Landlord Wars(28)

She pursed her lips in thought. “You must have been carrying around water weight, because you look exactly the same, just a bit smaller.”

It was a strange thing to drop ten pounds in what felt like overnight, but I had more energy these days, so that was a bonus. Stress was no joke.

“Speaking of attire,” I said, “I’m not sure why you’re critiquing mine. You live in athleisure.”

She sat up, affronted. “Hey, I’m on a budget.”

“So am I!” I argued. I couldn’t remember a time I wasn’t on a budget, planning for my schooling or Elise’s.

She rose from my bed and stretched her arms over her head. “I should probably get going.”

“Why? You just got here. Stay and study, and I’ll work. That’s the beauty of me having my own place; you’re not confined to Mom’s anymore.”

“You sure it’s okay?”

I wasn’t certain Max would accept Elise spending as much time here as I wanted her to, but considering how often he came by the apartment, it would be hypocritical of him to complain. “It should be. Not like anyone even noticed you enter.”

“Guys are weird when it comes to their video games,” she said. “I’ll grab my book bag. But let’s get more food. I’m famished. I ran out of corn chips this afternoon, and I’ve been hungry ever since.”

Clearly, Elise’s corn chip diet was still in full effect.

On our way to the kitchen, Max and Jack took off their goggles, and their skin was lined from the headgear they’d been wearing for hours.

Max high-fived Jack. “It’s pretty intense, man.”

“Told you.” Jack sank onto the couch and rubbed his face.

“What’s intense?” Elise pulled out bread, meat, and cheese, and proceeded to make herself a sandwich.

Max looked over, finally noticing us. He lifted his chin in Jack’s direction. “Jack built a VR world that’s going to change the way people game.”

Elise slathered mayo on a slice of bread. “Really? Can I see?”

Max held out the goggles, and she shoved her unfinished sandwich at me and walked over.

Jack’s face twisted. “I don’t know. It’s not out yet, and the software is proprietary.”

Elise rolled her eyes. “I’m a nursing student. Who would I tell? Besides, you need a woman’s viewpoint. I doubt you’ve even thought of how female gamers will perceive your new toy.”

Jack sighed. “Fine, but just for a minute. I want to make the fixes Max pointed out.”

Elise grinned and put on the headgear, adjusting it to fit her smaller head. And immediately started walking around and bumping into furniture.

Jack gently lifted the headset from her face, and she blinked up at him. “Stay put, will you? You can’t move more than a foot or two. Remember, we’re in my living room.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Elise reaffixed the VR goggles.

They had a bickery dynamic, those two, but who was I to judge? Not like Max and I always got along.

Speaking of the Landlord Devil, Max walked into the kitchen, comfortable as could be, and helped himself to one of Jack’s sparkling waters while I finished making Elise’s sandwich. He proceeded to scour the cabinets, lifting a cracker from this box, a granola cluster from another. All of which he shoved into his sensual mouth.

He was better looking now that I knew he wasn’t a total asshole.

I grabbed my mug from this morning (I was trying to get better about not automatically reaching for new ones), made myself tea, and tried to ignore Max and his sexy mouth. It wasn’t hard with Elise squealing every few seconds in the living room and dodging imaginary objects. Jack and Elise were pretty entertaining, though different than watching Max and Jack.

Elise hopped around like she didn’t know what in the hell she was doing, while Jack both maneuvered invisible objects and seemed to periodically rescue Elise.

“Can they see each other inside there?” I asked. “Like virtual avatars?”

Max looked up from his rummaging and walked over to where I stood. Then he tossed something into his mouth that sent a rush of heat up my neck.

He wouldn’t…

I leaned closer and sniffed—and received an unsettling dose of hot-guy clean scent and chocolate.

My gaze shot to his face. “Did you just eat my chocolate?”

Jack didn’t buy chocolate. There was only one addict in the house, and that was me.

Max looked down and raised an eyebrow. “It was in Jack’s section.”

I pressed my lips together. It was either that or I would spew molten lava from my mouth.

I let out a strained breath. “Jack doesn’t eat chocolate, and you know that. Not to mention, the cupboard hasn’t been cordoned off by roommate.”

“Which is why this roommate situation is perfect,” he said, licking his elegant fingers. No hairy digits for pretty-boy Burrows. “You eat chocolate, as do I, and I enjoy the stuff you buy.”

The nerve! “You enjoy it because I pay a small fortune for quality.”

He extended a hand to my chocolate stash, which he’d pulled out without me knowing, and popped a black forest truffle into his mouth. “You should watch how much you spend on incidentals.”

Heat inflamed my chest. Pretty sure smoke spewed from my nostrils. That was it. I didn’t care if he was my landlord or rich and hot. He was going to die.