Apartment For Three

Chapter 1

"And I'm guessing you're bringing this up because you're negro and I'm white." He said as he looked at the back of my head.

"Why else?" I turned around to him.

"I can promise you, I'm an upstanding guy." The blue-eyed looker placed a hand on his chest, raising his eyebrows so convincingly.

"I'm sure you are." I said in a dismissive tone.

"By the way, I'm Paul Newman." He smiled, reaching out a hand for me to shake.

"Nice to meet you, Paul Newman." I looked down at his hand, then strutted past him back into the living room. He whistled slowly, combing his rejected hand through his curly hair.

As I walked back into the living room, there stood another young man. He was especially attractive. His brown hair was combed back in waves, and underneath his trench coat her wore a dark sweater and a collared shirt underneath it. He was well put together, except the sneaker shoes he wore contradicted his outfit.

I stood there staring for a moment, and then I brought myself to say something. "Are you the landlord?"

"No, I'm looking at the apartment." The young man said, chewing gum as he looking up at the crown molding toward the ceiling. His hands were in the pockets of his coat. "It's an ice box in here, isn't it?"

His eyes got a good look at me, and something about his demeanor switched. It was the kind of aura I quickly rejected from the other one. He walked toward me with a grin. He stood a few feet away, his eyes looking me up and down as he playfully rubbed his chin.

I tried to look another way, but he wouldn't quit looking. "You know, I don't come with the apartment."

"Wouldn't it be a pleasure if you did?" He smirked, lowering his chin as he looked at me.

"Is that your friend in the next room? You and him seem to share the same bad manners." I lifted my chin, glaring at him directly in the eye.

"I only have one friend, kitten, and he just moved back to the Midwest." The stranger clapped his hands in front of him. "So whatever fella you're talking about, it doesn't have anything to do with me."

"I would prefer it if you wouldn't call me 'kitten'." I corrected him. The moment when the landlord would arrive couldn't come soon enough in my mind. It felt like a lifetime.

"I apologize if I'm acting crass, but you're beautiful." The brown haired boy rose his eyebrows. "And you know, it would be an honor if I could prove what a gentleman I really am by taking you out to eat. Or maybe I can cook you something up in this apartment right here, I'm told I'm quite the chef."

"There's nothing you can cook me up in this apartment because I'm going to rent it." I told him boldly. "And once I do you will have no part in that."

"Ouch." He held his chest as if I shot an arrow at him. "Well we'll just see about that. I really like the place and I don't mind paying a little more for it."

"Paying a little more? You can't even afford proper shoes." I referred to his sneakers.

He looked down at his feet then back up at me. "What? These? I just like to wear these because they're comfortable."

"Either way, I'm a professional." I was sure to inform him. "Do not let my color or gender fool you, I make my own."

"As do I." He nodded his head with a lifted eyebrow. "You don't recognize me?"

I stared at the annoying man. "Should I?" I snapped.

"Hey, I know you." Tweedle Dum emerged from the bedroom and now joined Tweedle Dee. "You're the one from that film... oh what was the name?"