Scandal: A BAD BOY Romance Novel (17 page)

"But I never really pursued you until tonight. I would just ask knowing that you'd turn me down."

I thought back to our conversations and realized he was right.

"So, why haven't you pursued me then?"

"I'm not in a place in my life to be in a relationship right now. My career is really taking off right now. It's in such a great place but I'm very busy--"

"Please cut the bullshit," I interrupted him. "I'm way too old for this speech. I would respect you more if you said that you just wanted to get laid." I put my hair into a bun. "It's brutal but at least it's honest."

"I am being honest." His dull green eyes pleaded. "I just don't want to send you the wrong message."

"The wrong message being that if you fuck me, you have to be in a relationship with me?"

He was quiet. He ran his hands over his hair. It looked like he wanted to say something, but the words couldn't come out fast enough. I politely excused myself and walked toward the elevator. He walked slowly behind me as I pressed the button. The doors opened and I stepped inside. He looked sullen and I was about to let the doors close but I stopped them.

"You know, you could have told me all of this before we got back here. You could have just said it." I snapped at him.

"I didn't plan any of this." He was avoiding eye contact with me.

"Cut the martyr act. You could have just told me this. Why build up this whole night?"

"Because I knew you would have fun. Because I promised you a night of fun."

"Or was it because you knew it would help spread my legs?" I pressed the button and closed the doors.

Work helped me concentrate-or better yet, not think about that night. I was handling multiple clients. They were being a bit needy but happy clients meant more money. So, for the sake of the firm, I smiled, was polite, and kissed ass because my career depended on it.

"Chica..." Vanessa peeked her head into my office. "Wanna go grab lunch? I'm starving." She was so dramatic as she batted her eyelashes at me.

"Just a little bit longer. I just want to finish this report and we can be off." My keyboard was going like crazy and she sat down to file her nails. I looked at her and shook my head.

"What?" She hunched her shoulders at me. "What is it?"

"You could work, you know." I sighed as I was trying to wrap up my work. "It wouldn't kill you."

"I know, but I already did." She judged her nails. "I don't take on as much work as you do. C'mon, let's be bad and eat fast food." She giggled. I finished typing my sentence and then stood up.

"Let's go."
Maybe fast food is exactly what I need right now. A juicy, delicious burger with a handful of decadent, salty fries.

Manhattan's noise managed to calm me. Outsiders of the city were often never used to the noise but I loved it. The constant racket was oddly soothing to me. It matched the chaos that was going on in my head.

"I have this hot date tonight."

"Oh, yeah, Vanessa... tell me something new," I chuckled. "How is this date so different than the dozen others you've been on?"

"Well, this guy, I know for sure, is hung like a horse."

"You know that saying disturbs me because what's to stop you from fucking a horse?" She pushed me playfully. "I'm joking. How do you know that he's hung like a horse?"

"Because he sent me a picture of it?"

"Before I go any further, did he just randomly offer a picture of his penis?"

"No, I asked for it. No one has the time to see if a small penis might make them cum. I need a thick, juicy, stiff one that knows what he's doing." She had this wicked look about her. She sighed and said, "And I'm guessing for you, it's another night of staying home alone."

"Not just that. I'm going to be binge watching TV. My blanket, cocoa, and dozens of episodes of that new lesbian prison show are calling to me."

"Oh, please stop. You're like a sad cat lady without the cats. You can't just stay in, trying to forget about Blake and his huge cock."

"Vanessa!" I scolded her as some old ladies stared at us.

"Don't act like you don't like big dick!" she screamed at them and they got up and walked away. "Anyway." She rolled her eyes before continuing, "Let's not make tonight another sad night. Go out."

"I'm not in the mood."

"You do realize that your worst night with a billionaire is still a pretty good night?" I shot her a confused look. "I'm just comparing it to the rest of your life."

"Vanessa, you--"

I stopped sharply mid-sentence. Across the street, I saw Blake walking into a restaurant. He was with a tall, stacked blonde. She had tits out to Jupiter. She caressed his face as she walked in. He started to walk behind her but he somehow saw me. There was a small grin that spread across his face when he recognized that it was me. He started to walk toward me but I shook my head. His shoulders sank. He stood there for a second and then he walked in the restaurant. I saw him look back and then completely fade into the establishment.

"Why'd you stop?" Vanessa said, poking me back to reality.

"I thought I saw someone I knew." I lied. I felt my eyes getting watery. I had to stop this before Officer Vanessa drilled me for questions. "Don't you hate when you think you recognize someone and it turns out to not be them?"

"Hey, at least you weren't waving at them," she added. "Now that's embarrassing because you have to play it off like you're doing something casual."

"How do you play off waving?" I was pretending to be interested but from the corner of my eye, I was still scoping the restaurant.

