to let my new roommate know that I was coming in when I decided not to. I didn’t want them to think that I was always going to let them know when I was coming home. I lived here now. Roommates didn’t knock on the door before they entered. I pulled out the key that I’d gotten from Victoria when I’d met her and James for lunch earlier and let myself in.
Dancing around the room was the girl that I remembered with the long, black, curly hair. Her back was to me, but from what I could see, she was in her just underwear. She was singing along to the very loud speaker that was blasting in the corner.
I stood by the door, just watching her. She looked like she was having fun. She paused just long enough to grab a glass of wine and to down it before she started singing again.
“I can do whatever I want!” she screamed out loud. “I’m living the life!”
I recognized her English accent and tried to remember her name from when I met her at the club. I knew I should announce myself. But I was intrigued by what was going on in front of me, and then came the move I never expected. She undid her bra and threw it to the other side of the room.
“I’m too sexy!” she shouted. “I can do whatever I want!”
Then she turned around and saw me and started screaming loudly. “Oh my God! Oh my God! Who are you?”
She ran to the side of the room and picked up a t-shirt, but instead of putting it on, she just held it in front of her. I grinned as I closed the door behind me. I let my gaze sweep up and down her naked legs, taking in her thong underwear, wishing she’d turn around so I could get another look at her ass cheeks.
“Who the fuck are you?” she said. “And what are you doing here?”
“Um, I’m your roommate. I live here,” I replied with a shrug.
“What are you talking about?”
“I think I got the right apartment. The key worked.”
“What do you mean, the key worked? You’re not my roommate. I—”
“I’m subleasing the place from Victoria.”
“You what?” Her face froze in horror. “This has got to be a fucking joke. You’re fucking joking me right now.”
“Um, I’m not joking you right now. Victoria was your roommate, right?”
“Yeah, and she left me a letter. She said that she’s gone to Eastern Europe and that I have the apartment to myself for the next three months. Who are you?”
“Um, maybe you misread her letter. She has gone to Eastern Europe for three months, but she sublet her bedroom. I’m gonna be your roommate.”
“What do you mean, she sublet her bedroom?”
“I mean, she sublet her bedroom. You’re in one of the bedrooms, and I’m in the other bedroom.”
“Dude, this is a studio apartment.”
“What?” I frowned. “What are you talking about?”
I’d been so distracted by the striptease act she’d been doing when I walked in that I hadn’t paid much attention to the apartment itself. I finally looked around. It was just one big room with one door, which led to what I now realized must be the bathroom. There was a single bed on one side, another single bed on the other, and right by the door, a small little couch and a TV. All the way at the back of the apartment was a little kitchenette.
“Um, I thought she said this is a two-bedroom apartment?”
“Yeah, that’s how she got me as well. You want to see the two bedrooms?” she said.
“Uh, yes, please.”
“Turn around first, I need to put some clothes on.”
“Don’t feel like you have to get dressed on my behalf.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m just saying if you like to go around naked, I’m fine with that. We could have a nude colonist apartment. I’m totally fine with that too. In fact, I can start taking my clothes off now.” I lifted up my t-shirt.
She stopped me with a raised hand. “Do not take your t-shirt off. This is not going to be a nude apartment. In fact, you’re not even going to stay here.”
“I am going to stay here because I already paid my rent and—”
“Just turn around please.”
“Fine,” I said as I turned around, a grin on my face. “I am Ethan, by the way.”
“Whatever,” she said, and I could hear her rifling through some stuff.
“Can I turn around yet?”
“No, I’m putting on some pants.”
“You don’t