Dating My Roommate

Chapter 2

Mark Grant's long legs were a bit scrunched in the back of Darcy's two-door Chevy Spark. Actually, a bit scrunched was more of an understatement. His 6 foot 2 frame was very scrunched in the tiny backseat. Rachel had offered him the front seat after they had loaded the car and she had seen how much room was in the back, but he had declined so that the two girls could catch up. As he shifted uncomfortably, he was starting to regret turning her down, but he had a feeling that there was something going on that the girls needed to discuss. Besides, if he was in the back, he could tune them out and try to catch a quick nap. He shifted uncomfortably again and tried to maneuver his backpack on the seat next to him in an effort to give himself a bit more room. He wasn't sure how well he would be able to take a nap with how little space he had, but it was worth a shot. If only Rachel's luggage hadn't taken the entire trunk and if only he had known that Darcy's car was so small. He would have gladly called a cab, but he hadn’t wanted to be rude. Shifting again, he looked out the window at Phoenix's bustling streets and brown landscape. He was already starting to feel homesick for the peaceful countryside of South Carolina. What he wouldn't give to be on one of those quiet two-lane roads with green fields and forests on either side. He would kill to be stuck behind a tractor instead of in Phoenix's morning traffic.

"I'm either desperate, crazy, or a mix of both to have decided to come here," he thought to himself as he quickly studied a large cactus as they drove past it.

He shook his head, doubting his decision, and looked up at the front seat where his cousin sat next to the girl he hoped would help him with his problems, or, at least, distract him from them. At least, that’s what Rachel told him she could do. As he studied her, he couldn’t help but admit she was attractive, even though she wasn’t his usual type, curvy and blonde. His eyes traced her face, framed in the rearview mirror, a slight smile beginning to tug at his lips. Her dark brown hair waved temptingly down to her bare shoulders, her skin a light brown, probably from spending a fair amount of time in the Arizona sun. Her bright blue eyes, stunning with her darker complexion, were fixed on the road in front of her as she expertly navigated the dense traffic. If only he didn’t have a sinking suspicion that Rachel hadn’t been exactly truthful. A girl like Darcy was sure to have a boyfriend. He couldn’t imagine that she’d be interested in a country hick like him.

"So, where are we going again?" Rachel asked, clearing her throat nervously, apparently uncomfortable in the awkward silence that filled the car.

"Annie's," Darcy replied quickly, not bothering to look over at Rachel as she weaved between cars.

"And it's right next to the apartment?" Rachel asked lightly.

"Pretty close,” Darcy said quickly. “Normally I just walk over.”

"Is it nice?" Rachel pressed, turning in her seat to look at Darcy.

"I wouldn't be taking you there if it wasn't," Darcy said, starting to sound a bit irritated.

Mark sniggered quietly as Rachel fell silent for a moment while she studied Darcy’s face. It wasn’t every day that she was rendered speechless and he rather enjoyed the sight. She had talked nonstop since she had flown out for summer break. Her silence was a welcome reprieve. Maybe he’d buy Darcy some flowers just for being able to accomplish what he wished he could. Chuckling, he watched as Rachel puzzled over what to say for a few minutes before giving up and laying her hand on Darcy's arm as if to ask if she was okay. If Rachel had thought that would break through whatever barrier Darcy had put up, she was about to be disappointed. Coolly, Darcy shrugged off Rachel’s hand without saying anything, turned on the radio, and flipped through a few stations until she found one that she apparently liked.

"Is this alright with you, Mark?" Darcy called back, glancing at him in the rearview with her bright blue eyes as the start of what he thought was a song by Bruno Mars filled the car.

"Not my style," Mark replied, sinking back in his seat as he wondered how different life was going to be here in Phoenix. "I’m more of a country fella, but it'll do. If you like it, then that's what we'll listen to. You’re the driver. By the way, do you mind tellin' me how long of a drive it is to this Annie's?"

"It's a little over half an hour," Darcy responded, grimacing apologetically.

"Mind if I rest my eyes for a minute? It's been a long night," he asked, his fingers crossed.

"Go right ahead," Darcy said with an easy smile. "I totally understand. I’d still be asleep myself if I hadn’t offered to come pick you two up."

