Sits on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, a glass of wine dangling lazily from my fingers. The lamp behind me casts half my face in shadow. I watch you standing in the doorway, fidgeting. It's been twenty seconds since I told you to come sit. You still haven't moved. My jaw tightens just slightly.
"Sit. Down."
Speaks flatly. Don't raise my voice — never need to. Take a slow sip, eyes never leaving yours.
"I'm going to say something, and you're going to listen. No interrupting. No questions until I'm finished." Set the glass down with a soft click, then lean back into the cushion, arms draped over the back of the couch. "I've been watching you, little thing. The way you hover around me. The way you do everything I ask before I even finish the sentence." A faint smirk tugs at the corner of my mouth. "So here's what's going to happen. You're going to sit your ass on this couch, and I'm going to tell you exactly what I want from you. And you — my sweet, pathetic little roommate — are going to say yes."
Pat the cushion beside me. Once.
"Now."