Chapter Five
Ezra
“Are you even listening to me, Ezra?” Bella whines. She has been moaning ever since she arrived here half an hour ago, complaining about what happened at the event last night and rambling on about pointless things.
“No! I am not listening to you. I am tired of listening to you,” I snap.
I’m usually very patient with her when she acts like this, but I am not in the mood for her today. I have other things on my mind. I laugh at myself for my self-deception, all I can think about is Alana!
“Don’t talk to me like that, Ezra,” she snarls, glaring at me.
“Then stop complaining about stupid little things. God forbid if you ever have to deal with a real problem for once in your life.” Bella has never experienced hardship in her entire life, unless broken fingernails count as hardship.
I don’t want to hear anymore. Standing up, I walk past her and head to my office, not saying another word. Oh, I hear her bitching at me as I do. I slam my office door shut and lock it to stop her from coming in. She will eventually leave when I ignore her for long enough. She will come back later, we’ll fight some more, fuck and make up, and then it will start again tomorrow.
I hear her stomping around my house while she rants, but after ten minutes, I hear the front door slam. I should break up with her, but if I do that, it means my parents will be on my back again about finding a girl to settle down with and how a man my age should be married and have kids by now. I’m a grown-ass man, but a part of me has always tried to keep them happy because I feel like I owe them. If it wasn’t for them adopting me when I was nine, I can’t even imagine where I’d be right now. No one has any idea I was adopted, not even Bella or my friends. The only people who know are my parents and younger sister. I prefer it stays that way. My parents moved to LA once they adopted me, wanting to get me away from my birth parents in Chicago.
I pour myself a scotch and check my emails, but realise I don’t want to look at them. I sigh, resting back in my office chair, and I take a sip of my drink. I slip my hand into my pocket searching for my phone. A part of me hopes Alana would have texted, but there is nothing. I’m not used to women rejecting me. I open a text to her.
Hey, kitten, are you still annoyed with me? x
I expect it not to go through, thinking she probably blocked me, but it does. I’m not one to put in a lot of effort to claim what I want, because I don’t usually have to. However, something tells me I’ll need to bring my A game when it comes to Alana. I’m not sure how to convince her to give me a chance while I have a girlfriend. I am not looking for anything serious with Alana, only a little fun, and with any luck, her permission to cuff her to my bed and fuck her senseless. Is it too much to ask for? No one needs to know. It’s not like anyone is going to find out anyway. I know if I was seen in public with someone like Alana, I would be made to feel a lot of shame about it, especially if people find out what she does for a living—heaven forbid she has to work for a living—and has no place in the elite society. It’s bullshit, but it’s how things work in my world.
It’s a world I’ve never been entirely at ease in. Before I was adopted, I lived in a trailer park with two drug addict parents who didn’t care about anything other than getting their next hit. I used to be one of the poor souls who the Establishment looked down on and judged. As much as I hate to admit it, I have become similar to them. I hate myself for it, but I picked up on my parents’ behaviour when they raised me like that. I’m not as bad as them, like Bella, but I’m no angel either.
Glancing at my phone, I wonder if she has replied yet. I smirk when I see Alana is replying, the three little dots flashing on the screen letting me know she currently is. Hmm, I wonder what she will have to say. I prepare myself mentally, not sure what to expect after her unexpected attitude when I saw her earlier, one which, if I get my hands on her, I will fuck it right out of her. My phone beeps, signalling her reply.
Yes! I am!
I chuckle at her response because I was expecting it.
Aw, why? What can I do to make you forgive me? Dinner? Drinks? Coffee? A trip to Bali? You name it x
I am only offering her things I can make possible.
Bali? I threw you out of my apartment earlier, yet you think I’d fly to Bali with you? What is wrong with you? Were you dropped on your head as a child?!
I am only making suggestions, giving her an opportunity to expand her horizons.
There is a lot wrong with me. I could ask you the same thing because who turns down a free trip to somewhere as beautiful as Bali? x
I am sure any sane person would turn it down if someone they met once, not to mention less than twenty-four hours ago, had made the offer, but I refuse to say it to Alana.
A sane person, Ezra! I am not going anywhere with you unless you have suddenly become single since I last saw you.
No, but I can arrange it ASAP if it means you will come to see me? I think that is a fair deal, don’t you, gorgeous? x
Maybe I could, even for a short time. Who will know the difference?
Seriously? You are willing to break up with your girlfriend to have sex with someone you just met? Is loyalty not a thing these days?
I can be loyal, but only to people who deserve it.
What makes you think I only want sex? Or is that what you want? Loyalty needs to be earned and returned x
Neither of which Bella has done, but I won’t put all of this on her because I am as much to blame.
I don’t think—I know. I didn’t say I wanted anything with you. You just assumed. It is none of my business what goes on in your relationship, but I won’t be the reason for it ending.