Mark gave her a quick smile in return and then closed his eyes. Before he knew it, his dreams had taken him back home to Irmo. Everything looked just as it had the day he had packed his stuff and left. The railing on the porch still had graying paint that was chipped and peeling, originally white. The screen door was still hanging at an angle, caused by slamming it too hard after a bad fight one night. Crushed cigarette butts from various friends and family members still littered the dusty, overgrown driveway. He frowned, feeling uneasy as birds flew past, twittering cheerfully. As much as this was home to him, it wasn't at the same time. Hadn’t been since he had requested that damn test and gotten the results a week later. The past four years of living in this small run-down house while he finished up his bachelor's and then his master's at Columbia felt like they were a lifetime ago. Now it was just his ex-girlfriend's house, and he was homeless, bouncing from couch to couch.

"Why do I keep comin' back here?" he asked himself as he ran his hand along the railing.

Sighing, he leaned against the railing and looked out over the dandelion-covered lawn. Every damn time he had fallen asleep since the breakup, this is where he found himself. It left him questioning his decision and sanity. It was the reason he had decided to go up to his grandma's place for summer break. It was his home away from home and it got him off his friend's couch for a couple of months. He still had a pinched nerve from that blasted thing. Not only that, but he had hoped it would distract him enough to move on, but he had no such luck. He sighed again as he made his way off the porch. He could have gone back to his mom's house instead, but that was too close to his ex for comfort. He didn’t think he was strong enough to stay there and keep his ex at arm’s length. Perhaps, when he finished his doctorate, maybe he’d be comfortable enough to stay with his mom if he wasn’t in another committed relationship while he looked for a job if he didn’t already have one. He sat down on the front step and gazed across the road at the row of fruit trees he had planted a couple of years ago, listening to the crickets chirp.

"Why can't I move on?" he groaned, leaning forward and placing his head in his hands.

"Maybe because you miss me, puddin'," his ex whispered in his ear, appearing out of nowhere. "You miss what we had and what we could have had."

Startled, Mark jumped up and backed away from his ex. This was a new development and a bad one. She had never appeared in his dreams before. What was his subconscious trying to tell him?

"You aren't really here," he reminded himself out loud. "This is just a dream. She's just part of the dream."

"Am I?" she said sadly as she reached out for his hand. "Why won't you come back? I miss you."

"You know why I left," he said angrily. "It's your fault that I left, not mine. Besides, you knew we weren't workin' out anymore. You said so yourself."

"We could have worked through it," she responded, pouting. "Come home to me? Please? I promise we can make it work."

"Forget it," he muttered. "You lied then and you’re lyin’ now."

"Am I?" she asked.

"I have proof," he shouted angrily, his hands curling into fists.

"Look again," she said, brandishing a piece of paper in his face.

Hesitantly, Mark moved closer. He knew what it said, but curiosity made him want to look again, just in case. Wasn’t that a sign that he was going insane, or was he just that desperate? Just as he held out his hand for the paper, a grin on his ex’s face as he fell into her trap, he woke with a start.

"You okay back there?" Darcy asked, eyebrows raised, her forehead creasing with concern. "You were shaking the car with your tossing and turning."

"Yeah," Mark grumbled, lifting his sunglasses briefly to rub his eyes. "Just a bad dream, and I hate to break it to you, but your car is not very comfortable for a guy as tall as me. How long was I out?"

"About 15 minutes," Rachel replied, turning in her seat to look at him. "God, you look like you've seen a ghost. You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah..." Mark said quickly, hoping that this was the only question his cousin would ask. Talking about his dreams with her was not on his to-do list. Not today, not ever. "Once I wake up completely, I'll be as good as new."

Rachel pursed her lips as she gave him a once over. Seeming semi-satisfied, she turned back around. Mark waited a few minutes to see if she would turn around again, and when she didn't, he pulled out his phone and went straight to his pictures.

"Where is it?" he thought as he swiped through the album. "Ah, there it is."

He stopped on a picture of a piece of paper, enlarged it, and read it over a few times, letting the contents sink in for a few minutes before exiting and opening up his email.

"I'm not crazy," he muttered to himself. "I'm doin' the right thing. Just move on, man."

