Page 22 of Night and Day
“What’s the big deal? I’m only doing this as a courtesy.”
“I’m not home right now, so give me more like an hour.”
There was silence on the other end. Finally, Melissa asked in a lowered voice, “Did you get up early to go work out?”
He did get up early on Saturday mornings to work out, but he went to the gym at the complex. She knew as well as he did that he wouldn’t need an hour to get back to the apartment from that location.
“No.” He glanced at Tamika, who did nothing to hide that she was listening to his side of the conversation.
“So you slept out? I mean, it’s kind of early for you to be out on a Saturday morning.”
“Is that really any of your business right now?” Anton asked irritably.
“You don’t have to be rude to me,” Melissa said in a wounded voice.
“I’ll meet you at the apartment in an hour,” Anton said, injecting as much coldness into his voice as he could. “Anything else?”
“Calvin will be with me. Asshole.” She hung up without saying goodbye.
“What was that about?” Tamika asked.
“That was Melissa. She wants to come by the apartment to get her things, and she said Calvin was coming with her.”
“That’s going to be awkward,” Tamika said.
“I can handle them. Have you heard anything from him regarding when he’ll come by here to pick up the rest of his belongings?”
“Maybe he’ll come by after he gets through helping her. Who knows?” Tamika’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “I have an idea, leave something behind—like your tie or your jacket.”
“What for?”
“So Calvin will know I wasn’t alone last night. Even better if he figures out that you’re the man who spent the night here.”
Her words rubbed him the wrong way.
“Is that why you slept with me?” Anton asked, stomach tightening as he awaited the answer. He knew better. He knew better than to ask a question he might not want to hear the answer to, but he’d asked, anyway.
“What do you mean?”
“Why did you sleep with me?”
“Why didyousleep withme?” Tamika returned.
“Did you sleep with me to get back at him?”
“Don’t tell me there’s not a little part of you that feels vindicated after the night we spent together.”
He’d be a liar if he denied it, but his emotions were a mess. He was angry at Melissa and disappointed in her behavior. But like Tamika suggested, a small part of him wouldn’t mind rubbing it in her face that he’d had mind-blowing sex last night with the woman whose boyfriend she stole. Except he would never articulate that.
“You know what, you talk too much,” he said to Tamika.
Anton yanked his shirt off the floor and angrily shoved his arm into one of the sleeves.
“Oh, now you want to pretend like you’re Mr. Morality?” Tamika placed her hands on her hips and glowered at him.
“You feel better now that you screwed the ex of the woman who stole your man?”
“Actually, I do. Don’t try to pretend you don’t feel a sense of satisfaction at getting back at the man who stole your woman. You enjoyed screwing me in Calvin’s kitchen and in his bed—and sucking down his favorite beer.”
