A Tale of Two Pretties Read online

  “Need some company?” B-Rad raised an eyebrow.

  Mac rolled her eyes while mine, I was sure, had the deer-in-the-headlights look.

  B-Rad laughed. “I’m just messing with you. Lighten up.” He smiled, the motion brightening up his whole face. I couldn’t help but smile back at him. His grin was contagious and I found myself staring at him, unable to break eye contact.

  Mac cleared her throat. “Uh, are you going to shower or just eye-fuck all day?”

  All the heat in the pit of my stomach rose to my cheeks and I looked away from B-Rad, biting my lip. “I guess I’ll go shower,” I muttered.

  “I’ll show you where the bathroom is,” B-Rad offered.

  “Okay.” I nodded.

  “No fucking in the shower!” Mac took a swig of her beer, leaning back against the cushions.

  I ignored her and followed B-Rad down a small hallway where he opened a door to a tiny red bathroom. At least it was bigger than the bathroom in Mac’s and my new place and had an actual bathtub and shower. He opened a small accordion-style door directly to my left and pulled out a big white cotton towel and handed it to me along with a washcloth.

  “Did you remodel this as well?” I looked around the small space. It definitely wasn’t original to the building with the red tile surrounding the bathtub and the modern white vessel sink that sat on a granite countertop.

  “Yeah. I had a lot of time on my hands last spring when I moved here.”

  “You did a really nice job…”

  “Thanks.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

  I waited for him to excuse himself so I could jump in the shower and scour his cabinets to find his toothpaste to scrub my mouth out, but he just stood there. I was about to ask him to leave when he took a deep breath.

  “Listen, Darcy, I know I come on kind of strong, but I just wanted to let you know that nothing happened last night. I’m not the type of guy who would take advantage of a girl when she’s drunk.” His eyes were so intensely focused on me that I couldn’t look anywhere but directly into their depths.

  “O-o-okay.”

  “You and Mac seem like cool chicks and I’m just trying to do my best to help y’all out.”

  I bit my lip. God there was something sexy about him. He may have been goofy and had the whole hipster-punk kid style going for him, but there was something raw about him that I was undeniably attracted to and it was that unknown reason that scared me. I couldn’t fall for a guy. Ever. I made sure never to let love come into the picture. I used guys for what I needed them for and then left them. At that moment, though, Mac and I really needed the apartment for more than just a night, so I couldn’t let myself fuck up the situation.

  “Thanks, B-Rad, I really appreciate it. Mac and I both do.”

  He took a step closer to me. His mouth was so close to mine that his words were practically a whisper on my lips. “You can call me Brad if you want.”

  I swallowed hard, trying to regain some composure. “Okay, Brad.”

  “Are you two fucking in there or what? I thought B-Rad was making breakfast!”

  Saved by Mac’s smartassness.

  Brad laughed, stepping back. “I guess I better get to cooking.”

  “Yeah, I’ll be out soon.”

  ***

  Five

  B-Rad’s Apartment

  Saturday

  7:41 AM

  Mac

  Breakfast was surprisingly delicious. Scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast, and fresh fruit was a feast compared to the cereal I’d been eating over the last week. At my parent’s place, I had cereal every morning with my little brother, since my parents didn’t keep a lot of food in the fridge. There was only an egg or two in the fridge yesterday, but there was always plenty of wine in the rack. My ex-fiancé was hardly the cooking type, and I was forced to make all our meals. Although I will say that he insisted we eat out for dinner at least four times a week.

  That sort of life was cool, for some people. The fact that he had that kind of money to blow was appealing, but I’d have rather had home cooked meals every night, and perhaps a little conversation. Every time we ate out, he spent ninety percent of his time glued to his cell phone. Sometimes living with all the upgraded technology was a pain in the ass. Of course, I always had the latest and greatest new phone, too, but I didn’t truly like it. I still had that phone, though the service was scheduled to be terminated sometime tomorrow. Guess that meant I would be hitting up one of the phone booths at the mall at some point.

