by Tracy Lauren
We ditch his bags at the apartment and head to the grocery store, feeling a thousand pounds lighter.
“So, what’s on the menu?” I ask as the doors to the grocery store glide open.
“I must confess I’m no chef. This is the only dish I know how to make…and it might be a disaster without the right ingredients,” he warns.
“Hey, you’ve tasted my coffee. No judgment here.”
“I will need to acquire meat, vegetables, noodles, and spices for the broth.”
“What kind of meat? Chicken, beef, pork?”
“That is part of the beauty of this dish, you can switch out the meat and vegetables with whatever you have available and it still comes out good—in theory, at least.”
“This is going to be fun,” I tell him.
He returns my dopey, doe-eyed grin with his own. “I’m already having fun.”
Dorran grabs a cart, when I suggest one. Not surprisingly, it takes him a moment to get the hang of the thing, and he looks way too proud of himself when he does. But his enthusiasm is infectious and I find that I’m smiling so hard my cheeks are hurting. That is, until I turn down the pasta aisle and run head first into the absolute last person I’d ever want to see. Shawn…my ex-boyfriend.
“Carly!” He stops in his tracks and I’m forced to do the same.
“Shawn.” It’s not exactly a greeting, because to be honest, I’m not exactly interested in giving him one.
He stares at me though, as if waiting for me to continue and eventually his eyes go to Dorran. “Are you going to introduce me to your friend?”
“Shawn, this is Dorran—my new roommate. Dorran, this is Shawn.”
“Her ex-boyfriend,” Shawn adds, sizing Dorran up as if he wasn’t the one to dump me.
Dorran doesn’t seem to comprehend the nuances of the classification, so I translate for him. “We used to be a couple—we dated.”
Dorran’s eyes go wide and he looks Shawn up and down like he’s something he just can’t make sense of.
“This is a male, correct?” My jaw drops and Shawn visibly bristles. He’s a lanky guy, a science geek—king of the geeks, but a geek nonetheless. Nothing like the hunky, stripper-worthy Dorran.
I snort out a laugh that I’m unable to completely hide. “Sorry, Shawn…he’s not from here. I think there might be a bit of a language barrier.”
“Oh, of course,” he says, his shoulders relaxing.
I look down and notice Shawn’s carrying a six pack. “Fun night planned?”
“David just got his paper published in the Annals of Neurology, so we figured he had some brain cells to spare.” Shawn chuckles.
“Well, you’ll have to congratulate him for me.”
“You can join us, you know? You helped with most of the lab experiments that led to his findings. You should be there, Carly.” A loaded statement if there ever was one.
“Sorry, I’ve got plans tonight.” I give Shawn a tight smile, eager to cut this short. And poor Dorran, whatever he’s going through next to me is like a nuclear meltdown. He’s pacing and looking from me to Shawn trying to make sense of whatever it is that’s bothering him.
“Oh yeah?” Shawn asks. “Bartending?” The distaste in his tone is unmistakable. But it’s still nothing compared to the complete loathing that’s apparent in him when he thinks of me as a middle school science teacher.
“No, Dorran’s offered to cook me dinner,” I answer flatly.
Shawn bristles again and cuts his eyes to my new roommate.
“Let me make sure I understand this,” Dorran cuts in. “This was your mate, but he is no longer?”
“‘Mate’ is definitely way too strong a word,” I explain.
“So…does this mean you are not a lesbian?”
My jaw drops so hard I’m surprised it doesn’t unhinge and Shawn bites back a fake-ass laugh.
“Well, I’ll let you two get on with your night. Seems like you have plenty to discuss.” Shawn’s words are meant to be cutting, but they miss their mark, because Dorran is quick to follow.
“We certainly do,” he extolls, beaming at me like I hung the fucking moon. Shawn’s smartass smile drops from his face.
“Hey, Carly? That invitation’s open, you know? If you want to join us down at the lab later on tonight.”
