Page 35 of The No Touch Roommate Rule
As if reading my mind, he answers, “I know. But my family’s house got swept away in the flood. We lost everything. Our insurance says it’s going to cover the rebuild, but nothing we had inside—not even the kitchen cabinets or appliances. It’s a huge expense we just…aren’t prepared to cover. Not even close.”
“What?” Makena asks, her tone pitching up. “What the hell? How can they get away with that?”
Luis shrugs. “I don’t know. I guess it’s a common thing? A lot of the time, they don’t cover ‘contents,’ just walls. I should have read our policy closer, but…” He trails off as he takes a bracing drink of his coffee. “Anyway. They’re paying for the hotel my wife, my girls, and I are staying in right now, but I don’t know how long they’ll cover it. So I’m trying to save every penny I can. Especially until my job site opens up again. The house we were building was wrecked in the flood, too.” He smiles, a hint of pride creeping into his voice as he adds, “I’m a master electrician. I only do the driving stuff on the weekends. Usually just during the holidays or before the girls’ birthdays to pay for presents.”
My ribs squeeze, tighter and tighter, rage and empathy mixing in my chest as he describes the shitty situation he and his family are in right now.
“How old are your girls?” I ask, doing my best to control my temper. This isn’t about me, and raging against the machine won’t help Luis right now.
But a fat-ass tip will, and I intend to give him one as soon as we get to my place.
He grins. “Three and five. Wild things, both of them, but they’re handling everything better than Lila and I are. The hotel still feels like a big adventure to them. Though they do keep asking for their toys and books…” His smile fades. “My wife lost her books, too. She had this huge romance collection in our spare room. Shelves all the way up to the ceiling.”
“Romance novels?” Makena sits up straighter. “What kind? Contemporary? Paranormal? What’s she into?”
I shoot her a sideways glance.
I didn’t realize she partook of the romance novel.
I wonder what kindshelikes? And if they would give me a window into those kinks she’s pretending she doesn’t have…
Luis doesn’t seem surprised by the question, however. “Oh, a little bit of everything. She’s always been a big reader, but she’s been into cowboys, recently.” A soft laugh escapes his lips as he adds, “I like to think guys who work with their hands remind her of me.”
“I’m sure they do,” Makena agrees. “And you know, there’s a Cost Saver Warehouse less than a mile from here.”
Luis blinks, seemingly as confused by the non-sequitur as I am. “Yeah? Is that right?”
“Yep, and it’s open until ten on Fridays.” She’s gotthatlook on her face now, the one that means resistance is futile. “If we hurry, we can get in, grab a couple of things, and get out again in plenty of time.”
To his credit, Luis catches on fast for a man who’s about to drop in the saddle. “Oh, no, ma’am, I can’t ask you to?—”
“You’re not asking. I’m telling,” she says kindly, but firmly. “And I’m very, very stubborn. Arguing is a waste of breath, and you’re way too tired to waste breath. Just drive, park, then come inside and pick out a couple of toys your girls will like. On me. I insist.”
“Might as well give in, man,” I say, loving this idea. Lovingherfor having it. “She’s a force of nature. It would be like fighting a hurricane.”
A bit more wheedling and gentle bullying, and five minutes later, Luis swings into a spot in front of the brightly lit box store.
“Okay, let’s be fast and efficient,” Makena says, half out of the car before Luis cuts the engine. “We have places to go and things to do.” She strides toward the entrance like a woman on a mission.
Luis and I hustle after her, falling in line the way soldiers do for a general. It’s clear who’s in charge here, and it’s not us. Makena commandeers a cart and makes a beeline for the toy section. She grabs a big box of pastel-colored LEGO bricks, tossing them in the cart before turning back to Luis. “All kids need blocks, but what else are the girls into? Princesses? Animals? Playdough?”
“Sophie loves princess stuff, but Sylvie is a dinosaur girl,” Luis says, thankfully having abandoned his attempts to stop her. The poor man is too tired to fight, and even if he weren’t, I have no doubt he’d lose.
Few people on earth can out-stubborn this woman.
It’s one of the things I admire about her, when she isn’t using that stubbornness to keep me from slipping into her DMs, of course.
“Perfect,” she announces, tossing a T-Rex stuffy and a bunny dressed as a princess into the cart before pointing down an aisle.“Jammies are next. I’m sure you know their sizes, Luis, and new jammies make everything better. Hurry scurry.” She pushes the cart in the opposite direction as she orders over her shoulder, “I’ll grab stuff for second dinner and meet you guys by the checkout in ten minutes. We’re going to be starved after all this shopping.”
Luis watches her go, a dazed grin on his face. “Your girlfriend’s sweet. A little scary, but very sweet.”
“She is, but she’s not my girlfriend. Yet. But I’m working on it. Hard.”
He chuckles. “I hear that. And don’t give up. I had to ask Lila out five times before she finally said yes.”
As we head to the pajama section, I ask, “Yeah? Why did she say no so many times? If you don’t mind me asking.”
Luis shakes his head. “Nah, I don’t mind. We were friends first. Her dad was my boss at my first electric job. Lila and I have known each other since we were kids.” He clears his throat. “Well, sinceshewas a kid. When we met, she was still a teenager. That was part of it. She was afraid her dad would be pissed if she started dating a twenty-one-year-old when she was only seventeen.”
