Page 36 of Keys

“You have a lot of nice stuff. It’s just not what I expected in a college apartment.”

“Oh!” There was no way for her to hide the panic that furrowed her brow and drew her lips down. “Um, most of the furniture belongs to my roommate.”

“Your roommate?” I asked the question as I took another look around the place. There didn’t seem to be evidence of another person living here. One person without anything personal lying about was one thing, two people living in the same space and neither of them having anything at all that identified the space as theirs was unheard of.

“Is your roommate going to be around tonight?”

“No. She, um, she’s out with her boyfriend.”

“Right.” I took a step closer to the couch. “What are we supposed to be watching tonight?” It was then I realized that the space where a TV might normally go was empty. That was what had been bothering me about the room. “And how are we supposed to watch something?”

Red splotches bloomed on Aubrey’s cheeks. My TV is in the bedroom. “My roommate’s boyfriend broke the one that was out here.”

“Yeah? How did he manage that?”

“We asked him to move it, and he dropped it. Shattered the screen.”

“There’s a TV in my room though. That’s where we can watch…”

I shook my head. “How about I bring it out here to the living room for you?”

“What in the hell is wrong with you? Are you gay or something?” Aubrey snapped, surprising us both. Her hand immediately flew up to cover her own surprised expression. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean that.”

“I told you before where I stood and why. If you’re not willing to go at my pace, then I can leave and find someone who is.” Not waiting for her answer, I turned toward the door.

“No. It’s fine. You’re just really hard on a girl’s ego.”

“I don’t see why. I’m trying to be respectful and get to know you first. Most women would be flattered and respect that I wasn’t just out to fuck and run.”

“Sure, but you’re this big, bad biker man. It’s just not what I expected.”

“I told you exactly what to expect. Look, if all you’re after is the biker experience, you’d do better to try it out on one of my club brothers rather than me.”

“It has to be you,” she cried out, sending red flags up all over the place.

“Excuse me?”

“Shit. I’m not doing or saying anything right tonight. I’m really attracted to you. I had a crush long before we spoke for the first time. I had built up all these fantasies, and you’re not the same as I thought you would be. That’s all.”

“I came over here with the intention of seeing a movie with you, and possibly spending the night afterward, depending on how things went. I’m not sure-” I started to explain just as my phone chimed with a club-only ringtone. I held a hand up to stop her from saying anything as I picked up the line.

“Yeah?”

“Need you back at the club.”

“What the fuck do you want, Sweet?”

“Tallahassee is here. Need you to take the run with them. I can’t leave while shit is fucked between Angel Girl and me.”

I rolled my eyes. It was supposed to be Sweet on this run with Tallahassee’s burden. “I’m on a fucking date, man.”

“Unless it’s Keys, I doubt it matters. Get back here and take this run. You wanted me to fix shit, I can’t do that if I’m not here.”

“Fine.” I hung up and tucked my cell back in my pocket before glancing up at Aubrey. I could tell by the look on her face that she already knew I was about to ditch her.

“Club shit, right?”

“That’s the life,” I muttered.

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