Max Walker, a charming but untidy chef, is the last person Grace Chen, an uptight editorial assistant, anticipates when she finds herself in dire need of a roommate. He is spontaneous, gregarious, and utterly unorganized everything she is not. Despite their apparent inability to live together, their desperate financial situation compels them to attempt. What begins as a personality conflict gradually changes into something neither party anticipated. Grace and Max learn that sometimes the one who makes you feel at home is the one who drives you crazy as their walls fall down. But when their new connection is threatened by past relationships and job chances, they have to choose between their planned life and their newfound love.
view moreGrace Chen's top three priorities were her serenity, her solitude, and her immaculately maintained abode. She will be losing all three by tomorrow.
"You're making that face again," Elena observed, lying on Grace's immaculate gray couch with a wineglass perilously near the coffee table's edge. "The one that says you're mentally alphabetizing your spice rack to avoid a panic attack."
Grabbing the glass, Grace placed it on a coaster. "I'm not panicking."
"Your left eye is twitching."
"It's allergies."
"In January?"
With a sigh, Grace sank into the recliner across from her closest friend. She may not be able to call her Capitol Hill apartment her home for long, but the late afternoon sunlight, which is uncommon in Seattle at this time of year, seeped through the wide windows.
Grace said, "I just can't believe Megan left me hanging like this," as she peered into the now-vacant second bedroom. Last week, her two-year roommate declared that she was moving in with her boyfriend, effective right away. Not enough notice. No assistance in locating a substitute. A pile of overdue debts and a polite "Sorry, but love waits for no one!" as all.
Elena took another sip of wine. "People suck. But you need a roommate by next week or you're screwed on rent."
"Thank you for that insightful analysis of my situation."
"That's what best friends are for." Elena grinned, then grew serious. "Listen, Matt mentioned his friend needs a place ASAP. Some messy divorce situations. He's a chef at Vertigo."
Grace perked up. "That new place on Pike everyone's talking about?"
"That's the one. Apparently, he's a good person. Matt has known him forever."
Grace hesitated. A stranger in her space. A male stranger, at that. Someone who might leave dirty dishes in the sink or shoes in the hallway or heaven forbid use the wrong towels.
"I don't know, Elena..."
"Look, your options are: take a chance on this guy, move back in with your parents in Bellevue, or magically produce sixteen hundred dollars in rent by yourself." Elena crossed the alternatives off her list. "Your call."
Grace's eye twitched once more at the idea of returning to her childhood bedroom, where she would have to deal with her mother's daily remarks about her "biological clock" and "wasted potential."
“All right.” Give my number to Matt.
“Already did.”Elena's phone rang. She looked at her screen and smiled. "Max's coming by at seven tonight to see the place."
"Tonight?" Grace almost suffocated on her wine. "Elena, the apartment is a mess!"
Elena looked around the spotless room, where every surface shined and not a single object was out of position. "If this is your view of a mess, I'd hate to hear what you call my house."
Grace mumbled, "A biohazard," immediately mentally listing the things that needed to be done before this Max person showed up. In the guest bathroom, there are new towels. A few cookies, perhaps? Did you need cookies to show an apartment? She had never before found herself on this side of the equation.
"Slow down," Elena whispered as she drained her wine. "Just be yourself."
"Last time I was myself with a potential roommate, she said I gave off 'strict kindergarten teacher vibes' and ran away."
"Okay, be yourself but, like, twenty percent less intense." Elena picked up her purse and stood up. "I must run. Tell me via text how it goes.
Grace spent the next hour cleaning frantically after Elena left, more for the sake of soothing herself than for practical reasons. After three costume changes, she ultimately decided on dark trousers and a cozy blue sweater that, according to her sister, made her appear "almost approachable."
The bell rang at exactly 7:00 PM.
Grace inhaled deeply, brushed her long brown hair, and opened the door.
She was shocked to see the man standing in the corridor.
For starters, Grace had to raise her head to look into his eyes because he was tall well over six feet. Also, he was different from the presentable experts who worked in her publication house. Max Walker wore a brown leather jacket, faded trousers with a small tear at the knee, and a shirt that was pulled up to show off his tattoos. His dark hair was cut neatly and smooth. His jaw was covered by a shadow of beard.
However, it was his warm, slightly off-center smile that briefly distracted Grace.
He remarked, "You must be Grace," and held out his hand. "I'm Max."
His palm was callused, and he shook hands firmly. Grace recognized the hands of the chef.
She said, "Please, come in," and moved aside. I’m Grace.
