Roomies

Los Angeles, Tinsel Town as they called it, was drastically different than the city of Seattle that she had called home for the past five years. In fact as soon as she had stepped off her plane at LAX that there was at least a ten degree change in temperature. She wasn't used to wearing shorts in the middle of November and she felt sickly pale compared to the copper tone, blonde headed model types that she had seen walking around the airport. Did they all have to look like Barbie? Even now in her Audi r8 she had found that for every brunette there were at least ten blondes and that was jus driving to her new room mate's house! It was just despicable!

Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to driving but she found herself mesmerized by the oceanic view that she on her left. Jaw dropped, she almost missed Mike's house which was seated at the corner of the block. It was a modern style, beach type house. She was already loving the curb appeal that was built into the architecture of the building with the protruding concrete walls and wrap around windows. She was surprised to say the least that a hockey player had settled on this beach side hideaway for his humble abode, she didn't pin him as the type to be a beach bum. Not when he spent the majority of his time on a frozen sheet of ice in an air conditioned building. But who was she to judge him? She didn't know the man personally, but rumor has it he is quiet the horny, party hound.

Pulling into the drive away she had barely gotten out of the car when the garage door opened and a chunky, black lab came galloping out from underneath to meet her. Tail wagging as he barked once at her. Bending down to the dogs level, Edith smiled and took the dog's outstretched paw,

"You must be Arnold! You're a pretty boy!" 

A chuckle from behind the fur ball caused her to rise and smile at her new room mate. Hands on her hips, she squared herself to face him. She wanted to give the Canadian one last warning,

"Last chance, Richards, I can leave now if you want me to or you're stuck with me until we either about to murder each other or I get enough cash to buy a house of my own."

The man raised an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders, she caught sight of his well defined muscles rippling from underneath his LA Kings T-shirt. From his arm alone, he was much more impressive than Jason had ever dreamed of being. Of course she was comparing a professional athlete to a Cummins sales director, there was hardly any comparison.

"But I don't have a choice since you're here. I couldn't turn you away after you went through all the trouble of packing all your things into this car." He stated, shoving his hands into his cargo pants pockets and nodded at the car. Well, that was nice of him. After a moment or two of silence, Mike then moved over to the car and opened the passenger seat door before Edith could stop him, 

"No, don't!"

But it was too late as her laundry basket slid off the back seat and dumped a pile of her clothes onto the driveway. Running a hand through her hair, she shuffled over to him, almost losing her flip flops in the process. Skidding to a halt in as she watched in pure mortification as Mike kneel down and pick up a pair of lacy, red Victoria Secrets boy shorts. With a sly smile and an eye brow raised in a suggestive manner, he looked back at her,

"These are a little damp."

Flushing, furiously, she snacked the undergarment from his larger hand and stuffed them into her Coach purse. She was tempted to step on his foot, but he hadn't done or said anything offensive enough to deserve such a reaction.

"Well, when you haven't gone a laundry mat since college you learn the hard way that the machines don't always work as well the brand new ones you just installed not two weeks ago."

"Sure, I'll buy it but that doesn't explain the stain in the crotch." Mike snickered as she gapped at him and checked the inside of the panties. Shoving him in a less than playful manner as she discovered that he was just messing with her, "Gotcha! Man, you must get wet easily."

"Fuck you!" She snarled as she bent down and began to collect her clothes and placing them into the basket, "Don't mistake me for the puck sluts you pick up after games. I didn't chose to move in with you to be harassed."

Mike watched her lithe body straighten back up from the crothing position she had chosen to pick up her clothes. He felt guilty for his choice of words and for enjoying an eye full of her optimum clevage that been exposed by her v-neck. He caught her by the arm as he saw her move to shove the basket back into her car. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced up at him with a cold glare before she ripped her arm out of his grip. Moving around, so that his body was between her and the back seat,

"Please, don't look I'm sorry. I just forgot the situation you came from and it was wrong of me to say something that crude."

