Roommates with Benefits [COMPLETED]

Chapter 9 - Imagination

Emma

I put my plate away as the door to the master bedroom opens. Knightley came home after I went to bed last night.

"Good morning," he says and runs a hand through his hair.

"Morning." I can't look at him. "I made coffee."

He steps into the kitchen and immediately I'm hyper aware of his presence.

"You're up early for a Saturday. Busy day today?"

"I have to get to a meeting about the talent show." I slide past him around the counter.

"Right." He pauses as he gets a mug and pours himself some coffee.

I grab my bag and am just about to leave when he speaks.

"So, about yesterday. I shouldn't have gone through your things." I glance in his direction, but he's not looking at me.

"It's fine," I say and almost mean it.

"I'm really sorry about..."

"Seeing my vibrator?" I ask, in a fit of wanting it all out there so we can move on.

His cheeks flush and the knuckles holding the mug whiten.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"It's really no big deal." I look straight at him and smile. He hesitates, then he nods.

"It really wasn't." He grins. "It was a very small deal."

I exaggerate a roll of my eyes. The comment leaves my lips before I can stop it. "It gets the job done."

His smile widens. "Have fun at the meeting."

I nod, relieved that we managed to joke this whole thing away.

But as I'm driving to the library where we're meeting, I yawn. It had taken me way too long to fall asleep last night. My mind kept replaying the way his muscles tensed as he lifted something heavy, how gentle his fingers were when they held my purple vibrator, the spark I felt as I took the vibrator from him and our fingers touched.

After he closed his bedroom door, I was on fire. I had to remind myself that he's my brother's best friend and my roommate before I could fall asleep.

I find the small meeting room at the library. Hannah and Edwin are already there, along with the rest of the committee members. Teresa is in my class, but we hardly ever speak. She dragged her boyfriend along, but he has very few opinions about anything. Freja is a year older than us and Sam is a year younger.

"We need to discuss the marketing material," Freja says as soon as she sees me. The rest of the room settles down and waits for me to sit.

"I have some ideas," I say. "But I think we need to get the word out there as soon as possible. Especially for the try-outs."

The meeting proceeds quickly enough thanks to Freja's no nonsense attitude. She's not here to make friends. She's here to raise money for a charity she cares about, and get something impressive to put on her resume.

Teresa presents a few ideas she says she and her boyfriend have come up with, but I doubt anyone believes him to have participated.

We settle on a marketing strategy that mostly consists of social media and fliers. Sam wants to run some ads as well, which leads us into our next topic. Budget.

Somehow, we spend two hours arguing about how to spend the very meager budget we have. Arguments are presented in favor of a larger venue, a better set, hiring someone famous to host the show, some form of catering, the sound system, and so on. At the end of the day, we can't do much until we have a venue, and since the show is only a few months away, we decide that has to be the next step.

"We should try to actually get something done today as well," Freja says when we've tabled all discussions.

"We could compile a list of possible venues," I say. My eyes land on Hannah and Edwin. "What if you guys do that? I could work with Sam on some marketing material for the sponsors and you guys could make a mock-up for a poster about the try-outs."

Teresa lights up, and for the first time, her boyfriend makes a move. He pulls out a hardcore looking laptop. "Perfect," she says. "Did I tell you Ben is studying graphic design?"

She had not. She hadn't even mentioned his name before now. He just seemed to shadow her during the meetings.

"Let's take an hour," Freja says. "I have somewhere to be after this."

I nod. "Sounds good."

"Should we go sit in the little area over there?" Hannah asks Edwin and points to a few chairs by a window.

I give her an encouraging smile as Edwin trails her over there.

"We should emphasize the difference adequate care and support make," Sam says, and I bring my attention to the task at hand.

An hour later, we all meet up again. Ben has created an incredible-looking poster and we decide to send it to the printers on Monday. Hannah and Edwin return with a list of venues at different prices, and Sam and I have a few drafts of emails we can send to ask for more contributions. We agree on the next meeting and everyone disperses.

"So?" I ask Hannah when we're walking out to my car.

"So, what?" She looks confused.

"How did it go working with Edwin?"

"Fine."

I sigh. "I mean, did he say anything? Did he do anything?"

She shakes her head. "Was he supposed to?"

"Maybe it takes a bit more time for him to open up." She wrinkles her brow. "Wait," I say and put a hand on her arm. "You like him, right?"

"I guess. I mean, he's very smart. But he doesn't really say much to me."

"Maybe he's shy?"

"Maybe."

I drive Hannah home and head back to an empty apartment, where I contemplate how to move things along between the two of them. Edwin has mentioned a couple of times that he's looking for a serious relationship. And I'm fairly certain Hannah is, too. So it should be perfect.

They're both intelligent and have the same calmness about them. It has to work. If they could just open their eyes and see how well they fit together.

I sigh and bring my coursework with me to the living room. It shouldn't be this hard to bring two people together. Not when they're both looking for love.

It's not like they're averse to it, like me. They're allowed to fall in love, to make fools of themselves. I pick up the remote for the TV and turn it on. Just for background noise. I really have to study for my finals.

I flick through the channels, but all I can see is Knightley's hands. The long fingers holding something purple. I shake my head and leave the TV on a hockey match.

The finals. I should really focus on them. Christmas break is almost here. Unless I go for a run first. Just to activate my brain. I turn off the TV. Yeah, I need to move. To get rid of some of the images that keep popping up in my mind.