Accidental Roommate

by Jolie Day

  I hadn’t gotten into a fight since I was nineteen years old. I was pretty sure I’d broken that asshole’s nose before he struggled out of my hold and took off running into the crowd.

  Maya walked into the elevator, wincing with every step. Her knees were pitted with small pieces of loose gravel from the sidewalk, and a thin trickle of blood ran down her shins. She’d taken a hard fall.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said, even though I wasn’t responsible for the mugging. “The police are gonna find that bastard. I’m sure of it. Let’s get you cleaned up before they get here to take our statements.”

  “Thank you.” Her voice sounded raspy and thin, and her ever-glowing face was ashen. Shock, I suspected. She needed a quiet place to sit and get herself together, not to mention a lot of antiseptic.

  I led her out of the elevator and toward my door and put my arm around her shoulders. Minutes ago, the lightest touch had seemed like a no-go, but right now, I couldn’t keep my hands off her. Every instinct was telling me to protect her, to take care of her, to attend to her every need and desire. She could’ve told me to run all the way to 45th Street to pick up a mango lassi from her favorite street vendor, and I would’ve done it—no questions asked.

  I walked Maya into the living room. “Where’s the realtor?” I asked.

  “She left. I don’t think many other people saw… all that.”

  Although another witness would’ve been helpful to the police, a large part of me was relieved. I didn’t like people seeing when I conducted myself in a manner I’d rather not be associated with my professional persona. I was light-years away from the dirty, scrappy kid who’d clawed his way out of poverty years ago. But, he still resurfaced from time to time, usually when someone insulted my capabilities or threatened someone I cared about. Maya, even after all these years, still fell into that category.

  That, and I just couldn’t stand to see a girl get pummeled on the street. And over a purse, no less. It made my blood boil.

  “I’ll get you some water,” I said, helping Maya lower herself onto the couch.

  She forced a smile. “I’m all right, really.”

  I poured her a glass of ice-cold water and folded her hands around it. “Either way, water never hurts.”

  Maya raised the glass to her lips with a slight tremor in her hands. I disappeared inside the bathroom for a minute to grab the first-aid kit underneath the sink, then sat on the ottoman in front of Maya. I unrolled the gauze and reached for one of her bloody knees, and she flinched.

  “God knows what’s on the sidewalk out there,” I said. “If you don’t get some antibiotic ointment on those cuts and road rash, you’ll get an infection. You can do it if you want, but I figured you might—”

  “No, go ahead,” she said. “I don’t really do well around the sight of blood.”

  “No need to look then. I hope you aren’t attached to these tights.”

  She looked down at her torn stockings, placing her hands on either side of her hips. “Do what you have to.”

  I pulled out the scissors from the first-aid kit and cut off the ripped hose. There was no way I could work around them. Maya slipped out of her heels, which I saw were worn at the soles, and I tugged the bloody tights off her feet. I cleaned my hands with an antibacterial wipe, wondering when she’d last been able to buy new shoes. I used to worry about having enough money for things like that, and it seemed Maya still did.

  I brushed little pieces of gravel out of her skin with a wipe, and she hissed through her teeth.

  “This is gonna sting,” I murmured, a little too late. I tried to make small talk, hoping it would distract her from the pain. If anything, talking should keep her breathing. I knew if she held her breath for too long, she could pass out, and I wasn’t equipped to deal with that. Hell, I wasn’t sure if Maya was even the type. I had no idea of the woman she was now. I didn’t want to take any chances, though.

  “It looks like you hit the ground pretty hard.”

  She shrugged her shoulder. “Yeah, it was stupid.”

  I pulled the gauze away and glanced at her face. “Maya, he pushed you. He would’ve crushed you if it meant he got away with that purse. It’s not your fault.”

  She nodded, her face still pale. But her hands had stopped shaking, and I guessed that meant we were moving in the right direction.

