Meet Cute

((This week's extra is the first time Kelly meets Arthur, from Lori's point of view. It complements some mentions in Chapter 25 but doesn't need to be read in any particular order, though this is likely the first chronological event of Harem House. You'll notice that Arthur at this point is nearly an entirely different character, I introduce some of Kelly's family and their situation, and you get to meet Lori more in-depth than in earlier extras, so enjoy!))

Moving into the dorms was frustrating work—not because of the items moved from car to dorm but because of the stampede of freshmen moving in on the same day. The University of Pendleton did what it could to keep things scheduled and orderly, but there was only so much order to be imposed on such virulent chaos.

“Excuse me.” “Sorry.” and “Ouch, that was my foot!” Rang through the halls of the Roosevelt Dormitory in an irregular staccato from a chorus of diverse voices.

The most challenging aspect for Lori Boudreaux was that everyone else had someone to help them. Lori was moving in alone. She stopped at the bed of her pickup truck and caught her breath. She took a moment to mop the sweat from her brow and pulled her hair back, covering her black locks with a blue bandana. Between that, her sports bra, sleeveless T-shirt, and overall shorts, she was covered with sweat under the August sun.

She looked at the bookcase in her truck bed. It wasn't heavy. The cheap poly board was light, but it was wide enough to be awkward to carry alone. She huffed and looked toward her dorm.

A young man was passing by, a fellow freshman who had already moved in by the look of him. He was tall, dark-haired, and cute. He had a bit of stubble on his chin, and his clothes didn't fit very well, but he looked comfortable. More importantly, he wasn't carrying anything. He was walking by the grass, looking at his phone.

“Hey! Can I ask you a favor?” Lori asked the stranger.

Yes, he was a guy, but they were also in public, and he probably wouldn't get the wrong idea, given that she looked a mess and had sweated most of her makeup off, revealing a porcelain-pale face flushed with exertion.

The young man looked up from his phone and hesitated when he saw Lori. He looked behind himself several times, but her gaze never flickered away from him.

“Me?” He asked.

“Yeah.” Lori said. “Can you help me move this bookcase? I just need help moving it into the dorm. It should be quick, but I'm almost out of time, and it's too big to carry alone.”

The young man looked around as if to check for someone nearby or maybe looking to see if someone else could help her, but he stepped forward.

“Sure.” That was all he said.

“Thanks.” Lori offered him a handshake. “My name’s Lori.”

“Nice to meet you.” He said, without offering his name in return. He focused instead on the bookshelf and helped her remove it from her truck and carry it into her dorm. Moving it through the hallway was the most challenging part. Once they got into her room, it was easy to set it upright, and the young man helped her move it into place.

“Thanks.” Lori said again, but the young man was already on his way out of her door.

“You're welcome.” He said quickly. He kept walking, almost running, but stopped at an open box just outside her bedroom in the common suite room. “This yours?” He asked, holding up a copy of Love Happy, a later Marx Brothers film.

Lori smiled, slightly embarrassed. “Yeah… I know it's not the best movie, but it was Marilyn Monroe’s first, so I got it, but she’s hardly in it. She’s practically an extra. The Marx Brothers are hilarious, though.”

“Yeah.” The young man agreed and set the movie down. “I love old movies.”

“Me too.” Lori said. She came to the doorway, standing only a pace behind him.

He turned to see she'd moved closer, and he moved away. “Okay. Well… see ya around, I guess.”

“Wait, what's your–”

But he was gone.

Lori pursed her lips. He was probably busy, and she’d imposed on him long enough. She left the room and returned to her truck. She closed the bed and hopped into the driver’s seat. As she pulled away and drove off toward the parking lot she spotted him again, walking away from the dorms, head down.

When she returned to her room to unpack, her roommate was there, unloading her car with the help of three strapping younger brothers.

“Hi!” The young red-headed woman came over and offered her hand. “I’m Kelly. You must be Lori.”

“That’s me.” Lori smiled. “I wish I’d met you before I unloaded. I could have used some of these movers.”

Kelly laughed. “My little brothers.” She gestured to the three strapping young men walking into the room.

Lori glanced back at Kelly.

