A week later was moving day. Or, to be more specific, moving evening because I’d had to wait all day for the polish on the fancy wood floor to dry. Since it was the middle of the month, they’d prorated my rent, so I had no reason to wait to move in.
I still hadn’t had a chance to thank Colin for giving me a reference, mostly because I’d been avoiding one-on-one conversation with him since the kiss. Except for the weird happy hour with Sara, he seemed totally normal since it happened, behaving the way he had since I’d moved in.
Entirely unaffected.
I did my best to act normal, as well, but the sight of him brought the memories flooding back, making me hot and bothered and struggling not to stare at his incredibly talented mouth.
I grabbed the big box I’d filled with clothes and slid it into the living room. Jack was watching TV, and Colin was nowhere to be found.
“I can’t believe that we literally only have to move one box and an air mattress.” Jack came over and carried the box to the doorway. “Best move ever.”
“Yeah, everyone should be so lucky as to have a fire burn all their belongings.” It was probably a testament to my patheticness, the fact that I still had no real stuff to move.
“Colin already went down because he wanted to measure something.”
“What the hell would he want to measure?”
“I don’t know, I think he liked your flooring planks or something like that.”
“He’s so weird.”
“Yeah.” He gave me a smile and said, “I’ll get the box if you’ve got the air mattress.”
“Cool.” We loaded them into the elevator before riding down to my floor. My floor—I was beyond excited. I very nearly ran down the hall when we exited the elevator, bouncing off walls with my rubber raft, so excited to be back in that pretty apartment.
“You’re such an idiot,” Jack laughed before attempting to race me down the hall while carrying a huge box.
The door was ajar and I pushed it open with the air mattress. “What the hell are you measur—”
“Livvie!” Dana ran at me and grabbed the air mattress. “This place is amazing!”
“Dana, what are you doing here?” After she took it from my arms, I could see that Will and the boys were there, alongside Colin. There was also a stack of pizzas and a twelve-pack of beer on the counter. “Oh, my God, are we having a party?”
Colin laughed with my brother, and my cheeks got hot.
“We got you two stools for the counter as a housewarming gift,” Dana said, grinning and pulling me toward the kitchen area, “but if you hate them, we can totally do an exchange.”
“They’re perfect.” They were tall and the exact same shade of wood as my cabinets, and they each had a big red bow on the back. “I love them.”
Brady ran over and raised his arms for me to pick him up—which I did, of course—and Kyle made a face and mouthed the word poop at me because he knew he wasn’t allowed to say it but also knew he could use it to make me laugh.
“You guys, I can’t believe you brought me pizza.” I was seriously touched that they’d come over for my moving day. I opened the top box and snagged a gooey piece of cheese. “Wanna help me unpack box?”
Will’s eyebrows went together. “Box?”
Colin’s mouth slid into an easy smile and he explained, “Because of the fire, the only things she had to move all fit in one box.”
“On-brand for Queen Dipshit, I’d say,” Jack muttered.
Colin and I shared a secret smile, but before I could get light-headed, Kyle was running up the stairs to my loft and beers were being opened. It quickly became a laid-back gathering of friends instead of a moving thing.
We drank beers on the floor and ate pizza, reminiscing and telling stories and warming the walls of my pretty new home. In spite of the shitshow that I was, the first evening in my new place was made-for-TV perfection.
When I went out on the balcony to show Kyle the lights, Colin followed us.
I raised an eyebrow. “You want to see the lights, too?”
He put his hands on the railing and looked out at the city. “Actually, I wanted a second to thank you.”
Kyle squealed something about a train and ran inside, closing the patio door behind him and leaving Colin and me alone in the moonlight. It felt quiet, even though the sounds of the city surrounded us. I put my fingers on the iron deck railing and said, “For moving out?”
His eyes crinkled at the edges and he said, “For that letter you fixed.”
I rolled my eyes. “You already thanked me, Einstein.”
“I know that.” He leaned closer and teasingly bumped my shoulder with his. “But today the client signed the contract.”
I gasped. “Oh, my God, you got the deal?”
“Yup.” He smiled and nodded. “I got the deal.”
“That’s incredible!” I was instantly filled with adrenaline, beside myself with excitement that something I’d done to help Colin had, well, actually helped. “Congratulations!”
“It’s not a big thing,” he said, looking at something just past my shoulder, but I could tell by his expression that he was trying to act like the deal didn’t matter.
I could also tell that it totally did.
“Well, big or small,” I said, bumping his shoulder back, “way to go.”
Kyle came back outside and my brother followed. They were taking off because Brady was getting tired, and I pretended to be bummed as everyone gathered their things and made their way to the door, but the truth was that I was excited for everyone to leave.
I’d never lived alone before, and I couldn’t wait to get started.
I hugged everyone and said my thank-yous, rolling my eyes at Colin when he gave me an eyebrow waggle before ushering them all out my very adorable front door.
The minute they left, I ran around the apartment. I danced to Prince on my phone. I watched the city from my very own balcony. I envisioned the furniture I was going to purchase after a few more paychecks, and I even bought a cheap desk online from Target clearance.
It wasn’t until hours later, when I was finally lying on the air mattress up in my loft, that I started to calm down. I was kind of in a blissful haze of happiness, but it was keeping me from sleeping. After tossing and turning for an hour with no luck, I texted Mr. Wrong Number.