"Grace," he said again, seemingly to test the sensation of it in his mouth. The smell of frigid air and something spicy she couldn't place followed him into the apartment. "Nice place."
Like a bull in a china shop, he strode across her tastefully decorated room with limitless energy and broad shoulders. His fingers swept over her bookcases organized alphabetically by different authors, looked at her assortment of porcelain birds, and paused at the wall of framed pictures (symmetrically placed, of course).
He pointed to a photo of Grace at her college graduation, nestled between her parents, and questioned, "Your family?"
"Yes," she responded, feeling strangely uneasy. Most individuals didn't listen very intently. "My parents and my sister, Lyla."
He turned back to her after nodding and taking another look at the picture. "So, the room?"
Hyper aware of his presence behind her, Grace guided him down the corridor. She said, "It's not very large," and opened the second bedroom door. "But it gets good light in the morning."
Max entered and looked around the deserted room. With the exception of the dust bunnies beneath the bed and an enigmatic stain on the carpet that Grace had spent hours cleaning, Megan had taken everything.
He said, "It's perfect," after a brief pause.
Grace blinked. "You wish to avoid taking any measurements? Or look in the closet."
He gave his wide shoulders a shrug. “I don't own many possessions.” Most of it had to be left behind.
Grace was intrigued by something in his tone, but she wasn't going to ask. Rather, she escorted him back to the living room, where she had set up a folder with all the pertinent documents: building regulations, utility breakdowns, and rental agreements.
She handed him the packet and they sat at her dining table. "I've outlined everything here," she said. “I have really explicit expectations.” All utilities are divided equally. Take care of yourself. No parties without prior notification. Quiet time on weeknights after 11 p.m.
Max's eyebrows were up a little as he looked through the pages. "You've got a tedious schedule in here."
Grace corrected, feeling her cheeks heat up. "It's a suggested cleaning schedule," she said. "Just so we're clear on responsibilities."
"And a bathroom schedule?"
The statement, "Mornings can get stressful," was delivered defensively.
To his credit, he didn't laugh so loud, but a smile played at the corners of his mouth. "You're very... ready."
"I like order," Grace acknowledged. "It's very important to me."
Laying back in his chair, Max observed her while closing the folder. For the first time, she saw that his eyes were a warm hazel color with gold flecks around his pupils.
“I should tell you now that I'm not the world's neatest person.” I work late. I occasionally bring stuff from home to test recipes. And sometimes, my pals come over."
In Grace’s mind, every word acted as a little caution sign. This dude was the epitome of pandemonium. He'd leave shoes in the hallway and dishes in the sink. He would sabotage her meticulously planned life in a hundred little ways.
"I see," she uttered rigidly.
"But," he went on, "I accept other people's personal space. Eventually, I clean up my mess. Additionally, I have better roommates than you since I make a mean morning burrito.
Grace grinned in spite of herself. "Is that what makes you stand out? Burritos for breakfast?"
"That and I can pay first and last month's rent right now." Between them, on the table, he took an envelope out of the pocket of his jacket. "Cash."
Grace gazed at the letter. She had five days to pay her rent. It would be quite difficult to find another roommate at that time.
She dared to ask, "Can I ask why you need a place so urgently?"
A shadow moved behind those warm eyes, and something changed in his face. Last month, my divorce was finalized. Since my ex-wife took over the house, I've been staying on Matt's couch. Not good for anyone.
Grace said, "I'm sorry," without thinking.
“Don’t be.” In the end, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. He smiled again. "Look, I know that I'm not the kind of roommate you were hoping for. However, you need rent money, I need a location, and I swear not to ruin your life."
Grace bit her lip in thought. This was a bad concept on paper. In every aspect that was relevant to peaceful coexistence, they were obviously diametrically opposed. And yet...
She heard herself question herself, "When would you want to move in?"
"Is tomorrow too soon?"
It was much too soon. She required time for mental preparation, schedule reorganization, and acceptance of the impending invasion of her refuge.
"Tomorrow is fine," she said.
His face flushed with relief. "I'm grateful. Really.
Max signed his name in a rather elegant scrawl on all the dotted lines as they went over the papers for the next twenty minutes. He stopped at the door as she led him out.
"Just so you know," he admitted, "I truly appreciate this. You won't regret it, I promise.
Somehow, Grace knew she would remember those words later for all the wrong reasons.
She leaned against the locked door after he departed, enjoying the peaceful apartment on her final night of complete seclusion.
Max Walker, with his chaotic life, chef's hours, and who knew what else, would show up tomorrow. Everything will be different tomorrow.
