Page 18 of Rosie
Evan: Guess who the understudy is?
Keith: No way!
Keith: Man, I’d kill to work with that director.
Evan: Please don’t. This production has been cursed; I swear.
Damir: Where are we going to find another player for the tournament?
Matt: My sister has a friend who’s a big gamer. Let me talk to her.
Which is why Matt found himself begging his sister for Mia’s number.
Olivia: She lives on the first floor, Bro. Apartment 3. Just go knock and ask her.
Matt: Thanks.
When the petite, curvy blonde opened the door, she smiled up at Matt and waved him inside. She was built like Rosie, but she didn’t make his heart pound, so it was easier to talk to her.
“Hey, Matt. What’s up?”
“I have a question for you. This may sound strange, but do you playStar Wars Battlefront II?”
“No, why?”
Matt sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m in a tournament with some guys from work, right? And one of them just found out he won’t be able to make the competition. We’re trying to find a fourth person to buy out his spot so we don’t lose our place.” The wait list was ridiculously long with teams who would love to replace them.
Mia cocked her head to the side as he explained the game mechanics. But when her eyes glazed over, he realized he’d lost her. She shook her head.
“Listen, I could probably learn it, but it would be hard because I’m not really aStar Warsperson. Rosie is the sci-fi nut of the group. Why don’t you ask her?”
Matt’s tongue stuck straight to the roof of his mouth as he stammered. “I can’t,” he finally managed to get out.
Mia’s brown eyes squinted at him. “Why not? You asked me,” she pointed out.
Matt felt his face turn red and he looked away. “I just … I just can’t.”
How was he supposed to explain that Rosie’s mere presence turned him into a carbonite slab? He had no idea how to speak to her. She was this beautiful angel of mercy, and he was but a lowly mortal. Rosie had saved his dad several years ago, and now she saved babies every day. Babies that were like him.
When he looked back at her, Mia’s finger was tapping at her chin. “Youlikeher, don’t you?”
Matt gulped. “I … I, uh…”
Mia crossed her arms. “Mmmhmm. How long?”
He couldn’t hide now. And he couldn’t deny it, either. In a small voice, he squeaked out, “High school.”
Mia’s brown eyes almost popped out of her head. “That long? Dude. Then why were you so rude to her when you moved in? Is that why you can’t talk to her?”
His stomach dropped. “I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“You grunted the whole time at her, then ripped that laundry basket out of her hands like she offended you.”
“I … I was afraid she’d seen my underwear!” That whole basket had been full of dirty laundry. He groaned, and fell back onto Mia’s bright pink sofa. “She musthateme,” he whispered to himself, distraught.
“No, but she definitely thinksyouhateher.” Mia sat down next to him and rubbed his shoulder.
Fuck. The angel he adored thought hehatedher? That was evenworse!
