Page 16 of The Roommate Problem
Chapter Six
“Grab your jacket,” Mo said as she plopped down on the couch next to August. “We’re going out.”
August glanced up from the book he’d been reading. She tilted her head, reading the title. Floriculture: A Guide to Growing Beautiful Blossoms. Wow, even his reading material was boring. He needed this night out more than she realized. The guy had been living here a week, and besides going to help Agatha at the shop and their trip to the grocery store and farmers market, he hadn’t left the apartment at all.
“Out?” He raised a dubious brow.
“Yes, out. As in outside of the apartment. I’m going to show you the city sights. Take you to a bar where we can get a drink, grab a bite to eat, mingle with people.”
His lip curled. “That sounds horrible.”
What? Was he serious? Who didn’t like going out? She supposed August was a bit on the introverted side—okay, more than a bit—but he had to eat, right? He had made the same meal every night this past week: chicken breast, wild rice, and steamed vegetables. How could anyone eat the same exact meal night after night? Where was the variety, the excitement…the spices?
“Don’t be such a party pooper, Gus Gus.”
His eyes narrowed before he turned his attention back to his book. “No.”
“No what?”
Shifting farther away from her on the couch, he continued to focus on the book in his hands as he answered. “No to going out, no to mingling with strangers, and absolutely no to calling me Gus Gus.”
He didn’t like nicknames. Check. Too bad. He made an adorable Gus Gus. Adorably Grumpy Gus Gus. She snickered, choking back her laugh when he glared at her over his book.
“What about dinner?” she asked, scooting closer. “You have to eat, right?”
“I was planning on making dinner in half an hour.”
Of course he was, because he always made dinner at exactly six thirty every night. Which was why she brought up this going-out idea at six. She’d been hoping she would catch him before he made the most boring dinner in the entire world for the sixth night in a row. The guy needed some excitement in his life—and his diet.
“Oh, come on, August. Live a little.” She waved an arm to the sliding glass door that led to their tiny patio with a great view of the city. “You’re in the heart of Denver. We have some of the best restaurants around. A foodie’s paradise. Any cuisine you want, name it, and I can find a fantastic eatery that will knock your taste buds for a loop.”
“With your taste in pizza, that’s what I’m afraid of,” he mumbled.
Holy crap. Had Grumpy Gus Gus just made a joke? A joke at her fantastic pineapple pizza–loving expense, but still, an actual joke. Huh, it appeared he had a hidden sense of sarcastic humor. Maybe he was human after all.
“Oh, I know!” she exclaimed with a smile. “We can eat at Bob’s Blandland. They serve skinless, boneless chicken with boring rice and unseasoned mushy vegetables. Not a spice in sight to offend the Robo-humans.”
She lifted her arms, crooking her elbows and moving in stiff, abrupt movements in her best impression of The Robot while speaking in stilted monotone. “Must consume calories for upkeep of basic human function.”
One russet-colored eyebrow rose, and she thought she saw a tiny hint of a smile, before he shook his head. August placed a bookmark between the pages and set his book on the coffee table, those full lips firming as he stared. Ha! He’d have to try harder at intimidating her. That cantankerous scowl did nothing to deter her from her get-August-to-loosen-up mission. She’d broken through harder shells than his.
“You’re making fun of me,” he stated, no emotion to the observation.
She grinned. “Nothing gets by you, Gus Gu—um, August.”
He turned in his seat, moving his knee onto the soft cushions of the couch, putting him inches away from her. He faced her fully, gaze scouring her expression as if he were seeking the answers to the meaning of life and she had them hidden in her brain.
“Why are you trying so hard to get me to go out?”
Wow, suspicious much? Her heart ached a little at the thought that August was so socially inept that he thought a genuine invitation to have a fun night out came with strings attached. She didn’t have any nefarious underlying reason—she just wanted her new roomie to experience the city and have fun. Okay, and maybe she wanted him to lighten up a little. In her defense, the guy needed it. Really, really needed it.
And maybe Agatha had mentioned she wanted her grandson to love the city so much that he never left. So Mo was on a make-August-love-Denver mission. It shouldn’t be as hard as he was making it. Denver was great!
“It’s my duty as your roommate to make sure you see the best of the city.” She spread her hands wide with a smile. “Consider me your own personal live-in welcome wagon.”
“I never asked for a welcome wagon.”
“Lucky you, you get one anyway.”
