Just One Night: Part 5 (9 page)

Edward shrugs, somewhat defeated-looking. “I have no idea. I’m just dead tired and sick of not knowing my arse hole from a hole in the ground.”

I soften a bit, seeing some of my own reflection in his expression. “Listen, it’ll get better, don’t worry so much about it.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“No, it’s not, actually. It’s quite difficult for me to say anything nice to you these days for some reason. But that doesn’t change the fact that when I started here it was … difficult. It gets better. Just give yourself some time.”

Edward stares at me for the longest time. I’m almost ready to leave when he breaks his silence. “Thanks, brother. I appreciate that. And I apologize for being so stroppy.”

I nod and then stand, feeling completely mollified and wanting to be generous. Edward has always been there for me, annoyingly loyal and outspoken, yet lovable in his own way. “No need to apologize. I’m here for you any time. Just call me if you have any questions and I’ll be happy to help.”

Edward stands and holds out a hand. I can see it pains him to do so. “Good luck, William, although I doubt you’ll need it.”

I shake his hand firmly. “I need it as much as the next man, so thank you.”

“Seems like you have a good partner,” Edward says, sliding his hands into his pockets. He looks uncomfortable.

“She’s brill. Couldn’t have found better if I’d tried.” I feel as though I could walk in space without a suit right now. Jennifer gives me superpowers.

“I’ve learnt some about her from Mia. Sounds like a real gem.”

“She is. She really is.” I gather my things and stand. “Right then. Cheers.”

“Cheers,” he says, still standing there with hands in pockets looking forlorn.

I turn with a nod and leave the office, thrilled that my brother is finally being brought into the family fold. This will be good for him, give him a chance to grow up and act the adult for a change. I almost feel like skipping to the lift, something I haven’t done since I was in primary school. I’m regressing. It’s almost embarrassing the ninny I’ve become since Jennifer came into my life, but I have no regrets. No regrets at all. How could I when everything’s going so swimmingly?

I leave the office, anxious to get back home to see my beautiful girlfriend and partner, stripped down to her smalls.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Jennifer

I’M HUMMING A HAPPY TUNE and dancing around the apartment in my Tweetie Bird slippers, a camisole, and shortie-shorts — an outfit I’m sure William will love — when there’s a knock at the door. I’m so thrilled to know William is home that I don’t even bother to look in the peephole before I unlock the door and throw it open wide. It’s time to celebrate! Not only is our business off to a killer start, but I got invited to the family brunch!

My great big smile fades into confusion and then distrust when I see who’s standing before me.

“Hi, Jennifer.”

The twat monster, Hank’s new girlfriend, stands at my doorstep, shifting her weight awkwardly from one foot to another. “Do you mind if I come in … so we can chat for a minute or two?”

I look over my shoulder, nervous about her moving into my personal space. Hasn’t she already done enough of that for one lifetime?

“I promise I won’t keep you long,” she says. “I just need to clear the air a little bit.”

She’s wearing her work clothes and comes across like she’s telling the truth. Her purse is too small to be carrying a gun inside, so I don’t think she’s here to go all Fatal Attraction on me. She wants to talk? Okay. Maybe it’ll be good for us to share a little. Maybe it’ll be like therapy, only free of charge. She better not think we’re going to be girlfriends after, though. I’d sooner hang with Ingrid than this chick.

“Fine,” I say. “You can come in for a little while, but my boyfriend is coming back soon and we have plans.”
Big ones. Big naked ones.
My first goal is to get him to admit that he loves my slippers. Then there’s a bubble bath and some other sexy stuff I had in mind to fill the rest of our evening, so the last thing I want to do is hang out with Hank’s ho.

“Okay, that’s fine.” She moves forward and I have no choice but to back away and let her in.

I close the door behind her and stand there, staring at her, waiting for her next move.

“Do you mind if we sit down?” she asks, looking towards my couch.

“Sure.” I gesture for her to go into the living room ahead of me. “Whatever you want.”

We stop in the living room, and I don’t make any moves to sit. I have no interest in this conversation, so I’m not going to encourage her to make herself comfortable.

