Page 63 of The Man Handler

“Garrett and I were never dating,” I state. “He was simply someone I was spending time with.”

He sits back in his seat. “The way dude talked, it sounded like it was more than that.”

“He wanted it to be,” I offer, deciding to be perfectly honest with him. “But I only wanted sex from him.”

He playfully covers his ears, shaking his head. “I don’t wanna hear all that.”

“Oh, boy, quit,” I say, laughing. “I’m a grown, sexy, and very single woman with needs.”

“I know, I know. But I don’t need to have that image of you planted in my head.”

“Well, what the hell did you think I was doing with him? Playing cards?”

He lets out a hearty laugh. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Yeah, okay.”

He glances down at his watch. “Looks like ole boy got it bad for you.”

“Seems that way,” I say, crossing my legs, then flinging my hair. “But can you really blame him? I mean, look at me.”

He laughs again. “Not at all. Even with all that sleep in the corner of your eyes, and your hair all wild, you still a beauty.”

I laugh, too.

He shifts his body, facing me. “Look, baby girl. I know it’s really none of my business as to why things didn’t go anywhere between the two of you. But, trust me. Garrett cares a lot about you.”

“Did he send you over here to talk to me?”

“No, not at all. He doesn’t even know I’m here. Truthfully, he never really talked much about the two of you. He didn’t have to. It was all over his face. And I respected him for that. He’s really a good dude.”

“I know. That’s why I kept him around for as long as I did. Tyler, I really wish I could have given him more, but I don’t have it in my heart to be in a relationship right now. And I don’t want to be in one, just for the sake of being in one. It wouldn’t be fair to him, or to me.”

“I hear you. So, what exactly did he want from you that you weren’t ready to give him?”

“He wanted to date. But, ultimately, he wanted a relationship.”

“Would that have been so bad?”

“Not if I wanted him like that.”

“But you kept him around for almost three years, why?”

“You want the truth?”

He nods. “Please.”

“We had an arrangement. One I thought was working out fine until he wanted to change it up. I was content with the sex, ’cause the man can put it down in the—”

“I get the point,” he says, cutting me off.

I spare him the rest of the details and say, “I told him I didn’t think we should continue seeing each other.”

“Oh, I see,” he says, shifting in his seat. “And there was no room for compromise?”

I shake my head. “No, not as far as I was concerned.”

He smiles, shaking his head. “Still the same ole Bianca, I see.”

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