My new roommate

chapter 4

"I'm going to hang out with some friends from work. I'll be back soon." It was seven the next night. I had thought long and hard about our conversation the previous night. He said I didn't have a reason to be jealous, but when I really thought about it, he seemed to always be sneaking around. I had just ignored it up until this point.

I didn't deserve him, sure, but I had hoped he would be honest enough with me that we could work through any problems. I did hope that I was wrong. I really did.

When he left out of the apartment I counted to twenty-five. I took the stairs to the street where I parked my car. Alex parked his pickup truck five cars in front of mine. He pulled off and I jumped in my car so I could trail him. I followed him stealthily, like a ninja. We drove for a while then he pulled into the lot of a store. I waited. He came out and I wondered what he needed so many groceries for. Were he and his coworkers having a party?

He drove a little bit longer and pulled up to a little house. He went up to the door and knocked. Some little guy came to the door, taller than me, but way skinnier. He kissed him. I wanted to understand, and I said that I would, but I felt crushed, angry even.

I went to the side of the house after they went inside. I saw them in the bedroom. They didn't even have the decency to close the blinds. I felt like a peeping tom. Mr. Bones stood there commanding Alex to eat pastry after pastry. Alex had a look of euphoria on his face. Alex was drinking milk now, his gut looking the tautest I'd ever seen it. If it weren't a scene of my boyfriend cheating on me I'd probably be horny. He was then having sex with Mr. Bones. It was clear why we weren't having any fun in the bedroom. Wasn't I worth anything? I had to be worth something, didn't I? If I just let this go on and said nothing, wouldn't that prove to myself that I wasn't good enough to be loved?

They finished, and I could barely hear them through the closed window. "You're getting kind of big, Alex," Mr. Bones said, kind of peeved. "You know the gut is hot, but only when I'm stuffing you full, got it?"

"Yeah, I told you I'd start doing cardio again, so get off my case."

"Well, you've been saying that for the last month, and you're only getting fatter. You know what I'm into, you've known from the--." I couldn't take listening to this anymore. I found my way back to my car and drove home. This was a lot to take in for one night.

I went home and started to cook. I knew he'd be back soon. They were probably just having a quickie. After maybe twenty minutes I heard his keys hit the table as he sat down. "Hey Alex," I greeted him as cheerfully as I could.

"What are you making?" he asked. "It smells great."

"Just a little something. I figured you'd be hungry. You always are." I gave a fake chuckle.

"Yeah, I am." He rubbed his belly, laughing along with me. I thought I saw a slight amount of discomfort on his face. He was probably still really full from his stuffing session with Mr. Bones.

"It'll be ready in about thirty minutes."

"Okay, good, I'll go take a shower."

"You do that." Washing away any traces of evidence. He sounded so sincere when he said he'd never lie to me. He was playing me, and I didn't like it one bit. I had thought he was perfect. I felt stupid for not figuring it out sooner. That day at McNally's he was lying to me. I should have known. I shouldn't have been so blinded by his country charm and killer body.

"Is it ready yet?" he asked, covered in a slight coat of water from his shower. I smiled, trying not to cry. Was I making a mistake? I'd rather have part of someone than no one at all.

"Yep, eat up," I said. He ate and ate until everything I made was gone. It was just some pasta and baked chicken, nothing spectacular. He smiled at me. It just all seemed so fake now.

"I'm so stuffed," he said, rubbing his distended gut. It was the biggest I'd ever seen it. Between me and Mr. Bones, Alexander could be massive.

"I'm glad you liked it." It was now or never. "But, Alex, you should really be a more truthful person."

"I did like your food," he started with a laugh. He was just going to keep hurting me, making me feel inferior.

"About yourself, not the food," I said sternly. "I followed you to the store, and then to the skinny guy's house. I saw you having sex with him."

"I--I--," he stuttered, surprised by my sleuthing skills.

"Shut up, Alex." I was so angry. "You can still live here, I guess. Rent is due every third of the month. Please move your things back into your room. I'm going out." I decided to get a drink. Dealing with Alex was going to make me an alcoholic. I went down the street to a little bar. "Can I get something strong and fruity?" I asked.

"Here you go," the bartender said. It was a huge pinkish drink that was embodiment of exactly what I asked for.

"Not what I had in mind," I said, more so to myself, laughing at my own humor. "Thank you--," I began as I read her name tag. "Cara." She smiled at me as she made another drink. "You know, men suck, and you know what sucks about that? I'm a man, so I suck. I just broke up with my boyfriend because he cheated on me."

"That's too bad," she said sympathetically. "I'm sure you can do better."

"I like you," I put a five in the tip jar. "But I doubt I'll ever find anyone better than him. He was one hot piece of ass."

"I'm sure of it," she said, laughing at my joke before she went to take another drink order. I looked at the guy sitting next to me. He was bigger than Alex, like now, with all the extra blubber.

"How tall are you?" I asked with a sniffle.

"Me?" He looked up at me. His eyes were sweet and green. His lips were full and he had a masculine chin softened by a small layer of fat. He had Alex beat. I silently thanked the heavens for my good fortune.

"Uh, yeah." I hated how direct I had been. Alcohol really knew how to make me word-vomit.

"I'm a little taller than 6'3"," he said, looking at me with a kind smile. "I'm also sorry to hear about your boyfriend."

"That's pretty tall." That's pretty tall? Oh come on. I saw why I didn't have guys chasing after me. I was just a born conversationalist. "It's fine. He had been lying to me for months, surprisingly."

"I wouldn't lie to you." I had been burned by someone who had said something very similar in the past. He smiled and it was the most adorable smile I had ever seen. "A cute guy like you would never like a guy like me."

"I so would," I said seriously. "I'm Brian."

"Max," he said. What a sexy name. I liked a boy in high school named Max. Of course he beat me up a lot and made fun of me for being gay, but he was still hot. Max and I made our way out of the bar and began to talk. I didn't really know what I was doing with Max. That drink Cara made me was super strong and I really just thought Max was the coolest thing since sliced bread. I was being childish, that was for certain.