"No, Bill."
"No?"
"I have zero interest in continuing a romantic relationship with you."
"What? Why?"
"I'm just not interested."
"I need more than that, Tiny. Use your words."
This condescending bastard.
"What the hell did you just say to me?"
"You're an educated woman. I'm asking for you to explain to me why you're still saying no, and I'm giving you everything you want. I'm offering you the world and it's still not enough."
At this point he's holding on to my arm and keeping it on the table. I try again to yank my arm from out of his grip but he grabs my wrist.
"Don't run from me, Tiny."
"Bill, let go."
"I don't want to let you go. Can't you see that? I'm fighting for us. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"
Before I can tell him to take his warped version of fighting for me and shoving it up his butthole, I can feel a huge shadow hovering behind me. And that smell. It's familiar. A spicy blend of bergamot, musk and vanilla.
"Get your hands off of her."
Stone.
I'd know that angry, raspy voice anywhere.
And now my anxiety level has ratcheted from zero to one hundred in ten seconds flat.
"Excuse me?" Bill responds.
"I said take your hands off of Ariana, or I'll do it for you."
Bill looks visibly shook as he lifts his hands off of my wrist.
"Settle down," I say to Stone. "We were just talking. There's no problem here."
I try scooting my chair back, so that I can stand up and talk to Stone on the side, but he walks up closer to me. Caging me in against the table. I can't move.
"Stone, I can't get up."
"Stay where you are then."
"Let me up."
"No."
"I'm calling the police," Bill says as he pulls out his phone.
"No!" I plead. "Everything's fine. Put your phone down."
"Am I missing something, Tiny? I can't touch your arm but this guy can hold you hostage. Who is this jackass?"
"Don't call her that."
"I calledyouthe jackass. Not her."
"You called her Tiny."
"That's her name, genius," Bill says sarcastically.
"Her name is Ariana Carter. You can call her Miss Carter, or you can never call her anything again after I shove those oversized white veneers of yours down your chicken shit throat."
* * *
