way you say that…has he…” I can’t even say it.
Jack glances over, then looks at his beer. “Heart attack. Too young.”
“I’m sorry.”
He nods and turns the bottle around, staring at it. “He wasn’t a happy man. Maybe if he’d followed that instinct. Dunno.”
“So you followed it, instead?”
“Yeah. Figured I owed him that. When I researched the field I chose commercial property. Too many things can go wrong with residential since people are actually living there. Who wants to kick out a tenant from their home? Not me. Plus, even if it goes well and you never evict, it’s a smaller investment which means smaller reward. I wanted to go big. If I’m going to do something…” he trails off, and looks at me like I’m a ‘something’ he wants to do.
My blood warms and the question I was going to ask evaporates from my memory bank. I wonder what kissing him would feel like.
I said I’m here to be friends.
I lied.
Licking my lips I tilt my head seductively and whisper, “Looks like your plan was successful.”
He throws his head back and groans, “Mar, what do you want from me?”
“To get to know you.”
“Why?”
“Because.” I set the beer down with a smile. “I’m sorry, but I can’t drink this. I don’t like alcohol very much.”
He stares a me a beat, laughs, “You tried.”
“You know who else tried? Troy.” Scrunching my nose, I thoughtfully mutter to myself, “That sounds weird, tried and Troy in the same sentence. Troy tried.”
But fury is in Jack’s face now, and he doesn’t see the humor. Flying up, he demands, “He tried something?!”
My mouth forms an ‘O’ because I didn’t realize how that would sound. I meant he tried to be my friend, which is more than Jack would give me. But now I’m wondering how honest I should be.
“Yes, he did.”
“I’m going to kill him!” Storming off, presumably to find his phone, Jack disappears through one of the doors.
Standing up in a hurry, I thunk over to see what’s inside, and come upon a hallway of charcoal-grey wall paper and more of the same flooring from the big room. The doors in here are shut, save for the farthest one.
Of course it’s the farthest.
I thunk my way to it and find him on his phone. In his bedroom. By his king-size bed.
“Get your shit out of her apartment now and consider my investment revoked!” He pauses to listen, then, “You know exactly what you did, Troy! I told you not to touch her and I don’t give a damn how hard that must have been for you. You didn’t obey and we are through!” Another pause. “She says you tried something!”
I lean against the wall.
Jack looks back, presumably toward the living room where he left me. His eyes narrow as he discovers I’m right here, smirking.
Lowering the phone he growls, “Marion!”
I widen my eyes and ask an innocent, “What’s the matter?”
“You lie to me?”
“No.”
“Then he’s lying to me and you’re enjoying it?!”
“No.”
“What the fuck?!!” He turns back to ask Troy for a more definitive answer. “What is going on?” After a few seconds he roars, “Well, if you don’t know, who does?” Hanging up, Jack glares at me.
I just smile.
He clears the distance in two snaps, looming over me. And I don’t mean that figuratively. I actually snapped my fingers as he stormed up.
“I said he tried something. You know what he tried? To be my friend.”
Jack blinks at me, steps away like he’s about to leave the room in disgust. But suddenly he’s in front of me again, gathering me to him, blue eyes sharp with fury. “You think you’re really funny.”
“I do!”
His mouth claims mine. I gasp and respond, yielding to his tortured kiss. Our bodies press together and I feel his erection growing quickly as our tongues touch and waste no time in tasting each other, exploring, having a conversation my father would never want us having.
Jack remembers and groans, “David,” pulling away and leaving me panting and wanting more.
“Stop doing that! Stop it!” I grab his face and turn it toward me, imploring him, “Jack, I get to make my own choices now. So do you! You want me just as badly as I want you. I love you, Jack, and I know you love me, too!”
“You only feel this way because history has cemented a bond.”
“Can you say that? About yourself?!”
“I don’t know,” he grunts, rubbing his face like he could rip it off. “I’m too old for you!”
“I feel this