“Like I said, I’ve got plans.” I cut my eyes to the hunk at my side, totally playing it up. I’m not too big a person to make Shawn a little jealous.
My ex sticks his hand out and gives Dorran what I assume to be an overly firm shake, but Dorran probably doesn’t even notice. As a matter of fact, I’m sure he doesn’t—not with the way he’s staring at me. “It was nice meeting you, Damian.”
“Dorran,” my roomie corrects, not breaking my gaze. “It has been enlightening.” I can feel a blush creeping up my cheeks.
“Right…what did you say you do again, Dorran?”
Ugh, fucking snob that Shawn is, he’s just dying to hear that Dorran is some blue-collar guy, so he can go back to his snooty fellow Ph.D. candidates and talk about how I’m slumming it with a guy who doesn’t even have his master’s.
But something about the question finally catches Dorran’s attention and he gives Shawn a look of assessment. “I do not think you would understand,” he says curtly.
Shawn all but scoffs. “I’m pretty sure I’d be able to grasp the basics of it. I don’t know if Carly’s told you, but I’m working on my Ph.D. in Neuroscience.”
“Carly has not mentioned you at all.”
Shawn frowns. “Fair enough. All the same, I’d still love to hear about what you do.”
Dorran sighs as an adult might when they have to explain a complex subject to a very young child. “I design, calibrate, and launch satellites into the atmosphere that are meant to detect extraterrestrial bodies that could potentially prove to be harmful or threatening to the planet. And if something does infiltrate the satellite’s boundaries, I lead a team that eliminates any threat to the safety of the people.”
Shawn gapes, his mouth working like a fish out of water. “And who do you work for? Space X?”
“I’m sorry, that is classified information.” Dorran thinks for a moment before adding, “I also dabble in archeology.”
“You go on digs?”
“Sometimes.” Dorran shrugs, seeming disinterested in the conversation. I, however, am on the edge of my seat, wanting to know more about my mysterious roomie. “More often I recover stolen or lost artifacts that have ended up on the black market.”
“Interesting. Ya know, those two career interests don’t seem to have much in common. Do you mind telling me how you got into that?” Shawn’s mouth is downturned and his brows couldn’t furrow any farther if he tried.
“My company specializes in security. Sometimes we accomplish that in space. Other times it is terrestrial in nature.” Dorran rolls his shoulder like what he’s saying is common knowledge, which only has my curiosity piqued even higher. Not that I’d admit it in front of Shawn, of course. But for once, my ex and I are on the same page. He doesn’t want to let this go either.
“Can I assume your presence in Santa Barbara is work related, then?” he presses.
But Dorran is done. He gives Shawn an icy grin and doesn’t answer his question.
“Or is that classified too?” Shawn asks, his tone haughty.
“No, it simply isn’t any of your business. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I have plans to cook Carly a very special dinner this evening.” Dorran wraps his arm confidently around my waist and looks down at me with promise in his eyes. Dumbstruck, I allow myself to be swept away.
My brain is operating about two seconds behind reality as I process the interaction between my roommate and my ex. The curt and biting edge to Dorran’s words has me struggling not to gape. But the real icing on the cake is the look on Shawn’s face as he watches us walk away. His nostrils are flared and his mouth is slack-jawed, bringing gleeful joy to my chest. I could fucking kiss Dorran right now
. I wave like an idiot at Shawn, but it doesn’t matter. He sees the joy on my face and the intensity with which Dorran is looking at me.
When we get far enough away I squeeze Dorran’s arm. “Whatever that was, it was brilliant. Thank you!” I whisper exuberantly.
“For what?” Dorran, doesn’t seem to follow.
“Shawn’s a real dipshit, ya know? He was trying to one-up us and you freaking rubbed his nose in the dirt. It was great.”
Dorran’s lip curls in disgust. “He is not a worthy male, Carly. I am glad you broke your ties with him.”
“Sadly, Shawn was the one who broke up with me.”
“No.” Dorran shakes his head in disbelief. “I refuse to believe it.”
