Chapter 70

When you knocked on the door you could hear the sound of the TV blaring inside the apartment.

“Turn it down,” someone said, and the TV volume dropped and you heard footsteps coming toward you. The peephole darkened for a moment as someone looked through it, and then the door opened.

“Well hello there,” Becca said, opening the door. The beautiful-if-boyish person (you still hadn’t clarified if she/they were just tomboyish or did the whole identification thing) leaned against the door jam and crossed her arms. Becca was wearing a baggy hoodie that looked like it belonged to someone twice their size or more and hung down to the thigh, and fuzzy moccasins. “Little late to be calling on an upstanding woman, isn’t it?”

“It is, but I bring gifts,” you said, pulling one hand from behind your back to show off the four McDonald’s Triple Thick ‘milkshakes’. “One of the chocolate ones is for Lucy, I know that was her favourite back in high school. I wasn’t sure what you, Charlotte and Gemma would want so I got one of each.”

“You, sir, are the devil,” Becca said, looking delighted at the surprise treat. “I really shouldn’t, but I’m definitely going to.” Becca picked the strawberry one and then opened the door for you. “Ladies, there is a gentleman caller at the door.”

“Oscar?!” you heard Lucy exclaim, and she darted into the doorway and you watched her excited features crash into disappointment, followed by disgust. “Oh, it’s you.”

“It’s me,” you said. “But I brought you a peace offering.” You offered her the tray, and even though she sneered at it Lucy took one of the chocolate shakes and turned away. Without saying thank you.

“John?” Gemma said, coming around to the hallway. Her eyes did the opposite of Lucy’s, moving from confusion to surprise to joy. “What are you doing here?”

“Making up for Sabrina teasing you incessantly,” you said, and presented her with the shakes, and then pulled your other hand out from behind your back to show her the fresh slice of pizza, still steaming it was so fresh on its cardboard tray.

“Oh my gosh, you didn’t have to,” Gemma said, coming forward and hugging you as you held the food and drinks out of the way. She kissed you lightly on the cheek, then again on the mouth.

“Now, now,” Becca said, closing the door. “You know the rules for this boarding house, Gemma. No gentleman callers after dark.”

Gemma rolled her eyes. “We’ve been watching a documentary series about women during World War II. Becca can’t get over the ‘Ladies Only’ boarding houses and the rules they had to follow.”

“It’s interesting, and ridiculous!” Becca laughed. “Imagine paying rent, and being told you had a curfew for the privilege.”

Gemma accepted the pizza and took the other chocolate shake, and led you into the living room where Lucy was sitting and trying to scowl around the straw in her mouth like a pouty child. Charlotte, the last of the roommates, was lounging in leggings and an athletic bra, her highlighter green hair pulled back into a short ponytail.

“Hey, I hope vanilla works, the others claimed everything else,” you said, stepping over to her and offering her the shake.

“Do I look like a vanilla girl?” Charlotte grinned, but accepted the shake. “Actually, don’t answer that. The best sex I ever had with a guy was vanilla as fuck, but he did it well. But you’re offering me free barely-dairy desserts, so you won’t hear me complaining.”

“Do you guys mind if we pause for like ten minutes?” Gemma asked.

“Sure, girl,” Charlotte said.

“Go talk, find out why he’s really here,” Becca grinned.

Lucy just pouted, her lip twitching like it wanted to curl into a sneer.

“Come on,” Gemma said, and you followed her deeper into the apartment and back to her room. Once she’d shut the door and set down the pizza and shake, she turned and hugged you again and now you could hug her back. “Why are you here?” she asked. “It’s late.”

“Well, I knew you were up,” you said. “And I didn’t want to wait to see you tomorrow when I couldn’t hold you or kiss you.” You kissed her again, with just a touch of tongue for emphasis.

“Those are all excellent reasons,” Gemma smiled, her eyes looking into yours as you didn’t let each other go. “But this feels like a booty call. You can’t tell me Sabrina left you hanging, I saw that video.”