A Little Bit of Truth (Little Bits) (12 page)

I reply, “Aren’t I allowed to ask?”

“Is this about to get complicated?” Her foot hits the ground and she stares at me with her hands on her hips. “Because if you’re about to complicate shit, tell me so I can walk away right now.”

“I just want to know how you know him Marie,” I laugh a little at her audacity. “But if you don’t want to tell me fine.”

She sighs, “And it’s just gotten complicated.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? How exactly is it complicated?”

“Do you think Maya or Lucas would freak the fuck out over this?”

Shit. She’s right… again. “I’m not freaking out.”

“Babe, you’re totally getting irate.”

“Whatever,” I laugh once and grab my jacket off the back of the stool. “I’m off.”

“Don’t let the door hit you in the vagina on your way out,” I hear her mumble and freeze.

“Vagina?” I bite the word out. She didn’t just say that? I was asking a question. Just a question. “Vagina?”

“Yep.” With an impassive expression she checks her nails, today they are an electric blue. Sexy as fuck. “Va.
Jine. Nah.” She pronounces each syllable with excited eyes on me.

I throw the jacket on the ground and prowl over to her, “Wanna retract that?”

“Not really.”

“I could make you,” my eyes narrow, my dick hardens and my heart beats a mile a minute.

She smiles wryly, “You and your vagina could try.”

Grabbing her hand I press it against the throbbing length in my pants, “Does that feel like a vagina to you?”

“Don’t know, can’t say I’ve felt another vagina before,” she grins.

“No but you know what a dick feels like, you’ve felt enough of them,” I chuckle but it quickly stops when I register a look in her eyes I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. Hurt and maybe shame. It’s gone as quickly as it came. “Shit, Marie.” Before I can continue her mouth is on mine. “Nu-uh. I’m not using one of our remaining six nights on a quick fuck.”

She only pouts.

“I didn’t mean what I said.”

Her face becomes a stony mask, “No explanations Jacob. We are who we are. I’m not ashamed of who I am.”

Something in her eyes says different but I don’t push her on it. I only nod. “Tonight.”

“Got plans stud,” she responds and pats me on the cheek. “Going to see Kev.”

“How’d you know him?”

“Why are you so interested in him?” she retorts, looking a little annoyed.

Sigh. “Why are you so against telling me about him? We’re friends. Friends share.”

Her shoulders sag. “He’s an old friend, from back home.”

“That wasn’t so hard was it?” I joke and kiss her jaw. “Come on.
Walk me to the door.”

“Complicated,” she mutters, I pretend I don’t hear her.

I still can’t believe Kev
called, I haven’t spoken to him in two or three months. Since his, soon to be, ex-wife made him stop talking to me. Because she thought I was going to steal him away, or screw him. Neither of these options are in fact options. Kev is a friend. Nothing more.

He’s getting divorced, he told her a month or so ago but needed to sort shit out in his head before he told anyone else, or at least, that’s what he told me on the phone.

What was up with Jacob’s reaction? He looked ready to punch something. Stupid macho men and their stupid macho rules. This was supposed to be uncomplicated yet now I feel stupid ass guilt for leaving Jacob even though he has plans with a woman tonight! What’s up with that?

Why the fuck do I still feel guilty?

Guilty for what?

Metaphorically stamping down the jumbled mess that is my mind, I get ready for the drive to Kev’s place.

Old Friends

After leaving Marie I meet my agent, Kerry. She gives me the papers to sign, I sign them after reading them through and agreeing with the terms of a clean break up between myself and
Beth when the time comes.

Fingers crossed this goes smoothly, it could be a huge boost for this movie.

“So, you know this means you’ll have to go easy where other women are concerned?” Kerry asks me as I open her car door for her. She means Marie, this much is obvious.

“Marie is my friend,” I state with finality.

She only sighs and drives away. I head to my own car, being careful to keep my head down so I don’t get followed. Time to go back to the hotel so I can change into something suitable for my pretend date tonight with Beth. I hate wearing a tie.

******

I have to admit, Beth looks stunning in a gold dress that has a slit up one thigh and shows off a fair amount of cleavage but not too much. Even her shoes are sexy, Marie would love these shoes. She has a thing for pretty shoes. I have a thing for pretty shoes on her pretty feet while she’s naked beneath me with those pretty shoe heels digging into my ass.

Yeah, my mind is quite perverted.

“Hi,” Beth says sweetly as I stand and pull her chair out for her, ever the gentleman.

“Hi,” I respond and quickly sit in my own seat.
“You look nice.”

Her face lights up, “Really?” I nod. “Thanks. I’ve been wanting to wear this dress for ages.”

I sip my water, “It suits you.”

Then we lapse into an awkward silence. I busy myself with the menu and pray this night goes quick.

Pulling into a house I never thought I’d visit again, I quickly check my face in the rear view mirror before climbing out of the car and running straight into Kev’s waiting arms.

“My god, look at you,” he laughs and holds me at arm’s length. “Fuck me, you’re as stunning as I remember.”

“You’re getting a bit of a gut,” I joke and pat his flat belly. He playfully grabs me in a head lock before marching me into his house. “She here?”

“Nope, she took all her stuff last night. She took all of my stuff too.”

“Shit, I’m sorry,” I wince a little at the almost empty house
, the bitch has cleaned him out. I haven’t been here since I was in college. Hell, I haven’t seen Kev since then either. Only briefly in passing. We’ve always kept in touch though. His soon to be ex-wife hated me.