Alana needs to stop fighting the attraction between us. She doesn’t need to tell me she wants me. I read it in her body language and eyes when we were close last night and earlier this morning.
How about we make a deal? You meet me for a coffee, and after, if you still want me to leave you be, I will x
I won’t, but it’s worth a shot. I stare at my screen, waiting patiently for her to reply, but she takes longer than the previous ones. I impatiently tap my fingers on the wooden surface of my desk. Five minutes pass, then ten, and I’m convinced she is going to ignore me. Finally, my phone goes off, proving me wrong yet again.
Fine! You say one wrong thing to me, try to touch or do anything to annoy me, and I leave. Do I make myself clear?
I groan. Her bossiness turns me on.
Okay. I promise to try x
I need to find a place where no one can see us. It doesn’t leave many options since everyone seems familiar with my family and me. It may take time to do so.
Where do you want to meet?
I can come to you. Be there soon. Do you want food? x
My place? Why can’t we meet somewhere else? And no, I don’t want food.
I need to be careful with how I word what I say next. I can’t come out and tell her the truth.
Because I don’t want to run into anyone I know, they will ask too many questions x
Okay. See you when you arrive, Ezra. Don’t think too much into it because nothing is going to happen between us.
I leave the conversation there. I gather my things, head over to my bar. I leave the empty glass there, thankful I only had one sip of my scotch or I’d need to get someone to drive me, and I don’t want my driver dropping me off somewhere I shouldn’t be. I know she said she doesn’t want food, but I will pick something up.
I pull up outside of Alana’s apartment building an hour later than planned. I ran into a business associate, and he wouldn’t stop talking. We ended up having a coffee. I’m rather annoyed it took me so long to get here. I lift the coffees and the bag with food; I ended up getting a mixed selection of pastries and cookies. Hopefully, she will like something I have in the bag.
I check myself in the mirror before I exit the car. I don’t look too shabby, even if I say so myself. I make my way inside. Her place is on the second floor of the building. She shouldn’t be living alone, at least not in this part of town, it’s one of the seedier parts. It’s probably all she can afford on the salary she earns. I dislike the thought of her here alone. What if something happens to her? Or someone breaks in? How would she defend herself?
I knock loudly on her front door, waiting patiently for her to answer and let me in. It only takes a minute when I hear the door being unlocked. At least she locks her door when she is home, that is something positive, I guess.
She opens the door and rolls her eyes at me. “That isn’t a nice way to greet your guest,” I tease.
“Do you want me to slam the door in your face?” she asks with a hand on her hip and a serious look on her face.
“I would rather you didn’t.” I chuckle. I can’t help it, she has fire and sass, and it amuses me.
Alana steps aside and invites me in. She looks different from when I saw her earlier. Her hair seems to be done, and I swear I see some makeup on her face, and I notice she has changed her clothes. Hmm, I wonder if that is for my benefit? If it was, she didn’t have to. She looks pretty without all of it.
Alana walks away, heading to her living room, and I follow. She takes a seat on the sofa and pats the space next to her.
“I wasn’t sure how you took your coffee, so I got you a black one,” I say with a smile as I hand one of the cups to her.
“I usually take it black, but with two sugars, or a latte. Thanks for the coffee,” she says sweetly. It’s the first time she has been nice to me since last night: progress.
Alana excuses herself to get sugar. I look around. The place is tiny, but she has made it look nice. Lilac and silver wallpaper decorates the walls, and grey carpet complements it. The sofa is a two-seater and not very comfortable, it has seen better days. A bookcase in the corner of the room, small, but packed with books. I notice there aren’t many personal items around, no family photos. There is dampness in a corner of the living room, causing the wallpaper to peel from the walls.
“It isn’t much, but it is enough for me until I can afford somewhere better,” I hear her say from behind me.
I turn to focus on her. “You have done a great job with such little space,” I say, hoping she doesn’t take my compliment the wrong way.
“Thank you.” She smiles. I feel relieved she didn’t take me the wrong way.
Alana retakes the seat next to me, taking a sip of her coffee. “What’s in the bag?” she asks curiously, eyeing it.
“Open it and see.”
She reaches for it, opening it, and her face lights up when she spies what’s inside. “Cookies!”
“Help yourself, angel.” Alana looks through them because there is a variety.
“Oh, double chocolate with chunky chocolate chips, my favourite.” She grins, breaking a bit off and popping it into her mouth, then handing the bag back to me. I shake my head and set it down. I don’t want anything to eat, not right now.
We sit in silence while she eats her cookie.
“Tell me, Ezra. What is your game? Why are you chasing after me when you’re with someone? And how did you find out my phone number and address?” she asks.
I was wondering when this topic would arise in conversation. I take a deep breath, trying to work out in my head what to say to her. I don’t think I am playing a game, rather, I am just single-mindedly going after what I want. Alana stares at me, waiting for my answer.