I jerk awake. The rattle of Aspen's wooden door jarred against the frame so loud I almost fall off the couch in panic. Please, dear God, not another earthquake. Sunlight streams into the room and pools on the floor from a split where two curtain panels come together. The door rattles again and I sit up on the pull-out couch and bring the covers up to my chest."Aspen! Simone!" The noise carries through to the apartment and I breathe a sigh of relief. I'm pretty sure a robber wouldn't call out for us first.Aspen's bedroom door opens as she fixes her askew ponytail and walks to the kitchen. "I'm coming!" she yells toward the door. "Don't worry. Only Finn, Mar, and my sister-in-law have the code, and only Jake has the meaty fists required to make the door shake with such passion."Her long fleece pajama pants are white with big orange SF logos all over them. They match the logo on her short sleeve shirt. She's seems nonchalant rather than worried why Finn would try to break down he

I walk out from the bedroom collapsing the last cardboard box. "You know the good thing about my current vagabond lifestyle?"Trey turns around on the couch. "Huh, let me think." His eyes travel up and down and make me feel exposed even in the jeans and t-shirt I changed into this morning. "Hobo food is easy to make?"I toss the flattened box like a Frisbee toward the pile by the kitchen bar and surprisingly it hits the mark even if it lands on the side rather than right on top. "No," I point to the small pile of unpacked boxes, "easy unpacking." The couch sits a foot or so from the wall even though there isn't space for that kind of layout in the small apartment. I stop on the back side of it and lean closer to Trey. "I'm hungry.""Hmm, me too." He leans closer and one hand cups my cheek drawing me closer to him until our lips press together. He pulls away enough to bite my bottom lip and I moan at the contact. I'm seconds away from crawling over the back of the couch when he pu

My fingers hammer across the keyboard as I answer Melvin's most recent email. It's his third of the day and like all the others, he's marked it as high priority. This time he's concerned with the light above his desk. It's too bright. I no longer question why it's been so hard for Finn and Trey to fill this position. Melvin. Between the utter boredom of having less than nothing to do all day and Melvin's many needs, they've all gone insane. Finn suggested I bring a book, but at the time a part of me felt it would be wrong. Those feelings ended today."Melvin again?"I pop my head up from my computer screen at Trey's question."Yes, how did you know?" I narrow my eyes at him. I'd be concerned he's tracked my email with all his techy knowledge, but he's the one who sent me a racy email with pictures of what he plans to do with me tonight. I don't think it's a concern."I've noticed the volume of your typing is directly proportional to how scrunched up and distraught your face is.

I flick off the light in Trey's hallway bathroom and walk toward his kitchen. We left the restaurant after Mari's outrageous display, which sucks because the view was great and I'm starved. I tug on the hem of the azure button down shirt Trey loaned me while he promised to save my sweater. His long sleeve shirt is large on me, but since I'm tall it doesn't completely cover up the plaid boxers I'm using as shorts, also from Trey's dresser. I'm not sure why he thinks the sweater can't be washed. But working on it made him stop muttering obscenities about Mari, so I ran with it.Honestly the man's more upset about it than I am, and I was the one wearing a martini. A double from the amount I soaked up. I give the shirt one last tug and turn the corner to find Trey leaning over his kitchen sink with both hands submerged in the tub of bubbly water.I lean on the entryway to the room, a little hesitant to enter for some reason. "Do you own anything besides button down shirts?""Yes, but

I step on the sidewalk and turn back to wave good-bye to Jake as he pulls away from the curb. Aspen's already reached the door with Cosmo's Comics and Café stenciled on the glass, and the bell chimes as she walks through.Inside Marissa and Amanda are already waiting for us on the orange-ish couches in the back corner. The rest of the store is empty of customers. Sundays at nine must not be a prime time for comic buying, but the smell of coffee as I walk farther into the store continues to pull me in until I reach an empty space on the couch.Aspen stops beside me but walks around the large coffee table and sits on the couch opposite.Marissa drops her tennis shoes from where they were propped on the table. "Tell me again why we're at a comic shop for girls' brunch?""Many reasons, Rissa." Aspen stops to take off her coat and throws it in the empty space beside her."Rissa?" Marissa asks with one eyebrow raised."You don't like it?" Aspen waits for Marissa's quick head shak