Not that I’d blame her
, my reputation precedes me. Nobody wants their partner to be friends with a whore. Female or male. Because with females, their male partners automatically assume I’m going to change them and with males, their female partners automatically think I’m going to screw them. It’s a lose-lose situation. Let’s be honest, I’m guilty of both. Although I definitely don’t screw around with another’s partner, it has happened but it’s not my fault if I don’t know. And girls I’ve hung around with have taken after me, Maya included. She may not sleep around but I was one of the reasons she never settled. Always dragging her out and about and influencing her in ways I shouldn’t have.

“How are you doing?” I ask and settle on the couch without permission.

He shrugs and scratches his dark stubble that shadows his chin and strong jaw. “I don’t know. We’ve been over a while so now it’s happened it’s not bothering me as much as I thought it would.”

I hold up the bag in my hand, “Well, I have ice cream and DVDs but it looks like you don’t have a TV so I guess ice cream will have to do.”

He grins and pulls the lid off the cookie dough ice cream. I grab a couple of spoons from the large kitchen.

“Make yourself at home,” he jokes when I come back through.

“She took the refrigerator,” I scoff in disbelief. “I’m sorry to say this, but what a bitch!”

He only laughs and nods in agreement, “She always was a bitch.”

“That she was.”

“I should’ve listened to you,” his dark eyes close momentarily with sorrow. “I was just so eager to rush my life. Wanting the house, the job, the kids, the wife… fucked up Marie. Fucked up bad. Got the house, got the job, never got the kids and never fully got the wife. Really fucked up.”

“Yeah, but shit happens. You’re single again, you’re still young, means you can get all the shit done you never had a chance to do after dropping out of college. And you’ll be wiser while you’re doing it,” I wink and dip my spoon into the frozen treat.

“What about you? Are you settled down?”

I snort, “Me? Really? Never.”

“Still got the three night rule?”

“Sort of.”

His eyebrows raise out of interest.

“I’m doing a nine night thing with Jacob, well, nights that seem to lead into mornings too,” I laugh a little. “It’s good, I’m not bored yet.”

“Christ, I’m shocked, whenever you call you’re always on your second or third night with somebody,” he wags his eyebrows. This is true
, although we don’t talk too often, once every few months so that’s not as bad as it sounds. “How are you after everything…” his voice trails off, he’s talking about the Dana thing.

How am I after that? Fuck if I know. I do know I don’t want to talk about it. “She took the refrigerator.” I repeat to swerve the subject.

He only shrugs, “And the magnets that were on it too.”

“What a bitch,” I can’t help it, I laugh. It’s sad but it’s sort of comical too.

“Don’t laugh,” he says even though he’s laughing too.

“Did she take the bed?”

He grins mischievously, “Why? You wanna try it out?”

“Umm, no,” I respond with an eye roll. “Just making sure you’ve got something to sleep on.”

“You offering to be my mattress?”

“You’re disgusting.”

His grin turns into a crooked, yet handsome smile, “So that’s a no?”

I go to throw a pillow at him
, yet during my search my hand meets nothing but sofa fabric.

“The bitch took those too,” he says and this time we laugh together.

Bored, no, I’m super bored. Bored to the point I’m about to fall asleep at the fucking table. Don’t get me wrong,
Beth is a nice girl but she’s a bit dull. All she talks about is work, music she likes, movies she’s seen that she isn’t in and movies she’s been in. I’m so fucking bored.

This is why I hate dating!

This is why what I have with Marie is brilliant.

It’s nothing but fun, all of the shit I want to do and all of the things I want to hear without any complications. Why anyone wants to be in a relationship I have no idea. It’s so boring and I only just started this relationship twenty minutes ago.

“Am I…? Am I boring you?” Beth asks nervously, her hands twist on the table. She’s trying way too hard to hold my attention, I feel bad for her. All she had to do was get her tits out, less hassle than all of this pointless small talk that’s leading to nothing. I wish I’d brought my PSP with me. Is the game on? Maybe I can use that as an excuse to leave.

“No, not at all,” I give her my panty dropping smile. “I was enjoying your list of favorite books.” Well if that didn’t sound like a lie my name’s Scott.

Beth only smiles with glee (sigh) and continues talking about something to do with a character out of something with a title. I run my finger around the rim of my glass and yawn again for the tenth time in the past hour.

“See, I knew you weren’t listening,” she scowls and sits back with her arms folded across her chest.

“Yes I am,” I sit up straighter. Her scowl deepens, “So you agree that squirrels and bears would make adorable kittens?”

Umm…
“Well, yeah? I guess?” Uh-oh.

“And you think
this place is haunted by the boogeyman on a drug trip?”

“Umm… no?”

She scowls even further, “Forget this. I’m leaving.”

“Wait…”

“No,” she snaps and throws her napkin down on the table. “I’ve been making conversation all fucking night and for the last ten minutes I’ve said a hell of a lot of crap that you’ve agreed with. Makes me wonder how much you’ve actually listened to.”

“
Beth,” I sigh and stand as she does. “I’m sorry.”

“Forget it,” she shakes her head. “This is for your career too. Not just mine.” She goes to step past me, I grip her arm and pull her close.

“I’m sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind. Now if you want to leave fine, but stop making a fucking scene or I’m calling this shit off.” I grind out a little harsher than intended.

“I…”

I cut her off, “I hate drama. In our contractual agreement it clearly states no drama. Same in our work contract. To be honest, places like this bore the shit out of me. I hate wearing a tie and I hate eating tiny plates of food I can’t fucking pronounce. You want
‘fun Jacob’
, then let’s go somewhere more interesting.”