Page 41 of Play of Love
I waited for a few seconds in the car before getting out. Those were tears I just saw.
Right?
I was sure those were tears I saw running down Josh’s cheek.
Resting my hand on the steering wheel, I took a moment to think. As I did, shame gripped at my insides.
Desperation could make you do all sorts of things. Even to someone like me, who was normally compassionate.
Josh seriously got on my nerves, he irked me to no end. He was creepy, a complete pervert who I’d allowed myself to fall prey to, and a first-class jerk.
But, he was still a person. And money made me behave the way I did today. Money made me lose my mind because I knew he had the power to give me what I wanted to save my mother.
Before I left the studio Zelda told me that the money was already deposited in my account. Twenty thousand dollars. The rest would follow in a few months as promised.
It sounded wonderful and paved the way for Mom’s surgery. Now the doctors could arrange a plan with the deposit and I could pay the balance when I got the rest of the money.
It was wonderful. So why did I feel so bad?
“Heychica, you okay?” Gabriella asked, coming up to the car. I got out and joined Hilda. They’d messaged earlier about meeting for dinner.
“I’m…okay.” I supposed I should be, considering I’d just jumped over the first hurdle and gotten the money.
“How’d it go? He just walked by looking like hell.” Hilda looked concerned.
I shook my head. “We did it, but I don’t think it was the right thing.”
It wasn’t. It was clear. Josh wasn’t ready for any of this and he was doing what he was told because he didn’t want to be cut from the team.
“Do you want to cancel tonight and spend time with him?” Gabriella asked.
“I’m the last person he’ll want to spend time with.” It was official now that we both couldn’t stand each other. “I’m just gonna go see how he is, though. I’ll be right back.”
They nodded, understanding.
I found him in the kitchen. He’d taken off his jacket and tie and rolled up the sleeves to his shirt. The top buttons lay open, exposing the rigid muscle that lay there.
“Shift’s over, Kansas, what are you doing here?” He poured vodka into a glass.
“You’re going to drink again? Even after what happened today?”
“It’s Friday, time for booze and bitches.”
I should go, run away, but something within my wanted to reach out to him to see if he was okay.
“It doesn’t have to be. We could talk about today.”
“Do I look like the talking kind of guy to you?” He glowered at me. “Like I said, shift’s over. You’re done for the day, now run along with your little friends.” He tossed his head back and poured the drink down his throat in one gulp. When he saw I wasn’t moving he walked over to me and marooned me between the fridge and the wall. “Unless, Kansas, if you and your little friends want to join me upstairs. There’s plenty room up there for everyone. Or there could just be me and you. Like I said, shift’s over. You aren’t at work anymore. Imagine the fun.”
He wasn’t drunk yet; this was him talking. The real him. It was awfully close to the drunk side of him that weakened me the other day, but I could tell the difference.
I rested my head against the wall as he gazed down at me. I wasn’t sure what to think right now other than he was just trying to get rid of me by freaking me out but hoping at the same time I’d agree.
“Is that what you want? Me?” I had no intention of doing anything with him, but once again I was making a stand.
His eyes did, however, flicker with interest. “Yes, Kansas, I want you.”
Even I had to admit that there was something tempting and alluring in hearing him say that to me.
