Page 42 of The Marriage Bid
Then the sound of the car doors unlocking popped off. I opened the door immediately and jumped out, leaving Tyler alone, and marched to my apartment. I was waiting to hear the sound of his car driving away, but instead, I heard footsteps behind me.
“What the fuck?” I said when I glanced over my shoulder and saw him following me.
“Saffron, wait.”
I turned back to the building, unlocked the main door, and tried to close it quickly, but a neighbor came in behind me, allowing Tyler to follow. I rushed to my place, taking the stairs, but Tyler took the elevator, and he was waiting for me when I got to my door.
“I want to apologize.” He leaned on the wall by my door as I searched for the keys in my purse. “I don’t know what got into me. It’s just seeing you with Massimo…”
“Tyler, he’s an old man with a fucking wife, who was present, by the way. Why the fuck would I flirt with him, let alone want to fuck him? What’s wrong with you!”
“I know. I know. You’re right,” he sighed and rubbed his temple. “I don’t know what’s going on. You make me feel…” he dropped his head. When he looked up again, he seemed sorry? I was clearly seeing things that were not there. “You make me feel things I’ve never felt before, and it’s driving me crazy.”
I rummaged through my purse, ignoring him. I had no time for his confessions, as good as they sounded to my ears. Where were the goddamn keys? I hoped to God I didn’t lose them. It would be embarrassing to have to contact the landlord while this asshole was hovering around. He would just love it.
“Are you looking for this?” He dangled the keys in my face. I tried to snatch them, but he swung them away from my reach and unlocked the door. He entered the apartment, leaving me gobsmacked in the corridor. “Well,” he said, venturing further in, “are you coming in?”
I followed him and closed the door. “Did you steal them as some sort of sick joke?”
He went to the living room and threw himself onto the loveseat and spread his arm on the headrest. “You left them in my car. They fell out of your purse as you were getting out.”
“Thanks. Now get out.”
“Not until you hear my apology.”
“I did, and I don’t forgive you. Now leave.”
He got up, and for a split second, I thought he was doing as I said, but he came to stand in front of me. “I shouldn’t have called you that and… I want to thank you for pulling that off.”
I was still angry with him, and the longer he stood in front of me, the more I wanted to give him another slap. How could he act as though what I was saying didn’t matter? “Don’t care. Leave.”
He raised his hands and took a step back. “And if I say I also want to talk about the thing between us, would you let me stay?”
I crossed my arms. “What thing? As far as I am aware, you and I are a married couple about to divorce.”
He gave me a mock-serious stare. “Really? So, Florence doesn’t count? Or as I like to call it, the night we blew each other’s brains out.”
My heart fluttered. Of course, I hadn’t forgotten about it. But he acted as though it didn’t matter. “I thought that was a one-off. Isn’t that what you implied?”
“Yeah, but…” his face went from playful to serious. “I want more.”
“I don’t get you. You’re one unserious man.”
“I don’t get it either. There’s something about you that…” his shoulders dropped. Almost exasperated. Almost perplexed. “I don’t understand why you are the one I can’t stop thinking about.”
“Wow. Here you go, Mr. Romantic,” I said sarcastically. “That’s what every woman wants to hear.”
He took a step closer. I remained rooted even though part of me was screaming to get as far away as possible. The logical part remembered how callous he could be. The irrational part was singing the nearer he got. It wanted him to get even closer. “You know there’s nothing romantic about us. And in a way, isn’t that a good thing? You’ve obviously gotten over your silly crush on me, and I… well,” his gaze traveled down my body, undressing me, “I have since seen the error of my ways.”
“Let’s see. You call me a slut. Then you quote unquote ask for forgiveness just so you can get into my pants?” I dragged him to the door. “You’re not as slick as you think, Tyler.” I opened the door and pushed him out. “Wait, Saff—” I closed the door in his face and locked it. I was debating whether I should call the superintendent and have him chase Tyler out when I got a message from him.
TylertheAsshole: Think about it. I know you want me as much as I want you.
Think about what? As far as I am concerned, I no longer wanted anything to do with him. My relationship with Tyler from now on was going to be strictly professional. And when all of this is over, if I find who is blackmailing him, I could finally cut the last string tying me to him. That’s what I wanted.
???
“Did you see the article?” I said, sipping the hot tea Aunt Pamela had made when I arrived. It was hot outside, but her love for tea was undefeated, and I had gotten used to being served the brew no matter the time of day or the weather.
