Jealous Minds Think Alike

Kalysta pulled her head up from the table and rested her chin in her hand. Her mother had always said things would work out, but she honestly couldn’t see a way this situation could get any better.

Josh slid into the booth of his favorite diner. He ran his hands through his hair as his mind raced. He was losing faith in himself with every second that ticked by and he didn’t think that would change.

She gazed out the window and attempted to make her thoughts happy. The waitress came from behind the counter to his table. He was recognized easily and asked if he wanted the usual. After he agreed, the waitress moved to the table just behind him.

“Is there anything else I can get for you, love?” Kalysta smiled at the older’s woman’s accent. It never failed to make her imagine her mother’s own strong accent and deep warm smile.

“You guys wouldn’t happen to have a paper around with the classifieds, would you?” She was given a sympathetic look before the waitress placed a hand on her hip and leaned against the back of the booth.

“Not from here, eh?” Kalysta shook her head and let her hair fall slightly in her face to cover the blush creeping up her neck and into her cheeks. “What are you looking for, love?”

“Um,” she stumbled over her words and then pulled herself together. “Somewhere to live,” she gave a hopeful smile and then bit her bottom lip before adding the one word that made her stomach churn uneasily. “Cheaply.”

The waitress raised her eyebrows. “How cheap?”

Kalysta frowned. “Let’s just say cheap as cheap gets.” The waitress nodded and then sighed.

“I’m sorry love. No paper and no lofts I can think of. Why don’t you have some pie?”

“Sure.” Kalysta agreed, mostly for the fact that she didn’t want to leave the safety of the diner just yet. Something about it brought along a sense of home she hadn’t felt in too long.

Josh leaned back against his booth completely bewildered. He couldn’t help but listen to the small conversation between the girl behind him and the waitress. He’d listened carefully, wondering the entire time if it was possible to actually have fate throw an answer at him in such a way.

He mused over his thoughts for a few more seconds before finally his insides itched too much. His arm reached for the back of the booth as he twisted the upper half of his body to slightly face the dark haired girl. He cleared his throat unsteadily, trying to catch her attention.

“Miss?” Kalysta widened her eyes as she slowly turned to the voice behind her. She took in his appearance and immediately noted that his eyes were a peculiar blue.

“Yes?” She questioned him back.

“I’m sorry.” He blurted the apology out, knowing just how rude he was probably going to look to her. “I just couldn’t help but hear,” he trailed off as he glanced over at the counter.

“Oh,” her cheeks burned even more. She dropped her eyes to his hand between them. Her mind took more notes, like the fact that it was his left hand and there was certainly no band around any of his fingers.

“I don’t mean to intrude, really, I just, um,” he started to stumble over his own words as well. He cursed under his breath before looking her over again. “How cheap were you really looking for?”

“I know it’s probably never going to happen, but I was hoping for something under four hundred cause that’s about all I’ve got for now.” She tried not to let the pity party start all over as she glanced back up at his blue eyes. She had to take a second glance when she noticed his wicked grin that reached his eyes.

“So three hundred would be perfect for you?”

She snorted and her eyes closed. “That would be too good.”

“Great. I just had kick out my old roommate and now I can’t afford the rent we used to split. You interested?”

“For three hundred pounds?” Her eyes opened quickly, widening just as before. She focused on him, trying to determine if he was teasing or if just maybe things were getting better.

“The rents six, but if we split it, yeah. Three hundred.” He nodded and couldn’t but smile as she did. It was like her grin was contagious.

“Hell yes. Yes, I’m interested.” She felt her chest tighten and then let loose of all the baggage she’d been carrying with her.

He chuckled and slid from his booth, standing so that he was right in front of her with his hand extended. “I’m Josh.”

She eagerly placed her hand in his and squeezed it. “Kalysta. Please, sit down.” After her hand was released from his, she motioned toward the seat across from her. “Tell me about your place.”

“Well,” he hesitated just as the waitress came back with both their plates. Both were given the arched eyebrow as the waitress placed their food before them. He waited until they were alone again before clearing his throat. “There is one thing you may not like.”

Her hand froze with the fork still elegantly poised between her fingers. “What’s that?”

He fidgeted. “There’s only one room.”

Her mind wrapped around the little sentence in silence. Her lips were pursed slightly as she thought. He couldn’t touch his food as he watched her, hoping she still wouldn’t care.

“I mean, I guess if you wanted we could try changing the front room around to—,” he stopped as she shook her head. He could clearly see that her eyes were a deep green now and they were currently staring at him.

“What do you do for work?”

“I, uh, have a part time thing at the record store up a few streets.” He wasn’t sure why she was asking this question or how the answer was going to affect her decision.

She nodded slowly. “So you work in the day time, right?”

His eyebrows furrowed together. “Yeah?”

Her smile returned. “Perfect. The job I got a couple days ago is overnights. So we could share the one room, you have it during the evenings and me during the mornings. Sound fine?”

“You’re working nights?” He became a little concerned at inviting a complete stranger into his home.

“Yeah. It’s at a call center just outside of town. The biggest problem is they won’t let me start till next month. That’s why my budget’s so low for now.” She smiled slightly as he sighed with relief.

“So you’d be sleeping during the days and working through the nights,”

“And you’d be working during the day and sleeping during the night.”

His blue orbs burned into her green ones. “You think we could really work this out?”

She grinned. “Hell yes!”