Roommates

by Whitney Lyles

  “All right,” Crystal said once everyone had taken their seats. She looked at the group as if she were Barbara Mandrel, getting ready to serenade them. “Since most of us don’t know each other, we’re going to go around the room and say our names, how we know Melissa.” She spoke slowly and enthusiastically. “And a wish or hope for the baby.”

  Elise could’ve sworn she heard a few muffled groans and sensed she wasn’t alone in her opinion. At any rate, her mind immediately began to think of a wish or a hope for her unborn niece.

  The first person to go was a woman Elise didn’t recognize.

  “My name is—”

  “Stand up,” Crystal interrupted. “Just so we can all hear you.”

  She stood, and Elise noticed that her cheeks looked a little flushed. “My name is Gina Young, and I’m Melissa’s husband’s assistant.” Her eyes nervously darted over the room. Why were they doing this? Couldn’t Crystal see that the woman was suffering? Behind her Fox News smile, Elise thought the woman must have a sadistic side. “Um, well, I guess I just wish the baby a lot of happiness and laughter.”

  Everyone clapped. “Very nice,” Crystal said.

  Moving on, there were all the obvious wishes like good health, success, good relationship with parents. Someone wished that she had lots of great girlfriends and an ahh fell over the room. Once all the easy wishes were used up, Elise wondered what in the world she was going to say.

  She felt an elbow in her ribs. She expected to see terror in Jimmy’s eyes when she looked at him. However, he hadn’t even meant to elbow her and had actually been clapping enthusiastically for the person who had just gone.

  She thought of all the things she valued in life, what she was most thankful for. Most of them had been mentioned already. She could say that she wished the child success by twenty-eight so that she didn’t have to live with roommates anymore and could decorate her own place. Suddenly she thought of the perfect wish. For as poor as she was, she wouldn’t trade her career for anything. That’s what she would say. She wished her niece the ambition and creativity to pursue her dreams. She wanted her to be happy in her career. It was golden. She felt relieved that she had come up with something, but her palms were still sweating when it was Jimmy’s turn. She was next. Clearly comfortable in the spotlight, he stood without hesitation and smiled at the whole group. “Well, you’re probably all wondering what I’m doing here. I mean, how many guys do you see at baby showers?”

  He paused to absorb all the amused chuckles that came from the audience. Elise looked around the room. It was like an audience for Oprah. They all watched with delight. He had the crowd eating out of his hands. “Anyway, I actually met Melissa today. I’m Elise’s roommate’s boyfriend, and it’s a long story how I got here, but I’m thankful that Elise invited me, and I’m glad to be here with all you ladies.” There was a long ahhhhh before he continued. “Anyway, I’m a musician, and it’s taken a lot of sacrifices to be in this career and do what I love doing. But it’s been worth it.” Was he using hers? “I’d like to wish the baby courage and creativity and the ambition to pursue her dreams. I hope she does what she loves doing.” He practically got a standing ovation. And while the group roared with applause, Elise sat, shell-shocked, wondering how he had read her mind. The bastard. She sat there for a moment, confused, wondering what in God’s name she was going to say. Then she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Jimmy. “It’s your turn.” The whole room waited.

  This part she had rehearsed in her mind a million times for the past twenty minutes. “Well, most of you know who I am. But for those of you who don’t know, I’m Elise, Melissa’s younger sister.” She caught a glimpse of her mother smiling and then locked eyes with Crystal, who was beaming like Kathy Lee Gifford. Her eyes wandered over the rest of the room before her settling on a large bowl of bean dip. “Anyway, um, I wish that . . . the baby, um, has a real flair for cooking.” Dead silence followed. “Because you know, um . . . food is important.”

  “Well, all right. Thanks Elise,” Crystal said. “Moving along.”

  She slid into her chair and waited for the day to end.

  8. Jimmy’s Invitation

  Elise spent the following day at her computer, editing her book and eating from a box of Wheat Thins that she kept hidden in her bottom desk drawer. She also had licorice and potato chips stashed in there, too. She left her bedroom late afternoon to replenish her water supply and was surprised to find Jimmy away from the TV. He stood in front of his pile of instruments. The phone was tucked in between his chin and ear, and he held one of his guitars in his hands.

