Page 19 of The Reluctant Roommate

A few days later, Morgan sat at her laptop, one ear tuned for the thumpity-thump of Heidi coming downstairs. She switched screens from the professional employment website and opened her training spreadsheet, making sure it was a different tab from last time on the faint chance that Heidi actually looked at what she was doing. It seemed unlikely—she barely ever glanced at the screen—but Morgan was paranoid enough to take no chances.

One part of her wondered why she simply didn’t say to Heidi she was taking a break, was between jobs, was considering her options—any of the carefully worded excuses that screamed “unemployed.” But the days trickled past, and Heidi had been living with her for nearly a week, and Morgan had yet to tell her.

It was bad enough being a failure in her own head. How much worse to be a failure in someone else’s eyes, even if that someone was a minimum wage employee in an unskilled position.

So every weekday, she continued to sit at the laptop during business hours when Heidi was home. At least since Heidi had started putting her shifts on the pinboard in the kitchen, she now had warning.

Her daily checks of the professional employment agencies and job ads took up a couple of hours each day, and she tried to call or email financial firms daily to let them know of her availability. But the hours in the day were still too many, especially when her awake time stretched long into the night. At least she was fit, thanks to her basement home gym, which hadn’t had so much use in months.

The thumpity-thump started down the stairs. Morgan counted the double beat and waited for the louder thump as Heidi jumped the last two stairs and landed on timber boards rather than carpeted stairs. Every time, it was like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

At least Heidi was considerate in other ways. Even now, she would be peering around the doorway into the living area, checking that Morgan wasn’t in the middle of a call before she came clattering in. Not that Morgan ever was on a call, but she could pretend with the best of them.

“Hi.” Heidi wiggled her fingers as she went on past to the kitchen. “Want a coffee?”

“Yes, please. But use mine. You don’t have to use yours all the time.”

Heidi’s beans were a generic supermarket brand and didn’t taste nearly as good as hers, which came from the local coffee shop. Although, with no job offers coming her way, maybe she should start getting used to the supermarket stuff.

“No worries.” Heidi disappeared into the kitchen, and the sound of her humming drifted out.

A few minutes later, she was back with the coffees. She put hers on the side table, delivered Morgan’s to her desk, then threw herself onto the couch and draped her feet over the end. “My day off!” She grinned at Morgan. “A whole day to”—her mouth turned down—“launder my sheets, vacuum, clean the bathroom, and grocery shop. At least I don’t have to mow the lawn.” She waved outside at the snowflakes drifting down. “Has it been snowing for long?”

“It started sometime early this morning, I think. But it should melt by the afternoon.”

“Great! I don’t want to waste my day off, so I thought I’d go and explore somewhere. Got any suggestions? I’d like a walk.”

“You won’t have time to go to the foothills if you’re doing all that first. Maybe Cherry Creek Reservoir? Nice flat trails. View of the mountains. Lots of dogs.”

“That sounds perfect. Is it on public transport?”

Oh. Of course.“I’m not sure.” Morgan nibbled her lip.

“I’ll check online. I’m looking forward to a relaxing day whatever I do. Well, apart from the chores. Thought I’d cook tonight as well. I can cook for both of us, if you’d like. I’m guessing you eat chicken—unless those breasts in the freezer are for next door’s cat?”

Morgan nodded. “I do, but you don’t have to cook for me.”

“Don’t have to,” Heidi agreed. “But I want to. I’ve got a great recipe for chicken—it’s marinated in soy and lime and garlic and chopped cashews and heaps of coriand—er, cilantro. Good with rice and salad. How does that sound?”

It sounded better than good, and a far cry from her assumption that Heidi would eat bland or processed food. “It sounds great. If you’re sure…?”

“Nah, yeah, of course I’m sure. Wouldn’t have offered otherwise.” She levered herself off the sofa. “I better not hold your work up. The more I chat and listen at work, the more tips I get. I need to remember it’s not the same for you.”

“It’s not a problem. I should probably move my office space to my bedroom so I don’t interfere with you.” That wasn’t a bad idea, now that she thought of it.

“Oh no,” Heidi said. “I can’t kick you out of your space. Besides, your files are here and everything. It’s not a problem, really.” She pulled off her hoodie and dropped it onto the couch. “It’s warm in here. I can’t get used to how cold it is outside but how warm inside. You’ve never known cold until you’ve lived in a weatherboard share house in Melbourne with no heating in the middle of winter. You go inside and put more clothes on.”

Morgan laughed. “You can’t fool me on that one.”

“I’m not.” Heidi gave an exaggerated shiver. “My water bottle by the bed would freeze overnight sometimes.”

She must have seen Morgan’s disbelieving expression because she added, “Okay, that is an exaggeration, but it does get cold.”

Heidi flashed a smile, and Morgan found herself grinning back in response. There was something so free and unfettered about Heidi, as if life was pure pleasure. Even when she was whining about her job, she made it sound like a comedy of errors rather than the stress and annoyance it must surely be.

Morgan wiggled her toes in her thick socks. Her phone rang, and she glanced at the screen.Oh!Jerry Grogan. She flicked a glance at Heidi. “Sorry, I have to take this.”

Heidi nodded and disappeared into the kitchen, closing the door behind her.