Free Serious Ink by Ranae Rose

like water over a cracked dam. No sooner had he reached the point in his fantasy where he buried his cock inside her than heat and wetness that was wholly unimaginary gushed over his hand. He breathed hard through several seconds of pleasure – pleasure that was lacking, even at its peak.
    After he rose, threw his clothes into the corner where a laundry hamper would eventually go and turned on the shower, thoughts of Zoe refused to fade from his mind. She was a fantasy that stuck with him, one he could feel calling to him, just barely – and hopefully not always – out of reach.

CHAPTER 5
     
    “It doesn’t sound bad,” Abby said, leaning on the counter, “but then, the ad is only two sentences long, so it’s kind of hard to tell.”
    Zoe nodded, burying an eyetooth in her inner lip as she stared down at the paper. Her thumbs had grown ink-stained from flipping through the classifieds, and still, she’d only found a few ads seeking roommates. One of those had sounded downright creepy, another had been way out of her almost non-existent price range and a third had specifically requested a male roommate.
    “It might be worth looking into,” she said, dog-earing the page so she wouldn’t lose it. “I don’t know – maybe I’m just getting my hopes up over nothing. Maybe it’s dumb to think I’ll find the right place with the right roommates in less than two weeks.”
    12 days now, to be exact. Three days ago, when the townhouse roof had imploded into a mini Niagara Falls above Zoe’s bed, the landlord had responded to Paul’s irritated phone call and demand for repairs with an eviction notice. Though he’d never managed to make it to the townhouse to make or schedule any repairs, he’d shown up that very night with a written notice. Apparently, he’d decided that Paul, Zoe and Britney were more trouble as tenants than they were worth.
    According to him, he was planning to sell the unit instead of renting it out again. Zoe couldn’t see who’d want to buy the place, unless he finally stepped up to the plate and repaired the roof, not to mention the faulty stove, drafty front door and bedroom window that refused to open.
    “I can’t believe the law only requires a 15 day eviction notice,” Zoe grumbled, “especially when we’re up-to-date on our overpriced rent and everything. Who finds a place to live in just 15 days?” She’d started searching three days ago and still had yet to find anything truly promising.
    Abby shrugged, shooting Zoe a sympathetic look. “I agree – it’s not much time. But you never know unless you try. Between you and me though, I bet your brother and his fiancée will understand if you’re not able to find a separate living arrangement. Living together has been working out pretty well for the three of you so far, right?”
    Zoe sighed, feeling her shoulders sink slowly downward, as if the weight of the world had just increased by a few pounds. “Yes. It’s not like we don’t all get along. But I overheard them talking last night – they found a really great apartment. Nice, and surprisingly affordable. It’s near Azalea Hall, where my dad lives, and everything. They went to look at it and loved it. The only problem is that it only has one bedroom.”
    Abby frowned. “So they’re moving in and now you have to find a place on your own?”
    “They haven’t even mentioned it to me yet. I can tell they want the apartment, but they probably feel guilty about it. I’m planning on bringing it up soon, and it’d be great if I had some good news.”
    Abby arched a brow. “By good news, you mean you hope you can find a place to live with roommates by then?”
    Zoe shrugged. “I can’t afford an apartment on my own. Roommates are my only option.” She lifted up the classifieds section she’d dog-eared half to death. “Now if only I could find some.”
    If she could just find the right people, in the right place … she’d finally have a taste of the independence