“You’ve got to do this, January,” she told herself. “You already told Dawn at ‘The Silver Hanger’ this was your address. You may be a lot of things, but you’re not a liar.”
Straightening her blouse and clutching her bag, she made her way up the sidewalk and unto the porch. Knocking lightly on the door, she stood back and awaited an answer.
“Micky, get away from the window,” she heard a feminine voice say.
Out of the corner of her eye, January saw a curtain rustle in a nearby window.
“Gee, sorry,” a male voice answered.
“I’ll get it,” answered another female in a bright, cheery voice.
The door finally opened to reveal a very tall young woman, with long blond hair, and big green eyes. She seemed stylish, but almost without effort, wearing a pair of black pants and a multicolored paisley print long-sleeved shirt.
“Hi,” the girl said excitedly, “I’m Katerina Johansen. Are you January?”
January just nodded and said a simple, “Hello.”
Katerina extended her hand and smiled warmly. “Nice to meet you, January. Ugh, I love your top! Come on in!”
Looking down at her white blouse, a slight smile tugged at her lips as she stepped into the apartment, she was surprised at the sight that awaited her. Since she would be sharing this place, she thought it would be like all of the other places she had co-inhabited. Dirty, shabby, and full of assorted people who mirrored the previous description.
Instead, she saw gleaming wood floors with shag carpeting in different parts of the living room. There wasn’t much furniture, but the couch and chair matched the brown carpeting. In the middle of the spacious living room was a long table with many huge multicolored pillows surrounding it. A vase of daisies stood on the middle of the table, giving the room a springtime look in the middle of fall.
“What do you think so far,” Katerina asked, watching January glance all around the living room.
“It’s really nice,” January said, smiling and nodding at Katerina.
“Great,” said Katerina, “let me give you the full tour.”
Katerina lead January into the kitchen. January was surprised to see a man and a woman preparing something there. The woman, who was tall and blond like Katerina, but with shorter hair, was chopping a cucumber and placing the pieces into a nearby bowl. She laughed as the man encircled his arms around her and tried to help. January couldn’t help but also notice that the woman was a few months pregnant.
“Great,” January thought, as her hopes began to fall, “I thought this was too good to be true.” Flashbacks of having to take care of the women’s children that she had lived with before still haunted her memory.
“January,” Katerina announced, with a laugh, looking at the two, “this is my cousin Adriana Dolenz and her husband, Micky.”
“Husband,” January thought, as the couple looked up and smiled warmly at her. “Wow. I didn’t think people got married much anymore. Well, she is pregnant…”
Micky stepped away from Adriana and the two formally greeted the new girl.
“Nice to meet you,” said Adriana, holding out the bowl. “Want some cucumber?” “Yeah,” Micky offered, “sure beats the snack she was making yesterday.”
“Oh,” Katerina said, laughing, “what now?”
“Olives and cream cheese,” Micky said with a repulsed look on his face.
“Eww,” Katerina groaned, picking up a cucumber piece.
“On graham crackers,” Micky finished, mock gagging.
“Blah,” Katerina commented, popping the vegetable in her mouth.
“Hey, I was hungry,” Adriana said defensively, raising an eyebrow at Micky.
“Come on January,” Katerina said, waving to her cousin and Micky before leaving the kitchen, “before we have to hear anymore of her weird cravings.”
January chuckled in spite of herself as she followed Katerina throughout the house. It seemed so warm and sunny there, and Katerina was nicer than she could have hoped for. She didn’t ask a lot of questions, and the ones she did were not meant to pry or make her feel uncomfortable.
Soon, they were making their way downstairs and back into the living room.
Suddenly the door opened and in walked another man. He had longish light brown hair and a ready smile.
“Peter,” Katerina exclaimed as she dashed across the room.
“Hey Kat,” Peter said as he enveloped Katerina in a bear hug.
“January,” Katerina introduced, pulling away from Peter, “this is my boyfriend, Peter.”
“Hi,” Peter said brightly, reaching out to shake January’s hand.
“Hello,” January said, nodding at Peter, but not taking his hand.
The door opened again and another man, this time much shorter, with dark hair entered.
“Hi Davy,” Micky said walking into the room.
“Hey Davy,” Katerina said, “this is January.”
“As opposed to February or March,” Micky said with a laugh.
Adriana tossed an annoyed glance at Micky as she walked through the room with a tray of vegetables and dip.
