Just Roomies

This one is for the

Summer Lovin' Story Contest 2022

. As always, your votes and comments would be much appreciated.

This is a fairly slow burn, and a little longer than I usually write. And I hope you enjoy it.

AVA

I wasn't sure I could hold on much longer. My hands felt like they were about ready to snap right off at the wrists.

Lugging four heavy bags of groceries with my purse slung over my back was not only enough to cut off the circulation in my hands, it was making me consider doing the unthinkable -- putting everything down on the grungy sidewalk, even for just a minute or two to give my poor aching arms a rest.

Standing in front of the little market in Causeway Bay, where I'd just bought what ever I thought I'd need to get me through my first typhoon, I was sending up silent prayers that I'd be able to find a taxi, because all I wanted now was to get home.

Aside from the grossness of the sidewalk, if a cab did come, I knew I had to have everything in hand, ready to hop in, or someone else would grab it. Clenching my jaw, I stiffened my spine and held onto my bags, while trying to ignore the fact that I was losing all sense of feeling in my hands. While also hoping that I'd find a way to get across the island.

Hong Kong, normally nothing but a sea of people was super busy tonight with everyone trying to get ahead of the storm.

I wouldn't say there was an actual sense of panic on the faces of everyone scrambling around. But they all looked pretty determined as they burst from their office buildings and shops like a dam breaking, all racing to get home as fast as they could.

Watching the shopkeepers roll down their metal security shutters, one after the other, I knew that soon the city would be pretty much shut down. It felt kind of eerie to see a city that never sleeps, practically rolling up the sidewalks, preparing for whatever was to come.

Ugh

. I looked up and rolled my eyes. Seriously? If it wasn't hot and humid enough to nearly melt me where I stood, now it was starting to rain. Big, fat annoying drops were plopping down on my head, making my wait even more miserable.

This was going to be some night. With a full-fledged typhoon about to descend on the city, I'd never felt more desperate to find a ride.

Suddenly, my heart leapt when I spied a red cab with its light on, coming in my direction. Hoping with everything I had that I'd be able to grab it, I stuck my foot out into the street and frantically waved it around so he'd see me, while also hoping I wouldn't land on my butt. Thank god he came to a stop, but unfortunately for me, not quite close enough.

Though I knew darn well he had to have seen me waving it down, some douchebag with thinning red hair pulled back in a hipster-style pony-tail, clad in a nauseatingly loud hot pink and green Hawaiian shirt, grabbed the back door handle, and roughly elbowed me out of the way. To add insult to injury, he flashed me a snide little smile as he had the audacity to slide his ass into

my

cab. If that wasn't enough, the bastard even rubbed it in with a little wave of his hand as the cab drove off, as the smug little twerp happily settled himself into the air-conditioned comfort of the backseat.

Tempted to scream, or throw one of the bags after him, considering how often this happened, I knew I had to force myself to just forget it and let it go.

Taking a few deep breaths, I knew I had to keep my cool, and just wait for the next one to come along. But with the entire city trying to get home, all at the same time, obviously my chances of finding an empty cab were getting slimmer by the minute.

Then I saw it, like a battered beacon of hope winding its way through rush hour traffic. An old, beat-up red taxi, the light on top shining, to let me know he was free. I managed to wave one of my hands holding the two lighter bags, and stuck my high-heeled foot out again for good measure, hoping to flag him down. And wonder of wonders, he actually stopped right in front of me!

But I couldn't believe it, when yet another hand reached out and opened the back door. By this point I was angry enough to swing a bag at him, until he stopped me in my tracks when he politely said, "Here, let me get that for you."

Relieved that he was just being kind, I bit back what I was about to call him that would have turned the air about ten different shades of blue. Instead, demurely nodding, I smiled and said, "Thanks."

Feeling a little guilty, I imagined, the same as I was, he was just trying to beat the storm and get home. About to slide my way into the cab, I told him, "I'm going along Tai Hang Road. If you want, we could share."

He flashed a smile, looking relieved. "Sure, that would be great."

Glad to have a ride, he even took a couple of bags off my hands, so I could slide my way further across the back seat to make room for him.

