Page 44 of Strictly Business

"You okay?" I touch her hand trying to ignore the stare burning into the side of my head.

“Fine,” she hisses and tries to rip her hand from mine, but I don’t let go.

"Yeah, she's fine," Asshole tries to step between us, but I don't budge. "You can go now. We have a conversation to finish."

"Actually, your conversation is finished.” I rest my hand on her back pulling her further into me despite the tension. It slowly dissipates as my thumb grazes the skin of her neck, a warmth blooming under my touch. "C'mon," I glance down at her, "let's go home."

"So, you are fucking him!” Asshole scoffs.

"What's it to you?"

"I'm her husband.”

Husband.

Wait… She’s married? I knew Josh had said she was seeing someone a few years ago, but nothing ever seemed to come out of it. Where’s he been the last month? Obviously, not interested in his wife’s whereabouts. He hasn’t shown his face one time. I don’t remember even hearing her mention him. Not once. That means she was married when we fucked in the office… Great, this is just great.

“And, considering she refuses to sign the divorce papers, I think I'm entitled to know who my wife is whoring around with.”

I stick my other hand out to restrain Colin when he takes a step forward keeping him from doing something he'll regret. "No, I don't think you do and I don’t appreciate you talking about my girlfriend that way. If you ever speak to her like that again, Colin over there will be the least of your problems. If you'll excuse us, we have somewhere to be.” Like Michaela giving me an explanation as to what in the hell is going on. Uncertainty swims in the ocean eyes under her baseball cap, but I squeeze her shoulder gently. "Isn't that right, Shortcake?"

“Y-yeah. Yeah, we have, um, plans. Bye, David."

"Hand it over, Michaela,” David hisses.

“You know, I don't think I will.” A tight smile tugs on her lips and she leans further into my side. Her voice becomes more confident with each word, “Especially if you're going to continue to come at me in such a threatening manner."

“Unbelievable. You’ll be hearing from my lawyer, again.”

“She knows where to find me.”

This is going to continue until one of them walks away, and no one wants to be the first one to blink. So I do it for them, guiding her down the street. Colin hesitates briefly, he’s still considering turning around and beating David’s ass. He cannot stand a man disrespecting a woman, but especially not their own wife. David calling her a whore was the final nail in his coffin, whether Colin knows her or not. And right now, he thinks she is my girlfriend. So, David has not only disrespected Michaela, but me.

We turn onto Sixth Street from Grand, and Michaela tries to pull away, but I keep my hold on her. I know better than to stop this soon in case David follows. I guide her across Sixth to Broome and finally release her. “What in the hell was that, Michaela?”

“Fuck off, Finn. It’s not your business.”

“I find you in a screaming match with your husband in the middle of SoHo, and you tell me it’s not my business?”

“It’s not your business!”

“Michaela—”

"Okay, what is going on here?" Colin interrupts. "You failed to mention you were dating someone, Sheff. Let alone someone who is married.”

“Soon to be divorced,” Michaela corrects.

“We are not dating,” I correct him. “Colin, this is Michaela, the one who was helping me with the House. Josh’s little sister.”

“Davis? Oh, shit. You’re dating his little sister? He’s gonna kill you, dude.”

"We're not dating!” Michaela and I say at the same time.

"Like that would happen," Michaela mumbles.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I hiss. She'd be lucky to date someone like me, especially after what I just witnessed.

"I'd sooner go back to my ex-husband."

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