"Oh this is not fair!" I exclaimed walking into Jessica's Four Season's hotel suite.
"Life isn't fair. What are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to you...about last night."
"What about it?"
"I slept with Dante," I blurted out.
Jessica's face stayed neutral.
I gestured to her.
"I'm sorry I don't see where the problem is?"
"Tell me it's not right?!"
Jessica laughed, "Then I'd be a hypocrite. Do you think I didn't have sex with Javier?"
"Just tell me anything! Say you're mad at me!"
"Pearce I'm not your mother. You're a 27 year old FBI agent. If you had to sleep with the a suspect for the case, then that's that."
I followed her to the expensively decorated living room. Her sofas were overflowing with cushions. She plopped down in her plush white terrycloth bathrobe, her hair in a towel. I went over to the little Dollie by the window, where the liquor was and poured myself a glass.
"Its nine in the morning," Jessica pointed out.
"After the night I had I need a drink."
"So how was it?"
I choked on the whisky.
"Come on Pearce we're adults here. We both know how babies are made."
I sat down next to her, careful not to spill the whisky. "It was. It was amazing. I thought it'd would be...I don't know weird or something. But it wasn't, I missed it."
"Pearce when you texted me at 7 in the morning you said you need to talk and that's important, I assumed it was important. This isn't a issue."
"It's huge issue."
Jessica smirked, "I bet it was."
"I'm not that person to use sex for something. I'm not perfect but I have morals."
I leaned back and rubbed my eyes.
"You look tired," Jessica observed.
"I haven't had proper sleep in like 36 hours. Ahhhh!"
"Let me get you some coffee," she said.
"Did you talk to Jake?"
"CalTech boy? Not since yesterday. Why?"
"I bumped into him coming out of my room last night. My hair was messy, my dress had moved up and I didn't have shoes on. He knew what I was doing."
"Since when do you care what a tech boy thinks? Got a little nerdy crush do we?"
"I don't care what anyone else thinks. But he's different, he's not corrupted like the rest of us."
"You think he's pure," Jessica added, handing me a cup of coffee. "We can do with a little pure."
I leaned back and closed my eyes, while I took sip of coffee. Memories of last night came back.
It'd be wrong to say I didn't enjoy it. I remembered everywhere he touched me. Everywhere he kissed me. Every time he I moaned his name.
"Pearce," Jessica snapped her fingers in front of my face. My eyes opened. "You should get some sleep."
"Nah. I gotta give this to Jake," I said pulling out a little hard disk thing out of my purse. I copied everything that was on Dante's phone, this morning, while he was sleeping. "Duplicated Dante's phone. I have to meet up with my attorney. Pick up Will from the hospital. Then I have to see how our 'prisoner' is doing. Have you guys thought about what to do with him?"
"Well we can't keep him locked up, we can't release him."
"Okay, I need a shower. So I'm leaving."
I finished off my whiskey and left my coffee unfinished. I grabbed my things and headed for the door, Jessica stopped me.
"Hey if you're serious about Jake got for it."
I laughed lightly, "Jess...have you seen my situation. It's too complicated."
"You're just making it complicated. I did the same thing, now look forty and miserable."
"Because that's you! Not me! I'm sorry I'm tired. I didn't mean that."
"You did mean that."
"Jake is innocent. It would be to selfish to be with a good guy like him. Not after being selfish with Dante."
"How were you selfish with Dante?"
"How was I not? I overlooked him dealing drugs, selling weapons and prostitution!"
"You were young and naive."
"Young and naive would be if I overlooked him checking out another girl's ass. This isn't naive this is selfish! I wanted the perfect little life: the handsome multimillionaire and becoming a lawyer that I didn't consider the possibility it too good to be true!"
"Well then why did you marry him?"
"Because he treated me like a princess! Because he made me feel different and beautiful! I don't know," I threw up my arms. "I'll, I'll see you at the warehouse."
With my heels in my hands, I dragged myself up the stairs. Part of me wanted to knock on Jake's door and explain what happened last night. The other part of me, well the other part of me stayed quiet. But I couldn't see him now, while I smelled like sex and Dante. My bedraggled hair and now terribly fitting dress.