“Hey.” The youngest, who was only a few inches taller than Kelly, nodded. “I’m Brian.” He was dark-haired, freckled, and skinny.

“And that’s Declan.” Kelly gestured to the brother with the dyed blonde hair. “And Kyle.” She gestured to the oldest of the three and the biggest. He was barrel-chested and well-muscled. A spattering of freckles dotted his forehead and cheeks. He offered her a handshake, and Lori took it. The grip on her hand was gentle but firm.

“Hey.” Kyle said in a tone that made Kelly slap his arm.

“Don’t flirt with my roommate.” Kelly said. “Go get the next box out of the trunk.”

Kyle rolled his eyes but obeyed. He nodded to Lori as he passed her, and the other two followed him outside.

Lori smiled. “How old’s your brother?”

Kelly laughed. “Eighteen, but he’s going to a different school.”

Lori looked confused. “Wait, how old are you?”

“Eighteen.” Kelly answered.

“So…” Lori gestured to the empty doorway. “How does–”

Kelly laughed. “We’re twins.”

“Fraternal?” Lori asked.

“No. We’re identical. Can’t you tell?” Kelly’s cheerfulness undermined her sarcasm, but her laughter was good-natured. “You’re not the first, or the last, to ask.” She said. “Yes. Obviously, we’re fraternal twins.”

Lori nodded. “Sorry.”

“You’re fine.” Kelly said. “Do you have any siblings?”

“Uh…” Lori hesitated. “A few.”

“Brothers?” Kelly asked. She started unpacking while they talked, emptying a box of clothes into a dresser by the door. Lori had been in the room first and claimed the bed by the window, but Kelly didn’t seem to mind.

“I, uh…” Lori hesitated. “I grew up in foster houses, a few of them. So I have foster siblings from like… three different families.”

“Oh.” Kelly said, surprised. “Are you close with any of them?”

Lori shrugged and started unpacking her suitcase. “A few.”

“Cool.” Kelly said. “My brothers and I are pretty close, especially Kyle, obviously. It’s going to be weird being so far apart.”

“Yeah.” Lori nodded. “Are your parents here too?”

Kelly shook her head. “My dad’s not in the country. He lives in the UK. My mom is… busy.” She shrugged. “Another crisis at the office.”

Lori gave her a sympathetic smile and watched her brothers deposit another load of boxes marked ‘clothes’ before leaving for the next trip. Lori glanced at her single box marked ‘clothes’ beside her suitcase and back at Kelly.

“I’m a bit of a packrat.” Kelly said. “I know I won’t need half of the things I packed, but I got everything on the ‘what to pack for freshman year’ list. If you need any extra hair products, utensils, tampons, makeup, or anything, help yourself. I’m overstocked.”

Lori frowned a little. “Thanks.”

“Have you eaten yet?” Kelly asked.

“I had some lunch a while ago.” Lori said.

“I wanted to check out the Athletic center, and then the boys and I were going to get some dinner at the cafeteria. Can you join us?” Kelly asked.

Lori glanced up as the three boys returned. Kyle and Declan set down the bookshelf they’d carried in and declared it to be the ‘last of it.’

“Great.” Kelly said, glancing at the bookshelf Lori brought. “We’ll have plenty of shelving for our books and movies!”

Lori nodded. “Yeah.”

Declan picked up “Love Happy” off the top of a box and put it on Kelly’s shelf.

“Oh, that’s uh… mine, actually.” Lori took it back.

“Oh! Sorry.” Declan re-examined the box he’d taken it from.

“You like old movies?” Kelly asked.

Lori nodded.

“I do too!” Kelly said, her voice excited. “I know it’s not the best, but it’s Marilyn Monroe’s–”

“First appearance.” Lori and Kelly finished the sentence at the same time.

Kyle and Declan turned toward each other and rolled their eyes. “Oh god, there’s two of them.”

Kelly giggled.

“Marilyn Monroe wasn’t even that hot.” Declan shook his head as he started out of the room.

Kelly started walking after him. “Declan Linnehan, you take that back right now!”