Once he'd settled in, he gave the cabbie his address, which happened to be on Tai Hang Road. But after I'd informed the cabbie that I was going all the way out to Shek O on the west side of the island, I noticed he pulled a face as he looked back at me in the rear-view mirror. But when the cabbie pulled away from the curb without complaining, we both breathed a sigh of relief and settled back in our seats.

As we slowly wound our way out of Causeway Bay, noticing the way my seat mate was curiously eyeing my four heavy bags of groceries, probably wondering if I was a big eater, I thought I'd better explain. "I decided I'd better stock up, in case the typhoon goes on for a few days."

"Not a bad idea." Then he turned his head, looking across at me. "So, will this be your first typhoon?"

I felt like such a newbie, as I winced and nodded that it was. I'd only lived here for six months. And everyone in my office had warned me now that it was storm season, when a typhoon warning went up, that it was a good idea to take it seriously. Especially when it was about to go from a number 3 warning to an 8, like now. If the storm progressed, next it would be a 9 and then a 10, which meant it would be right over the city. Hopefully, with any luck, I'd be safe inside before that happened.

Looking out the side window, anxiously watching a cluster of pretty hearty looking banyan trees being battered around like twigs, I could see that the wind was already starting to wreak havoc on the island. Tipping my head back, looking up, the sky seemed to be growing darker by the second as the rain really began to pelt the cab, sounding like pebbles raining down on the roof.

Normally, the drive along Tai Hang Road was a really pretty drive, but tonight it felt kind of scary.

I guess noticing how worried I looked, the man beside me tried to reassure me. "I've been through a few of these. As long as you stay indoors away from any windows, you should be okay."

Not exactly what I wanted to hear. Considering my tiny, ancient apartment had a wall of windows facing the beach. Now I just hoped I could stay out of danger, even if it meant spending the night in the bathroom, probably sleeping in the tub. Providing of course I could get any sleep, with an actual typhoon raging outside.

We were crawling along Tai Hang Road at a snail's pace. The way the rain was coming down, I wondered how the cabbie could even see where he was going. I probably felt as tense as he did; white knuckling the steering wheel, with his neck craned forward, straining to see through the windshield, the wipers were barely keeping up, though they were going back and forth like mad.

Suddenly, we all jumped when a big tree branch crashed onto the road right in front of us. Luckily for us, the driver managed to slam the brakes on just in time. Muttering under his breath in Cantonese as he carefully steered around it, I got the distinct feeling that he was regretting picking us up.

When we finally pulled up at my seat-mate's building, as he handed him the fare, the driver turned and pointed his finger at me and muttered, "You go, too. I go home now. This storm is very bad."

Though he was leaving me stranded, I really couldn't blame him, since I knew I wouldn't want to be out driving on a night like this. With no choice but to get out of the cab, I was glad when Mr. Nice Guy took the bags out of my hands and yelled at me over his shoulder, "Come on," as the rain started to teem down in buckets. Doing my best to watch my footing in my high heels, I was shocked and more than a little unnerved at how fast the driveway was beginning to flood, hoping I wouldn't fall and drown before I even made it in the building.

Already soaked to the bone, I followed him into the lobby, shivering as the frigid air sent goosebumps racing across my wet skin. After he gave a quick nod hello to the guard at the desk, he turned his attention to me. "Aw, look at you, you're soaked. The way it's coming down out there, I doubt you'll be able to find another cab. But you're welcome to come up to my place and wait to see if there's a lull, before the storm gets any worse."

Turning my head, looking back outside, with how bad it was getting out there, and the way the wind was starting to howl, I didn't imagine there'd be any chance of a lull. Which made me realize that I didn't have much choice but to accept his offer.

Glancing around the lobby as we waited for the elevator, I noticed his building was not only beautiful, but also looked pretty new. It felt so luxurious, with a row of huge sparkling crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling and lush tropical plants in oversized white and blue Chinese planters dotted here and there, perfectly accenting the fresh white walls and sleek glass reception desk. Seeing the old doorman at the desk nod and give me a smile, I smiled back. Not only was there a nice vibe here, but I was so happy to have found somewhere to get out of the storm.

Once we got inside the elevator, I noticed that he pushed the button for the 20

th

floor penthouse. As we headed up to his flat, I just hoped that he was right, and that I might be able to make my way home before the typhoon took its toll on the city.