He scanned his inbox, opening a few emails and reading them, but not finding what he was looking for. He was currently in the process of selling his hunting cabin and was waiting for some paperwork. His realtor had said he would email some forms that he needed Mark to sign sometime this week. He sighed, feeling depressed. Maybe once his cabin was officially sold, his ex would stop pestering him about coming back. He loved that thing and had spent most of his free weekends out there. He had told his ex countless times he would never sell and now what was he doing? Burning bridges sucked, but maybe, just maybe, she’d see that he was serious about not coming back anytime soon. He shook his head miserably and then glanced up to see if Rachel had turned back around again. She hadn't exactly turned, but she was watching him out of the corner of her eye, a curious expression on her face.

"Yes?" he said stiffly.

"You still seem like you're not okay," she answered, concerned.

"I'm fine," he said firmly. "I'm just tired and hungry. And let's be honest, a glass of whiskey and a good fu..."

He trailed off as Rachel's eyes shot up and Darcy started giggling, a reaction he hadn’t expected. So she had a sense of humor, he thought, pleased. He could work with that.

"I hear you on the whiskey," Darcy grinned as Rachel shot her a look of disdain. "Unfortunately, we don't have any in the house. I keep meaning to pick some up, but there's a decent bar not too far from the apartment that I usually find myself in instead. Can't really help you with that other part, though. I’m sure you might be able to find some takers at the bar."

"You're a whiskey drinker?" he chuckled, amused, as Rachel groaned in despair. He hadn’t expected to find a woman that drank whiskey out this way. He had assumed they all preferred tequila or some s**t like that. He wondered if she watched football. If she did, he had a new game day buddy to chill with on the couch.

"Of course," Darcy replied. "Wine is okay and beer is fine, but whiskey is where it's at. Won't say no to tequila or rum either."

"Darcy can drink just about anybody under the table," Rachel said in disapproval as Mark laughed, liking Darcy more and more.

"Hey," Darcy replied, "not all of us can be ladies all the time. Besides, it's been a rough year, so give me a break."

"Nothin' wrong with lettin' loose," Mark said appreciatively, wondering what she had gone through for her to take the bar route like he had. “A nice stiff drink is a good way to relax if you ask me.”

"Thank you," Darcy grinned at him gratefully in the rearview mirror. "See, Rach, someone else gets it."

"Oh, I know," Rachel sighed. She turned to Mark and gave him a weird look. "However, Mr. Party Animal back there has promised to be on his best behavior while he lives with us, remember?”

"I remember," Mark replied easily as Darcy looked at him curiously, probably wondering the same thing he was wondering about her. "However, if I remember correctly, someone promised they would help reform me ‘cause I’m apparently not doin’ a good enough job on my own, remember?"

"God, you're annoying," Rachel grumbled.

"So why did you invite me to live with you if I'm so annoyin'?" Mark prodded.

"You know why?" Rachel snapped.

"Would you kindly remind me why other than me gettin' accepted into Arizona State?" he smirked.

"I...I can't," Rachel frowned. "Not yet, anyway."

Mark chuckled as Darcy watched them both, wide-eyed. Well, that confirmed his suspicion that Rachel had fibbed to both of them, or rather, hadn’t told either of them the whole truth. It seemed that Darcy was unaware that her best friend had offered to have her sleep with him in an attempt to get him to stop sleeping around with all the available and desperate girls at various bars. Something about having multiple partners seemed to irritate his cousin, so her solution was to find him someone, emphasis on one, that could satisfy his needs. It also seemed that Rachel wasn't quite sure how to tell her yet. She was probably waiting to tell her in private. He wondered idly how the conversation would go and if he would be able to hear any of it. Would he be able to put his two cents in since it technically involved him? Anyway, he wasn’t sure how sleeping with Darcy would help him get over his ex. If sleeping with all those girls over the summer hadn’t helped, she sure as hell wouldn’t. She’d do more for him as a friend than as a quick tumble in the hay. Besides, Darcy was too sweet. He could see it in her eyes. Definitely the kind of girl that you didn’t play around with. She was end game, the one you settled down with. If he tried to get involved with her, he was sure she would want more than just a few nights in the sack, and he wasn't sure he was ready for a relationship yet. He could probably fake it for a while to see if he could make it work, but if it wasn't going to work, he would hate to still be living with them where he could see how much he had hurt her on a daily basis.