  After picking out the larger gravel-like pebbles and dirt, I went to work cleaning out the raw scrapes with antiseptic and a clean cloth. Maya tensed but held still as I did my best to clean her up. This was not my area of expertise.

  After a moment of silence, I could feel her staring at me. “Where did you come from, anyway? One minute I was alone on the street, and the next minute you were there.”

  I shrugged, not pulling my eyes away from her knees to meet her gaze. “I happened to be looking out the window at the time. I saw him make a break for you. I figured that meant trouble.”

  “Happened to be looking?” Maya said, her voice somewhat amused.

  I looked up and cocked an eyebrow at her. “That’s right.”

  Maya flinched when I applied a little more pressure to one of the deeper, dirtier scrapes. I put my free hand on her calf, massaging it in a soothing gesture, and she settled again.

  “I didn’t realize you were still in the habit of getting into fights.” She was trying to use humor to get through the pain, and I appreciated that.

  I smirked. “Oh, for a worthy cause, I’ll get down and dirty.”

  “Happy you find me worthy.”

  I stole a quick glance, unable to resist a faint smile. I’d always liked her spunk. “Always.” Something flickered behind her eyes. “Any friend of Rick’s is a friend of mine—even after what we’ve been through.”

  Her smile faltered, and her eyes became troubled when I began to wrap her knees in clean gauze.

  “What happened between you two? If you don’t mind me asking.”

  “I’d rather you not,” I said as politely as possible. I was accustomed to turning people down without coming across as rude. I couldn’t just accept every offer of investment partnership I encountered on any given day, but I didn’t like having to use that tone with Maya. It felt wrong somehow, given our history together. Then again, we were different people now, both adults with separate lives. Maybe it would be better for me to hold her at arm’s length, despite our past. I’d worked hard to build the life I now enjoyed, and it was possible that bringing Maya back into my world could jeopardize that.

  To be honest, I wasn’t sure. I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I wanted to get to know her again. But on the other hand, I had no idea what might happen, and I liked my life as it was: Comfortable. Alone. Without attachments.

  She inclined her head, looking a little uncomfortable. I nodded to her water and she finished it off, looking to the side, probably happy for something to do with her hands in the awkward silence that followed.

  I finished my basic first-aid job on Maya’s knees, which were already looking a little less red and tender. I patted her calf once, then stood up and took a step away from her. I felt like I should say something to smooth things over, change the subject at least, but then there was a knock at the door. The police had arrived, a stern-looking man and woman with notepads and two-way radios attached to their shoulders. As luck would have it, the questioning was brief, and they didn’t hassle Maya too much about what had happened. I remained at her side while she gave her memory of the events from the couch, and when I was asked, I provided a detailed description of the mugger, down to the kind of shoes he’d been wearing—I’d always had a knack for details.

  After the police had taken our statements and encouraged Maya to get some rest, they left us to ourselves. Maya was folded up on the couch, still looking a little pale. She seemed much more at ease after doing everything she could to help the police identify her mugger, and hopefully, giving them enough information to find and arrest his ass.

  She looked out of place in my usu
ally abandoned living room, like a houseguest who’d been dumped out of a dream and into my waking reality, but then I realized that I didn’t mind the sight of her there. It wasn’t often that I entertained—I’d become exhausted by drawn-out conversations with relative strangers, but when I did host parties or dinners, I had a habit of ushering people back out into their cabs and town cars as soon as their allotted two hours of my time was over. Yet somehow, Maya’s unexpected reappearance didn’t bother me. It was, in simple terms, intriguing, puzzling in a way that made me want to solve the mystery of her presence. But not tonight. Tonight, she needed to rest.

  “I’ll call you a cab,” I said, retrieving my smartphone from its charging dock on the kitchen counter and calling the company I kept on speed-dial.

