Chapter 2

Cute was the first word that came into Natalie's mind when her eyes landed on her potential roommate. Very, adorably cute with a capital C!

Trent had told her he was twenty-one, but he looked just like nineteen! His cheeks were slightly rosy and she wondered how it would look if he was truly blushing for real. He has a pair of large blue eyes that made him even more pure and adorable. In short, he was a feminine looking guy, but a very adorable one.

She had arrived at a café they had decided to meet up on, seated at a spot where she has a nice view of the entrance. So when Trent entered, she immediately spotted him, as well as the younger boy dressed in a simple T-Shirt and faded blue jeans following right behind him.

Trent led him towards where she was seating and she smiled without effort. Trent nudged him to sit opposite her while he took the seat on her right.

"Cole, meet Natalie Kilper, your roommate. Natalie, meet Cole Jordan, your roommate."

"Trent, I have not agreed to it yet," Natalie said, letting a hint of annoyance slips into her voice.

Trent grinned without fear. "I can hope, right?"

She rammed an elbow onto the red head's rib, ignoring his pained grunt and focused on Cole. "Hey Cole, I would love to have a roommate, but I need to know more about you first."

"Y-Yeah sure. I'm studying l-law and work part-time in a small f-firm. I-I don't party," Cole stammered nervously. His pink tint on his face grew darker as he fidgeted nervously.

They were seated right beside the window where the sunlight could enter and it touched his soft blonde hair, making them glow. She groaned inwardly in dismay, wondering how lucky she was to meet a person like Cole.

He looked so clean and adorable and Natalie hoped his personality would be the same!

"Well, that's nice and thanks for not being one of those party animals. I don't want strangers to enter my house. But you can invite some friends over." Natalie gave herself a clap as she managed to sound polite and calm unlike the chaotic thoughts running around her mind, that consist of half-crazed delusions to kidnap Cole and made him hers forever.

"T-Thanks."

"Does that mean you agree?" Trent asked and she rammed an elbow onto his rib again.

Ignoring his curse, she asked Cole in a gentle voice, "What type of housework are you good with?"

"Straight to the point, huh?" Trent earned himself a hard kick that was hidden under the table.

Cole eyed Trent worriedly when the older man suddenly groaned in pain and his upper body curled inward. But Natalie seemed as if she did not notice her friend's agony, calmly waited for Cole's answer.

"I-I'm just b-bad in c-cooking," Cole finally answered, timid than before.

"What a coincidence! I'm good at cooking, so we don't have to worry about that. But tell me, how hardworking are you in cleaning?"

"Geez lady, are you trying to scare him away?" Trent mumbled as he finally recovered from the pain but he let out another pained groan when Natalie stomped onto his feet with her high heeled shoes.

"I-I can be hardworking!" Cole answered quickly.

"Good!" Natalie cheered. "I hope you aren't a messy person."

"N-No, I'm not messy. I love to clean. I-I mean I'm an organized p-person." Cole stammered, flustered.

Natalie sighed dreamily. Even when he was stammering, he still looks adorable!

"That's great! So will you agree to pay half of the rent? I will deal with the electricity and water bills."

"Y-Yeah."

"Excellent! When would you move in?"

"T-The weekends?"

"I will clean up your space before then. Trent will give you the directions."

"O-Okay."

"Do you always speak like that?"

Cole jolted and seemed as if he wanted to sink into his chair. "L-Like what?"

"That."

"He doesn't," Trent finally speaks in amusement. "He's just afraid of you." Annoyed, Natalie pinched his thigh and he let out a pained 'ow'.

"So, any question for me, Cole?"

"N-No, ma'am."

"Don't call me that!" Trent and Cole gaped at her in surprise at her sudden outburst. Natalie quickly collected her composure and gave Cole a charming smile. "Call me Natalie. Ma'am makes me sound so old!"

"Yes, ma- N-Natalie!"

"So, since you have no question, can I ask you a question?"

"S-Sure."

"Are you single?"

Trent stared at her with wide eyes as Cole's face blushed fiercely. "Y-Yes."

"That's good!"