  He looked agitated, and she wondered what sort of crisis he faced in his couch-potato life. She filled a glass of water and returned to her room. A few minutes later a light tap on her bedroom door interrupted her work. For a moment she thought she had imagined the noise. It had been so soft, and Jimmy never knocked on her door.

  “Yes?” she said.

  “Elise. It’s me, Jimmy.”

  “Yes, Jimmy. I know it’s you. You can open the door.”

  He poked his head inside like a young child peering into a strange place for the first time. “Um. Are you busy right now? I need a favor.”

  She could afford to take a break from her writing but was afraid of what he wanted. A loan. Groceries for the next two weeks. A gift certificate to Ray’s Liquor. “What do you need?” she asked.

  “I really need a ride to Max’s store. It’s just right around the corner in North Park. But I’ve gotta get my guitar fixed. I have a show coming up, and Max said he’d fix it for me for free.” Of course it was free.

  She grabbed her keys. “Sure. Let’s go.”

  “Thanks, man. You’re the coolest.”

  She stole a few minutes to apply a light coat of lipstick and brush her hair. She also slipped into her favorite pair of jeans. The light wash down the front of them gave the illusion that she had thighs like Sarah Jessica Parker.

  “You have the best car in the world,” Jimmy said as he made himself comfortable in her convertible. The top wasn’t down, but he immediately rolled down his window and perched his elbow in the open frame.

  “Are You Gonna Go My Way?” by Lenny Kravitz played on the radio, and he moved his head to the beat of the music. “Did I ever tell you that we opened for this guy?”

  “You did?!” Elise couldn’t contain her surprise. She’d been a Lenny Kravitz fan since the seventh grade, and a good portion of her youth had been spent imagining herself attending the Grammys with him.

  “Yeah. He’s a short little guy. I mean tiny. He’s probably not much taller than you.”

  “Really? I’m pretty small.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “Was he nice?”

  “Yeah, he was a cool cat. I only met him briefly—like maybe a minute. But he seemed nice.”

  She had a million questions, but Jimmy directed her to park in front of a small store with glass windows. Dozens of guitars lined the windows. It was tucked in between a dry cleaner’s and a thrift shop. The sign above the store read, “Max’s Axes.”

  Bells sounded when Jimmy pushed the door open, and a Johnny Cash CD played from the speakers. Max stood behind the counter and didn’t glance up when they approached. He messed with some kind of metal device with tiny wires. He looked up only when they stood right in front of the counter.

  “This pedal is driving me nuts,” he said calmly. He didn’t seem to be going nuts. In fact, he seemed quite the opposite. “Kenny from Big Sugar brought it in yesterday, and I just can’t figure out what’s wrong with it.” He set down the pedal and shook Jimmy’s hand. “It’s good to see you.”

  Then he turned to Elise, and a smile lifted the corners of his cheeks. “It’s great to see you, too. How’s the book coming?”

  “Great. I still have quite a bit of editing, but it’s getting there.”

  “I look forward to reading it.”

  “Oh yeah.” Jimmy nodded. “That’s right. Your book. You�
��re a writer. I think I’ll read something of yours while I’m on the road.”

  Hell would freeze over before Jimmy read anything.

  Elise heard a yawn from behind the counter, before a black dog stood up. The dog gazed up at Max before shaking her thick coat. One of her ears stood straight up, while the other lay folded and floppy. Max scratched behind both her ears.

  “This is Maggie,” he said.

  Elise let the dog sniff her hand before scratching her under the chin. The guys began to discuss Jimmy’s guitar problems, so Elise took the opportunity to browse around the shop. Maggie followed her, and Elise petted her on top of the head as she looked around.

