Fragment #8 - Room service

The brightness filling the room slowly wakes me up. The curtains are still closed, but the light is breaking into the room by every its every holes. It must be ten o’clock, maybe more. I lean over Melaine and kiss her naked shoulder, trying not to wake her up. How come none of us have gotten up until that late in the morning? Not that we even went to bed later than usual. Neither did we had an exhausting day yesterday. I get up as silently as possible and gather some clothes blindly. The wooden floor creaks under my soft footsteps and I widen my path to get out of the room as fast as I can. I light up the corridor and try to dress myself up. Mmh… Maybe these stockings won’t fit me so well… I throw them back on the floor and put a jersey and my boxer shorts on. I walk up to the kitchen. The eviscerated giant cardboard box that held the 5-person pizza we engulfed for dinner is lying on the table, filled with crumbs, bitten crusts and olive stones. And I who thought we would never be able to eat it by ourselves… I never thought playing video games all day long would be so hungering. I fold up the carton and shove it into the bin. I clean up the kitchen a little and head toward the fridge. My eyes cross the clock above the hotplate. Eleven? Already? Maybe having breakfast shouldn’t be in order anymore. Screw it, for once that she is the one lingering in bed. I put the tray on the table and cover it with bread, butter, a knife and a teaspoon. I run a coffee and fill a glass with some orange juice. With the tray weighting on my left arm, I go knocking on the bedroom door and announce myself with a load voice.
“Room service!”
I open the door as she is rubbing her eyes. She quickly combs her messy hair with her fingers and gets herself a straighter position in the bed.
“This is a good idea.”
She smiles at me and starts eating while I sit upon the corner of the bed. After having swallowed part of her coffee she cannot repress a shiver.
“Have you lowered the heating by any chance? I felt your flat was colder even yesterday. Not that we don’t know some pleasant ways to warm up but still…”
“Yes, I’m… trying to tone down my energy bill. The last one I received were a bit high. I think the flat is getting too expensive for me, especially considering this old trout of Ms. Lambert raised the rent once again… I may have to find another place soon, if I can’t lower my consumption.”
I kinda figured she would approve my choice, but her answer struck me.
“Actually, haven’t you told me that your lease was running up to July? You cannot just leave this one flat and rent out another. Unless you wish to pay two rents at a time…”
“Jeez, I hadn’t figured that one out! I really don’t get along very well with all that juridical rubbish. Guess I’ll have to find another solution…
“What about a flatmate?” She replied.
“Wait? What?” I asked in a high-pitched voice I didn’t know myself capable of. “A flatmate? No way! I like the way I can handle the place on my own, without having to tidy up every frigging hour. No, no. I shared a flat once, and that was one of a pretty disaster.”
“I’m not too fond of the idea myself, but if you can’t afford it, it’s not like you have a choice.”