What on earth had I agreed to?
That was the question I kept asking myself.
Let me recap. I first met Anne a few months back. I had just finished my first year at university and needed a new place to live. I found her online listing for her spare bedroom. It was perfect: cheap, safe, and close to campus. It blew the other locations I had toured out of the water.
The cherry on top was my soon-to-be roommate.
We met at a nearby cafe to get a feel for each other. Right away, I was struck by her beauty. She was about a decade older than me, maybe a bit more than that. She was tall, with gorgeous dark hair that fell down her back in waves. Her white blouse, pencil skirt, and heels gave her the quintessential 'I will step on you' look that businesswomen strive for.
Her piercing eyes stared at me from behind dark rimmed glasses as I walked to her table. Her cherry lips were curled into a half smile. I gave her an awkward wave, as I tried not to run away in fear. It was like walking up to a lioness resting in the hot sun. Relaxed, but deadly.
"Anne?" I asked. I felt my voice tremble a little bit.
"Hi, Lily," she said. "Please, have a seat."
I sat across from her at the table. Her gaze was fixed on me, and I was having trouble making eye contact. I felt underdressed, like I had walked into a job interview wearing sweats and a t-shirt. I tried to remind myself this was a casual meeting, between two prospective roommates.
"Sorry about the get-up, I came here straight from work," she said, as if reading my mind. "Here, my treat."
Anne slid me a cup of coffee. I grabbed it, glad to have something to occupy my hands.
"Tell me about yourself," she asked.
"Oh, me? I'm a freshm-- sophomore, at the local university. I'm studying neurobiology, and I'm on the swim team and a part of the photography club... what about you?"
The words came out in a hurried jumble. I took another sip of my coffee, suddenly aware of how my hands were shaking.
Calm down, Lily. When did you get so awkward?
"Woah, you have such broad interests. And neurobiology? I could never!"
Her laugh was a bit dorky; I couldn't help but smile when I heard it. It was disarming.
"I work for a tech business based--"
She kept talking but I was having trouble listening. She had bent forward over the table, resting her chin on her hands. Her low-cut blouse was hiding nothing.
"Did you hear me?"
"Huh?"
Shit.
"I said, do you want to come back to my place?"
"Already?" I said nervously.
Anne laughed. I suddenly realized how stupid I was acting. I reminded myself this was my future landlord, not some overly ambitious date. I sipped on the coffee, and hoped she didn't notice how hot my cheeks were burning.
"I think I've gotten a feel for you," she said with a smile. "Now we just need to make sure the place is up to your standards. Ready?"
I went out to the street with her. She walked fast down the sidewalk despite wearing tall heels. I struggled to keep up. She turned her head to look back at me.
"Hopefully you like everything. If you are still interested afterwards, we can discuss the rent. I know it must be hard for a young student in this city, so we can compromise on a reasonable price."
I nodded my head. I wasn't sure she saw me, but she kept talking anyway.
She told me about her schedule, her frequent weekend trips, her expectations for noise levels and guests-- it sounded like things would be relaxed and flexible.
"Do you like to cook, Lily?"
"I don't really cook. I lived in a dorm last year."
"Great! I love to cook. It will be so nice to have someone to taste my food. And I can show you a few things!"
"That sounds nice."
We rounded a corner. The sidewalks were wide and clean, here. The brick buildings were tall and covered with ivy. Tall trees along the sidewalk blanketed the street with shade. It was the beginning of autumn, and some of the leaves had the first hints of orange.
"This one is mine. I'll show you around."
She started walking up the long, concrete steps to the front door. I followed behind her, trying to avoid staring at the back of her skirt and her long legs. At the top, she opened the door for me, and gestured for me to enter.
The front room was tall. The interior was modern, with dark paints and dim lighting. To my left, a staircase went up to the second story. Beyond the staircase, a hallway led into a kitchen.
To my right, a living space was decorated with an L-shaped sofa that faced a large television. Cardboard boxes were piled around the coffee table, filling the space with junk.
"Sorry about all the stuff. I'm still reorganizing all the crap that was stuffed in the spare bedroom."
I was thoroughly impressed by the spacious area. Compared to my dorm, it was like a palace. Anne must have noticed me standing there with my arms limp and my mouth open, because she laughed.
"Impressed? This is what selling your soul to a corporation can get you. Even still, I have to rent out the spare bedroom. Speaking of that, why don't we go check it out?"
She gestured for me to go up the stairs. The steep staircase creaked loudly. I turned to glance back at Anne. She was staring at my butt, glancing up at my face when she saw me turn my head.
"Do you work out, Lily? Sorry, I couldn't help but notice."
"Oh, it's okay... like I mentioned, I swim for fun. The university has a nice pool."
Is she a bit... friendly, or is that just me?
"That's nice. I have some gym equipment in my room. If you need it, help yourself."
Despite being in reasonable shape, I was still out of breath by the top of the staircase. She pushed past me and showed me my bedroom. The walls were painted a dark navy. The room was mostly empty except a bed frame, a dresser, and a small window facing the street.
"Wow," I mumbled. "It's..."
"Boring?" she offered.
"--full of potential."
"That's a good way to look at it."
The rest of the tour was rather uneventful. She showed me the bathroom we would share, the well-stocked kitchen. I asked about an unopened door between the entrance and kitchen.
"Oh? That goes down to the basement. There is a bit of a mold problem, so I keep that door locked."
"Gross," I replied.
