“Last chance, Jason – take your hand off of me.”
When he still doesn’t let me go, I plow my knee up into his balls. Jason makes a strangled sound like a cat in heat and crumples to his knees in front of me.
“Whoa, there - what’s going on here? Rain, Chase?”
Jackson comes to a stop next to us, looks us over in concern, and takes in the red finger marks on my arm from where Jason had gripped me and then down to the wheezing man on his knees.
He makes a “huh” noise, purses his lips and then says, “Alright then, carry on.”
Jason looks up at the uniformed Jackson in pained outrage and chokes out, “Officer! I want her arr-est-ed! She…she assaulted me.”
He ends with a whine that has me snorting a laugh.
Jackson's eyes are filled with amusement when he turns them on me. “This the city douche-canoe that put those bruises on your wrist when you came home, Rainy?”
I nod that it is. Jackson reaches down and hauls Jason up onto his feet where he stands half-hunched over, cupping his balls.
“I didn’t see any assault. Hey Chase, you’re a lawyer, did you see an assault?”
“Nope. All I saw was a pathetic little man harassing a lady.”
Jackson shoots me a wink and drags Jason back out onto the street to the driver’s side door of his car.
“Here’s how this is going to go, pal. You get into your little dick syndrome car, go back where you came from, and forget all about Rain and this town. Try and throw your weight around and I’ll be the one to bring charges against you, even if I have to make up some shit. We don’t cotton to men pushing women around in this town.”
With one last hateful look thrown my way, Jason slams his car door and peels out. I lift a hand and give him my best queenly wave and then flip him the middle finger before he turns the corner and finally drives right out of my life. Chase’s strong arm comes around my waist from behind and he kisses the side of my head, whispering, “Good girl.”
Sparks erupt low in my belly from those words but I smirk and step away from him, never looking back as I walk away. I appreciate his praise but I don’t need it. I’m starting to know exactly how good I am now.
Rain
“Avirgin?”
Maggie squawks, spinning around and sending paint droplets flying. Thankfully, the entire floor is covered with drop clothes to protect the wood.
“Yup, when I asked why he wouldn’t have been with anyone else, he actually said, ‘Why would I? This is home’ and then he…you know…”
Star hiccups and says dreamily, “That’s so freaking romantic,” from where she’s lying on her back in the middle of the mostly empty room. She’s completely given up on painting and I make a note to not refill her margarita glass. Day drinking and painting my new apartment with the girls has been a roaring success for the most part. I take in the new fresh pale-yellow walls with sharp white trim and note the touch-ups I’ll have to do when I’m slightly more sober.
“You’re so freaking cool, Rain,” she sighs. “Here you are living your best life. New haircut, new apartment, new business, new orgasms. I’m so glad we’re neighbors now so I can live vicariously through you!”
She hiccups again and I grin at Maggie at how cute this girl is.
Starlight and her little brother Moonbeam live in the apartment next to mine over Rex’s bar. The second level of the building isn’t divided like the first level is so there’s an imaginary line in the hallway up here that separates my property from his. I still don’t know her full story as we’re just getting to know each other but apparently, she and her brother have only been living up here for the last few months.
“Don’t live through me, Star. Manifest that shit! I’ve learned that when you really want something, if you want to live for you and put your needs first then you just have to go for it with an ironclad determination. I finally understand that we get one shot at this life so I’m not going to live it half-assed.”
Star hums a half-hearted agreement so Maggie changes the subject.
“So, Rain, you’ve checked Luke off your dick to-do list, who’s next?”
I sputter a laugh. “Mags! It’s not a to-do list.”
She winks at me and sucks back the rest of the lime slush in her glass. “Yeah, but it could be. Come on, Rainy, you’ve had those boys panting after you since we knew there was something to pant about. I say it should be Rex next. I bet he learned some serious moves on the circuit. I mean, I love Hett but damn, that ass of Rex’s? It’s fucking biteable!”
I’m holding my stomach from laughter at her thirsty girl schtick when my brain stutters on something she said and the laughter dies.
“Wait, did you say circuit? What circuit?”
