She heard the door shut, and the moment it did, she felt an ache in her chest, an emptiness that hadn’t been there a moment ago.She knew it was because he had left.Theo.She looked up, her gaze falling on the crumpled, paint-stained mask sitting in the center of the floor.It stared at her, vibrant and noticeable across the shiny black plastic.
He was gone, her Zorro.Her perfect stranger.
All yours,he said.
Calliope sighed, pushing the thought, the memory aside.She did not wish to think of their perfect moment, the moment where she felt trulyworshipped.It could not happen again.She could not let it.She needed to remain professional.Distant.Inspiration or not, Calliope could not give in so easily.She needed to be better.She needed to protect herself.She needed to doherjob.
And so she stood up, wiping her tears as she headed toward her dresser, picking out a skirt and blouse, and found herself a pair of low heels.She dressed quickly, running a brush through her hair and glazing some gloss over her lips before she opened the door.
Part of her hoped it had been an illusion, a mistaken sound, hoped that somehow, someway, Theodore would still be there.But when she opened the door, he wasn’t there, and neither was Spike.There was only Izzy, sipping her coffee, her gaze fixed on Calliope as she raised her eyebrow at her.
Calliope sauntered toward Isabelle, not meeting her gaze.She headed for the key bowl by her door, not wishing to acknowledge the elephant in the room.And as they both piled into Calliope’s Lincoln, there was a shared understanding.Izzy did not press her, and for that Calliope was grateful.But there was a part of her that wished her friend would press her.Ask her about what had happened, because Calliope wanted to talk about howperfectTheo was.How he’d driven her into orgasmic bliss and worshipped her with his mouth, his words, hisdevotion.But Calliope vowed it would do no good truly, to discuss such things.It would only hurt her more.So she promised herself as she drove herself and Isabelle to the gallery, that she would do everything in her power to forget Theodore.Surely, it wouldn’t bethatdifficult, right?
CHAPTER6
There wasan awkward silence as Theo got into the passenger side of Spike’s sleek black BMW.
“Didn’t peg you for a BMW guy,” Theo murmured, trying his hardest to fill the silence, if only because he couldn’t stand the tension.
“Hades, my—” Spike paused for a moment, as if he wasn’t sure what to say.“Well, I guess he’s kind of family but we’re not related,” he continued, “he has like a bunch of cars because he’s collected them over the years and he doesn’t really use more than one or two, so I guess he thought with me being in college, I’d probably need one, so...”
Theo nodded.“Must be nice having connections like that.”
“I mean, I told him I was fine and I’ve been saving some cash from working at the gallery, but then when I went home to visit Cate...my, uh...she’s kind of family, too, it was just there and she basically told me I couldn’t send it back or she’d kick my ass, so...”
Theo laughed.“Hades, huh?Like the guy with the blue flame hair?”
Spike laughed, too.“I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
Theo shrugged.“Nevermind.”
The silence returned as Spike slowed to a stop at a stop sign, turning to look at Theo.
“So...you and Callie...”
Theo felt his shoulders stiffen, suddenly on edge as Spike carefully spoke.
“How did you...uh ...meet?”
Theo shifted in his seat, feeling strangely on the spot.It wasn’t as if Spike was being mean or pushy.In fact, it felt like a genuine question, but one framed with caution.
Like perhaps Spike felt something for Calliope, which made Theo feel all sorts of emotions he wasn’t entirely ready to process.
He knew he could have shirked the question, changed the subject.But there was also a part of him that wanted to talk, to confide in someone.To vent, air out his thoughts.And Spike didn’t seem like a terrible person.They’d spent a whole semester together as lab partners, and Theo couldn’t deny that he was a rather decent partner, and he trusted him to do his work and carry his weight, so...
He could certainly trust him with this, couldn’t he?
Theo carefully spoke.“Last night.Went out with my roommate and his friends to this place downtown, DeLux Cafe?—”
“You’re kidding,” Spike said as he slowly picked up the gas.
Theo shrugged his head.“Nope.Last night they had some speed dating thing, a themedMystery Masqueradeor whatever, and my roommate, Trick, basically forced me to go because—” He stopped, unsure of how much to tell Spike.They’d been lab partners the previous semester, and he liked the guy enough, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to divulge such personal details to an acquaintance.It wasn’t like they hung out outside of class, and since said class had ended, he hadn’t heard from Spike, nor did he expect to hear from him.Running into him in Calliope’s kitchen was most serendipitous.
But the surprise of the moment paled to the reality of that morning.
When Theo had woken up, on the floor, his arms wrapped around a soft, warm body and the air smelled of vanilla, paint, and sex...
He’d barely had time to process what had happened before Calliope was shoving his arms off of her and tearing out the bedroom, as if she were trying to get as far away from him as she could.The burn was deep, as Theo’s memories threatened to resurface.Memories of being discarded the morning after he’d had sex, post break up with Emily.He’d been drunk then, too.It was clear Tara, the woman Trick had tried to set him up with, had regretted sleeping with him.Judging by the way she looked at him the next morning, scoffed and said, “I’m never drinking tequila again.”
