The Roommate Agreement(27)

Kissing her was not a good idea.

Nothing good ever came from kissing your best friend.

I didn’t have a lot of evidence to back that up, mind you, but the thought of explaining myself after I’d done it was more than enough to convince me that it was terrible, terrible fucking idea.

So I did the only thing I could do. I got up, casting a glance toward Shelby’s closed bedroom door, and left the apartment. My truck was parked outside the building next to her car, and I climbed into it, heading for the steakhouse I’d picked for the date.

Don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t against having a date. If anything, I needed one. I needed to be reminded that Shelby wasn’t the only woman in the world.

I knew that. On a conscious level, I knew she wasn’t the only woman who existed, but sometimes it felt that way. I guess that was what happened when you lived with the woman you had feelings for.

She was always there.

I groaned as I pulled into the parking lot. I was ten minutes early because my mom would kill me if she ever found out I’d kept a date waiting. I wasn’t the best roommate, but I was a perfect gentleman.

Mostly.

I locked my truck and tugged at the collar of my shirt as I headed for the doors. It was inevitable in a small town, but I hoped like hell I didn’t see anyone I knew.

Unfortunately for me, luck was not on my side, because the moment I stepped into the restaurant, I laid eyes on the two people you don’t want to see when you’re going on a date.

My parents.

“I’m going to need a different table,” I said to the hostess right as my mom saw me. “I don’t want to go on a date next to my parents.”

The young girl’s eyes widened as she looked at them. “Oh. I’m sorry. We can move you!”

“No, it’s fine.” My mom waved her hand. “We’re nearly done anyway.”

“Mother,” I said, but she stopped me.

“Sit down, Jay.”

Shooting the girl a smile, I sat.

My dad gave me a sympathetic smile. “Sorry, son. We really are almost done.”

“It’s fine.” I grimaced. “It’s not like it’s a date or anything.”

Mom’s eyebrows shot up. “It’s not a date? Why are you bringing a girl to a steakhouse if it’s not a date?”

Dad sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Sarcasm, honey. Sarcasm.”

Mom’s green eyes widened as realization hit. “Ohhh. Well, we’ll disappear real quick. You didn’t stop by this week, and your grandmother is wondering whether you’re still alive or not.”

“Given that we’re having this conversation, I’m still alive,” I replied dryly. “Tell Grams I’ll come by this weekend on my day off.”

She nodded. “Bring Shelby. She has the ingredients for her favorite dinner.”

“Why is she making her favorite instead of mine?”

“Because unlike you, Shelby stopped by this morning with some flowers.”

Here we go.

“Why did Shelby take her flowers?”

“The same reason she always does.” Dad grinned, leaning back in the chair. “She wanted information. She’s working on some article for the paper about a haunted hotel and Mom’s stayed there before.”

Of course. “I didn’t know that.”

“Do you pay any attention to her?” Mom scolded me. “You only live with her. It wouldn’t kill you to take an interest in her.”

Oh, I took an interest in her all right. Too much, it could be argued.

“She just didn’t mention it,” I settled on saying. “She’s been in deadline mode. She’s locked away in her room right now. I haven’t even seen her today.”

“You’ve left her locked in her room while you’re out eating a fancy steak?”

“Dear God,” Dad muttered, motioning for the bill.

I felt the same. “Yes, but I cooked her dinner and left her a note that it’s in the oven to be warmed up. If I didn’t, she’d end up just having toast.”

“See? You raised a gentleman, honey,” Dad said, putting his card into the leather wallet his server handed him. “Leave the boy alone. He’s perfectly capable of having a date and looking out for his roommate at the same time.”

“But not visiting his family,” she pointed out. “Your mother called me hysterical this morning.”

“She called you hysterical because there was a corn snake in the front yard,” Dad said dryly. “And that was only because I ignored all her calls the second I heard the voicemail that said it was a corn snake.”

I choked back a laugh. Grams hated snakes with a passion, and if she saw one, she’d rather burn the house down as opposed to just leaving the harmless little thing to pass on by. If it was a copperhead I could understand, but her Yorkshire terrier viewed corn snakes as a toy.

Maybe that was it. She was afraid Alice would bring it inside and then she really would have to burn the house down.

“I’ll see her tomorrow,” I promised. “I’ll stop by after work with her favorite cake and clear the entire yard of snakes, deadly or otherwise.”

Mom nodded, apparently satisfied by my response.

Dad signed the receipt and took his card, handing the bill back to the server. “Right, let’s go, Georgina. Jay doesn’t want us here when his date arrives.” He winked at me, and I smirked, whole-heartedly agreeing with him.