“Why are you doing this? For two years, Holden. Two years I have watched you fuck anything that moves. Why bother with me now?”
“He doesn’t deserve you.”
I shake my head as tears threaten to fall.
“Go fuck yourself.”
As I am walking up the stairs, he comes through the door. “I did that this morning with your sock!”
I slam the apartment door and go straight to mine and Ezra’s room, locking the door behind me.
We need to get our own place.
—–——
At some point, I must have dozed off. I wake up to the light tapping of a knock on the bedroom door. “Con, let me in, baby.” Ezra.
Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I am still on edge over Holden’s strange behavior. Perhaps he was drinking.
“Hey,” I say, unlocking the door and allowing him into the room.
“Were you sleeping? Why was the door locked?’
“I must have dozed off and just habit from the dorms I guess.”
“Well, get dressed. I have a surprise for you.” He smiles and ushers me toward the closest. “Wear something nice.”
Wear something nice. He sounds like my mother. Ugh.
“How nice? Where are we going?”
“Dinner. I have a client meeting us for a drink, but he won’t stay long.”
I sigh. I thought he was taking me out, but what he really means is he wants me there as eye candy. I’d rather stay here and write.
Ezra brushes past me, going into the closet and pulling out my signature little black dress. “I was thinking this would be perfect. You know I love it on you.”
I want to say to him, and you know how much I hate dressing up, but I refrain. I smile and take the dress from his extended hand.
Ezra eyes his watch as though he is in a hurry and I am slowing him down. I hate when he does this. He plans a date and doesn’t tell me he has reservations and conveniently has a client who stays through the whole damn meal. I guess it is sweet that he is trying to include me and balance our relationship and his career, but I usually end up sitting there bored and listening to them discuss business while I look pretty. I hate it and would rather stay home.
Chapter 12
Conleigh
When we get to the restaurant our table isn’t ready, so we are seated at the bar where Judy and some older guy in a suit that looks like it costs more than I will ever make in ten years joins us. I sip on a cocktail while they talk business. I can’t help but notice the way Judy’s eyes seem to linger on Ezra a moment too long or how she finds a way to touch him on the arm briefly every few minutes.
Maybe I am paranoid or simply feeling guilty for having sexual thoughts about Holden.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to go to the ladies’ room,” I tell Ezra and he doesn’t even look at me. He waves his hand over his shoulder with his back to me and continues talking. Bastard.
I go to the bathroom and go straight for the largest stall in the corner. What I really want to do is go home, but I find myself typing notes on my phone for the follow-up book to my love triangle book. I am still holding onto hope that someone will love it. As I type away lost in my fictional world I hear a woman talking on the phone.
“It’s pretty pathetic that she’s so blind. I mean, he hasn’t said three words to her since I arrived. He’s only with her because her stepdad is some big shot surgeon and promised to take out a huge ad with him. He doesn’t want to lose the account. I’ve been fucking him for months. She’s a doormat.”
She continues rambling on, but I can’t listen to anymore. I peer through the crack between the door and the wall, but I can’t see her. However, I recognize her nasally voice. Judy, Ezra’s fucking assistant. She did this shit on purpose. Well, fuck her. Though I suppose Ezra has already. With my head held high, I plaster a smile on my face and go for the sink, ignoring her as she applies her lipstick feigning a shocked expression.