Page 38 of Desirous

As I follow him down the hallway to the living room, I chuckle. “If you got here a little while ago, that’s exactly what I was doing.”

Evan looks back at me and smirks. “Good old Alex. You never change.”

That’s not true anymore, but I don’t want to explain how Kat has made such a difference now that she’s the only woman in my life. For the time being, I want to keep who we are to one another to ourselves.

“Yeah, well you know how it is. So what did you find out? Was there anything in the water?”

His eyes open wide as he shakes his head. “Whoever you were with definitely tried to drug you. Roofies, just as you suspected. I swear I’ll never in my life understand why women think they need to give us that shit to get us to fuck them. Just ask. Nine times out of ten, most guys will jump at the chance to get laid.”

I take the report when he hands it to me and glance at the results. So Emma did slip something into my drink. Or maybe it was Randy working with her to fuck me up. I don’t care about the specific details. All I care about is telling Maria and Shane and seeing what they do with this information.

Looking up from the paper, I shrug. “As if guys are that difficult to get into bed. I wouldn’t have slept with this one, though, so maybe she figured that out.”

“Not good looking enough?” Evan asks, knowing me for long enough that his guess is a good one.

At least for who I used to be.

I shake my head. “No, she was hot. A little too eager, but still hot. I just didn’t want to sleep with her. Call it a vibe or intuition.My gut said don’t get involved with this one, and I guess it was right, huh?” I say as I hold the paper up between us.

“I guess so.”

“You want to know what the ballsy thing about what she did was?” I ask, still in disbelief that Emma drugged my drink at my own restaurant. “She did it at CK. Now that’s balls the size of Texas.”

My friend’s mouth drops open in shock before he lets out a surprised laugh. “Get the fuck out of here! She came to your playground and thought she should slip you some shit in your drink right under your father and uncle’s noses? This woman has a set on her, no doubt.”

“And I’ll go you one better. I don’t think this is her first time putting something in someone’s food or drink. I think she slipped something into a dish a friend of mine on the show made that sent another contestant to the hospital. The unlucky guy had to get his stomach pumped because she poisoned him.”

That makes his eyes grow even wider. “Seriously? Is she one of the contestants on that reality show? You better watch out if she is. Bitch has serial killer tendencies.”

I nod my agreement with that statement. “No kidding. They wanted me to have some romantic storyline with her. I’m going to show the producers this report and tell them they can go fuck themselves if they think I’m going to pretend to like this woman.”

“Fuck that! A man would have to make sure to sleep with one eye open at all times with someone like that,” he says with a laugh. “She better be one fantastic lay if she’s going to be that much trouble.”

“Yeah, I’m not thinking she’s good enough for me to take that chance. Sex isn’t worth risking my life for, that’s for sure. I’d rather be celibate if that’s the case.”

Evan checks his watch for the time and then slaps me on the shoulder. “You? Celibate? Now I’ve heard it all. The next thing you’ll be telling me is you’re settling down with one woman. I have to get to the lab, but call me after you’re done with this show and we’ll go out for drinks. It’s been a while since I got to witness Alex March in action.”

I don’t bother mentioning those nights won’t be happening anymore for me. I’ll handle that when we hang out. For now, I just smile and act like I’m the same person I’ve always been.

Even though I’m not, all because of Kat.

“Thanks for this,” I say as I follow him to the door. “Now to see what the producers of the show do with this information.”

He opens my front door and turns to look back at me. “Maybe explain to them that getting drugged by a fellow contestant might mean you need to find a lawyer. I bet they see how bad it is then.”

“That might be a good thing to bring up. Thanks, Evan.”

Now to see what Maria and Shane have to say about the proof I’m holding in my hand.

I seeEmma as soon as I walk onto the set, but I don’t meet her gaze as I make a beeline for where the producers are sitting on the side of the room. On the way here, I decided that if they don’t get rid of Emma and invite Kat back, I’ll bail on this whole stupid reality show.

It’s entirely up to them if I do that.

They’re huddled together talking in hushed tones about something when I approach them, and normally, I wouldn’t interrupt. What I have to talk to them about is too important to wait, though, so I clear my throat and pause a few seconds before I start in on what I have to say.

“I need to tell you something, and what you do about it is going to affect what I decide about staying on this show.”

The two of them turn their heads to look at me, and for a long moment, the three of us just stare at one another. When they finally sit up and shift in their seats to face me, I have the sense they resent my disturbing them.

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