Elena texted Grace, and her phone buzzed: "Well? "Disaster or potential husband material?"
"Neither," Grace texted back, rolling her eyes. Merely a short-term roommate until I can pay for this house myself."
If only she were aware of her error.
The last chapter of Emma's childhood story took place in the peaceful haven of their backyard butterfly garden rather than in labs or conference rooms. The family came together one last time before Emma left for college, knowing that this was the end of one incredible journey and the start of innumerable others that would reverberate through future generations.The milkweed and monarch flowers, which now drew scores of butterflies getting ready for their age-old migration, were dotted with dancing shadows as the dusk light streamed through the oak tree that had served as the shelter for Emma's first experiments. With earth remnants from the morning's planting session still on her hands, Grace stood next to the garden bed they had planted together."Remember when you first told us about the butterfly migration patterns?" Grace inquired gently. Their capacity to travel hundreds of miles to reach places they had never been thrilled you.As Emma watched a newly emerged monarch take its fi
Grace, Max, Phoebe, and James joined hundreds of community members in recognizing that Emma's story was truly their story, a testament to the power of love, support, and shared commitment to assist extraordinary potential flourish in an ordinary world. Emma's graduation ceremony, which took place in the same community centre where she had first presented her butterfly research years earlier, turned into a celebration of not only her individual achievements but also the family's journey together.In the opening moments of the ceremony, Emma presented her extensive research portfolio, but rather than emphasising her scientific findings, she emphasised how each accomplishment was a team effort and how crucial family support was in enabling seemingly unachievable feats.Grace's introduction of Emma to the gathered crowd showed the major change she had experienced from a mother concerned about her daughter's social growth to a self-assured supporter of alternate methods for raising extraor
Emma's final months before college gave an unforeseen clarity about her future direction as a series of remarkable chances collided with her family's changing needs, resulting in a perfect storm of possibility that would put everything they had learned about balancing individual achievement with collective wellbeing to the test while preparing for the next stage of their extraordinary journey together.Emma's convergence began when she received simultaneous offers from three top universities, each of which offered distinct advantages for her interdisciplinary interests but required varying degrees of geographic isolation from her family. The decision-making process evolved into a family-wide debate on priorities, values, and the definition of success.Grace's involvement in Emma's college application process showed how her own viewpoint had evolved from defending Emma's childhood to helping her in becoming an independent adult. Her enquiries centred more on the setting that would best
Emma's eighteenth birthday celebration turned into an in-depth reflection on the nature of childhood, accomplishments, and family bonds, as Grace, Max, Phoebe, and James planned a gathering that honoured Emma's extraordinary achievements as well as the simple joys of being part of a family that had weathered unprecedented problems together while handling the love and bond that had made everything possible.The celebration began at dawn with Emma's customary butterfly observation ritual, but this time she was accompanied by her entire family as they observed the emergence of a new generation of monarchs, whose migration patterns Emma had documented and protected. The shared silence was a reflection of how far they had all come together.Grace's meticulously prepared morning surprise involves recreating Emma's first scientific experiment from years ago, using the same supplies and methodology but updated with Emma's advanced understanding. The contrast between the past and the present u
Emma's return to her childhood home after months of international commitments and groundbreaking discoveries revealed how profoundly her journey had changed not only her own perspective, but also the lives of her family members, as Grace, Max, Phoebe, and James had all evolved in unexpected ways that would fundamentally reshape their relationships and shared understanding of what it meant to be a family united by love rather than conventional expectations.The sight of the house where everything had started seemed both comforting and weird to Emma as she entered through the front door, bearing years of experiences that had aged her far beyond her chronological years. The walls that had witnessed her initial explorations and discoveries now seemed to bear memories of someone else entirely.Grace's hug was a mix of pride and concern, reflecting her conflicted sentiments about watching her daughter handle adult duties while still technically a child. Her muttered "welcome home" held the w
Emma's organisation of an uncommon global gathering that brought together exceptional young people, leading scientists, policymakers, and community leaders to address humanity's interconnected problems marked the culmination of her childhood accomplishments and the beginning of her transition into adult leadership roles that would shape the future of international cooperation and innovation.Emma noticed that the large challenges that humanity faces needed integrated methods that cut over traditional disciplinary, cultural, and generational divides. Her idea of collaborative problem-solving brought together disparate perspectives in unprecedented ways.Emma's participation in building the summit's structure demonstrated a deep awareness of group dynamics, cultural sensitivity, and the logistical problems associated with multinational events. Her efforts to create inclusive spaces in which all individuals may successfully contribute showed her commitment to democratic engagement in gl
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