by Tracy Lauren
“We’ll grab you a few outfits, any toiletries you might need. Maybe a pair of pajamas…”
“What are pajamas?”
“Something you should probably have if your roommate is a girl.”
“Did you use them for your last roommate? Perhaps I can borrow yours?”
I snort. “Mine might clash with those purple eyes of yours…and I dare to assume they wouldn’t fit.”
“Ah, it is another clothing item then?”
“It is. Speaking of which, I’m going to hop in the shower so we can get out of here.”
“I will ready myself as well.”
I take my dish to the sink and rinse it before putting it into the dishwasher. Dorran watches me with keen interest and then follows suit. His eyes skate over the kitchen. “Should I clean these while you are bathing?” he asks, pointing to the dirty pans on the stove.
“I would love that. Hey, you’re turning out to be one hell of a roommate. Sarah wouldn’t do a dish to save her life.”
Dorran’s chest puffs with pride…his broad, naked chest. “I take the honor of being your mate seriously.”
“Roommate,” I emphasize. His smile falters.
“Yes, of course.”
“Okay… Shower,” I say, backing out of the kitchen…refusing to see any lingering bit of interest in Dorran’s eyes. I am not the girl for him. I’m a long-haul kind of chick, not a live-in fuck buddy for the month.
I’m in and out of the shower in just a few minutes. Oddly eager to spend time with my strange foreign roomie. I’ve still got my towel around me when I hear something that makes me freeze in place. There are voices out in the living room and one of them getting quite shrill. I gasp! Mrs. Doherty!
“You’re indecent!” she exclaims as I rush out of the bathroom. But she isn’t talking to me, she’s talking to my hot roomie who’s answered the door in his boxer briefs.
Mrs. Doherty is the great aunt of the man who owns this building. And I know damn well she has his ear. Anytime she has a complaint or a suggestion, new resident protocols come rolling in. Like the lock that goes into place on the laundry room door at 10pm. Doesn’t come off until seven in the morning, which is a real bitch if your clothes accidentally get locked in overnight. Long story short, I don’t want to know what will happen if she gets an unfavorable opinion of Dorran. Or me, for goodness sakes!
“Mrs. Doherty! Hi,” I hurry to say, stepping in front of Dorran. I give him a shove back toward his room hoping he gets the point, but I can practically feel the heat of his body close to my back.
“I came to bring your new friend a welcome basket and he answers the door like this?” the elderly woman exclaims, standing on tiptoes to get a view of the hunk behind me, her expression dour despite the eye candy that Dorran is.
“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Doherty. I’m sure Dorran just didn’t want to leave you waiting.”
“Regardless, this isn’t a brothel. The man should be decent when he answers the door!”
“Oh, I can explain that! Dorran lost all his luggage in his flight in yesterday—”
“That is not tru—” Dorran starts, but I talk over him.
“I’m taking him shopping first thing this morning.” I give her a bright smile, but the woman scowls, looking me from head to toe, just noticing my towel. She huffs in derision.
“What is this world coming to?” she mutters. “There should be rules about men and women cohabitating before marriage.”
“Mrs. Doherty, I assure you we are not a couple.”
“I can attest to that,” Dorran adds helpfully. “Carly is a lesbian.”
And while I grow beet red, the color quickly drains from Mrs. Doherty’s face. The elderly woman shoves her “care package” into my arms and rips a piece of paper from an envelope tucked inside.
“Here is a copy of the building’s rules and regulations. And while we have no specific guidelines regarding men and women living together under one roof, nor any regarding your specific inclinations, I will have you pay close attention to our noise ordinances and other regulations.”
“Mrs. Doherty, I’ve been in this apartment for four years and never once have I had a noise complaint brought up against me.”
“No, and let’s not start now. Enjoy your welcome basket, particularly this.” She shoves the copy of apartment rules into my hand and hightails it off our porch. I shut the door and glare at Dorran, who looks completely flummoxed.
“She is not a pleasant female.”
