Zaira pulled up in front of Trent’s community after taking off from work. She’d come right over from the Thompson and Theago after speaking with her boss and she had the best news to share with Trent. And of course she wanted to celebrate with food, cocktails, and sex. She could hardly wait.

She pulled up in an empty parking space designated for her unit, grabbed her tote, and exited the car.

Her promotion to manager had come right on time. She didn’t have much time left on the assignment at Svelte, which was good given the circumstances, but at least she knew that she was one step closer to obtaining her goal of making partner at the firm.

It wasn’t until she reached Trent’s unit when she saw him and a woman standing next to a red car parked right in front of the his building. She stopped dead in her tracks after identifying who the woman was. Her initial reaction was rage.

Eve. His timeshare agent?

All of Zaira's breath rushed forcefully out of her. It felt as though someone had hit her in the back with a sledgehammer.

Supposedly she was just an agent, but they were in a heated conversation that no client and agent would have if they were professionals.

What was she doing over here? He’d told her that he had no girlfriends in his life right now.

What the hell?

Zaira’s face grew red-hot and her veins flooded with anger and embarrassment. Her tote bag almost slipped off her shoulder as she brought her hands to her mouth in surprise.

It was like some bad soap opera re-run. She couldn’t believe her eyes at the turn of events no matter how far fetched. Based on the scene in front of her, it appeared that Eve had just exited Trent’s home.

Trent pointed his finger at a red Ferrari parked right next to them and said something to Eve.

Just as Zaira was about to take a step back, that’s when Trent glanced her way. He blinked several times as though he couldn’t believe his own eyes. Eve turned too and that bitch’s mouth dropped open in surprise too.

“Is it because of her?” Eve raised her voice.

“Shit,” Zaira said to herself before turning around swiftly and running all the way back to her car.

Tears blinded her as she started up the engine, put the gear in reverse, and maneuvered herself aggressively out of the parking lot.

Her world had crumbled in a matter of seconds.

Relationships were like a poker game. A woman could have what she thought was the best man in the world, but still only have fifty percent of his heart.

Less than twenty minutes after Zaira arrived home, her door buzzer rang. Not once, but twice. She didn’t even need to check the video to know that it was that bastard, Trent Stone.

She ran off to the bathroom and splashed her face with cool water, trying to ignore the fact that he was there, but there was no use. Her cell phone buzzed next.

We need to talk about this, it read.

Zaira pushed the power button on her phone and shut it down. She then walked into the kitchen to pour a tall glass of ice-cold water. What she really wanted to do was throw stuff, but that wouldn’t solve a thing. She couldn’t even think straight knowing that Trent was standing on the other side of the door wanting to talk. Well, he had all the time in the world to tell her that he was fucking Eve, his damn timeshare buddy.

He had told her a blatant lie. Hadn’t he?

She ran her hand though her hair and took several deep breaths in and out. The migraine she was developing was so painful that the only temporary cure right now seemed to be sleep. She got up and made her way to the bed.

Just as she was about to pass the door, she paused beside it. “Are you still there?”

“Yeah.”

Zaira jumped at the sound of his voice, half expecting him to have given up and gone home after a few minutes of standing there.

“Okay, you can go now,” she said. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“I know what you saw looked strange, but the truth is that Eve sort of dropped by to pick up some papers.”

“Bullshit.”

“There was an upcoming due date and I’ve been pushing it off for the past few days. As my agent, she has a monetary interest in seeing that my timeshares do well. She came by without notice.”

“It also looks like she had a vested interest in other areas as well,” she said. “Look, please leave—”

“There is no one else, Zaira. Ever since we reconciled, I haven’t been with anyone else.”

Zaira paused. “Then why does she feel entitled to you?”

“Let me in and I’ll tell you.”

“Hell no!” she screamed at the door. “Tell me what’s going on between you two right now.”

“I had sex with her a few months ago.”

“Jesus, Trent.” She backed away from the door.

“Just like any other female acquaintance, we had sex one time. I play by rules and I’ve never led anyone on. I’m a man, and if I want sex, I tell women that. I can’t love Eve or any other woman. I can’t because I love you, Zaira.”

The moment Zaira swallowed, the tears spilled despite here efforts to keep them contained. “You know what, Trent? You can go fuck yourself and get the hell out of my life.”

Zaira walked away, entered her bedroom, and slammed the door behind her. She didn’t even bother with a shower or removing her work clothes before she climbed onto the bed, hugging a pillow close to her body.