It was eight when Kennedy prepared herself to leave early from the store.

"You're leaving?" Mac, her colleague asked as she took off her apron which had a big logo of the store. The store still had a small crowd of people. Everyone was busy buying food products or makeup products or vegetables.

"Yes. I'm moving from my old apartment to another one. So, I need to go early. This one is near and comes cheap." However, this had its own set of rules. Her roommate's rules echoed in her mind especially the last one: Don't disturb me unless you actually need me.

"Great! Then it won't be a problem to come to our party, right?" Mac asked, a grin appearing on his charming face. His brown eyes sparkled with joy as he stood against the cash counter. Mac had always been good to Kennedy. He had even dropped her a few times and was usually protective towards females and elders—which is why Kennedy had a small crush on him.

"Yes. I'll come tomorrow." Kennedy had never been fond of parties. It wasn't like she didn't love music or booze but people liked to judge her too much especially with her choice of clothes—she didn't have many party clothes since she was the eldest of her siblings, her entire attention had been grabbed by her two siblings while her parents had to work full-time jobs.

But if Mac and Sheila would be going then it would be fun for her.

No matter how much fun she had here, thinking about her family made her homesick always. It had been one year, she could not go to them.

She bid goodbyes to Mac and Sheila while waiting for a cab to arrive near the stand. The street was still busy with pedestrians and vehicles. Tall buildings had decked the street with their giant structures. She never liked crowds but this place had a strange taste to it.

Back in her hometown, at eight, the roads would have emptied with only silence and she missed the silence. It was weird, how she studied hard and worked part-time jobs just to come to the city and live her life here. Now that she had come here, her heart longed for that stillness and greeny hometown of her. She missed her family.

Her chest welled up with the thoughts of her hometown when her eyes noticed a shadow across the road walking towards the avenue where her new room was and the lean shadow looked just like her landowner. His hand had a package but she could not tell what the logo was. Before eyes could stalk him any more a cab arrived and she went straight to her previous place to take her items of luggage.

*****

Kennedy was about to ring the bell when she remembered her roommate had given her a key and specifically instructed not to disturb him—which she did, apparently. She had to climb up to the third floor with two large suitcases and three backpacks and as if God had forgotten to give his blessings to her, the lift was under maintenance. There was one time when she gave her landowner a call that came across her mind but the last rule he set for her, made her throw the idea into the garbage bin.

He said not to disturb him unless she actually needed him, that also meant, walk unless you're dying out in the desert without having a drop of water, then you may call him for help when you think you're just one second away from dying.

She huffed deep breathes, her muscles ached, and sweat tickled on her forehead. She stood against the door for a minute to steady herself and brought out the key from her purse, and opened the door slowly, careful not to wake—or, disturb, in her case—him up. She felt breathless, and slowly, fatigue crept on her entire body. After working full time and bringing up the heavy luggage, she felt a warm bath and a good night's sleep would be so great.

As she entered, she found Samuel on a chair near the kitchen slab, eating a pizza slice. His grey eyes found her and as soon as he spotted her, he raised from the chair. As he crossed the distance between them, his gaze moved to the large luggage, "Why didn't you call when you had that many bags? I could have helped you."

"Err... It's okay. I managed...somehow," she mumbled the last word to herself.

"But the lift is under maintenance... Don't tell me, you have carried all those up to the third floor."

"Um..." A nervous chuckle left from her mouth as she scratched the back of her neck, "Yes, actually. I carried them."

He shrugged his lips, "You must be very strong."

"Hah! I am." Her chest almost swelled up with pride, "I used to do all the heavy work back in my hometown."

"Where is your hometown?"

"Beverly. My house is actually at the outskirts of that town."

He nodded and took the luggage to her new room while he said, "Well, let's have dinner then."

Her gaze drifted off to the kitchen, and a pizza box laid down on the slab. So, he was carrying a pizza box for their dinner.

"You eat pizza for dinner?"

"Only sometimes. Most of the day, I don't have time so, I eat cereal."

"In dinner?"

He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, sometimes, eggs and toast." Feeling her wide eyes and a gaped mouth Samuel said with a straight face, "Listen, don't expect me to give you the world's best meals. I don't have time."

Samuel Johnson was a strange fellow, he could get angry within 0.01 sec. She could not understand how someone could just get irritated over a shocked expression. Nonetheless, he was rude and his mood changes faster than London's weather.

