Bradga Short Stories

1998 [2]

I woke up, soft wind hitting my bare thighs and I noticed that the beige satin bedsheets underneath my fingertips weren't mine. I opened one eye and peeked at the alarm clock in front of me: 10:30am. I opened my other eye and turned around so I'd lay on my back, noticing I was alone in bed.

I gave myself another two minutes to wake up and then sat up, pulling the shirt lower so it'd cover my ass when I stood up. I remembered last night and the rude but sexy man and wondered where he was when the door to the apartment opened and closed again, answering my silent question. In a few seconds I saw him enter the room and he shot me a quick look before placing a brown paper bag on the kitchen table.

"You're awake." He said, in that same emotionless tone I was used to by now.

I nodded and opened the bag, seeing some breakfast items in it. I pulled them out and he occasionally shot me a look but we were both quiet.

"Are you allergic to something?" He asked after a while, placing a pan on the stove.

"No." I said. "Are you?"

He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "No, why are you asking?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, I wanted to know."

He hummed and turned back to the pan, cracking some eggs in it and heating up a second pan. He mixed some stuff inside of a bowl and plopped perfectly round circles of runny dough into it.

I watched him and snacked on some fruit when he turned towards me. "Plates are in that cabinet, can you bring me two?"

++++

I finished the pancake and watched Bradley finish his own. He made the best breakfast and I had never had eggs this good. Pun intended.

"You don't talk a lot." I stated, putting my fork down.

"Neither do you."

Fair enough. All I'd done was watch him all morning.

"Do you have a job?" He suddenly asked.

I nodded. "I have three."

Bradley tilted his head to the side in a questioning manner. "Why?"

"Life is expensive. None of these jobs pay enough but all three allow me to have a roof above my head."

"Move in with me." He suggested, making me choke on my orange juice.

"No, what?" I asked in disbelief.

"You shouldn't be working three jobs at once and I've got enough space." He paused. "I told you I don't do one night stands."

"Yes, you did, but you didn't tell me you moved that fast." He shook my head, with a smile on my lips.

"I have a job for you." He then added.

"I'm not a prostitute." I glared at him and he chuckled.

"Not that kind of job, even though I'm sure you'd be good at it." His pupils dilated at his dirty thoughts and I felt my cheeks redden. "I need someone to help me...socialize." He mumbled.

"Socialize?" I asked, giggling.

"You may have noticed that I'm not the best at showing emotions or...talking to people."

"Wouldn't have figured." I mocked him, making him glare at me.

"You're good at it. I watched you at the jazz club, everyone loves you. And I've got business partners, that don't like me." He rolled his eyes. "I mean, I don't like them either, they're assholes but they're important for my company, so I need them to trust and like me."