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When I was done there, I went to explore the kitchen. I’d brought over my dishes, utensils, and small appliances, but I wanted to see what he already had before I moved anything of mine in. Seeing that Michael only had a crappy coffee maker, I set up my espresso machine on the granite countertop, then tucked my air fryer and instapot into an empty cabinet.
Last but not least, I found Nutella’s bowls and set out food and water for him along the back wall of the kitchen. The instant I filled one of the bows with food, Nutella came flying out from wherever he was hiding, setting about to eat some of his food as if he hadn’t eaten in months.
As I watched Nutella eat, I realized that I felt tired, but I also felt a sense of accomplishment. I had to admit, it’d felt good to dump my old living room furniture and the rickety dining room set that I’d picked up at a thrift shop when I was in college. It was like I’d released some kind of a weight that I hadn’t known was weighing on me. Plus, seeing Michael’s nicer and more grown-up furniture made me embarrassed that I’d lived like I had for so long.
“You two all settled in?” I jumped as I heard Michael’s voice behind me.
“Sorry.”
“Oh no, it’s me,” I reassured him. “I’ve lived alone since I was twenty-two, it might take me a while to get used to having someone else around.”
He walked past me to the refrigerator, and I realized that he’d taken a shower. His hair was damp, and he’d changed from jeans to flannel pajama pants and a tee shirt. His feet were bare, which was oddly arousing.
Down girl! I scolded myself. Stop lusting after the man who’s helping you out of a jam.
“Are you ready for bed already, old man?” I teased, nodding at his outfit.
“There’s no sense getting another pair of pants dirty,” he smirked, plucking a menu off the side of the refrigerator. “Do you like Lou Malnati’s?”
“Please, am I a Chicagoan?” I asked.
“Deep dish or thin crust?”
I just rolled my eyes and gave him a pointed look. Everyone knew that deep dish was for tourists or special occasions. Regular people here ate the uber thin crust pizza some people called tavern style.
“Thin crust it is,” he said solemnly. “What toppings do you like?”
“Definitely sausage,” I said. “And mushrooms. Oh, and onions and peppers. And…”
“How about if I order a vegetarian but add sausage?” he interrupted.
“Oh yeah,” I clapped my hands like a little kid who just heard they were going to Disney Land. “That’s perfect.”
He gave me a smile that almost looked indulgent. “Okay I’ll order now, then we can pick out a movie.”
“Let me just get my purse.”
He shook his head. “First pizza is on me. It’s a roommate rule. The original roommate buys the first pizza.”
“So I’ll buy the second pizza?” I asked.
His eyes darted to the left, the way they’d done when he lied as a kid. “Absolutely. The next pizza is on you.”
Michael
Olga went to take a shower while I waited for the pizza to be delivered. I sat on the couch, thumbing through Facebook on my phone, not really paying attention to anything. Probably because I knew Olga was down the hall, naked in the shower. I really needed to get my libido under control before I gave into my urge to pull her into my arms and kiss her pouty lips.
That wasn’t what she needed right now, and it would definitely make me a shitty roommate if I started hitting on her like some kind of a pervert.
When Olga came back out to the living room, I rolled in my lips to keep from laughing. It was like she picked out the most unattractive outfit she owned. She was wearing wool socks, long yoga pants that had seen better days, and an oversized sweatshirt that fell to the top of her thighs. Her hair was up on top of her head in a messy bun. If her motive was to be unattractive to me, she’d failed, because she looked adorable.
“How do you feel about Marvel movies?” I asked.
She gave me a big smile. “Alona and I have seen every single one ever made.”
“Oh, we can watch something else if you want,” I said quickly.
“No way, I can watch those movies all day. I love them.”
