Don't air your dirty laundry, tumble it dry (Rhys)

[Josie Raines]

With thirty minutes to a wash cycle, it should've been no big deal for Josie to dump her dirty clothes into a machine, nip back upstairs for a cigarette, and return with quarters for a dry. Should've been, anyway. Apparently somebody else in the apartment complex disagreed, she realized when she descended the basement steps again and discovered her laundry in a soggy pile on the floor.

"Fuck!" Josie took the remaining steps three at a time and hurried to the machine she'd been using, in front of which lay - yep, those were hers, all right. And a quick survey of the room revealed a couple of other piles and each machine thrumming with life. Jesus, who needed to wash their entire wardrobe this urgently? Whoever it was had managed not to just toss everyone else's stuff in a single heap, but couldn't they have at least used the plastic basket she'd left behind instead of the floor?

The storm clouds brewing over Josie's head were nearly enough to distract her from the footsteps coming down the stairs - nearly, but not quite. If it was the culprit, they were in for an earful.

[Rhys Freeman]

Everyone had their off days. Especially in the Freeman residence.  Especially especially if you were capable of menstruation, which apparently gave you a free pass at just about everything.  Elijah was in the middle of a paper and Jocelyn had cramps, so Rhys was going to be the laundry bitch because it needed to get done.  Besides, the longer he stayed out of the apartment, the less he had to deal with the emotional baggage which was his life.

He trudged down the stairs with the basket, holding his phone and skimming through instagram.  The sound of machines whirring filled the air as his feet landed on solid concrete.  He didn't look up until he had to actually navigate to the machines which he'd threw his loads into.  There were only two, which wasn't bad considering how many people he was doing laundry for.  That's when he saw her.

Rhys recognized her.  She lived there and they'd seen each other in passing, but the scowl she wore.. it was enough to kill someone.  He raised a brow, a faint smirk on his lips at her annoyance.  He'd always enjoyed that look on someone's face, so long as that person wasn't bigger or stronger than he was.  As it was, he wasn't afraid of this chick.  "Forget the soap?" He teased playfully, not realizing yet that his own clothes were in a sopping wet pile on the floor.

[Josie Raines]

Josie's lips pursed sourly as she gave the man a once-over - empty basket meant he was coming to retrieve clothes, but didn't reveal whether his were dumped on the floor or in one of the usurped machines. He seemed too smug to be another victim of the laundry bandit, but who would do this and then return to gloat to the people whose clothes he'd displaced? So her results were inconclusive, but given the circumstances, she wasn't feeling generous.

"Forgot the padlock," Josie snapped. She grabbed up a small handful of damp laundry and waved it in his direction. "Is that what I gotta do around here to keep people from fucking with my stuff? Literally chain up a machine while I use it? Sorry you don't know how to take turns, kid, but not all of us were raised by wolves." Josie flung her handful into the basket with a splat and continued gathering the rest of it. She had half a mind to open the machine back up and toss it all back in, but after lying on the ground it would need more soap, and no way was she leaving it all here while she ran back to her room for some.

[Rhys Freeman]

Some poor fool had lost a big old stick up this girls ass.  It soon became apparent as she ranted on and on that she was assuming he'd been the one to drop a load of wet clothes on the floor.  Her clothes.  His brows knit together and he looked down at himself.  Did he seem the type to steal someone's washer?  He supposed he did.  It wasn't the first time in his life he'd been accused of doing something he hadn't, and he was certain it was far from the last.  In all fairness, the accusations against him were true a good 50% of the time, but not the case in this instance.  

That's when he noticed the other wet piles, specifically the two in front of the machines he'd shoved quarters in about an hour ago.  He silently fumed, pissed that not only did he waste his time and money, but he was being accused of it.  Rhys took a deep breath and walked over to her pile, hands folded over his chest.  "Chaining that machine up might be a good idea. Also not accusin' the first dipshit that comes downstairs."  He bent over and snatched a pair of wet panties from the top of her pile, holding them up high before taking a quick couple of steps back, a devilish grin slipped across his face.  "These are hot.  Lucky no one stole 'em."

[Josie Raines]

On another day, in another universe, Josie might have felt compelled to apologize. He was right, it was a dick move to come out of the gate assuming this was his doing. But then he'd grabbed her underwear and the possibility vanished.

"What did I just say about touching my stuff, dipshit?" Josie barked, doubling down by repeating his own invective - hey, his own words, not hers, right? Another person might've been embarrassed, having a near-total stranger manhandling their unmentionables, but she was just pissed. Pissed enough to drop her laundry basket and storm up to him - closing the distance was the easy part. Reaching her underwear in his outstretched hand would be the trick.