  Darcy and B-Rad were ridiculous at breakfast, the two of them acting cutesy and flirty and gag me. After the relationship I just escaped from, I definitely didn’t want or need to see that kind of crap. But all I could do was grin and bear it, since B-Rad, for all intents and purposes, was our new landlord, and if flirting with Darcy saved us on rent, I could tolerate it.

  “So whose old place should we go to first?” B-Rad asked as he cleared our plates.

  “Mac’s,” Darcy blurted so fast that I wasn’t even sure I heard her until B-Rad stared at me.

  “I guess we’re going to your place first?”

  I let out a short laugh and then agreed. “Yeah, my ex won’t be home, so at least I won’t run into him while we’re there.”

  “Alright. The truck is downstairs in the back lot, and one of you ladies will have to ride bitch,” B-Rad explained.

  “You mentioned that… Darcy won’t mind,” I volunteered.

  “What the hell?” She glared at me.

  “If you can say I go first to pick up my shit, then I can say where you sit in the truck,” I told her. As B-Rad walked away, I leaned close to whisper to her. “Besides, you’re on flirt duty with him. He’s doing an awful lot for us.” I almost felt a little guilty at how much he was doing.

  “Whatever,” she muttered as B-Rad returned wearing a kelly green shirt that said “Ask me about my T-Rex.”

  Darcy raised an eyebrow, her eyes trailing over his chest. “What about your T-Rex?”

  He grinned, pulling the shirt over his head to reveal a screen printed T-Rex.

  “Oh my God! That’s ridiculous. I can’t believe you’re wearing that outside of the house.” Darcy laughed.

  I rolled my eyes. “Now that we’ve established you have the worst sense in fashion, can we get out of here and get this shit started.”

  “Let’s get going then,” he suggested. We’d signed the papers just after breakfast, so there was no turning back on the apartment. We were stuck together for better or worse.

  * * * * *

  Darcy and I followed B-Rad downstairs to a tiny parking lot behind the pizzeria. There was only enough parking for about five vehicles, but taking up nearly two full spots was an old rusty Chevy. It was white, and if it was in better shape, it would actually have been a classic. Once upon a time, I dreamed of restoring old cars and trucks with my dad. Those dreams disappeared when Dad got sick a few years ago, just before I shipped out to college.

  With all their money tied up medical bills, my parents weren’t able to help with college at all, which was why I worked at the temp agency. It was unfulfilling and hard as hell some days, but I managed to survive. Now that I wasn’t in school and could work more hours, I actually had a bit of money at the end of the month, after I paid bills.

  It helped that the ex paid most of our bills with his paycheck and I was able to bank quite a bit. I kept it all in cash instead of at the bank, but I didn’t want anyone else having access to my money. When I paid my rent to B-Rad, I realized how much my little stash was dwindling. I needed to get some better opportunities with the temp agency. Maybe I would call Kiki in the morning and figure out if I could pick up some night time hours, too. I needed the work.

  As we piled into B-Rad’s truck, he explained that it wasn’t his, but Uncle Tony’s.

  “He had a stroke last year, so he hasn’t been able to drive much.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad,” Darcy commented.

  I remained silen
t, thinking of how close my situation was to B-Rad’s. He seemed so unstable, and yet he was here, taking care of his uncle’s pizzeria and rental property. I had to give him credit for that, even if the tattooed man-child was a bit immature.

  The drive was short and filled with some pop culture tunes, since Darcy declared she was going to be in control the radio. “One of the perks of riding bitch,” she explained.

  I rolled my eyes, but didn’t actually care too much. My thoughts were consumed with thoughts of my ex, Peter. He’d been my life for the last three years. We met during my freshman year at college, when he was a senior, but we agreed to be just friends at first. He had a girlfriend and I wasn’t exactly in a place where I wanted to settle down.

  Toward the end of the year though, we were both single and it just sort of happened one night. We went out for a pizza and ended up making out in his car. He had a job lined up, a bright future set, and I wanted nothing more than to have my crazy life calm down. We moved in together when I started my sophomore year and then things got even more serious. Just last fall, he proposed, our lives set in stone.

