Part 95 (2/2)
I s.h.i.+ft to the seat Becca was in, away from Nate. He pouts at me.
”Why do that?” I snap.
”What?”
”Make a big deal out of everything in front of people. They could see you were being a jerk too. I bet Jason would give the bed up for Becca.”
”I bet Jason's planning how to get her naked.”
”Well, they were uncomfortable with your behaviour.”
”Whatever.”
Nate rolls the dice and moves his piece, and we retreat behind our walls again. I'd leave if I didn't want to prove a point here. He lands on my Old Kent Road s.p.a.ce, covered in hotels, and I smugly tell him how much he owes me. Nate pushes the money across the table and I gulp down my drink, suddenly enjoying the game more with everybody else away. Especially as I'm winning.
The problem with Monopoly and two skilled players is the time taken. The problem with the time taken is the alcohol imbued. I'm not drunk, but my sharp edges are definitely smoothed and my frown has lessened. We banter back and forth as our success in the game moves up and down.
In the s...o...b..und pub, playing a board game, we're at the edge of our reality and we're suddenly speaking to each other like normal people.
”Hmm.” Nate drops his cards on the table and stares at the board.
”Give up?” I ask.
”Shush, I'm thinking.”
I eye Nate's pile of money and mortgaged cards, then pick up mine to count.
”Riley.”
”Mmm.”
”I'm sorry.”
I lose count of my money with my surprise at his words. ”What do you mean? I'm pretty sure I'm winning.”
”No. About being here.” I look up. Nate frowns into his gla.s.s, swirling the amber-coloured contents. ”And about the accident. Must've freaked you out.”
Wow, Nate must be drunker than he looks. ”Thank you for the apology. Accepted.”
He laughs softly and looks up at me with intense eyes. ”Formal. Always formal.”
”Around my clients, yes.”
”Clients.” He knocks back the whisky again. ”Are you like this with all your clients?”
”Stuck in a pub on the Yorks.h.i.+re Moors playing board games? No.”
”Sometimes business and pleasure are hard to keep apart, huh?”
”Are you referring to now or another time, Nate?”
”Both.”
I bite the edge of my lip, but it doesn't prevent the next words, pushed out by my lessened inhibitions. ”Are you going to apologise for that time too? About Paris and how you behaved afterwards?”
”Me apologise? You screwed with my head.”
”Screwed with your head? What the h.e.l.l?”
”The night I came to Hard Rock because I wanted to see you.”
”Oh? When we had the chat in the bathrooms?” I make inverted commas with my fingers around chat. ”That was a nice try.”
”You were interested.”
”Oh yeah, really interested until the dirty, disrespectful talk started and reminded me I was about to get used.”
”See, that's the other thing. I don't remember much about the situation either. Why did you react like that even though we'd spent time together before? It wasn't like it was another quick f.u.c.k. I respected you.”
”Seriously, Nate? You were sleeping with other girls almost daily. I came to my senses. I didn't want to be on your list. That's why I stopped.”
”No, how you reacted afterwards. The next day. You wouldn't talk to me. For a week.” His frown deepens.
”Might be something to do with the fact I saw a groupie with her mouth around your d.i.c.k an hour later! Remember?”
Nate stares. Blinks. ”No. What the h.e.l.l? Where?”
”Outside. Cla.s.sy. Saw you when I was leaving. You seriously expected me to respect and like you after you failed with me and f.u.c.ked another girl instead? I had nothing to say to you.”
”s.h.i.+t.” Nate drags a hand through his hair. ”I don't remember that girl. I was wasted that night. Honestly.”
My mouth thins. ”Wow, this gets better,” I say sarcastically. ”I knew you weren't listening to me when I told you about her when we spoke a few days later!”
”Spoke? Are you kidding? You yelled at me, Riley. All I heard was 'blah blah groupies, you're a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, leave me alone, b.i.t.c.h, b.i.t.c.h'. I kinda switched off when you were shouting at me. I thought you meant the chick I was with a couple of days later.”
”No, Nate. The same night. I guess your pride took a dent and you needed your ego and d.i.c.k rubbing.”
I keep my low, matter of fact tone but at the time I saw him, I almost threw up. In that moment, Nate proved my point that I meant nothing. The problem was, he already had a grip on my heart I denied.
”Man, that's f.u.c.ked up. Sorry, Riley.”
I blink at him. ”A bit late, but thanks.”
Nate rubs an eyebrow but doesn't look at me.
”Yeah.”
<script>