Strictly Forbidden

Strictly Forbidden (8)

Chapter 8

“Duke, Can I use your phone, please?” I yell from his bedroom.

The tight red dress Sam had purchased for me enveloped my curves perfectly; casting soft shapes in places I didn't even know existed. Ecstatic with joy, I couldn’t help but jump up and down. This dress could not be any more perfect. Little, tiny, ghost of straps held it up while the tightness forced me to stand straight. For once, I felt like a woman, and I could not wait to send Samantha a picture of my new dress she bought me.

“You can come get it. I don’t feel like getting up!” He groans from the sofa in the living room. Natalie had just left a few minutes ago, and he had settled himself in for the night.

“It’s not my fault you’re pooped.” If there is one thing I had learned while living here, it’s that Natalie sure did exhaust him, and I knew why. I had grown up some in the past week, I now know things I thought I didn't want to. But, I have become bewitched by women and man. Enthralled by the love two could share with each other. Intrigued, yes, ready to even think about being with a man, no.  

“Oh, shut it and come and get the phone.” He bellows, sounding like some dyeing animal. 

“Someone’s grumpy.” Walking into his make-shift bedroom, I grab his phone off the side table. “You don’t mind if I take a picture and send it to Sam do you?”

At that he observes my new red dress, and stares. Long and hard he looks at me, and I am not sure if I should run away of say something.

“Sam got me a new red dress. I’m going to send her a picture. Thanks for letting me use your phone. I think I need to get my own. I don’t like having to use yours all the time. I mean, I am a girl and we girls need to talk sometimes, and it just sucks using the same one as you. You know, maybe I’ll get a job. I can help you out with some bills. After all, we are living together. I shouldn’t be mooching off of you. It’s not fair. And you have a girlfriend; I need to save up so I can move out of your hair. I know Natalie will like it better if I don’t live here. I don’t want to cause problems with you two. That would just kill me. And she is so beautiful. I do like her tat-“ At that moment, the phone rings, cutting of my rant of nothingness. “Oh, um… here. Sam can see this another night. Goodnight Duke.”

I’m not sure if I had ever had such a rant in my life. Going from my red dress to the fact that I need a job so that I can move on with my life, takes some talent. I settle into my warm bed, doing everything I can to forget the way Duke had looked at me. He didn’t even say a single word.

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Waking up to hammering has become a normal thing living with Duke. He spent most of his time in the outside building, building things. I hadn’t been back there yet, but that did nothing to stop me from wondering what he always did. I knew for a fact that Natalie had not even seen his work. But, I’m not sure if that is because she doesn’t want to see it or if he doesn’t want her to see. Whatever the reason, today, I’m going to invite myself back there. The curiosity had simply withered away my self-control with the help of my loneliness.

Slipping on my pants (I had made it a habit of sleeping in just a t-shirt, again like I did back home. He never entered the room without knocking.), I made my way to the kitchen to heat us both up some coffee. One thing Duke and I have in common is our lack of functioning without a morning coffee. Odds were, he already had a cup or two, but three cups never hurt anyone.

I make sure to tip-toe into his workspace, not wanting to disrupt is mellow environment. I cannot help but be astonished by the soft sounds of classical music floating through the background. Honestly, I can hardly tell you the song that he had playing, to me all classical music has the same sound, but I never turn it down. In a way, I did like it, I just didn’t understand music without words.