Daddies Brat

Leslie

“Seriously?” Erin asked the next morning. “He stood you up?”

I was standing at the front desk of my hotel, waiting to check out. I had waited at the convenience store for half an hour last night. Riley never appeared. There was probably a logical explanation for it, but my mind had spent all night-and this morning-thinking of the worst possible scenarios.

He doesn’t actually like you. He was drunk. He was shot by the police for resisting arrest.

“I’m sorry, Leslie,” Erin said, rubbing my back. “But hey, you said you didn’t want to hook up with anyone last night. So maybe it’s for the best.”

“It’s not for the best!” I replied. “I was lying. Of course I wanted to hook up with him.”

“I knew it!” she said. “You wanted that tall viking to throw you over his shoulder like a peasant girl and have his way with you!”

The hotel clerk paused to glance up at us, then returned to typing on his keyboard.

“I’ve never had that kind of connection with someone before,” I said. “It was like we had known each other for years, not just an hour. He even commented on it.”

She sighed. “That’s so romantic. Even the part about getting it on behind the shed. Every time I’ve done that with a guy, it feels kind of slutty.” Erin gasped. “And you missed out on super filthy hotel sex!” The clerk paused to stare at us again.

“What’s the problem?” Erin snapped, staring right back at him defiantly.

“You like eavesdropping on the private conversations of college women?” He blinked and said, “You are standing at my desk. I am trying to get Ms. Grimes checked out.”

“Then keep your eyes on the screen and pretend like you can’t hear us,” Erin shot back at him.

Once I was checked out, we walked outside to my car. “Maybe he’s doing that bullshit thing guys do,” Erin said, frowning with thought.

“What bullshit thing?”

“Like, saying he’ll call, and then not calling. Drawing it out. Acting like he has better things to do, or better women. Making you desperate. Then, when he finally does track you down, you’re like putty in his hands.”

“I hope that’s not the reason. Riley seemed nicer than that.” I glanced at my phone. “Dad texted me. He’s meeting us in half an hour. You got away from the party okay?”

“Barely,” she muttered. “Showed the cop my ID and he said it looked like a fake. Then he made an insinuation about taking me back to the police cruiser to straighten it out.” She shivered. “Why can’t I find a guy like your big strong viking hunk?”

“You did find him, and he turned you down,” I pointed out.

She glared at me as we got into my car. “You’re not gonna let me live that down, are you?”

“It’s the first time a guy has chosen me over you. Yes, I’m going to milk this until we graduate.” I started the car. “But technically, he’s not my big strong viking. He ditched me, and I probably will never see him again.”

“This is like Cinderella,” she said. “Riley should gather all the women on campus and stick his hand down their panties until he finds the one with the magic snatch.”

“Shut up!” I said, but then I was giggling uncontrollably. Erin always had a way of cheering me up.

We drove around the edge of campus toward the place I would be calling home for the next year. Despite all the bullshit that had led to this, I was excited to live in an actual house instead of a dorm. More space, more freedom, and three fellow seniors as roommates instead of freshmen or sophomores. I could probably get them to buy me beer, instead of relying on Erin all the time.

And maybe, if I got along with them, I could make some new girlfriends. I desperately needed to branch out from just Erin. She had her own life and other friends, and sometimes I felt a little codependent with her.

The house was in an adjacent neighborhood to our school, roughly a ten minute walk to the edge of campus, and fifteen or twenty minutes to the Behavioral Sciences building where most of my classes were. As we neared the neighborhood, Erin pointed out little bars and restaurants I would be able to walk to. Especially when I could legally drink without fear of having my fake ID confiscated.

I parked on the street in front of the house. It was two stories, just like I had seen on Google Street View. But what was new was the fresh coat of electric blue paint, with white trim and gingerbread hatchwork above the windows. The grass was a vibrant shade of green, and there were a few rocking chairs on the front porch.NôvelDrama.Org holds text © rights.

“It’s so cute!” Erin said as we got out of the car.

Walking up to the front door, I smiled. “I think it’s going to be a good year.” I was practically bouncing up and down with excitement as I rang the doorbell.

And then a man opened the door. He had deep auburn hair and silver glasses, and he smiled politely when he saw me. “You must be Leslie.”

“That’s me,” I said, peering past him into the house. “I’m supposed to be meeting Harper here. Are you her boyfriend?”

The man chuckled. “I’m single, which I guess means I’m my own boyfriend right now. But I’m definitely not a her. I’m Harper.” He extended his hand.

This is Harper.

Harper is not a girl.

Harper is a boy. A man. And he’s my new roommate.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, frowning.

Erin suddenly busted out laughing. “Oh, sweetie,” she said to me.

“I thought…” I stammered. “I thought I was moving in with three…” I swallowed the bile creeping up the back of my throat. “Three women.” Harper blinked at me from behind his glasses. “You thought we were women?”

“Your name is Harper!” I could feel my pulse rising. This couldn’t be happening. “Your house is on the same block as four sorority houses. You can’t be a man.”

“I can assure you I am. As are my other two roommates.” Harper pulled out his phone and began tapping on the screen. “Here’s the email conversation. I never outright said we were men, but I assured you we would respect your privacy and space. I even promised we wouldn’t flirt with you!” He held up the screen for me to see.

“I just thought, like, you were LGBTQ or something.” I walked into the living room. There was a big Los Angeles Rams poster on the wall, and the couch was old and beat up. “Half the girls I know are bisexual these days.”

“Damn right, sister,” Erin said with a wink. “And as one such individual, I can say that you men could learn a thing or two when it comes to pleasing a lady. The lesbians and other bi women know what they’re doing.”

Harper awkwardly adjusted his glasses. He was cute, in a nerdy kind of way. “I, uh, don’t have any problem in that regard.”

“Really?” Erin tossed her hair in a flirty way. “And you’re single, you say?”

“Erin!” I hissed.

“Right, sorry.” She turned back to Harper. “You should be ashamed for being a man!”

“I can’t exactly help it.” He scrolled on his phone. “Look, here. I mentioned that the guys are excited to meet you.” “Guys is gender-neutral these days,” I replied.

Erin nodded. “It really is. Back in Houston we just call everyone y’all, but you don’t have that here in California.”

I felt everything spiraling out of control around me. There were no other options on Craigslist, except for the swinging grandparents. Classes began tomorrow. And I had signed a lease to sublet a room from three men.

It’s not the end of the world, I told myself. Harper seems nice. And living with three guys is better than being homeless. If I need to, I can start looking for an alternate living situation.

“Sorry for freaking out,” I said, taking another look around the room. “I was surprised, that’s all.”

“Completely understandable,” Harper said. “I would feel the same if I were in your position. But I promise I don’t bite.” He gave a halfhearted smile.

“See?” Erin said, rubbing my back reassuringly. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “This isn’t so bad.”

Then the front door opened, and my other two roommates walked in. They both froze when they saw me. Erin gasped. “Viking hunk!”