Page 46 of Home Game

“Who doesn’t?” I smoothed my hand over a textured pillow.

He motioned his head. “Come on. We’re shopping for a bedroom today.”

I got sidetracked by the living room storage and then the kitchen showrooms, but eventually we made our way to the bedroom showrooms. I stood looking around. “Are we getting furniture for your bedroom?”

“The guest bedroom.”

I froze momentarily. I knew I was living on borrowed time at Ryan’s place, but maybe, just maybe, if the furniture came in time, I would get to sleep in it for a couple nights. “What kind of furniture?”

He looked around. “The works. I need everything. I want the room to look as good as this room. Do you think you can help me out with that?”

I actually shivered. “The whole room? Everything?”

“We need furniture, blankets, decorations.”

Was this guy for real? “What’s your budget?”

“Unlimited.”

My good hand went to my chest. I was speechless. He might as well have handed me his credit card.

“I want the best of the best, Zoey. You think you can make my guest bedroom look guest worthy?”

“You want me to help pick?”

“I want you to be in charge.”

Here was my chance to repay Ryan for helping me out. A huge thrill rushed through me. I grabbed the mini pencil out of his hands. “I can do it.”

I was nervous.I was giddy. I didn’t want to let Ryan down. I rushed from showroom to showroom, studying the furniture, the design, everything down to the throw pillows. Ryan sat in one of the showrooms, hunched over his phone, his head down and his face hidden by his hat.

I tried asking him a couple times for his advice, but he said, “I believe in you, Zoey.”

We were just about to head downstairs to the Market hall when Ryan put his hand on my back and steered me towards the cafeteria. “You promised me coffee.”

We shuffled into the line.

“You want breakfast?” his voice was low in my ear.

I wanted anIKEA breakfast. So bad. “You can’t keep buying me stuff.”

“Pretty sure I can cover a $1.99 breakfast.”

Our eyes met. “Waffles.”

“Funny, I had you pegged as an egg chick.”

I felt shy as he pulled out his wallet and paid for our meal. I mean, this wasn’t a date or anything, but I honestly couldn’t remember the last time someone else had bought me a meal. He led us towards a table by the window.

He lifted his coffee cup “So, here is to our first Swedish meal together.”

I clinked glasses with my plastic orange juice glass, “I wish I could do this every day.”

He looked amused. “You really like this place, hey?”

I used to watch this video of how these guys snuck into IKEA and stayed the night. That had always been my fantasy. That I became a little stowaway in IKEA and every night, I could sleep in whatever bed I wanted. I don’t think words could describe how this place made me feel. “It feels right here.”

“So Krista came by one night while I was gone?”

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