Page 92 of Tainted

“You don’t hear me talking to you now?” I asked, tapping her forehead. She immediately swatted my hand down, “If yo’ ass can’t answer a simple question, you ain’t got no business being here. You need to leave. Now!” I grabbed her arm, prepared to drag her inside the same way she got out here, but Zara yanked away.

“You’re here! You get the freaky fantasy you wanted, so what’s the problem?”

“I don’t give a fuck if Jesus himself is here. What does that have to do withyou?”

Confusion riddled Zara’s face because she believed I wanted what all men wanted.

“I’m not arguing about it, Kenyon. I’m here, so deal with it ordon’t,” Zara tried to walk around me like the conversation was over.

“You popped all that shit about not wanting her, and now you’re here! What the fuck is this, huh? What changed?”

“Ow! You’re hurting me!” She yelled, trying to pull away, but I wouldn’t let her, “I need the fuckin’ money, okay!”

“You’re packing out Utopia every fuckin’ night. Miss me with that you need the money shit.”

“Don’t be so fuckin’ dense! Some people have more problems than they do money, Kenyon! Why the hell do you think?” Zara yelled, turning her shoulders to hide the tears in her eyes.

“Then why didn’t you call me?” I yelled arms outstretched at the obvious solution.

Zara turned around slowly, her eyes hooded like hawks. “It’s my problem. Why the hell would I callyou?”

I hated feelings because they ran rampant with no logic or reason. Just doing what the fuck they wanted to, like standing in front of Zara, pissed off that I was about to have a threesome. All because she was compromising herself by doing something she didn’t want to do.

Or maybe she did want to. I couldn’t be sure because there were still so many things I didn’t know about Zara.

“Time is money, and you have a job to do, right?”

Zara shoved me in the chest, “Fuck you,Keyes!” and continued back inside.

“Careful what you wish for,” I mumbled, following her.

The door opening caused Sydney to perk up, and her eyes darted to Zara. “Is everything okay?”

“Great, I just need a minute. Where’s the bar?” Zara asked.

“Right over there. Help yourself, tabs on him,” Sydney joked, awkwardly smiling.

“Oh really?” Zara popped the top and poured the liquor down the sink while glaring at me. “Might just waste it all.”

“Keep it up, and I’ll take that shit out of your pay,” I warned.

Zara flipped her middle finger and poured herself a drink while Sydney pulled me in the opposite direction, shutting the bedroom door behind her.

“What the fuck, Keyes! Are you trying to make her leave?” Sydney complained.

“No.”

“Then what was that?” She tossed her hand toward the door, frustrated, because if anyone knew how badly she wanted Zara, it was me.

“I don’t know.”

Sydney watched me crack my knuckles before announcing, “I’ll check on Nova and get you a drink to take the edge off.”

It would take more than alcohol to do it, but Sydney returned with a half-filled glass of brown liquor anyway. I told her to get started without me, and she wasted no time prancing back out of the room. Syd wasn’t here for me anyway.

After a mental self-talk, I pulled myself together. If this is what Zara wanted to do, then fuck it. I strolled to the living area in briefs, gripping the rim of the glass with plans of enjoying my night.

“Just in time for the show,” Sydney announced, her smile wide and welcoming.

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