Bedroom Bully by Harper West

22

Rebecca

The second myalarm went off I knew it was going to be a rough day. I couldn’t get my eyes fully opened until I stood beneath a hot shower and let my nose drain of the sinuses that had determined that now was the proper time to make me feel like shit. I loaded up on sinus medication and threw on my most comfortable work clothes. I didn’t care about the summer dresses or the matching shoes. Hell, I didn’t even care about work clothes. I slid into a pair of waist-high black yoga pants and donned one of my baggier blouses before I slid some sunglasses onto my face and called it a morning.

But, as I left my apartment to go track down some caffeine I didn’t have to make myself, I got a very unexpected call.

“Michael?” I asked as I picked up the phone.

He chuckled. “You seemed shocked to hear from me.”

I slipped into my car. “Well, considering the last time we saw one another…”

“Yeah. I kind of owe you an apology for that.”

I quirked an eyebrow. “Kind of?”

“I’m really sorry, Rebecca. You deserved so much better from me than what you got in that moment, or for the rest of the night, really. I figured I at least owed you an explanation for why I reacted the way I did.”

I struck up my car’s engine. “Trust me, kinky bathroom sex in a dirty bowling alley is enough to make most people run.”

He snickered. “Actually, I wasn’t as put off by the idea as I made it seem.”

I backed out of my parking space and got on the road. “Oh? Well, you did a pretty damn good job of making it seem that way.”

“Again, I’m really sorry. You deserved better from me that evening. But I was hoping I’d catch you in a good mood.”

“Why?”

“Well, I wanted to propose an idea.”

I dove into the drive-thru line of a coffee shop up the road. “Hit me with it.”

“How would you feel about giving me a second chance?”

“You mean, going on a date where you don’t shame me for my sexual appetite?”

He sighed. “It’s really not like that, I promise.”

“Not to be curt, but it seemed like that the other night, and I’d rather find someone who simply tells me it’s not for them rather than someone who makes me feel embarrassed for the exploration I’m doing.”

The phone call fell silent and so many thoughts swirled through my head. Even if he wanted a second chance, did I? I mean, I felt pretty humiliated after our bowling date. Not to mention the fact that he dropped off the face of the planet after the fact. And even if he were up for exploring my sexual appetite with me, did I want to explore with him?

It might fill a void.

“Rebecca?”

Then again, I deserve to fill that void on my own terms.

“Did I lose you?”

I cleared my throat. “You caught me pre-coffee. Let me get my order put in first.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ll be here after you’re done.”

I swung through the drive-thru and picked up my large coffee as well as a cinnamon roll, and it gave me some time to think. I thought about what a second chance with Michael might mean for JoJo and myself. I thought about whether or not I even wanted to try something again with Michael, even though I didn’t necessarily want to pursue anything with JoJo at the moment. And after I pulled back out into traffic to head toward work, I still felt there was something he wasn’t telling me.

At least I’m getting better at reading people.

“Michael?” I asked.

“Hey there. How’s the coffee?”

I sipped it. “Grand. But I still get the feeling you’re not telling me something. It’s making me uncomfortable.”

He paused for a while, which did nothing to calm my nerves. “There is something, but I don’t want it to ruin whatever chance I might still have with you.”

I shrugged. “I’m still debating if you have one, so you might as well spit it out.”

He sighed. “Okay, yeah. Uh, well, the reason why I reacted the way I did that night at the bowling alley wasn’t because of what you were asking. In any other world, I would’ve taken you up on the offer in a heartbeat. But…”

“But…?”

“I’ve been told by a third party that you have some sort of pseudo-relationship with your boss?”

Fucking hell, our office date night. “By ‘third party,’ do you mean my actual boss?”

He cleared his throat. “It doesn’t really matter. I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. But that’s what rushed through my mind when you asked. I wondered if you were simply using me as a filler, or a place-holder, since you couldn’t have him or something.”

I scoffed. “Believe it or not, I don’t allow the men in my life to make those decisions for me. If I wanted him, Michael, I’d be with him. But I wasn’t out with him bowling, I was out with you.”

“I know, I know.”

“And another thing: my boss doesn’t get to dictate what the relationship is between him and me. Only I get to do that. JoJo and I have a very interesting relationship because we grew up together. We experienced some pretty shitty things together. I remind him of a lot of bad, and that grinds his gears sometimes. But it’s his issue. Not mine.”

“Of course. Yes. I agree with you, one hundred percent.”

“Then, you should have come to me with this sooner. Communication is paramount in any relationship.”

“I’d really like to make this all up to you, if you’d let me. It’s one of the reasons I called. I miss you, Rebecca. I miss our conversations. I miss that laugh of yours. I miss the light you bring to my life. And if groveling on my knees gets me another chance with you, I’ll come to your office and do it in front of your entire workplace.”

I grinned. “Sounds intriguing. Go on.”

