Housemates

Chapter 15

“So the friends thing,” Mia said suddenly, a little later.

Ellie jumped, guiltily. She’d been unthinkingly sliding one finger up and down the smooth part of her ankle again. She hoped Mia hadn’t noticed.

“Who are you talking to,” Mark said.

“Ellie.”

Ellie cleared her throat. “Yeah?” she said.

“So the friends thing…” Mia said again.

Ellie looked at her.

“Hey, friend,” Mia said. “Can you help me with something tomorrow?”

Ellie sat there for a moment, almost too nervous to find out what Mia was going to ask her to do.

Mark had looked up too. Not to say stop being distracting, Ellie thought. Something else. He’d noticed Mia say friend, and how Ellie and Mia were talking, and thought it was odd. They would have to be a little careful there, Ellie thought. She wasn’t sure she wanted Mark knowing what was going on.

“Maybe,” Ellie said to Mia. “What?”

“Helping someone move house,” Mia said. “I told her I would. But I thought, could you maybe give me a hand too?”

Ellie sat there for a moment.

The question seemed odd. She didn’t know why Mia would think Ellie was some kind of expert house-mover, nor why of all the people Mia could ask it would be Ellie. It seemed like Mia didn’t know Ellie well enough to for favours like that yet, even though they were having sex. Or half having sex. Or Ellie was having sex, and Mia was helping her. Whatever they were doing.

It seemed odd, especially on a work day.

Maybe it was some kind of excuse to see each other, Ellie thought. Probably it was. But this was Mia, so Ellie wasn’t sure. Mia might actually just need help.

“I can help,” Mark said, when Ellie didn’t answer.

“Not you,” Mia said.

Mark just shrugged, went back to the game, and didn’t argue. Or apparently care what was going on between Ellie and Mia.

Ellie watched, and decided that, right there, was why Mark and Mia were friends. Mia said no, and Mark just did what Mia said without arguing. Now Ellie thought about it, Mark was like that with her too, when they were organizing who did which housework, or what was needed from the shops. Ellie said something, and Mark just accepted it. He didn’t try and say he had a better way to do it.

Ellie suddenly realized how rare that was. Especially with something like this, moving houses or tools or cars, things that were meant to be guy things.

Most men, most people, would keep arguing.

Mark didn’t. And Mark didn’t seem to care what weird undercurrents there suddenly were between her and Ellie either. That was pretty special as well.

Ellie realized Mia was still waiting for an answer.

Mia was looking at Ellie, distracted, which meant Mark was distracted too, waiting for Mia to go back to the game. And even though Mark wasn’t especially curious, Ellie didn’t really want him noticing so much that he started paying a huge amount of attention to her and Mia. Not if Mia hadn’t already said anything herself.

“Okay,” Ellie said to Mia. “Sure.”

“Can you finish work early?”

“Yeah, probably.” Ellie sat there for a moment. “I can take the day off if you want?”