“Okay.” There’s nothing more to this conversation. I have to figure out a way to talk to her. “Don’t work too hard.”
“Yeah, like that will ever happen.” He chuckles.
I dip my head for a curt nod and leave.
I’ll try and talk to Jia tomorrow, if she doesn’t avoid me.
I won’t pretend that I didn’t avoid her too over the years. It was easier.
Talking to her today, though, reminded me of everything.
All that I shared with her came flooding back in the handful of seconds we spoke.
She may have been mad as fuck with me, but it was just nice to talk to her.
* * *
“This is nice. It’s strange seeing you in an office,” James says with a chuckle. He looks around my office and nods with approval. He’s here to meet me for lunch.
“You like?” I ask.
“I do. It’s odd though. I’m used to seeing you fixing up motorcycles in your garage.”
“And you did exactly what?” I throw back because he’s been my partner in crime from as far back as I remember.
We like motorcycles and fast cars. What he’s talking about there is us growing up. He’s a college professor, and I’m an ex-marine turned property developer.
He laughs. “Great, so, are you still on for The Dark Odyssey on Saturday night?” He gives me the same wild look he does whenever we talk about The Dark Odyssey.
We always went with the other guys in our circle of friends when I was on leave. I haven’t been yet since I’ve been back. I’ve just been swamped with sorting out my house and getting settled into work. We’re supposed to go on Saturday.
I was all in agreement, but now that I’ve seen Jia, I’ve been thinking of all the times I was there with her.
“Yeah, sure. I’m in.” I’ll go for a drink. I have this thing where I can’t have sex—even if it’s a casual fuck—if I’m thinking about another woman. There’s nothing satisfying about it for me.
James wouldn’t understand. He and the other guys have different tastes compared to me. I have dark tastes I love to explore. They, however, take it to the next level and share women all the time in their dark fantasies.
James’ face lights up. “Good. After this week, I need some downtime and good pussy.”
“James, don’t you always have pussy?” I’ve never known him to be without a woman on his arm.
“You know what I mean,” he answers with a wide toothy grin. “Come, I’m starving. I think I need coffee too.”
He moves toward the door, and I follow. As we walk down the corridor, he starts talking about some property he’s interested in buying. It’s an old chateau off the coast of Sardinia.
Like me he loves buying and selling property. It was something we both got into from a very young age and now we just buy and sell property like we’re buying groceries.
Him more than me. Unlike me who had a rough childhood, James Marchesi was born into wealth and made his first million when he was twenty one. That aside from the millions his grandfather left him in his will. They’re Italians and while people tend to be wary of his family because of their links to the mafia, he’s worked his ass off for what he has.
When we get to the stairs and make our descent, my gaze lands on Jia. She’s just coming into the building. She’s carrying some documents and seems lost in her thoughts.
My damn cock hardens like yesterday when I saw her in that little dress.
Today’s dress is equally sexy. It’s a navy summer dress that shows off her long golden legs. I deserve an award for my performance of cool and collected. Yesterday, I looked exactly like that, but what I really wanted to do was bend her over Ethan’s desk and fuck her.
I’m like a teenaged boy hyped up on sex hormones because as I watch her, the same feeling comes over me and I can’t forget how wild we were together.
If I’m entertaining thoughts like that, then there’s not much hope for me when it comes to this woman.