Kyle scratched the back of his head and laughed. He glanced at Lori. “She’s definitely the only person I know who can quote almost every episode of I Love Lucy verbatim. She watches it so often. So… have fun watching that in the background every day.”

Lori smiled and shrugged. “That’s okay.”

“Redhead solidarity!” Kelly called from the suite common room.

“She wasn’t even a natural redhead!” Declan called back. “We’ve had this argument before.” He rolled his eyes. “Did she invite you to dinner yet?”

“Yes.” Lori nodded. “Did she tell you she was going to?”

“No. That’s just who she is.” Declan laughed. “If she gets too motherly on you, just tell her to knock it off.”

Lori raised an eyebrow.

Declan shrugged. “You’ll see.” He gestured toward the door as they both started toward it. “Ladies first.”

“Thank you.” Lori nodded and followed Kelly out of the dorm, with Kyle and Declan following close behind.

Brian rejoined them by the car, and Kyle drove the car to the parking lot. The group ate dinner in the cafeteria, talking, laughing, and getting to know one another. Lori and Kelly spent the rest of the afternoon together. They talked, laughed, met, and hung out with their suitemates. Lori consoled Kelly after a tearful goodbye with her brothers and distracted her with the new adventures before them, such as the fire safety meeting.

The RA-led hall meeting that night was boring but required. Fire safety routines were the same everywhere, but they still had to listen to them. The freshmen from the hall gathered in the lounge, which was too small to fit them all. Lori and Kelly sat together, listening as best they could and waiting for it to be over so they could go watch a movie. Lori, however, noticed the young man who had helped her earlier sitting in the corner.

Lori tapped Kelly on the forearm as they were leaving. “I’ll meet you in the room.”

“Okay.” Kelly nodded and followed the crowd out.

The young man waited in the corner for the crowd to leave, reading on his phone again.

“Hey.” Lori said when she approached him.

The young man’s eyes shot up, then around, then landed on Lori, standing a pace and a half away.

“Me?” The young man asked, pointing at himself.

“Yeah.” Lori looked around them. They were alone in the lounge. “I’m talking to you.” She said. “Hey.”

“Hey.” The young man answered.

“I’m Lori.” She said. “You helped me earlier?”

The young man’s eyes darted around her. He looked afraid. She turned to follow his gaze but saw no one. She was confused, but then she realized his weird energy wasn’t fear of someone else. It was… fear of her?

She stepped back, and he immediately became more comfortable. Lori almost laughed. He was six-foot-four and, while not in perfect shape, he was well-built. He was definitely stronger than she was. She was nearly a foot shorter than him at five-foot-six, and while she wasn’t rail-thin, she wasn’t super buff either. She had her curves with a big chest and a wide ass, but she didn’t look like she could hold her own in a fight. Plus, she was a woman. He was a man. If anyone in this situation should act frightened in a corner, it was her, not him.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

“Yeah.” The young man said. “I’m fine. But… can I help you?”

“What?” Lori asked, surprised.

“I mean…” The young man looked around again. “Why are you talking to me?”

“I just wanted to thank you, again.” Lori said. “For helping me earlier.” She explained. “And maybe learn your name? We’re going to be living together after all.” She gestured to the dorm with a chuckle and offered him her hand for a handshake. He didn’t take it.

“Arthur.” He responded.

“Arthur.” Lori repeated. “Like Aquaman?”

“Sure.” Arthur shrugged.

“Well, Arthur, a bunch of us are going to watch a movie in our suite. I was thinking we might watch Love Happy, since my roommate likes it too. Would you care to join us?” She asked. “We were going to make some popcorn and get into our PJs.”

Arthur’s eyes went wide. “No thank you.”

Lori looked surprised. “Really?” She asked. “I’m… I’m inviting you to–”

“No thank you.” Arthur repeated.

“Are you sure?” Lori asked.

“Yes.” Arthur said.

“Are you… are you sure you’re okay? You’re acting like I’m asking you to perform open-heart surgery or something. It’s just a movie.” Lori gestured to the door.

“I’m fine.” Arthur answered.

“So you’re fine. You like old movies. You like Love Happy. You just don’t want to watch it with me?” Lori asked.

“It’s…” Arthur’s eyes darted around.

