Page 25 of My Infatuation with Isabella

“What’s wrong with that?”

“What’s wrong with that?” He gapes at me in shock. “We’ve been doing this for six months. We hook up, we hang out all the time. What we have looks and feels like a relationship, but you don’t want it to actually be a relationship.”

I groan my frustration because I’m so tired of having this conversation with him. “Relationships are messy, and we have a good thing going. Why do you want to mess that up?”

“You just proved that we have nothing going.” He stands up and buttons up the rest of his shirt. “I can’t do this anymore.”

He does this every time. “C’mon, Diego. Don’t be so sour. You and I?”

“I want you to leave.”

My mouth drops open. “You’re kicking me out?”

“Yeah...and I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”

“Why are you making such a big deal about this?”

“Because it is a big deal. Us doing this for six months is a big deal. My feelings for you are a big deal. But you don’t seem to care about that, so I’m asking you to leave...and don’t come back.”

I only realize how little I care when I don’t even argue. I get out of his bed, use his bathroom to clean up, and leave without saying goodbye. The cool evening air hits my face as I step out of Diego’s apartment building. I look up and down the street, looking for something to do. It’s my evening off and I have no idea how to spend my free time. I know I’m a loser the second I take my phone out of my purse and call Tommy.

“Hi, Tom,” I say when he answers.

“What’s up, IzzyB?”

“Nothing. Bored and looking for something to do. Wanna go somewhere tonight? You should be getting off work soon.”

“Um...no. I’m here ‘til eleven. I promised Jason I’d do his set for him and?”

My little encounter with Diego must have rubbed me the wrong way, because just hearing that makes me angry. “Tom, you’re a moron! I keep telling you that Jason is using you. He’s getting paid, yet you’re doing his work for him.”

“I don’t mind. I have nothing better to do, anyway. Why don’t you come here, and we can hang out?”

I only agree because I also have nothing better to do. Confirmation received. I am a loser. Tommy and I have the same day job, but our night jobs are completely different. He’s currently working as a janitor at a small college radio station while I entertain middle-aged men at a bowling alley.

I take a bus to the station on campus, and I’m greeted by the nighttime guard when I walk in. He knows me so well that he just gives me a two-finger salute and allows me to enter. I find Tommy on the third floor cleaning the glass that partitions the studio from the rest of the office.

“And how are you this evening, Thomas?”

“Ugh,” he groans. “My tits are flat today.”

He only uses that expression when he’s exhausted, and he feels like the world has drained him of his full supply of energy and gusto that he keeps safely stored away in his tits. He tosses a cleaning rag to me.

“I just did my nails yesterday,” I complain. “I don’t want to mess them up.”

He pouts and gives me puppy-dog eyes. “Please. The quicker we get this done, the quicker we can just sit and chill.”

I roll my eyes, then push up my sleeves, and get to work helping him clean the glass. We chat as we sweep and shine the floors, empty the trash, and wipe down the desks. As it nears nine o’clock, we head into the glass studio as Melanie wraps up her set. As usual, Tom and I both put our phones on silent because if we’re going to be in here, we can’t have any sounds or other interferences that could interrupt the show.

Melanie says a final goodnight to her audience, then removes her headset. “Where’s Jason?” she asks.

“He’s just in the bathroom,” Tommy replies. “You don’t mind if I start cleaning up in here, do you?”

“Not at all.” She stands up and grabs her purse. “Do you think I should wait until he gets here? It’s almost nine...maybe I should play another ad.”

“He’s got three minutes,” Tommy assures her. “No guy takes that long to pee. He won’t be late.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow.” She waves, then walks out of the glass box.

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