Piece of Cake | Ashton Irwin [au]

Six

Ashton’s POV

A loud knock—no, more like bang at my door cuts my much needed shower short. After spending a long day in the bakery, the aroma from the desserts and all the baking supplies clings to my body and it takes at least fifteen minutes and the help of a manly mint body wash to remove the sweet scent even though I don’t really mind it. I’ve grown accustomed to it after working in the baking business for almost five years.

The knocking grows louder and faster so I shut off the shower faucet and wrap a towel around my waist. My body and hair is still damp and droplets of water trail along the wood flooring as I walk out of the bathroom and to the front door. I look through the peep hole and see Michael standing outside, bouncing up and down on his feet. I unlock the double-lock door and leave him to open the door himself while I go dry up and get dressed.

“So Ruth sent me a text just a few minutes ago,” he hollers as he walks through the threshold and closes the door behind him.

My ears perk up as I dig through my drawers in my bedroom and look for a pair of boxers and basketball shorts to put on. “Oh, yeah?” I try to act cool and not let it bother me that she also has his number. “What did she say?” I ask before slipping into my clothes, walking out of my room, and shaking the towel over my wet hair.

Michael already makes himself at home by lounging on the cream sofa in the living room with his feet resting on the coffee table in front of it. “She’s looking for a new place to live,” he states matter-of-factly.

I don’t know anything about her current living situation and I’d rather not be a creep and ask her, but I wonder why she’s needs to find a new place to live. “Did she say why?” He has known her longer than me, so maybe he asked her some questions and she gave him details that he’s not telling me.

“Nope; I didn’t ask.” Well, fuck you. “She wanted to know if I knew any places in the area that are for rent and I told her that I think I might know one, but I need to go check to make sure. So, before I came here I made a little pit stop and sure enough, I’m right.” He grins widely.  

My eyebrows knit together in confusion as to where he is going with this and why it’s important for him to tell me. “So, where is this place?”

His grin turns into a devious smirk. “Here.”

My head snaps in his direction. “Here?”

“Yes, here.”

“Like here as in my apartment?”

He scoffs. “No, you idiot. Have you not been paying attention to your neighbor two doors down from you?” My awkward silence answers his question. Michael sighs inwardly and shakes his head disappointingly at me. “Dude, the couple that lives there is moving out. Did you not see the huge ass moving truck when we got home from work?”

“No,” I answer simply. I have no recollection of this truck that he speaks of. I was too busy thinking about the text that I sent to Ruth about some basic facts about myself. I don’t really give a damn about my neighbors—with the exception of Michael—or what’s going on in their lives, so this is all brand new information to me.

He stands from the couch and puts his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to pay close attention to him. “This means that there is going to be a space available for Ruth to rent out,” he speaks slowly to me to make sure that I am grasping every word he is saying. “They should be out of there by the end of the week so once everything is cleared out, the place is up for grabs.”

A strike of realization comes over me and I fight the urge to smile at this great opportunity. The faster we tell Ruth about this, the better chance she has at contacting the property owners to rent it out as soon as it’s available. Not to mention, she’ll be living down the hall from me and I can see her as much as I’d like.