Page 19 of Trust Issues
He didn’t even use words to respond, he just sent me the thumbs up emoji. I glared at it for a few moments and felt my guard rising slowly. In my mind, it was stone on stone and it was loud as fuck. I tried to reel it back in but who the hell texts their date with a thumbs up emoji? Everyone knew that was universally annoying, right?
Well, shit, clearly not everyone. Not Austin at least.
I heard Naima’s voice in my head telling me that I find any little reason not to trust a guy and tried my hardest not to let something as simple as an emoji turn me off. The thought kept festering in my head though.
Finally, after enough taunting from my own stupid thoughts, I walked my ass across the hall to Max’s apartment. I took a page from his book and walked right in using my key. For whatever ungodly reason, back before I knew what an arrogant asshole he was, we decided it would be nice, as neighbors, to give each other a spare key in case we ever got locked out.
I walked into his apartment and looked around. From the horrid smell of things, he was in the bathroom. I pinched my nose and walked into his bedroom. I knew exactly where everything was. Not because the layouts of our apartments were similar but because I’d been all up and through his place every other day for three years. Whenever I wasn’t at his place, he was at mine.
“Kyle, why are you in my apartment?” Max was curled up on the bed beside a box of tissue with a dozen balled up pieces on the bed. I let my shoulders slump and I walked over to him.
“You’re sick. You sure as hell smell sick. Max, do you have a stomach bug?”
“Do you have a habit of sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong?”
“I can smell your bathroom from my apartment. My nose is begging for mercy as we speak.”
“Wait…can you really smell it from your place?” He asked, frowning.
“No. I came to ask you a question.” I walked over to his dresser and lit the lone three-wick Bath and Body Works candle he kept there for when he had dates over.
Much fucking better.
“What do you want, Kyle? You see I’m in peril.”
“I see you’re dramatic and you have a stomach bug. Now, my date told me he was ten minutes away via text and I gave him a standard reply. This is how he responded. Should I be as offended as I am or…”
“Is this how you are before a date? Kyle, you’re not Kyla Bradshaw attorney at law right now. You’re talking to me like you’re presenting evidence.” I could see it written all over his face that he didn’t feel well. He was so different when he barged in asking for a roll of toilet paper.
He was so full of shit.
Max took the phone from my hand and read over my text exchange. He laughed a little and handed it back to me. “You have him listed as Friday Date?”
“Before that, he was Luxe Connections Possibility One.”
“You’re impossible, Kyle. I mean, maybe he was a little short with the thumbs up.” Max wanted to say more, I could tell but he bit his tongue. I started to call him on it but I had to get back across the hall before my date saw me coming out of someone else’s apartment.
I grunted at Max and walked out of his room. Even though he was sick he followed me to the door and slapped my hand away when I went to open it for myself. “Let me know later how you run this one off.”
“Let me know how it goes when Sadie finds out you’re sick and magically reschedules.” I winked at him this time and stepped into the hallway.
“Kyla?” I heard an unfamiliar voice call from behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see Austin, my Friday night date holding a bouquet of roses. I wanted to roll my damn eyes at the flowers after that thumbs up emoji but I took them in my arm with a smile and said thank you.
“I thought you lived here,” Austin pointed to my apartment door and I smiled.
“I do, this is the homely man I visit and check on from time to time. Gotta do my duty to serve the public.”
“Was I a homely man last night?” The most devilish grin slid across Max’s face and I wanted to kill him. My eyes nearly jumped out of my head as I looked at Austin. He didn’t look happy.
“Austin, don’t listen to him. He’s an asshole and a liar.”
“Look, if you’re here to play games then let me know. I can’t have my woman sleeping around.” I stopped trying to explain that Max had a horrible sense of humor long enough to hear what the hell Austin said.
His woman?
When the fuck did that happen?
An involuntary laugh escaped me and I rubbed my forehead. Besides Austin annoying me at the speed of sound, the curly bangs on my wig were starting to work my nerves.
