Page 30 of King of Justice

“They won’t mind?”

He chuckled. “Not everyone’s like you, Jones. You’re an introvert.”

“Okay. Might do me some good.”

At the graffiti-adorned bar, Travis started making the introductions. “This is Sophie. We volunteer together. Uh—So… Sydney, Maude, Brock, Brock’s girlfriend—I forget your name—” He then quickly chuckled, “Just kidding, Chloe… and Dominic.”

I lifted up a greeting hand and grinned. “Wow! Can’t promise to remember any of this after my third drink.”

“Drink, yeah,” Travis said. “What should I get you?”

“No, I can go—”

“Don’t be silly, I’m going, anyway. What do you feel like?”

“A Manhattan?”

“Comin’ right up!”

Already feeling awkward, I turned back to his friends and kept the smile plastered on my face. I noticed that Dominic was complaining to Maude about something. “… I mean, what the fuck’s wrong with her? If she knew she wanted to break up, why have sex first? Was she… like… waiting for an orgasm that’ll change her mind or something?”

Maude shook her head. “So inconsiderate!” She then turned to me and, in an effort to include me, she leaned over. “Can you believe what some women do these days? I mean, we get it… we want equal rights.”

I didn’t carefully think about my words; they just rolled off my tongue. “But maybe that also means the equal right to be assholes sometimes?”

“Snap!” She laughed before turning to Dominic. “I like her!”

He smiled, shrugged, and then shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t even think she knows she was being an asshole.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t really think I’m in a position to—” I gestured with my hand.

“Of course, you are!” Travis came and handed me my drink. “You’re here, we’re here.” He then turned to his friends. “She’s got one of the most critical eyes I’ve met in a while. She can call your bullshit any day, nothin’ stops her.”

“Oh, yeah?” Brock smirked. “If you’re so brutal… do you think it’s Dominic’s right to take the shit his ex left behind? For the way she’d acted?”

Feeling cornered, I shook my head. “I don’t know her. I don’t know him… the history.”

“It’s as simple as it sounds,” Chloe added. “They had sex, and then bam! She broke up with him.”

At the risk of being deemed a bitch, I felt that the need to stand my ground was stronger than my desire for their acceptance. “Honestly? Doesn’t sound simple to me at all.” I took a step back, handing Travis my drink as I turned and looked at Dominic. “Sounds like a lot to unpack, buddy.”

“Where are you going?” Travis followed me as I raced toward the door.

I placed both hands on the exit door. “I’m sorry, I’m just not feeling it.”

“You barely talked to them!”

“There’s just—I’m not…” I shook my head. “I need to go.”

Angrily, he lifted up the Manhattan. “I bought this for you!”

“Oh.” With a swift move, I grabbed it and downed it in one go, giving back the empty glass to him. “Thanks. I owe you a drink.”

“Sophie!” he shouted.

But I was already at the other side of the door.

Deciding not to dwell too much, I took the subway back to Travis’ street. In the apartment, I kept the lights off while I lit up a joint, smoking it out the narrow window that overlooked only a fraction of the street. Did Dominic’s little story upset me, because he wouldn’t accept that a woman could act just as many men had throughout history, or because I felt guilty for doing the same thing to Nathan?

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