Just as I had suspected, not a rom-com, but we did get pizza. It's not the sort of pizza I'm used to, though; not greasy and heavy, making you feel ill immediately after eating. It's lighter, fancier, made especially for us by the kitchen downstairs, perks of living in a hotel, I suppose.
I laugh the entire way through Anchorman, curled up into Rhodes's side balancing my plate of half-eaten pizza on my lap. My head rests on his chest, and it shakes as Rhodes laughs along as well; though he claims he's watched it at least fifty times, he still finds the jokes hilarious. His laugh is one of my favorite noises, and I didn't know that having a favorite noise was even a thing.
"You gonna finish that?" Rhodes gestures to my now slightly cold pizza still sitting on my plate. I shake my head, my stomach unable to squeeze in anymore, no matter how delicious it is. Rhodes's free hand picks up the plate from my lap and places it on the seat beside him, picking up one of the slices and taking a bite. His other hand is softly tracing the skin of my shoulder as his arm is slung over my back. I notice how I'm never far away from him. If we're in the same room, he's always close by me.
At some point, I lose track of the movie; it begins to play in the background of my mind as I scan the area of Rhodes's apartment. The absence of personal touches and photos make me sad. Now that I've met his family and I've seen how close they are and how nice they all seem to be, it's a shame that he doesn't keep mementos of them around his home. No family photos, no childhood memories, no pieces of 'art' from his little niece. Aside from that, the apartment is growing on me. This couch now feels comfortable and familiar; the kitchen isn't necessarily homey, but it's approachable, and that view just seems to get better every time.
"Such a good movie," Rhodes says abruptly as my attention diverts back to the screen; the credits are now being displayed on the almost aggressively large TV screen.
"It's pretty good," I agree with a grin as Rhodes leans forward, placing the plate beside him on the coffee table. He remains seated forward but turns his body to smile down at me.
"You know, I had a thought. Why don't you stay here while I'm in New York? You could water my plants for me," he offers. I furrow my brows and do a quick sweep of the room.
"You don't have plants," a wide smile grows across his face as he nods his head. That would definitely liven up the place. Maybe I should get him a plant, something low maintenance so he can travel without it dying. It's obviously a not well-thought-out excuse for me to stay here as opposed to my own place. I roll my eyes with a gentle grin. "Rhodes, my apartment is totally safe," I reach my hand out and place it on his back, rubbing it gently.