Nursing The Flatmate

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George was in trouble, and he knew it. He had taken on a new a new flatmate a week ago, and he found her irresistibly attractive. The trouble was, that with her, he could not just sleep with her and have done. She would still be there the next morning. He had been avoiding relationships, ever since Rachel, and he did not plan to start one now.

The only good thing was that he worked the graveyard shift as a night watchman. When she was up and about, he was sleeping and when she was sleeping, he was gone. The real troubles were the days they both were off. They were both homebodies, who did not like going out to pubs with friends, or hitting the clubs.

Getting a degree in history, from Oxford, had not landed him a lucrative job. George had worked as a night watchman for four years now, and loved the job. He got a lot of walking in, and had time to think. The only problem was the pay. It was not enough to afford a flat on his own. Hence the advert in the paper which had lead to Her moving in. His last roommate, Stewart, had just gotten married and moved out, with little to no notice, so he had been desperate to find a new flatmate.

George was of average height and weight, with a muscular build and blue eyes. He often had a bit of whiskers and his thick blondish hair was usually neatly combed. Most of the time he wore his work uniform, except for his days off.

Today was going to be trouble. He was home, after fracture his leg at work, and his flatmate was off, and had stated that she was going to take care of him. He had been avoiding her like the plague for the two weeks they had know each other, and he did not want the temptation of her near him more than was needed. He was not at all sure what she meant by nursing, but the very word conjured up troubled thoughts in his head. Despite the cast on his leg, he could manage to get around and did not need a nurse anyway, but she had not taken no for an answer.

The flat was small, with two bed chambers and one common room with a little galley kitchen. It had been messy, two weeks ago, when she moved in, after three years of two bachelors living alone, but now the common room and her bed chamber were clean and Martha Stewart approved. It was six in the morning, and he was just getting tired, when she walked into his room, the one place he had not allowed her to clean. He was laying in bed, watching television, when her face popped in the doorway, followed by the rest of her. George was wearing his pajama top and a pair of boxers, which he quickly covered with his blanket.

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Anna couldn't have been more relieved when she received the call that she been picked as his new roommate. After suddenly breaking up with her boyfriend she had moved with in with a friend and her husband. It wasn't an ideal situation for any of them, especially with her friend expecting a baby any day. It had been stressful but here she was on her own again enjoying the peace and quiet of her new home.

The 5'8'' brunette had been working as a secretary since graduating college. She had been fortunate to be offered a job teaching but her now ex had talked her out of it when he learned the secretarial job would make her more money. Now she regretted that decision. She couldn't have felt any more stupid for giving up her dream for a man who didn't even love her back. But she couldn't change it. It was the past and now she had to move forward.



"Hey." Anna said smiling as she walked into the room "Is there anything I can get you?" She asked "Maybe some breakfast? I make fantastic French toast." As she spoke she sat down on the edge of his bed her blue eyes focused on his leg "So how long are you going to be off of work? Does it still hurt?" She asked genuinely concerned.

Anna

"Yes, the hurts. I will be off of it for a few days, but I will be out of work for a month or more." Some breakfast actually sounded nice, though for him it would be dinner. He had not been able to sleep, because he was used to being up all night. "Actually, if you don't mind, a bowl of cereal would be fine."

He was very aware of her beauty and her presence. It was the most they had said to each other, since she moved in. He suddenly felt awkward sitting there in his pajamas and wished he had gotten dressed. Her weight on the edge of his bed reminded him that this was also the closest they had been, since the first day they had met.

Damn it Stewart, he though, cursing mentally at his friend for landing him in thus situation. While Stewart was off on his honeymoon, he was stuck in bed with a knockout brunette for a nurse.

"Alright, i think I can manage to make you a bowl of cereal." She said as she got up and headed into the kitchen. It wasn't more than a couple of minutes later when she returned "Here you go." She said sitting the bowl down on his nightstand. "Do you mind if I join you?" She asked "we might as well take this chance to get to know each other since we will be living together for a while... Unless there's something else you need me to do for you. Just ask me and I'll get whatever you need." Anna couldn't help but feel a bit nervous, she knew nothing about this guy, but yet here she was standing in his bedroom bringing him cereal.

conversation

"I suppose so. Well what did you want to talk about?" He hoped things would not get to personal, but knew he could not avoid the conversation without looking like a jerk. After all, she had brought him cereal. He took up the bowl and took a big bite, trying to avoid dribbling any and looking like a fool. A rerun of Strictly Come Dancing was on television. He reached for the remote and turned it off. He wondered if she was planning to sit on the bed again.

