“Was it Cayson?” she asked.

  “Nine out of ten times it’s Cayson,” Slade said sarcastically. “Who else would it be?”

  “Goddammit.” She took out her phone.

  “What are you doing?” Slade asked.

  “Look who’s controlling now,” she hissed.

  “They’re down the street,” Slade said. “So if you need to talk to them you should just wait.”

  She growled then typed furiously on her phone.

  “This should be fun,” Jasmine said with a sigh.

  Trinity stopped typing just to glare at her.

  I was getting really sick of the way Trinity was treating Jasmine. Jasmine was the nicest person in the world. What was her problem? Slade wasn’t my favorite guy but I always made an effort to be polite to him.

  Cayson walked inside with his arm around Skye. “We just finished dinner.” Wen they reached the table they both stopped and looked at us.

  Skye looked like her head might explode.

  “Uh…” Cayson turned to Slade for an explanation.

  “We’re on a double date,” Slade said casually. “But the more, the merrier, right?”

  Skye shot Trinity a glare. “A double date?”

  Trinity pointed at Slade. “This was all his idea. He didn’t tell me until we were almost here.”

  Cayson rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

  Slade scooted further into the circular booth so Cayson and Skye could sit down.

  Cayson came to me and shook my hand. “It’s nice to see you.”

  “You too.”

  He glanced at Jasmine but didn’t say anything.

  Skye watched him like a hawk.

  Damn, this was awkward.

  When we were all seated, the tension fell on our shoulders.

  Skye was practically sitting in Cayson’s lap, claiming him.

  Trinity was shooting Skye apologetic looks.

  Slade was the only one who didn’t look uncomfortable. “How’s the bank?”

  “Busy like usual,” I said. “Chase better watch out because we’re growing.”

  “I don’t know,” Slade said. “Those things are the new Starbucks.”

  “But they charge for a checking account,” I explained. “We don’t and we always won’t.”

  “Hmm…maybe I should switch,” Slade said.

  “You bank with Chase?” I asked.

  Slade looked uncomfortable. “Yes…”

  I laughed. “It’s okay. I’m not one of those people.” I kept my arm around Jasmine, wanting everyone there to know she was mine.

  “Don’t be mad at me,” Trinity whispered to Skye.

  “How can I not be?” Skye demanded. “How would you feel if I was hanging out with Slade’s ex?”

  If I could hear them, so could Jasmine.

  “I’m sorry, okay?” Trinity said.

  Cayson stared at his beer and remained silent.

  “You guys are being ridiculous,” Jasmine said, breaking the awkward bubble. “First of all, I don’t like Cayson. I’m over him. He’s over me. You’re making nothing into something. I’m with Reid and I prefer him to Cayson any day. You both need to get over yourselves.”

  Skye didn’t look happy with that speech. Her blue eyes darkened to gray.

  Trinity didn’t seem pleased either. “Of all the people in New York, you choose her?” she asked incredulously. The words were directed at me. “A prostitute would have been better.”

  It suddenly became very quiet. It was the calm before the storm. I felt the tension escalate at a rapid pace. It pressed on me on all sides. Shit just got real.

  “Trinity, that was low,” Slade whispered to her.

  “It’s true,” she said back.

  “Reid, you’re a catch,” Skye said. “You should find something better than this trash.”

  This attack was coming out of nowhere. They were treating Jasmine like she seriously offended them. But she was so nice that I couldn’t imagine it. And their words really pissed me off.

  “You can think about me and hate me all you want,” Jasmine said. “But I don’t think about either one of you at all. So, go ahead and waste your time.” Her voice was steady and cold, like she was indifferent to their presence entirely.

  Cayson covered his face and sighed, like he wanted to say something but was unable to.

  “You guys should both be ashamed of yourselves,” I said. “Just last night Jasmine was telling me how nice you all used to be. She didn’t have anywhere to spend the holidays and you welcomed her into your home and made her feel like family. And now you’re treating her like a criminal. She’s said nothing but nice things about you, and you guys are being so cold and petty. Seriously, get over yourselves.”