“What on Earth were you thinking telling her I’m a lesbian?!”
“I thought it would be helpful, given how wary she seemed to be over us sharing a domicile.”
I’d be angry at Dorran if he didn’t look so utterly lost. I heave out a sigh. “Look, Dorran, when it comes to Mrs. Doherty, let me handle her, okay? You’re going to be gone in a month, but I still have to be neighbors with the lady and she’s related to the building owner. She could cause trouble for me if she wanted to.”
“My sincere apologies Carly, I had no intention of upsetting your living arrangement.”
“No, no. I understand. Don’t worry about it, just let me handle things, okay?”
“Absolutely.”
I look Dorran up and down one last time, still appreciative of the view, and I pass the basket to him.
“What is this?” he asks.
“World’s saddest excuse for a welcome basket. Though it’s really just a thinly veiled disguise for her true plan—giving us a fresh copy of the apartment rules.”
Dorran and I both eye the other contents of the basket. Green oranges from the tree in the parking lot, a bag of sugar-free hard candies, and a stack of pamphlets for local shopping centers and museums.
“Get dressed,” I tell him with a pat to the shoulder. “Better get you some clothes before we get a citation for indecency.”
Chapter 14
Carly
Once we’re dressed and headed out, the drama that is Mrs. Doherty becomes nothing but a distant memory. Dorran seems excited to go shopping and any guy who’s not cringing at the thought of a day at the mall is my kind of guy.
The shops aren’t far, so I suggest we walk and Dorran is thrilled by all the things we see along the way. This is exactly why I live downtown. I love being within walking distance of everything. And Dorran loves taking in all the sights. He even has a laughing fit when he sees a couple walking their chihuahua alongside their great dane. It’s adorable. And when he smells coffee on the air he insists that we get lattes for ourselves. At the counter he pays for both drinks and a look of pure satisfaction encompasses his face when he takes his first sip.
“I know what you’re thinking,” I tell him.
He cocks his brow at me, waiting.
“This is way better than what I made you this morning.”
“Ah, but I’d still choose the cup you made me over this any day,” he assures. And that one has to be a line, but damn if I don’t believe him.
We aren’t far from the mall and eventually we make our way inside. “I liked the cowboy look on you,” I tell Dorran. “We can kind of stick with that, only make it a little less…costume-y.”
His spine straightens and I worry that I offended him.
“I assure you it is not a costume.”
“No, of course not. It all looked very authentic. Let’s just aim for a little less authentic, huh?”
“I will follow your lead, Carly. I can tell you know much about human fashion.”
“Human fashion?”
“I mean, local fashion.”
I let it slide. English is his second language after all.
“There’s Lucky Brand.” I point at the store front. “I’m sure we’ll find something for you in there.”
I start to head toward the store but Dorran’s attention is drawn to a group of children in front of a long line of quarter machines filled with gumballs.
“What is this?” he asks.
“Uh, you put in a quarter, s
pin it, and a handful of candy or some gum pops out.”
His eyes light up. “May we try?”
I chuckle. “Dorran, you don’t have to ask. Go ahead.”
He digs in his pocket and pulls out a bunch of loose coins he got as change from our coffees. When he stares at them for a little too long I venture to help him find a quarter.
“What do you recommend?”
I scrutinize the machines. “Can’t go wrong with gum. Man, I can’t remember the last time I dropped a quarter in one of these old machines.”
Dorran beams a sly grin in my direction and slips me a quarter. Together, we put our money in the slots and I watch as he figures out how to turn the dial. Before he’s done turning it though, I show him how to put his hand by the little flap and he catches a purple gumball in his hand. He’s thrilled.
“I’ve gotten purple!” he tells me.
“You sure did.” I can’t fight my smile. This big guy is nothing but a teddy bear. I better keep a close eye on him when it comes to dating. For all that he wants to pick up chicks, I think the reality is that he’s ripe for getting taken advantage of.