  The walls of Max’s store were covered in layers of overlapping flyers and posters of musicians. There were signed posters from bands that she recognized like Blink-182. They were from San Diego. Posters of bands with purple Mohawks and body piercings covered corners of the store. There was a poster of a chick band named Bitch Rocket. The girls wore torn jeans with biker boots and T-shirts with the sleeves ripped off. A couple of the girls had sleeves of tattoos covering their arms, and one had a shaved head. Buried in a far corner of the store she noticed an old flyer, frayed and yellow around the edges. Once black and white, the picture had faded to gray. Her eyes almost wandered right over the flyer until she spotted Max. Much younger, his hair hung to his chin, and he had a full goatee instead of the little soul patch that rested beneath his lip. Though his features looked softer with youth, aging had made him more attractive.

  “You guys hungry?” Max asked.

  “I could eat,” Jimmy said.

  She hadn’t eaten since lunch and was actually starving. “Yeah, why don’t we grab dinner?”

  “How ’bout Paesano?” It was Max’s suggestion.

  They walked from Max’s store to the restaurant. It was a warm evening, and Elise removed her hooded sweatshirt.

  Aside from their waiter and the cook tossing a pizza crust behind the counter, they were the only customers at Paesano. It wasn’t the kind of Italian restaurant where you needed to get dressed up and make a reservation. Rather, it was a place where you could wear jeans and order a pitcher of beer, which was exactly what Jimmy did as soon as they were seated.

  “I don’t know about you guys, but I want the white pizza,” Jimmy said.

  “It’s all I ever get,” Max added.

  Elise scanned the menu for this white pizza and found it under the appetizers section. The sauceless pizza actually sounded a little bland with only olive oil, cheese, and garlic. But she trusted their opinions. Jimmy could qualify as a pizza connoisseur, he ate so much of it.

  “That sounds good,” Elise said, closing her menu.

  Max took a swig of his beer, then looked at Elise. “So what’s it like living with this idiot?” He smiled. “You ready for him to go on tour?”

  She burst into laughter.

  “She loves me,” Jimmy said. “Don’t you?”

  Love was a strong word. Tolerated was more accurate. However, she felt like being polite and nodded.

  “I bet Elise was thrilled when you returned from L.A. Nothing like a deadbeat rocker crashing at your house.”

  Max had it all figured out, but Elise didn’t want to step on any toes. “Jimmy’s great. He . . . he always makes me laugh.”

  Jimmy nodded as he squeezed her knee. “Thanks. Thanks, man. I went to my first baby shower yesterday,” he said. “And I gotta say, it was pretty fun. There were games and—”

  He was interrupted by the sound of his cell phone. It was Justine. She proceeded to call three times before their food had even arrived. Each time, Jimmy explained to her that he was eating at Paesano and that he would see her after she got off work. It seemed like a clear-cut conversation. However, there was something Justine failed to get, and she continued to call. The fourth time Jimmy’s cell phone rang, they all exchanged glances.

  “Justine,” they said in unison. Sure enough, it was her.

  “I already told you!” he barked into the phone. “I’m having dinner with Max and Elise.” It was the first time Elise had ever seen him angry. “Fine! I’ll eat again with you later. You told me you weren’t getting home until eight!” He snapped the phone shut and set it on the table. “I’m putting it on vibrate,” he mumbled. “This is starting to fuckin’ irritate me.”

  Minutes later their conversation was interrupted by his phone vibrating on the table. He ignored it. But it vibrated again. And again. It wouldn’t stop. Elise was tempted to answer for him. Go away, you freak! He’s eating!

  He finally jumped from the table and answered the phone. This time, he took the call outside.

  “Now there is a woman with a purpose,” Max said. “She’s really got a leash on him.”

  Elise had plenty of insight she could add to this conversation, but she didn’t know how close Max and Jimmy were. What if Max repeated everything she said? But Max wasn’t the gossiping type. What the hell? she thought. Go ahead and share your thoughts. “Yes. She treats him like her pet.”

  He shrugged. “Women and bands. I don’t know what it is with musicians, but women turn crazy around them.”

  “You were in a band. Did you make anyone crazy?”

  He chuckled. “Probably. And I probably shouldn’t have.”

  “Where are you from originally?”

  “Here. I grew up in Carlsbad. Went to Berkeley for a couple of years. Dropped out to play music.”

