Chapter Two

Being in a female's bedroom usually proved to be a pleasurable experience for Duo Maxwell; however, there was no female, and a female's bedroom without a female was just a bedroom—a boring bedroom at that. He looked around, taking in the lackluster white walls, plain wooden dresser, and bed covered by an ordinary blue comforter. One of these day's he'd give the room a complete makeover, while Hilde was at work.

But his purpose now was not to redecorate—that was for another day.

Crossing the room, he opened the top drawer of her dresser. Unlike her tidy and orderly room, her drawer was a complete mess. Her socks, slips, and other unmentionables appeared to have been rammed carelessly into the drawer.

Parting the sea of delicates he placed a wide flat wrapped box at the back of the drawer. Then he buried it under a pile of her underwear.

Sure Hilde had forgiven him, but this would make her love him—a friendly love of course. He had it all planned out. First he'd treat her to a lovely candlelit dinner. Then they'd go for a quite stroll in the park. And to wrap up their nonromantic but pleasurable evening, she'd find a little gift. Hilde might not be keen on knowing he'd been in her underwear drawer—wouldn't be the first time—but once she seen what he got her, she'd forget all about his adventures down under.

"Mmm…what's this," he asked pulling out what appeared to be lingerie. "Saving this for me, are you, Hilde?" Duo laughed to himself.

"Saving what for who?"

Duo shoved the lingerie back into the draw and hastily pushed it shut. He turned. "Cynthia, you're here." She was wearing a tight, black dress—his favorite. He remembered a similar outfit she'd worn on their first meeting; how snug the dress fit on her slender, yet curvaceous body. "Why are you here, my lovely vixen?"

"Why indeed," she said. "One might also wonder why you are rummaging through Hilde's questionables?"

"What can I say? A young boy, such as myself, gets curious," he replied with a devilish grin.

Sauntering towards him and wrapping her arms around his neck, she asked, "Curious about what."

"This and that. You know," he answered, wrapping his arms around her slim waist.

"Would this and that include a violet eyed roommate?"

"Jealous," he grinned.

"And if I said I was?"

"I'd say you look sexy in green," he whispered enticingly in her ear. "But then again, you look sexy in anything."

"You know what you look best in," she asked, gazing up into is ocean blue eyes.

"What," he asked, leaning down towards her.

"Nothing," she said. She pulled his shirt over his head and pushed him onto the soft mattress.

Caught off guard, Duo didn't protest. But when he felt the springy softness of the mattress beneath him, his brain kicked into gear. This was not supposed to be happening here, especially when Hilde would be home any minute. "Whoa. Hold up sassy pants," he said and tugged her back from him. "I think—"

"I think you need to explain yourself," Hilde demanded. Duo quickly rolled out from under Cynthia. He sat up and found his housemate staring at him with icy coolness.

He felt Cynthia moving beside him, also sitting up. "Oh Hilde, I'm so sorry, I didn't think—" Cynthia began.

"No,I'm sorry," Hilde interrupted. "I'm sorry that I was foolish enough to believe you and Duo could have the slightest regard for my feelings. And you." She turned to Duo. "Right after we talked and you promised me."

"What talk," Cynthia asked.

"He didn't talk to you? I can't believe this," she said, astounded.

"I was going to talk to her," Duo protested.

"Oh does talking, usually require you removing your clothes and making out on my bed?"

Cynthia stood. "I think I should leave." She hurried passed Hilde, but stopped at the bedroom's door. "And I guess we should have that talk later, Duo," she said over her shoulder.

Duo watched his girlfriend abandoned him; her only goodbye the sound of the front door shutting. Now alone with Hilde, he found he couldn't look at her. His gaze fell to the checkered pattern on her comforter. Any words he might want to say were engulfed by the profound silence between them.

"Duo there's so many things I want to say." Her voice, so compossed, grated against his ears. Clearly, this was the calm before the storm. "But I am only going to say one of them." The storm was coming. "You're moving out." The storm was here!

"Moving out," he croaked. "Hilde I understand you're upset, but if you let me explain."

"No more explaining Duo," she said sternly.

"Hilde you need to listen!"

"I'm not listening. You're not explaining. Now leave," she said. She opened her bedroom door with one hand and motioned for him to exit with the other. "Now."

What could he do or say to change this disastrous situation? Nothing, so Duo left and she slammed the door shut behind him.

Glancing back at Hilde's door he heaved a sigh of disappointment and thought, There goes our nonromantic evening.