He pops the gumball into his mouth and I instantly regret not telling him it probably wouldn’t be soft.
“Hard?” I ask, when he grimaces, gnawing on the thing.
“This is a terrible excuse for sustenance.”
“I never said it was sustenance. It’s candy.” I pop my pink gumball into my mouth. It is hard as a rock.
“I do not think I am a fan of candy.”
“Well, don’t judge just yet. I can take you to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory later and see if I can’t change your mind.”
Dorran gives me a look that feels layered with meaning. “I would love for you to change my mind, Carly.” Something about the way he talks makes a hot blush rush over my skin.
I clear my throat. “Come on. The store’s right over there.”
Inside Lucky Brand, I hold a few pairs of pants up to Dorran, trying to guess at his waist size. He’s definitely going to need extra-long…this man is a giant.
“Do you see anything you like?” I ask him.
His gaze scans the room and his eyes lock onto something. I follow him around a rack, trying to spot what might have caught his interest. I’m shocked when he pulls a chiffon sundress off its display.
“You would look lovely in this.”
I take the dress out of his hands. “Dorran, we’re here for you. Besides, we already have a more than lucrative deal arranged. I don’t need you shopping for me.”
“I would be happy to though,” he tells me, reaching for the dress. I duck him and put it back on the rack before gently steering him back towards menswear.
“What do you like for you?”
But he doesn’t seem to have the same interest when he looks at the men’s clothing. “I am not picky,” he tells me. “You decide.”
“Well, that honestly sounds fun.” It’s like dress up with a real, live Ken doll. I think I’m about to go mad with power…
I grab a few shirts that I think would look lovely with Dorran’s eyes. Mostly soft, casual-fitting tees, but a couple of button-downs in case he needs to dress things up a bit.
“Do you know what length you are?”
Dorran seems to blush. “Do you need to know that to buy pants?” he questions, rubbing at his neck.
Inseam is pretty important to know in this scenario… “Yes.” I nod.
“For one or both?” he asks, looking around to see if anyone is listening.
“Um…shouldn’t they both be the same?”
Dorran laughs as if I said the most absurd thing. But when I don’t share his humor his smile drops away completely. “Wait, length of what?”
“Inseam… What were you talking about?”
“Oh, nothing. Not important.” He averts his gaze. If he hadn’t said both I would think he was talking about his penis. Maybe he thought I meant his balls…there are two of those. Who knows?
“So…do you know your inseam length?” I ask one last time.
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure we’ll figure it out. Here, try these.” I hand him a pair of dark denim and dig through the stack for another in a different size. And even though my gaze is averted, between the sound of a zipper and a gasp of surprise, I know exactly what’s happened before I even look up.
“Dorran! I meant in the dressing room.” I grab a sweater and hold it in front of him while he hikes his pants back up.
“Sorry!” he hurries to say, giving a small wave to a woman passing by. Too bad she doesn’t look offended in the least. “My mistake, Carly.”
“No, it was my mistake,” I tell my roomie apologetically. “I should have been clearer.” I pile his arms high with jeans. “Come on, follow me.” I’m looking for the fitting room sign when a tall bombshell of a woman starts tracking Dorran with hungry eyes. I push him along a little faster.
“Show’s over,” I tell her, but her eyes never leave Dorran. Rude…
At the fitting rooms I give my roommate more specific directions. “Put a pair on inside there. If you like them, come out and show me. If not, set them aside and move on to the next ones.”
And quickly after that, the joy of shopping seems to be sapped from poor Dorran. This is the part that’s tedious and seems to drag on forever. So, I do him a favor and once he finds a size he likes, I grab him a few different colors and send them up to the counter. The store also has flannel pajama bottoms and a big, fluffy robe. I send those up to the front too, along with a green canvas duffle bag with leather straps. He’s going to need something to put his stuff in when he leaves town.
Up at the counter I see a pack of underwear and I snatch them up, along with socks.
“Those are going to look great on you,” the bombshell says from behind us in line. She’s staring at the pack of underwear.
