AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So how was it, Roxie? Help meunderstand.”
She’s quiet as she considers myface. Her body is slanted away from me, those arms over her chestlike a barrier. “I met Dave years ago. We dated briefly, and Iinitially thought something could come out of it. But he was neverinterested in anything real, at least not with me. Always seemed onthe lookout for something better. So we remained casual.Very casual.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“That means we slept together whenneither of us wanted to date someone else.”
“And when you did?”
“Well, I didn’t. He did.Several times. He’d stop texting for a couple of months at a time,which usually meant he was busy with a girlfriend.” She leanstoward me. “They were always petite and blonde, in case you’rewondering. I know because I saw him out and about a few times.” Sheleans back again. “Then when the thing ended, he’d be calling forsex again. That’s what our relationship was.”
“I don’t understand how you cancarry on with something like that for years.”
“What’s not to understand? I worka lot and I hadn’t met anyone in a very long time that I wasinterested in pursuing anything with. It was safer and easier tosleep with him and a couple of other guys like Rick than hook upwith randos on apps when all I wanted was sex.”
Fucking Rick. Fucking Dave.I feel sick.
“He said you kicked him to thecurb because he wanted to get serious.”
She scoffs. “Figures.”
“What does that mean?”
She looks angry. Her voice takeson a bitter, sarcastic tone. “Dave thinks he’s God’s gift to women.He doesn’t know the first thing about who I am or what I want,despite,” she makes air quotes with her fingers, “‘being with me’all this time. He expects me to throw a parade because he finallydecides he wants to pursue something, which couldn’t be thefurthest thing from my mind.”
My chest rises and fallsrapidly.
“Why are we talking about Dave?”she asks. “And why are you so pissed with me?”
“Because I don’t understand howyou could do this. To yourself, to him. I don’t understand sleepingwith people with no feelings for years.”
She stiffens. “I just told you.And Dave had some sort of crisis brought on by his brother’supcoming nuptials. He realized he was getting too old for casualstuff, figured I was the longest ‘relationship’ in his life, anddecided to give me a promotion. He expected me to jump for joy atthe offer. When I said no, he got pissed because he felt entitledto me, which is how he got his number blocked. You saw himoutside my apartment. You know how he was, how scary it all endedup being. Now tell me what the real issue is. Why did you come atme like I am the bad guy here?”
Why is she the bad guy? Whydid Dave get to me? Maybe because Dave isn’t the only one.
“These other men, like Rick…” Isay.
“What about them?”
“How many of them are there?”
“Are there? Or were there? Becauseyou know damn well there is no one but you right now.”
“I am not sure I believethat.”
“What? Why? Why wouldn’tyou believe it?”
“I can’t believe that this thingbetween you and me means something when you can sleep with peoplefor years and still have it mean nothing.”
The flash of shock and pain on herface is so intense, she looks like I’ve slapped her. I feellike I’ve slapped her.
She points to the door and says inan unnaturally low voice, “Get out.”
My head clears instantly when Irealize what I’ve done. In that moment, I regret everything, everysingle word I said tonight.
“Roxie, wait—”
“Get the fuck out!”