“Are you scared of me?” Lori asked. “I promise this isn’t like me asking you to come rail me or anything. This is just a movie with a group of us.”

Arthur shook his head. “I didn’t think that.”

“Okay.” Lori raised her hands in surrender. “Suit yourself. You know where the suite is if you change your mind.”

Arthur nodded. He returned his gaze to his phone as Lori left. He didn’t see her hesitate at the door and look over her shoulder at him.

“I really need to get better at flirting.” Lori sighed as she walked down the hallway.

Their suitemates weren’t as impressed by Love Happy as Kelly or Lori hoped, but they didn’t hate it either, so that was something. After the movie, Lori and Kelly returned to their rooms, and Lori knew the bliss of sleep until four-thirty in the morning when Kelly’s alarm clock woke them.

Lori blinked awake and wiped the sleep from her eyes as she sat up. “What the hell?”

Kelly paused while pulling on a pair of stretchy yoga shorts. “Sorry. I forgot to warn you. I’m an early riser. I’m heading to the athletic center gym. Care to join me?”

Lori groaned and rolled over.

Kelly continued dressing. Lori flung off the covers a moment later and got to her feet. She dressed in some athletic wear, a sports bra, a t-shirt, and a pair of leggings. Kelly smiled. The pair left the dorm, and their walk turned into a jog before too long.

They were jogging along the sidewalk toward the athletic center when Lori flinched. A young man passed them on the left, temporarily stepping onto the road, rejoining the pavement ahead of them, jogging a good click faster than they were. His baggy t-shirt wasn’t flattering, but his shorts showed off a robust set of legs and highlighted an asset Lori appreciated.

“He’s got a cute butt.” Lori nudged Kelly.

Kelly laughed and took a look for herself. She tilted her head in evaluation and smiled.

Lori giggled, following their fellow runner to the Athletic center and increasing her pace slightly, which coincidentally allowed her and Kelly to keep his tush at an appreciable viewing distance.

The runner paused when he reached the doors of the Athletic Center and noticed them behind him. He held the door for them but still passed through first, so he was ahead of them for the second set of doors. Lori nudged Kelly again.

“That’s the guy I was telling you about. The scaredy cat. That’s Arthur.” Lori nodded toward him, whispering to Kelly while they were still a decent distance away.

“Oh.” Kelly said. “He’s cute.”

Lori nodded. “But watch.” She whispered again and then turned her attention to Arthur. “Hey, Arthur, right?”

“Uh… yeah.” Arthur turned slightly, taking out an earphone. Seeing who it was, he immediately turned his head forward again, not looking at either woman as he walked slightly ahead of them through the hallway.

“Do you run often?” Lori asked.

“Three, sometimes four, days a week.” Arthur answered. “Since graduation, anyway.”

“Nice.” Lori said. “Have you worked out in this gym before?”

“Yesterday.” Arthur answered.

“Is that what you did last night instead of watching a movie with us?” Lori asked.

“Yeah.” Arthur answered.

“Would you mind showing us around? Kelly and I have toured it but never used the machines here.” Lori explained.

“Uh…” Arthur hesitated. He looked behind him to see Kelly and Lori gazing at him with hopeful expectations. He turned forward and, rather than answer or deny them, entered the men’s locker room.

“Well…” Lori stopped and gestured at the door. “I guess that’s a no?”

“Maybe he likes you?” Kelly asked. “Maybe he’s just shy.”

“He’s obviously shy. But… cute, right?” Lori sighed. “Pity.”

Kelly chuckled. “Why is that a pity?”

“I like men who are a little more… confident.” Lori said. "Who take the lead."

“I know what you mean.” Kelly nodded. “Well, kind of.” She shrugged.

“You like your men the same way?” Lori asked.

Kelly laughed. “I’m…” She hesitated. “I’m still figuring out what I like, I guess.” She said. “But honestly? I’m not sure I’m into guys.”

“Oh.” Lori said. “Oooh. Okay. Cool.”

“Is it going to weird you out if I’m a total closet case?” Kelly asked.

“No.” Lori said. “I have a foster sibling as queer as Bugs Bunny. I support you. Are you… a lesbian?”

