Page 27 of Not Your Basic Love Story

Over the next several weeks, Dev was over at my apartment almost every single night. We just couldn’t get enough. When we weren’t attacking one another like sexually frustrated rabbits, we were eating Oreos while catching each other up on our favourite things. He introduced me to OG Guy Ritchie, and I showed him Guillermo del Toro. He was the first season of Firefly to my Gilmore Girls, the Al Green to my Alt-J. Rarely did we wander out into the real world, save to scavenge for food at local restaurants.

As promised, Dev brought over the requisite spices to make masala chai (which I tried my best to pronounce properly). My apartment now held the lingering aroma of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; making my scented candles unnecessary.

I was getting used to seeing his razor next to my bathroom sink, his pants draped over the chair in my bedroom, and his favourite cereal in the cupboard. I’d never had a roommate before, but this was pretty damn close.

Even Graham hadn’t been this present in my apartment. We’d spent most of our time at his place, which left mine as a personal retreat.

It was surprising how much I loved it, how much I missed him when he had to go back home, how much I relished the smell of him when I wore his left-behind t-shirt to laze around on the couch with.

A few months in and he headed into finals season at school. With exams to study for and final projects due, he went MIA for a while. I definitely understood the pressure of finals and projects, having been in those shoes a few years ago.

God, a few years ago, already. Had it been that long?

We made up for it with FaceTime calls with the occasional sexy striptease. He had yet to send me a dick pic, even though I’d explicitly asked for one. He said he wasn’t the kind of guy to do that, and he didn’t want that out there in the world. I’d laughed at the time, teasing him that only celebrities had their photos leaked, and I wasn’t the kind of person to use that sort of thing for blackmail. Still, though, nothing. Memories had to suffice.

After his final exam, I invited him over for dinner to celebrate. I’d tried a few vegetarian recipes since we’d started dating and found some I liked and was excited to show him I was trying. On the menu: roasted acorn squash stuffed with quinoa, cucumber and avocado salad, and cauliflower ‘steaks.’ I still liked meat, but tonight this was about Dev and his accomplishments.

I even bought a bottle of sparkling juice.

With Vancouver’s amazing craft beer scene and the world-renowned Okanagan valley just a few hours away I always had a six-pack of seasonal, local craft beer in the fridge and a few bottles of wine to choose from. I really didn’t drink that much—one beer, or a glass of wine in the evening, no big deal. Around Dev, though, it made me feel a bit awkward to drink alone, him sipping on his chai. Never once had he said anything about it, and I didn’t ask if it bothered him because honestly, I wouldn’t change my habits.

Okay, Iprobablywouldn’t change my habits.

My home was spotless, there were fresh sheets on the bed, and the timing of the food was working out perfectly for six o’clock. I’d gotten waxed the previous day, exfoliated today, and even picked out some sexy lingerie, which I wore underneath my apron. The plan was to tease him throughout the entire dinner, see how long we could last. Finishing up the salad, my mind wandered to an imaginary scene of him bursting through the door, pushing everything off the table in one big romantic sweep, and taking me right there, unable to resist for even a moment, like in the movies.

The door buzzed, and I pressed the button to let him up.

A few minutes later, he entered without knocking. His eyes lit up when they met mine, and then we were kissing. A weighty sense of anticipation filled my abdomen as he pushed me against the cabinets.

He pulled his lips away but hovered, his thumb caressing my cheek. “Hello,” he said softly.

“Did you miss me?” I smiled.

“Not at all,” he said, kissing me again.

A timer went off, and I escaped his embrace to take the squash out of the oven.

Dev held up a brown paper bag. “I got this for you,” he said, pulling a bottle of wine out.

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that! I got us some bubbles. Congratulations, by the way!” I set the hot dish down on the stove and turned off the oven, examining the meal I’d concocted, wondering if it was enough.

He pulled two glasses down from the shelf and twisted the cap off the real wine, and poured me a glass, assuaging my fears that he had a problem with me drinking. I opened the non-alcoholic wine and poured him some, too. We clinked our glasses together.

“This is delicious,” I said, lifting the bottle from the counter. A smile lit up my face.Legacy Vineyards.The label was highly intriguing and something I would have picked myself.

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure what to get. This is a BC wine, though, and the guy at the store said it was really good.”

“Aw, thank you!” I kissed him again.

“Supper smells delicious. What do we have here?” He put his hand on my back and then pulled it away. “Are you naked under there?”

I blushed and did a turn for him, revealing my near-nudity. “Dessert comes after dinner,” I chastised with a wink.

I served the food, and we sat down to eat. Dev was very complimentary, and I had to admit, it all tasted very good. It wasn’t a filet mignon, but it would do.

“When do you get your final grades?” I asked.

“A few weeks. I’m not worried. Even if I failed these exams I’d still pass.”

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