Housemates

Chapter 6

There was silence. Mia and the other woman had stopped talking when Ellie appeared.

They were looking at each other. Ellie could see out the corner of her eye. There were looks, and there was some glaring, and she got the feeling Mia was trying to get the other woman to go away. After a moment, the other woman did. She stood up and said she needed to see someone about a thing, and went inside. She had almost sounding like she was laughing.

“Sorry,” Ellie said.

“What for?”

Ellie shrugged. “In case I interrupted something. Just then.”

“Nope.”

“It seemed like I might have.”

“Not at all.”

“You weren’t about to hit on her?”

“Ah, no. She’s a mate. I’ve known her for years.”

Ellie nodded, and couldn’t decide why she was so relieved.

“Not interested, either,” Mia said. “There’s that.”

“Oh.’

“Not like I am in some people.”

Ellie tried to stop herself grinning. She didn’t quite manage. “Okay,” she said.

“Which you seem to care about,” Mia added. “Interestingly.”

Ellie opened her mouth, then stopped. She didn’t know what to say. She started to blush.

“Care quite a lot,” Mia said. “Apparently.”

“No,” Ellie said. Then, “Maybe.”

Mia didn’t answer. After a moment, Ellie looked sideways. Mia was watching her, grinning.

“Don’t,” Ellie said.

“You say that a lot.”

“So?”

“No so. Just pointing that out.”

Ellie decided not to answer. Instead she said, “Thank you. For before.”

Mia shrugged. “It’s fine.”

“I should have said then.”

“No need.”

Ellie sat for a moment, thinking. Mia seemed happy to sit there while she did.

“We’ve never kissed,” Ellie said.

“Nope.”

“I’m just saying. Since we’re pointing things out.”

“There’s a lot of people I’ve never kissed,” Mia said.

“People you’ve made come twice?”

Mia grinned for a moment. “Some.”

Ellie wasn’t sure what to make of that. She wasn’t sure if she was meant to take it seriously.

“I want to kiss you,” she said.

“Good,” Mia said.

“I really do,” Ellie said.

“I believe you.”

“I really want to.”

“So do something about it.”

Ellie sat there for a moment, turned sideways, looking at Mia, looking into her eyes. She swallowed, and tired to lean forward, but she couldn’t make herself.

She didn’t know why.

Mia waited a moment, then seemed to decide Ellie wasn’t going to after all.

She grinned. She didn’t seem that worried.

She picked up a beer bottle from beside her feet, and shook it, to show it was empty. “I need another drink,” she said.

Ellie didn’t move.

Mia waited a moment longer, then stood up. “So like I said, decide, and tell me when you have.”

Ellie swallowed. “You’re going,” she said. “Just like that?”

“Yep.”

“You’ll fuck but you won’t kiss?” Ellie said, trying to get some kind of reaction. Trying to get Mia to stay, without saying she wanted her to.

Mia grinned. A lot. “That wasn’t fucking,” she said. “When I fuck you, you’ll know.”

Ellie got breathless. She got wet. Wet again. She hoped Mia didn’t notice, but she had a horrible feeling Mia would.

“You’re really fucking arrogant,” she whispered.

“I know,” Mia said, still grinning. “Decide.”

“I haven’t not decided.”

“Decide,” Mia said, and walked away.