“I’ll tell you all the pathetic details sometime.”
Dorran grunts in agreement, reluctantly turning his attention to the shelves filled with noodles. Eventually he picks up something that looks like ramen, sniffing it through the plastic. It must pass the test because he adds it to our cart.
When we check out, we have a slew of spices I’ve never used before in my life, honey, a big beautiful eggplant, swiss chard, shallots, mushrooms, a pork roast, and the ramen noodles. And I’ve got to say, I’m feeling pretty excited about this dinner.
Chapter 15
Dorran
It feels as if the world has been turned upside down and all the planets have aligned just for me. Carly is not a lesbian.
When the night began, all I wished to do was cook her dinner—even though I knew I was investing time in a dead-end road. I still couldn’t stop myself. But now? Now there could be more. I feel I must call Regor and discuss this with him. I’ve found the female I wish to pursue. This will take strategizing.
“I must excuse myself for a few moments before I begin dinner,” I say after we load the groceries into the refrigeration unit.
“You know, I was just about to say the same thing,” Carly informs me, already backing her way towards her room.
“Good, that sounds…ideal. I will let you know when I am ready to begin cooking.”
“Uh, huh…” Carly says, hurriedly closing her own door.
Time does not span more than three seconds before I have Regor’s face up on my personal comm.
“She is not a lesbian, Regor! I was mistaken!”
It must be a rest cycle for my best friend, because his eyes are only half open and he rubs at them, trying to grip onto what I am saying.
“Regor, the girl I am living with is single, she is not a lesbian, and I think she smells like fucking heaven. I am going to pursue her.”
“Good.” Regor nods. “This is good news. Convenient too, considering your living arrangement.”
“Very convenient. One might think it is fate…” Me. Specifically me. I think it is fate. Carly is my life-mate. I have been sent here at this exact time, on the day she lost her last roommate, because the Gods and the cosmos wish for us to be together. “Now all I must do is convince her.”
“Then what the fuck are you talking to me for? Go convince her.”
“This takes finesse, does it not?”
“She’s a female, Dorran, not a damn laser array. Just…I don’t know, kiss her or something?”
“And I call you for strategic planning? Why?”
“I don’t know why, it’s late as fuck.”
I click my tongue at my best friend.
“You are a decent male, go show her. I’ve got faith in you. Besides, if you’re meant to be, it will happen naturally anyway.”
“Fate’s brought me far already, I can’t expect it to carry me all the way. I’ve got to do something, Regor.”
“Since when are you such a shy motherfucker? Go get your female, Dorran. Why are you wasting time on the comm with my ugly ass?”
I cock my brow, considering his words. “That is a very good point.”
Regor scoffs. “I’ll be rooting for you, brother.”
I cut the line and take a few deep breaths to calm my nerves. My eyes fall to the bags of new clothing. I decide to put on some of the items Carly chose. I pick the ones she seemed to like best…but then I get to the underwear. Carly chose these as well, but it was another female who complimented them. A female Carly did not find favorable. My hands grow still on the packaging… Was Carly jealous? This is looking promising indeed.
Chapter 16
Carly
Sarah: I wish to God I would have seen Shawn’s face. I’d have paid a hundred bucks. No. A million.
Me: It was priceless.
Sarah: Priceless is the fact that Dorran really thought you were a lesbian.
Me: Thanks to that ad you wrote and the damn language barrier. He really got stuck on that “female seeking female” part.
Sarah: And he told Mrs. Doherty you’re gay too? LOL. Literally dying. I wonder if she thinks you and I were lovers?
Me: No way! I mean, she saw Brad over here a million times.
Sarah: Probably thinks we had something freaky going on.
Me: Gross!
Sarah: Well anyway, now you’re in trouble.
Me: Why’s that?
Sarah: Now your hot new roommate knows you’re fair game.
Me: But I’m not. He’s only in town for a month.
Sarah: Please note the caps, they are intended for emphasis: SO???
