That he gave me a key and a chance is something I do not take for granted.
I stand up to face him, man to man. “Jack, if I’ve been any imposition, I’m out. It’s all good.”
“No no no, I don’t have a beef with you. I like living with you.”
My shoulders relax. “Oh good.”
“But now you’re moving in with David’s daughter.”
My eyebrows shoot toward his fifteen-foot-high ceiling. “Whoa, wait! I’m doing what? The daughter you’re trying not to bang?”
“That’s the one!” Spinning on his expensive heel, Jack marches back for the abandoned food. As he smashes a sandwich together, he explains, “I’ve known her since she was here.” His hand flies out to a mid-thigh for a split second. “But she’s here now.” He throws his hand up to his shoulder. The guy’s like me, tall as fuck. That makes her taller than most women, too. “And she’s gorgeous.” He locks eyes with me. “Troy, she’s a ballerina.”
My jaw drops. “I know. You told me that. What happened to you?”
His blue eyes flash for a second, like he hates this idea he’s concocted.
Walking to the kitchen I listen with total focus as he snarls out the rest of his plan.
“Her roommate is a coke-head. She’s leaving. You’re taking over. I’ll pay rent. You’ll still make that app you’ve got planned. I’m investing in it, like I said I would. But now part of the deal is you have to get Mar away from me.” He stuffs the sandwich in his mouth and chews while staring at the silent faucet. The only sounds around us now are the hums of his fridge and the snarf noises he’s making.
“You were just at her place?” I ask. He nods. “You saw her?” He nods again, takes another huge bite. “This is a stab in the dark, but you wanted to have sex with David’s daughter this morning, and you didn’t, is that what I’m getting here?”
His eyes cut to me and if I were a weaker man, I’d wilt. But I ain’t. With his mouth half-full he says, “I didn’t touch her.”
“But you wanted to.”
“God help me, I did.”
“So your solution is to have me go in there, live with her, and maybe take your place?”
He rolls his eyes like the idea doesn’t please him. After swallowing a mouthful, he growls, “I want to take care of her. But that doesn’t mean just paying her rent while she heals. Mar broke her leg and it’s not easy for her to get around. I want someone there, literally taking care of her.”
“Why not hire a woman?”
He shouts in my face, “Because a woman won’t stop me from coming over!”
“Ahhh, I gotcha.” Crossing my arms, I chuckle. “Jack, you want a real life cock-blocker.”
“And you’re more her age. If she got together with you, I could handle it. Some other fucking guy, I’d rip his throat out. She’s…she’s…” He rubs his face and blinks at the irony. “I love this girl. I’ve watched her grow up, for fuck’s sake. So if I can’t have her, I want her with someone I actually like. Who isn’t a disrespectful dickhead. In other words, I’m giving her to you.”
I stare at him, the intense compliment hitting me hard. He turns for the fridge and pours himself some juice.
While I contemplate what he said, and let it all sink in, I pull my hair into a bun and tuck it into itself to make it stay put. I think a lot of Jack—his opinion matters. That he thinks so highly of me strikes a chord. Nodding, I drop my hands. “Weird, but I’m into it. She might not want me. I might not want her. But this is an interesting game. Count me all in. And thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” He glugs down the juice and sets the empty glass down, eyes locking with me. “You haven’t met Marion.”
I watch him walk to his office. “But Jack, you said she was a ballerina.”
“Who said ballerinas aren’t tough as rusted nails?”
I stare after him, interest piqued all the more.
MARION
Hobbling to Teeka’s empty room, I scream at the sight, “You’re not going to clean it?!”
“Who has that kind of time, Marion? I’m checking into rehab this after-fucking-noon!”
I blink at her. “I thought you were going to live with…” Trailing off, I realize I had no idea where she was going. “Are you serious? This is why you’re moving out?!”
“Why do you look so upset?” Rolling her bloodshot eyes, she grumbles, “I want to change.”
“Since when? Just yesterday you announced you were moving out. You slept the day away and vanished until seven in the morning today again! High still! And suddenly I’m supposed to believe you’re checking into rehab?”
“I was giving it one final go.”
My shoulders slump. “Oh, I see.”
“What?”
Thumping my way back to the couch I throw up my arms. “You’re lying!”
“I am not!”
“Yes you are!”
She runs past me.
Because she can.
How rude.
“Yeah, rub it in my face that you have two working legs, Teeka!”
“I was going to move in with my parents, because I’m broke, Marion, but they said not until I got clean. So I am not lying. You don’t know everything, you jaded biatch.”
“Stop saying that stupid word. I hate the way it sounds.”
“I am going to rehab!”
“Not going to miss you.”
“Mutual.”
One more friend gone. But really, Jack’s right. A coke-head is not an easy person to remain friends with. She can’t blame me for not believing her. She sticks with plans for all of two seconds on the daily. And besides, who lose their job and takes four months to tell their roommate? Crazy people you can’t trust,
