All Chapters of The Unexpected Roomate: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Grace 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 rig

Grace felt the afternoon elongate before her like a blank canvas. She made an effort to concentrate on her book review, but Max's dinner proposition and the broken bird kept coming up in her mind. Even if it meant having to engage in conversation with a virtual stranger who suddenly occupied her spare room, she wouldn't turn down a professional chef's supper.Tantalizing scents started to emanate from the kitchen about five o'clock. Max was clearly taking their dinner arrangement seriously, as evidenced by the sounds of cutting and the odd sizzling, even though Grace hadn't seen him leave to go shopping for supplies.She eventually came out of her bedroom out of curiosity. She discovered Max navigating her kitchen with a well-honed sense of efficiency, his bulk somehow elegant in the cramped area. As he worked, his forearms flexed as he sliced veggies with remarkable speed, wearing a simple black t-shirt that hung over his shoulders.She hovered at the threshold and asked, "Need any h

Elena texted me on Monday morning, saying, "Trivia night is still going on. 7 p.m. Excuses are not accepted.Debating how to react, Grace gazed at her phone. For months, she had managed to stay away from Elena's trivia nights by making up work deadlines that weren't really made up. But now that Max was probably going to be there, her justifications seemed weaker.She tried to seem casual as she asked Max over breakfast, "Are you going to trivia tonight?"Looking up from his coffee, he looked. “I was invited by Elena.” said that because I "know useless things about food," I could join her team. He smiled. "Are you coming?""I haven't decided."“You ought to.” I've heard that you're invincible when it comes to literary questions.The compliment made Grace's heart skip a beat. "Elena has a big mouth."Max added, "She cares about you," as he got up to wash his cup. "Talk about you like a sister."The analogy wasn't too far off. Since they had first met in college, Elena had been Grace's c

The presentation went better than anticipated. Grace had always excelled at compartmentalization, and today was no different. She confidently answered questions and left to accept accolades from her teammates.But, as she walked back to her office, her thoughts turned to Max. Was he seriously considering staying because of her?"You look like someone who just landed a major account," Elena observed, appearing near her desk. "Spill.""Henderson signed," Grace stated. "Full campaign, eighteen-month contract.""Incredible! "This is cause for celebration.""I should probably head home….." "To your sexy roommate chef?" Elena's eyebrows waggled. "What was with the weird energy between you two last night?"Grace dropped into her chair, tired. "It's complicated.""The best things usually are." Elena perched on the desk's edge. "Talk to me."Grace briefly considered deflecting. However, the weight of keeping everything inside was getting overwhelming."His ex-wife showed up yesterday," she fin

Three weeks into their new arrangement, Grace learned that dating your roommate was both easier and far more challenging than she had imagined.The easy parts were obvious…….morning kisses over coffee, falling asleep in Max's arms, and knowing that he'd begun placing little notes in her food bag with bad food puns that made her colleagues roll their eyes and secretly chuckle. Their physical chemistry was obvious, and living together enabled them to enjoy the luxury of serene mornings and eased afternoons without the logistical difficulties that most new relationships entail.The complex aspects, however, were becoming more clear."You reorganized my filing cabinet," Grace explained, standing in her home office doorway with a bundle of documents in hand.Max looked up from where he was arranging flowers in a vase, as he had started doing after relocating his possessions from his previous flat. Their living room now reflected their combined lives: his guitar in the corner, her clean boo