  “What were you studying?”

  “Political science. What about you? What did you study?”

  She told him about her graduate degree in criminal psychology, and how she’d been fascinated with what motivated people to commit crime. “It’s why I love writing mysteries so much. I like to use my imagination. However, I don’t like living on a mystery set. I feel like I’m going to end up in a real live novel plot if I stay in City Heights for much longer.”

  “What about living with your brother in Ocean Beach?”

  “No. We’d kill each other.”

  “I have two sisters. I don’t think I could live with either one of them. We’re all so different.”

  The pizza arrived around the same time Jimmy returned.

  After one bite she decided that white pizza might be her new favorite food. Covered in soft little chunks of garlic, she knew it was a guarantee for terrible breath, but the mozzarella and soft crust melted in her mouth. For as long as she lived in the area, she’d be eating at Paesano on a regular basis. “This is delicious,” she said in between bites. “Why don’t all Italian restaurants have this?”

  “It’s a specialty here at Paesano,” Jimmy said. “It’s the best.”

  Between the three of them, they managed to polish off most of the pizza. Stuffed, she still continued to nibble at her third piece. It tasted so delicious, she couldn’t help herself.

  “Does anyone mind if I take this last piece back for Justine?” Jimmy asked.

  “No,” Elise groaned, her stomach nearly popping buttons off her jeans. “Take it away.”

  “It’s all yours,” Max said.

  Jimmy went to the counter for a take-out box.

  “I think that may have been the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life,” she said. She folded her hands over her stomach.

  He nodded. “Any time you want to stop by the shop, I’m always up for white pizza. I’ll go with you. And hey, you guys never called me to put new locks on your doors.”

  “Well, I’m sure you’re busy and have better things to do. I don’t want to bother you.”

  “And they’ve got me!” Jimmy chimed in. “I won’t let anything happen.”

  That made her feel much better. Jimmy and his huge muscles. He’d probably offer a burglar a beer.

  The check arrived, and they all reached for their wallets.

  Elise pulled a ten from her purse, enough to cover her share of beer, pizza, and tip.

  “Damn,” Jimmy muttered. “I only have three bucks. Do you guys think you ca
n cover me? I’ll pay you back.”

  Of course he only had three dollars. If he’d contributed his share, Elise probably would’ve had a heart attack right there in Paesano. She took pity on him and reached for another ten.

  “I got it,” Max said. He placed thirty bucks on the little tray, then pushed her ten back toward her.

  “Take my ten,” she said, shoving it back.

  “Oh. And here is my three,” Jimmy said weakly as he held on to his money.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Max said “I got it.” He began to slide from the booth.

  Elise followed him with her cash, but he wouldn’t take it. “You buy next time,” he said.

  As they walked back to his shop, she thought of his offer for her to stop by the shop. Though she’d be dying to see him again soon, she had always been stricken with a shyness around anyone she was romantically interested in. She’d probably spend days entertaining the idea of a luncheon getaway to Paesano with Max. But she knew that day would likely never come. She just hoped Jimmy’s tour came soon. They needed new locks.

  Justine was watching an interview with Dr. Phil when they returned. He was on Larry King taking phone calls from viewers, and for a moment Elise thought it might be beneficial for Justine to call in with a question. Um, yeah. Hi, Dr. Phil. I’m not a frequent watcher of your show, but my roommate says I should be. I hang pictures of my boyfriend on every free inch of wall space in my apartment. I call him twenty times a day and make him get permission from me before he does anything. I also secretly listen to his voice mail. Is this okay? His response would be glorious.

  It was so smoky in their apartment that Elise thought she should stop, drop, and roll back to her bedroom. Justine’s feet were propped on the coffee table, and her arms were crossed over her chest. “Carly called,” she said without looking at them.

  “I gotta take a shit,” Jimmy mumbled beneath his breath before heading to the bathroom. “And it freakin’ reeks in here. How can you sit in here like that? At least I crack a window!”

  Very interesting, Elise thought. This comment about the air quality coming from Jimmy was slightly hypocritical. Perhaps he and Justine were getting sick of each other.