Coup De Grace

She was such a hoe!

Bryan. At least three doctors that I knew. And Michael’s brother? For real?

How did the woman have that much energy?

“I thought you had to work today,” I said accusingly, not turning away from the view.

“I do. At twelve. It’s only nine thirty in the morning,” he answered. “I was up there to come see you, when I didn’t find you at your apartment, but Joslin was telling me you were sent home.”

I clenched my hands into fists.

“She is such a bitch,” I snarled.

He snorted. “And you’re just now figuring this out?”

I snorted. “You were touching her.”

He sighed. “There’s something wrong with her. She doesn’t understand the word ‘no.’ She’s devious and vindictive. I’ve learned over the years that the easiest way to deal with her is just let her have what she wants. Or, at least, let her think she got what she wants. Gentleness seems to throw her off, so that’s why I do that. I’ve learned to be just as manipulative as she is out of necessity.”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, I think if you want to continue this relationship, you are going to need to figure out how to not touch her, because I don’t like it. Not even a little bit.”

He smiled, revealing brilliant white teeth.

“Noted,” he agreed immediately.

Then he turned back to the road, and I was left contemplating my brashness of stealing his truck.

“I sometimes don’t think before I act,” I admitted softly, looking at my hands.

He snorted. “That’s an understatement.”

“I’ll try not to steal your truck again,” I said softly.

“You won’t have the opportunity to steal my truck again,” he laughed.

I raised my brow at him.

“You think?” I asked.

He smiled. “I know.”

When we pulled up to my apartment, I pulled out my keys and offered them to him.

He took them, thankful that he hadn’t asked, and started up the stairs.

I’d realized over the course of our four month dating life, and again last night, that Michael liked to be cautious.

It didn’t matter if we were gone ten minutes or five hours, when we got back to my place, he was going to take a look through the house to be sure that everything was fine before he left me.

I followed behind him, bemused, and walked into the door just as he was coming out of the kitchen and disappearing into the bedroom.

I had a one bedroom apartment that I loved to hate.

I was on the top right of a four apartment unit, and I hated every second of it.

The neighbor to my right stole my parking spot. The neighbor to my bottom left liked to take my clothes out of the shared laundry room. And the neighbor directly below me liked to have loud, wall banging sex. Not that I knew how he did it since I was above him, and I was fairly sure he couldn’t fuck on the ceilings.

Regardless, he did it, and I was impressed. But also a little sleep deprived at times.

The interior of the apartment was nothing special. White generic walls, beige carpeting. Plain crappy countertops and appliances that should’ve been updated last decade.

My furniture, however, was nice.

I spent a lot of time at home, and I wanted to be comfortable while I did it.

Which was why I’d spent nearly an entire paycheck on my couch, and the next paycheck on my TV.

My bed wasn’t as nice as my couch, which was why I found myself sleeping on the couch more often than not.

“What’d you get sent home for?” Michael asked, breaking into my thoughts.

I turned to him and crossed my arms over my breasts.

“I couldn’t find my ‘appropriate’ shoes for work this morning, so I wore my regular tennis shoes, which Joslin immediately brought up to our boss, and I got sent home to change them. Although that was over an hour and a half ago, so I might not have a job to go back to,” I admitted.

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