Marcus was in his senior year of college living off-campus in his own apartment. He was an introverted young man, who some would call a geek, that had a full-ride academic scholarship. Marcus was using the money in his college fund that his parents had been saving for his entire life to help pay his living expenses off campus. Having a roommate also gave him some financial breathing room Although he technically didn't have to work, he had a well-paying part-time tech job, working from home, and would be joining that company full-time after graduation. Marcus' previous roommate gave him late notice that he wouldn't be returning to school which left Marcus scrambling. He let some people know that he had an extra bedroom to rent in a nice apartment complex and word began to spread.
A friend of a friend told Miranda that Marcus had a room to rent. She had graduated last year and was living with her boyfriend but they had a messy breakup after she caught him cheating. Miranda was devastated and heartbroken since she thought she had met the love of her life, her soulmate, and they even had conversations about possibly getting married someday. The lease for the apartment was in her boyfriend's name and she needed a place to live, like yesterday.
Miranda was told that Marcus was a nice guy, a real introvert, and kind of geeky so she wouldn't have to worry about moving in with a guy that would try to get her into bed. She could trust him to be a gentleman without the risk of any emotional involvement. She was reluctant to move in with a male roommate, especially someone she had never met before, but she was desperate and reached out to Marcus to meet him.
Marcus wasn't sure about wanting to live with a girl. While it may sound nice, he was always awkward around females and his ideal roommate was a male with similar interests as he. Out of courtesy to his friend, Marcus agreed to at least meet with Miranda. When Miranda arrived at the apartment, both she and Marcus were nervous. She felt as though she was on a job interview and had to make a good first impression. He was always anxious around women and found it difficult to engage in a conversation with them. Miranda was hoping and praying the apartment was as nice as she had heard and would still be available.
When Marcus opened the door, he saw an absolutely lovely, Miranda who was about 5'8" tall with beautiful deep blue eyes, and sandy blonde hair. She had that "girl next door" look about her. She was wearing a sweatshirt, jeans, and sandals and her weight seemed to be in proportion to her height. Miranda's beauty made Marcus even more nervous. Miranda's first impression of Marcus is exactly what she expected, as he is just over 6' tall, with brown hair, brown eyes, thin, and wearing glasses. He wasn't the big, athletic type Miranda usually fell for which made her feel more comfortable. It relieved her of any pressure to have to deal with any romantic entanglement so soon after a bad breakup.
"Hello, I'm Miranda."
"Hi, I'm Marcus."
"Hello, Mark, nice to meet you."
"My name is Marcus."
"Oh, sorry about that. Nice to meet you, Marcus."
Miranda wanted to kick herself for starting their meeting by calling him by the wrong name. Marcus invited her in and they began to chat as he showed her around the apartment. The place was immaculate and it was obvious that Marcus was a neat freak. That concerned her because she could be a little messy but she told herself she could change if she had to. The apartment was in a newer complex not far from the university and was built with students in mind. It had a decent-sized kitchen with a small dining area and an island that separated it from the living room. Marcus had a large-screen TV, and a workspace off to the side where he did his work. There was a balcony off the living room too. The second bedroom was large with plenty of closet space and a view of the campus. She loved it but still wasn't sure about Marcus.
After the tour of the apartment, they sat in the living room and talked with one another. Miranda explained her situation and the need to find a place quickly. She said she had plenty of savings in the bank to pay her share of the rent and any security deposit he wanted. Miranda worked at a local bank in their IT department doing tech support but wasn't writing code like Marcus but they had something in common. Other than that, the two of them didn't have a lot in common. They spoke for about forty-five minutes and then there was an awkward silence.
Miranda could see Marcus contemplating his decision. He didn't have to give her an answer right away but the other potential male roommates didn't seem like a match for him. Miranda gave Marcus her best puppy dog sad eyes and he made a decision he hoped he wouldn't regret.
"When do you want to move in?"
"Really? Oh, thank you. Thank you. You won't regret this, I promise. Can I move in tomorrow? I don't have much stuff. It's mostly my clothes."
"I guess tomorrow is okay."