The Confrontation
Anna
I was lost in another daydream. A dream that involved Carson holding me in the shower while he lathered my body. I touched my lips, remembering that it wasn't mere fantasy, I was reliving the moment we shared just this morning; letting thoughts of him crowd my mind for the entire day.
"So what will you do about Bullet?" Wendy's voice cut into my thoughts. I jerked in realization and looked anywhere but her face. She raised a questioning brow, and smiled in realization. "You are truly in love with him, Anna."
"Stop it." I tried to hide my smile.
She nodded and placed her hands on her chest. "I promise to keep reminding you that you are," she pledged, and I laughed, returning my attention to the mirror, but her question echoed in my mind. So what will you do about Bullet? Bullet remained a pain in the ass. He had continued to call me several times a week, requesting that we get back together.
I stood in front of the mirror, wriggling my body into a leather sleeveless mini dress. The 4-inch spiked heels on my feet made me seem tall and willowy. I left my hair loose on my shoulders, then clamped the sides with bobby pins. My red lipstick was flashy. The artificial lashes stood out due to the blend of pink and black eyeshadow I applied. It was all part of the costume. Something had to catch the crowd's attention before the dance. Plus, it was my last day as a go-go dancer, and I wanted to feel my best and perform excellently. A sort of last goodbye.
"I don't know. But I'm sure he'll give up soon. Come on, let's go." Wendy adjusted her crop top and then smoothed her denim mini-skirt with her hands. Friday night was often busy for me, but it was a fun time for Wendy. We walked out the door and to the elevator.
So what will you do about Bullet? The answer was simple—I'd stay far away from him. Block his number and avoid him like he was a plague. I couldn't risk him coming between Carson and me. I wouldn't give him the chance to ruin the growing connection we had found. As optimistic as I was about the situation between Carson and me, I found her question resurfacing in my mind. I knew Wendy meant no harm. She was merely looking out for me. She was bringing up the issues that stared me right in the face, while I was choosing to just ignore it, sticking my head in the sand.
"What I don't understand is why Bullet keeps hounding me with phone calls. For fuck's sake, he cheated on me but wants me to ignore that. I really don't want to keep doing this with him, Wendy. I wish he'd just go away." I threw my hands in the air, exhausted.
Wendy was baffled at my sudden outburst, she muttered sadly, "I'm sorry about all this, Anna. Sorry I brought it up, I didn't mean to—"
I forced a smile, held her hand, looked into her eyes, and said, "I'm glad you did. I can't keep running from it. I need to tell him off."
"Will you?"
I nodded.
"You sure?"
I nodded again.
"When?"
"Soon. I'll face him soon."
"And what if he comes to you first?"
Her words hung in the air. I couldn't think of the right response to give.
"You will punch him in the face," she suggested. The serious look on her face almost had me believing that was her answer, until I noticed the twitching at the corners of her lips. We tumbled into laughter, as the elevator dropped us off at the lobby and we made our way into the street.
"He is a drug addict. He can hardly keep himself most of the time. I'm pretty sure you could take him if you did some yoga," Wendy joked.
Clusters of dazzling stars surrounded the night sky, and the full moon radiated its bright light even onto the darkest corners of the street.
"And that was another reason I called it over between us," I gritted.
"What?" she asked.
"The freaking drugs," I dragged.
We flagged down a taxi, which slowed down in front of us. I opened the door and sat in the back seat, gazing outside the window. The thought of Bullet's madness and obsession lingered on my mind. Perhaps, it was best for me to divulge the “Bullet part of my life” to Carson before things got out of hand.
"What are you thinking about now? How hard yoga would be?"
My laughter went shrill as I responded in a low tone, "I think I should probably tell Carson about Bullet."
Wendy went all hmmm and hmmm like I needed her permission to go ahead with it. She said, "I don't really think it's safe to talk to him about it yet. You guys are still trying to build your relationship, bringing Bullet into the picture may create suspicion on his part. He won't trust you entirely to stay away from your ex when he knows Bullet wants you back so badly. So far Bullet hasn't done anything but harass you with phone calls. Maybe he’s just bluffing." The cab stopped in front of the club, and we stepped out after paying him.