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Chapter 1
(Evan)
Walking into his apartment, Evan slammed the door harder than necessary and tossed his keys into the wooden bowl on the table by the door. His jacket flew next. Then he kicked off his shoes and slammed them under the table. He was angry. It seemed that he stayed angry a lot these days and he could not keep it in check. This time it was over Benji’s good fortune in finding Glenda.
Benji was Benjamin Rathbone, Evan’s neighbor and good friend. Benji seemed to have it all—everything he wanted or needed just seemed to fall from the clear blue sky and land in his lap, whereas Evan had to try and try and try to get something worthwhile in his life.
Now, Benji had invited him out to dinner tonight…and Glenda would be there. What was it? Did Benji want to rub it in Evan’s face that he had the perfect steady woman in his life?
His tie arced through the air and landed on the kitchen table. He’d pick it up later. Right now he needed to get his shit together before going out to dinner with Benji and Glenda.
If he took one of his many booty calls with him to dinner, at least the table would be even and he wouldn’t feel as much like a third wheel—the pity party who can’t find a steady woman of his own.
He slammed the bathroom door and stepped into the shower.
Oh, what fun this dinner was going to be if he couldn’t find someone to take along!
After the shower, Evan went through his list of names and called a few of them. None of them answered—other plans, other men, other somethings going on, he figured.
Looking into the mirror, he said, “Well, I guess it’s just us and them tonight, Evan.” Chuckling wanly, he shaved and readied for the evening out. Might as well get it over with. Sooner was better than later.
Sitting at the short end of the kitchen table in one of the nice, cushy chairs that he was rather proud of, Evan stared at his phone as if expecting it to ring at any moment—a last minute change of mind by one of his many women to save him from being the third wheel at dinner.
No such call came through, however, and Evan sighed dejectedly as the time to leave crept closer.
Why should it matter that Benji had a steady woman? Evan had women; he had plenty of women. Most of them were more beautiful than Glenda, too. Wasn’t that every man’s dream? To have lots of women; to change sex partners as often as he liked; to have a beautiful, sexy woman to show off no matter the occasion? Yes. That was every man’s dream, and Evan was living that dream.
Wasn’t he?
Wealthy, successful, handsome, well-built, good sense of humor, silver-tongued, and with a hell of a personality—Evan Raymond Hensley was the one other men wanted to be and women wanted to be with.
But there was something about Glenda that surpassed all that and made him jealous of Benji. Evan had never had a steady but he had regulars.
No. That made him sound too much like a hooker. He shook his head and carried his tie to the bedroom and tossed it over the peg inside his closet door.
It was time to go and he was dateless.
Stepping into the over-sized hallway, Evan grimaced as Benji’s door flew open and a giggling Glenda emerged, Benji grabbing at her ass and laughing right behind her. Evan sidestepped as Glenda turned to playfully slap at Benji’s hands and trotted backwards in his direction.
She had a nice ass and nice legs, Evan noted as he quickly eyed her. Still, his girls were far prettier and sexier than Glenda. Nothing there to be jealous of; at least that’s what he tried to believe.
“Oh! Great, Evan. You can ride with us to the restaurant, if you want, man.” Benji stopped playing with Glenda and extended his hand for Evan to shake.
Looking at his friend’s hand, which had very recently been on Glenda’s ass, Evan gave a crooked grin and shook with Benji. “No, man. I’ll take my car. I might not come straight home after. I think I’ll go see Brea later.” Really? Why the hell would he want to ride in the backseat of Benji’s car and have to see and hear the front seat conversation and foreplay? Stupid, Benji, Evan thought, but didn’t say.
Nodding and smiling broadly as Glenda moved to his side, Benji said, “All right. Suit yourself, man. We’ll see you there.” He didn’t wait for a response, but immediately smacked Glenda on the ass and then chased her to the elevator.
Without an expression, Evan watched the exchange until the elevator doors cut them off from his view.
Shaking his head, he started for the same elevator. Muttering and grumbling under his breath, Evan punched the button to call an elevator. “Acting like a couple of teenagers. Sickening shit.”
In the elevator, Evan couldn’t help but recall all the things Benji had that were just a bit better, bigger, or more expensive than he had. From day one, it was as if Benji had a lifelong dream to fulfill: be better, have better than Evan Hensley. Was Benji really a friend, or was he a nemesis?
Shaking it off, Evan stepped from the elevator and into the parking garage. As he walked to his own car, he saw that Benji’s car was still parked in the dark slot diagonally across from his car. Maybe Glenda had insisted on taking her car. Did she have a car? Evan didn’t know for sure, but thought she must because she came to visit Benji every damn evening and left at midnight on the dot every fucking night.
Evan knew this because he could plainly hear everything that went on in their apartment if he happened to be in his kitchen, which butted up to their bedroom and bathroom.
