The next morning, I started my day by walking five blocks to the gym and working out for two hours, which I did six days a week. Some people centered themselves with meditation. I did it by lifting weights. I loved all of it -- the routine, the repetitions, the ongoing challenge to do more and push harder. Nothing cleared my head the way a good workout did.
When I got back home, I showered and got dressed, then went downstairs to make some coffee. The house was quiet, so I thought everyone was still asleep. But once again, I found Prince perched on the kitchen counter. This time, he was eating my cereal straight from the box, and he looked like he’d just tumbled out of bed. His white-blond hair with its dark roots was gathered into two short, messy ponytails, and his black eyeliner was smeared. For some reason, he was dressed in a cropped red and white shirt that was made to look like a football jersey with the number 69 on it, a red jockstrap, and thigh-high white socks with red stripes around the top. He looked like a Harley Quinn/football player in a porno hybrid, and I had no explanation for any of that.
“Dude, no,” I said with a grimace.
His big, brown doe eyes went wide, and he tried to hand the cereal box to me as he said, “I’m sorry, Xander. I was hungry and keep forgetting to go grocery shopping, but I’ll get you another box, and--”
“No, not that. I don’t care if you eat my cereal. But your bare ass is on the counter, and that’s just nasty.”
“Oops.” He jumped off and started to move to one of the purple vinyl kitchen chairs. Then he saw the flaw in that plan, so he stuck the cereal box on the table and grabbed the nearly empty roll of paper towels.
I assumed he was going to put a paper towel on the chair before sitting down. But instead, he held the end of the roll against his hip, then wrapped himself in paper towels until he’d formed a miniskirt. He kept going until the roll was used up. Then he tucked in the loose end, sat down daintily at the table, and used the empty cardboard tube like a spyglass to look around the kitchen.
I had to ask. “Why didn’t you just put one towel down on the chair?”
“Oh. I didn’t think of that.”
“And the outfit? What’s that about?”
He looked confused. “What outfit?”
“Never mind.” After I got the coffee brewing, I asked him, “Do you want some toast and scrambled eggs?”
He looked at me through the tube with his other eye pressed shut. “I’d love that. Thank you.”
I honestly had no idea how he’d survived to the age of twenty-six.
After I put together a quick breakfast, I set a plate of eggs and toast and a glass of orange juice in front of him, and then I took a seat with a cup of coffee. He put the tube down, looked at what was in front of him and in front of me, and asked, “You’re not having any?”
“No. I’m expected at my brother and his boyfriend’s house in a little while for brunch, so I don’t want to spoil my appetite.”
“I didn’t mean for you to cook me a whole meal,” he murmured. “I thought you were going to have the same thing and just decided to make some extra for me.”
“It’s fine. That was easy enough to make, and you should have a better meal than just some cereal.”
Prince’s dark eyes met mine. “But that’s all you made yourself for dinner last night, after working a long shift at the hospital. Why do you take good care of other people, but not yourself?”
Okay, wow. I really hadn’t expected that flash of insight from the man-child who’d just finished mummifying his ass. “I was just tired last night.”
“You do that all the time, though. I always see you doing nice things for other people, but never for yourself. I suppose that’s something you learned by being a nurse, but I think you should really try putting yourself first sometimes. If there’s something you want, let yourself have it. You deserve that, Xander.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. You should eat, before it gets cold.”
Prince polished off the food like it was his first hot meal in weeks. Hell, maybe it was. Once he finished, he carried his dishes to the sink, found a bottle of cleanser, and sprayed down the spot on the counter where he’d been sitting. Then he looked around, but didn’t find any paper towels.
I could practically see the lightbulb go off over his head as he remembered his makeshift skirt. Instead of tearing off a layer of towels, he hopped up onto the counter and scooted across it sideways. He seemed to be proud of himself for thinking of that as he hopped off again.
I took a moment to process that, and then I finished my coffee and got up to take my mug to the sink. Prince intercepted me and took it from my hands as he said, “I’ll do the dishes. It’s the least I can do after you made me food.”
“Thanks. I’d better get going, so I’ll see you later.” I started to head toward the door, but then I turned back to him and asked, “Are you doing okay financially, Prince? I can give you some money for groceries if you need it.” I couldn’t help myself. I really was a caretaker through and through.
He flashed me a big smile. “Thanks for asking, but I’m actually doing great. I started one of those fans only pages last month, and the money is rolling in. I really do keep forgetting to go to the grocery store. That wasn’t code for ‘I’m totally broke’ or anything.”
“Okay. Just making sure.”
When I reached the front door, I was almost smacked in the face as it swung open. One of my roommates stepped inside as I staggered backwards, and he exclaimed, “Oh no, sorry! Bad timing.”
“No worries. How’s it going, Jae?” This was only the second time I’d seen him since I’d moved in. He was a cute Korean-American guy with pink hair, and he was holding a bulging duffle bag.
“I’ve been better,” he said as he brushed his long bangs out of his eyes. “My boyfriend and I just had a fight about him leaving me behind when he goes home at Christmas, and... well, long story short, I decided we should take a bit of a break.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, it sucks. Anyway, I’ll be home a lot more, instead of spending all my time at his place.” All of a sudden, some sort of furry thing with big ears stuck its head out of Jae’s open-topped fanny pack, and I leapt back. “Don’t worry, that’s just Chester,” Jae said with a grin. “He’s a sweetheart.”
I had no idea what Chester was, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. “Cool. Well, I’m on my way out, but I’ll see you soon.” I stepped around my roommate and headed for the door, never taking my eyes off the… rodent, probably?
Hopefully not.
YOU ARE READING
More Than Meets The Eye
Romance[COMPLETED] Doctor Cameron Albrecht is the most annoying man Xander has ever met, and hooking up with him was a terrible idea. So, why can't Xander stop himself from coming back for seconds? And thirds? Maybe there's more to this doctor than meets t...