She takes the hint and stops in the middle of the room without taking a seat.

“So,” she says, looking around awkwardly, “I thought we could take a little time to talk about what happened.”

“What happened?”

Oh boy. This should be interesting. I find I’m kind of looking forward to hearing her explain what exactly happened from her end of things, in a kind of angry, twisted way. I’m tempted to get my frying pan out just in case things go south.

“Yes, I mean with me and Hank and with you…”

“I’m pretty sure I’m clear on what happened. Don’t think we need to re-hash it.”

Her smile comes off a little bitchy, but I’m not sure if that’s a fair assessment or just my anger tainting my perspective.

“Weeeellll, I kind of got the impression that you’re pretty bitter about things.”

My eyebrows go up into my hair. “Really? And why would that be, I wonder.”

Now her expression is a mix of bitchy and pity. She’s actually pitying me, this little wench. Wrong move. Wrong-
O
with a capital O. I can feel the heat rising up in my chest, and my frying pan hand is getting twitchy.

“Listen, I know you and Hank were together for a while, but …”

“Eight years.” I say firmly. “Eight years. That’s a pretty
long
while, actually.” I still can’t believe how much of my life I wasted with him. I must have been high on something.

“Yes, but you weren’t married or anything.”

Batter.

Up.

If she does not quit pushing my buttons, I’m going to hit her, even though I am a completely non-violent person. I swear to God, I will do it.

I take a deep breath in and let it out slowly, trying to rein in my emotions. I don’t want William coming home to a cat fight. He’s never seen me go all Jerry Springer on someone and I’d really rather avoid that forever if possible.

“No, you’re right,” I say. “We weren’t married, but we were in a very committed relationship that not only included living together and sharing a home but also a business.”

“I guess it wasn’t that committed, though, was it?” she asks, playing innocent but not very well.

I give her my fakiest of fake smiles. “Not on Hank’s end, apparently.”

“Apparently,” she says.

I blink several times to keep from seeing red. “Can I give you some friendly advice?” I say before I can stop myself. I probably should stop right here but there’s no way that’s going to happen. This girl needs to a little dose of truthiness.

“I guess.” She looks wary, as well she should.

“Don’t fool yourself into thinking that Hank will ever be committed to you more than he was to me.”

She crosses her arms and huffs out a laugh. “Please.” Her eyes roll up and she shakes her head.

I shrug. “Once a cheater, always a cheater. And since you’re both cheaters, I guess that makes your relationship completely fucked.”

“I’m not a cheater!” she says, much louder than is polite. Her arms go down to her sides like two stiff boards.

“What do you call a woman who sleeps with a man in his live-in girlfriend’s bed? Because I call her a cheater
and
a whore.”

Her eyes bug out. “Did you just call me a whore?”

“Did you sleep with Hank in my bed?”

She trembles with anger but doesn’t answer.

“I guess we both know the answer to that,” I say.

“I got your flowers,” she says from behind gritted teeth.

“Did you like them?” I’m feeling almost high with glorious vengeful emotions. I never knew it would be so awesome to confront the woman who stole my man away from me. And I didn’t even have to go looking for her. She showed up her all by her stupid self.

“No. I didn’t like them at all. I thought they were pretty immature, actually. I threw them in the garbage.”

“Bummer. I enjoyed sending them.” I take a side step towards the door. “I guess we’ve said all there is to say …”

“Not quite,” she says, her hands turning into fists. “I have something else to say.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m done listening,” I say, stopping at the entrance to the foyer. “Time for you to go.”

“Hank loves me!” she shouts.

I say nothing to that. At this point it’s plain to see how young she is and stupid on top of that. She honestly believes what she’s saying.

“He’s going to marry me!”

I snort before I can stop myself. “I doubt that.” He was probably telling her that when we were still living together, the idiot.

“He never loved you!” she yells, taking a step towards the front door.

“I could show you love letters and cards that would prove differently, but what’s the point? I’m glad you took Hank off my hands. He’s a user and a loser and I’m way better off without him. And if I were you, I’d dump him quick, before he sucks up any more of your life. You don’t want to be like me eight years from now, looking back on your life and seeing how much of it you wasted.”