After he'd unlocked the door, I actually let out a gasp the moment we stepped into his apartment. Turning wide-eyed in a circle, looking all around, without even thinking I said, "Wow!" Did this guy ever have a beautiful set up. Looked like something out of a magazine, designed for hunky bachelors, though I had no idea if he was married or not.

I'd honestly never seen anything like it. Gorgeous, classic Asian antiques blended with modern leather couches, large, bold colorful artwork adorning every wall and sleek polished teak floors throughout. I felt like I'd landed at the Ritz.

Compared to this, my place was so tiny and basic, it was like night and day. Still a little amazed at how spacious it was, I imagined I could probably fit my whole flat in his living area alone. "Wow, you've got a really nice place," I murmured, trying to take it all in.

He just shrugged, and said, "Thanks."

It was just so tastefully decorated, I asked, "Did it come furnished like this, or did you have a hand in it?"

He looked around then, too. "I mostly hand picked everything in here. The building's only a year old, so I've been gradually adding pieces that catch my eye."

While he was busy glancing around, I took the opportunity to take a longer look at him. And though his suit was plastered to his body, I thought he still looked pretty hot. Maybe even

because

his suit was wet, it wasn't doing a thing to hide the shape of his lean, nicely muscled body. Despite his sandy brown hair dripping with water, he looked incredibly handsome, especially since his spiky eyelashes looked even longer wet, highlighting his big green eyes.

"Anything perishable in your bags?" he asked, making me snap my head up and stop drooling.

I nodded, and had to swallow back another gasp as he led me into his spotless, white and gray state of the art kitchen. My eyes darting everyone at once, I could just imagine how amazing it would be to cook in such a gorgeous setup. Finally, remembering what he'd asked, I pointed at the bigger bag. "Only the big blue thermal bag has anything that could spoil."

"Okay, then I'll put it in the fridge for now," he said, pulling open the door to the most humongous stainless-steel refrigerator I'd ever laid eyes on. The thing had to be the size of a bank vault.

"Holy smokes! You've even got a big American-style fridge. Mine's the size of a bread box, so I can only buy eggs six at a time. And I don't even have a freezer."

He chuckled as he slid the bag onto one of the shelves and shrugged. "Figure it saves me from having to go out to shop for groceries all the time."

Then he turned his head and froze, as his gaze landed on me in my wet clothes. Particularly my breasts, I noticed, as I took a look down at myself - shocked at the way the thin material of my white cotton blouse was plastered to my skin. Obviously, he could see my puckered nipples clear as day, right through my sheer, white lace bra.

Doing my best to hide my protruding nips, I tried to be casual about crossing my arms over my chest, even as my cheeks burned. Oh god, how embarrassing. I didn't know the guy from Adam, and here we were having to shelter in place together, while I was giving him an eyeful of nearly everything I owned.

Sounding slightly flummoxed, he cleared his throat and pointed past me. "There's a bathroom through that door, if you want to try and dry off. And I'll go see if I can find you something to wear, while we put your clothes in the dryer."

I did as he suggested and went in and grabbed a big, fluffy white towel off the rack in the stylish, beige tiled bathroom. After I'd stepped out of my water-logged shoes, I decided I'd better sit them in the shower, hoping they'd dry. Then, starting at the top with my hair, I worked my way down to my dripping legs, trying to get as much water off me as I could. Considering I already felt half-drowned, just from walking into his building from the cab, I was really glad he'd been kind enough to offer me somewhere safe and dry to stay until the storm blew over.

With my head down, I noticed his bare feet, and looked up and saw he was standing in the doorway, watching me towel-dry my long, blonde locks. Until he blinked, shook his head and muttered, "Sorry, but this is all I've got that might fit you." He held out a pair of black shorts and a bright orange Hong Kong Sevens rugby T-shirt, and suggested, "Unless you'd rather wear one of my dress shirts as a robe."

"No, this'll be fine, thanks." I was just happy to get out of my soggy clothes.

I noticed that he'd changed, too, now casually dressed in nicely fitted khaki shorts and a white T-shirt. Walking back toward the kitchen, he called over his shoulder, "I'm just going to make some noodles with barbeque pork and broccoli, if that's okay with you."

