Page 54 of Just This Once

But all he said was, “So you’re here to meet the new roommate too, huh?” Motioning up the steps to the upper portion of the split level, he lowered his voice to a whisper. “Dude, I really don’t think I can live with her. She’s even prettier in person.”

I shrugged. “So?”

“So?” he exploded in dismay. “So I’ll never be able to relax. I won’t be able to just hang out in my underwear or whatever.”

“Dude, you didn’t hang out in your underwear before,” Hudson reminded him. “I would’ve kicked you in the nads if you had.”

“I’ll never feel comfortable enough to burp or fart or—oreat!” Alec went on. “She’s going to realize what a dork I am, like, immediately if she lives here.”

“Oh, buck up.” I knocked my arm against his. “She was going to figure that out immediately, anyway, no matterwherey’all lived.”

But my support didn’t seem to help. He sent me a dry, unimpressed glance. “This issonot going to work,” he hissed just as footsteps and voices approached. “Shit.”

Squeaking out a sound of alarm, he dived closer to me, nearly pressing against my side as if seeking protection.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I demanded, giving him a look, and he promptly slunk away.

“Sorry, sorry,” he gushed, lifting his hands in surrender. “I just don’t know what to do.”

“Straighten your spine,” I told him seriously. “Stop hiding behind my legs like a shy nitwit and act like you have a pair. That’ll get you farther than anything.”

“Right.” Clearing his throat, he pulled back his shoulders and drew in a bolstering breath just as Oaklynn appeared first at the top of the steps.

“We usually all chip in for groceries,” she explained as she led the way down with a gorgeous blonde trailing behind her, followed by Keene, then Foster, and ending with Raina and Damien.

“But if you want to buy something for yourself, just make sure you label it so the rest of us know not to take it.”

“Okay,” the blonde answered, nodding her head as she listened. “No problem.”

Next to me, Alec whimpered and tried shifting closer again.

All I had to do was give him a threatening glance, though, and he mouthed his apology before stepping away again.

“And down there are Alec’s and Keene’s rooms,” Oaklynn went on, motioning vaguely to the steps that descended into the lower portion of the split-level.

“I’m the first door on the left,” Keene told her, sliding up to her side so he could wink. “In case you ever need to…visit.”

She really was tall, just two or three inches shy of Dugger’s six-foot frame, so the two of them were nearly standing eye-to-eye when she sent him an apologetic wince. “Oh, I’ve already been warned about you, sorry.” Then she glanced around the room before spotting me and pausing. “And you too,” she added, pointing.

I lifted my eyebrows at her, not expecting such an immediate out. “How the fuck do you even know who I am?”

Xander merely smiled, a smile that I’m sure made poor Younger start to sweat profusely.

“Foster showed me pictures,” she said sweetly.

I scoffed and glanced toward my betraying friend. “Wow. Thanks so much for the glowing recommendation.Bestie.”

“Yeah, ya douchebag,” Keene chipped in, lifting his hands in a what-the-hell gesture. “Just what did you think we were going to do to her?”

Foster merely shrugged. “Nothing I’d approve of, I’m sure.” When Keene opened his mouth to argue, Foster held up a hand. “Hey, I didn’t forbid her from anything. I just gave her fair warning. What she does with it is up to her.”

Eyes lighting with possibility, Keene said, “So?—”

“Anyway,” Oaklynn broke in, clearing her throat loudly before Keene could spout off something completely inappropriate. “The kitchen is through here, where I think Damien has some paperwork for you to sign.”

“Yep,” Damien answered, shifting sideways to squeeze through people so he could hurry after the two ladies and into the kitchen. “They’re on the table.”

While Keene started complaining to Hudson about Foster, Alec nudged my arm, smirking triumphantly. “Did you notice how shedidn’tget warned about me?”

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