"You pretend you're swatting a fly." She laughed and I shook my head.

"C'mon, let's get back to the office."

The workday dragged on. Through a miracle, it was almost time for me to clock out. When that time came near, I wanted to jump up for joy. My computer's ringing shocked me. I looked at the screen and saw that it was Blake. I pressed the ignore button. He hadn't called me in weeks and all of a sudden, he was interested again. Who knew all it took was him seeing me across the street, while he wined and dined a hot blonde bombshell? At least now I know why he wasn't 'interested in a relationship with me'--he went for the model types. Something I definitely wasn't.

My cell phone vibrated soon after and I rolled my eyes. I threw it in my purse and kept going along my merry way. I clocked out early and made my way out of the office.

"Are you going to be going out later?" Vanessa called out to me while she locked up her space.

"We've discussed this. I will gladly be the sad, catless lady. I have a long night of crappy reality TV. I'm going to let my brain fry and then rejuvenate it when I come for work tomorrow."

"Too sad. Would you like me to ask my date if he was some well-hung friends?

'"How would he know if they are hung or not?"

"I don't know. I just assume men talk about that stuff. Besides, you know the saying, birds of a feather."

"I'm just going to stay home. Have a great time!" I waved goodbye and headed home.

Cuddled underneath my blanket, I had popcorn on one side of me with the remote on the other.
I am not the sad, catless lady. I just like my peace and quiet,
I convinced myself.

I was flipping through the channels when I decided to land on the entertainment channels. I was going melt against this sofa with the help of mind numbing TV. The lady went on to talk about celebrities and the fashion trends with such passion, you'd think it was life changing. I yawned and was about to fall into a comatose state when I saw a picture of Blake. I took the remote and turned the volume up.

"Today in financial news, Blake Slate just closed the deal with real estate mogul, Jennifer Madison. The two were seen at the all too famous restaurant..." The entertainment news anchor's voice faded away while they showed pictures of Blake and the stacked blonde I saw him with. "Sources say that Jennifer wanted to discuss a personal relationship but was denied by the billionaire."

"Shit," I cursed and threw the blanket off of me.

I was pacing outside of Blake's building.
What am I doing here?
I looked up at the building and knew I was making a mistake. I started to walk away when I heard a car pull up. Blake came out of the driver's side with another suit. He was pulling up into a parking spot behind me. I tried to move before he saw me but once again, we locked eyes.

"Christina?" He looked puzzled. "What are you doing here?"

"Just in the neighborhood." I could tell by his face that he didn't believe it. Like I had the type of money to live here. "I came here to see you," I told him truthfully.

"But what about my phone calls? You know, the ones you ignored."

"I know. I just-- can we go inside and talk?"

There was this coldness about him. His eyes weren't that bright green. It was that dull, forest green again. It was like I was looking for my high heels all over again. It was the same feeling of distance between us. Me wanting more and him making it clear that he wasn't interested.

"I just saw the news about you closing the deal with the real estate lady," I mentioned. His eyes opened wide.

"You thought I was dating that woman? Did you think I was having sex with her?"

"It crossed my mind."

"Is that why you didn't let me come talk to you earlier today?"

"I didn't want to hear what you had to say."

"And now that you think that I'm not having sex with that woman, you are ready to hear me out?" I shrugged my shoulders. "What if I am having sex with her?"

"Excuse me?"

"What if I was having sex with Ms. Madison? Is that a problem?"

I stood there silently.
Just what did I think was going to happen here? What was I expecting? This was a terrible idea.
I just let my emotions get the best of me and rushed down to Blake's place. I guess I saw it playing out better in my head. I just assumed that he would be so happy to see me that we would just fall into each other's arms. I was wrong. Now I was standing out here without an answer to the most basic questions.

"I don't have time for this." He pulled out his keys and set the alarm for his priceless car. He turned his back to leave.

"Blake, wait," I said. He looked back at me. I walked closely to him. His designer suit complemented his scent. The smell was so good that I closed my eyes and took it in. This was a different scent but it gave me the same feeling as it did the first time we met.

"Yes, Christina." He brought me back from la-la land.

"I realized what I came here to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I have a secret." I smiled flirtatiously.

"What is it?"

"I'm not wearing any underwear." I smirked.

The tension between us was beginning to lift. It started from the feet up.

He moved even closer to me, put his arm around my waist, and held me. He nuzzled my neck with his nose and I squirmed at his touch. When I pulled away, I looked up at his face. His cold, dull, forest green eyes were growing brighter. When he blinked, they were now hypnotic, bright, emerald green.

"Come on," he murmured, kissing the nape of my neck. Gripping my waist, he led me towards the elevator doors. "I think we need to make up for lost time. Don't you?"