What We Do in the Night (Day to Night #1) - Stylo Fantome Page 0,33
planned, either, which was why he was here now. So he heaved a sigh, twisted his neck back and forth to ease some tension, then he knocked on the door in front of him.
He didn't have to knock, really – he had a key. But considering what he was about to do, he knew knocking was for the best.
The door swung open.
“What are you doing here?” Harper blurted out.
Ari stared down at her for a second. He didn't particularly like Harper Kittering. Their families were old friends, they'd been pretty much shoved together since grade school. She'd always been an adorable little girl, and she'd grown into a stunning woman. She could've been a model, if she'd had any sense of work ethic.
But she didn't – Harper was lazy as shit. Everything she'd ever wanted had always been handed to her. She'd gone to the University of Illinois for a while, but when her daddy hadn't been able buy her good grades, he'd pulled her out and sent her on a two year trip to Europe. That's why she was twenty-six and only in her third year of design school. She didn't do well there, either, but her father had been able to find someone willing to make it look like she did.
Ari was a hard worker by nature, it was the way he'd been raised. His family was wealthy, but he'd never been handed anything. He'd had to work his ass off through school and college and law school. Harper had wasted those same years getting drunk and going to Coachella.
A break up was long over due.
“I needed to talk to you,” he said, brushing past her and walking into her apartment.
“Make it fast, I was in the middle of getting ready,” she groaned, slamming the door shut behind him. “You remembered that today is the thing with my friend Stacy, right? She just got engaged to that intern for Senator Winston. The blue suit, wear the blue suit, it's the same color as your eyes. I want her to die when she sees you.”
“She won't be seeing me,” he replied, turning around to face her. Harper stopped mid-stride and stared up at him.
“Excuse me?” she sneered. “Ari, we've had these plans for weeks, so don't give me any shit about this. Besides, you never know, it could lead to a meeting with the senator some day. So just go and get your suit ready.”
A meeting with Senator Winston. Ari could practically hear his father salivating at the very idea. Donald Sharapov lived for a good connection.
“My blue suit is at the cleaners. I'm not going.”
“Fine, wear the black -”
“Harper, this is over.”
She blinked up at him, clearly confused. She wasn't wearing any makeup, and he was surprised to realize how young she looked. How ... vapid.
“What's over?” she asked, glancing around.
“This,” he said, gesturing between them. Then he took her key out of his pocket and he dropped it onto the island in her kitchen. “Us. I'm ending it.”
Harper's jaw dropped.
“You can't ... you can't ... you can't just end it!” she shrieked. “What is wrong with you!?”
“Nothing. We were never compatible. Lately, it's become unbearable. For both of us. This is for the best.”
“The best?” she shouted, plunking her hands on her hips. “Are you joking? Do you have any idea how frickin' pissed my dad is gonna be? Your dad? You can't just do this, Ari, and you know it. We had plans!”
“They had plans for us,” he corrected her. “And those plans aren't working out for me. I'll make your excuses at any events we'd planned on attending together – you'll do the same for me.”
“Are you fucking joking? I'm not gonna say anything, because this is not happening, Ari! People just don't break up with me! Have you seen me?” she demanded, gesturing to her body. She was wearing a tiny pair of velvet shorts and some sort of tube of fabric around her breasts. Her body was pretty impressive.
But it's not moving to a heavy bass line in some dark club, and it's not willing to do anything I ask it to.
“You're being pathetic, Harper,” he cautioned her, and her jaw dropped once again. “Take this gracefully – it's for your own good.”
He started heading back towards her door, and she followed him every step of the way.
“Just you wait,” she hissed. “Just you wait until your father hears about this.”
He rolled his eyes.
“As sexy as threats are, I'll still pass. Goodbye, Harper.”