Love in Lockdown: An Anthology by Cora Reilly Page 0,2

a spare room here, and to be honest, potential lockdown by myself is not something I'd look forward to. So, how about you stay here, and maybe you could do my shopping as well as your part of the bargain? That way I can minimize my own going out. Reduce the risk. You'd be doing me as much of a favour as yourself."

Her face seemed to weigh up all her options and I realised the point she accepted she was out of them. "Are you sure?"

"Rosie, you're one of my most important staff." I said, even though for the most part I'd kind of not noticed she was there. However, I was noticing now and that was what counted. Yes, I was a typical bloke. Now I'd cottoned on to the fact she had nice eyes and even nicer tits, I'd took more notice. Sue me.

"Well, this place is only five minutes walk away from where mum's is; so, if you really don't mind?"

"Not at all." I said. "You can have the spare room and I promise not to walk around the place naked."

That little blush came to her cheeks again.

"So, about the toilets," I began because I needed to get this conversation away from any mention of the word naked given I'd just felt my cock twitch. I pictured the toilets in my mind and my groin soon got the message that it wasn't time to play.

When she'd finished her cleaning, Rosie came to find me. "I'm off now. So…"

"I'd say I'd show you your room but seeing as you clean up there once a week you already know what the rooms are like and that I tend to miss when trying to throw the teabag in the bin, amongst other bad habits."

That seemed to break the tension a little.

"It's really kind of you letting me stay. I promise not to get in your way. You need to tell me if I'm under your feet in the kitchen and I'll stay in my room as much as I can."

"Don't be silly. Come out and watch the TV. Look, I know it's going to be a little weird, but this whole current worldwide situation is weird, isn't it? You just worry about keeping your mum safe and healthy. Anyway, if you get too fed up of me there's the whole downstairs you can escape to and a bar stocked full of booze and snacks. Feel free to help yourself. If whisky gets you through the night, I won't judge!"

She pulled a face. "I'm not a whisky gal, and also if I drink even a glass of wine it goes straight to my head. But I'll bear it in mind for in case you're impossible to live with, although my ex didn't manage to drive me to drink, so I don't think you will."

"See, we're bonding already. We both have idiot exes. Now, off you go to pack your stuff. Give me a call when you're done and I'll come pick you up."

"Er, that's okay, I drive."

"Okay, well, see you shortly then."

Rosie nodded and then made her way out of the pub.

I stood and thought about what was happening. There was a virus spreading around the world, and my cleaner was coming to live with me because of it.

The world was becoming very, very surreal and like a dystopian movie. News reports every day at five pm with updates from politicians and medics. Threats of complete lockdown.

Like I said… it was very surreal, and I didn't know which of the two was flipping me out more. The thoughts of the virus, or the thoughts of having a pretty woman coming to share my living space for an unquantified period of time.

Chapter Two

Rosie

If I'd thought that the recent news and events currently happening in the world were strange, then along came an offer to move in with my boss. A man who, despite the fact I'd worked for him for over two years, had never really communicated with me, beyond apologising when the public toilets were full of drunks' vomit.

At least I had somewhere to stay now, and not only that, but it was close to my mum's which was reassuring in case she needed me for anything.

Now though, I had to work out how to not give away the fact I had a super-secret crush on my boss. Yes, that's right. I had been lusting after Dan from a distance ever since I'd met him at my interview. In fact, the