I watched her for a moment as she tried to process what I had just said. “And there are some that just want to have a good time and want to hear ‘go’.”
Jada sat absolutely still, her breath labored and lips parted slightly. I knew what she was thinking, what she was considering, and it turned me on to watch those thoughts run so obviously through her mind. She adjusted in her seat, the sexual tension getting the best of her.
“So the question is, baby, what is it you want to hear?”
“I don’t want to hear anything,” she nearly whispered, her voice so soft I almost didn’t hear it. Some internal battle played out across her beautiful features and I was interested to see what side would win. It was a few moments before she seemed resolute, squared her shoulders, and began to talk.
“I was married. I’ve been separated a little over a year.” She paused, hoping for some cue that I had heard enough. But I wasn’t about to give her that; I wanted information. I wanted to know what made this girl tick.
I walked to my chair and sat back down, waiting for her to continue.
“I married Decker after dating for about eleven months. He was my first love and when he proposed, I disregarded everything everyone said and married him anyway. We had a quick wedding and then moved to Boston.” She took a sip of her wine and looked across the desk at me.
We are finally getting somewhere.
“I was always the little girl who dreamed of the happily ever after. I wanted to be like my mom, baking the day away in a cute house with a white picket fence for my family. My husband would come home from work and kiss me and it would just be so … happy. And I thought I would have that with Decker. I thought I would have it all. I thought I could make it everything I wanted, anyway. So when I walked in on him and our neighbor, it was traumatic.”
Her voice broke at the end and it caused something to stir inside me.
What the actual fuck? He cheated on her?
I leaned across the desk and gently gripped her chin, pulling it up so she was looking me in the eye.
“I don’t know him, Jada, but I can tell you that it was his loss. People say stupid shit like that all the time and, I know I’ve known you like two whole fucking minutes, but he was a lucky son of a bitch.” I held her in place until I was sure she wouldn’t look down again before I let her go.
“I should’ve known it was coming,” she said, her voice stronger. “Looking back, I think he was messing around on me the entire time. I should have left him long before I did. Between the cheating and the other stuff …”
“What other stuff?” Anger began to rise from the deepest part of me.
Dear God, please let me have misunderstood that.
“Just his drinking and stuff.”
The spinning ring gave her away.
What did he do to her?And why do I want to hunt the fucker down?
“I’m not going to press you for details about that right now.” My voice was hard as steel. “But if my gut instinct is right, and it always is, my path better not ever cross his.”
“It’s fine, Cane. I am here and he is there. It took me a long time, but I finally realized that I couldn’t be all he needed.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Don’t even start with that shit, Jada. His problems are his problems—not yours.”
I’m going to need a good couple of rounds with the heavy bag after this.
“Anyway, the moral of this story is that there will be no more bad boys for me. No more players. No more games because I always end up losing.”
“And how does that relate to me?” I asked playfully, trying to put a smile on her beautiful face again.
“Are you serious?” She laughed. “By your own admission. You’re the coach.”
I got up, threw my things in the garbage, and considered what she said. “So you think I’m a bad boy and I’ve been blacklisted because of it. Correct?”
“Correct.” She grinned.
“That seems tragically unfair. You don’t even know me.”
“So tell me about you. Tell me why you’re so damn interested in making me crazy.”
