Chase Me (Broke and Beautiful #1)(22)

Honey jumped to her feet. “I’ll get glasses.”

Abby sat down beside Roxy in a series of awkward movements, as if she’d never sat on the floor once in her life. Maybe she hadn’t. “I guess one drink won’t hurt.”

“Never does.” Roxy took a glass from Honey and poured. This didn’t feel as uncomfortable as she’d anticipated. Possibly because she’d taken them out of their comfort zone and stuck them in hers. Drinking tequila on the floor. “So, what’s up with that guy on the third floor? Every time I pass his door, he clears his throat. Superloud, like he wants me to know he’s spying through the peephole.”

“I thought I was the only one.” Honey took a healthy sip without wincing, going up a notch in Roxy’s book. “Have you ever seen him, Abby?”

“Nope.” She eyed the drink in her hand warily. “I’ve only seen one person since moving in. There’s an older gentleman who wears a captain’s hat and smokes cigars on the first floor. He always tells me my shoe is untied, even when it’s not. Thinks it’s hysterical.”

“We should bring him dirty floor biscuits,” Honey said. “He’d never know. But we would.”

“Oh, you’re bad.”

The blonde smoothed her hair. “It’s been said.”

“So.” Abby found yet another sitting position. “How has everyone’s week been so far?”

Roxy sipped her tequila, assuming they would start their usual chatter and leave her out of it. When the silence lengthened, however, she realized they were both looking at her expectantly. It quickly became obvious to her that they’d talked enough to each other lately. Now they wanted to know about their wayward third roommate who’d spent the first week of their acquaintance hibernating. Had she unintentionally staged her own friendship intervention? Crap. The girls might be smiling, but they looked ready to spring and handcuff her to the radiator if she tried to vamoose. Even in the midst of her nerves at being the center of attention—being herself, not a character she was pretending to be—she felt a sense of gratefulness. There hadn’t been many times in the past when she’d sensed people had been truly interested in what she had to say. In her.

She had a choice to make. Either she would be honest and tell this corporate debutante and this bubbly scholar what her week had actually entailed. Or she could lie and make something up. Apart from her vague explanation that she was an actress, they knew nothing about her. It would be so easy to give them a lie to buy herself more time. More time to become something worth telling. If she did that, though, would she be admitting that she was currently . . . nothing?

Fuck that.

She threw back the remaining inch of her tequila. “I met a guy.”

Honey brightened. “Ooh. Tell us.”

“What does he do?” Abby asked.

“He’s a lawyer.” She cleared her throat into the silence. “I was sent to his door to perform a singing telegram while wearing a giant pink bunny suit. We kissed. We texted. Then I showed up to a bachelor party where he was one of the guests. I was there as a stripper. We kissed some more. We texted some more. I’m seeing him tomorrow night.” The two girls were silent a moment. Very slowly, Honey reached for the bottle of tequila and refilled her glass. Something about that gesture eased the pressure in Roxy’s chest, but not completely. “Also, I got called back to read for the part of Lassie by a couple of hipster film students in scarves.”

Abby frowned. “Dogs don’t talk.”

“I know.”

Silence reigned in the apartment. Just as Roxy got ready to gain her feet and make toward her room, Honey blurted, “I’m going to seduce my English professor.”

Abby’s mouth dropped open. “We’ve been having dinner together for days. You never said anything. I earned this knowledge.”

“It’s not polite dinner conversation.” Honey reached up and grabbed a biscuit off the kitchen counter, biting into it with a grin. “He’s going to be a challenge. I can tell.”

Roxy couldn’t hide her amusement. “That doesn’t appear to be a concern for you.”

“Concern?” She popped a bite into her mouth. “It’s a requirement.”

Abby looked at a loss. Not judgmental, as Roxy had predicted, although both roommates did appear to be looking at Roxy differently. As one would after having an information bomb dropped on them. Based on their curious expressions, the questions weren’t over, either. But they weren’t pressing for now, and Roxy appreciated that. What had she expected from these girls? For them to throw her out? Obviously, she hadn’t given them enough credit.

“Come on, Abby.” Roxy tipped her chin at the brunette. “You must have a skeleton hiding in one of the eight closets in this apartment.”

“Nope.”

“Give us something,” Honey begged. “It can’t be as bad as Roxy’s.”

“Thanks, roomie.”

“All right, fine.” Abby choked on a slug of tequila. “I’ve only kissed two guys. One was my stepbrother.”

A beat of shocked silence passed.

“Okay, then.” Roxy nodded. “Pass me a f*cking biscuit.”





Chapter 8