After my workout, on my way back to the locker room, I see a familiar face walking towards the front desk of the gym.
I hurry my steps and head him off before he gets there. “Anything I can help you with, Fields?”
Tony steps back and looks around me to the desk. “I was looking for Murphy. She not working here anymore?”
“What’s it to you?”
He laughs, handing me a tabloid. “Of course she doesn’t. Why work at all if she has you to take care of her?”
I look at the magazine. Plastered on the front cover is a photo of Murphy and me at the club last week. I was afraid this would happen. But since she’s wearing a baseball cap, you’d have to know Murphy to know it’s her in the picture. You’d have to know her like Tony knows her.
My blood starts to boil. This asshole has been with her. He’s had more of her than I’ve had. And it more than pisses me off.
I throw the article back at him. “Not that it’s any of your business, but she got another job.” I lean close to him so I tower over his smaller stature. “But make no mistake, that doesn’t mean I’m not taking care of her.”
“What’s going on here?” Murphy says, coming from the back office.
Shit. I was hoping that wouldn’t happen.
“No longer works here, huh?” Tony gives me a death stare.
“I didn’t say she no longer works here. I said she got another job.” I put my arm around Murphy and pull her close. “She’s the membership coordinator now.”
He laughs snidely. “Bet it doesn’t pay as much as modeling.”
“It pays more than enough,” Murphy says. “Now what do you want, Tony?”
“Good, I’m glad you’re rolling in money, because Kirsten needs you to cover rent until they can find another roommate.”
“What? That’s ridiculous. I saw her post a picture on Facebook about her new roomie.”
“You saw wrong,” he says. “They haven’t found anyone yet.”
Murphy studies Tony. “He’s lying,” she says to me.
“Am not.”
“Tony, we were together for four months. You don’t think I learned a thing or two about you? Like how you chew on the inside of your cheek when you lie?”
“Whatever,” Tony says. “I’m not lying, Murphy. Call Kirsten. Find out for yourself.”
I laugh. “Oh, like she would tell me the truth—the girl who was screwing my boyfriend behind my back.”
“It’s not like you and Richie Rich here can’t afford it,” he says.
I turn to Murphy. “What kind of agreement did you have? Was it in writing?”
“There wasn’t a formal agreement. I think the rental is in Kirsten’s name. She let the rest of us pay on a month-to-month basis. She was always telling us, or me anyway, how replaceable I was.”
“Well, there you go,” I tell him. “She paid through the end of last month. She isn’t obligated beyond that.”
“Really, Murphy? You going to hang her out to dry? Make it so she can’t pay rent? She’ll be evicted and then all four of them will be out on their asses. I thought you were better than that.”
“How much is rent?” I ask him.
Murphy puts a hand on my arm. “Don’t, Caden.”
“It’s not that big a deal,” I tell her.
“But he’s playing you.”
“I’m not playing anyone,” Tony says. “At least not any more than the wanna-be model is playing you.”
I look at Murphy to see if his words hurt her. They didn’t. I’m glad to know he doesn’t have that power over her anymore.
“I tell you what,” I say to him. “You get Kirsten and her other three roommates to come in here and tell Murphy they haven’t found someone to fill her bed and that they can’t afford to pay the rent. If they do that, I’ll cover one month myself.”
“Caden,” Murphy scolds me.
“It’s okay, Murph. It won’t happen. You said yourself Jamie was nice enough. I highly doubt this scam-artist can get four women to come beg for money.”
Tony shakes his head. “There’s no way they can all come in together, they have different schedules.”
“I didn’t say they had to come together, Fields. They can come in anytime, each one by themselves. If they all verify what you claim to be true, I’ll pay Murphy’s portion of the rent.” I hold up a finger. “For one month. Got it?”
His jaw twitches as he eyes Murphy with disdain. Then he throws the magazine at her feet and turns to walk out of the gym.
“That’s what I thought,” I say to his back before the door closes. I turn to Murphy. “I want you to watch out for that guy. Tell me if he starts bothering you. He’s out for an easy buck and right now, you seem to be his target. If he tries to hurt you …”
“He’s harmless,” she tells me. “Once, we almost got mugged on the subway and he hid behind me. Some other guy stepped up and ran the attacker off.”
“What?” I shake my head in disbelief.
She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, in hindsight I should have dumped him on the spot.”
I look at the door the asshole just walked through, wondering how he can even call himself a man.
Murphy picks up the tabloid and studies the photo. She hands it to me. “Why did they have to take one of me laughing? I look like I have a double chin. Now everyone will think you have a fat girlfriend.”
I expected her to freak out. Or at least react like she did when she found out our picture was on ESPN. But she doesn’t. In fact, she’s smiling. “You’re joking about it?” I ask.
“It’s a tabloid, Caden. Nobody takes those seriously.”
“So, you’re not upset?”
“No. I’m not. I’m going to have to get used to people taking my picture when we’re together. No point in fighting it. It is what it is. If we can’t laugh about it, it will eat away at us.”
“Okay then. If it’s going to happen, why not make it happen on our terms?”
“What do you mean?” she asks.
“Tomorrow night. Let’s put on something fancy and go out to a nice place. Announce our relationship to the world when we’re dressed to the nines.”
She starts to smile before catching herself. “Are you sure you want to do that, Caden?”
“Sweetheart, I’m about to take you on our fourth date. You might as well tag me and brand your name on my ass.” I pull her close to my side. “I’m sure.”
She giggles and my dick twitches.
“Then it looks like I have some shopping to do,” she says, laughing. “But first, I need to get back to work. And you need a shower.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven,” I tell her. “And in case you were wondering, my favorite color is blue. Keep that in mind when you’re trying on dresses.”
“Are we talking light blue? Dark blue? Carolina blue?” she asks. “The possibilities are endless. You need to be more specific.”
“Just look in the mirror, Murphy Brown, and you’ll have your answer.”
Her face pinks up before I smile and walk away.
Damn. I can’t wait for it to be tomorrow at seven.