious.”

  Hunter pantomime
d locking his lips with a key. “I’m a vault. Come on Bay, you know I’m not a gossip.”

  She leaned even closer. “I saw Mr. Dent jerking off in his office.” She took a really deep breath. “And then when he… you know, finished... he said my name. Several times.”

  After a long moment spent staring at her, Hunter stood and went over to the bar and held up two fingers. He was here so often the bartender knew his regular order, so a few minutes later he returned to the table with two more vodka shots. He sat down and slid one across the table to Bailey, who took it gratefully. She tilted her head back, and Hunter watched her throat work as she swallowed.

  Heat climbed his face. Damn, he was just as bad as her boss. Mr. Dent wasn’t his manager but he was the one who managed the intern program. He was a crotchety older man, the type who liked to argue just to hear the sound of his own voice. The thought of that dude wanking to an image of Bailey was enough to turn his stomach, so he could only imagine how she felt. He took his own shot, hoping the alcohol could clear the image.

  “Shit, you weren’t kidding when you said it was traumatizing.”

  “Yes! Oh my god, how the hell am I supposed to go to work on Monday?” Bailey’s loud screech drew some attention from the strangers at the end of their table. She shrank under their stares, lowering her voice. “And now I’m acting like the drunk crazy girl in the bar. This is just great.”

  Her words slurred slightly and Hunter figured that was a sign. Bailey was a petite thing, so three vodka shots in close succession probably wasn’t the best idea. But if any situation could benefit from a little alcohol-induced memory loss, this one qualified for sure.

  “Come on, let’s get you home.” He pulled up the taxi app on his phone and called for a car. It showed one two streets away. He stood and held out his hand to Bailey.

  She stood. “You don’t have to do that. I appreciate you listening. I didn’t mean to make you leave early.” She hugged him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head right over his heart.

  Hunter tried to pull back slightly so she wouldn’t feel the erection that was steadily growing. She’d just seen the grossest thing imaginable, so he figured the last thing she’d want would be to come into contact with dick of any kind. But when he tried to step back, her arms tightened and she pressed her face against his shirt.

  “You’re such a good friend!” she wailed. Since her face was turned into his chest, it came out muffled, sounding more like “Yooof such a goob fiend!”

  Hunter sighed. “Okay, this is not going to work. Come on, baby girl.” He led her to the door, walking sideways half the time since she didn’t want to let go of his waist. By the time they made it through the crowd and got to the cab waiting at the curb, Bailey was barely walking on her own and her hands had decided to take a walking tour of his body. He managed to get her in the cab, ignoring the skeptical look of the driver.

  “Man, is she okay? She’d better not throw up in my cab.”

  Hunter shot the guy a look. “Drive fast then.” He gave him Bailey’s address and then jumped when he felt her hand in his lap.

  Hunter gritted his teeth as he tried to peel her fingers off his thigh.

  This was typical luck for him. The girl who’d never been interested in him before was handsy when she was drunk.

  Typical luck.

  Fifteen

  Once Hunter had her back home, Bailey had an even more difficult time keeping her hands to herself. Now wait just a minute. Hunter had all this going on? Bailey slid her hands over his pecs and abs, silently counting the muscles. Well, well. Hunter had been holding out on her.

  Okay, she wasn’t an idiot, he was clearly cute. Smoking hot from a truly objective standpoint. He had dark brown hair that she was pretty sure he styled into messy disarray. And his moss green eyes were kind and intelligent. But also really expressive. She could always tell his mood by his eyes. When she started at Bold Horizons, a year ago, her focus was on her future. What she did here would also get her into the MBA program.

  So when she'd seen the hot guy that worked in client accounts, she’d put those thoughts out of her mind. Well, except when she was in bed, alone with a vibrator guaranteed to make her scream.

  She didn’t have the best luck with guys and she wasn't looking to make a mistake where she worked. She always chose wrong. And when it came down to it, Hunter had turned out to be a really good friend. When stuff at school was hard, she could escape into their friendship. During the school year, she commuted from campus, but since it was summer, the company had found her this corporate apartment as part of the internship program.

  And now, she was here…with Hunter…and he felt so good. No, seriously, why hadn't she jumped his bones before? Because you know how you are. Once you get close, you panic and you run.

