Jill spent the next few weeks sleeping on the sofa in my apartment. One morning, I woke up early to get to the office since I had been taking so many days off. I unfortunately, caught the elevator with Nick.
“Hey, uh, Doll Face.”
“Hi.”
“So, how’s…life?”
“My gay friends are getting married. Jill’s husband’s a drunk. My daughter and I have never been closer. And, oh yeah, my boss is ignoring the fact that he’s texting me every couple days to ask me if I’m willing to have sex with him without fear of commitment.”
“I just think it’d be great for the both of us. I always gotta think about the girl who makes life so much brighter. Where would I be without that gorgeous smile and that Tyra Banks body?”
“You’re sick, you know that? You’re just…something.”
“Look, we’ve kept a professional relationship until that night. Even then, I must confess; I wasn’t going to take a shower that night until we walked back to my place. Things got awkward and the shower usually gets a girl curious…even stubborn ones like you. I knew you’d sleep over and I knew we’d end up where we were. It’s all because of the shower.”
“You planned everything, then. I thought we had a sort spontaneous…”
“I didn’t know I would find you at the strip club. It was only when the manager told me about you that I asked her to find you and send you to my table. I was praying that you wouldn’t quit your other job though because I…uh, I would be lost without you. As soon as we left the club, I knew I had to have you.”
“Well, congrats. You got me.”
“I didn’t mean to make you sound like a…”
“Like a what, Nick? Like a victim? Like a whore? You didn’t mean to make me sound like a whore?”
“Tess, I just meant that…”
“That…that…you got your strongest victim to surrender because you got her while she was weak?”
“I didn’t mean…”
“I bet you didn’t. If I need you I’ll show up and if I don’t I won’t. There. It’s settled.”
“Wait, you just settled something without letting me say anything. How?”
“That’s how I am. I’ll go to the lounge and get you the usual…”
“You know, Tess, eventually you’re going to have to tell someone about your problems…”
“I’d rather not do it when a guy’s on top of me. I know how guys work and when they have sex, they don’t hear anything they don’t choose to hear. Usually, that’s nothing.”
“Was Sam the same way?”
“Sam was always different. He knew I wouldn’t talk unless he wanted me to and so he would always ask me to. He heard me because he wanted to. He wasn’t like other guys.”
“Maybe I’m not like other guys…”
“You’re right. You’re worse. You spend all of your time thinking about sex and so little time thinking about how anybody feels. You can’t live like that, Nick.”
“That’s the only thing I know how to do. I was born like that. I can’t help the fact that I can’t care anymore. I used to care about every girl when I was younger. My girlfriend got…”
“She got what, Nick?”
“Never mind. I’ll take my coffee black. Don’t put anything in it.”
