"I
don't know and no. I didn't really know until now that I had.
Jealous, yeah. But any man in my position would be. I mean Brodie!
Jesus, I can't compete with a man like that."
"It
was never a competition! What do you take me for, a slut? Where in my
life did I turn into the kind of woman who would sleep with her boss?
Did I make some huge metamorphosis that I don't know about?"
"He's
got this rep...."
"Oh,
the infamous rep! So what! Just because he's a player doesn't mean I
got played. Did you boff every woman you worked with?"
"That's
a ridiculous question. Of course not."
"Then
why assume Brodie does?"
Ben
said nothing, not meeting her eyes.
"Did
I ever once compare you to him?"
Ben
didn't answer right away. "You remember his girlfriend, Amanda?"
"His
ex, you mean. Resoundingly ex. What about her?"
"She
told me once that she found you and Brodie in his office having sex.
She said you two were having an affair and had been for some time."
"Oh
my GOD! And you believed Psycho Barbie over me? Let me get
this right. She told you I was doing Brodie—In his office?"
"Yeah.
On the desk."
"Have
you seen his office? It's ninety percent glass! Can you picture me
humping in front of the rest of the staff? Even a quick boff on the
desk, someone's gonna see."
"I
guess I didn't think it through."
"Amanda
was a liar, Ben. She liked to cause trouble. Did it occur to you to
ask me?"
"No.
I didn't want to know if it was true."
"So
instead you quit making love to me. Were you afraid I'd compare you
to him? That's it, isn't it? You dumb ass!" She wanted to throw
something at him, but she knew her mother would have a fit.
"I
didn't say it made sense, Saige."
"It's
the stupidest thing ever, Ben. What's wrong with us? When did we
become the couple who can't talk to each other? The only way we know
how to communicate is to argue. Even now."
"I
don't know."
"You
can't keep blaming all our problems on Brodie. He's done nothing to
deserve it. Since we broke up, he's been a good friend to me."
"Oh,
a good friend you have drinks with the night we break up and have
breakfast with him the next morning? Did you spend time with him this
afternoon as well? Is that where you were when I was trying to call?"
"Actually,
the majority of that time, I was making out with Stan. Are you
satisfied now?"
"Stan?
When did he get into this?"
"Apparently
several men at the office find me attractive and were hoping we'd
break up so they could ask me out. Stan's one of them. He's a hell of
a kisser too."
"And
I'm not?"
"I
didn't say that."
"That's
the implication."
"You've
hardly kissed me in so long, I can't remember! We used to make love
every night. Then suddenly, you won't even touch me unless you're
trying to apologize for yelling at me. Even then, it's like I'm not
really there. You put about as much thought and effort into is as you
do opening a box of Fruit Loops."
"I
don't!"
"You
couldn't give a shit if it was me or Margaret Thatcher there as long
as you get some pussy. I've had my eyes opened over the last two
days. There are men out there who want me. Not a handy pair of tits
and a tight ass. I've turned down more offers for sex in the last two
days than I've had from you in six months."
"Saige!
That's not fair!"
"I'll
tell you what's not fair. Being treated like I'm a slut because my
boss has a reputation. Rejecting me because of your own insecurity,
isn't fair. I loved you, Ben, but I don't like you at all right now."
"You're
making me crazy in that outfit. You know that," he murmured.
"The hair, the perfume, you look amazing and you won't even let
me kiss you."
"You
want me now, you have to earn it. We broke up. You're back at square
one."
"We
didn't officially break up, babe."
"You
threw my things out the window! Where in your logic is that not
breaking up? What do you call that? Redecorating?"
©
2017 Dellani Oakes
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