I decided an afternoon surprise was just the type of thing we needed in our relationship.
Locking the door behind me, I double-checked that I’d done it right. Normally, Jenny would lock up at five, but she was off today. Jenny, my personal assistant, ran the gallery daily, except Wednesdays and Sundays.
Jenny kept me on task. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t get anything accomplished. She kept me organized and made sure all my bills were paid; even my non-business ones. I wouldn’t get through one day with anything completed if I didn’t have her, which was probably why I was leaving in the middle of the day in the first place.
The drive to my apartment took only twenty minutes from work before I arrived at the front door to our apartment in Glendale. While smiling to myself, I inserted the key, making sure I was as quiet as a mouse, hoping this would be a good surprise for him.
The door opened and my mouth fell open. I was stone-faced, my smile replaced with shock.
WHAT THE FUCK?
In our living room, Luke stood with his back facing the front door. His pants were around his ankles and he was missing a shirt. His thick, dark hair was ruffled on top of his head. A pair of tan legs were wrapped firmly around his hips. My eyes drifted to her hands resting on each side of his shoulders. Her nails digging into the skin underneath them, I could hear her breathy pants as he slammed her into the wall. Neither of them noticed the front door open with me standing in the entryway.
You would think my first thought would be to yell or scream, but no. The first thing that popped into my head was that he had never “done” me in this manner. Interesting, I note as my anger began to filter in.
I stood there for what felt like several minutes not saying anything; just watching, witnessing the scene play out in front of me as reality hit hard. I couldn’t have stood there more than fifteen seconds max. My fiancé was cheating on me. And in OUR apartment!
Our apartment? Really?
“You fucking bastard.” I wanted to yell the words at him, but it came out weak. Both bodies froze in place. I couldn’t see the woman’s face yet, although, I could see straight strands of long raven hair.
“Oh fuck!” was the first thing that came out of Luke’s mouth as he dropped the woman’s legs to the floor. His voice was laced with panic, as it should be. He turned slowly, facing me and my fierce pale green eyes met his scared emerald ones.
My gaze cut over to the woman who had covered her mouth with a hand. My heart broke in that moment. Standing naked in my living room was my best friend, Allison. Her sky blue eyes were wide with shock. It couldn’t be real. This had to be a sick joke, but it wasn’t. It was real all right.
“You bitch!”
It was all I could say as tears immediately sprung to my eyes. I turned my back on them, jerking my keys out of the door and raced the short distance back to my car. As I slowed my pace, I noticed Allison’s red metallic BMW Z4 convertible parked out front. The one I passed on the way in. How did I not notice it? I was in her car at least twice a week! I slid into my Porsche while in a daze. I raced out of the parking a little faster than I should have, tears spilling from my eyes.
I’m forced back to the present when I hear my iPhone ring for the hundredth time since I left my apartment. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the picture. I ignore the display as I have every time it has rung since leaving home. Grabbing it, I flip the silent switch on and toss it over into my shotgun seat. It will still vibrate, but I won’t have to listen to the annoying ringing sound.
Glancing at the clock on the dash it reads 6:48pm. I puff out a breath of air knowing it’s time to find a place to crash for the night. My body aches and I have a piercing migraine above my eyes. I know I can call my friends, Katelyn and Stacy and stay at their place, but sleeping on their couch does not appeal to me. I need a comfy bed to crawl into so I can forget about today. I’m not ready to talk about what happened, and I know if I go there, that’s exactly what will happen. If I say it aloud, it will make it more real. My best friend betrayed me.
Backstabbing bitch!
I see The Cove ahead on the right, about a quarter of a mile up the road just as “Burn” by Papa Roach starts to play through my speakers. I decide in a nanosecond that is exactly where I need to be. It is, after all, one of my weekly hangouts for one reason or the other. Not the hotel, but the amenities it offers such as a luxury spa, bars, and restaurants.
I love The Cove.
Allison and I get pedicures at Serenity, The Cove’s spa, once a month. Well, not anymore...that whore will have to find someone else to have a spa day with.
God...did I really just think that? I can’t believe I just called my best…ex-best friend a whore, and actually meant it. But you know what? That kind of felt good. I’ve never been the type of person to call people petty cruel names, but now, I finally understand why people do it.