roommate. We sorta had dinner plans.” She joined him in the kitchen and pulled a glass vase from the cabinet beneath the sink. “Do you mind if Lexie joins us?”
“Sure, I’m the one who showed up unannounced.”
“Yes, but with pizza and, oh, is that a box of cheesy sticks?” she asked over the rush of the tap water.
“Cheesy sticks and a dessert pizza.”
“The blueberry cheesecake swirl one, by chance?”
He nodded confirmation as he removed the drinks from the carrier. “Did I do good?”
“Are you kidding? You did perfect. That’s the best pizza in town. Do you mind if we wait? Lexie should be here any minute.”
“Sure.” He slipped his sunglasses onto the counter. “Pretty nice place you got here.”
“Decorated on a budget, but it’s home.” She unwrapped the flowers and began arranging them in the vase.
He checked out the living area. The furniture was mismatched pieces in different shades of brown and blue, well-worn and comfortable, and aimed at a small wide-screen TV. A sturdy green plastic table sat squarely in the middle of the little deck that looked out over the poplars at the busy street below. A textbook’s pages ruffled back and forth in the wind.
“Sit wherever you want,” Kelly invited as she arranged the flowers. “How is the mountain-climbing going?”
“I still haven’t fallen.”
“You must have developed a certain competence at it by now. You said it was an advanced training thing you’re doing, right? What’s advanced about it?”
“Next week we get to train on glaciers. There’s nothing like ice-climbing.”
“I haven’t ice-climbed in ages.” She carried the vase past him to the scarred pine coffee table between a mismatched brown couch and blue striped chair. “Okay, never. It has never occurred to me that people actually climb across mountain glaciers.”
“Well, they do if they want to get to the other side.”
“Tell me that’s not your idea of a joke.”
“My sense of humor. It’s why no woman will have me.”
Oh, I doubt that, Kelly thought as she studied him. She imagined plenty of nice women would definitely consider him a fine catch.
The door opened, and Lexie’s voice filled the little foyer. “Kelly? I couldn’t believe it! I got the last copy on the shelf—”
Kelly watched her roommate skid to a stop midsentence, stunned by the sight of the guy standing in their living room. Before Lexie could jump to the wrong conclusion, Kelly made it clear. “Mitch and I went to the same high school. He’s an old acquaintance, because we were never really friends. I was too shy.”
“So was I,” Mitch added, slipping his hands into his back pockets, which only emphasized the corded muscles in his arms. “It’s good to meet you.”
“You, too.” Lexie swiped a chunk of wayward black hair behind her ear and looked utterly shocked. “I, uh, am just on my way back out. You two have a nice date—”
“Not a date,” Kelly emphasized. “Mitch and I were waiting for you. He brought cheesy sticks. C’mon, let’s grab some plates.”
His ego was not getting a boost. Good thing he was tough, Mitch thought. There was nothing a guy liked better than being a friend, when that wasn’t what he had in mind at all.
But it really was, he realized. The least he wanted with Kelly was friendship, and that was a good place to start. He noticed the rental DVD case the roommate was holding. “Is it movie night?”
“You can stay and watch it with us.” Kelly offered, handing him a plate over the counter. “Lexie, did you say that you got the last copy?”
“Yeah, of the new romantic comedy that just came out for rent.” Lexie still looked uncertain, even as she dumped her backpack and the video case on the edge of the couch. “I bet you’re not into romantic comedies, Mitch.”
“Not my thing, but I’m up for it.”
He really was a nice guy. Kelly knew he probably wasn’t jumping for joy to spend his Saturday evening watching
“Sure, I’m the one who showed up unannounced.”
“Yes, but with pizza and, oh, is that a box of cheesy sticks?” she asked over the rush of the tap water.
“Cheesy sticks and a dessert pizza.”
“The blueberry cheesecake swirl one, by chance?”
He nodded confirmation as he removed the drinks from the carrier. “Did I do good?”
“Are you kidding? You did perfect. That’s the best pizza in town. Do you mind if we wait? Lexie should be here any minute.”
“Sure.” He slipped his sunglasses onto the counter. “Pretty nice place you got here.”
“Decorated on a budget, but it’s home.” She unwrapped the flowers and began arranging them in the vase.
He checked out the living area. The furniture was mismatched pieces in different shades of brown and blue, well-worn and comfortable, and aimed at a small wide-screen TV. A sturdy green plastic table sat squarely in the middle of the little deck that looked out over the poplars at the busy street below. A textbook’s pages ruffled back and forth in the wind.
“Sit wherever you want,” Kelly invited as she arranged the flowers. “How is the mountain-climbing going?”
“I still haven’t fallen.”
“You must have developed a certain competence at it by now. You said it was an advanced training thing you’re doing, right? What’s advanced about it?”
“Next week we get to train on glaciers. There’s nothing like ice-climbing.”
“I haven’t ice-climbed in ages.” She carried the vase past him to the scarred pine coffee table between a mismatched brown couch and blue striped chair. “Okay, never. It has never occurred to me that people actually climb across mountain glaciers.”
“Well, they do if they want to get to the other side.”
“Tell me that’s not your idea of a joke.”
“My sense of humor. It’s why no woman will have me.”
Oh, I doubt that, Kelly thought as she studied him. She imagined plenty of nice women would definitely consider him a fine catch.
The door opened, and Lexie’s voice filled the little foyer. “Kelly? I couldn’t believe it! I got the last copy on the shelf—”
Kelly watched her roommate skid to a stop midsentence, stunned by the sight of the guy standing in their living room. Before Lexie could jump to the wrong conclusion, Kelly made it clear. “Mitch and I went to the same high school. He’s an old acquaintance, because we were never really friends. I was too shy.”
“So was I,” Mitch added, slipping his hands into his back pockets, which only emphasized the corded muscles in his arms. “It’s good to meet you.”
“You, too.” Lexie swiped a chunk of wayward black hair behind her ear and looked utterly shocked. “I, uh, am just on my way back out. You two have a nice date—”
“Not a date,” Kelly emphasized. “Mitch and I were waiting for you. He brought cheesy sticks. C’mon, let’s grab some plates.”
His ego was not getting a boost. Good thing he was tough, Mitch thought. There was nothing a guy liked better than being a friend, when that wasn’t what he had in mind at all.
But it really was, he realized. The least he wanted with Kelly was friendship, and that was a good place to start. He noticed the rental DVD case the roommate was holding. “Is it movie night?”
“You can stay and watch it with us.” Kelly offered, handing him a plate over the counter. “Lexie, did you say that you got the last copy?”
“Yeah, of the new romantic comedy that just came out for rent.” Lexie still looked uncertain, even as she dumped her backpack and the video case on the edge of the couch. “I bet you’re not into romantic comedies, Mitch.”
“Not my thing, but I’m up for it.”
He really was a nice guy. Kelly knew he probably wasn’t jumping for joy to spend his Saturday evening watching
Similar Books