"What's your plan, scooter? Gonna keep to sniff and cry into only those lonely nights?" she asked him, cocking her head and hitching on a nasty grin. A fight was out of the question, Josie knew - panties weren't worth that kind of trouble, and he was much too big besides. But that didn't mean she had nothing to work with. "Too bad I already washed 'em."

[Rhys Freeman]

The way she called him a dipshit made his grin spread wider.  He had to chuckle a little, suddenly caring a whole lot less about the wasted time and money on his own load of laundry, sitting on the cold, likely filthy floor getting grody.  "I don't think you actually said anything about touching your stuff." He pointed out, not really remembering.  Clearly it pissed her off, and she was complaining someone had dumped her stuff, but as far as he could remember there had been no mention of not wanting anyone to touch her stuff.

"That's not a bad plan, since I clearly have so many lonely nights."  Rhys didn't have trouble finding girls to spend the night with.  Sure, it wasn't a given every night of the week or anything, but he had a few numbers he could call if he was feeling extra lonely.  He didn't need this girls drawers to keep him company at night, but he could see the girl was trying, really trying, to get under his skin.

"Maybe I want'm washed.  So I can wear'em."  He held the panties down by his own groin and looked down at them before back at the girl.  "I think blue's more my color though.."

[Josie Raines]

Wait, hadn't she said something to that effect? Or at the very least, strongly implied that touching her stuff was a problem - oh hell, who cared, he knew better, he was just being a shit on purpose. And he was clearly having too much fun with it to be bothered by anything she was saying.

Josie ground her teeth in frustration, her hands clenching and unclenching. It would be so easy to just nutshot him and call it an accident. The way he was holding her underwear, all she'd have to do is grab for it just a little too hard, too quickly, and bam - oh yes, the temptation was there. But the fact remained that attacking somebody over a pair of panties was completely stupid. Instead, Josie forced herself to take a deep breath before changing direction.

"Hey, I know I have good taste," she shot back with a shrug, completely transparent in her feigned nonchalance, "but can't you steal from someone your own size? Your fat ass'll stretch 'em and ruin 'em."

[Rhys Freeman]

Fat ass?  He cocked a brow over at her and twisted his body, turning to look over his shoulder at his own rear end.  His pants were baggy and it was hard to tell just how fat his ass was.  It was pretty fat.. but not too big.. Rhys had always liked his own ass, and so had the girls he'd let see it.  "Iono, I think they'd look hawt." He offered back, turning to smirk at still very obviously annoyed girl.

He tried to remember the last time he'd seen the girl.  Maybe walking in and out of the complex? How had he never really noticed her before? She was cute and had that bitchy sort of angsty look to her.  What was it about that look that drew him in?  Something about a pissed off chick got him going.  It was unexplainable.  Maybe because he himself was always pissed off about something and misery loved company.

Rhys took a step closer and reached his hand out, offering the girl her intimates back, that shit-eating grin still plastered on his youthful face.  He really needed to work on not being so smug.  "But I guess my fine fat ass might stretch 'em out a bit." He licked his lips, turning his head slightly to the side, digging his hands into his pockets.  "I bet you'd look better in mine.  Want me to take em off so you can try 'em on?" The smug look never left his face, a mischievous gleam in those too-pale eyes of his.  Maybe he could make this work out for himself.

[Josie Raines]

Oh for fuck's sake, like she needed any more proof he was just trying to annoy her. Obviously he was kidding about hitting on her, nobody could be stupid enough to expect her to go for that. The only way the circumstances would be worse was if he actually had been the laundry bandit. No, he was just trying to rile her up still. Shame that facetious come-ons worked so well for that.

"No thanks, I don't wanna see your skidmarks," Josie told him, rolling her eyes and snatching back the undies he'd finally returned. That was the last of her things - time to get out of dodge. The longer she stayed her, the harder it was to behave herself and maintain whatever dignity she still had.

Just her shitty luck, though. Not only the laundry, but him, too. Josie had met plenty of guys who thought their looks gave them a pass for acting like assholes. But guys like that, their egos were either easy to bruise or untouchable, and apparently he was the latter. Yeah, she could admit he was good-looking, not like it helped her any. She'd seen him around the complex a few times, maybe checked him out once or twice, but she would never have bothered if she'd known he was like this. Maybe he'd be easier to avoid from now on if she could remember where - 

Josie's face split into a wicked smile. If this didn't work, nothing would.

"Wait a minute, I know you," she said, voice suddenly saccharine instead of harsh. "You're Elijah Freeman's baby brother, aren't you?"

