The Fourth Roommate

Surprise Visitor

Ace was so amused at my mortified expressions. He kept on forcing me to listen to their disgusting back and forth, sometimes even going so far as to quote them in stage whispers, overdramatizing their exchange. Cam was totally eating up the attention as well, completely egging my mom on. Ugh, I wanted a trapdoor to appear so I could disappear.

When Ace started to reenact them so obviously that the people behind us were starting to stare, I pulled him into a little corner shop. Cam and my mom kept walking, blissfully unaware of us and the humiliation I was being put under. My mom never flirted with anyone, was completely romantically uninvolved but of course when she did decide to start, it was with goddamn Cam. Goddamn it.

"You stop, mister," I warned him.

"Whatcha gunna do about it?" Ace teased me, getting all close and personal and walking me right against the shop wall.

I narrowed my eyes at him, debating with what I was going to threaten him with. And then I decided that actions spoke louder than words. The light was very dim in the shop, and it was colored a kind of purple. It gave us the feeling that we were alone, just us two. In fact the shop did seem abandoned, no one was at the till.

I leaned up and grazed my lips against the crook of his neck. Ace laughed slightly, thinking he was going to get some sugar. Oh eww, that was tacky even by my standards. I vowed I wouldn't describe hooking up as 'getting some sugar' ever again. But then I started to concentrate, letting my lips draw patterns against Aces skin.

I then moved up to his face, keeping my touch as light as a father but still applying pressure. Ace groaned and moved to pull me closer but I snatched his hands into mine, keeping him rooted. Well, seeing as he was probably ten times as strong as me, I probably wasn't keeping him at all but it was nice to know he would stand still if I wanted him to.

My lips brushed over his, the touch barely felt but the slightly tingling of my lips I always got when I was about to kiss Ace. I then pulled back completely, and left Ace hanging there, his mouth slightly open and his eyes closed.

I started to laugh and he jerked his head back, scowling at me.

"I'll be your number one tease if you do not quit it," I said.

Ace let out a huffy breath and crossed his muscular arms, "fine, but let it be said that you totally suck."

"Keep that attitude up and I definitely won't be sucking face with you," I taunted him, sticking out my tongue.

Ace took this as an open invitation to kiss me. He pressed my mouth open with his and my whole body felt on the verge of exploding. His hands were wrapped around the collar of my shirt, tugging me so close that there was nothing between us but some scraps of clothes. I let my hands roam through his hair, curling my fingers into the strands at the nape of neck. My heart was practically thudding out of my chest.

"YOU BUY OR LEAVE!"

We sprang apart, as we always did. The owner of the shop had arrived, a little old Asian man without a hair on his head nor a smile. He was literally holding a broom and was poking us with it, trying to get us to leave his precious shop.

I laughed and started to tug Ace out who seemed a little speechless. We held hands as we ran down the block to catch up with Cam and my mom. I felt a hundred times better when I was with Ace, I always did.

***

We were having lunch when phone rang. This was surprising seeing as I had almost zero friends. In fact the only people who did call me were my mom, Lee (and only to check on Cam), Jane (although not anymore since calling was way too pricey from abroad), Zac (ditto with him), Cam and Ace. Seeing that it left only Lee, and the number wasn't hers I was