Home, of course!

Kat was relieved to hear the sound of the shower running when she got back to her small apartment. She needed to talk to someone about her boss's strange behavior and her roommate was just the levelheaded confidant she needed. She sat on the couch in their cramped living room and waited, thinking about what Chris's weird mood swing could mean. After a few minutes, Dani appeared in the doorway.

Dani was everything Kat wasn't; Kat was extroverted, boisterous, and chaotic, whereas Dani was quiet, hardworking, and extremely intelligent. They were sharing a crummy efficiency because Dani was working on her PhD and Kat was working low-level jobs to pay off her student loans after she flunked out of college. Dani had her life together and a clear vision of her future, and Kat barely managed to care about making rent each month. Despite (or because of) their differences, they were very close.

Kat's reverie was interrupted by a squeak of surprise from behind her. Dani had entered the room wearing just a towel and nearly dropped it when she saw Kat.

"Kat! What are you doing here? Don't you have work?" she asked with concern.

"Uh, not exactly," Kat replied. Dani sat next to her sympathetically.

"Oh my God, Kat, did your manager you let go? That son of a bitch has had-"

"No, no, nothing like that," Kat interrupted. "At least, I don't think. It's weird."

As she related the events of the morning, Dani's jaw dropped. It made Kat feel a little less crazy just to say it aloud. "So what do you think?" she asked anxiously.

"I have no idea," Dani said with a shake of her head. "Has he ever done anything like this for anyone?"

"Not that I know of," Kat said. "I mean, he's generally a fair boss. He's pissed off at me for being late so often. Or was pissed off, I guess. What do you think I should do?"

Dani frowned. "I'd leave it alone for now. See if he texts or calls, but in the meantime, take the day." She put a hand on Kat's shoulder, then blinked several times rapidly. Kat was staring at their obsolete TV, lost in thought. She barely noticed as Dani started to softly rub her back.

"I just- shit, I really need this job. What if he changes his mind, or he's just fucking with me? I already spent more than I should have last night. Mmm, thanks, that feels great."

Dani was continuing to rub her back and beamed uncharacteristically at the compliment. "Good, good. You're too stressed out! You need to take care of yourself. Is there anything I can do to help? I could bake you some muffins..."

Kat's eyes narrowed. "Dani, uh, you ok? You're starting to sound like Chris..."

Dani sighed. "Yeah, I guess I probably am. I'm gonna level with you, Kat. I'm feeling some weird urges suddenly. It sounds a lot like what happened with Chris."

"Urges?" Kat asked, her voice quavering.

"Maybe that's not the right word. It just feels like- I don't know, like you're the most important person in the world. Like nothing matters except making you happy and keeping you safe. I don't know where it's coming from, but it's undeniable." Dani reached up with both arms to rub Kat's shoulders.

Kat's eyes shifted downward as Dani's towel sagged. She drew in breath at the hint of areola visible on her right breast. Dani laughed and she blushed, realizing she was busted.

"It's ok, babe," Dani said nonchalantly. "You wanna look, go ahead and look. In fact, you can pretty much do anything you want. I can't think of anything I wouldn't let you do to me."

Kat stood suddenly, the motion causing Dani's towel to fall into her lap. Kat gawked at her bare-chested roommate. "Dani, what the fuck are you talking about? Why do you think I want to do something to you? Seriously, this is so fucked up!"

Dani frowned, but made no move to cover herself up. "I'm so sorry, Kat. I've seen the way you look at me sometimes, and I guess I just assumed that you're sexually attracted to me. Are you not?"

"What the fuck, Dani?" Kat was getting that woozy feeling again. She reached out to the arm of the couch to steady herself. "Are you serious? We're roommates! Yes, you're a beautiful woman, but that doesn't mean I wanna do anything to you! Besides, what about Eric? And you're straight, for God's sake!"

Dani spoke soothingly. "None of that matters anymore. Well, that's not true - it does matter, just not as much as you. I'd break up with Eric over text right now if I thought it would make your life slightly better. And sure, I don't like sex with women, but I don't like going to the DMV. I'd do anything for you, Kat."

Kat was nearly in tears. "What is going on? Is this some kind of prank?"

Dani patted the couch next to her. "It's real, babe. We're gonna have to deal with it. Do you want to sit and talk about it?"