She bit her lip as she tried to think of something for them to talk about. "How long have you been living here?" She asked as she sat back down on his bed, this time sitting closer to him. "How did you even get hurt?" Anna asked "I don't know much about what you do. Is it a dangerous job? Do people usually get hurt or was this just an odd accident?" Suddenly she her mind started coming up with a million questions but she forced herself to stop and let him answer, hoping she wasn't asking anything too personal. She didn't want to scare him, she was just curious.

close

She was sitting close enough that he could feel the heat coming off her body. With a sigh, he tried to remember all of the questions she had just asked him. "Uh, three years and no the job is not dangerous. I am just a klutz. I missed a stair, and fell down a staircase. I was actually pretty lucky, or so they tell me. He lifted his pajama shirt to show her the bruises on his body, and then lowered it again.

"So, I know how long you've lived here. Where did you live before this, and how did you end up with me?" They had never really talked about this when she moved in. He had been desperate for a flat mate, and she had the cash for three months up front, of her half of the rent.

"I lived with my boyfriend..." She started "to make a really long story short... We broke up and I needed a place to live. I saw your ad and you know the rest." As she talked Anna remembered the fight that had lead to her leaving. Her hand immediately went to her right shoulder as she recalled the plate he had thrown hit her. It had been bad enough that he had been cheating on her and was planning on marrying the other woman but he had felt the need to hurt her when she found out. It hadn't been her fault but he sure had acted like it was.

After a few minutes she snapped back to reality, realizing she had just been sitting there staring at the other side of the room. "Sorry..." She said softly looking down at the bed, avoiding his gaze.

trouble

George looked over at her, as something came across her face. "Are you O.K. love?" He put the bowl of cereal down and reached over and put his hand of her forearm. Something about mentioning her past had bothered her, though he had no idea what. He realize he had not let go, but left his hand there for support. Whatever her problems had been with her ex, he bet that he could top them.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm over it but it just... Really hurt me." She said "I know there's no point in thinking about it but I guess I just can't help wondering if things could have gone differently. I sometimes feel that it really is my fault that things didn't end well." Anna took a deep breath not wanting to feel sorry for herself "so you've never mentioned a girlfriend or anything so what's your deal? Are you seeing anyone? Do I have to worry about you bringing her here and keeping me up all night?" She joked as she tried to take the attention off of her.

girlfriends

He withdrew his hand and picked up his cereal to finish it off. "No." His answer was short and abrupt. He knew he had to explain further, though the explanation was only half of the truth. "I mean it is hard to go on dates, when you work ten hour graveyard shifts at a hospital. Who wants to go on a dated at three in the morning?"

He finished off his cereal and set the bowl down. "So we are both pretty pitiful, right?"

"So, what do you do for a living, that you can afford to live in the lap of luxury?"

"I'm a secretary. It's a job. I make enough to pay my bills and eat so I guess I should be happy with it." Anna said as she laid down on the bed next to him "I hate it." She said bluntly "I had my dream job right in front of me and I let it get away all because I wanted to make someone else happy. Someone who couldn't care enough about me to keep from sleeping with someone else. Someone who he'll be marrying in just a couple of weeks... Trust me out of the two of us you aren't the pathetic one. Not by a long shot."

Pathetic Off

George was sitting up, and so was looking down at her, as they talked. She certainly had made herself comfortable. For a moment, he noticed her chest rising and falling, and though 'your a real pig George'. He cleared his throat.

"If you want to do a pathetic off, I believe I still have a chance to win. Three years ago, on my wedding day, my bride, fifteen minutes after taking her vows, fucked my best man in a coat cupboard. I haven't dated for three years, mostly because I'm afraid of being hurt again. How pathetic is that?"