  “Oh, that’s not necessary.” Maya swung her legs off the couch and rose to her feet with a cringe. I could tell from the way she fidgeted with her purse that she probably couldn’t afford the fare for a cab. These days, I spent most of my time around people who never had to check their wallets to make sure they could afford a cab across town, but I remembered what that was like.

  “It’s on me, I insist. There’s no way I’m letting you walk back to the subway station with banged-up, bandaged knees.”

  The tension in her shoulders seemed to disappear, and she gave me a grateful smile.

  “I really appreciate that. But I don’t want you to have to inconvenience yourself for me…”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I said in an easygoing tone, and that was the end of the conversation. Within three minutes, I’d called her a cab with express instructions to take her wherever she needed to go and bill my credit card. I pulled a fifty-dollar bill out of my wallet and held it out to Maya between two fingers.

  “For your stockings.”

  She shook her head, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall. “You’ve already done so much for me. I can get myself some new tights.”

  I folded the bill up and tucked it inside her purse.

  “I cut up your clothes with a pair of scissors—it’s the least I can do.”

  She made a grumbling sound I’d always found adorable when we were kids, especially since it was a sound she only made when she was excited and didn’t want to show it.

  “All right, you win this round, Big Shot.”

  I smirked. “I do love to win. Your carriage should be here in about fifteen minutes, give or take.”

  “That makes me Cinderella for tonight, doesn’t it? Now if I could only get the rats to do my cleaning for me.”

  I chuckled, leaning against the kitchen counter and crossing my arms. She could always find humor in any situation. “Where are you staying these days, anyway? Still with your parents, or a boyfriend?”

  Maya snorted. “Neither. I’m crashing with a couple of friends from college, just until I find something more permanent. I moved out of the dorms last month.”

  “I’m surprised you aren’t renting with them.”

  Maya shrugged. I could see this was a topic that bothered her. “They’re getting married and moving out of the city this summer. Most of my friends got out-of-state jobs after graduation or split town for grad school. I’m one of the only ones left in New York, and my new job is in Manhattan, so I don’t have a ton of options.”

  “Where are you working?”

  She tossed her hair and gave a sarcastic laugh. “Right now, just a coffee shop. But it’s in the Metropolitan Museum, and I’m hoping it’ll lead to bigger and better things.”

  I nodded and went silent for a moment. There was no way she made that much money working as a barista. Looking for an apartment in New York was brutal, even when you had three friends backing you up and splitting the rent.

  “You really should consider the apartment. We’re close to the Met here, and the subway station, and this complex is secure. The City can be a dangerous place, especially for a woman living alone.”

  Maya stiffened in her seat. “I’m used to handling myself.”

  “I know. But I’m just saying, you don’t have to. It’s like the realtor said. Sometimes it’s nice to live with people you already know. Saves on some of the awkward conversations and roommate meetings at the beginning.”

  Maya started to pick up her things, doing her best to hide the limp she was now sporting from that prick knocking her on her ass. The thought of it still pissed me off.

  “I appreciate the concern, but I’m sure I’ll figure something out. In a city this big, there’s got to be an open apartment somewhere that works for me. Your offer is extremely generous, but, I don’t know… It’s been a long time. I’m not sure how well we would get along. And I’d always feel like I owed you.”

  I was more disappointed than I expected, but I just nodded and gave her a small, businesslike smile. “It’s your prerogative.”

  I fished a business card out of my wallet, one of the sleek slate-gray ones that bore little more than my name, cell number, and title as a speculative finance consultant.

  I handed it over to Maya. “Feel free to give me a call if you ever need anything. Good luck in your search for an apartment.”

  My phone vibrated, letting me know that the cab had just pulled alongside the building. “Your taxi is waiting outside. Take care of yourself out there.”

  “I will,” she said, tugging on her coat and heading for the door. I didn’t move to show her out. She looked like she wanted to be alone. “Thank you for everything, Ethan. It was good to see you.”

  “You too,” I said, never expecting to see her again.

  The door clicked behind her and swung shut. I realized then that I’d never really noticed how large and empty the apartment was until that moment.

