April, Eevie and Soph are sitting around in a circle beside the truck, laughing and scoffing. They shoot the occasional glance in my direction. I’ve got a right mind to ask them what the fuck is so funny.

Fuck, shake it off, Rocco. The day is done. Fuckin’ deal with it.

Jones strolls over to April, smiling like a fuckin’ loon. I’m pretty sure by the look of lust in her eyes as he dips his head and kisses her, play biting her bottom lip, that she’d be humping him right now if they didn’t have an audience.

“This is the awkward lovey-dovey shit I have to put up with constantly,” Soph says to Eevie, nodding in the direction of the horny couple.

She’s still sleeping on their couch after a month?

“It’s sweet,” Eevie says, and presses her dark glasses back up her nose with her index finger as she casts her gaze at them.

I move over to the Esky beside the chairs and take out a bottle of cold water, drinking half of it in one hit.

“Ladies,” I say with a nod.

“Hey, Rocco,” Eevie says with a cute smile. She’s always nice to me.

I get a grunt from Soph, and a not-so-welcome stare. Nothing new, there.

“You still sleepin’ on their couch, huh?” I ask her.

“Yeah.”

“I’m surprised you’re still walkin’. Sofa beds are fucked.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” she says with a shake of her head.

An idea springs to mind. I have a room that I’m sick to death of looking at. I know Soph hates me. The disdain she has for anyone born with a dick practically drips off her, but there’s obviously some shit going on in her life, and I can’t help but feel a little sorry for her.

“I have a spare room with decent bed in it if you wanna get away from these two,” I say and point at April and Jones, who are now locking lips against the side of the truck. Really? Public displays of affection make me gag.

In the distance, April squeals and they both walk over, swinging their linked hands between them.

I turn to face Soph, who hasn’t said boo about my offer. Her eyebrows are pulled together, causing a deep line to form between them. She regards me warily.

“Look, I’m hardly ever around. For the time being, my spare room is empty. If you need a place to crash for a few weeks or a couple of months, I’ve got no issue with giving up a room that doesn’t even get used.”

She looks to the happy couple, who are again pawing each other. Soph shakes her head and turns back at me. “Are you sure?”

I nod. I’m not about to beg. She can take it or leave it.

“I’ll pay my share of rent,” she says, seriousness splashed across her face.

Rent? I don’t need rent. I own the place outright, but no one but V knows that. I like it that way. I don’t need people asking questions about where I got the money.

“Seriously, I don’t even care. It’s empty.”

“I’ll pay rent,” she says. This time her teeth are clenched.

“Fine. You pay rent, you feel better about the arrangement, but truly I don’t give a fuck.”

“I … I don’t know,” she mutters to herself, toying with the hole on the thigh of her faded blue jeans.

“Soph,” April says, gripping Soph’s knee. “You can stay as long as you want.”

“Yeah as long as you wanna continue listening to your best friend call out Jones’s name as she c—” I say before I’m cut off.

“Okay! I get the drift,” Soph says, and narrows her eyes at me.

“I try to be quiet, but sometimes it’s hard,” April says and covers her mouth as she chuckles quietly.

“So hard,” Jones says, jumping into the conversation and palming down the front of his crotch.

“Seriously. You’re welcome at our place for as long as you need, but I’ve seen the spare room, babe. It’s pretty big. And it’s gotta be a damn sight more comfortable than my couch.”

Soph shrugs.

April swings her body to face me. She purses her lips as she points her finger at me, as if she might fish out my eye with it. “AND, you take care of her. No bullshit, Rocco.”

I hold my hands up in mock surrender. “I’ll be the perfect fuckin’ gentleman.”

“Ha! Sure you will,” April says through a chuckle.

“Like I said, I’m hardly ever there. So take it or leave it. Whatever.”

Sophie looks up at me through her long lashes, and blinks rapidly. Has she got dirt in her eye or something?

“I’ll take it,” she says. “Thanks.” Her last word seems as if it stung leaving her mouth, and her gaze shies away.

I guess no one likes a hand-out. Not that I’m giving her one.

“Just let me know when.”

Jones throws a loud slap on April’s arse and she squeals and punches him in the arm. “You love it,” Jones drawls.

“I’d say next week is looking pretty good,” Soph says, her tone bored. A sly smile reaches the corner of her mouth.

“April can give you my address and number, and I’ll get shit sorted for you.”

A few loud claps, has us all turning around. “Right, let’s get out of here, kids, and go get a drink and a fat juicy steak,” Mac says, with another clap of his greasy hands. The cool stare he sends in my direction reminds me of my failure on the track today. “I’m thirsty.”

He’s thirsty? I could drink the bar dry.

I stretch my arms over my head and the group disperses, packing up chairs and throwing rubbish in a nearby bin.

Everyone else is busy doing shit when Soph strolls towards me. “Thanks,” she says with a nod, and keeps walking in the direction of April’s car.

“Sure. Whatever,” I mutter, watching the way her arse cheeks move in those tight jeans as she walks off. Jesus, she has an incredible bum.

I imagine running my fingers between those cheeks and down to her pussy. I’d bet my life that being a lesbian, that puss of hers is either groomed to perfection or bare as the smooth skin of her arse. I need to check out some more lesbian porn. Nothing wrong with mixing it up.

Fuck me. Now is not the time to be getting hard.

I snap myself out of my kinky lesbian thoughts, and walk around to the side of the truck. Jones calls out my name.

I swing my head around, catching him jogging the last few steps to stand in front of me. “Yeah?”

He comes close and takes hold of my elbow. “You sure you’re thinking straight?” he asks, his voice low and quiet.

“’Bout what exactly?”

“Having Soph move in with you.” He narrows his eyes and his mouth twitches, as if he wants to stay something but isn’t sure what. Either that or he’s having a mini stroke. What the fuck is wrong with him?

“It’s no big deal.” She’d actually be doing me a favour. I’ll be less inclined to think of V if she’s there. “And really, what the fuck can go wrong?”

“Oh buddy, don’t let the beauty blind you.”

“Please, brother. There ain’t no woman that can resist the De Luca charm.”

“She’s a lesbian, Rocco, so I’d say she’s pretty immune to that shit. Just watch your back. She’s fierce.”

Oooh, a girl with a bit of fight. I like that. “Yeah, yeah.”

“You ever lived with a girl before?” he asks.

“No, and I’ll tell you, the only reason I’m offering it up to her is because I know she won’t get clingy. She can have her space, and I’ll have mine.”

“That’s the only reason?”

I chuckle to myself. Not exactly. “You never know when an opportunity to witness some girl-on-girl action might present itself.”

“Fuck me. And you reckon I like to live life on the edge,” Jones says with a shake of his head.

“Best place to be, my friend.”

****

Two days later, after getting back from this weeks’ round, I get a text from a number I don’t know.

Hey, it’s Soph. Can I move in next Thursday? I’ll be working most of the day, but will call you when I get there.

Yeah, I guess Thursday works. I reply.

Me: Sure, I’ll be home.

Soph: Let me know how much rent is.