"Okay that's pretty bad..." Anna said "At least you didn't waste your weren't with someone ever since high school, Someone who was your first everything, just to end up like this... I gave up everything for him. I went to the college he wanted, lived in the city he liked, took the job he thought I should, wore what he liked... I was so pathetic... I thought I loved him. I was so stupid. Why couldn't I have seen how horrible he was.."

conversation

"Your... your right. I was spared years of not knowing she was being unfaithful, when she got it out of the way, right away." He reached down and took her hand in his. "So, we are both pathetic, eh? We're quite the pair." Despite himself, he felt slightly better for having shared. The only person he had ever told before was Stewart. His parents never had understood why he annulled his marriage, but he had not felt like telling anyone else about his shame.

She laughed "you're right. We really are quite the pair of pathetic single roommates." Anna wasn't sure what to say. She had just laid there and spilled everything to this guy she barely knew and now he was holding her hand. Even though she wasn't sure what exactly was going on but she didn't hate it. "It's been years, don't you think it's time to get past what happened? I think we both need to move on. Make our lives a little less pathetic..."

Less Pathetic

George laughed, for the first time in a long time. "Ya, your right. So how do you propose we fix our lives? It has been over five years since I asked a girl out. Have anyone you want to fix your old flatmate up with?" He knew he was incredible attracted to this woman, but that it was a bad idea to ask her out, when they were already living together. If things did not work out he would lose another flatmate and have to scramble again to find someone.

"Most of my friends are married... It might be a bit difficult to find someone but I can try." She said as she thought about all of her friends trying to picture any of them with him "What kind of a girl are you looking for? What do you want her to look like? What kind of personality do you prefer?" She started asking him questions hoping it would help her think of someone or at least help her decide agianst setting him up with someone he wouldn't like.

He was thinking that she would do in the looks department, but did not have the nerve to say so. As it was, he gave his standard answer. "It's not so much about the looks, as the personality, but I do like a woman with some curvature. Not to much mind you, but some. As for personality, I like outgoing girls, I suppose, but then my ex-wife was one of those, and look where that landed me." He found himself relaxing with her. Maybe she could be trusted. She had been hurt as much as he had. "And what are you looking for in a man?"

"I think after everything that happened I just want someone who actually likes me the way I am not the way he wants me to be. Someone who thinks I'm good enough." She said as she curled up to him "I don't think that's really all that much to be asking for, is it?" Anna asked wondering if he thought she was being ridiculous "you need someone loyal and I need someone who cares about me."

She was right. When she curled up to him, he instinctively put his arm out for her, without really thinking about the wisdom of doing so. She felt natural against him, as if she belonged there, and he did not fight it. He was not sure where they were headed exactly, and he certainly was not ready to make new commitments to anyone, but he was ready for some comfort, and her body against his offered that. It was something he had not had for a long time.

"Your right. Now the universe just needs to cut us both a break."

Anna wasn't sure what to say, she wasn't sure that there was anything more she could say about their situation. "Is there anything you need?" She asked as she remembered that she was supposed to be helping him out, not laying there complaining to him about her sad past. "Would you like something else to eat or a drink?" She asked "anything at all?"

What he really needed now, as some sleep, but he was reluctant to say so, because she might move. As it was, he lay there for a moment, enjoying the warmth of another human being near him, before speaking.

"No, I'm fine, really. You've been more than nice, but I should really get some sleep. I'm still on my night shift hours, I am afraid." He waited for her to move away, knowing he would miss her touch, but know it was also for the best. The complications of getting involved with a flat mate were still to involved to contemplate.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." She said "I didn't mean to keep you up." She said as she sat up "I'll let you get some sleep. I'll just be in the living room if you need me at all." Anna quickly got up and grabbed his cereal bowl. "Goodnight... Or good morning..." She said as she walked out. Putting the bowl in the sink she made herself some toast for breakfast before grabbing her laptop and sitting down on the couch. It was time for a change. Maybe she could find a better job, something she actually liked.

It took a long time, but George finally fell asleep. He kept thinking about their situations and how he wished things were different. Hell, if they were not already living together, he would ask her out on a proper date. Finally he fell asleep though, even with his thoughts and the pain in his leg.

Later that afternoon, he woke up and realized he had to use the restroom. It was painful, and difficult going, even with his crutches, but there did not seem to be any alternative. He swung his fractured leg out of bed, carefully, and reached for his crutches.