“Baby?” He calls out in a sleepy and confused voice.
I’m not over how he behaved last night. And I’m not one to pretend like nothing happened, so I don’t say a word as I walk out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen in search of breakfast.
“Zhanna,” he calls again, this time from behind me and hot on my heels.
I once again ignore him and continue on my way as though he doesn’t exist, much like he did last night when he was drowning in Priscilla’s tits.
“God damn it, baby, I have to go to work. I don’t want to leave things this way. Going to bed with you mad at me was hard enough. Please don’t make me endure hours of misery with you pissed at me.”
Inside the kitchen, I pull a bowl from the cabinet next to the stove and pour myself cereal and milk. Then I sit at the bar and eat.
He sighs loudly and comes to stand beside me. He sweetly tucks my hair behind my ear, and I almost cave because it’s one of my favorite things in the world. But if I cave now, he won’t learn his lesson. If I give in now, he won’t understand how much it hurt me to watch another woman freely touch him the way Priscilla blatantly did for anyone to see. It was a bad look, and I’m not getting in the business of putting up with that shit.
“Go to work,” I finally say and go back to crunching on oat squares.
“You’re really fucking pissed.”
“Yes.”
“Babe, you realize we’ve never argued. You can’t send me off to work without talking to me. I’m playing tomorrow, so I can’t sleep here tonight. I don’t want to sleep away from you for two nights in a row, and I sure as hell don’t want to do it with you not speaking to me.”
I drop my spoon as I grow angrier by the minute. “You’re so worried about you, you, you. You weren’t so fucking worried about me last night. So go to work. I’m sorry, but I’m not ready to act like you didn’t cross a line. Let’s be honest, if the tables were reversed, you’d be in jail for letting a man draw lazy circles on my arm. Now, if I was wearing a bikini top and sarong while he was doing it, i.e. half naked, how do you think you would’ve felt then? Or, better yet, what if I left you with a bunch of people you’d never met before to let a man touch me inappropriately while I’m half naked in another room and away from everyone else?”
His jaw tightens.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
He reaches for me. “I fucked up, Z. I admit it. I fucked up, but you have to get along with these people. And I know what you saw with Priscilla wasn’t the best image, but she’s just trying to get me to sign with her.”
“Sign with her?”
“She’s an agent.”
“You like Charles.”
“Priscilla thinks I could be raking in millions in sponsorships.”
“Why don’t you give Charles an opportunity to do the same for you?” I ask. “I think you owe him that much before you start talking about switching to another agent.”
He nods in agreement. “You’re right. I should give Charles the same chance. I’ll call him on my way in.”
“Great.” I pick up my spoon and start eating again.
He takes the spoon from my hand and places it on the bar. “I’m not going to work without talking to you.”
“Excuse me?”
“We’re adults. We’re going to talk this out before I leave. If it means I’m late, I’m late. I’ll pay whatever fine Coach gives me, because this,” He says as he points between us, “Is more important than football. Can’t play worth a damn with you all in my head anyway.”
I abandon my cereal and Bryant in the kitchen, but he doesn’t take long to catch up with me.
“Are you at least coming to my game tomorrow?”
Tomorrow is the first game of the season, and I don’t want to miss his debut in the league, no matter how pissed off I am at him. “Yes.”
He sighs again. “Okay. Good. Thank you.”
Inside the bedroom, I dig through my dresser and then in my closet for a fresh set of clothes. I need a hot shower to release the tension in my stiff muscles. Bryant climbs in behind me as I step under the water, places his hands on my hips, and leans down to press a kiss to my shoulder. “God, baby, you’re so fucking beautiful. How could I want anyone else?”
