Since I had to close the store, it was well after midnight when I got home. So, naturally, I was a bit surprised not only to find the apartment lit up like Christmas, but also reeking of an odd combination of Pine Sol and Clorox. I immediately knew what was going on. My roommate Carrie was in a bad mood and taking it out on any dirt in the apartment. I didn't need to be a detective to figure out what the bad mood was about either. She had told me earlier in the week she had been set up on a blind date by one of her co-workers that must have been a disaster if it sent her into a cleaning spree.
It didn't take long for me to begin to hear the rest of the story. As I hung my jacket on the coat rack by the front door Carrie appeared looking like a woman on a mission. She was wearing what she normally wore when on a cleaning spree and old baggy grey t-shirt that almost covered up the black running shorts underneath. My heart skipped a beat as I noticed she wasn't wearing a bra as her nipples were making a clear impression on the front of the shirt. She looked absolutely furious and absolutely sexy at the same time that I had to make it a point not to stare.
"Oh, you're back." she said gruffly.
"Trouble in paradise Carrie?" I asked knowing what was about to come.
"Trouble?!" she said incredulously. "Paradise! What's that?! It certainly wasn't with that fucking prick Micheal. I swear I'm done letting Jamie set me up with anyone. She always seems to find the cockiest most arrogant pricks you can imagine. If she weren't my friend, I'd swear she was trying to sabotage me."
"He couldn't have been that bad." I said as I unbuttoned my shirt collar and forced my hands under my collar to loosen my tie.
Carrie glared at me. "All he wanted to do was talk about himself and his accomplishments." When she said accomplishments, she used air quotes. "I think he was full of shit because the one time I asked for more specifics he carried on like he didn't hear me. Not once did he ask anything about me except if I was into sex on a first date. And I could tell the whole time he was going on and on with his bullshit that he kept looking at my chest. Then he had the nerve to look offended when I decided I had had enough and wanted to just go home."
Carrie paused to catch her breath after her long and animated rant. From experience I knew more was coming so I just waited for it. Sure enough a few seconds later:
"Then he had the nerve to look even more offended when I didn't give him my number and told him there wouldn't be a second date. I mean honestly! How can anyone be that goddamn cocky?!"
I was trying my best not to bust out laughing. Carrie was one of those people who usually got quite animated when she was mad, and it was quite amusing.
"Was he at least good looking?" I asked.
"Good looking?" she asked glaring at me again. "I mean he was decent looking, but his shitty personality took it all away. I mean honestly I don't know where Jamie finds these bums at, but she needs to stop because I can't deal with it anymore."
"Why does she keep hooking you up with guys if her track record is so bad?" I asked.
"Because she doesn't go much beyond looks. To Jamie a guy can be a shallow dick as long as he looks good." Carrie explained to me.
As Carrie caught her breath from her latest rant, I popped the buttons loose on my shirt cuffs and began to roll them up. I'm not entirely sure why since I would be presumably changing clothes soon. I guess it was to give me something to do while I waited for Carrie to go on with her venting session. As I rolled my sleeves up to my elbows and ran my hands under my collar again loosening my tie a bit more, I saw Carrie watching me. She was watching my forearm appear as I rolled my shirtsleeve up and quickly glanced away when she noticed me watching her.
As she glanced away, I noticed the faintest hint of pink briefly color her cheeks. I knew I had caught her staring and knew then that she was just as attracted to me as I was to her. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. She had never given any indication that she looked at me as anything other than a friend and roommate. As she geared up for another round of ranting, I quickly formed a plan.
"I mean honestly!" she started. "I just don't understand how anyone can be so cocky to think that anyone would buy a whole bunch of BS and then want to go to bed with him. I mean how can anyone be that cocky?"
I took a step towards her and noticed the briefest quiver in her breath. "I mean is it too much to get to know someone on a personal level before sharing my body with them?" she asked as she took a small step back. "I guess it is."
"What are you doing?" she asked as I took another step towards her, and she took another small step back.
"Trying to understand why you let these useless guys get under your skin." I said in a low voice taking another step towards her.
"As if you really care." she said flippantly moving back slightly again.
After another step forward I said, "How do you know I don't care?"
Carrie took another step back to find her back pinned against the small kitchen island/bar. She looked back as if to confirm she had backed into something before looking back at me with wide eyes. "Ronnie, I don't know what kind of game you're trying to play, but I'm not in the mood for it." she said.
I moved to within a couple of feet of her. Not wanting to anything to feel forced or non-consensual I left her plenty of room to move away from me if she wanted to. "I think you know exactly what's going on and in spite of your protests I think you want it to happen." I said in a low voice. At the same time, I let my fingers brush against the back of her hand that was gripping the edge of the counter. I felt a quiver move through both of our bodies at the brief contact.
"Ronnie I...I..." she said seemingly unable to articulate her thoughts but giving me a look of arousal and affection.