“I…” Kelly hesitated. “I think so.”

“You’re not sure?” Lori asked.

“It’s complicated.” Kelly said. “I’ve known I like girls since… maybe forever? But in my family? That’s not a thing, and sometimes I think maybe it’s just a phase and I’ll grow out of it, and occasionally there’s a guy that I find– well, that’s TMI.”

“So you’re bi?” Lori asked.

Kelly laughed. “I don’t think that’s really a thing.”

“Um, it absolutely is a thing.” Lori said adamantly. “Don’t go erasing an entire portion of the sexuality spectrum.”

Kelly shrugged. “My friends in high school who were gay made it very clear. You’re either gay or you’re not.”

“Your friends were idiots.” Lori said. “Which is excusable because they’re high schoolers, I guess, but they need to educate themselves beyond their own experiences.”

Kelly was quiet momentarily. “We’ve been standing in front of this locker room door for a while…”

Lori laughed. “Come on. We don’t want the Cowardly Lion to think we’re waiting for him.”

Kelly laughed and followed Lori into the gym proper. The machines arranged in rows and columns were just beyond the doors. The mirrored wall in the back of the gym had the dumbbells on low shelves, and the barbell free weights were in a corner, with a row of treadmills and elliptical machines to the right.

The room smelled surprisingly fresh, but most students hadn’t dappled the mats with sweat yet. Both girls spotted Arthur on the treadmill, obviously finishing the run he’d been on. They glanced at each other and started working on the machines.

To Lori’s delight, Kelly knew what she was doing. She walked Lori through the machines, and they worked out together. Kelly was in fantastic shape, while Lori… Lori wouldn’t classify herself as chubby, but compared to Kelly, she felt it.

Looking to do a bench press while Kelly was occupied with the kettlebells, Lori headed to Arthur, who was pressing a surprising amount of weight on another bench.

“Hey, Arthur?” Lori asked.

Arthur racked the weight, sat up, and took out an earphone. He kept his eyes turned away from Lori but answered her, “Yeah?”

“Do you need a spot?” Lori asked.

“No, thank you.” Arthur said.

“Okay. Take a hint, Lori, right?” She laughed. “I get it. I’m sorry. I’ll leave you alone.”

Arthur sighed. “It’s not… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or anything.” He said. “I just… I don’t appreciate you and your friend messing with me.”

“Messing with you?” Lori asked, surprised.

“Making fun of me.” Arthur said. “Pranking me. Or trying to.”

Lori stopped, confused. She looked over at Kelly, whose earphones were in and whose Kettlebell squat raises were on point.

“We weren’t trying to prank you. I was trying to flirt with you.” Lori said.

Arthur scoffed. “Yeah. Okay.” He put his earphone back in.

Lori gazed at him in disbelief as he started pressing again. She waited until he finished his twelve-rep set and then tapped his shoulder.

“What do you mean, yeah, okay?” Lori asked. “Are you calling me a liar?”

Arthur sighed and took out his earphone again. “Look. I just… I don’t want any trouble, okay? I just want to be left alone.”

“Fine.” Lori said. “That’s fine. But don’t accuse me of lying to you, or trying to prank you, or whatever you said. I’m not doing that.”

“Okay.” Arthur said.

“I thought you were cute, and I was trying to flirt so you’d ask me out.” Lori blurted.

Arthur paused, gazing at her from the bench. “No, you weren’t.”

“Excuse me?” Lori asked. “Am I that bad at it?”

“Why would you want me to ask you out?” Arthur asked. “You don’t know me. I’m just some fat guy you decided to mess with for fun. There’s no way a girl who looks like you would be interested in me for real. Just… leave me alone. I’ve had enough of that kind of cruelty in my life.”

Lori gawked at him open-mouthed. Arthur went back to his workout. “What’s going on?” Kelly asked, approaching Lori, who was still staring at Arthur, her mouth open. She pointed angrily at him.

“He called me a liar! And… honestly, gave me the saddest rebuttal I’ve ever heard.” Lori said as she and Kelly turned aside to the other bench. “He thinks we’re messing with him. He told me there’s no way a girl who looks like me would be interested in him.”

