American Love Songs Read Online Free

floor of his living room-slash-kitchen, and the pile of dishes in the sink was poised so precariously he was actually afraid to start washing them lest they come crashing down.
    7 Later, the only person who would be more surprised than Jake that this actually worked was Parker.
8 The rules were really more like guidelines. Vague ones.
Parker said, “Dude.” He gingerly walked into the apartment, elbows tucked in like he was afraid to touch anything 9 .
    “Yeah, I know. Im not used to cleaning up after myself yet.” He gestured at the couch. “Have a seat, I just have to go dig out my laptop and a blank CD. You want a drink?”
“Do you have any clean dishes?” Parker asked. His tone wasnt bitchy, just curious and a little teasing.
    “Thats what plastic cups are for,” Jake told him. “And beer bottles, but I dont have any of those.” His twenty-first birthday wasnt until August. Hed swiped that beer from earlier in the day from Chris and Jimmys fridge, not that they would care. “Cups on the fridge, drinks in it if youre interested. Ill be right back.” Maybe he was being a shitty host, but if Parker was going to be around, he needed to learn to make himself at home. Jake didnt serve Chris or Jimmy, either, his theory being that they were grown men and could help themselves.
    Parker was perched precariously on the couch when he got back, like he was afraid it was going to give him cooties or herpes or something. Not that the herpes thing was out of the question, Jake thought with an internal grimace, thinking of Chris and Kylie. He put his laptop on the table and popped in a blank CD to burn. “So practices are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at four at Chris and Jimmys. Which reminds me—do you have an electric guitar?”
    Parker flushed, which Jake took as a “no.” “I used to,” he said. “Ive kind of been on the road for a while. I dont take that much with me.”
    There was definitely a story there, between Parkers lack of material possessions and his claim that he couldnt go back home, but they had just met, like, five minutes ago. Jake was not going to give him the third degree yet, and only partly because he wasnt sure hed be comfortable with all of the answers. “Its no big. Kylie left hers as her last months rent when she moved out. She was even left-handed.”
9 Because I was! The place was a dump!—PM
     
“Serendipity strikes again, huh?”
    “Yeah,” Jake said. “About that.” This was probably a really stupid idea, especially since he didnt really know Parker, and for all he knew, they were going to end up hating each other and breaking up the band. And hey, Parker could be an asshole, or a thief, or an axe murderer 10 , but Jake didnt think so.
Besides, the door to his room locked.
    Still, he had some experience dealing with guys who were used to not having very much, and he was pretty sure hed pegged Parkers pride right on the money. He treaded very, very carefully. “I kind of need a roommate.”
    Parker met his gaze evenly. If he was surprised or offended, he didnt show it, but the look he gave Jake was pretty calculating. “Yeah? I kind of need a place to live.”
Jake said, “Imagine that.”
    The CD finished burning, and the drive popped out, whirring cheerfully as the disc spun. Jake got a couple of Cokes out of the fridge and put them on the table. Parker flinched. God, he was totally the kind of guy whod use a glass and coaster. This was going to take some getting used to. “Rents three hundred a month each, inclusive,” Jake told him, popping the top of his Coke and taking a long sip. “Pays fifty bucks each a night for gigs, drinks not included, so you might want to look into something else in your spare time. At least, if you dont want to be sleeping on Kylies pink sheets for the rest of your life.”
    He didnt miss the completely uncomfortable look on Parkers face at that. Okay, so he was in a worse situation than Jake thought. He took a deep breath. “Tell you