She’s crying, and her face is beet red with anger.

I back away as she gets closer. The look in her eye is a little intense.

“Hank doesn’t use people,” she grinds out. “He helps them. He helped you build your business and then you stole his clients away.
You’re
the liar.
You’re
the one who cheats.”

I have to laugh at that. “Do you honestly believe that?” I shake my head in pity. “Wow. You really are naive. You probably don’t even realize that the reason Hank is with you now is because of your parents.”
Oops.
Did I really just say that? Oh well. Too late now.

“My … what?” She’s spitting distance from me now. I know because some of her spittle just hit me in the face.

“One of your parents is on the City Planning Council, right?” I wait a few seconds for that to sink in. “Guess who told me that? Hank. Mister helpful. Mister honest to goodness. The guy who’s using you to move up in the world.” I laugh at how stupid she is. “The guy tried to steal my clients away from me before we even broke up! Probably right after he started boinking you. He’s a dirty, stinking, lying, cheating, no-good
asshole
, and you two deserve each other.” I grab the door and pull it open. “Now get out of my house and don’t ever come back, not even when Hank cheats on you with someone else, because I am not your friend and I never will be.”

My heart is hammering so hard in my chest I can hear it inside my head. I’m feeling pretty proud of myself because for the first time in my life, I thought of all the cool things to say at the time they needed to be said and not a half-hour later. And I confronted the woman who helped a man tear my heart out. Today has been a
fabulous
day.

That pride lasts about five seconds. Five seconds I’m able to bask in my awesomeness before she goes into freaked-out-bitch attack mode.

“Aaaayyyyaaaahhhh!” she screeches as she leaps at me with her claws out and her eyes bloody red with anger.

CHAPTER TWELVE

William

I’M PICTURING MY LOVELY JENNIFER all trussed up in lacy smalls as she waits for my arrival, but that image is shattered when the screams of an enraged howler monkey issue forth from the flat. A crash follows along with several more howls of anger or pain, I cannot tell which.

My heart nearly bursts with fear when I recognize the timbre of my lady love’s voice in those screams. By the time I get to the door and wrench it open, all has gone silent within. I’ve never been so afraid in my life, imagining what I might find waiting for me.

As I rush in, I’m smashed into the edge of the doorway by a person in a big hurry to come out.

“What is the meaning of this?!” I shout at a person much shorter than I, blocking her from exiting.

“Get out of my way,” the girl yells, slapping at me and scratching my chin in the process.

I grab her by the wrist to stop the abuse. This woman is up to no good, that much is clear.

“Let me go!” she screams, resorting to kicks to free herself. My shins are instantly blazing with pain.

“I’m warning you, young lady,” I say, wrenching her arm around behind her back, “I have no problem giving you a twat on the head if you injure me any further!”

She proceeds to stomp on my toes, causing me to screech like a lady and drop her arm as I hop around the foyer. My larger toe is certainly broken.

I glance up at a small movement caught in the corner of my eye, and my face blanches when my brain registers what it is I’m seeing. I immediately stop the mad hopping that was not doing any good at alleviating my pain. Jennifer is lying prone on the floor, her legs twisted under her and there is blood near her head on the rug. She appears to be … I cannot even think it.

I push my attacker away from me, completely distracted from my own pain, my only thought being that I must get to Jennifer at all costs. “Darling!” I yell, tripping my way over to the salon. My bruised toes do not want to work properly.

I drop to my knees next to her head. I want to touch her, but I’m afraid I’ll do more harm than good. “Are you all right?” I ask.

Yes, it’s the dead stupidest question a man can ask in this situation, but I’d give anything to hear her voice say even the word
No
at this point.

She moans and my heart soars.

She’s alive! Lifting my gaze, I find that the woman who was here has gone, leaving the scene of the crime in a right mess. Furniture is moved, the glass table is broken, and Jennifer is … bleeding? I look down at my hand that was touching her head and find it red. There is a considerable amount of the stuff, which I know to be a very, very bad sign. I feel sick to my stomach over what it could mean.