  Jasmine gave me a big smile.

  “There’s nothing she could have possibly done to deserve this treatment,” I said.

  “Except trying to steal Cayson back,” Skye hissed.

  Cayson spoke. “She never—”

  Skye silenced him with just a look.

  Cayson turned away.

  “I never wanted Cayson back,” Jasmine argued. “You’re being really immature about this. I assumed a CEO of a huge company that has the unconditional love of a loyal man wouldn’t be intimidated by anyone or anything. You behaving this way just makes you look like a bitch, not me. And everyone at this table knows that.”

  I wanted to give Jasmine a high-five for that.

  “Do you know anything about her?” Skye asked. “Because if you don’t, you should ask for her number. She’s a slut.”

  “Big slut,” Trinity agreed.

  “You’re one to talk,” Slade snapped, looking at Trinity.

  “So are you,” Jasmine said to Skye. “You were fucking Zack and you didn’t even like him. Who’s the whore now?”

  Skye’s eyes were about to explode. She slowly rose out of her seat.

  Cayson pulled her back. “Skye, no.”

  “I’ve been wanting to pull out that pretty blonde hair for a long time…” Skye had her eyes on Jasmine.

  “I’d kick your ass any day,” Jasmine said. “But of out respect for Cayson I’m not going to stoop to your level.”

  “And because she has some class,” I added.

  Trinity released a sarcastic laugh.

  Slade covered his face and sighed. “This is a disaster…”

  “Let’s go,” I said to Jasmine. “We have better things to do than put up with this.”

  “Word.” She snapped her fingers.

  Trinity and Skye both glared at us.

  “I’m sorry, man,” Slade said. “I didn’t know our girls would act like this.”

  “It’s okay,” I said. “We don’t care anyway.” I turned to Trinity before I left. “I thought that after everything we’ve been through and how I’ve always been nice to Slade that you would reciprocate that with Jasmine. I guess I was wrong.” I took Jasmine’s hand and walked out.

  Once we were a few blocks away, Jasmine spoke. “Girls don’t like me much.”

  “I picked up on that,” I said in a teasing voice.

  “It’s just hypocritical,” she said. “I act like a boy but it makes women hate me. I can never win.”

  “Why do they think you’re a slut?” I asked. “Just because you slept with Cayson?”

  “No, I’ve just been around,” she said simply. “And they like to rub that in my face.”

  We kept walking hand-in-hand. I never cared what Jasmine did before I came along. It didn’t seem important. It was a little awkward knowing she slept with Cayson but it happened long before we met so why should it matter? But when she said she’d been around, what did that mean? How many guys did she sleep with? Was it a lot? Like, a lot?

  She turned to me. “Go ahead and ask.”

  “Ask what?” I feigned innocence.

  “How many guys I slept with. I know you’re thinking it.”

  I stared straight ahead while we walked, wondering if I should voice the question. I was interested in knowing. How many had come and gone before me? Was her number higher than mine? But what would that change? What did it matter? Only bad things could come from it. I stayed silent.

  Jasmine turned to me, watching my face.

  “I don’t care what your number is.”

  “Liar.”

  I held her gaze before I turned away. “It doesn’t matter so why should we talk about it?”

  “I’m not ashamed of my actions or who I am. But if you have a problem I’d rather know now so I don’t waste my time.”

  I looked at the pavement below my feet. “How many?”

  “Sixty-two.”

  Holy shit. Skye and Trinity weren’t kidding.

  Jasmine saw the surprise on my face and dropped my hand. “If I were a guy, no one would think less of me. I enjoy sex and I’ve always had. But people label me as a slut and a whore. It’s completely sexist. I refuse to let people make me feel bad about it. So I don’t. If you have a problem with it, lets just end the relationship here. If you’re one of those guys who likes to fuck a lot of women but wants to marry a virgin, you aren’t getting that from me.”