“Thank you,” Dorran replies happily.
“Is this your sister?” She’s nodding to me. I scowl at her and grab Dorran’s arm, ushering him farther along in the line.
“Not her,” I growl.
Thankfully, it’s our turn to pay. The total makes me cringe, but Dorran doesn’t care and he seems to have an endless stack of money anyway. I’m ready to move on to the next store, but once we’re outside, I catch him looking at me with a curious expression and I know right away it’s about my reaction to that woman.
“I just didn’t like her, okay? She was a predator. And rude too.”
“Rude? She complimented my purchases.”
“She complimented your underwear and assumed I was your sister.”
“Is that rude?”
“Rude when I could have easily been your girlfriend.”
Dorran cocks his head at me. “Are you not my girlfriend?”
“I’m a girl and a friend,” I confirm, but that isn’t exactly what I meant. “Forget it. She was coming on to you, but I didn’t like her style. Way too aggressive. Trust me.”
“You absolutely have my trust. I will defer to you when it comes to females.”
“Thank you.”
“What else do I need from this place?” Dorran asks with a frown, scanning the store fronts.
“Bored with shopping?”
He purses his full lips.
“I’ll take that as a yes. Come on, let’s do something fun.”
“Like what?” Dorran lights up.
“The food court. Tell me what you know about a man named Wetzel…”
A few minutes later we are sharing a table, a couple of warm pretzels, and a lemonade. “This is the highlight of the shopping experience,” Dorran tells me.
I grin at him. “I thought it might be. Luckily, we’re done for the day. With the exception of toiletries, that is, but we can get those at the drugstore down the street from the apartment.”
Dorran’s eyes rake over the shops.
“Reluctant to leave?”
“I just wa
nt to be sure I haven’t missed anything worth experiencing. This might be my only chance to visit this place.”
Hmm… I consider his words. What other hallmark mall experiences should he have before we head home?
“Come on, I have an idea.” I toss our empty lemonade cup.
“What kind of idea?”
I give him a sneaky grin. “I’m just going to have to show you.”
We start by entering Dorran to win a Ford Mustang that’s been parked in the middle of the mall for the past nine months. Then, both of us take a turn on the massage chairs, and the startled look on Dorran’s face is utterly priceless as his seat buzzes and vibrates against him. After that, it’s chocolate and Mrs. Fields. I’m overloaded on sugar when we’re done and my arms are sore from helping carry all Dorran’s bags.
“I’ll die if I ever see another chocolate chip cookie again,” I whimper.
Dorran gives me a look of sympathy. “Do you work this night?”
“Why? Are you trying to go to the bar to pick up women?” I ask. Totally not jealous.
“No, I was going to offer to cook dinner as a thank you for today. Though…I’m not entirely sure it’s the best idea.”
“Why’s that?”
“I can’t imagine I’ll be able to find any ingredients I’m familiar with.”
“Are you up for a trip to the grocery store? I can try to help you find substitutes?” I offer.
“Does that mean you do not have work?” He eyes me, his head cocked to the side…cautious, but hopeful.
I grin at him. “It must be your lucky day, because I’m free as a bird.”
Dorran and I make the short walk home… which feels long with our arms loaded up with bags. “Next time we go on a shopping spree, remind me to drive.”
“You have a ground vessel?!” Dorran asks, completely thrilled.
I chuckle. “A ground vessel? Dorran, what planet do you come from?”
He deadpans. “I am from this planet, I assure you.”
“I’m kidding, Dorran.” I bump his shoulder. It’s a mistake though, because he’s as hard as a rock and I nearly bounce off him like a damn quarter. And the big lug doesn’t even notice. I’m like a teeny tiny fly compared to him. And he’s like a big old teddy bear. My warm and fuzzy thoughts are confirmed when he looks down at me and smiles with such pure appreciation in his eyes. It makes my girl parts do all sorts of inappropriate things. Keep your head on, Carly, this guy is not for you.