Colin
Miss Misdial: I know you’re dead to me, but I can’t sleep and you’re the only one I have to bug.
I sighed and just stared at the phone; when was Liv going to stop texting?
Miss Misdial: I just moved into a new apartment and I think I’m too excited to sleep. It’s the first time I’ve ever lived alone.
I wouldn’t have guessed that. She was so independent that I would’ve assumed somewhere between high school and now she’d had her own place.
Miss Misdial: I wish you weren’t in a coma, because I need your half of our idiotic banter to make me sleepy, dammit. A tiny part of me wants to say something to you like “I didn’t do something, did I?” but I’m not some kind of pathetic whimpering girl so screw you if you’re sensitive.
I felt like total shit for ghosting her. It had to be done, but I hated hearing her sound insecure about it.
My phone buzzed again. Good lord, she wasn’t going to go away.
Miss Misdial: Tbh the main reason I can’t sleep is that I’m sleeping on an air mattress. A night or two while camping is fine, but I’ve been on this thing for a month now. It seriously takes me like a solid minute to sit up in the morning because my back is so sore.
No wonder she’d napped on my bed.
Miss Misdial: I’m contemplating throwing it off my balcony and just sleeping on the floor.
I could see her doing that.
Miss Misdial: But the weirdest thing about night in my apartment? Thank you for asking, oh comatose one. The weirdest thing is that since I don’t have a TV yet, it’s deathly quiet. Like I could hear a cockroach if it were running around. Which it’s not because my apartment is dope, but still—I could if it were.
Aw, hell. I don’t know why, but the thought of her lying on that shitty air mattress with no furniture made me feel like trash. So much so that I lost my fucking mind and opened the drawer on my nightstand, pulling out my old iPhone. I’d stopped using it years ago, after I transferred all my calls to my work phone, but I’d never gotten around to disconnecting the line.
Olivia
My phone buzzed and my heart nearly leapt out of my chest.
And then I saw that it wasn’t Mr. Wrong Number. It was a number I didn’t know at all, and I hated how disappointed I was. I opened the message.
How’s the new apartment, loser?
That made me smile and text: Who is this?
I got up and went down the stairs. I was thirsty, and though not really in the mood for a Bud Light, it was at least cold. I was opening the fridge when my phone buzzed again.
It’s Colin. Duh.
My half giggle was loud in the empty apartment as I grabbed a beer and shut the door.
Me: How would I have known that? Have we ever texted each other before?
Colin: You’re in my contacts, so I assumed it was mutual. Maybe Jack used my phone sometime.
Me: Sure. Just admit that you miss me already.
Colin: What’s to miss? Your noise? Your mess? Your ability to dirty every towel in the bathroom and leave them all on the floor?
Me: On that note, can I borrow your conditioner in the morning?
Colin: Now you’re asking?
Me: I’m not your roommate anymore.
Colin: You never were.
Me: Oh, that’s right. I was your unwanted houseguest.
Colin: I thought you forgave me for that.
Me: Yeah but I want to use your crème rinse, so . . .
Colin: You do know now that you live alone you’re going to have to go shopping for things you actually need, right?
Me: Sigh. Yes.
Colin: It’s not so bad.
Me: Says you.
Colin: So you never answered my question. How’s the new pad?
I took the beer and went out on the balcony. It smelled like summer and was still hot, and I adored that if I leaned just right I could see the glowing neon lights of Pazza Notte, my absolute favorite restaurant. I texted: Ridiculously perfect. Btw, did I ever thank you for giving me a reference?
Colin: I assumed that was what the kiss was all about.
I almost dropped the phone off the balcony. I didn’t know what the hell to say or why he would bring that up and my heart started racing at the mention of the—
Colin: Relax. I was just messing but you went radio silent fucking fast.
I rolled my eyes but laughed.
Me: Screw you, Beck.
Colin: I think you wanted to.
Me: Um, if I recall, you were the instigator.
Colin: You might be right, but you were all in, Livvie. Admit it.
Me: I wasn’t disgusted. How about that?
Colin: How about if your brother hadn’t come home, I think we might’ve . . .
Me: Don’t say it.
Colin: Totally ended up in my bed.
“Oh, my God.” I opened the door and went back into the dark apartment, freaking out and nearly running up the steps to the loft.
I bit down on my lip and texted: You might be right.
Colin: We both know I’m right.
That made me giggle; Colin was fun to flirt with. Who would’ve guessed that?
Me: So, um, can I have a thirty min nap tomorrow?
Colin: Seriously? I thought my bed was mine now.
Me: I still can’t sleep well because of my raft bed, jackwad. I’m only asking for thirty when you aren’t home. Don’t be stingy with your Purple.
Colin: Fine. You can have thirty, but you owe me.
I dropped down onto the air mattress, giggling yet again with full-on butterflies in my belly. I rolled onto my side, pulled the sheet over my shoulders, and closed my eyes, wholly disgusted with myself for having cliché butterflies.
Me: Swear to God I’d do almost anything to get some alone time with that mattress. We have a deal.
Colin: Btw, you do know that your brother can never know about what happened, right?
I pictured Jack yelling at Milo, my middle school boyfriend, when he walked in on us kissing in the backyard.
Me: Duh. He’d kill us both.
Colin: G’night, Olivia.