[Rhys Freeman]

His grin broadened, showing his teeth a little at her remark.  He didn't have skidmarks in his drawers. Not anymore.. Sure, when he was a broke ass kid his pants were full of all sorts of stains, but he could afford better clothes now, and he had long ago made the call to never be filthy again.  He may act like a dick and he may be smug, but he was a typically clean guy.  Of course, she didn't know that.  For all she knew he was some crackhead who dealt on the corner.  Crack wasn't for him.  Yeah, it was fun once in a while, but he chose only to sell it on occasion.  Not much since he got that job at Casey's, though.  The guy was a real piece of shit, but he made bank there so there was no point risking it all for a little side dough.

"Don't worry, baby.  I'm clean."  He promised.  What he didn't expect was the girls face suddenly splitting into a wide smile.  She'd been pissed just a minute ago, what did she find so funny? She didn't make him wait long for an answer as she called him out.  She knew who he was, or somewhat at least.  

Rhys felt his smile falter, and then disappear altogether. Now, he didn't mind others knowing he was related to Elijah.  Elijah was a decent guy, but he wasn't a fan of being referred to as his 'baby brother'.  Plus, the fact she knew Elijah meant she may have slept with him.  'Lijah wasn't a player, not by a long shot, but he got around plenty.  He was the kinder, responsible, more clean cut of the two brothers and Rhys resented him somewhat for it.  Him with his education and "self worth" lectures, the older boy acted like he was better than everyone else. At least that's how Rhys saw it.  In reality, it was something entirely different.

"I prefer sexy brother." He corrected, wishing he hadn't given her lingerie back now.  "How you know 'Lijah?"

[Josie Raines]

Bingo, Josie thought when his smarmy grin faltered. So he was a Freeman - she couldn't remember his first name exactly. "Ross," maybe. Not that it mattered; she had plenty of other things to call him.

"Oh, we used to party together way back - you would've still been in diapers at that point, I think. I mean, unless you still are," she added with another shrug. "I hear some people are into that."

It wasn't even that far from the truth, save the obvious exaggeration of time. Back at Hammel, she and Elijah had run with the same crowd for a while, with activities that were technically extracurricular but definitely not school-sanctioned. Then Elijah decided to get his act together, and suddenly they hadn't had much in common anymore. Now that she'd mellowed with age and they were neighbors again, she still saw him on occasion. Which must be why Baby Ross was here too.

"Anyway, I better not catch you raiding my laundry anymore," Josie scolded, her voice stern as she pretended she wasn't holding back gleeful cackles. "I'd hate to hafta tattle to your brother - he might give you a spanking."

[Rhys Freeman]

He snorted, and not in the amused kind of way. He'd known Elijah had been a bit of a partier when he'd arrived, but Rhys didn't get to know that version of his brother well.  The older boy had cleaned up his act some by the time Rhys had shown up, though Joc sure had her stories.  'Lij had cleaned up, Jocelyn had spiraled and Rhys.. Rhys was still trying to figure out what he was doing.  "I'm not as young as you think." He countered, suddenly feeling the urge to defend his honor.  She had the upper hand and she certainly didn't deserve it. Especially with how lame her taunts were.

"Truth be told I'd rather get a spankin' from you." He offered, moving closer to kick her basket away, the sound of plastic scraping on linoleum a gentle roar in the laundry room. "Besides, 'Lijah ain't my keeper and he'll be the first to tell you that.  I'm a big boy now." That smug smile was back as he slid his hands deep into his pockets, leaning forward  a bit and eyeing her up.  Elijah would kick his ass if he knew he was harassing girls in the laundry room, especially ones he had relationships with in the past.  Still, maybe, if they were the type to say hi in the hallways.

"And the only time I'd want to raid your laundry is when it's on you."  Subtlety wasn't his strongest suit. But who knew, maybe she'd appreciate his forwardness.

[Josie Raines]

The sound of plastic on linoleum was like nails on a chalkboard, in that it set Josie on edge and twisted her smile into a grimace. He was imposing, impressing upon her just how much bigger he was - deliberate? Probably. Their spat had been on her footing for only a moment, and now her hackles were higher than ever. She took a step back, matching his, keenly aware of how far she could retreat before hitting a machine.

"If he's not your keeper, someone should be," Josie told him with a scowl. "My dog's better behaved than you are."

Her laundry basket, she noted, had come to a stop near the foot of the stairs. Would he try to stop her leaving? Part of Josie insisted he was in for a world of hurt if he tried, but a different part regretted opening her mouth in the first place.

Well, she couldn't linger here all day, even if she wanted to. A few quick strides and Josie was snatching up her basket, ready to be gone.

"Try a bar next time, you'll have better luck - if they'll let you in," she said coldly over her shoulder. Just couldn't resist one last jab, could you?