Before Jericho

Chapter 4 Monday

Morning found James with a new perspective and the day off. His sleep had been dreamless and easy and when he got out of bed, his first thought was of the gym, not Madelyn Blue. He turned his phone back on, and noticed he had received a text message the night before. It was from Aja and it read: "I'll be waiting on you Juicy James. When you change your mind give me a call." He grimaced while reading it and then deleted it. Fuck her, he thought. He went downstairs after getting dressed and rode his bike the two miles to his gym.

When he arrived and checked in, he ran into a girl he'd dated in the past. Her name was Kendall Ashford and she was looking damn good in a pair of tight yoga pants that left little to the imagination. Her sports bra was practically bursting from the size of her breasts, which looked bigger than he remembered. He talked with her for a minute and when she laughed at his stupid jokes, he found himself laughing along. This is what I need, he thought, something casual and friendly. He asked her out for dinner and she accepted with a little too much enthusiasm, this was red flag number one, but he didn't notice. She said she didn't get off work until seven, so he could pick her up at eight. He agreed and powered through his workout riding an emotional high.

He'd never slept with Kendall back when they dated. She made it clear back then that she was looking for something serious and he'd made it clear he wasn't. Now it seemed different, she was more easy-going, more laid back than he remembered. It didn't hurt that her body had also improved quite dramatically. Her spare tire around the middle was gone, replaced by a smooth stomach with just a hint of abs. James wasn't really shallow, he cared far more about what a women offered beyond her looks, but it was always a nice plus when a girl had both a great personality and a banging body.

When he finished his workout he went home and showered. He also trimmed his pubic hair and applied lotion to his balls, just in case. He then called a taxi and rode it the resort, intent on handling some business for the coming night. When he arrived he went to find Terry. James asked around the front desk when he didn't see him and was informed that Terry was in the cafeteria, on his lunch break.

The cafeteria was large and open, housed just beyond the resort's sprawling kitchen, which bustled with activity for the lunch hour. The usual fare was being served to the employees, she-crab soup and salad. They were also serving a jerked chicken that looked delicious. James passed up the food bar, greeting a few employees that he knew. He spotted Terry sitting alone in the far corner of the room, chewing a salad and trying to read a magazine. He picked the seat directly across from his friend and sat down.

"Hey Terrance." He said with a smirk.

"Don't call me fucking Terrance, you know I hate that shit." Terry replied through bites.

"What you got up tonight?" James asked.

"Oh Jesus, James, what do you think? My parents are out of town again so they need me to go to their house to take care of their stupid dogs. So I'm staying in Georgia for the next three days." This was a common complaint of Terry's so James laughed.

"So that means your condo is free?" James asked, smiling.

"Oh fuck no, not again."

"Come on, Terry. You know I love you, man and if I was into dudes we'd be sucking each other silly." This made Terry laugh out loud, causing stares from a group of housekeepers that sat a few tables over.

"You're fucking funny James Rhodes." Terry was still chuckling. "Yeah I guess my condo is free, but if I find another used condom under my bed..." James cut him off.

"How many times do I have to apologize for that? It was one time and I was shitty drunk." He raised his right hand. "I swear not to leave any mess."