Max was running towards me when I unlocked my door. He wrapped himself around my legs, while I struggled towards the sofa. I sat down and he joined me.
"Hey boy," I rubbed his back. "I missed you. You know who I spent the night with? You're dad, that's right. You're cruel excuse of a father that I can't escape. That can't let me go-"
The tears came, there was no stopping them. Didn't know why I was crying. I cried everyday after Dante left. I'd wake up in the morning to find my pillow soaking wet, not realizing I was crying in my sleep. I cried for him, that was over. He left me, that was over. He broke my heart, yet I still have something for him.
I wiped my nose and brushed away my tears. I hopped into the shower, washing away desperately any trace of Dante from last night. His smell, his touch, everything. I pulled on a pair of black jeans, a sweater, leather jacket and combat boots. I grabbed my bag and headed out the door.
I knocked on Jake's door. He opened the door, shirtless and in sweat pants. I wasn't complaining. His hair was messy and it looked cute on him.
"Morning," I smiled.
"Oh hey," he moved letting me in. I smelled him again (this was becoming a problem). I smelled sweat, shampoo, coffee and that stupid flowery smell that I still couldn't figure it out.
"What can I do for you? Watch your dog? Anymore kid birthday parties," there a bitterness in his tone but he smiled so I wasn't sure if he was joking.
But I smiled and replied, "No I actually have something for you. I duplicated Dante's phone." I handed him the device.
He reached out and took out the device, "Great I'll take a look at it. I guess I can do more than more just birthday presents."
My phone rang out loud before I could I reply. "Sorry I have to take this," I gave him an apologetic smile.
"Pearce I'm in Boston. When do you want to meet up?" Kat said on the other line.
"Hey Kat," I check my watch. "How does lunch sound to you? My treat. Say about 1 at L'Espalier?"
"Alright sounds good I'll see you then," Kat replied.
"Bye," Jake was awkwardly rubbing his bare back waiting for me to hang up.
"I'm going to put on a T-shirt," he said walking past me.
God! What does he smell like?
"Did guys get anything from Gomez?" I asked.
"He was still unconscious when I left. So no," Jake came out in a T-shirt. He had something in his hand, a black fabric.
"You left this here," he handed me the fabric. It was the top I had worn when I found out Dante bugged my apartment.
"Lavender!" I blurted out.
"What?"
Ashamed I tried to cover my face with the top, "Lavender. You...smell like lavender?"
Jake laughed, "You're smelling me?"
"No! You just...have...okay at this point anything I say will make me sound like a stalker."
Jake just continued to laugh.
"Stop laughing!" I jokingly punched him in the stomach.
"I'm sorry...but no..has 'smelled' me before."
"You have a distinct smell. Are you telling me no girlfriend has told you that?"
"Ha ha...sorry..sorry. No. I've not been that successful with women to have them smell me."
"You don't have girlfriend now?"
Jake laughed lightly, "No, I don't. You asked me that the Jack brought you home drunk-"
"Oh God!"
"and then kissed me!"
"No! Oh I'm sorry! Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't think you'd remember. So...."
"Well I'm glad I don't remember sharing a kiss while I was drunk. So I can remember this one," I pulled his head down by his neck and locked lips with him.
He didn't. He didn't kiss me back. He pushed me away.
"I can't. I'm sorry but I can't," he backed away from me.
"Can't what?" I asked surprised.
"You can't sleep with you husband and come and kiss me. Even if it was for a case or whatever. But you were, are with your husband and I can't caught in the middle of that. I'm sorry but I don't do that."
"Sleeping with Dante didn't mean anything to me."
"And this kiss did? I'm sorry-"
"Stop apologizing!" My phone rang. I checked the called ID, the number was unknown. "Look, um it's okay. I just thought...You know what it's fine. I have to go."
I slammed the door shut behind me. I couldn't get upset. I couldn't. If he didn't want me there was nothing I could do about. Jessica's words just got to me. I didn't want to end up like her. But that doesn't mean I could go kissing around every normal guy. Plus he literally called me a slut, there was that.
I pulled at my hair and answered the call, "Pearce DeNiro speaking."
"Hello Bella."