NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: Roommates
Cora Hayes stood outside Jace's penthouse, her suitcase in one hand and a bag of snacks in the other. She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.
The door swung open to reveal Jace, looking every bit the stoic CEO in his tailored suit and perfectly combed hair. His expression was unreadable, but Cora could tell he was less than thrilled about this arrangement.
"You're late," he said, stepping aside to let her in.
"Traffic," Cora said, breezing past him. "And I had to stop for snacks. You can't expect me to survive without snacks."
Jace raised an eyebrow as he watched her drop her bags in the middle of the living room. "You do realize this isn't a vacation, right?"
"Oh, I'm fully aware," Cora said, plopping down on the couch. "But if I'm going to be stuck here for six months, I'm going to make myself at home."
Jace sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is going to be a long six months."
Jace gave Cora a brief tour of the penthouse, which was as sleek and minimalist as she'd expected. Everything was white, gray, or black, and there wasn't a single piece of decor that looked like it had been chosen for fun.
"This is the kitchen," Jace said, gesturing to a state-of-the-art space that looked like it had never been used. "Feel free to use it, but clean up after yourself."
"Don't worry," Cora said, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water. "I'm a great cook. You're in for a treat."
Jace raised an eyebrow. "You can cook?"
"Of course," Cora said, grinning. "I make a mean microwave popcorn."
Jace groaned and continued the tour.
It didn't take long for their clashing personalities to create friction.
The first argument happened over the thermostat.
"It's freezing in here," Cora said, wrapping herself in a blanket. "Can we turn up the heat?"
"It's set to a comfortable 72 degrees," Jace said, not looking up from his laptop.
"Comfortable for who? Penguins?" Cora shot back.
Jace sighed and adjusted the thermostat, but the look he gave her made it clear he wasn't happy about it.
The second argument happened over the TV.
"You can't just watch the news all day," Cora said, grabbing the remote. "It's depressing."
"It's informative," Jace said, trying to take the remote back.
"It's boring," Cora said, switching to a reality show. "This is way more entertaining."
Jace groaned and retreated to his office, muttering something about "childish distractions."
Things came to a head one evening when Cora decided to take a bubble bath.
She filled the tub with hot water, added a generous amount of bubble bath, and lit a few candles for ambiance. It was the perfect way to unwind after a long day of dealing with Jace's grumpiness.
But then Jace walked in.
"Cora," he said, stopping short when he saw her in the tub. "What are you doing?"
"Taking a bath," Cora said, raising an eyebrow. "What does it look like?"
Jace's eyes flicked to the candles, the bubbles, and the glass of wine she was holding. "This is my bathroom."
"And now it's our bathroom," Cora said, taking a sip of wine. "You should try it sometime. It's very relaxing."
Jace opened his mouth to argue, but then his eyes landed on the bubbles clinging to her shoulders, and he froze.
Cora smirked. "See something you like?"
Jace cleared his throat and looked away. "Just… clean up when you're done."
"Aye, aye, Captain," Cora said, saluting him with her wine glass.
Jace left the bathroom, muttering something under his breath, and Cora couldn't help but laugh.
By the end of the week, they'd reached an uneasy truce.
Cora agreed to keep the thermostat at a reasonable temperature and not hog the TV. Jace agreed to let her decorate the living room with a few of her colorful throw pillows and art pieces.
"It's not so bad," Cora said one evening as they sat on the couch, watching a movie.
"What's not so bad?" Jace asked, not looking away from the screen.
"Living together," Cora said, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth. "I mean, sure, you're a control freak, and I'm a slob, but we make it work."
Jace raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"Take it however you want," Cora said, grinning.
Jace shook his head, but there was a hint of a smile on his face.