Page 116 of Guarded

“She’d cut my tits off for the way I treated you. I’m sorry.” She laughs.

“Wait, did you think I wanted Efren?” I ask, cautious of her apology.

“No, I think Efren was just using you to fuck with me and well Shawny has been jealous of you since Nero became, you’re bodyguard.” She says bodyguard with a questioning tone.

Right. My bodyguard.

Nothing more or nothing less. She reaches into the pockets of her apron and offers me a folded piece of paper.

“The eggs Benedict recipe from Efren, and my peace offering. He told me that’s what you wanted.” She says, holding it up to me.

“Thank you!” I say and leap to hug her.

I hate conflict. At my core I was a girl’s girl. A lover, not a fighter. Alma hugs me back, and it’s not weird at all. Just two huggy bitches indulging in a hug.

“We better get back before Nero realizes I didn’t bring a purse,” I say, releasing her.

Alma is closest to the door when we hear footsteps headed our way.

“Shit!” I pull her with me to hide in the room’s adjacent bathroom. When the door opens, I recognize the voice.

“I’ve got ten minutes before someone notices I’m gone. If you want your money, then work fast.” Preston escorts his flavor of the night into the empty room, passing carelessly by the bathroom.

The mirror facing opposite the bathroom door shows the scene unfolding.

God not again.

I push farther back into the corner of the bathroom and sigh.

“Isn’t that your fiancé?” Alma whispers

“Something like that,” I whisper back.

I take a seat in the bathtub, and she follows behind me. Her eyes widen as she takes in my nonchalant response. Stretching my arms above my neck and rolling my neck I prepare for another live porno starring my fiancé. Hopefully, this was over quickly.

“I’m sorry,” Alma whispers, and I shrug.

“Could you not tell anyone about this?” I whisper.

She doesn’t say anything, but the look in her eyes promises sworn secrecy. What’s that saying? Friends who watch porn together- ugh never mind.

The sounds from the room make it difficult to ignore what’s happening in the bedroom. I look up to the mirror watching Preston thrust into the girls face, his bare ass on full display.

Alma’s curious eyes meet mine in the mirror. My hand covers the laugh threatening to escape. Preston eventually groans out, finishing and zipping up his pants.

Alma and I duck down when he passes by the bathroom, the woman following behind him. I get out of the bath, fix my now wrinkled silk pink dress, and offer a hand to Alma, pulling her up.

“You go first, and then I’ll follow a few minutes after,” I whisper, pointing to the door.

Alma leaves, and I sing the whole Bring it On cheer in my head twice before I make my grand escape, only when I open the door, Preston is standing there.

His mouth falls open.

“Ari! What are you-” he lets out a small laugh and shakes the confusion from his face.

“Is this going to be a problem?” He asks.

The audacity in his tone is wild.

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