The
next morning, Devon stumbles down the stairs to get some coffee.
Fortunately, Jon has already brewed some and it's good. Also, he's
off on his morning five mile run. Devon weighs the pros and cons of
sharing an apartment with someone. She comes to rest on the monetary
arrangement. By the way, she gets free tuition to this university
because her mother worked there before she died. Mom died when Devon
and David were teenagers, and then Aunt Eleanor had to care for them.
The remaining bit of exposition that wasn't explained in the first
four pages makes sense now, I suppose. Anyway, Devon's money is
getting low and she'd hoped to avoid having a part time job this
semester, but it doesn't look like she'll be able to. Good thing she
can split the rent on this place.
Then
the phone rings. Good gad! Who is it? Should Devon answer or not?
Turns out it's Aunt Eleanor, calling to provide some reinforcement on
her views about women not gadding about with all sorts of men and/or
moving in together before they get married. After the call, Devon
reflects on how Aunt Eleanor didn't do a great job of raising them
and misses her mom, who would have loved Julie and understood Devon's
current situation. Then the phone rings again. Might as well answer
it. Except, Devon's greeting is followed by dead silence. Then the
person in the other end asks for Jon Hardesty. Devon pretends to be
a secretary, and it is kind of okay.
Then
Jon comes home from his run. Devon gives him his phone message. He
comments on how it kind of sucks that Devon answered it, and she
replies that it'd be worse if Jon answered a call from her aunt.
Anyway, John calls the person back. When he asks for Mrs Hardesty, I
finally get it. That's his mom. He doesn't have kids, either. Jon
tells Devon that Jason, the person who answered, is the middle kid
who thinks it's disrespectful to call his mother “mom”. Yeah,
okay. Jon does some not-damage-control by just telling his mom that
it wasn't Margo (his date at the concert) who answered his phone.
There's not just one, but two ladies in his life! He really likes
messing with people and, honestly, I respect that. Now that I know
he's messing with Devon, it's much more entertaining to read.
When
Jon gets off the phone, he says Stella is “moderately upset”.
This is all very amusing until he says, about Stella, “As long as
she takes her medicine, she doesn't hear those weird voices more than
three or four times a day.” Oh. Not funny anymore. Devon turns
down his offer of breakfast and makes her way upstairs. She wonders
why he lost the election, which makes me realize that he took time
off to take care of his mother. Not such a rake after all.
After
smelling the bacon and pancakes, Devon comes back downstairs, but
pours herself more coffee as an excuse. Then she and Jon start
talking about ground rules, which he turns to rules about sex almost
immediately, rules such as “not in the living room” and “keep
it in the bedroom”. He asks her point blank if she's a virgin. I
like Devon's reply, “By what possible stretch of the imagination is
it any of your business?” Jon replies that he just likes to know
what to expect. Okay, buddy. What to expect from a roommate, or
from a girl you're interested in? Anyway, then Roger shows up and
Devon starts to head back upstairs to her room to change because she
doesn't want Roger to see her all disheveled and whatnot. From this,
Jon deduces that Devon hasn't slept with Roger and that she is, in
fact, a virgin. Devon gives him a retort, and Jon again uses the
line about knowing what to expect from a roommate, then he goes on to
say, “Of course, there is an age beyond which virginity should not
be perpetuated. It gets in everyone's way.” Creep. Remember what
I said about a lock on her bedroom door? Maybe make that two.
Devon
goes to cool off in a hot shower and gets dressed before returning to
the lower level of the apartment. Roger is happily eating pancakes
and bacon with Jon. Devon announces that she's going to the library
and leaves. As she's walking, The Viking catches sight of her. They
chat a bit about how he doesn't have her number. He mentions how her
pen won't work in the cold outside, but it might work in the warmth
of her apartment. Her pen, or yours, sir? Devon seems to miss the
subtext and mentions how she still wants a book. The Viking admits
that he could survive the library that long. He'll read the paper.
I'll just take this moment to say that I'm very glad The Viking is
back. His character is basic enough, but it's always a shame when a
character with a great nickname stops showing up. Since he's here
again, I think Devon is going to play off her simple attraction to
his good looks against her complicated, seething jambalaya of
emotions for Jon. Yes, jambalaya. There's some metaphorical shrimp
in there somewhere.
So,
the two go to the library where Devon gets a book, The Viking reads
the newspaper and, more importantly, Devon learns from a book that
Jon's mother is Stella Hardesty and that he's never been married.
She mutters to herself about Jon was lying to her and catches the
attention of both the librarian and The Viking. She quickly tells
them it was nothing and they both resume their activities. The
Viking sees Devon noticing an article about Jon and asks if she wants
to read it. She says no, but we still learn some things about why
Jon is great and a great politician. (He actually researches things.
It's weird.) Once they're done talking abut Jon, The Viking suggests
that they go to the student union next. He's so pretty that Devon
thinks she'd follow him anywhere. So, this is a sophisticated
romance novel, then. Because she doesn't fall for the guy who's
handsome and also pretty. She falls for the deep, complicated guy
with a fragile side and baggage.
For
the next chapter.... Julie was mentioned once in this chapter and
that was to say that she didn't know Devon had a phone number yet.
Come on, Devon. I thought you two were besties. I expect to at
least see Julie in the next chapter, or I'll assume their “best
friend” necklaces and bracelets are all lies.
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