Chapter 1

“So are we going to look at the apartment in Lakewood after work?” Angela and Joanne were sitting at the sidewalk café down the street from Angela’s work. She was on her break and doing her best to avoid her boss at all costs. Her phone buzzed…again. It was the tenth time today at least that Steve tried to reach her.

“Yeah. I think it might be the one…as long as it looks as good in person as it does online.”

“Lakewood is a little longer trip for you to and from work.”

“I know. I might have to invest in a car…” Angela looked down at her phone in her lap.

“Is it Steve again?”

“No, this time it’s Thomas. He wants to have dinner tonight. He’s going to be pissed when I turn him down to go apartment hunting.”

“Too damned bad! He seriously needs to get over himself. It’s creepy the way he thinks he owns you…I’ve known him almost as long as you and I have never seen this side of him.”

“He doesn’t think he owns me, Jo. He’s just a really good friend.”

“Too good, if you ask me, he wants to be a lot more.”

“You know, other than that night at dinner, he hasn’t really done anything to give me that idea. He’s just always there for me, Jo. I have to give him so much credit for that.”

“You give him too much credit. You’re too nice. Just do me a favor and really watch the way he looks at you…it’s not right.”

Angela smiled at her friend. She knew that Joanne was just worried about her. She also knew that’s all that was wrong with Thomas too. She couldn’t wait until her life was back in a place where no one had to worry. “Okay, I’ll watch him,” she said, putting her credit card down in the tray and motioning at the waitress. “I’ll see you at about five-thirty?”

“I’ll be there with bells on,” Jo said. Angela kissed her cheek, signed for lunch when the waitress got back and headed back to work. The first person she saw when she walked back into the lobby of the building was Steve.

“Angela…”

“You can’t just show up like this. I’m at work.”

“I was here for a meeting…”

“Oh really? With Kim? Another photo shoot? I hope you got some good ones.”

“Angela, listen to me, please. I came here to confront Kim about those pictures and what she said in that text. She’s trying to come between us, baby…”

“Don’t call me that, you have no right…” Angela was trying to get to the elevator but Steve was standing between it and her. “Get out of my way. I have to get back to work.”

“Will you please…”

“The lady said to get out of her way.” Angela turned at the sound of Thomas’ voice. It was a bit startling the way he’d come out of nowhere, but she was grateful he was there.

“Stay out of this. It doesn’t concern you,” Steve said.

She felt Thomas step up next to her. She put her hand on his arm. He was coiled as tightly as a spring that was about to pop. “Thomas, it’s okay. We can’t do this here, alright?” The muscles in his arm became even tauter with her words.

“He can’t just keep showing up here, harassing you, Ang.”

“He’s not harassing me. He was here for a meeting. You’re leaving now, right, Steve?”

Steve shot Thomas a glare and then gave Angela one last, pleading look before he said, “Yeah, I’m leaving. Angela please call me…”

“Get out,” Thomas said in a tone that indicated the next thing he had to say would not be as nice. Steve didn’t seem fazed at all by Thomas. He never took his eyes off of Angela’s face. He gave her one last agonized look before stepping around Thomas and heading for the door.

When he was gone Thomas looked at her and said, “I’m going to talk to Kim about him. She can deal with Ana. He needs to stay away from here…”

“No!”

Thomas looked shocked. “What do you mean no?”

“Just what I said. I appreciate your concern, Thomas…I really do. But, this is my job. I don’t want my personal life being brought into it. Please don’t talk to Kim. I don’t doubt that given the choice between me or Steve that she would choose him. Please don’t make this worse than it already is.”

He set his jaw and for a second Angela thought he wasn’t going to let it go. Then just as quickly, he relaxed. He threw his arm around her and pulled her in for a side hug. Brushing his lips quickly across her hair line he said, “Okay. I don’t want to do anything to make this harder on you. I’ll leave it alone. As long as he leaves you alone.”

“Thank you,” Angela told him. “I’m going to get back to work now. I have a meeting this afternoon at four.”

“Okay,” Thomas said, taking his arm off of her shoulders. “Will I see you for dinner? I didn’t get a response to my text.”

“Oh shoot! I’m sorry. Joanne and I were having lunch and I just forgot to text you back. I can’t have dinner tonight.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Why not?”

“I’m looking at an apartment tonight in Lakewood.”

He looked angry again instantly. “What the fuck, Angela? I thought we agreed that you were going to wait…”

“Thomas, I need you to understand that I need my own space.”

“You have your own space, Ang. I’m not crowding you at home, am I? You were gone for the whole weekend…I didn’t call or text you the whole time you were at that fancy house in Long Beach…”

“Fancy house? How do you know what kind of house it was?”

He rolled his eyes. “I’ve met Ana and Steve. They’re spoiled, rich brats, both of them. I’m sure it’s a big, fancy house. That doesn’t matter though. My point was that you went away to have fun and I left you alone. You have your own room and most of the time; I’m not even home…” His voice was growing louder and more desperate. Angela looked around the lobby and realized they were drawing attention.

“Thomas, this isn’t the time or place for this. I have to get back to work.”

Once again she watched as her friend seemed to visibly calm down. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry. We’ll talk about it at home later.”

Angela almost told him that she wasn’t going to change her mind, but she decided to follow her own advice. This isn’t the time or place. “Okay, I’ll see you later,” she told him. She walked away, feeling his eyes on her the entire time. When she stepped into the elevator and turned to face the door she saw him standing where she left him, still watching her. He smiled and with Joanne’s words on her mind, she shuddered. She smiled back…things would be better when she got her own place. Lines just got blurred between her and Thomas because of the close quarters. Once she had her own place, she was sure they could get back to where they were…the best of friends.

**

Thomas stood and watched Angela go. When the elevator doors closed, the smile fell off of his face. He didn’t head back to his office. Instead he turned and headed back out the door of the lobby. Once he was outside he took out his phone and called Kim. “Hey Kim, I’m really sorry but I must have eaten some bad Sushi at lunch. I feel really ill.”

“Oh no! Where did you eat?”

“Over at the Tokyo Gardens on Spring Street. I thought the Unagi tasted a little strange…”

“You have to be careful with that stuff. Go home and do your best to throw it up. That’s the only thing that ever makes me feel better when that happens. Go to the hospital though if it gets too bad.”

“I will. Thanks, Kim.”

“Of course. By the way, Steve was here a while ago.”

“Oh yeah? What did he have to say?”

“He was really angry. He said some really mean things. His main point though was that he planned on convincing Angela that I was a liar and I sent that text purposely so that she would see it.”

“There’s no way he can prove that. Just give me a little time and I’ll make Ang forget he ever existed. You need to be doing the same on your end though. Bring him to his knees, Kim…I know that you can do it.”

Kim laughed. “I’m trying, Thomas. A few weeks ago, I had him worshipping at the altar of Kim. He’s obsessed with your little roommate, but I’m confident that all he needs is a reminder of how good things were between us.”

“Good, remind him,” Thomas said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thanks Thomas, feel better.”

“I plan on it,” he said with a smile as he hung up the phone.