In Love With the Beast of NYC

The landlord led the way to her new apartment. So far, it wasn't as glamorous as she had hoped. She didn't expect the halls to paved with gold, but she didn't expect them to be paved with pee-yellow wallpaper and a remarkably similar smell either.The carpet was a poo-brown, and she was beginning to wonder why the landlord had such an obsession with the colors of bodily excrement. She crinkled her nose and silently prayed that the plumbing was functional or else she was going to have nightmares.

The landlord brought her up to the top floor, seventeenth level. He stopped at the first door on the left coming off of the elevator. He took out a ring of keys resembling what a janitor would use, stuck one in the lock, and swung open the door. The apartment was already furnished, a black futon sat up against the living room wall, a flat-screen TV on a black entertainment stand across from the futon. A brown rectangular shag rug covered most of the hardwood floor. Side tables and healthy green plants filled in the bare corners of the room, making it look simple yet comfortable. Connected off to the right was the kitchen with all-white everything: cabinets, stove, refrigerator, microwave, etc. It was a complete contrast to all of the dark and neutral colors in the living room. Past the living room was a hall that led to three different doors that she would have to explore later.

The landlord coughed and took out four keys from his pocket. "This one," he held up a gold rounded key, "is your apartment key. This," he held up a gold diamond-shaped key, "is your building key. This one is your back door key-" he held up a silver diamond-shaped key "-is your back door key, and that last one is your mailbox key." He handed them all to her in order, the mailbox key a small gold square-shaped one. "You lose one, you pay me five bucks and I'll give you a replacement. Need a copy? You pay me two bucks. Got it?" She nodded. "Alright. Now I don't like to be disturbed, so if you gotta problem, see if you can't figure it out yourself. Everything here is in perfect working condition, so it shouldn't break anyway." He coughed again. "Rent's due first of the month of course, and I don't take I.O.Us. You skip out on the rent, let other people or animals live here without my consent, break anything on the property, you get a strike. Three strikes, ya out. And I don't want no drama. You got a jealous boyfriend, drug dealer friend, anything - keep that off the property. Think you can handle all that?"

She wondered how often a tenant had brought a jealous boyfriend or drug dealer friend or both around here and somehow managed to cause that much drama, but she just nodded at him in understanding.

"Good. From now on, I hope to only hear from you when the rent's due." He turned to the doorway. As he did, she noticed there was a coat rack by the doorway, already covered with a jacket and a baseball cap.

"Hey, wait, is... is there somebody living here already?"

The landlord stopped and turned around. "Well duh, it's called having a roommate."

"Roommate? Wait, you never told me I'd have a roommate."

"I'm pretty sure I did." He folded his arms and leaned against the door frame. Getting him to admit his fault was highly unlikely.

"You said I'd have hardly noticeable neighbors. I think I would notice someone living in my apartment with me!"

He shrugged and left. Clearly this argument wasn't worthy of his time and energy.

Valerie huffed and dropped her suitcases on the floor. Honestly, she didn't feel like fighting with him either. It shouldn't really matter though, she wouldn't mind having a roommate. She was thousands of miles from home in a foreign city - she had no friends or family here. Maybe having a new person thrust upon her was what she needed. But right now, what she really needed was a shower after her long flight. She closed the front door and locked it, tossed her keys on the side table, and brought her luggage down the hall. She looked for the bathroom, which turned out to be the door on the right. The bathroom was just as white and pristine as the kitchen but had black and brown towels that matched the living room. Unclothed and open to change - that thought alone relaxed her as she stepped into the shower.

+

He burst into the apartment, not caring if he was uninvited or if his friend was even here. He tossed the spare key on the ground and covered it back up with the mat. He shouldn't have even know where it was - further proof that he wasn't often welcomed here, but since he wasn't greeted by shouts of protest, he knew his "friend" wasn't home. He took advantage of that and went straight to the kitchen to raid the cabinets. Finding a jumbo bag of chips, he left the kitchen the exact moment that Valerie emerged from the bathroom... in nothing but a towel.

His jaw dropped to the floor, and he kept hoping her towel would drop too. She held her towel tighter and blushed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think you would be back so soon."

He blinked. 'Back so soon?' What was she talking about? Did his friend have a new girlfriend or something.

"Uh... that's okay, but who are you?"

"I'm your new roommate."

'No way! He gets a half-naked chick as his roommate?!' he growled in his head. Lucky bastard.

Wait. She thinks he's her new roommate. 'How can I use this to my advantage?' he thought. He grinned wickedly and closed the door behind him.

"Oh, I was wondering when you were going to move in. Nice to meet you, I'm Frankie."

She smiled and shook his hand. "Valerie. I should probably put some clothes on."

"Hey there's no hurry," he grinned. "Just kidding. Hey why don't you get changed and we can hit up the bar down the block? We can get to know each other and I can introduce you to some friends, have some fun?"

"Oh, I don't know. I don't really drink."

"Don't drink? Not even a little cocktail?"

"Well, I've never had a drink before. I don't think I'd like being drunk."

"Then you won't get drunk. Come out with me, just one drink, please?"

She nodded. "Okay, I'll get dressed." She disappeared into the bedroom with her suitcase.

Score.

+

He opened the door, letting her tumble into the apartment. Valerie had definitely gotten drunk, all thanks to him. She didn't know her limit, but Frank wasn't trying to help her - he was trying to help himself.

She giggled and twirled around the now dark living room. Frank joined her, spinning her in circles on the carpet. She stopped suddenly and held her stomach.

"Ohh, I don't feel so good." She ran to the bathroom and threw up.

Gross moment aside, Frank was taking his chance, whether she wanted to or not.

He helped her clean herself up, then carried her into the bedroom. She fell onto the bed, her head spinning. He climbed on top of her, pinning her arms to the bed. She slowly realized that he was kissing her neck. She squirmed under him.

"Cut it... cut it out." He ignored her. "Stop it." He moved down to her chest. "Stop!" He ignored her again. She started fighting him, but her alcoholic state made her a very weak opponent. He slid her shirt off over her head and began to work on her jeans when someone walked in. Frank looked back and groaned.

"Why do you have to be such a mood-killer?"

"Frank, what the fuck are you doing in my apartment AGAIN? And who is this?"

"This is your new roommate. Aren't you lucky?"

"Roommate? What- I told him I didn't want a roommate," he frowned. "What the hell are you doing to her?"

"I was about to fuck her until you walked in. Buzzkill."

He looked at Frank and the girl, who was whimpering and struggling under him. He got the hint.

He stepped up to Frank and punched him in the nose. Frank fell off the bed, swearing at him.

"Fuck, I think you broke my nose!"

"Good." He punched him again, then pulled him up by his collar. "I told you to stay the fuck out of my place, but you've gone too far now. Get out, don't come back. If I see you in here again, I'll kick your ass. If you try to rape her again, I'll fucking kill you." He threw him on the floor by the doorway.

Frank pulled himself off the floor and left, not bothering to pick a fight with a guy who could kick his ass anyway.

He walked over to her. "Are you okay?"

Valerie clung to him in a hug. "Thank you."

He nodded and rubbed her back in small circles. After a while, he noticed her calming down. He laid her down on the bed, pulling the blankets over her.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Apparently, I'm your new roommate."

"What's your name?"

"Beast."

"Beast," she echoed, before drifting off to sleep.