تسجيل الدخولI flicked the lighter and brought it to the butt of the cigarette, taking in a deep breath as the flames licked up the white stick. Leaning against the wall at the back of the diner, I closed my eyes, letting the cloud of smoke dance in my face. I felt stressed for some strange reason. Tonight was supposed to be going well. I had a hot woman by my side and a great meal. Yet, I felt entirely stressed and angry. And even more annoying was the fact that I didn't know what had gotten me so pissed.Taking another puff, I waited for the feeling to hit. Fuck Marcus. Fuck him for lying to me about his sexuality. It was true that my mother wasn't the best when it came to dependability and reliability, but she wouldn't lie about something like this.Or would she?Maybe I was overreacting. It didn’t even matter because…Because…I hated this feeling.Another puff.I couldn’t describe it. I didn’t even know what it was. It felt like a clawed creature tearing its way through my chest. And when I
I couldn't breathe. One moment, it felt like it was just a minor ache in my chest, and the next, it was full-blown, clawing so hard at me that I almost cried out from the intensity. I tried to swallow. I tried to down more red wine. Nothing was working. “So, Emma,” Nita started, her tone forcefully cheery. “How did you get into working for a news station?”"Oh, we don't call it that," she answered in her sultry tone. "It is actually a global news agency, and we specialize in top corporate firms and wealthy families, like the Arthurs. We actually believe that including us first in every new policy formed or, in your case, a new project, puts you on a global landscape with the reach we have."“So, you think your little ‘global’ agency has the ability to increase the reach Arthur Group already has?” Everyone can hear how ludicrous it sounds from Nita’s tone, and our eyes move to Emma, waiting for her response. She was leaning into Jordan so hard that I actually thought he needed to com
The waiter arrived about ten minutes ago to get our order, yet he was still at our table. Because Emma didn't know what she wanted to eat and was taking a God-awful time deciding. Even Nita, who seemed to be the most cheerful one at the table, didn't look like she could take it anymore.“How about I help you order?” she said in a sweet tone that sounded a tad fake. “I am sort of a regular here and can advise you on the things that taste really good.”"I'll pass," Emma responded. Or rather, whispered in an airy tone. Although she had a smile on her face, her response seemed very intentional and strategic. "I don't know about your taste and… I have very particular ones. I'm vegetarian."If I wasn't bothered about what was wrong with Jordan, I would have burst out laughing at that. Nita nodded curtly, then turned to me. "What the hell is wrong with her?" she whispered. "And if she jerks that knee one more time right next to me, I am going to call security on her. I don't care what the bo
I got lost a couple of times, all because I wasn't sure I was at the right place. Maybe Gary was right. Not about the fact that I'd pissed Jordan off. But that this… all of him…It wasn't me. I felt so oddly out of place as I walked in while the rest of the diners that arrived at the same time rode up in their exotic-looking cars, handing their keys over to the valet.I was leaning into the glass wall next to the door, checking out my outfit for the millionth time, when the door suddenly pushed open, almost smacking me in the face. I jumped out of the way with a sharp gasp, as what looked like the doorman nodded politely. “My apologies,” he said calmly. “I was instructed to bring in a Mr. Marcus Miller. Is that you?”I couldn’t remember ever telling Jordan my last name. "Yes," I answered. "That is me. Sorry. I couldn't tell where the front door was and…"The man smiled politely at me, in a way that told me he wasn't really interested in hearing what happened. Or in listening to my vo
"That was all he said," I groaned to Anna, who had been on a video call with me for the last hour. The girl had to think that I was the one person in her life with so much drama, and that was a sharp change from the usual.It'd always been Anna. She was the one who dated the wrong men, called in the middle of the night to cry when she found them cheating on her, or called to talk about her hatred for James each time he called her his dude friend. Yet, she always smiled at him with so much enthusiasm the following morning that it was hard to reconcile both versions of my best friend. But now, she was in L.A, listening to me rant and crash via video call. I wasn’t a strong fan of changes. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it as bland as it read,” she murmured, chuckling. “You have to put yourself in his shoes too. He is a very straight man…” Anna paused, then shook her head. “Or maybe used to be a very straight man, who kissed a gay dude and is now freaking out about it.”“He doesn’t even kno
Nita was on her feet in the twinkling of an eye, so fast that if the situation had been any different, I might have actually burst out laughing. Or maybe I did, just a tiny bit. Maybe the sides of my lips quivered, and maybe she caught it, throwing me a sharp glare. My mother slowed down at the door, still open behind her, looking from Nita to me. "What is going on here?"Nita made to reply, her lips already moving, but I beat her to it, downing the rest of my scotch. “Meeting,” I said in a clipped tone. “With glasses of liquor in the middle of the day?”"My meeting, my rules," I muttered, angling my head at Nita and her unfinished glass. When she shot me another glare, I scoffed and downed hers as well. For someone who acted like she was thick-skinned and like nothing could scare her, Grace Arthur sure made that part of her disappear. “What do you want, mother?”My mother stepped further into the office, nudging at the door. “Leave.”Nita didn’t think twice about it. “Yes, Ma’am,”







