Page 33 of The Roommate Problem
Mo grabbed her coffee cup, lifting it to her lips with a sassy grin. “I would, but then you’d just make me clean it up, and you know how much I hate cleaning.”
“Whatever is bothering you, Mo.” Lilly’s eyes rolled upward. “Tell me what’s got you so frazzled.”
“I’m not frazzled.” She was never frazzled. Spaced out, maybe. Easily distracted by shiny new things, sure. But Moira Rossi did not get frazzled. “I’m…contemplative.”
“Mmmm hmmmm.” Lilly crossed her arms. “And all this deep inner reflection has nothing to do with your new roommate, right?”
What? How did she know August was currently the bane of her daily mood?
“You’ve been muttering his name along with the words sexy, stupid bonehead for the past hour.”
He was a sexy, stupid bonehead. But she hadn’t realized she’d said that out loud. Busted.
“Mo, I have no idea what’s going on, but you know it’s a bad idea to get involved with your roommate, right? A monumentally bad idea.”
Pushing back from her desk, she rose out of her chair and faced her roommate. Unfortunately, due to their height difference, even with Lilly leaning against her desk, Mo still had to glance up slightly to stare her friend in the face.
“Nothing is going on.” Thanks to Agatha’s interruption and August chickening out. “But even if it was, it’s not any of your business.”
“You’re my best friend. Of course it’s my business,” Lilly argued.
This reminded Mo of what August said about Agatha, how it was his business to know about his grandmother because they were family. Mo considered Lilly and Pru family. The sisters she never had. She understood her friend’s desire to help out with any problems because Lilly loved her and Mo loved Lilly. Just as August loved Agatha. But she also knew telling Lilly what was going on would only result in her friend worrying about an eventuality that would probably never come.
As much guilt as she had over not telling August about Agatha’s upcoming surgery, she now understood why the old woman was keeping it a secret. Telling August now would do nothing but make him worry and give him more ammunition for closing down the shop. Just like telling Lilly she had the hots for her roommate would only get her a sternly worded lecture.
People on the outside of situations always seemed to have the very best judgment of it. Like those people who claimed what perfect parents they would be until the day they had kids and all their color-coded scheduling and homegrown dinner plans went to crap under the weight of screaming babies and three hours of sleep.
“Then as my best friend, take it from me. Nothing is happening.” Yet.
“And you’d tell me if it were?”
Not a chance in hell. “Of course.”
Lilly stared for a moment before nodding and standing.
“But,” Mo said before her friend could head back to her desk, “if you’re down for a girl’s night out, I could go for some drinks, or even pinball.”
Pinball was Lilly’s favorite pastime, and Mo really needed to stay out of the apartment tonight. Being so hopped up around August wouldn’t do her any good if the guy wasn’t down, so she might as well go to the bar and see if she could find some other guy. Preferably one as sexy as August, but without the ’tude.
“Oh, Mo.” Lilly bit her lip, regret filling her eyes. “I would love to, you know that, but Lincoln is getting back from his work trip tonight and we were going to…”
“Hump like bunnies?”
Lilly’s cheeks turned as pink as Mo’s hair. “Moira!”
“Pffft, pretty it up all you want, but you haven’t seen your man in a week. I know what you’ll be doing tonight.” Something she wished she’d be doing, but she wasn’t holding her breath. “Don’t worry about it, Lil. We can hang out sometime next week.”
“Are you sure? I’m happy to get home later if you need a night out.”
Dropping the teasing tone, Mo squeezed her friend’s hand. “No. Really, it’s fine. Go home to your wonderful fiancé tonight and enjoy being reunited ’cause it feels so good. Reunited ’cause you understood—”
“No. Stop!” Lilly declared holding up a hand. “You’re going to get that song stuck in my—dammit, it already is.”
Mo laughed as Lilly turned and headed back to her desk, hiding the small bite of pain and jealousy eating away at her gut. She was so happy that her friends had found their soul mates, but honestly, she missed the time when they had been the three musketeers. She knew they’d always be there for her if she needed them, but they had moved on to a new stage in their life, and Mo felt…stuck.
It sucked, even if she was deliriously happy for them.
They got to go home to the loves of their lives, and she got to go home to a grump who revved her motor and her temper. Lucky her. Oh well, nothing saying she couldn’t go out on her own tonight. She knew most of the staff at 1UP and most of the regulars, too. Or maybe she’d text Parker or Díaz. It wasn’t pub quiz night, but if they weren’t on shift, they could all hang out. Maybe go to karaoke. Anything to get out of the house and away from the crank who wanted her but clearly hated the fact that he did.
