Page 10 of Rent: Paid in Full
He looks angrier than usual, and it takes me a minute, but I get there eventually. “Housing department, huh?”
“Yep.”
“You ask them to move you?”
“Yep.”
He doesn’t even look embarrassed or sorry about it. I laugh out loud from the pure joy of finally having met someone even more of a dick than I am.
“Want me to help you pack?” I tease.
I can tell from his face that he’s going nowhere. He’s stuck with me big time. He sits at his desk without answering andopens his laptop, staring at the screen without typing anything, the same as he did yesterday.
I sit on the sofa and watch him for a while. His shoulders are raised and his head is tilted slightly to the left. It looks like he’s waiting for something. Bracing for impact. His T-shirt is worn, faded khaki with tiny bobbles on it. Though he’s tall, he’s lanky, and he could easily get away with a T-shirt that’s at least one size smaller. He has broad shoulders and narrow hips. His clothes hang off him in a way that looks high fashion but is more likely a product of not having a clue how to dress for his body type.
“Whatcha doing?” I ask in a sing-song voice I’ve been told is annoying. He blows a hard breath out his nose. It makes me smile. “You seem in a worse mood than usual.”
“Look, I’ve just spent half a day helping Emily move. I’m behind on my socio paper, and I have to go to work in a couple of hours.”
“Who’s Emily?”
“Emily Parker.”
“You knowEmily?”
His shoulders tense, traps tightening. He breathes in through his nose and out through his mouth. “I met her this morning.”
“You just met her, huh? Well, then, it’s awfully good of you to help her move.”
“Don’t say words likeawfully. You can’t pull it off.”
I smile. I can’t help it. “Once you get to know me better, Ryan, you’ll see I can get away with all kinds of things.”
He chooses not to engage and makes a big show of reading his notes and underlining what he’s read with a yellow highlighter.
“Why’d you work so much anyway? Isn’t the point of being here to get a well-rounded education? Socialization is as important as studying. In fact, the networking we do here might be even more important than the piece of paper we end up with. How will you do that if you’re always working or studying?”
That does it. I had a feeling it would. He spins around in his chair, eyes flashing with rage.
“Newsflash, Miller, some peoplehaveto work. It’s how they get money.” He drags the last word out, lips tight, teeth showing. “For food and shelter and shit like that. Not everyone has a father who bankrolls everything, okay?”
“Oh,” I say as if that’sawfullyinteresting. “So what do you do?”
“Serve.”
“Where?”
He sighs very loudly, and his head tilts slightly as he looks at the ceiling. “Pepe’s.”
“Is it any good? I’ve been meaning to try it out.”
“Don’t.”
A low chuckle leaves me. “You don’t want to wait on me, huh? How come? I serve you coffee every morning, and you don’t see me getting weird about it.”
He spins his chair back to face his screen without answering. He’s had it up to here with me, and I’m not sure why, but I kind of love it.
He keeps his head down for ages. Doesn’t move or make a sound. I sit for a while and watch the back of his head. His hair is over-long, curling into the gentle curve of his neck. If he’s trying to maintain a particular style, three or four weeks ago would’ve been the right time to have it cut. His skin is tanned, smooth, and clear but fades a few shades as it disappears into the collar of his shirt.