  When I found him sleeping with his secretary three weeks ago, my heart was crushed and my whole future crumbled around me. I thought I could forgive him, and maybe we could move on from his indiscretion. But then a few days ago, I found them together again. I had no idea how long it had been going on, but I knew it wasn’t all just recently. I was young and dumb when we got together, and if I had to bet, I’d say he was cheating on me in the beginning, too. I felt like an idiot, not noticing the signs. They were all so clear to me now.

  He showered every day after work, before he would even kiss me. I did think it was weird, considering he showered every morning, too, and he worked in corporate America, which meant he didn’t work up a sweat during the day. His nights at the gym were a hint, too. He spent no less than three nights a week at the gym. When I expressed interest in going with him, he gently explained that it was an all-male gym and that he would be happy to buy me a membership to a gym of my choice. The signs were many, but I was so naïve. It killed me now, made me angry to no end.

  When B-Rad pulled into the parking lot of the high-rise apartment building, Darcy gave me a look that said: seriously? It was nice, I knew, but it wasn’t exactly a happy home, either.

  Yesterday, my ex texted me that I could come pick up my crap today and that my phone was getting turned off. I was positive he wouldn’t be here, which meant I had my choice of what was mine. I smiled, knowing that the dumbass didn’t keep receipts and possession was nine-tenths of the law.

  B-Rad and Darcy walked a few feet behind me into the building. Tom, the doorman, greeted me and we had a short conversation. I kept it light, but it was heart-breaking. The people in this building were like family to me. I didn’t want to let go of them.

  The three of us took the elevator to the fourteenth floor, where Peter’s apartment took up almost the entire floor. It was a huge three bedroom place with chef’s kitchen and very Greek feel, including columns and statues. It wasn’t really my style, but I fell in love with the kitchen, so I agreed to the place.

  Peter signed a five year lease, with the option to buy it as a condo at the end of those five years. As much as I loved it, I never wanted to live there forever. It was convenient while I was in school, but hardly where I saw myself growing old.

  “Holy shit!” Darcy exclaimed behind me. “This was your apartment?”

  “Yeah,” I replied.

  “Why on earth would you leave?” B-Rad asked.

  “Finding out your fiancé is a cheating douche does things to you,” I retorted.

  “Fuck.” B-Rad had the decency to look ashamed, but I didn’t want him feeling too bad for me.

  “It’s fine. Darcy, in the master suite, can you pack up everything in the short dresser with the mirror? That’s all my stuff. There’s a shit ton of boxes in the closet for you to start with. B-Rad, you can help me get the bed from the guest room.” I pointed Darcy in the direction of the master and B-Rad followed me into the guest bedroom.

  I heard a loud damn! from Darcy when she entered the master suite. I had to laugh a little as B-Rad and I walked toward the spare room.

  “I’m sorry,” B-Rad said once we were in the bedroom.

  “It’s fine, honestly. I’m more than ready to move on from this chapter of my life. I know the studio isn’t as lavish as all this, but I don’t think I was ever truly happy here, either. When we walked into the studio, it felt right, despite the tiny size. I felt like I was home.”

  B-Rad nodded. “I know exactly what you mean.”

  “Oh yeah? Were you cheated on by your fiancé, too?” I asked it as a joke, but the sadness that appeared on his face was real. “Shit, seriously? Now I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. She didn’t cheat, at least, not that I know of, but it was just an all-around bad situation, you know? I got out mostly unscathed, and for now, I’m very happy with this chapter of my life, too. It takes time to heal, but moving forward is always the right step.”

  His words were wise beyond his years, and although we didn’t discuss details, I knew that his pain was far worse than mine. The despair in his eyes was evidence enough. I dropped the subject and turned toward the full-size bed.

  “Feel like lugging this downstairs?” I asked him with a wink.

  “Fuck. Fourteen flights is a lot of stairs,” he complained, his eyes wide as he rubbed the back of his neck.