She waved him off and quit trying to fight him. The show of maturity was something she hadn't expected from the twenty-six-year-old. It was a sign that they could maybe learn to live together, without killing themselves. Sighing, she accepted his apology, shifting from side to side,

"Alright. I'm sorry, too. I overreacted... It's been hard to let go of a lot of it."

Placing his hand on her shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze, he offered her a kind smile. "What has it been two weeks? I wouldn't expect you to be over anything yet? Wanna start unpacking now?"

"Yeah, the sooner we get this done the sooner I can go check out the beach!" Edith agreed, her eyes sparking with the anticipation of exploring her new surrounding. Arnold, too, barked in agreement as he bounced around at their feet. Mike chuckled at their enthusiasm, clapping his hands together and turned to pull out of the back seat a duffle bag that was crammed full of what he thought were shoes. But after he was jabbed in the side by a pointy heel when he hung the strap on his shoulder, he knew he had been right as he grabbed the first suite case of two large suite cases.

"Jesus, I thought women were supposed to love and adore their shoes. Not haphazardly chuck them into a duffle bag." He half joked with her as he led the way back into his, well... their house.

"Taking care of my extensive designer collection was the last thing on my mind a that time." Edith's voice was dripping with sarcasm as she followed him inside. She carried the other suite case and a matching smaller bag, that she pulled from the co-pilot's seat. Her jaw dropped as she entered her new home, there was no way she was leaving now! The living room area had soft, off-white walls decorated with a few pictures and metal work fixtures, the floors were a blonde wooden color. A metal desk sat next to a red leather couch before a large, flat screen TV that was mounted on the opposite wall. Underneath the TV, was a darker cabinet that held some DVDs, CDs, a few smaller framed photos and nick-knacks. She smiled before asking,

"You didn't decorate this place by yourself, did you?"

Only slightly, embarrassed Mike surveyed the room and shook his head, "No, my mom did the decorating. She claimed this place could use a 'woman's touch.' But if you ask me, I think it's her way o' sayin' that I need to settle down."

"Yeah," Edith agreed as she followed him up to the second floor of the house on the contemporary stair case, "My parents started bugging me about that when I was pushing 30."

For a second, Mike seemed to lose his footing with her words. Catching himself before he feel he turned to face her. "You're over thirty?"

"No, I prefer to think of it as 29.999." Her petite nose at him, mirth flashing in the depts of her emrald green eyes, "I'll be thirty-one at the end of January." 

"Man, you're ancient." Mike joked as they made their way down a short hall way. Earning a slap outside the head from his feminine companion. He turned around and flicked her in the nose in retaliation. Before he went to point out his room, the bathroom, and at the end of the hall what was the room she was to call her own. 

The room was fully furnished: a queen size bed, a dresser set, a full walk-in closet, TV, a sun bed by the window. All she would have to do is make this space hers, which was pleasant. No hassle, no worries, just getting situated in a new environment. Setting her bags on the bed, she glanced back at Mike, who had just returned from placing her bags in the closet.

"What do you think?" His question brought out the smile that had been tugging at her lips.

"It's prefect. Thank you!" She latched onto him in a grateful hug, which he returned in kind. Fighting his own grin as he pulled away, he was glad she liked the room. If she didn't then he would've been out of luck. He was looking forward to having her company and didn't want her to be uncomfortable. 

"So, Edith, do you wanna finish unpacking?" He suggested, finally. The woman in question raised her hand,

"Of course, but please, call me 'Eddie'. Edith is the old me. I don't wanna be here anymore."With that she walked out of the room, only to come back and drag him with her.

"C'mon! I wanna go see the beach before it gets dark out!" She demanded as she jogged to her car and began throwing stuff out on the drive way and into Mike's unsuspecting arms.

