Page 29 of Dirty News
I had more than a couple fucking years left in me. What the hell was she talkingabout?
With the pain came anger. I got up, leaving the area where I’d only hear her say more things that would make me mad at her. I didn’t want to be angry with Lila. I wanted us to get right back to where we’d been yesterday, but she seemed to be fighting like a pit bull to get thejob.
Going to the bathroom on the main floor, I splashed some water on my face to help me get my anger under control. Looking in the mirror, I saw the man I’d always seen looking back at me. No wrinkles, no age spots, nothing to make anyone think I was some old man. So what the hell was Liladoing?
Was it just some tactic to win thejob?
That had to beit.
She couldn’t have been faking how she felt about me just the day before. This had to be aploy.
I was going to head back up there and get her to talk to me, but when I walked out of the bathroom, I saw her leaving the building. So I hurried to catch her before she managed toleave.
Just as I got outside, I saw her waving down a cab and shouted, “Lila,wait!”
She put her hand down and turned to look at me. Her hair was down; she’d curled it, and the blonde locks sparkled in the sunlight. Her lips were cherry red, matching the silk blouse she had on, which was tucked neatly into an A-line navy colored skirt. Red heels finished out her amazing look. I found it hard to breathe for a moment; she was that devastatinglybeautiful.
“Duke, where’d you come from?” she asked, but stood right where she’dbeen.
I made it to her, my hand picking up a soft curl. “Your hair looks so pretty likethis.”
She gently pushed my hand away. “Thank you, but you shouldn’t be playing with it, youknow.”
“We should talk.” I balled my hand into a fist at my side, even though it desperately wanted to move through her soft curls and play awhile.
Looking behind me at our building, she started walking away from it. “We shouldn’t talk right here, though. Let’s take awalk.”
I stepped in beside her, not knowing where we were heading. But she was right; we couldn’t exactly stand right there where Artimus or anyone else from the station might seeus.
“So, were you really sick yesterday or what?” I askedher.
She glanced at me sideways. “Kindof.”
“Can I ask why that was?” I ran my hand over hers, takingit.
She stopped and looked at our clasped hands. “Please let go of my hand,Duke.”
I was quick to release her, but I couldn’t deny the sting I felt at her words. “Lila, do you regret what we didyesterday?”
“Very much so,” came her quickreply.
Now my heart was really hurting. She might as well have plunged a knife into it. “I’m sorry to hear that, Lila. I reallyam.”
“I have to be honest with you, Duke.” She began walking again, and I went along with her. “You and I are competing right now. What we did was a bad idea, especially with this job between us. Not to mention that we could both be fired if we got caught. I need the job Artimus has already given me, whether I get the anchor position too or not. I need the weather gig. And I’d venture to say that you need the sports jobtoo.”
She was right. We both needed our jobs. Financially, I’d be fine without it, but I needed it for my sanity. And getting caught could’ve been grounds for firing us both. If Lila got fired, she’d have to leave New York. That would mean leaving me,anyway.
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should be regretting it too,” I saw the pain in her pretty blue eyes as I said thewords.
She chewed on her lower lip, looking conflicted, as if she were fighting something inside that rebelled against the way things had to be. “I think it’s for the best to regretit.”
“My main regret is that now that I’ve tasted you, it only makes me want you more.” I took her hand, pulling her into a small shop so we could get off thestreet.
The way she looked at me told me more than any words could’ve. She wanted me too. “Duke, I overheard you talking to Artimus yesterday, and that’s what made mesick.”
I had to laugh as I pulled her along with me through the aisles of an old bookstore. I kept at it until I found two towering bookcases that would hide us from pryingeyes.
Pressing her against one of the bookcases, I pinned her in, running my hand through her hair as I breathed her into my lungs. She made me feel high with only herpresence.