“Well, that’s…” Kelly glanced over at Arthur. “Oddly complimentary. And it's not fair. He’s not bad looking. He’s cute. He’s not an athlete, but he’s in good shape and working hard. A few more months of that kind of work, and he’ll be in better shape than most of the jocks around here.”

“Right?” Lori asked. “Can you… can you talk to him for me?”

Kelly looked surprised. “Are you still into him? There’s plenty of other guys on campus.”

“He’s…” Lori looked around and glanced at Arthur, who’d resumed his workout with a vengeance. “He’s nice, and we had this chemistry yesterday, and… if he could get over his shyness… I mean, I don’t know that I’ll marry him or anything, but he…” She sighed. “No, you’re right.” She nodded at Kelly. “Fuck him. I can find somebody else to fuck or date who won’t accuse me of being a liar or trying to prank them.”

Kelly frowned, looking back and forth between the two of them. She shook her head but spotted for Lori on the bench press and helped her finish her workout. Arthur was still there when they were getting ready to leave, having moved on to a different workout. The gym was more full now, but there was still a spot next to Arthur as he pumped on the chest fly machine.

“I’ll meet you in there.” Kelly said as Lori started toward the locker room. “I just want to get some stretches in first.”

“Sure.” Lori said. “But I’m about as flexible as I’m going to get.” She laughed. “I’ll see you in there.” She left for the locker room.

Kelly fixed her attention and marched forward. “Hey.” She said.

Arthur took his earphone out and looked up. He met her eyes without looking at the rest of her, something most women didn’t even do with Kelly. Her initially sharp tone dulled its edges slightly.

Kelly put her hands on her hips. “I don’t know what made you think Lori was messing with you, but she wasn’t. She likes you. Call it a crush or whatever, but she genuinely thinks you’re cute, likes your butt, and wants you to ask her out. She likes guys who aren’t afraid of their shadow or her and will take the lead. So… ask her out if you want to or don’t, but you will treat her right, and you will not live the rest of your life believing she’s a liar or someone who is even capable of doing the cruel things you accused her of, got it?”

Arthur was quiet. Kelly glared at him, and eventually, he nodded. “Okay.” Arthur said.

“Okay?” Kelly asked.

“Yeah.” Arthur said. “Okay.”

“Good.” Kelly walked away, then stepped back into his eyeline. “Are you going to ask her out?”

Arthur looked around. “Uh… I can come by the suite after I’m done here?”

“Okay.” Kelly said.

“Okay?” Arthur asked.

“Yeah.” Kelly nodded. “Okay.” She walked away again and entered the locker room.

It was two hours later when Arthur darkened their suite’s door. He knocked on the open door and looked up as Kelly and Lori, sitting on the sofa and watching Duck Soup, looked up at him.

“I wanted to apologize.” Arthur said to Lori. “I’m sorry about… earlier. Accusing you of being a liar and cruel. It was wrong of me, and I was misreading the situation. I know I said some things that might have been weird, but… I was wondering if you’d be willing to give me a second chance?”

“A fourth chance, more like.” Lori said.

“A fourth chance, then.” Arthur said.

Lori pursed her lips and looked at Kelly, who raised her brows. The two had a silent conversation, but finally, Lori returned her attention to Arthur. “What did you have in mind?”

“I thought, if you want to, we could go bowling?” Arthur asked.

“Bowling?” Kelly asked, surprised.

“There's a bowling alley not too far from campus.” Arthur said. “We can make it a group date if you'd be more comfortable with that.”

“Bowling is fine.” Lori said. “And dinner after?”

“There’s a restaurant near it.” Arthur explained. “Or we can come back to campus if you’d prefer.”

“Which would you prefer?” Lori asked.

“The restaurant has better food than the cafeteria. Healthier options too.” Arthur answered.

“That’s fine then.” Lori nodded. “Tonight?”

“I’ll pick you up at five?” Arthur asked.

“Okay.” Lori nodded.

“Okay.” Arthur nodded. “I’ll see you then.”

He left, and Lori turned open-mouthed to Kelly, who giggled.

“Well, it’s a start.” Kelly said.