Fierce

Chapter 23

At 7.15am, Charlotte's phone rang. "Charlotte," a voice croaked over the line, "...help."

"Shady?" the suspicion in her voice was clear and Jaycob upped his game.

"I- I... we went, outside- and... he went nuts... he- whipped – this... switch-blade out... I'm at, the hos- hospital..."

"Oh my god! Jaycob!" she cried and his smile slipped at the use of his real name; caught off guard as he imagined the way it would look coming out of her mouth. "Is it Saint Marys?" She dashed around her room picking up yesterday's clothes and hopping back into them. "Of course you're at Saint Marys! Sorry! Silly question sorry! I'm just changing, and then I'm coming right there! You tell those doctors–"

She madly swung open the front door, an arm half stuck through her loose t-shirt, and stopped abruptly when she saw Jaycob leaning against the wall. Smirking at her... and completely stab free.

He glanced down at her unbuttoned jeans and his grin widened at the eyeful of lacey neon-purple underpants. "Hi Sharon. You're flying a bit low there sugar."

She was completely speechless. She couldn't even summon the presence of mind to string a few swear words together – and she had so many rolling around inside her right now. So she did all she could think of doing and slammed the door right in his smarmy face.

"Don't be like that – it was a joke," he chuckled, trying to cajole her through the door.

"Does it look like I'm laughing right now you complete prick?"

"Hey now, come on babe. I- "

"Don't you babe me you stupid dickfaced pig! The absolute fucking audacity – what planet do you come from that would make you even think that it was a good idea to-"

"To what? Have a bit of fun? You trotted me off at 5 a.m. to get bashed at some gym and I'm the one that has audacity? Lighten the hell up would you?"

At this, she swung the door open: ready to kill. Her jeans were now zipped, but her shirt was still lopsided and the top of her lacey purple bra was peeking out. "Lighten the hell up? LIGHTEN UP? Why you arrogant, imbecilic, rodent-sucking asswipe! You need to-"

"Nice bra – matches your knickers. Love a bit of matchy-matchy." She slammed the door so hard it shook the walls. "Christ on a bike. Will you chill? And open the bloody door! I'll count to ten – I've already wasted enough bloody time today, so if you want to know how it went, then you'll let me in. Or I'll just be goin'."

She flung the door open and hissed, "Don't turn this back on me now! Hurry up and get in here you limp-dicked toad."

At that insult he growled and stalked past her into her apartment. "I'll show you limp-dicked," he muttered, too irate to realise.

As soon as the door was shut behind him, she rounded on him and stopped. Clearly they'd be having this conversation in the entry hall.

"What did you want to tell me."

"I thought I'd report back to her majesty about how her little mission went."

"Drop the attitude," she hissed.

"Yes ma'am."

"Oh shut up. What happened?"

"We went for a beer," he smirked.

"A beer?" she rolled her eyes. "Why does that not surprise me– men are the worst. Did you actually do anything of value?"

"We talked."