Even if Bristol had turned to me, I would have broken things off with Qwest first.
I hope I would have.
“Did she finally decide she wants you?” Qwest asks, the flare of anger yielding to the hurt again. “That’s why you’re breaking up with me?”
“No, she still won’t be with me.”
The words are barely out of my mouth before Qwest is on the floor between my knees, her hands pressing my legs apart.
“Then let me have what she’s missing.” She pulls my zipper down, slipping her hand inside, her fingers going by memory to cup and stroke my balls.
“Qwest,” I groan, pushing at her shoulders. “No. Stop.”
“But you want it.” She looks pointedly at my growing erection. “I know you do.”
“No.” I shake my head and zip my jeans. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
“But if she still doesn’t want to be with you then—”
“But I still want to be with her.” I lean my elbows on my knees and wipe a hand across my face. “Only her. Feeling this way, it isn’t fair to be with somebody else. Not fair to you, and not fair to me.”
“She doesn’t deserve you,” she whispers, leaning her head on my knee, tears now freely streaking down her face.
“But she has me.” A sad smile rests on my lips as I swipe a thumb over her tears. “Whether she deserves me, whether she wants me, I’m hers, and I want her. I’ve tried to stop, but I can’t. While that’s the way it is, I can’t be with you. I won’t do that to you anymore. I won’t do that to anybody. You deserve better.”
A heavy knock at the door interrupts. “Who is it?” I shout, frowning.
“It’s me, Grip.” Amir’s voice comes muffled but urgent through the door.
I cross the room to let him in, and Amir’s eyes drift over my shoulder to Qwest still on her knees wearing her barely decent costume. “Sorry, man.” Amir’s wide eyes zip back to mine. “But that, uh, project you had me watching is a little out of control.”
“What project . . .” My eyes snap to his. Bristol. “What’s up?”
“Um . . .” Amir glances at Qwest. I look back to see her standing, eyes watchful and antennae up.
“Hey.” I walk back to her, gently cupping her face and kissing her forehead. “I need to check on something. You’ll be okay getting back to your hotel? Should I send Will back here?”
“Yeah, send him.” She folds her hands over mine at the curve of her neck. “I guess I’ll go back to New York. Nothing’s keeping me here now.”
“We still have some shows scheduled,” I say carefully. “Will you be okay for them?”
“If you know anything about me, Grip, it’s that I don’t let nothing mess with my money.” A choked laugh escapes her lips. “Not even my stupid heart.”
“Your heart isn’t stupid. It’s a good heart, and some guy’s going to be really lucky to have it.”
She nods, fresh tears springing to her eyes and streaking through the heavy stage makeup on her cheeks.
“Be safe.” I drop another kiss on her forehead and walk out into the hall where Amir waits.
“What’s going on?” I ask once the door is closed. In the light of the hall, I notice some slight puffiness around Amir’s eye. “What happened to you?”
“Bristol happened to me.” He touches around his eye. “That’s what I was trying to tell you. She’s turnt up out there. I tried to check her, and she hit me in the face. Jimmi jumped on my damn back. You know that lil’ white girl scratched me? You think I’ll have to get a tetanus shot?”
“What the hell, Amir?” I push past him and barrel down the hall. “I told you to watch her. You know how Bristol and Jimmi are when they get together.”
“Uh, I was watching her until she and Jimmi climbed up onstage with the strippers and started talking about making their asses clap.”
I keep moving forward but glare daggers over my shoulder at him.