Unable to find her voice, she muttered okay but he added as he sat on the chair, "I don't like to cook. It's that simple. And now I have you, we'll work it out." The corners of his lips curved into a small smile as his eyes turned lighter. The beauty spot above his brow was a bit distracting as her eyes were always able to find it whenever they talked, and it made her weak in her knees—especially, his smile. She could not help but think him weird, he was one second angry then the other second, giving her the sexiest smile of the year.

She nodded and her cheeks got warmer by the second as she sat on a nearest chair with him, devouring their dinner.

*****

Next day was Friday and seemingly, it was her duty to make both of them breakfast. But Samuel's freezer consisted of milk, pizza slices from last night, a few dried up veggies, an empty butter can and more milk. There were two-three eggs and most of its containers had beers and some other alcoholic beverages. The juice bottles were empty and at a corner of the slab and on the cabinet, there was a year's worth of cereals, ready-to-cook noodle cans and soup pouches. She wondered if he survived only on junk foods and beverages. The kitchen garbage can was full of empty fast-food packets and soup pouches, and every utensil was untouched other than the pan and bowl, that is. Most of the equipment is missing or had no existence in his kitchen. She looked through the noodle cans' and pouches' expiry dates and saw they were a month old.

Worry crashed upon her and a gasp left her mouth.

He didn't eat this, did he?

She looked at the wall clock and it was seven in the morning. She was relieved she had woken up at five and did her choirs: bathing, washing her clothes and cleaning her room—not to forget, putting the showpieces and books in their proper order. Now she would go to a store and buy some food items and vegetables then would start cleaning the kitchen as well.

After half an hour, she came back with a lot of food items—which were healthy—and vegetables. She put the butter, juice bottles, bacon and vegetables in the refrigerator while setting aside flour and other ingredients on the storage shelves.

It took her another half an hour to clean the kitchen while taking out the expired items to throw them away. Samuel may have cleaned it but it was only on the surface and her skin crawled with the dinginess. As her hands itched, she finally cleaned it.

She released a sigh of relief, a little bit proud at how the kitchen turned into. She had placed the little bit utensils they had in a proper way. Now it looked presentable. A wonderful aroma of fried veggies lingered in the air while she was not able to find the forks nor the spoons. There were only one bowl and three plates.

She heaved a heavy sigh. This kitchen needed renovation.

"Do you need anything?" A deep and husky voice asked her from behind startling her in the process.

"No! I mean, yes! Where are the spoons and forks?"

"Um." Samuel's eyes shrunk as his cogs and gears moved, and Kennedy couldn't help checking out his wet hair uncombed that fell on his forehead concealed the beauty spot in the process. His skin looked as if he had taken birth just a minute ago; so flawless and smooth that a dark thought raised in her heart to sneak into his room and note down what secret products he used. "I might have thrown them with the soup pouches."

A gape formed on her lips while her thoughts evaporated. She wondered what he would do if he didn't like to cook, didn't like loud music and most probably, didn't like to clean up. She was certain, he had cleaned the apartment just because she was going to come.

"I'll buy them on my way home. Send me a message about what things you need. I have an early class today. What's that scent?"

"Oh, it's the burrito. You do eat vegetables, do you?"

A scoff came, "Of course, I eat everything."

"Breakfast is ready."

She brought the plates and served burrito while he sat. While taking her bite, Kennedy's eyes could not stop glancing at her Landlord. He looked straight from runaway models. His jaw muscles moved as he chewed and broad shoulders rested upon his elbows. He wore a deep grey t-shirt and black jeans where his cuts were slightly distinguishable and she tried her best to concentrate on her burrito while ordering her eyes to stay where they belonged.

Should she search for him on Instagram?

No! What are you a teenager with lots of hormones?

"It's delicious!"

"What!" She didn't realize she had spoken in a voice louder than a normal conversation should be in, "Err... Thank you."

He raised a brow and she felt her ears reddened. His expression changed into a serious face—he had always looked like that, however.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked.

"No! Absolutely not!" she said with a sheepish smile and added to avoid the previous question, "I'll send you the list."

He nodded and after finishing his breakfast, he left—not even bothered to duck the dish into the sink.

She huffed. She still had some work; more cleaning, that is.

_________

1st December, 2020