“Don’t mind him,” Adriana said, placing the tray on the living room table, “he likes to think he’s funny sometimes.”
“Little joke,” Micky said, measuring with his fingers, “ ‘bout that big.”
“’ello,” Davy mumbled, barely looking up.
“He recently was, well, dumped,” Katerina whispered to January out of Davy’s view. “His ego hasn’t been the same since. We’d feel sorrier for him, but he’s just been kind of well, rude ever since.”
“You’re just in time for dinner,” Adriana said to Davy, poking him in the shoulder, trying to get him to smile.
“Goody,” Davy said sarcastically.
“Anyway,” Katerina said to January, “you’re more than welcome to stay for dinner. We’d love to have you. Give us a chance to get to know you better.”
“Yeah,” Adriana said, looking pointedly at Micky “there’s plenty of olives to go around.”
“Come on,” Peter said, excitedly, “It’ll be fun to have a new face around.”
“Well,” January said, looking at all of the new faces she’d have to deal with if she decided to stay. They all seemed harmless enough. Besides, it might give her a boost in her chances of getting this place.
“Okay,” she finally agreed, taking a deep breath.
“Great,” Adriana said, standing to her feet and wiping her hands, “I’ll go set another place at the table.”
“Wow,” Katerina breathed in amazement, “you mean you made that?”
“Yep,” January said shyly, looking down at her blouse after taking a bite of her salad.
She’d only been there for half an hour and January already felt more at home than she’d ever felt before anywhere else. Everyone was friendly. Even Davy managed to cheer up a bit as the group exchanged stories and jokes over the traditional Sunday dinner. It had been changed to Katerina’s place so the group would be sure to meet the prospective roommate.
Suddenly a door was heard slamming and the clopping of boots across the wood flooring sounded throughout the apartment.
“I can’t believe the nerve of that guy,” an angry male’s southern drawl came from the hallway leading to the kitchen, “makin’ me stay and wait for a delivery that never came, just so he could get home in time to get an important call from his stock broker. Well, all I have to say to that is…”
Mike stopped his ranting as he reached the kitchen. There, sitting at the table, eating dinner with his friends, was the dark haired girl from the record store.
January’s heart leapt into her throat as the man walked into the kitchen. It was the guy from the record store. Fear began to well up in her heart as she set down her fork. He was looking at her.
“Hey Mike,” Katerina said, pointing her spoon at January, “this is January Miller, she’s…”
“I have to go,” January blurted out, jumping up and grabbing her bag.
“What,” Peter asked. “Why so soon?”
“I…um…,” she said, her eyes shifting from the guy to the others, to the wall, “I have to go meet my…um…my grandmother.”
“You’re grandmother,” Micky asked.
“Yes, my grandmother,” January said, pushing her chair in and walking towards the hall. “It’s her birthday and I nearly forgot. I have to meet her for dinner. I’m very late.”
“Well,” Katerina said with a shrug, looking at Mike, who was still starring at January, “okay, if you have to.”
“I do,” January said, walking backwards towards the hall, “It was nice to meet you all. Thanks for everything.”
Not watching where she was going, she bumped into Mike who was near the hallway entrance.
Turning around, she looked up at him. “Sorry,” she stammered lowering her head and rushing down the hall and out the door.
“What was that all about,” Micky asked after he heard the door shut.
“I don’t know,” Katerina said, spearing a piece of carrot. “Something was obviously bothering her.”
“Mike,” Davy asked, looking up with suspicion.
Mike’s eyes were fixed on the door, but his mind was on the beautiful girl with dark hair and bright blue eyes, who, for some reason, bolted whenever he came into view.
“I still like her,” Katerina said, shrugging.
“Me too,” Adriana agreed.
“I’m going to offer her the place,” announced Katerina. “What do you all think?”
Across the table everyone echoed their approval.
“Mike,” Katerina asked, wondering why Mike still hadn’t sat down, “what do you think?”
Mike turned slowly and asked, “Who is she?”
“January Miller,” Katerina said slowly, giving Mike a quizzical look, “she’s going to be my new roommate.”
Suddenly Mike’s normal complexion turned rosy as he glanced towards the door once more.
“Oh,” he said quietly.
“Have a seat Mike,” Micky said, kicking a chair out from across the table. “Anything new come into the store today?”
“Yeah,” Mike said, finally setting down at the table. “Yeah, there was.”
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