Because of You

Chapter 3

Donnie rolled over in bed, reaching for his phone to turn off the alarm before it even sounded. It was Saturday and he didn't need to get up, or rather there was nothing he needed to get up for. He had no job to go to, no girl to meet, no appointment to attend. He held in a groan as the girl beside him shifted in her sleep. What the actual fuck was he doing with his life? Annalise had dumped him, told him to get his act together, and this was his response?

He shuffled to the far side of the bed trying to get up as surreptitiously as possible, his head pounding. Hopefully, the girl - Chloe or whatever her name was - would sleep until he was feeling more human.

He skulked out of the bedroom, too hungover to feel shame or regret, or whatever it was you were supposed to feel in these situations where you'd used one woman to forget about another. He'd well and truly blown it with Annalise, she could have the satisfaction of being right, again. She thought he was a mess and he'd gone out of his way to prove it.

He entered the kitchen and made a beeline for the kettle, quickly filling it with water and switching it on. Coffee wouldn't fix him but it might stir him from his slumber. He sat down as he waited for the kettle to boil and began to scroll through his phone. Unbelievably, Annalise had messaged him. 'I hope you are okay. Forgive me for being blunt but it was for your own good.' He scoffed, irritated by the patronising tone of the message.

You just want me to message you back and make you feel better. Too bad I've got other things going on.

Like the girl in his bedroom. He groaned, he was going to have to get her up and get her out, preferably without any drama. Rubbing his head he tried to remember the events of the previous evening. He was sure he hadn't made her any promises, that he hadn't led her on, but how did he know if he wasn't conveniently forgetting what he'd said?

He grabbed a cup and poured a heaped teaspoon of coffee into it, as the kettle finished boiling. He needed to focus on what was important, like his business. Annalise was right about one thing, he had been phoning it in. Except it was more than that, it wasn't just that he'd been slacking off, he'd been using a couple of loans to float the company while work was scarce. His college fund had been spent long ago.

Shame washed over him as he remembered the conflicts, the arguments, the discussions, with both of his parents about his future. They'd long prepared for him to go to college; money wasn't an issue, but he'd refused not wanting to be tied to another four years of academic study. At first, his dad had humoured him when he'd got a job in construction thinking a few months of hard labour would soon set him straight. When it didn't, they'd finally delved into what he wanted to do with his life or more to the point, what he didn't.

Once college had been ruled out as a prospect, his dad had set he'd help him set up his own company, with the firm stipulation that he did it properly and learnt the trade. He'd been happy to oblige and his parents were content - grudgingly -  but slowly it had dawned on him exactly what he had taken on. He had to actively seek work, promote himself, negotiate, occasionally hire extra labour; it wasn't the laidback lifestyle he'd been seeking. However, he couldn't complain, he knew the was lucky, not many people were given the kind of head start he'd been given.

His phone bleeped again, interrupting his thoughts. He knew without looking that it was the familiar notification from the bank that his funds did not cover his outgoings for the day. He'd have to move some money over from what was left of his savings, again. He slapped his hand to his forehead.

No, Donnie, you've gotta wise up and get your act together.

First things first, he'd make an appointment with his accountant. He quickly sent a message before he got distracted with more important things, like shaving, showering, calling Annalise. No, he would not call Annalise.

"Hey babe," Chloe said entering the kitchen. "Are you making coffee?"

"Yeah, how'd you take it."

She smiled. "Any way you make it is good for me."

He grimaced, he hated girls who tried too hard. Why couldn't they say what they wanted, it would save for a lot of complications later down the line. Not that there'd be any line for Chloe, this was where she was disembarking.

"There you go," he said placing a cup of milky coffee in front of her.

She arched her eyebrows looking up at him. "You're kinda brusque this morning, all things considered. I mean after last night and everything." He expected her to look embarrassed but she met him square in the eye, challenging him.

"Last night was..." He paused thinking how he could be both truthful and tactful. "Last night was amazing. I mean look at you. You're gorgeous and I'm most definitely not. You're fun to be with."

Chole waved her hand dismissively. "Save it. I was a one night stand and you don't want to see me again."

He opened his mouth to protest but it was the truth. "I wouldn't have put it like that." Maybe he should consider taking her on a second date. Or would that be a first?

"It's fine Donnie," she said picking her drink up and blowing on it. "We both got what we wanted and now we'll go our separate ways."

He frowned, suddenly not sure that was what he wanted. "At least let me give you my number, or you can give me yours."

She laughed softly. "Like you really want to see me again?"

He looked at her more closely. He didn't particularly want to see her again, and he wanted her out of his apartment and out of his head. He had about a hundred things he should be doing, the most important of which was focusing on the woman he did want. However, she was cute and if the circumstances had been different...

"I'll give you my number," he said grabbing a post-it note and a pen. "It's up to you what you do with it."

                                            ~~~