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“You, pretty eyes and a killer ass, what’d you do to convince him to give you the place?” My eyes widen.
“Excuse me?”
“You don’t look dumb. What’d you ask for?” I blink, shock and frustration running through me, the music that’s still blaring tunneling into my brain.
The extra parking spot.
The lease negotiation.
The reduced pricing.
The equipment.
My stomach turns.
It wasn’t because I’m turning over a new leaf and taking charge. It wasn’t because I’m turning into an advocate for myself.
I was his last resort.
I fell into his lap and was so excited that I didn’t even question any of it.
“Look, you seem sweet. Probably got conned into this place. But just because you didn’t do your due diligence doesn’t mean your hours will affect mine. I have a business to run, same as you.” My mind is still stuck on what he’s revealed to me.
My new self-image has spiderweb fractures along it, ready to shatter.
He’s oblivious to this, to my own, new, incredibly fragile sense of self crumbling in front of him.
Someone calls his name, and he looks back over his shoulder, his foot still holding the door open.
“Look, I gotta go. If you wanna talk, come over tomorrow. Happy to fill you in on how Brad fucked up.”
And then he’s gone, the heavy metal door clicking behind him, and I’m standing in the stairwell, in my pajamas that show way too much ass, holding a bakery box of cookies.
I go upstairs in a daze, eat half the cookies, and then cry myself to sleep, wondering how what seemed so promising is already falling apart.
Six
-Ben-
Lockingthe door behind me and facing the stairs, all my mind sees is the vision of my new neighbor standing there last night in a fuckin’ silky nightie, holding a box of cookies, wide-eyed and confused.
I was a dick to her.
I should have kept the noise down—regardless of the charity event happening, there was no reason for it to be as loud as it was.
Ambiance.
I’d said it was forambiance,like some kind of self-righteous tool.
And I should have been kinder when I told her about what a dick Brad is. I saw it in her eyes, the shock of reality.
But seeing her there, something snapped in me.
A woman like that, walking around in what was essentially lingerie, her ass hanging out for all to see, no idea who would walk out into the shared space . . . It just wasn’t safe.
Just like that stupid fucking unlocked door.
In this day and age, what kind of woman is that reckless?