  Despite the calmness of her voice, there was obvious sadness there. I could hear it in her tone, like it was something that bothered her a lot more than she let on. “I don’t think less of you.”

  “Really?” She challenged me with her eyes.

  “But that is a high number.”

  She shrugged. “It’s just a number.”

  “And it’s because you like sex?”

  “Why would I do it if I hated it?”

  I started to think about everything I knew about her. Her parents abandoned her when she was young, Cayson abandoned her for another woman, and Roland told me she had problems with men. And Jasmine always kicked me out after sex because she assumed I didn’t want to be around her after I got laid. “You know what I think?”

  “What?” she said in an irritated voice.

  “I think you use sex in place of love. You think if you give men what they want they’ll stick around. Sex is all you know, and you use it as a weapon and a defense mechanism. You’ve come to accept the love you think you deserve, and Jasmine, you deserve a lot more.”

  She turned her back on me and stared at the street. Taxis and cars passed, and their headlights brightened the road. Her blonde hair danced in the wind and she crossed her arms over her chest. Her top moved in the slight breeze.

  I stared at her, waiting for her to say something.

  She didn’t turn around, keeping her back to me.

  “Jasmine?” I came behind her and pressed my chest to her back.

  She said nothing.

  Then I heard a sniff.

  Pain rocked through me and burned in my throat. “Jasmine…” I tried to force her to face me.

  She wouldn’t budge. “Don’t look at me.”

  I moved my arms around her waist and held her close to me. My chin rested on her head.

  “Crying is weak. My dad used to hit me when I did it.”

  I tightened my grip on her. “There’s nothing weak about crying. I don’t think less of you. However, I think it’s weak that you won’t admit your feelings to me—or to yourself.”

  “Crying is annoying,” she whispered. “And if I look at you, I’ll cry more.”

  “Crying isn’t annoying.”

  She still didn’t turn around.

  I directed her toward me, and this time she cooperated. When she faced me, she averted her gaze. Her eyes were red and moist. She wiped her tears away quickly and sniffed.

  I cupped her face and forced her to look at me. “You’re still beautiful when you cry.”

  She took a deep breath and released it. Then she closed her eyes for a long time. When she reopened them, she seemed to be calm.

  “You don’t need to have sex with me to keep me around. While I enjoy it, I enjoy being with you more. You’re a smart and beautiful woman. In addition, you’re the coolest chick on the planet. Maybe Trinity and Skye hate you because they’re threatened by your beauty and coolness but I think you’re the most inspirational person I’ve ever met. You’re strong and never give up. You’re a lot more than you give yourself credit for.”

  “You’re so wonderful, Reid. I don’t understand what you see in me…”

  “I just told you what I see in you.”

  “But you’re so sweet, you’re a rich banker, and you’re so good-looking. I’m just…a hairdresser.”

  “Just a hairdresser?” I asked. “There’s nothing shameful in that. It’s what you love to do. How does that make me better than you?”

  “Well, I live check to check. I don’t have a retirement. And it’s not like it requires a lot of education.”

  Jasmine never admitted a weakness to me. She always retained her confidence and acted like she didn’t have a care in the world. Now I understood that was all an act. “That still doesn’t make me better than you. I wasn’t always what I am now. I started off at a low point, trying to make it while paying back my loans and making rent. You aren’t alone, Jasmine. We don’t all have wonderful beginnings. But we can all have great endings.” I brushed away a tear with the pad of my thumb. “In either case, I’m not above you or beneath you. We’re the same.”

  She took a deep breath then blinked quickly, battling her tears. When her eyes were dry, she looked at me. “Sometimes you don’t seem real.”

  “Well, I am. I’m very real.”

  “How did I find you? How did this happen?”

  I shrugged. “Life has an odd predictability. But it’s also easily predictable.”

  She smiled slightly. “I guess.”

  I pressed my head to hers and held her close. “How about we go get some ice cream and eat it right out of the carton?”

