Roommate Arrangement

Mine

Perrie

She did not just hang up on me. I stare at the blank screen for a couple of seconds before I hit redial. It goes straight to voice mail. I try again and get the same thing.

Somewhere in my head, beyond the white noise, I recognize I'm being irrational. I don't honestly think Jade is going to hook up with Wentworth. She has better taste than that. All conversations up to this point indicate she does. I think. I hope.

The image of that jackoff in my condo, in my spare bedroom with her, naked and under him makes me want to get on a plane and go home right now. Which again, is highly irrational. Unless I can wrap things up here faster, I still have a few weeks before I'm home. I'll need a miracle to make that happen at the rate we're going.

Beyond the possible hookup with Wentworth – which I know is unlikely – I'm actually not all that excited about the idea that Jade might be interested in dating anyone. In the time she's been staying in my place, the part of the day I've been looking forward to the most is our almost daily video chats.

After endless meetings and hours spent dealing with a room full of Type-A personalities and the fine details of project management, Jade is a breath of fresh air. She's the person I want to come home to the most. Which is kind of a problem I suppose, because she's not my girlfriend and she's supposed to move out when I get back.

I have no idea if she's been dating anyone, casually or otherwise, while I've been away. I certainly haven't had time for that. Well, I suppose that's not 100 percent true. There have been a few girls who have expressed interest in spending time with me, but my schedule doesn't accommodate dates. Not when I have calls with Jade scheduled in the evening. Although while I've been in Amsterdam, I started calling first thing in the morning instead since I'm an early riser and she seems to be a night owl. Her bedwear is my favorite. Little tanks with shorts. Sometimes I can see her nipples through the fabric.

But it's not just about visuals. It's far more than that. Jade is a vibrant, gorgeous girl with a mind of her own. She has fire and sass. I like her. A lot. She's funny and witty and sweet. We seem to share the same views on how frustrating family expectations can be. I like talking to her and hearing her perspective is always refreshing. She doesn't just say things to bolster my ego. It's a nice change from some of the girls I've dated in the past. She'd be a great plus-one at some of these terrible, stuck-up parties I'm forced to attend. I want to take her out. I want to take her to bed. My bed. The one she's always lying on with Francesca.

None of that is going to happen though if she starts seeing someone else in the time I'm gone. It could happen. Beyond how lovely she is to look at, her father's bankroll is desirable. That alone would be reason enough for many of the single people in Armstrong's circle to be interested. It would make her doubly alluring for an asshole like Wentworth.

I try calling again, but I get tossed into voice mail. She must've turned her phone off. That's fine. I have other ways to get in touch with her. I call Armstrong's phone, but unfortunately I get his voice mail, too. So I call again. And a third time.

"Hello?" He sounds annoyed.

"Hey, Armstrong."

"Perrie. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Good."

He murmurs something and I hear the sound of a chair moving across the floor and voices in the background.

"That's great. I hear the projects are going well. How's Amsterdam? Have you been taking advantage of some of the perks over there?"

Of course that's his first question. "If you're referring to the weed cafés, the answer is definitely no." I'm sure Lex is out partaking. He's been off for the last few weeks, and I can't figure it out. Regardless, one of us needs to be able to pay attention at the morning meetings.