TWENTY
Cooper
By the time evening rolled around, I had myself worked up, ready to go off on her about keeping secrets from me. The closer I got to her apartment, the more upset I became.
Sure, she was a good lay, but it wasn’t worth this game she was playing. What the hell had I been thinking? I hit the buzzer for her apartment around six o’clock.
After confronting her, we would either fuck our brains out or I would leave and go get drunk on my own. She buzzed the door open right away. I opened it and went inside.
On the elevator ride up, an apparent housewife, her hair still in curlers, turned to smile at me. I smiled back and nodded in recognition, hoping she got off before me.
We stopped. The door slid open and she got out, glancing over her shoulder. I hit the button to close the door, preparing to give Jade a piece of my mind.
I had given her too much of my time already. If she didn’t come clean about everything, I would kick her out of my life. It was that fucking simple.
The elevator door slid open on her floor. I stepped out and headed toward her apartment. With each step, I prepared myself for the confrontation.
She wasn’t expecting me to ask her about Max, which gave me an advantage in the coming battle of the sexes. I loved fucking her, but I wasn’t about to let a woman walk all over me.
I rapped on the door three times. She opened it a few seconds later, a smile on her face. Her wet, curly hair made her look even more hot, not to mention the half-open robe exposing her soft cleavage.
“Hey, you’re early. Come in. I just got out of the shower.”
“Yeah, we need to talk,” I said, walking in and shutting the door behind me.
“Can you talk in the shower?” she teased, pressing her body against me.
I stepped away, a serious expression on my face.
“Uh oh,” she said, frowning. “What did I do?”
“I don’t know, Jade. Did you do something?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. “Or fail to mention something?”
“What’s this about?” she asked, looking straight into my eyes.
“Something you’re not telling me.”
“Oh, like those samples in Afghanistan Aamir asked you about? Or that whole smuggling thing that you were involved in? Not getting that story ruined my career. You know that, right?”
“You seem to be doing pretty good for yourself,” I said, glancing around her living room.
“Not as well as you it would seem,” she shot back.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re living large for someone who recently got out of the military and isn’t working for a living.”
“I saved money up,” I said, dropping my arms.
“That’s what you told me.”
I stepped forward and put my hand on her arm. She pulled away.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve coming in here and lecturing me about honesty.”
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s take that shower. We can talk about it later.”
“I’m already clean. You ruined my mood.”
I took a deep breath, not taking my eyes off her beautiful face. She looked even sexier when angry, something I didn’t think was possible.
“Come on, Jade.”
“You’re not coming on, or in, anything tonight.”
“Oh yeah? You’re not the only woman in the world.”
Her lips pressed together tightly as she stared at me.
“Are you saying you’re fucking me and other women at the same time?”
“That’s not what I said at all, but you’re one to talk about sleeping with other people.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” she asked, her voice getting louder.
“Why don’t you tell me.”
“Get the hell out of here, Cooper. You’re an asshole.”
She stormed over to the door and flung it open.
“Whatever,” I said. “Like I said…”
“I heard what you said,” she yelled, pointing. “Now get the hell out.”
As soon as I made it to the hallway, she slammed the door behind me. I walked back to the elevator, wondering what the hell had just happened. Should I go back and ask her about Max?
No, she would have told me if she wanted. The thought resonated with me as I took the elevator down to the first floor. Fuck you, Jade, I thought as I went outside. I need a drink.
Sitting at a bar a few blocks away from my apartment, nursing a drink, my phone rang. I dug it out of my pocket. Instead of Jade’s, I saw the strange phone number of Aamir again.
What now?
I ignored the call. Maybe the problem would go away on its own.