Laundry Boy

Unfortunate Underwear

“Could you just be jealous that those aren’t your lipstick stains?” There’s that devilish grin and teasing tone again. Aspen’s rage only heightens and she scoffs at his words, her hot cheeks betraying her.

Aspen quickly turns to gather her laundry basket –double checking to make sure it is hers- before she sends the man a bone-chilling glare and moving to storm past him. How can he be so direct and offensive to a woman he just met?! It’s sexual harassment! Arrogant, pompous, cocky little-

“Bye pervy girl!” The man shouts as she pushes open the laundry room door with her hip. She turns around one last time to see him waving his hand excitedly, a wolfish grin overtaking his features.

She huffs indignantly at him before all but sprinting out the door, hoping to never see the laundry boy again.

            ***

“Shut the front and back door! I’m calling shenanigans! There is no way he called you, you of all people pervy girl?!” Carmen screeches loudly and Aspen winces at her friend’s shrill voice so early in the morning.

Aspen hangs her head in shame as she continues to water the hydrangeas and peonies arranged on the floor of the windows. She knew telling Carmen would mean that she would never hear the end of it, but she needed to tell someone about the laundry room debacle. It felt like a horrible, horrible dream.

“I felt bad about it at first, of course! But, he kept making all those crude remarks! It was unbelievable! The nerve of-“

“O to the M to the F to the G. Is that a bitch-pitch I hear? The Aspen Carter is actually bitching about someone,” You could practically hear the astonishment dripping from Carmen’s voice, “This guy did a real number on you.”

Hearing it being said out loud, Aspen could feel the guilt beginning to creep up into her mind. She really shouldn’t have said those things back there, it wasn’t very nice. She should have bit her tongue and just calmly explained. She should have been the bigger person.

Aspen continues to make her way around the cramped living room, tending to each flower pot, ivy branch, spider plant, fichus, and all the other green shrubbery that take up 75% of the space in their apartment. Any guest that came in would think they stepped into the amazon and not a loft in NYC. But, Aspen loved being surrounded by so much vitality and Carmen didn’t personally mind until the bugs started to crawl around them.

 When Aspen first moved in with Carmen after meeting her at the dance studio, she relented to having her plants fill the place as long as Carmen got to decorate. Which actually turned out pretty well. Their apartment had been turned into a chic vintage loft. The walls had been painted white, their furniture was mostly bought from thrift stores and remained miss-matched. The country kitchen was also connected to the very small dining room that was only slightly bigger than the bathroom. The bathroom was also white and covered in plants that survive in damp climates. The bathtub took up the most space in the edge of the room and was again, placed in front of a large window. Their rooms were surrounded by brick walls, more plants, and more floor-to-ceiling windows.

The place was small and compact, but it was the closest thing Aspen has called home in years.

“Dimples, are you even listening to me?” Carmen sighs, clearly exasperated and Aspen snaps out of her reverie. She sets down the watering plant onto the small coffee table to join her friend on the tattered tweed couch.

“Sorry, what’d you say?”

“I asked if he was a total babe,” She rolls her honey eyes teasingly, “But, clearly if you’re this jacked-up then he must be.”