Out of the Storm - COMPLETE

Chapter 25

Theo

I BARELY SLEPT last night. Trying to get my brain to shut off was nearly impossible. It kept attempting to figure out what my next move would be, whether Jules was really into me or playing games, and what the hell happened on that elevator. She didn't deny she'd been on it. Why would she not just tell me?

Sitting at the bar, images of her sprawled out right here fill my mind. I push my glasses up on the bridge of my nose, roll my sleeves up, and toss my tie over my shoulder as I take a bite of my hot oatmeal.

I'm not sure if we're still having our meeting, or not, but one thing is for sure. She asked for me to wear my glasses, and I'm going to do it. I'm going to make it my mission to look as sexy as I can for her, to remind her what we had last night before she left me. After I dropped her off to go back to her car, it all turned to shit. Not that part. She needs to remember what we were like here.

My phone rings. I glance at the screen, some part of me hoping it's her, but it's not. It's fucking Marco. Swiping to answer, I put it to my ear. "What do you want?"

"Who pissed on your Cheerios, dude?"

"No one." Jules. Him. The universe. "I'm just not in the mood to play your little games this morning. Especially after you fucking hung up on me last night."

"You're mad about that?"

I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Do you think this is some sort of fun little game?"

He breathes into the phone. "No."

"Don't ever do that again, or I'm out." He doesn't need to know that it's a bluff, that even if I wanted out, I'm so deep in this shit, I may never be able to dig my way to the top.

"Yeah, okay. Sorry. I was just playin'."

"You play too much sometimes." It's hard to stay mad at him sometimes too. "How was your date?" I take a bite of my oatmeal. "Did you get a piece of ass?"

He laughs. "It was good. No piece of ass. Just pussy."

Slamming my hand into my forehead, I close my eyes. "TMI. TMI."

"You asked."

I cringe. "I know I did." And ordinarily, I don't think it'd bother me. But when I open my eyes, I'm staring at the spot where I had Jules on my counter, and she's all I can think about. "I met Jules last night."

"Fucking beautiful, Jules. I'd like a piece of her ass. Or pussy. I'm not picky."

Dropping my spoon into the bowl, I ball my fists. "She's more than taken. Stay away from her. Do you understand me?"

"Touchy, touchy. You're so sensitive this morning. What the fuck happened to you last night?"

I push the bowl of oatmeal away, my appetite having fled the moment Marco mentioned eating Jules out. The thought alone causes my stomach to sour. "Nothing. I don't want to talk about it." The reality is, I can't trust Marco to not open his mouth and say something that might blow everything. I shouldn't have even mentioned having met Jules. "Don't say anything to anyone about me seeing her. Got it?"

He sighs. "Who would I tell and why would I?"

"That's not the response I was looking for from you, Marco. Do not tell anyone I even know her. Do. You. Understand?"

"Yeah. Okay."

My head starts to pound. I massage my temples. "What are you planning to do today other than work?"

"The girl I went out with last night, I'm taking her out again tonight."

"Oh. What's her name?"