Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Diana

“But you said the two of you weren’t together,” Teddy says through my phone after I spill my guts about what happened with Dragon this morning.

“We’re not.” I swallow. “I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but now he’s here, and I don’t know what to do.”

“Fuck his brains out again?” Teddy chuckles.

I scoff. “God, I can’t do that.”

“Why not, Diana? You’re starting work at that new job first thing in the morning. When the hell else are you going to have a chance to take care of yourself? Of your needs ?”

“It’s just… He’s got a lot of baggage, you know?”

“What kind of baggage?”

I look out the door of my bedroom to make sure that Dragon isn’t within earshot and then lower my voice. “No one really knows, other than his addiction. But there’s a big story there. Only my brother-in-law knows for sure what’s going on, and he’s been sworn to silence. I doubt he’s even told my sister.”

“And you don’t know anything about Dragon?”

I take a deep breath. “Only that I had to bail him out of jail last night for soliciting a prostitute.”

Silence for a moment.

Then, “Uh…what?”

“You heard me, Ted. Didn’t Antonio tell you?”

“I haven’t heard from him—” She gasps. “Wait. That’s right. Damn, I had a lot to drink. You left the party with Antonio.”

“Yeah. We came back to my place, and we were… Well…”

“Don’t you break my cousin’s heart, Dee.”

“Antonio and I didn’t do anything. Dragon calling from the jail cell put an end to that. We didn’t really have any chemistry anyway.”

“That’s a shame. It would be nice to have you for a cousin.”

“Probably not happening, Ted, since I fucked another guy this morning. Anyway, we were sitting on the couch, talking, and that’s when Dragon called to tell me he was at the station. Antonio went with me.”

“That must’ve been a little awkward.”

I can’t help but laugh lightly. “You think?”

“So Dragon really tried to pick up a prostitute last night?”

“He says he didn’t.” I cup my hand over the phone and speak softly. “He says she propositioned him , and then said that she really needed the work because she hadn’t eaten or something, so he just… gave her some money.”

“Uh…okay.” She scoffs. “Diana, have I told you about this great real estate opportunity I have for you? In a fucking swamp?”

“Ha. You’re hilarious, Ted.”

“Don’t tell me you believe him.”

I think for all of a few seconds before I say, “Yeah, Teddy. I do believe him.”

She pauses before continuing. “You seem pretty sure.”

“Well… I guess I am.” I scratch my arm. “I mean, if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have gone to bed with him this morning. I’m not about to play second fiddle to a hooker, for God’s sake.”

Teddy laughs into the phone. “That’s for sure, Dee. You’re usually pretty discriminating. When is the last time you got any, anyway?”

“About an hour ago,” I deadpan.

“Ha! You know what I mean. Jason Majors was after you big time, and you didn’t so much as bite.”

She’s right. Jason Majors is an architect at Teddy’s firm, and he was my immediate supervisor for my internship. Really good-looking too, in a clean-cut way. But work is work, and I don’t fraternize with coworkers.

“No, I didn’t.”

“I would have.”

“Jason wasn’t my type.”

She chuckles. “Diana, Jason is exactly your type.”

She’s not wrong. And I was—am—attracted to Jason. But Dragon… It’s so different, the way I want him. I can’t explain it to Teddy. I can’t even explain it to myself.

“He’s not, really,” I say. “Not that Dragon is either. And now things are weird. I feel like I have to walk on eggshells around here. Like he’s going to think this can be a regular thing with us.”

“I thought you said he explicitly said he wasn’t offering a relationship.”

“He did.” I press my lips together. “But he might think I’m an easy lay for whenever he’s in the mood. And I live all of a few feet from his bed.”

“If you don’t want to be his fuck buddy, you just have to tell him that’s the case…unless you don’t want it to be.”

“No, of course not.”

But the lie is bitter on my tongue.

Because already I’m thinking about the next time I can go to bed with Dragon. How it will be even better now that we’re beginning to learn each other’s bodies and what we each like. Which, in my case, is anything he chooses to do to me.

“I bet he likes it rough,” Teddy says.

I can’t help a sly smile. “Not as rough as you might think. I mean, he told me it wouldn’t be gentle, so I was expecting him to want to tie me to the bedposts or something.”

“Rough doesn’t necessarily mean bondage, Dee.”

“I know that.”

Except maybe I don’t. Maybe I’m still na?ve even at my age.

“There was something freeing about having him take charge,” I say. “I didn’t have to think about anything. I let him do what he wanted to do to me. I mean, I think he would’ve stopped if I told him to, but I didn’t. I didn’t have any desire to.”

“Congratulations,” she says.

“For what?”

“You have just released your innermost sexual prowess, Diana. Sex for the sake of sex. Who needs emotion anyway? All that does is lead to heartbreak. Why do you think Bud and Tracy have the understanding they’ve got going on? You get all the fun physical parts of a relationship and none of the dull emotionality.”

I tug on my lip a minute, thinking about how to respond. I’ve never had my heart broken. I’ve never really cared enough about another human being that it was even an issue. I’ve dated. I’ve even been sort of serious on occasion. The relationships always ended, and it was usually a mutual decision. I was sad for a day or two, took the excuse to eat a pint of ice cream even though I knew I’d regret it, and then moved on without too much trouble.

Something tells me I wouldn’t be able to move on that easily from Dragon…

“You still there?”

“Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking. What you said about emotion.”

“Love stinks,” Teddy says.

“I’m not sure I would know,” I say.

She gasps. “You’ve never been in love? How have we never talked about this before?”

“Because we’re usually talking about your exploits,” I tell her. “I’m a good girl, remember?”

“Correction,” she says with a chuckle. “You were a good girl. That train has officially left the station.”

She’s not wrong.

“Maybe. But I don’t think it will leave the station again. For either of us.”

“Hey, never say never, babe.” She laughs. “Anyway, I’ve got to run. But call me tomorrow, okay? I want to hear about your first day.”

“Absolutely. Will do.” I end the call.

I’ve already taken my shower, and my damp hair is hanging around my shoulders. I’m sitting around in my bra and undies, so I pull on a pair of leggings and a large sweatshirt.

The time has come to face the music. I breathe in deeply and open my door.

Not that I expect to see Dragon. He’s probably in his room. He was taking a shower when I sneaked out of his room following our tryst.

I pad out to the kitchen to get a drink of water, and I notice a few crumbs on the kitchen island counter.

He must’ve had a sandwich or something. Maybe that means he’s still here.

I should eat too, but I filled up on pizza last night. I’m not even that hungry yet.

“Dragon?” I say, not loudly.

No response, of course. If he’s in his room, he wouldn’t have heard me, and if he were anywhere else in the penthouse, I would’ve seen him.

I walk to his door and knock lightly.

And again, no response.

“Dragon?”

I turn his doorknob. It’s open, which means he’s probably not here.

I crack the door. “Dragon, are you home?”

No response, and the door to his bathroom is open and the light is off.

He’s gone.

Well, what did I expect? He was ready to leave this morning. I merely waylaid him.

A wave of sadness settles over me as I gaze around the room. Then?—

His backpack. His duffel bag.

They’re still here.

I smile despite myself.

Dragon will be back.

I have no idea what to expect when he gets here, but he will be back.

And though I hate to admit it, I feel kind of giddy about that.