Episode 1.5: Crescendo

After closing the door for my swoon moment, I realized we didn't clean up the mess yet.

I left that dirty mouth-to-mouth chip shared between me and Michael there on the floor. And who knows how many missed M&Ms scattered around our living room.

I pressed my ear to the door to hear if the cameraman was still there. I waited until I heard hushed murmurs and then the door opened and closed.

Rushing back out, I ran to get the broom and dust pan. But I got caught in the act by Michael.

He stood over me, as I bent down.

Feeling a shadow looming overhead, I looked up to see that smile with the ability to make me wet within minutes. It made me want to bash him but also jump him.

How could one man make my hormones get thrown off balance?

Either it was his presence or my horniness out of control. Maybe a bit of both.

I couldn't deny my attraction to him by now, but I felt it would be strange if we became more than flatmates. It was a risk I wasn't yet willing to take with him, since I knew he might leave to another country by the end of his studies.

"Hey there," he looped a finger around the length of the broom. I watched his finger slide down the length and internally screamed.

Could humans be in heat too? My whole body felt so hot. Just from watching him interact with an inanimate object for gods sake, I was like a teenager learning about sexual pleasure all over again.

"Hi, I was going to clean the living room," I tried to get the broom from his grasp.

He pulled it slightly out of my reach, and it was unfair because he was taller so it was easier for him to manipulate objects above me. As I reached up, he leaned down and the proximity of our bodies became little to none space between us. I could feel the hard planes of his god-like sculpted body and I was sure he could feel my breasts pressing up against him. A moment later he put some space between us, shifting uncomfortably and clearing his throat.

He handed me the broom but his hand came to rest on my forehead.

"I thought you said you felt sick?" He asked.

"Um, yeah, period pains. I feel better now." I gave him the excuse, swatting his hand away.

He nodded, his gaze piercing into me before he turned to go to his room.

"By the way, I already cleaned the living room," Michael said over his shoulder.

I put the broom and pan back to their place in the kitchen.

"Do you kiss all your friends like that?" I asked softly. I was speaking more to myself than him but to my shock, he heard me.

"No, just you." He said and the clear seductive implication in that almost burned me up with lust. He whistled a tune as he closed the door to his room.

When I went back to my room, I remembered suddenly that the filming was still on. Ugh, the cameras must have captured all the conversation and interactions between us.

I wondered if this show would just make me a fool for Michael Cross.

Curiosity got the best of me and I went to check the website again where there were the voting and live chats. I almost fainted when I saw a beta viewer had commented.

"You will never believe what we beta viewers witnessed tonight. EEEE, some juicy content coming soon, keep your eyes peeled everyone for this Saturday!"

---

The next day on Tuesday, I stepped out to receive the daily mail, when a bright flash bombarded my eyes and I blinked, my eyes feeling like I'd stared at the sun for too long.

"Marie! I'm Carly Jones, reporting for The Daily Scoop I'd like to ask you some questions on the upcoming episode of #RoomLife!"

"Marie! Look here!"

"Marie, are you and Michael dating?"

There were a bunch of reporters and people with cameras right outside our flat.

Holding the mail close to my chest I tried my best to appear brave, trying to remember what the contract said about media approaching us.

"I cannot comment on anything right now. Thank you everyone for watching." I said.

"Is Michael there? Can we see him?"

The group of people came closer, and I panicked.

Passersby were looking at me, trying to figure out what was going on.

My neighbor Mrs. Pam appeared and saved me.

"What is all this noise in the morning! Go away, people. Shoo! Stop bothering young ones. You are trespassing on private property too." She clucked her tongue and waved her hands, coming to stand in front of me protectively.

At the mention of trespassing, many people turned away, pretending not to have said anything. And those who still wanted to stay were stared down by Mrs. Pam's intimidating showdown eyes.

"Go away before I call the cops!" Mrs. Pam shouted.

The rest of them scrambled away, muttering, "crazy woman."

Mrs. Pam turned to me then and she asked, "Are you alright, Marie? Would you like a cup of tea at mine?"

"Thank you so much Mrs. Pam. Lifesaver! I have to go back inside to my home because I'm currently on a schedule of job searching and writing." I told her, but I gave her a quick hug.

"Anytime!" She smiled warmly.

I was actually doing my best to avoid Michael ever since our encounter last night. Fern texted to say today was a break and Wednesday would be the second challenge, then Thursday another break day from challenges but the cameras would be on until midnight of Friday.

I was grateful that we got a chance for a breather once in a while. It gave me a reason to be able to avoid Michael. However, now I knew if I wanted to go outside without being bothered by random people or reporters, I needed a hoodie disguise or something like that.

My job search was not fruitful so far. But I did enjoy writing some of my side novels. I was writing a mystery thriller story about two twins and a girl they both loved behind a revenge plot. When I went back to the house, I sifted through the mail.

My eyes caught on one particular letter addressed to Michael.

It was a girly pink envelope with stickers and stamps.

It made me curious, who would be sending him these sorts of things? Was it an early fan? But they shouldn't know our address, unless someone released the details?

It dawned on me that the reporters knew where we lived.

Perhaps we needed a better security system just in case. I petted Fluffs absentmindedly as he curled his body around my legs.

I made a mental note to ask Michael about the letter later.

But for most of the day he wasn't at home and I started feeling a foreign sensation of worry for my flatmate. I started wondering where he might be and if he was alright. I felt like a lovesick girlfriend or something. But I told myself it was normal to worry when he didn't leave any messages before he left in the morning.

Where could he have gone?