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“I don’t need a chauffeur, Jesse.”
“He was in the area,” I say. “I thought it would be easier than you trying to park.”
“Well, at least tell me what’s happening if it involves me,” she hisses, and then the line goes dead, and I blink rapidly, still twitching as a result of her obscene language and overall over-the-top shitty approach to a trivial matter. I realize we both probably need a timeout from each other, but what I actually want to do is find her, haul her back to our bed, and reinforce a few things. “Fucking woman,” I mutter, rubbing at my aching head as I pull off from the lights on a screech, flinging up a hand in exasperation. “I’m sure she’s trying to set a world record for most curses from a woman in a lifetime.” I take a corner a little too fast, the back end kicking out. I shouldn’t be driving when I feel like this. An okay mood has me being reckless enough, without the added benefit of Ava’s transgressions riling me. “Her fault,” I mutter, slowing to a stop at another set of red lights. I start drumming my fingers on the wheel, looking over my bruised hand as I wonder how the hell I get rid of her foul mouth. How I stop her defiance.
I thought you loved her defiance, brother? Keeps you on your toes and all that.
“Sometimes,” I agree. “I definitely hate her foul mouth, though.”
Because you never swear, do you?
I breathe out my exasperation, not biting. How can I stop this horrible tense, stressful feeling inside? I reach up and rub into my chest. I really have fallen in love with the most difficult woman on the planet. “Typical,” I mutter again, glancing to my left when I feel someone looking at me. I find a man on a scooter peering over his shades at me, watching me waffle on to myself. I roll my eyes and wave off his amusement, pulling out and passing a delivery truck. I dial Ava, now that I’m a little calmer. Hopefully she is too.
“Yes, dear?” she answers sweetly.
I scowl fiercely. She wants to thank her lucky stars she’s out of reach. But there’s later. She’ll regret this. “Don’t be sarcastic, Ava,” I warn. “It doesn’t suit you.”
“You’ll be pleased to know that I’m on my way to work with John. Would you like confirmation? John, make yourself known.”
“S’all good, Jesse,” he mumbles on a laugh.
All good? Is it?
“Happy?” Ava asks.
“Very.” I narrow my eyes, my mind mentally planning my revenge. “Ever heard of a retribution fuck?”
“No, are you going to demonstrate?”
Yes, just as soon as I’ve finished plotting and deciding exactly what a retribution fuck will involve. “If you’re lucky,” I say quietly, all anger gone and craving setting in. “I’ll see you athome.” I cut the call, leaving Ava to look forward to what’s coming her way. And so my day is pretty much mapped out. I’ll be inventing the retribution fuck. I haven’t nailed down the finer details just yet, but I can promise it’s going to be biblical.
I smile and call Sam. “Fancy one of your girlie coffee dates later?” I ask when he answers. He laughs. “What’s so funny?”
“You,” he says over a sigh. “You’refunny.”
I recoil, indignant. “Why?”
“Never mind. Yes, let’s do coffee. I need to talk to you about something.”
My interest is piqued. “What?”
“Membership for The Manor.”
“You have membership for The Manor.”
“A friend,” he says slowly.
“Who...” My eyes widen. “Wait. Kate?”
“You may pass go and collect two hundred.”
“Fuck,” I breathe. “So she had fun, huh?”
“Yeah,wehad fun. But there’s definitely something she’s not telling me.”
“Like?”
“I don’t know. I’m not down with women and emotions, but I get the feeling she’s been burned. Every other sentence alludes to usnotgetting serious.”