  “I know. I was just kidding. We’ll use the service elevator, which is gigantic. It’s what the company who delivered all the furniture used to get everything in here.”

  The look of relief on his face made me laugh. I pulled the bedding off the bed and B-Rad helped me tip up the mattress. “Let’s do this,” he said.

  * * * * *

  Less than forty minutes later, B-Rad and I managed to have a whole lot of stuff packed up in the truck.

  “Is all this yours or your exes?” Darcy asked me when I had B-Rad take the guest room television. It was a twenty-two inch wall-hanging flat screen, but it was plenty big enough for our little studio.

  “It’s a combination. And the asshole fucked his secretary enough times that I’m just taking what I’m owed,” I explained. She stuck her tongue out at me and then went back to packing up some of the kitchen items. I paid for a lot of those kitchen accessories, and I wasn’t about to leave them behind.

  I definitely had too much shit, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to lose all my stuff over this breakup. We filled the truck with everything we could fit, as I didn’t want to make two trips.

  “One more thing,” I said when B-Rad and Darcy thought we were done. I went into the third bedroom, where Peter made me keep my only pet.

  “What the fuck is that thing?” B-Rad asked, obviously terrified.

  I pulled my little guy out of his glass tank. “Guys, meet Heath.”

  My hedgehog was adorable, but the two of them weren’t impressed.

  “I don’t want any pets,” Darcy complained.

  “Too bad. Heath Ledgehog and I are a package deal.”

  “Heath Ledgehog?” Darcy tried to hide her laughter, but failed miserably.

  “Gross,” B-Rad added.

  “Eff you guys. Heath is great, and he’s coming with us. I keep his cage very clean, so it doesn’t stink,” I explained.

  Both Darcy and B-Rad sniffed the air, testing the stench in the room. “I guess so,” Darcy agreed.

  “I don’t think Uncle Tony will like you girls having a pet,” B-Rad started.

  “Then maybe we’ll have to find a new place to live, Darcy,” I said, hoping she would follow my lead on this one.

  “Yeah, I mean, I might want a different pet someday, like a kitten or something,” she agreed.

  I could see the devastation on B-Rad’s face, the pure selfishness that entered his thoughts as he considered his choices.

  “Fine. I’ll talk to Uncle Tony,” he muttered.


  “Good, now help me carry his cage,” I demanded.

  “It’s not a cage, it’s a fucking terrarium. I feel like there should be spiders crawling out of this thing,” he grumbled as he picked it up.

  “Maybe there are,” I teased. When he went to set the glass tank back down, I relieved his fears. “Just kidding. Come on, let’s go drop all this off.”

  Just as passed the monstrous couch, something yellow caught my eye in the cushion. I paused, tipping my head to the side to look at it. There was no doubt that it was a pair of slutty panties. A pair that were most definitely not mine.

  “Fucking asshole,” I muttered.

  “What now?” Darcy asked.

  I glared at the yellow panties and pointed them out to Darcy. “Those aren’t mine.”

  “What a douche,” Darcy whispered.

  “Let’s mess this place up a little,” I said with an evil smile. I went into the laundry room and grabbed a hammer.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” B-Rad asked, his hands still wrapped around Heath’s cage.

  I sighed. “Yes, but I know I shouldn’t.”

  “Find another way to exact your revenge, Mac,” Darcy suggested. “Since this one could land you in jail.”

  They were right and I knew it, but I wanted desperately to hurt Peter as much as he hurt me. For the time being, though, I could let it go.

  “Fine,” I said, dropping the hammer on the couch next to the panties. “Let’s get out of here.”

  ***

  Six

  Mac and Darcy’s Apartment

  Saturday

  10:32 AM

  Darcy

  After the shit storm at Mac’s place, I wanted to say fuck it and just find a way to go get my things at Dylan’s later, but my companions weren’t about to let that happen.

  Mac pushed the head of her bed up against the wall. It may have been a double but there wasn’t much room left in our tiny apartment after she put the bed in there. That, along with the couch that was there when we moved in were the only furniture. Luckily, I didn’t have much else to offer.