  Her eyes lit up in excitement. “I’d love to.”

  Chapter Two

  Trinity

  “Why the hell were you being such a bitch?” Slade demanded. “That was straight up cold.”

  “Skye is my best friend. I’m loyal to her,” I argued.

  “You were an even bigger bitch.” Slade turned to Skye. “Seriously, what the hell is your problem? There’s no reason to act like that.”

  Skye crossed her arms over her chest. “I want her out of our lives—for good.”

  Cayson looked away and said nothing.

  “She isn’t hurting anyone,” Slade argued. “She’s with Reid now. They seem really happy together.”

  “And that’s fine,” Skye said. “They can go be happy—somewhere else.”

  Slade turned to Cayson. “Aren’t you going to tell Skye she’s being a bitch?”

  Cayson kept looking away. All he did was shrug.

  Skye kept up her attitude.

  “She’s such a whore,” I said. “Reid deserves someone better than that.”

  “That’s what I don’t get,” Slade said. “You’re a bigger whore than she is.”

  “Am not!” I wanted to punch him.

  “How many guys did you fuck before I came along?” he demanded. “You screwed guys just for attention because you had low self-esteem. On our second night together, you were down to do anal. If that’s not slutty I don’t know what is.”

  I wanted to slap him hard across the face.

  Slade seemed angrier than I was. “Seriously, Jasmine has had a really hard life so you have no right to judge her and make her feel like shit. She deserves to be happy just like anyone else. She didn’t kill anyone, so she’s a good person in my book. You’re being bitchy girls in high school that can’t stand the fact that there’s someone better than you.” He scooted out of the booth. “Let’s go, Cayson.”

  Cayson seemed torn for a moment.

  Skye watched him closely.

  Cayson stood up and stood beside Slade. “I’m sorry, Skye. I agreed not to talk to her but you had no right to treat her like that. It’s totally uncalled for. And my defense has nothing to do with the fact I used to be with her. This cattiness is an ugly color on you.”

  Slade nodded then they walked out.

  Skye and I were left in the booth.

  She turned to me, clearly irritated Cayson left.

  I was upset Slade left too.

  Skye finished her drink then looked at me. “We were bitches, huh?”

  I shrugged in response. “Yeah…”

  “I guess I was just caught off guard she was here,” Skye said. “I’m being petty and vain about the whole thing. She’s clearly happy with Reid so what does it matter?”

  “Yeah,” I agreed. “I feel like shit now.”

  “What do we do?” she asked with a sigh.

  “Apologize…?”

  “I guess we can do that,” Skye said. “I don’t have her number or know where she lives.”

  “I could ask Reid,” I said. “I have his number.”

  “Let’s give that a try.”

  I took out my phone. Skye and I want to apologize to Jasmine. Can you give us her address?

  No. But she’s at my apartment. You can apologize here.

  Be there soon. Judging his coldness he was still really pissed off. “She’s at his apartment.”

  “Well, let’s go.”

  ***

  We arrived at his door and knocked.

  Reid opened it then looked at us with distrusting eyes. “Yes?”

  “Can we talk to Jasmine?” I asked.

  “Are you going to be mature adults?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Skye answered.

  “What made you come around?” Reid asked.

  I shrugged. “Slade and Cayson said we were…being bitches.”

  “That’s a pretty good description.” He stepped aside and let us enter. “Jasmine, you have guests.”

  Jasmine came out of the kitchen then froze when she saw us. She looked happy a moment ago, and now she looked irritated. Her guard was up and she clearly wasn’t thrilled to see us. She stopped a few feet in front of us and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “I’ll leave you guys alone.” Reid walked down the hall and into his bedroom.

  Skye and I stood there awkwardly.

  Jasmine stared us down, waiting for us to say something.

  Skye went first. “Okay…we were total bitches back there.”

  “Yeah, I’d say so,” Jasmine said.

  Her venom didn’t surprise me.

 

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