  Two weeks later, my phone started ringing at eight thirty in the morning. I rolled over in bed, burying my face in the pillowcase. I was usually an early riser, but I’d been out until two a.m. the previous night entertaining a couple of high-rolling investors from China. They had been pretty easy to get along with and eager to turn their portfolios over to me, but they were night owls who liked to drink, and I knew I’d need a solid two more hours of shut-eye to sleep it all off.

  I fumbled for the phone vibrating on the bedside table and pulled it to my ear.

  “Hello?”

  “Ethan?”

  To my surprise, it was Maya. Her voice was a little hard to make out, and there was a lot of background conversation and clanging, like she was with a household cleaning up the breakfast dishes. But it was Maya, no denying it.

  I rolled over onto my stomach, a smile tugging at my lips.

  “Well, hello. Everything all right?”

  “Oh, sure. Sorry, do I sound upset?”

  “No, I just figured I wouldn’t be hearing from you again anytime soon—unless you found yourself in trouble again.”

  “Ah. Well, I’m not in trouble exactly. It’s more…” There was a pause. I imagined her twining one of those old-fashioned coiled telephone cords around her fingers or nervously picking flaking nail polish from her nails. I waited. Most of the time, all people needed in order to give you what you wanted was a little silence on your end.

  “Is that room still for rent in your apartment?”

  My smile grew. “It is, actually. I’ve been out of town and haven’t been able to do many showings since we last spoke.”

  I didn’t mention that I’d been dragging my feet on doing any more showings in the hopes of giving her enough time to change her mind about moving in, just in case that was still in the cards. “So, you’ve changed your mind then.”

  Maya sighed on the other end, creating a little crackle of static. “I haven’t really had any luck finding anything else.”

  “Glad to be your bottom of the barrel back-up plan,” I teased.

  “Okay, okay, maybe I was a little too quick to discount your place. Would you mind if I swung by later this week? And then maybe, if all goes well, sign some paperwork?”

  “I’m free today
. Why don’t you come over at one, and we’ll talk things over?”

  “You’re sure this isn’t a little… I don’t know, weird?”

  “I’m happy to ignore any weirdness, if you are.”

  She let out a soft laugh, and the sound was more tempting than it should have been.

  “All right. One it is, then. Thank you, Ethan.”

  “Don’t thank me, you’ll be the one doing me a favor. I’m tired of leaving this place empty when I travel.”

  “Fair enough. See you soon.”

  “See you.”

  I tossed the phone down on the bed and stretched my arms over my head, the sheets slipping down my bare chest. I ran my hands through my hair and wondered if I could get the maid in for a quick clean-up before Maya arrived, and then realized that was a ridiculous amount of effort to expend. The maid was just here three days ago, and what if Maya ended up not signing the lease after all?

  Still, I found the thought of possibly getting to spend a lot more time with Rick’s little sister appealing and enticing.

  I tossed the blankets to the side and got out of bed to take a shower and get ready for my day. Maya had seen me dirty and scruffy plenty of times before, eating burritos and pizza or whatever in her family’s kitchen. But in my mind, it was never too late to make a good impression.

  6

  Maya

  Life with Ethan in his Upper East Side penthouse was completely surreal at first, and then only mostly surreal after a week or two. I had, of course, resisted the urge to call him back about the apartment for as long as I possibly could. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of being right, but more than that, I was afraid of getting hurt again.

  It had been devastating to share a magical kiss one Friday night, only to show up at school on Monday to find out through homeroom gossip that Ethan was gone for good. It was even worse watching Ricky deal with the loss of his closest friend, who he soon became increasingly embittered toward as the years had gone by. I’d been bitter, too, for a very long time. Of course, things would be different between two grown adults, but I didn’t like the idea of Ethan being close enough to hurt me again. I decided to keep my boundaries up, and to maintain a healthy distance between us.