Rumi's gone off to the Hamptons to live with her boyfriend and teach pilates to New York's summertime migrating upper crust. In her absence, for the next three months, I'll be sharing the apartment with Sven, a 28 year old Midwesterner who I met down in Mexico at Bikini Boot Camp. Sven was the personal trainer for our group. While lounging around on the beach chairs one day, we got to talking and it turned out that just at the time my room mate was planning to leave the city, Sven was planning to move to New York to start work in a super swanky gym. Rumi needed a subletter and Sven needed a sublet. Perfection.Sven arrived on Friday, just in time for my first full jet-lag-free weekend in New York, and to watch my brother and I bicker on Saturday morning about Bacchus moving his hung-over body off of the air mattress in the middle of the living room floor and up into my bedroom. I won that argument by flipping open the valve and causing the mattress to deflate in a sudden rush under the weight of Bacchus' body. Once he hit the hard wood floor he moved upstairs quickly.
Having never lived with a boy who was not part of my family or someone that I was sleeping with, I'm interested to see how the next three months are going to go. As I have no intention of sleeping with him - this will not be a Billy/Allison thing - and as we're not related to one another, I guess the only option for us is to become friends. You know what's weird about that? I haven't really had a lot of male friends since high school - and those were really more like "three-man" drinking buddies - so I'm a little out of practice at the whole platonic girl-boy friendship thing.
So far, things have been working out well. On Saturday morning, Sven and I went running together on the East River. It was so gorgeous! Since he's a personal trainer, of course he kicked my booty and ran off a head after a while, but that was fine with me. It was motivating to run with him, because though I'm aware of my weaknesses, I didn't want to show him exactly how weak I was. A girl has her pride, even if that girl happens to have gained EIGHT FREAKIN' POUNDS OF FLESH in India. (But that's a different story for a different post). My stubbornness pushed me through at least one extra song before I had to give up gasping for air.
On Saturday night, Sven, Bacchus and I got the grill on my terrace fired up and cooked up a feast of steak (for the boys), fish (for me), asparagus, zucchini, and potatoes. Looking out at the city from on top of the roof deck, I thought to myself that life honestly could not get much better. Sven did this amazing thing with the potatoes where he mixed together chopped potatoes, onions, olive oil, and salt and pepper and then wrapped the whole concoction in aluminum foil and put it in the oven to cook for an hour. They were so delicious. In addition to being a personal trainer, Sven's a wonderful, healthy cook. I'm hoping his healthiness rubs off on me and vaporizes the extra poundage I picked up during my two blissful months of vaca.
The only negatives so far have nothing to do with Sven and only relate to having a room mate in general. Rumi was hardly ever in the apartment because she was always at her boyfriend's (she's the perfect room mate), so it's a little weird to suddenly have someone around all the time. During the last couple of days, I've spent tons of time watching Entourage and very little time playing with this.Luckily, someone has the house all to herself tonight.
Photos: Amansala Bikini Boot Camp, Tulum, Mexico.
9 comments:
Looking forward to more installments of your summer with Sven. How cool to have a personal trainer as your roommate! That would definitely motivate me in my quest for better health. Bonus that he's a good, healthy cook!
I am tickled at the thought of Bacchus (the Roman god of wine and intoxication) being hung-over on your living room floor. Ah, the mythological irony! ;)
Starshine - I was less than tickled. Aren't boys supposed to grow out of that type of behavior?
"As I have no intention of sleeping with him"
Why'd you bring it up then?
"I haven't really had a lot of male friends since high school ... so I'm a little out of practice at the whole platonic girl-boy friendship thing"
So why would it change now?
"It was motivating to run with him, because though I'm aware of my weaknesses, I didn't want to show him exactly how weak I was."
Want to impress him already?
"Sven did this amazing thing with the potatoes ..."
Imagine what else he could do...but maybe you already have?
"They were so delicious. In addition to being a personal trainer, Sven's a wonderful, healthy cook. I'm hoping his healthiness rubs off on me and..."
sorry, I am a guy after all.
"The only negatives so far have nothing to do with Sven"
Protective already?
"During the last couple of days, I've spent tons of time watching Entourage and very little time playing with this."
So you will be spending the next three months with a guy you met in a place that is a wonderful memory, who you already try to impress, who is amazing doing some things, who you admire, who you already are protective about, and include the fact that you will have less opportunity for sexual release during this same time? And you felt you had to mention you have no intention of sleeping with him? Yeah, good luck with that.
Maybe if you check into a hotel and say hello to your little friend. Otherwise, well—is it ok if we place bets on how long this will last?
I'll go with one month. And to help my odds, just imagine the erotic tension when you secretly write about him on this blog while he is so close to you everyday—within an arms reach.
Great post. I look forward to the coming month.
Greg, Sorry to burst your bubble but when I said he and I weren't going to sleep together it was b/c we aren't going to sleep together. I was just laying out the situation. You'll have to fantasize about something else.
I said a month, not today. And you shouldn't deny your readers a little dramatic tension. Work with me.
Come on, you named the guy Sven. Not Bob, or Eugene. Sven! If that's his real name, even better.
Sven, who you first met at an exotic location, is spending the summer with a intelligent feminist who enjoys long runs and meals with him. You can't make this stuff up. It would be tragic if you didn't sleep with him.
Come on, women, this can't just be a guy thing!
You're already thinking about it. Just be sure you post about what you dream tonight.
I can't even get into what Greg is talking about, because it is quite funny.
I though, have had strictly platonic girl friends before. Now I am not going to say i did not fantasize every once in a while, but sometimes the opposite sex is easier to talk to without strings.
Three Man! Oh, what fun those days were. :)
Good luck getting settled in with the new roomie!
Lucky to have a personal trainer at your fingertips! And one named Sven.
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