Nathan leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms in a way that made his biceps bulge again. It was very distracting. “Doyouthink it’s kind of weird?”
“Maybe a little.” I crossed the room to look out one of the windows down to the sidewalk. The people looked a bit like ants from up here. Everything was quiet.
“It doesn’t have to be. You slept with my former roommate. Sex happens.”
I giggled. I couldn’t help it. “Sex happens? You make it sound like a bill I forgot to pay. Or something you stepped in on your way to the subway.”
That brow arched again. It was impossibly sexy. “Was it something special? Should I ask Aiden to come back? Maybe that will help you to remember his name.”
His tone was still even, but Nathan was joking with me. Again.
Out of sheer joy, I grinned.
And for the first time, Nathan grinned back.
And ho-ly-shit. The guy had a smile bright enough to fuel all of New York. I almost fainted right then and there.
“I can think of more important things to remember,” I somehow managed to say. “Like saying thank you. For letting me stay here.”
Nathan clasped his hands together and nodded his acknowledgment. The movement was so immediate and bashful, he reminded me of a little boy for a moment. It was endearing.
“Any other house rules I should be aware of?” I set my bra on the window sill, ignoring the way Nathan’s eyes darted in that direction. “Chores you want me to do? I’m really good at washing windows when I play loud music, but horrible at mopping floors. And counters are my nemesis, but I’ll do my best when I have kitchen duty.”
Nathan shrugged. “That won’t be necessary. I have a housekeeper that comes in twice a week. I am a fairly neat person, so I’d appreciate it if you could make an effort to keep shared spaces picked up. That’s about all, though.”
A housekeeper. For a river-view apartment. That he apparently owned if he was planning renovations.
Something wasn’t matching up. Men who had things like this didn’t “need” roommates like me.
But when the lights of the city twinkled at me through my new bedroom window, I decided not to question my good luck. Don’t look a gift horse in the…eye? Face? Whatever the saying was, I wasn’t going to do it.
“Well, cool,” I said. “And that’s included in the rent too?” I dug into my purse for the wrinkled envelope of cash Frankie had handed me before she’d left. The one I’d carried with me everywhere all week in the event I finally found someplace to land.
Nathan nodded. “It is.”
“Well, here. That should cover first and last. I think.”
I crossed the room and held out the envelope. Nathan took it and thumbed through the cash, looking skeptical.
“Count it and let me know if it’s enough. I should have the rest within two weeks. Hopefully sooner if I can find a second job.”
Nathan still looked doubtful. A few seconds later, he handed the envelope back. “That won’t be necessary.”
I held it in my hand. What was happening? “What do you mean?”
He was staring at the money like it was going to burst into flames. “I can’t take that, Joni. That would be unethical.”
I swallowed. “But…that’s what we discussed at the bar. At least, I think it is. I’ll be honest, I’m pretty bad at math, but my sister said she gave me enough for two months in most places.”
Shit. Shit, shit,shit. I knew this was too good to be true. I shouldn’t have brought up the fact that I didn’t have that job yet. Now, he was thinking I wouldn’t be able to come up with rent and wanted me out. The whole arrangement was over before it started.
“No, I just mean, I don’t need the money,” Nathan said. “I’ll wait until you can find another job and get yourself more secure. It’s fine.”
I stared at him, then at the money, then back at him. Was he for real?
“I can’t do that,” I said, holding the money back out. “It wouldn’t be right. I won’t—listen, I don’t want to put myself in a position where I feel like I owe you something, but also, I can’t take advantage of you that way either. If you won’t take this, I can just look for somewhere else.”
“Don’t do that.”
