I wasn't sure if the sudden change in velocity had woken me up, or if it was the loud ding when the doors slid open. Either way, it was hard to shake the sense of vertigo I felt waking up in an elevator. Good lord, it'd been maybe twenty seconds. I rubbed my eyes and stepped out into the corridor.
For a few seconds I fumbled for my keys in my jacket pocket, but remembered the door to my apartment was often left unlocked. I thought to chance it, as even the task of finding the correct key seemed too much for my weary brain to handle. I couldn't fight back the yawn. Through watery eyes I found my door.
Sure enough the knob turned and I walked right in. I shook my head, wondering what creative way I could "remind" my roommate to lock the door this time. I flopped my laptop bag onto the small desk by the door and headed for the kitchen. Before filling a glass with water I splashed a bit on my face.
The TV was on, as well as just about every light in the apartment. If Trent was gone already, I'd have more than the unlocked door to remind him about. I could hear some kind of music playing from down the hall. His room maybe, I couldn't tell. I gulped down some more water and slid out of my jacket. I draped it over the couch in the living room before practically doing the same to myself.
I'd planned to work on my paper and get a head start on it before the weekend came, maybe actually do something proactive with my life for a change. It wasn't looking good though. The couch was feeling too enticing already. I had work in the morning as well, and even though it wasn't extremely early, I was already dreading the thought of going through the motions of my rigorous schedule all over again the following day.
My eyes settled on the movie playing on the television. I thought of finding something better to watch, but I realized the remote was across the living room on the love seat. For whatever reason, that was where Trent would always sit, even though it was situated against the wall toward the side of the TV. I propped a single leg up on the coffee table and stared blankly at the movie in front of me. If I slouched against the arm of the couch much more I was done for.
"Hey, Wild Man!"
I turned to see Trent emerge from the hall. So he hadn't left yet.
"I didn't even hear you come in, dude," Trent said standing next to the coffee table.
"Yeah, I uh, didn't have to fiddle with the lock this time," I told him.
Trent made a face but smiled. "Aw, sorry about that, Mike. I must have forgot to lock the thing when I took the trash down."
I silently counted that as a victory, while simultaneously wondered if Trent had lied. After all, he was, yet again, wearing next to nothing. His briefs looked painted onto his huge upper thighs, and I'm not entirely sure I'd call his shirt an actual shirt. It was a T-shirt at one time, but Trent had cut the sleeves out of them, and somehow that had left gaping holes that afforded anyone a look at his chest and midsection.
"Damn, bud, you look tuckered out," Trent said.
"Don't I always?" I muttered.
"You wanna beer?" I heard him say from behind me in the kitchen.
"Why not?"
Trent slipped a bottle to me over my shoulder before flopping into his place in the love seat.
"Gotta preflight for tonight," Trent told me with one of his bright smiles.
I looked at him. "You going out again?"
"It's Friday, dude!" He nodded to me. "You should come, too. You'd have a blast."
I grinned and shook my head. "Another time maybe. I'm spent. I dunno where you get the energy, honestly."
"Well, the gym helps with that for one thing," Trent said. "Diet, too. Excluding the beer I'm having. But I could take you there, too. You're a lot younger than me. Bet I couldn't keep up with you."
I scoffed and smiled. It was Trent's best attempt at humor. The guy was in the best shape of his life. When I'd first moved in with him, it intimidated the hell out of me. Then I realized how easy going and ridiculously friendly Trent was.
"I'm younger, just not as passionate I guess," I told him.
"Ah, that's bullshit, man," Trent said. "It'd do you a lot of good. All you do is go to work and school."
"The gym would do me good, or the club?" I asked with a laugh.
"Both, Mikey." Trent reached for his phone on the end table. "Seriously, man, you should hang loose every now and then. I know you got classes and stuff, but just gimme one night to show you a good time, bro. You'll become a regular."
Trent took several deep swallows of beer and started to swipe through his phone. I watched him wearily. His big thighs were spread wide on the seat of his couch, one leg shaking up and down. It was impossible not to look Trent over. He was a specimen to be sure. The guy was in his thirties already, but looked like a cage fighter. Working outside his entire life had given him this sort of permanent tan, that seasoned rugged color of a person that worked with their hands. He had tough taut skin, coated in a thin layer of bleached hair on his arms and legs.
I blinked when I realized where my eyes had fallen. It was inevitable. I mean, the guy wore briefs all the time.
"Meeting a girl tonight," Trent said.
"Surprise, surprise."
Trent grinned without looking up at me. "I think she lives with her family or something, so she might wanna come back here for drinks."
"Just take her to the right room this time," I said chuckling.
