Love Fool

15 Let's talk

Saturday morning.

"Alright, get up." I looked at the naked Sleeping Beauty sprawled on my couch, where a blanket hung loosely on the side.

"Mmm, babe, give me another five minutes."

"Nope, get up. Now!" I meant serious business.

"How about bacon and eggs?"

"My fridge is empty, darling."

"What? No food?" His eyes shot up, staring at me as if I committed a crime.

"No. We can go to the local cafe down the road for breakfast."

"Let me guess, did your work colleagues buy you dinner while I've been away?"

"Fuck off, Sven. I've been working late and I buy my own dinners. I eat alone," I grumbled, as I brushed the knots out of my hair.

"Besides, I'm flying out tomorrow afternoon for a work trip, so we've got today to sort out our shit." I crossed my arms, hoping that I wouldn't have to lift and drag over six feet and two inches of hard muscle to the bathroom for a wash.

"Work trip?" Sven finally sat up and slowly removed his body from the sofa. When he stood, he towered over me. He was about the same height as my brother, who was blessed with the 'tall' gene in our family.

"Yeah. I'm meeting an important client in Abu Dhabi next week, but I'll be back before next weekend," I declared.

"I'm going to miss you, babe," a bereft Sven remarked.

"I'm going to offer you a deal, and I'm going to sweeten it up for you," I proposed.

Sven's eyes lit up with enthusiastic delight.

"No, not that kind of deal. Think again," I scoffed.

"First, we're going to lay all our cards on the table during breakfast. No, we're not family planning. Believe me, the last thing I want is to get shacked up. Besides, I'm allergic to kids."

"Are you for real? You don't like kids?" Sven frowned, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I'm for real. Here's the first part of my deal: we need to be open and honest with each other. Got it?"

"That goes for you too, Eva. None of this 'I'm a tough woman' business. I want to know the real you behind the wall that you built,"  Sven retorted.

"Okay, fine. Here's the second part of my deal: we'll pick up your stuff from Maddy and Jonas' place and you can live here until you graduate and fly back to Oslo."

"Can we share a bed?" Sven flashed me a delicious, dimpled grin.

"Don't push your luck. We are going to my mum's place and you're going to help me take my old, fold-up spare bed, which we'll set up here. There's plenty of space in this living room," I stated.

"I'm cool with that. Plus, I haven't met your mum yet and I'd like to meet your family," Sven commented.

"Moving along now... here's what you get: you'll get an empty apartment to yourself most of the time. That's because I work long hours and attend evening classes. Oh, I catch up on my studies on campus during some weekends," I clarified.

"I have just one rule: don't bring any girls here. Any funny business can be carried elsewhere." My eyes were two burning fireballs, aiming at Sven.

"Whoa, whoa, Eva. What the fuck? Do you think I'd bring other girls to your home? What kind of man do you think I am?" Sven fired back at me with a stinging look.

"Shut up, Sven. I'm done listening to bullshit. My last boyfriend was a lawyer who knew the art of bullshit all too well, so don't try it on me" I retaliated.