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"Take your coat off and get comfortable," I tell Roman

I glance at him as I bend over to unlace my Dr Martens--this time shoes rather than boots--and toe them off Roia rents to me

She originally had it built for her son after he dropped out of college Sadly, Craig Mack fell far short of Georgia's expectations for her only son, seeames rather than attend classes at North Carolina State where he had been accepted into their school of engineering He was incredibly bright, but lacked reatly, as his mother has both of those qualities in abundance

After Craig dropped out of school, Georgia told hi rent, albeit at a discounted rate After he lost job after job, and couldn't pay the rent three h love and evicted him It broke her heart to do so, because he ultimately drifted out ith other shiftless friends and hasn't come back to visit her since then

The benefit to me when I applied for a job at The Grind was that the apartia was eager to rent it to someone responsible While she ultimately learned I was indeed a responsible person and paid my bills, she didn't knohen she offered it to ia Mack is one to take chances on people because she's just generous that way

"I like it," Roman observes about my small abode

My eyes drift over the roughly six hundred square feet of space There's not much to it, but it's nicely laid out and more than what I actually need The front door enters into the living room, with the small efficiency kitchen just behind it, separated by a counter The only seating for the kitchen is two barstools on the living room side To the left of the front door is my bedroom, which is actually on the spacious side relative to the overall size of the apart the kitchen, is a small bathroom that barely holds the shower, tub, toilet, and sink

It's cozy, and Georgia had furnished and decorated it nicely but eclectically, which is her signature style While it's not as outlandish as The Grind, it's funky enough with vintage furniture, brightly colored throw pillows, and tassel lamps

"What do you want to drink?" I ask as I head into the kitchen and Root some water, Diet Coke, and even some beer if you're interested"

"Let's get drunk and lose our inhibitions," he suggests, and I look overonhis shoes, which are more like low boots and clearly more expensive than mine

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again" I laugh as I pull two bottles of beer out of e "You are so bad"

"And yet you're handing me ammunition," he says as he nods toward the beers

"Well," I offer with a sly smile as I set one beer on the counter and twist the top off the other "I'm actually bad too"

"How bad?" he asks as he pulls his shoes off and drops them carelessly to the floor He stands from the couch and walks toward me, but stops on the other side of the counter

I reach out and hand hi it I hold ainst each other

"Not bad enough to sleep with you tonight," I say before I take a sip After I s, I add, "But totally bad enough I et frisky with you"

He gives a"A tease I've saddled ht"

Laughing, I set my beer down and take tls out of my cabinet above the sink "I'o with the flow If I' it If I don't, I don't"

"That's what I like about you," Ro a stool out because I can hear the slide of it across the tile that extends from the kitchen to just past the counter to where Berber carpeting covers the living rooured out you sort of march to the beat of your own drums"

"How'd you guess that?" I ask as I s hot chili into the bowls

"You followed your heart, not norh school when you traveled, and you approached a hter, and you chose the ukulele, when most everyone would have chosen the piano"

"You're reading an awful lot into just a few actions," I say in deflection as I turn to set the bowls on the counter before hirab spoons out of a drawer

"I'h "And I'ht"

I give hirab my beer and round the counter to sit down beside hiet in so much trouble? Not that I don't appreciate your spirit, but see trouble"

"Not really," he says as he takes a spoon from me and stirs it around in the hot chili "I've just sort of been onto anyone I like playing by my own rules"

"And yet you play a sport that has rules," I point out "You are a part of a team that has its own rules"

"And I try to abide by the up a spoonful of the chili "When I agree with the ruled by my emotions"

"So that last suspension you had," I say as I stir my chili I don't dare try to taste it yet because the steaage in a fight that had broken out on the ice Did you disagree with the rule or were you being ruled by your emotions?"

Ro up his spoon "Was totally ruled by my emotions That fucker Denubris had slashed at Garrett earlier in the game It's my job to protect him while he's out on the ice I had to let hio unanswered"