  She knew this line of thought along the no-go zone was entirely due to the copious amount of alcohol she'd imbibed. But there was a part of her that wanted to do this. This was Hunter. He was her friend. And he was so sweet. And exactly the kind of guy that every girl should want to be with.

  He took care of her. All that gentlemanly shit. The shit you only read about in books. Even though they were just friends, every time he dropped her off at her apartment, he made it a point to walk her to the door and make sure she got in okay.

  If he invited her somewhere, he insisted on paying. It all evened out in the end because she'd often bought the beers, but it was more than that. He listened. And whenever he had a girlfriend issue, he talked about each girl with respect. She’d never let herself admit it before, but she was always a little bit jealous.

  Not because of the girls per se, because she wasn't looking for that from Hunter. Are you sure about that? But because of the kind of guy he was. She wanted someone like that for herself eventually. You know, after she graduated and had her career on track. And then it would be time to find someone who wouldn’t hurt her.

  Except with Hunter tonight, with him holding her, she wanted him to help her forget. Forget what she’d seen and heard. Ugh. Please God, she really needed to forget what she'd heard.

  And the more she touched Hunter, the more her brain focused on the tingling low in her belly than it did on the horrors she'd seen before she left the office.

  "Hunter, how come you’ve never asked me out before?"

  She could hear the question coming out of her mouth. But it was like her brain wasn't in control. At least not the rational part of her brain, the part that would remind her that this was Hunter. He was her friend, and not some guy that she could just anonymously sleep with and walk away from.

  Hunter cleared his throat. "Well, Bay, because we’re friends. And you've always made it pretty clear that you aren’t looking to date."

  "And what if I’ve changed my mind?" She leaned into him. "What if I think I was being an idiot? What if I want you to ask me out?"

  She lifted her gaze to his, and his pupils dilated as his eyes dropped to her lips for a moment.

  Yes. The idea of Hunter kissing her made her clit throb. She pressed closer. God, he smelled amazing. And to think about him wrapping his arms around her as he kissed her and touched her and…okay, yeah, this Hunter thing, it seemed like a pretty good idea.

  Bailey stood on tiptoes, looping her arms around his neck. "Well, I think that's silly. You’re my best friend. I feel like you take good care of me. I especially need that right now. You want to take care of what I need Hunter?"

  Oh God yes. Her breasts pressed into his chest and her nipples hardened. Just being close to him and rubbing up against him lit her body on fire.

  She licked her bottom lip, before pressing her mouth to his. For a moment, his hands tightened on her hips and he groaned low. The jolt of lust ran straight from her nipples down between her thighs.

  But then something was wrong. Instead of pulling her closer so she could feel the length of him pulsing against her belly, he was pushing her...away.

  "Hunter?"

  He sque
ezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw. "Bailey. Let’s get you into bed. Pull out your pajamas or whatever and get changed. We can talk about this later. When you're sober. Because when you're sober, I am so down for having this conversation. But not now when you’re trashed. Come on, off to bed."

  She let him lead her down the hall to the bedroom. Even as she muttered, "I like the idea of off to bed."

  He chuckled low. "Bailey. Stop. I don't want you to regret anything that you say tomorrow." With an efficiency that showed he’d done this before, he unzipped her pencil skirt and then turned his back while simultaneously handing her a pair of leggings. “Put these on."

  She took them from him, but then she swayed. Her stomach roiled and suddenly she didn't feel so good. "Hunter? I feel a little sick."

  He whirled back around and studied her, his eyes intense. "Okay, off to the bathroom."

  He carried her. Had she been sober, she would've known enough to be embarrassed. Right now, she didn't really care. When he set her feet down on the cool tile in her bathroom, she swayed again.

  Hunter’s hands eased into her hair and he pulled the strands back off her shoulders and held them gently as if his hand was her ponytail holder.

  Even as he tucked her hair behind her ears, her stomach screamed at her as if to say, Bitch, next time don't have three shots of vodka. Because why?

  Bailey meant to kneel down to the toilet but she misjudged the distance. So when her stomach finally give up the fight, cramping and trying to eject everything she'd imbibed, she partially got the sink, but mostly she got Hunter.

  Could this get any worse?

  Fuck him.

  No, seriously, Hunter really wished she would fuck him.

  He looked up at the ceiling and inhaled deeply three times. Ever since Bailey Jones had shown up at Bold Horizons he’d had a perpetual state of blue balls. And he was certainly going to need balls of steel to deal with this situation.