Me: Come on, Sarah, I got burned with Shawn. I thought he was going to be my forever.
Sarah: Well, thank God he wasn’t.
Me: I feel that way now, obviously. But I don’t want to develop feelings for a guy who’s going to vanish into thin air in a month.
Sarah: Just have fun with it.
Me: I don’t think I’m in the right place for that.
Sarah: Carly, I’m not saying it has to be romantic. But you should let yourself enjoy your time with him. He seems like an interesting guy.
Me: He most definitely is.
Sarah: STILL waiting on a pic.
Me: I’ll take one when he cooks dinner.
Sarah: He’s cooking for you???
Me: Yeah :)
Sarah: So, you have a date with the guy that you can’t get involved with because he’s leaving in a month. That makes sense.
Me: It’s not a date. It’s two people, who live in the same apartment, eating together because it is a biological necessity.
Sarah: When is this dinner date supposed to take place?
Me: Not a date…and kind of now-ish.
Sarah: What the hell are you doing hiding in your room texting me for? GO, GIRL, GO!
Sarah: And send a damn picture, for crying out loud!
Chapter 17
Carly
“Say cheese…”
“There are no such animal byproducts in this particular dish.”
“Well, can I get you to smile anyway?”
Dorran beams his warmth at me. “You can always get me to smile, Carly.”
I snap a picture. “Looks good. Do you want to see?”
“You made a recording of me?” Dorran asks, looking intrigued. “For what purpose?”
“Sarah’s been curious about you,” I answer with a shrug, showing him the picture I snapped of him working over the stove.
“We can do much better than that… If your goal is to show me off, that is.” Dorran gives me a flirty grin.
I narrow my eyes at him, but can’t fight the smile on my lips. “Who says I’m trying to show you off?”
“I do. I would show you off to my friends too if I could. Come, let’s take another.”
“Alright, strike a pose, cowboy.”
But Dorran doesn’t. Instead he pulls me beside him. “Let’s take one together.”
And document my blush…? “Okay.” I put my camera in selfie mode as Dorran holds me close, his hand confidently around my waist. The smile he gives the camera is worthy of the cover of GQ and I look positively charmed. Sarah’s going to go nuts over this picture, I think to myself as I hit the send button.
“Anything
I can do to help with dinner?” I ask, carefully extracting myself from Dorran’s hold.
“You can teach me your customs. How do your people make a meal special? To signal a celebration?”
“Is this a celebration?” I ask, going to the cupboard and pulling down a couple of candles for the small dining table.
“Absolutely.”
“And what are we celebrating?
“You are not a lesbian.”
I practically stumble to a halt. Oh boy. I should respond to that—shut it down completely before it gets out of hand. But my phone starts vibrating like crazy.
“What is that?”
I look down, not surprised to see Sarah’s name on my screen. She’s trying to FaceTime me.
“Sarah’s calling.”
“Answer, I am eager to speak to your friend,” Dorran urges, abandoning the vegetables he’s been washing in the sink.
I grumble, hoping to God Sarah doesn’t say anything to embarrass me. “Okay, here goes nothing.”
“Hi Carly!”
“Hi Sarah, I wonder what you could be calling for…”
“To be introduced to your new roomie, of course!”
Dorran dives into view, squeezing his face next to mine. “Greetings, Sarah! Carly speaks fondly of you and often!”
“Same goes for you, big guy. Wow, how tall are you?”
“About this much bigger than Carly,” Dorran says, holding his hands up. Sarah laughs, already charmed by him. And damn it, so am I.
“Is it true you’re cooking dinner for Carly tonight?”
“It is my pleasure. Perhaps you can be of assistance—I wish to make this meal special, do you have any tips that might help me?”
“Hmm…low lights, candles, wine? Carly keeps a couple bottles in the bottom cupboard to the right of the fridge. She likes red.”
“I thought you might have the answers,” Dorran tells her in a conspiratorial tone.
“Is this a special occasion?”
