Said Roommate

6: Said Friendship

"Dean isn't working today?" I asked Carter while sipping on my drink.

"He didn't clock in. Pulled the sick card, so I'm covering his shift." He grimaced.

"Sucks for you." I muttered.

"You seem down for someone who always has snarky comebacks and seems to be the bitterest person in the world."

"For a second, I actually thought you cared, but no, you didn't change." I countered.

"Okay, let me turn on my listening ears." Carter made an effort to pull his ears and rolled his shoulders back. I cracked a half-grin. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Are you sure? We're not exactly close." I motioned between the two of us.

"Well then, let's make an effort in our budding friendship." I rolled my eyes before explaining the Turner situation from this morning. Carter tsked loudly before disappearing to handle some customers. I sat there bored for a couple of minutes before he returned. "You never bring the person home."

"I know, but he picked me up and we went on some stupid date." I huffed loudly. "You know how hard it is to fake being happy on a date. I don't do dates. I'm a 'let's talk for a bit before we get busy' type of person. The sad thing is that I feel guilty. I never feel guilty." I exclaimed.

"That's your fault. Basically, that's all I can say."

"What happened to being a motivational speaker?" I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Obviously it didn't work out."

"I can see that." He disappeared again, so I leaned back in my chair trying to rid away the guilt gnawing at my system.

"Is this seat taken?" I made a grunt-like noise before adjusting my phone in my hand. I grabbed my drink and took a sip before going back to searching how to stop feeling guilt. This was serious.

"Ben." Carter showed up giving the guy one of those man handshakes I never seem to master. My boobs always hurt after they try to chest bump me.

"Carter. Just ring me up on the usual." I shook my head and put my phone down.

"Why can't I be a sociopath and not have feelings? The one guy I leave hanging has me feeling like a piece of shit. Why is this my life?"

"You're still on this?" Carter asked when he returned with the guy's drink. "I thought you were heartless. I guess we were all wrong."

"New rule. I'm never bringing a guy over unless I know him, know him." I said in quotations.

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Ben chimed in. I acknowledged him for the first time since he walked in. My eyes squinted in recognition, his doing the same.

"You're that hot guy I ran into the other day." I pointed at him.

"Blunt, are we?" He smirked at me.

"I cut through the act. I can tone it down if you want me to. It will take a lot of trying, but I'll try to get it." He just laughed. I turned to Carter and shook my drink in his face.

"If I came to your job and acted like you were my slave, how would you feel?" He snatched the glass out of my hand.

"I'm used to it. If I put a smile on my face and take it like a man, I'm still making money at the end of the day." I pulled out my wallet and got a few bills out. Carter gladly took it and set another drink in front of me. "By this rate, I won't be able to drive to Ash's place."

"I'll drive you." Carter offered.

"Seriously?" I narrowed my eyes at him, to see if he was falsely getting my hopes up.