Page 4 of The Roommate Problem
Chapter Three
Mo stared into her cereal bowl, watching as the milk turned red from the dye in the flakes. Last night’s dinner hadn’t been the fun get-to-know-you gab fest she’d imagined. August had uttered less than two dozen words. She knew, because she’d counted.
The guy had been polite, if a little stiff, and gave short, succinct answers about his drive up and his previous work at a flower farm down south, but getting that man to open up was like tearing down a brick wall with a twig.
Pointless.
He’d probably just been tired—that was all. The guy had driven all day to get here. She should have cut him some slack and saved the roomie bonding time for after he’d gotten a good night’s rest.
“What is that?”
Mo glanced up from her breakfast at August’s question. Geez, for a big man, he sure moved quietly. She hadn’t even heard him leave his room—how had he snuck up on her in the kitchen?
“Cereal.” She held the bowl up in the air.
He peered down at her upheld food, a grimace turning down his full lips. She had to give it to the guy; he made grumpy sexy. A thought she shouldn’t be entertaining, but it was hard to deny the truth.
“Why is the milk red?”
“It’s Fruity Pebbles. I think whatever coloring they put in the cereal bleeds into the milk, and the red color takes over all the others.”
“Isn’t that a kids’ cereal?”
Could food be age restrictive? She knew babies had some things they couldn’t eat thanks to her time with Pru’s twins, but why couldn’t an adult enjoy a nice sugary childhood favorite if she wanted to?
Mo dipped her spoon into the bowl and lifted a bite in the air, winking at August. “For kids and kids at heart.” She slipped the spoon into her mouth, moaning as the fruity, sweet flakes hit her tongue.
August grunted, although it sounded suspiciously like a growl, and she wasn’t sure, but she could have sworn she saw his eyes flare with…heat? Weird. Maybe he wanted a bowl. Who didn’t love a good sugar rush in the morning?
“Want some?” She started to rise from the table. “I have plenty—”
“No, thanks.”
At his emphatic denial, Mo sat back down. August made his way to the small pantry where he’d unpacked a box of stuff he’d brought in from his car last night. She watched as he pulled out a round tub of…ew, oatmeal? She didn’t think anyone actually ate oatmeal outside of Instagram influencers pushing overnight oats.
“Wow, that sure is a fun breakfast you got there.”
Without turning, August set about grabbing a small pot and filling it with water for the oats. He tossed out over his shoulder, “At least mine won’t rot my teeth.”
Oh yeah, her new roomie was just a great big ball of fun suckage.
Yay.
…
“So how’s the new roommate?”
Mo glanced up from the photographer contract she’d been going over for one of their clients. She smiled at Lilly, her business partner, friend, and up until recently her roommate. But now Lilly was living with her fiancé, and Mo had a new roommate. A sexy, grumpy roommate.
“He’s a little on the cranky side,” she answered. “But that might have been because he got in right around dinner time. Can’t blame a guy for being hangry.”
Not that he’d eaten any of the food she’d offered him. No. August had physically recoiled the moment she opened the box of delicious pineapple pizza. Pineapple on pizza was a common divider in society, but who turned down free pizza? He could have plucked the pineapple off. Instead, August had grabbed a canister of powder stuff from his bag and a weird mixer bottle thing and made some protein shake that looked as gross as it smelled. And this morning’s breakfast? She still couldn’t believe the guy had eaten the entire bowl of goopy oatmeal.
“Wait, your new roommate is a guy?” Pru, her other business partner, friend, and former roommate asked.
She nodded. “Yup. He’s Agatha’s grandson.”
Pru and Lilly exchanged a worried look. Oh, great. She knew that one. The classic Mo doesn’t know what she’s getting into look. Well, they were wrong. She knew more than people assumed. They took one look at her tiny stature, bubbly personality, hippy clothing, and vibrantly streaked hair—currently pink because their upcoming wedding had a pink and yellow color scheme—and labeled her a Manic Pixie Dream Girl.