"Sounds good," I said, closing the door, so I could hurry up and change.

I joined him in the kitchen with my wet clothes wrapped in the towel. He took the bundle, shook it out and tossed it all in the dryer, giving me a coy little smirk, when my bra fell out and he had to catch it mid-air. Then he looked me over in his shorts and T-shirt, and for a moment he just stared. Though they were a little big, since they were dry, that's all that mattered to me. But I think the fact that I was showing a lot of skin was what had him swallowing hard, before he went back to taking care of our wet clothes.

Then it was my turn to be mesmerized at the play of muscles flexing in his back through his T-shirt. I realized he was in excellent shape as he tossed my things into the dryer, along with a few of his own. Leanly muscled, he was a good height, too, probably a little over six feet tall. With such nice, thick golden-brown hair, fetchingly standing up here and there, making him look, if possible, even sexier, with it still a little damp, like he'd just stepped out of the shower.

Which naturally sent my naughty thoughts into overdrive, as I imagined what he'd look like out of his shorts and T-shirt, wearing nothing but that teasing smile.

Once I finally stopped gawking, I realized that he was holding his hand out. I blinked as he wrapped his hand around mine, shook it, and said, "I'm Andrew, by the way, Andrew McPherson."

Numbly nodding my head, once I'd found my voice, I murmured back, "And I'm Ava Rousseau."

Flashing me a drop-dead gorgeous smile, he let me have a look at his pearly-whites, making me go a little weak in the knees. The way his face lit up, though it was hard to believe he could look any hotter, I thought he looked about ten times more attractive now that he was actually relaxed and smiling. With those gorgeous green eyes locked on mine, his voice all low and sexy, he murmured, "A pleasure to meet you, Ava."

"Yeah, you, too," I mumbled, trying to sound normal, and not like was about to hyperventilate or anything, as it occurred to me that I was locked in here with the hottest guy I'd ever seen. And considering the way the wind was furiously howling outside, and the rain was beating against the windows, I didn't imagine I'd be heading home anytime soon. Which had me thinking, that this was going to be an interesting night, to say the least.

I'd been so busy getting acclimatized to living in such a hot, humid, crowded, fascinating place, after moving here from the familiarity of Toronto, that I hadn't really given any thought to dating. Except for the odd drink after work, when the office all went out as a group.

Yet amazingly, here I was, quite possibly with the sexiest guy on the whole island. Though I forced myself to remember that no matter how cute, or hot he was, the only reason I was here, was to get out of the storm. Knowing that the minute it blew over, I'd be gone, and that would probably be the last I'd ever see of him. I decided it best to push aside any thoughts of getting busy with him. Despite the fact that I'd most likely only be here for a few more hours, there was no getting around the fact that those perfectly shaped lips of his looked awfully tempting.

Once the soup was done, the pork was warmed and the broccoli was tender crisp, as he carefully ladled us up some noodles in two big bowls, brow raised, he looked over at me, and asked, "So you've got no one waiting for you at home?"

"No, I live on my own. Though, I have been thinking about getting a cat to keep me company. But since I've got to start looking for a new flat, I decided I'd better wait until I'm settled."

As he added a few more thick slices of succulent barbecued pork to each bowl he eyed me, looking curious. "So, you don't like living in Shek O?"

"Actually, I love living at the beach, though it is a little far from work. But my building's being torn down, so the owner can put up something bigger with more units, I guess so he can get more rent."

He nodded, as he set the bowls down on the centre island and pulled out the stool next to mine and sat down. "That happens a lot. Every inch counts here, with the land value being so high."

Heaving a sigh, I nodded as I picked up my spoon and chopsticks. "Tell me about it. I had found a place I liked in Happy Valley, I could just barely afford with a roommate, that would have also been a lot closer to my office in Causeway Bay. But then the girl that was going to room with me decided that she wanted to move in with her new boyfriend instead, so I had to let it go. Now I'm running out of time to find something else. I've only got another two weeks, till I've got to be out of my flat."

He nodded for a bit, looking thoughtful as he watched me dig into my noodles and start to eat. Finally, he cleared his throat and looked around the kitchen. "You know this place has three bedrooms. And I've been looking for a roommate, since my last roommate moved to Singapore."