The Desire Variable | Rewrite

⸻ SEVEN ⸻

When the weekend comes, nothing eventful happened at work. Our boss is back upstairs, and I haven't even crossed his path. Everything was smooth, and I have integrated myself well with the dev team.

Oli is becoming a great friend, which is crazy since we haven't known each other for that long. But he's sweet and considerate, and we're on the same wavelength for most things. When he offered to help with my move, I refused at first, not wanting to impose. But he insisted, arguing he didn't mind, so I caved in. Moving in had nearly gotten the best of me, even though Kate and my dad helped. Doing it all over again but alone would surely kill me.

After work on Friday, we head to my place right away. Thanks to Oli's help, we pull up at Tammy's in under an hour of hard work. Her building has an elevator, which I thank the Lord for. I would not have managed to climb all five floors.

She comes down to meet us when we arrive, all smiles and coily hair, as always. In barely ten minutes, the car is empty, and we're on the elevator up, pressed against one another.

Between the boxes and us three, there isn't much room for comfort. Stuck between Oli and Tammy, with my entire front pressed against his, I feel strange. Although there's a pleasant, friendly warmth, there isn't much spark there. Nothing compared to the last time I was plastered against a man in an elevator.

I know for a fact that if it was Alexander Coleman instead of Oli, my entire body would be on fire by now.

It really isn't fair. Why can't we choose whom we desire or love? Everything would be so much easier if I could want Oliver as much as I crave Alexander. I can see it working. We laugh, share interests, have matching humor... We click very well, and the connection of our minds is a rare thing.

I'm almost sure that Oli likes me. His offer to help me out today is proof of it. Why else would anyone endure such a straining task? Especially if it's for an acquaintance of five days. Kate--my relationship expert--seems confident that Oli likes me that way. I, however, am not ready yet for more than platonic interactions.

I'm taken out of my thoughts as we reach Tammy's floor and the doors part, revealing a corridor with beige walls and blue carpet. We take everything out of the elevator to free it, and she guides us down the hallway.

From her main door, we arrive in a small entrance corridor, with closets on the walls and a shoe organizer. At the end of that hallway, we enter the living area, with a cushioned couch, an assorted armchair, and a coffee table made of wooden crates. There's also a sixty-inch flat screen on a low console. One of the walls has two windows, the one facing it is the kitchen, the left wall has three doors, facing our point of entry.

The kitchen looks well-equipped, and although I'm not fond of cooking, I'm glad that making meals won't be too much of a chore. Tammy goes for one of the three doors, the right one, and opens it before getting inside. We follow her, and I discover my new bedroom. It's as warm as the rest of the apartment, with a sash-window that leads to the fire exit. My selective brain decides to ignore the fact that it's an easy way in for robbers, and only think of the good fresh air I can get from there, like in movies. Or maybe escape a psycho killer. Hopefully, I won't need to.