He barked with laughter. “I miss your sense of humor, too.”

I took a long pull from my coffee. “I take it you won’t confirm that my boss was the one that confronted you with this.”

He snickered. “That feels like a bad decision either way, yes.”

“Right. So, I honestly don’t know where to go from here. I just talked about communication, yet you can’t even confirm for me where the rumor came from in the first place. I know JoJo was the one that trashed our in-office date, so I’m as close to one-hundred-percent sure that it was him that dropped the bomb on you. Which makes me wonder why you still won’t confirm it.”

“Because he’s not the only one who’s going around saying things like that, and I don’t want to kick up drama. I don’t want to get in anyone’s way, nor do I want to create anymore heartache for you. I just want a second chance.”

I had no idea what the hell to do with what he had just said. He wasn’t the only one saying something about it? What the actual hell? Who the fuck else was telling him that JoJo and I were a thing? I wanted to pack my shit up and run for the hills. I wanted to quit my job via email and find another city where I could settle down, become a librarian, and lose myself in stacks of books while people left me the fuck alone. My blood boiled as I pulled into the underground parking garage of TechGiants. And as Michael stayed silent, I threw my car into park.

“You still there?” I asked.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m here.”

“Look, I don’t know if this is such a good idea right now. I’ve got a lot going on in my life and--.”

“All I’m asking for is a meal. We can even make it coffee first thing in the morning. Just thirty minutes of your time.”

I gathered my things and headed for the elevator to take me up to my office. “I can’t give you that right now. I’m hurt, and confused, and your lack of answers to my questions doesn’t give me much hope for our communication skills.”

“Okay, twenty minutes.”

“Michael.”

He groaned. “What can I do to make this better? What can I do to get another shot?”

I shrugged as I jammed my hand into the elevator door button. “Just sit tight, if you really mean it, because right now, I’m just not ready to go out with you again.”

I hung up the phone before I stepped into the encasement and rode it all the way up to my floor. Michael tried calling me again, but I let it slip to voicemail. Pain rushed through my veins. Confusion clouded my mind. And as I stepped off the elevator, I kept staring down my co-workers, trying to figure out who the hell was still spreading rumors about me and JoJo.

I’ll find you. And when I do…

“Morning!” Brit chimed in.

I held my hand up to her face. “Too much.”

“Uh oh, someone looks hung over.”

I scoffed. “I wish. Staying up late doesn’t quite have its perks.”

“Yikes,” she said as she followed me to my office, “did something happen?”

I rolled my eyes. “I guess you could say that, but it’s not like there’s a story to tell. I’m sort of still trying to uncover it.”

“Well, what’s it about? Can I help?”

I unlocked my office and shoved the door open. “Nope. It’s about a car accident my sister was in when we were teenagers.”

“Oh. Why do you want to know about that?”

I walked over to my desk and pulled my sunglasses off, tossing them on top of a mound of paperwork I already had on my keyboard. “Just curious.”

“Ah.”

“Can you close the door?”

She reached for the knob. “Sure, what’s up?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. Just want the door closed. I feel exposed with it open.”

She furrowed her brow as the door closed behind her. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

I perched on the edge of my desk and downed the rest of my coffee. “Michael called this morning.”

Her eyes bulged. “He didn’t.”

“Yep, he did.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Let me guess: second chance?”

I nodded. “Yep.”

“Only thirty minutes of your time?”

I blinked. “Yeah, actually. Then, he took it down to--.”

“Twenty minutes?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you tapping my phone or something?”

She giggled profusely. “No, you idiot. I just know guys. When they know they’ve fucked up, they barter. That’s how they try to recover themselves.”

“So, you think he really does believe he fucked up.”

She shrugged. “I think you won’t know unless you give him another shot.”

“So, you think I should give him another shot.”

“I think I’ve never seen you happier than when you were looking forward to the dates you had with him. And I know he fucked up. What he did was shitty. But, if he wants to make it up to you, who’s to say you have to keep dating him after he’s made it up to you? Catch my drift?”

I pointed at her. “You’re a genius.”

She waved her hand in the air. “Just dated a lot of dicks. Let me know how it goes, okay?”

I set my empty coffee cup down. “If I decide to take him up on his offer, I’ll definitely fill you in.”

She opened my office door. “And good luck with your car accident research, even though I have no idea why you’d be interested in such a thing.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“Lunch?” she asked as she slipped out the door.

“You’re on.”

“Good, because it’s your turn to pay.”

I snickered. “I see why you love me now.”

She winked. “I love starin’ at them titties, my girl.”

I barked with laughter. “Get out of here, crazy.”

She pointed. “Made ya smile.”

I giggled softly. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, beautiful. See you in a few hours.”

Then, she closed my office door, leaving me alone with my thoughts while they swirled out of control.

This week was going to be a hell of a work week.