"So," he said easily, shifting in his seat as his legs tingled, threatening to go numb, "are you seeing anyone, Darcy?"

"No," Darcy said tensely, tightening her grip on the steering wheel, the lighthearted girl from a few minutes ago now gone.

"Darcy has apparently sworn off dating," Rachel started to explain, looking back at Mark with an exasperated look on her face. "Ever since Ro..."

"Rachel," Darcy said threateningly, "shut up. And I still date every once in a while."

"But..." Rachel said, flustered, turning back to Darcy.

"It's no one's business except mine," Darcy glared. "Besides, there's more than one reason why I'm not seriously dating, and I doubt you would understand. If you did, you wouldn't have spent the last six months trying to set me up with all the various guys you know that you thought I would like."

"I... I..." Rachel stammered pathetically, twisting her hands in her lap, "I was just trying to help. Besides, those dates you go on don't count."

"Why don't they count?" Darcy demanded, c*****g an eyebrow.

"Because you go to dinner, or wherever you go, and then you come home," Rachel complained. "You never invite the guy in and you never go on a second date."

"So?" Darcy replied.

Mark frowned. Apparently, his cousin just liked to play matchmaker and set people up. It sounded like Darcy was in a similar situation and Rachel was attempting to help her, just like she was trying to help him. He wondered idly what her body count was as he shook his head at his cousin in disbelief. It sounded like she had been "helping" for a while and that it had caused a few fights. What did Rachel have against people recovering from a broken heart in their own way? Why did she care if they slept with someone new every other night? Had she started going back to church with grandma? That had to be it.

"So," he said swiftly, trying to change the topic, "how far away are we from Annie's now?"

"About five more minutes," Darcy said curtly as she pulled off the freeway. "I hope you're hungry because the food is amazing."

Mark's stomach growled in response. The thought of food made him remember how hungry he really was. He hadn't eaten anything since noon the previous day. Why he hadn’t picked something up at the airport while waiting for their new flight was beyond him. He’d had the opportunity and time to do so and had instead chosen to sulk in a chair, staring at pictures on his phone.

"Darcy, I'm sorry," Rachel said quietly. "I didn't realize..."

"Save it," Darcy said sharply. "We'll talk about it later."

Rachel's face fell as she slumped in her seat. Mark frowned again, pulled out his phone, and sent a quick text to Rachel. As much as he enjoyed watching Rachel get put in her place, he still cared. If he was being honest, she was like the little sister he never had.

You okay?

It took a minute for her to pick up her phone to look at his message. When she did, she glanced back at him and smiled gratefully before sending off a quick message in response.

No, I’m not. I’d thought she'd be more understanding.

She doesn't know about the deal, does she?

No

Why not?

I didn't want to tell her over the phone.

So why did you think she’d be more understanding then? God, sometimes I can’t with you. I should have stayed home, especially if all you two are going to do is fight.

Mark! She'll come around. Besides, I think you two would be cute together.

Really, Rach? It doesn’t seem like she’s interested in a relationship. I know I’m not.

Mark, you need her and she needs you, whether you realize it yet or not.

Fine, what's her story? What happened that made you feel like you needed to help her?

I'll let her tell you.

Rolling his eyes, Mark put his phone down on his thigh and looked over at Darcy. She seemed to be trying to ignore Rachel now, her face stony. This wasn't going to be easy, but maybe if he was charming enough, she'd open up. Besides, if this past summer was anything to go by, women had a hard time resisting him when he turned the charm up. He just needed a bit more time to figure out what she liked and what she didn't. He also needed more time to figure out if he really wanted to pursue this. He would hate to waste his time and not have it work out because when he wanted something, he went all out. Breakfast in bed, picnic lunches, candlelight dinners, random bouquets of flowers, and other gifts were just a few tricks he had up his sleeve. Darcy glanced up and noticed him watching the two of them. She smiled apologetically and then shrugged slightly. Mark smiled back, glanced back down at his phone, and reread his conversation with Rachel while thinking about what he had already found out about Darcy. He looked back up and met Darcy’s eyes as she watched him curiously. His mind was made up.