Chapter Six
W hen my alarm goes off almost a week later, I press snooze with a groan.
Tuesdays are rough because I have a shift at the library followed by both of my classes in the afternoon and evening.
I lie flat on my back with my arms over my head and my legs stretched out.
My eyes are closed, but it’s no use. Even if I could fall back asleep, the nine extra minutes will haunt me later when I’m running late and missing every single light on my walk to work.
Because that’s how it goes; if I get stuck at one red light, they’re all red lights from then on unless I’m willing to sprint across half a city block to get ahead of it. Usually, I’m too lazy.
I drag my miserable ass out of bed and into the living room.
The couch is open and the sleeper bed is unmade, but there’s no Adam-shaped blob under the covers.
I don’t know how late he usually sleeps, but he’s always still dead to the world, all cozy and tucked under a blanket when I leave for work.
Before my brain has the chance to contemplate his current whereabouts, I step into the bathroom and bang right into his back.
The first thing I feel is cool wet skin and muscle against my palms. My tired brown eyes meet Adam’s alert light-blue ones through the bathroom mirror.
And just like that, I’m wide awake. And mortified.
“Oh my God. I didn’t mean… I didn’t see you there.
” My hands are still on his bare back. I drop them like they’re on fire.
“You’re fine.” Adam turns around so we’re face-to-face.
I suck in a breath. The bathroom we share is not big—more spacious than an airplane bathroom, but much smaller than Marcia’s en suite.
Between the toilet, blue single-sink pearl-granite vanity, and glass-door standing shower, there’s enough room for one person, but two is cutting it close.
Real close. Adam can probably see the line of sweat forming on my forehead.
It’s easy to avoid continued eye contact since he’s so much taller than me, but it leaves me staring at his torso.
I take in the light dusting of dark hair on the top of his chest, the smooth skin below, and the happy trail beginning at his belly button and leading under the towel…
my towel. I consider telling him he got the short end of the stick, since the cheap blue and pink towels in the closet are mine and the bougie, fluffy white and green ones are Marcia’s.
But it’s not a big deal. The idea of us sharing the same towel is kind of hot.
Heat pools below my belly. Kind of ironic that I need a cold shower because he just took a hot one.
“Do you need to use the bathroom?” He’s so close I can smell the mint from his toothpaste.
I try not to look at his bare triceps, but that leaves my view open to most of his other parts, which are equally naked. “Um… Yes.”
He either has no idea what effect his almost-naked body is having on me or he’s a very good actor. “I didn’t want to change in the open living room, but it’s so hot and steamy in here so I left the door half open to let the air in.”
I nod stupidly. It’s definitely hot and steamy in here.
He frowns. “I should have checked with you before showering. I don’t usually get up this early, but I have plans today. Are you in a hurry? I’ll just be a few more minutes.”
“It’s okay. Take your time.” My voice comes out breathy. I want to ask what plans he has so bad.
I realize I’ve been staring and rub the back of my neck. “Just give me a shout when you’re done.”
I return to my room and flop back on the bed, awash with need to be touched by someone other than myself.
My relationship history consists of two steady boyfriends, one in high school and the other in college.
Both ended mutually and amicably at graduation.
Since then, I’ve only had a handful of first dates and hookups, the most recent with a guy I met at a Halloween party four months ago.
He was dressed up as Sherlock Holmes and I was Nancy Drew.
With tequila-induced optimism, I’d hoped we’d bond over iconic detectives in literature.
The only mystery we solved together was just how awkward the morning after a drunken hookup can be…
excruciatingly . When I left his place in the morning, he called me Serena and wished me the best of luck in my nursing program.
I’m in no hurry to do that again, but I’m also in no rush to settle down with boyfriend number three.
Which leaves me a horny single girl living with a delectable and extremely well-built, book-loving, age-appropriate man…
who happens to be my roommate’s grandson.
Other than my inconvenient crush, it’s been an easy transition so far.
The modest apartment is more crowded now and I’m not fully comfortable with the new dynamic yet, but I have no complaints about Adam.
He doesn’t leave the television on too loud after I’ve gone to sleep at night, and I don’t feel like I’m not allowed in the living room during the day.
I try to be equally considerate by blow-drying my hair in my room with the door closed and not banging around in the kitchen when I make my coffee in the morning.
Rocket, who must be asleep on Marcia’s bed now, has one more human who worships him, and it’s mutual.
And Marcia is still in heaven enjoying her renewed relationship with Adam.
I try to give them space to bond one-on-one.
I’m not home much anyway during the day, so it’s only in the evenings when we’re all together—except for one night when I went out with Carley, a couple where he was out, probably exploring, and one when the two of them went out to dinner without me.
I don’t feel like a third wheel too much, but when I do, I remind myself that Marcia missed out on so much of Adam’s life when he was a teenager.
She deserves this quality time with him now.
Adam calls out, “All yours!”
I quickly undress, putting on my rarely used soft pink bathrobe to guard against another encounter, this time with me half naked, and head back to the bathroom.
Adam’s sitting on the now-closed couch but looks up from his phone when I exit my room. He looks up at me. “I hope I didn’t make you late. Next time I get up early, I’ll check with you first.”
I wave him off. “I’m not too behind schedule yet, so it’s fine.
” Since he’s now fully dressed in dark blue jeans and a black T-shirt, I can make eye contact without fear of bursting into flames.
I take a closer look at his shirt and do a double take.
In the center is a black-and-white screen-printed image of a woman with the name Patti in script underneath. “Is that Patti Smith?”
Adam’s lips curl up on the sides. “Yu p .”
“Are you wearing it for my benefit?”
“Yu p .” He laughs.
I shake my head. “Don’t forget to get me that list.” Adam surprised me by actually following up on my proposed young adult book club, so I asked for the titles of some of the adult books he’s read and enjoyed lately to try to get a sense of his taste.
“Will do.” His gaze drops to my chest and back up quickly, a flush now painting his cheeks.
I look down at the exposed skin on my chest where my robe is just barely hiding my tits. I quickly pull the corners tighter against my body. “I should…” I swallow. “Get ready.” I step inside the bathroom and close the door behind me. A quick check in the mirror confirms that my blush matches his.
The living room is empty when I get out of the shower, and thirty minutes later, I’m ready to leave for work.
I pass the kitchen and call out a quick bye but freeze at the sight of Adam standing on a step stool, changing a bulb in the ceiling light.
Rocket jumps up and barks repeatedly like it’s a game while Marcia leans against the counter in her pajamas, watching her grandson with a cup of coffee in her hand.
“You heading out?” she asks.
“Yeah.” The word comes out at half the volume of my normal voice. Changing that bulb was one of the first things I did for Marcia because her doctor discouraged her from climbing ladders to reach high spaces if she doesn’t need to. And she didn’t because I was there. But now Adam is here too.
Adam turns to face me and his eyes light up. “Have a great day.”
I manage a smile, thanking him and saying it back, while reminding myself that two people making Marcia’s life easier is better than one.