I’m screaming at Eric, even though I know that he’s just helped me with Ryan, but I’m so confused at the moment. Ryan’s never gone as far as to try to kiss me. He’s stood around and rubbed his belly and head, watching me, and at times I’ve felt that he’s creepy because of the way that he looks at me. But never ever, has he tried to touch me. And I guess that’s why I never got weirded out by him before, but this is just too far.

Eric’s violent reaction isn’t thrilling, either.

What’s going on?

I feel as if I’m losing my mind. Eric doesn’t call me for days. I gave him my virginity, and he just turned up with a gift. Another expensive gift. Is that supposed to make it okay that he ignored me?

“Elia! Did he touch you?”

I shake my head and turn to see Eric holding out his hand. Ryan’s on the floor, cursing and trying to stand up. Every time he does, he rolls back down before standing up again. I should help him up. What am I thinking?

If Eric wasn’t here then who knows what would have happened? Then again, if Ryan hadn’t seen the iPad then he wouldn’t have been tempted to take that step further.

Ryan spits the words, “You bitch! You knew he was here, and you did this on purpose!”

“What?”

“You’re taking the day off,” Eric says forcefully, aiming a glare at Ryan who's finally pulled himself off the floor.

“You’re fucking lucky that I didn’t do any real damage!” Eric warns him, but Ryan’s not saying anything. His eyes return to me, and I shiver at how dark they look. “I’m not taking no for an answer. We’re leaving here together!”

I reach for Eric’s hand, letting him tug me out of the store without a glance to anyone else. He’s moving so fast that I’m out of breath just trying to catch up with him.

“I need my purse.”

He shakes his head and shoots me a disapproving glare. “No, you don’t. You’re shaking, and you need to be as far away from that creep as possible. Come now!”

I know he’s right. He’s telling me to leave with him. Not asking me. Kinda like how our date went...except this time, this is Eric protecting me so no matter how frustratingly bossy he is or uncommunicative he was, I’ll go with him. Once we get outside, I don’t have to deal with the sounds of Ryan cursing and calling me or Eric every name under the sun.

He blames me for what happened, but I didn’t do anything wrong. It was all Ryan, but then Eric’s acting as if he’s my knight in shining armor. He’s not. After all, I haven’t heard from him for days. For some crazy reason I thought he was coming to apologize or even tell me that he’s been busy but I’ve been on his mind. But in my confusion, I don’t know what he was doing at the store. It couldn’t have been just to drop off an iPad.

“What were you doing there, Eric?”

“Come! My car’s just opposite the store, and we can get the hell out of here.”

“But I don’t know if I want to get away from here with you. I spent one night with you, and then you…”

“Look!” He points at Ryan who’s trying to tease me by holding up my purse. I know what he wants to do, and I don’t want him to have the upper hand. I need to be as far away from that fucking creep as possible. There’s no denying that.

I’m sick of this whole situation. I’ve always been nice to Ryan, but it isn’t as if I’ve led him on.

And now Eric thinks that if I don’t want him to beat the shit out of my creepy boss, then Eric can just whisk me away?

I feel like everything is happening so fast. I can’t catch my breath.

Eric seems to understand my tentativeness, at least, so he at least offers some level of explanation.“We’re not going to your place. Or going to mine. We’re just going to drive a bit and then we’ll talk. Got it.”

I nod as he opens the car door. He climbs inside and shuts the door.

We drive without talking to each other, with only the sounds of the road and the radio. A little driving does help ease my mood. I don’t feel angry or upset anymore because everything starts to decompress.

I ask Eric to stop in front of the diner far ahead; it’s near Dana’s apartment, and that’s where I want to go. I want to be with a friend right now.

As soon as he stops the engine I ask him the question that’s been bugging me.

“Why did you decide to turn up?”

“I wanted to see you.”

“Eric, you buy me a phone. Then an iPad,” I say, looking down at it in my hands. “And then you don’t turn up or even call for days. I slept with you….which I guess I was wrong think that meant that I deserved something other than just being ignored!” And of course the million dollar truth is that I felt something and I thought he did, too. After being ignored for the better part of a week, now I just feel like a fool.

He sighs. “I know. I’m sorry.”

Wow, is that all he has to say about the subject? He doesn’t even try to downplay it. How do I even know he’s sincere? He just blurted it out as if he knew it was the right thing to say. Even if he didn’t mean it.

“So, you haven’t been busy at work?” I offer. I shouldn’t dig him out of this but I just want to understand this...understand how I could have been so stupid, really, as to think hooking up with him and expecting to hear back from him was a good idea.

Before he can answer, I reply for him, “But if you had been then you wouldn’t have had time to buy an iPad.” God, why did I even say that? Like, he’s rich. He’s got a driver. He’s probably got an assistant. Clearly he didn’t have any actual time for me and that’s why Eric has just now shown up.

Eric won't even look at me.

I’m so frustrated that I want to break something. I feel a rant coming on and my words start spewing out before I even know what I’m going to say. “I don’t get you. You wanted to act like the hero and that’s all it was about. Don’t pretend that what you did just then , Eric, was to save me. It wasn’t!”

He’s quiet but seems to be searching for something to say. No doubt another word. Something that doesn’t even describe exactly what’s going on at the moment.

“Elia, you do need saving from Ryan. He’s not just trying to assault you, he’s paying you less than everyone else.”

“What? How do you know that?”

“Ryan provided the financial reports weeks ago. They show clearly that you’re being paid the least…and now I’m certain that there isn’t any appropriate reason why.” Eric grits his teeth.

“Today is just too much…I can’t be here with you right now!” I know, I know, I’m being dramatic, but I don’t want to process this shitty news next to the only person I’ve been able to think about for days.

I need to get out of here. I open the car door and unfasten my belt.

“Where are you going?” Eric blurts out, maybe because no one’s ever walked out on him before. He probably does this sort of crap all the time.

“Far away from you as possible!”

“Why? But you don’t have your keys, and you can’t get home…” Eric rushes to explain.

I may have been a virgin before that night, but I’m not a child. “That’s not your concern. It’s mine.” I’m just about to shut the door, but realize I have one last thing to say. I bend down to do it as I’m outside of the car and can think properly even if it’s only for a few seconds.

“The best you can say to me for ignoring me for days and then turning up with a gift was sorry, and you offer zero explanation. I don’t even know that you are sorry, and you probably think I should just put up with it. Good night, Eric. Have a nice night. And you can return the iPad. I don’t need it,” I say, dropping it in the seat. “And I don’t want it.”

I slam the car door and get as far away from him as possible. Ryan, my boss, is a total skeevy asshole. I’m glad I’m not there anymore.

But Eric? Well no matter how charming he seemed, he’s just the jerk who blew me off and thought that I should put up with it.