Topsy Turvy Kinda Love
a sweet smile.“I gotta be honest. It’s exactly how I pictured it would be,” I say with all sincerity. She stares at me, almost as if she’s not sure how to respond.
“Really? Huh.” She quirks an eyebrow.
My eyes make one more pass over the room. “Well, yes and no. It’s like the clothes you wear– mostly dark but with bits of color scattered here and there. Everything is in the right spot. Perfect like it’s meant to be there. But I didn’t know that you were an artist.” I spot a gothic style painting hanging on the wall and walk toward it.
I turn my body to face her, pointing at the painting. “Did you paint this? It’s really good.”
Her mouth goes slack jaw right before she composes herself. “Stop it, it’s honestly not that great.”
“Don’t lie to yourself, Mia. This looks like gallery level art.” I watch her roll her eyes, but I don’t miss the smile that peeks out. I have no idea if the painting is really good or not, but I’d say just about anything for another one of her smiles.
“Look, I’m just being honest,” I murmur as her eyes find mine.
We’re caught in each other’s gaze. One tiny moment turns into several more moments. Deep blue eyes peer into my soul, while my own eat into hers, grasping for more. My ears feel like they’re on fire and my breath is stunted. The air levitates between us.
So many things pass without any words ever being expressed. I don’t know what’s happening but it quickly dissipates when Mia blinks and I’m instantly thankful for the loss of connection. I walk over to the bookshelf and check out her books. Mostly drink books, art books, and a few paranormal fiction reads. I expected to see romance, but there were none. Instead of bookends, she uses statues- all abstract works, dark in color.
All of a sudden, it’s like she remembers why I’m in her home. “Well let’s get the room situation squared away. I’m sure you want to see that, right?”
“Sure,” I say, but my feet remain planted to the floor. I’m unable to move simply watching her walk away. A few steps later, she stops and turns. “Hey handsome, you coming or what?”
My brain begs my feet to move. To follow, and finally, they seem to listen. My central nervous system is back up and running messages to and from the body parts that should be making me move. She stops at the first door on the left down the hallway. I stop just steps behind her, her cotton candy scent entwining with my airway. “This will be your room.”
Stepping aside, she allows me to check it out. Dark walls with light trim. It’s a large room, and I can see my furniture fitting in here perfectly. Where the bed will sit, the dresser, the nightstand. She’s quiet as she steps up behind me. “Not entirely sure what your furniture sitch is… but I don’t have an extra. The couch is free, or you can bunk with me for a day or two until you get things figured out.”
We step back into the hall, and she speaks again before I even have a chance to respond. “My room is the one down the hall,” she says pointing to the closed door in front of us. “Over there’s the little boy’s room, or girl’s, when I’m using it.” She chuckles and I can’t help but smile. “I’m not entirely sure what self-imposed boundaries you have on sharing a room with a girl, so…?”
A smirk curls the sides of my lips as I watch her word vomit into the air helplessly. “You’re finally taking me up on that, being ready for anything offer?”
Heat snakes up her face, her creamy skin turning a shade of pink. She opens her mouth, but words never part with it.
“Anyhow, I’ll take it. The room that is.” I smile.
‘Well, I’m going to ask you to sign a contract. Nothing personal, just like having things in writing. Plus, you’ve gotta take my word that I’m not a serial killer or anything.”
“I trust you, Mia.”
“Why?”
I shrug. “You haven’t given me a reason not to.”
“Where are you from, handsome? It’s clear you aren’t from around here because no one is that trusting. People don’t just shack up with people they don’t know.”
“Maybe you just ain’t found someone worthy of your trust. The way I see it, we’ve been working together for over a year, Mia. We may not know each other as well as I’d like yet, but I think it’ll work out just fine. Plus, you know your way around the bar, and maybe if I moved in here, you could show me some of the crazy bar tricks you have.”
“You want me to teach you how to sling drinks like some fancy mixologist, Brooksy?”
“I’ll take whatever training you’re willing to offer.”
“Don’t ask for things you can’t handle, Brooks.”
“Um…”
She laughs and sticks out her hand. “Alrighty, then. Guess you’ve got yourself a new roommate.”
My hand moves to shake hers, but when we touch, a current of power zips through us. Shocking us to the core. “Wow. You got some magical pixie powers or something.”
Heat creeps up her cheeks and she clears her throat. “So, we’re good?”
“Yep, as long as you’re good, I’m good.” This is the craziest thing I’ve ever considered, but I’m all in—any chance to spend more time with the real life pixie standing in front of me.
“So when do you want to do all this? It being close to the end of the month and everything.” My mind still can’t comprehend that she’s okay with me just moving in here.
“When does it work for you?” I ask heart in my throat. I can’t believe this is actually real. I’m giddy in a way I’ve never felt before, and I’m hoping my face doesn’t betray how overly eager I am to be in her space. That would definitely freak her out and send her running.