Trent chuckled knowingly and placed his chin on top of his inner palm. "No worries of hearing their activities from the next room?"

If possible, Cole's face turned even redder, making him even more adorable! Natalie had to hold back her desire to jump over the table to hug him.

"No, I just want to know if I have a chance."

Trent stared at her in horror as Cole stared at her questioningly. "W-What chance?" Cole asked when the table fell silent.

Natalie's grin was downright wicked and she gave Cole a saucy wink. "If I have the chance to be your wife, of course!"

The meeting unofficially ended when Trent slammed his forehead onto the table when his chin slipped out from his palm due to shock. Poor Cole's face turned so red that one wondered if his face might burst from the pressure. He quickly mumbled out a poor excuse and left without making eye contact with anyone in the cafe.

Cole's cute response had Natalie laughed so hard that she had to hold onto her aching stomach and the rest of the people in the cafe just stared at them as if they had gone nuts.

In the end, no one had ordered anything, except for a cup of coffee for Natalie when she was waiting for them to arrive.

"Are you that desperate?" Trent exclaimed as they made their way back to their apartment.

In fact, that was the first word he had spoken since Natalie's outrageous declaration that had chased Cole away. He had just followed behind Natalie with glazed eyes and she just ignored it, knowing that was just his way of being shocked into dumbstruck.

Natalie shrugged without answering, which annoyed Trent. "Natalie, answer me. He's my close friend's brother. I've promised to look after him."

Scowling, she glared at him fiercely. "Are you saying I'm a bad influence?"

"No-"

"I don't take drugs or smoke. I don't go clubbing every night or hanging out with the wrong crowd. So what is it about me that will be a danger to him?"

"You will break his heart."

"I won't."

"Look, Natalie, I have male friends that are nice-"

"I am not that desperate, Trent! Look what you have done! You've just destroyed my good mood!"

"Then tell me, why Cole?"

"Because I feel that he's the right one. He does not look like the type to break up with me and goes for my friend just because she's prettier than me. He looks like the type that cares for his girlfriend very much."

"There's too much of an assumption." Trent frowned. "You just met Cole for less than thirty minutes and that's not enough time to judge a person accurately."

"I think I have a good sense in judging a person's character."

"Bullshit." Natalie gave Trent a hard glare. He finally sighed in defeat, unable to withstand his good friend's glare. "You are right, he's a good guy. So what we need to worry about is how you will treat him."

"I will treat him just like my potential boyfriend, of course. I will not treat him badly."

"So you say." Natalie glared at Trent and he quickly moved on to the next topic. "But I doubt he would be that accepting. You have successfully shocked him away."

"If I manage to shock him that much, then he won't be my roommate and I will just give up on him." Natalie might have said so, but her heart was unwilling to let go of that adorable guy. Her original fear of his occupation was long gone when the springtime arrives like a hurricane. "Let's wait and see what his answer will be."

With her good mood gone, Natalie picked up her pace, leaving Trent behind. Soon, a familiar weight draped over her shoulder and a hand gave her a light squeeze to let her know that he was not angry with her.

She offered him a small smile in return to let him know she was not angry with him either.

Suddenly Trent chuckled. Natalie eyed him questioningly and he smirked. "What happens if Cole still wants to be your roommate even after knowing you like him?"

"There are only two reasons why he would still accept being my roommate. One, he has no other place to rent. Two, he might like me too."

Trent snorted. "Why would he like an old woman?"

The smack on his arm was loud but his cry of pain was even louder. The people around them turned their head to stare at them questioningly.

Natalie gave them a bright, innocent smile and said, "Sorry, my friend has old bones. He just walked for a short distance and already feels pain."

The curious gaze turned to pity when they stared at Trent.

Trent gritted his teeth. "Darling, that's only because you are so violent! I told you not to ride me so hard. See, my hips are now aching in pain from your boney ass!"

The pitying gaze immediately disappeared. "How shameless!"

Natalie's mouth twitched in anger and flung away his arm from her shoulder. She gave him a kick on his leg for good measure before leaving him hopping around with one leg in pain.