Kinged(14)

“I’ll pick you up at like seven. My treat,” she said.

“Free food? Sounds good to me.”

She laughed. “I thought you’d say that. Anyway, tell me more about this Rex guy.”

“Not much else to say, I guess. He’s not really my normal type.”

“Oh no? No backwards hat and popped collar? No trust fund?”

I laughed, picturing my last boyfriend. He was a typical, snobby New Yorker asshole. He came from a wealthy background, like I did, but his parents never lost their money. It didn’t last very long.

“Not at all like that. He’s tall, lots of muscles, rugged. Covered in tattoos. A little scary actually.”

There was a pause at the other end. “A lot scary, according to Shane,” Amy said.

“Don’t start with me. You know I can handle myself.”

She sighed. “I know you can. Just be careful.”

“He’s a big puppy. All bark and no bite. But god, those muscles.”

“I understand that,” Amy said, laughing.

That was probably the most comfortable conversation we’d had in weeks. I missed her, if I was honest with myself. I hadn’t moved to Philadelphia to be closer to her, but that definitely was a huge bonus. I didn’t have any other good friends in the city, and her distance made things hard. Eventually, our conversation wrapped up, and I promised I’d see her later that night.

I lounged back on the couch again and looked back at the TV. I had on some reality show about female wrestlers, and I couldn’t help but reflect how time in front of a camera can turn a perfectly normal person insane. Amy was going through something like that. Her rich and famous boyfriend was reclusive, but there were still paparazzi hounding their every move. I knew I couldn’t judge her too harshly. There was no real way for me to understand what she was going through, and a lot of it she couldn’t talk about because of Shane’s obsessive privacy. I knew he was good to her, but sometimes I thought he was a straight up asshole. He was pretty controlling, although Amy said she didn’t mind it one bit.

As some red-haired amazon girl got into the ring with a pale British chick, my phone buzzed again. I checked the screen, and it was a text from a number I didn’t recognize. Curious, I pull it up and read it.

hey spoiled girl, come to drake’s tonight was all it said. But I knew exactly who it was from. A thrill ran through my stomach and up my spine as the memory of him came roaring back: dangerous Rex Latour and his dreamy green eyes.

Did I really want to see him again? Shane and Amy both seemed to think I should stay away from him, and there was the small matter of him beating the crap out of two guys the first night we met. Still, that second time, he was calm and kind, if a little brooding and quiet. There was also the little matter of how fucking hot he was, and how badly I wanted to run my tongue along his abs. And maybe I needed a violent, dangerous man in my life. At least he was something new.

I bit my lower lip then typed back. Maybe I will. I hit send. I didn’t know what else to say.

Too good for me now, I get it, he sent back. I smiled to myself, and realized I hadn’t felt this excited texting someone in a long time.

I’ve always been too good for you, I sent back.

Not how you seemed in the bathroom. The memory of his body pressed against mine, of his huge stiff rod straining against his shorts, made my breath come heavy.

Moment of weakness.

Your call. I’ll be there if you change your mind.

I left our texting there. I felt a thrill run through me. I knew I had plans with Amy, but she was always canceling on me. I had every right to push our little date back a night or two if I wanted to. Plus, he was coming after me.

How could I say no?

Amy didn’t seem upset when I told her I had to postpone our date. We rescheduled for brunch the next day, and I prepped myself to see Rex. I had no idea what to expect; we had already made out in a bathroom stall, but I still barely knew him. I put on short, high-waisted jean shorts, and an old band T-shirt. I didn’t want to dress up too much, but I also didn’t want him to think I was purposefully dressing down or something, even though I was. I finished the outfit with gladiator sandals.

I could barely contain how excited I was as I made my way toward Drake’s. I grabbed a cab outside of my apartment, and had them drop me off two blocks away from the bar. I didn’t want Rex to see me climbing out of a cab and have more ammo for his “spoiled girl” jokes.

The night was cool, but comfortable. I pushed my hands into my pockets as I walked, and pictured what I was getting myself into. Rex’s muscles came to mind immediately, his strong jaw and eyes, and the way he grunted at questions he didn’t feel like answering. There was something magnetic about him that I couldn’t explain.