Less than a half hour later, the pair stood side by side in companionable silence as they watched Arnold wade in the surf for a ball that Mike had thrown in for him. Luke warm water tickled at their bare feet, soft sand cushioned their weight in a smoothly relaxing manner. Breathing in the salty air, Eddie sighed as she gazed at the beautiful sun set before her. Sure, she had seen many sunsets in her life time, but this one was special. This one was the first of many, she hoped she would see as she embarked on her new journey.

Glancing at Eddie, Mike smiled, he had been just as entranced by his first California sunset when he had moved here over the summer. He hadn't had the pleasure of such a thing back in Philadelphia. No, it was nothing like the sun sinking into the water as it set the sky a glow with warm, oranges and mysterious purples before it gave way to a silky night sky that glittered with twinkling stars. 

"So I'm curious. Why do you want to change who you are? I mean, I know you're in Cali now, but-"

Eddie cut him off as she turned to face him, her skin glowing in the last light of the day, "I'm not changing who I am. I will always be the person I was back in Seattle." She pause a moment to gather her thoughts, "I am different now because I'm going to start living my life for me and not someone else. I'm going to take some chances and try new things. Broaden my horizons when an opportunity presents itself. The old Edith wouldn't chosen to live with a stranger. She wouldn't have move to California either."

Mike absorbed the passion of her words. She held a talent for speaking. There was a eloquence in her words suggesting that she had a much higher education than what she wanted him to believe as she tried hide it under ripped skinny jeans, converse, and v-necks. 

"Wow, I wish I would've looked at my trade from that point of view at the beginning. It would've made everything harder than being upset with the situation, ya know?"

Eddie now watched him, her gaze analyzing his expression and words before she spoke again with a challenge underlining her tone, 

"Well, sometimes you need a kick in the ass to see things in a more positive manner. Like right now, if I beat you home you get to make breakfast for the next month."

Mike straighten up a little as Arnold's wet hair rubbed across his leg, "And if I win?"

"I'll make dinner for the next 10 home games you have." She wagered, offering her hand to shake on the bet. Taking her hand in his, he accepted the terms. No sooner than he let go of her hand, she took off running in a dead sprint. Arnold jumped into pursuit and bolted to catch up with his new friend. Chasing after both of them, Mike made sure he let his displeasure of being tricked be known!

"You're a fucking cheater! You didn't say when to go!"

His spine tingled when he heard her whole heartedly laugh at him before calling over her shoulder, "Well, considering you were a Flyer. I thought you enjoy the cheap trick. Besides beggars can't be choosers!"

With that statement even Mike had to laugh, but he couldn't help think to himself: would people ever stop seeing me as the ex-captain of the Flyers who failed to lead his team to the coveted Stanley Cup. Who had gotten traded away even with a no trade clause to make cap space for a new goalie. Who partied a little too much and had taken his share of women to his bed. He was sure that there were a few people who wouldn't ever let it go, but his new room mate had inspired him to change his attitude and make the most out of everything. 

Deciding that he had let her lead long enough, Mike finally began to push himself a little more. But he was too late, Eddie was almost to the front door. He was hot on her heels, but she had managed to grasp the door knob first before she whirled around, fist thrust into the air, triumphantly and declared,

"YOU OWE ME BREAKFAST, BITCH!!!!"

"ONLY because YOU'RE A CHEATER!" He pointed out to her as they all three entered their home, switching the lights on he saw her flop onto the couch. Taking the lazy boy, he turned on the T.V.

"Street rules, man! I knew if we had a fair race I'd be feedin' your fat ass for the next month and I don't even have a job yet." She waved him off, as she pulled out her iPhone, "There's no way I'm starting out in debt!"

Rolling his eyes, he shook his head choosing not to take offense to her 'fat ass' comment tonight. That would be another battle for another day. He'd wait until he had more room to take a jab at her that didn't involve her broken engagement. But until then, he knew that things were only going to get more interesting now that there was a woman in the house.