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“Bite me.”
When his fingers closed around her jaw again with authority and raging sexual tension, the rest of us at the table immediately mumbled our excuses and scrambled out of our seats. We each tossed money down for our meals and left without saying a word to Lavena or Enzo.
“Jesus,” Kas grumbled, swinging the strap of her purse over her head. “Those two need to sort out whatever the hell that is.”
“I need bleach,” Sasha whined. “My brain needs scrubbing.”
I didn’t say anything as we hailed a cab to share back to the Alexander. I thought of Lavena and Darius and their similar attitude towards relationships. At least with Darius, his motives made sense and I knew if there was a way, he would be with me. I hated it with every fiber of me soul but it was what it was. I couldn’t change it. I had no sway or power to stop a blood feud.
Lavena … I understood her need to protect herself against the heartache of losing someone she loved, but they’d already been together for so long. Sure, she claimed it was only sex, but…
“Kam?”
I blinked out of my thoughts and focused on Kas’s pretty face peering in at me from the open door of the cab. We’d arrived. The Alexander loomed tall and fierce overhead, a brilliant beacon against the dark backdrop. The cabby watched me from behind the scuffed protective glass, his small, wizened face concerned in the pale light of the cabin.
“I’m sorry.” I started to dig into my purse for money.
“We paid already.” Kas motioned for me to get out. “Get out of the man’s car.”
Mumbling another apology, I scrambled out of the seat and stood with the other two on the sidewalk. The cabby took off and I exhaled.
“Do you guys want to come over and hang out?” Sasha asked as we headed towards the night doorman holding the door open for us.
I considered going back to my apartment and crawling into bed, but I knew I’d only lie there, surrounded by darkness and silence, hoping my phone would ring. So, I agreed to join the other two in a Buffy marathon.
We separated at our doors to change into comfy clothes. I took a few minutes longer to wash my face and check my phone. After some deliberation, I left me phone on my bedside table before heading to Sasha’s; I didn’t want to be that person who got caught up on whether or not a man would text her, especially knowing he wouldn’t.
Suppressing the pang in my chest, I joined my friends for the evening.
There was nothing from Darius when I crawled into bed hours later. I told myself to get used to it as I pulled the blanket over my head and closed my eyes.
My alarm jolted me from a dead slumber. The obnoxious tinkling assaulted my last nerve as I rolled over and slapped at my phone. Nothing happened, except it spinning out of control and sliding off the table to hit the carpet, still screaming.
I released a series of cuss word that would have horrified my mother as I dove head first over the edge of my mattress to snatch the evil thing.
The silence was a beautiful thing as I wiggled up into a sitting position, phone cupped in my palm. I blew out a breath and shut my eyes, willing my startled heart to calm when the thing in my hand buzzed. Jumping all over again, I peered down at the screen.
“I finished the book.”
My heart went into a frenzy as I reread the message. Giddy excitement had me catching my bottom lip between my teeth as I wrote back.
“Already?”
“It was hard to put down.”
Delighted by his response, I crossed my legs and plunged into all the necessary questions. “What did you think? What was your favorite part? What did you think of the ending? Did you agree with the last reader’s notes?”
A long pause extended between us where I assumed he was typing. I kept my phone in hand as I hurried to the bathroom to shower and get ready for work.
I was setting my clothes out when a knock sounded through the apartment. I glanced at the time and knew it was most likely Sasha; she picked me up some mornings to grab coffee before we parted for work.
“Door’s open!” I yelled. “Bedroom!”
There was a pause. Then the subtle click of the latch opening. I heard footsteps in the hall leading to my bedroom.
“Help me pick an outfit,” I shouted, pulling out the two chosen ones. “I’m considering the black skirt with the red blouse or…” I turned to the door, both outfits held up. “The green dress with the gold belt…”
The figure in the doorway wasn’t Sasha.
