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JOSHUA WAS PRETTY SURE THAT AYOLUWA HAD spent most of the night in the bathroom.
The light was still on and streaming underneath the closed door and onto the bed where Joshua was laying underneath the sheets.
"Ugh!" Joshua groaned lightly as he threw the the covers off of him.
There's no way in hell I'm gonna be able to sleep with that damn light on.
On the other side of the bedroom, near the windows, was the linen closet.
Joshua threw open the door, snatched a folded red towel off of the shelf before treading over to the bathroom.
Joshua opened the door then stopped at the sight of Ayoluwa fast asleep, laying on her side on the white tiled floor, her head supported by the clothes she was wearing the day before.
And she was naked.
Completely.
On her bare back was a tattoo of a lotus flower with a stem that went down the entire length of her back.
The only article of clothing on her bare body was a set of four waist beads that all held small pieces of precious stones threaded through, white with opal, yellow with lemon quartz, blue with sapphires and finally a rich brown color with topaz.
Her long brown locs were free and swept over her shoulder and down the curve of her torso.
Suddenly, Joshua felt very weird.
"Palmer. Palmer." Joshua hissed, "Wake up!"
Ayoluwa started to rise then paused, her back still turned, "What are you doing? Get the fuck out of here, Josh!"
"Happily," Joshua tossed her the red towel then closed the door behind him.
He had just seen the girl he disliked the most butt ass naked.
Joshua needed to bleach his irises.
Joshua sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from the bathroom.
Behind him, he could hear Ayoluwa's bare feet cause the floor to creak and groan as she went down the stairs.
"What the fuck?" Joshua groaned as he laid back down on the bed.
He woke up late the next morning to the sound of something frying, Corrine Bailey Rae's Put Your Records On from a gray Beats pill speaker and the smell of meat in the air.
He padded down the stairs to the kitchen and saw that Ayoluwa was making a full spread: pancakes, turkey bacon and a cheese omelette.
She was fully dressed now, in a pale pink tube top and jean shorts that were slightly distressed.
Joshua could feel his stomach rumble a little at the smell of all the food.
He had never been the best cook and if he made this any of this, it would probably taste like dirt, so he had chosen to survive on grapes and the cheddar goldfish he found in the pantry.
But now he might have a way out.
"Where's mine?" Joshua asked after noticing one plate on the glass circular breakfast table.
"I don't know. Waiting for you to make it maybe?" Ayoluwa bit into her turkey bacon.
"I'm not a good cook." Joshua complained.
"That sounds like a you problem, Christopher." Ayoluwa sat down at the table then paused and looked at him, an eyebrow raised, "I'll cook for now on if you share the bed. We can alternate. One night my turn and then the next night it can be yours."
Joshua screwed up his face at Ayoluwa's nerve, "Fuck no. This is my house, I'm getting the bed."
"You can't do that." Ayoluwa argued.
Joshua raised an eyebrow at her statement, "Who can't?"
Ayoluwa balled her tongue in her mouth at his words, kissing her teeth a little, "Fine. Figure the food out yourself. I tried."
She returned to her plate of food to begin cutting up the syrup soaked pancakes as the song switched to The Sweetest Taboo by Sade.
Joshua walked past her to examine the sink where the pans and bowls she had used were now soaking in soapy water.
Joshua cursed softly before turning to look at where Ayoluwa was still sitting.
He rolled his eyes then turned to the fridge to grab an orange out of the produce drawer, "Did you really sleep in the bathroom?"
"You didn't leave me a choice." Ayoluwa said without turning around.
"That shit is hilarious." Joshua chuckled, "Peanut head ass."
"Did I ask?" Ayoluwa snapped, "I look better than any girl you've ever been with. And that's a fact."
Joshua clicked the power button on the speaker, unable to come up with a comeback.
"Hey! Don't touch my shit!" Ayoluwa rose from her seat.
"I don't feel like hearing the music." Joshua replied as he began to peel his orange, "It's too early."
"It's almost eleven!"
Joshua simply shrugged, "Your music is trash anyway."
Ayoluwa rolled her eyes as she grabbed her plate, the speaker and her phone and made her way outside to the deck.
A few seconds later, Joshua heard the music come from outside at an even louder volume.
This has to be hell.
This is pure fucking torture.
Joshua's stomach rumbled once more, a little firmly.
Outside, he could see Ayoluwa eating on the table located out on the deck.
A tiny part of him wanted to swallow his pride, go out there and ask for her help.
But a bigger part of him was still extremely annoyed that Ayoluwa was stuck there with him.
So instead, Joshua shoved an orange slice onto his tongue then stomped back up the stairs.
