“Hey handsome. Mind if I get some sugar.” It wasn’t Teddy’s voice that brought me back to the present conversation so much as the shadows cast by multiple bodies.
Cal stood with a smile and wrapped Teddy in his arms, kissing her as if her brother wasn’t right there watching.
And there was Zola, eyes filled with emotion as she watched Teddy and Cal kiss as if they were alone. “What are you even doing here?”
Zola froze, the move so imperceptible I wasn’t sure if I imagined it or not, but she didn’t acknowledge my words. Or me.
“I’m talking to you.”
Seconds, passed before she slid a bored look at me, even more time before she deigned to speak. “Same as you, I imagine. Having drinks with my friends. The only difference is that I’m actually enjoying myself. I was, anyway.”
“You don’t belong here.” The words bellowed out of me angrily and I looked around, my friends’ horrified looks telling me I’d gone too far.
Zola nodded, a knowing look on her face as she stared down at me, a shrill laugh exploded out of her. “If you think that trying to ruin my career and telling me that I don’t belong, is going to stop me, you’ll have to get in line behind all the other self-righteous, egotistical, terrified men who came before you.” A disgusted huff exploded out of her and she shook her head. “I’m out of here, ladies. Have a terrible evening, Drew.” She walked away with her head held high and to her credit, Zola didn’t look back. Not once.
She was firm in her decision.
“That was harsh, man.” Antonio shook his head, an unmistakable look of disappointment on his face.
“It was uncalled for,” Cal added, the same look on his face. “What the hell is wrong with you man?”
Teddy huffed. “Sugarcoat it all you guys want, he was an asshole. That’s the word you’re trying not to say.” She turned to me. “You were an asshole.”
“I’m not. I wasn’t.” All the insistence in the world wouldn’t change their minds. Not now.
“You were,” Teddy growled and pointed at me. “Just admit you like her or want her, or however you feel, and deal with your own shit. She didn’t deserve that.”
I knew they weren’t going to drop it. “You don’t know.”
“Is this a race thing?” Persy took a step forward, practically standing over me. “I thought it was just sexual tension coming out in a really weird way, but now I’m not sure…”
“It’s not a damn race thing.” It was absurd to think that I had any issue with skin that I knew tasted like vanilla. “It’s just, it’s complicated. That’s all.”
“We’re all pretty smart,” Hannah said, the smile on her face didn’t match her tone. “Explain it.”
“No.” I stood and took a longing look at my empty glasses before casting a final look at my friends. “I’d rather face her wrath,” I assured them. I couldn’t let Zola leave thinking the worst of me. With hindsight, I realized how my words sounded to her and our friends. How they must have hurt her.
“Then you know it’s something juicy.” Antonio’s words were the last I heard before I stepped out into the chilly Oregon night. I scanned the parking lot, but the stalls were mostly vacant. Down to the left, the sidewalk was empty well into the distance. I turned right and spotted her right away, or rather the unmistakable sway of her hips.
I could read Zola’s anger from a mile away. Lucky for me, she wasn’t that far away and my legs were longer. “Hey. Zola.” She kept walking as if that would stop me. “Why are you walking?”
“Because the cold night air is nice.”
I wanted to call her out on the lie, but that wouldn’t get me anywhere. “Look, Zola, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I said, and definitely didn’t mean what you assumed I did.”
Her lips twitched as if she were trying not to smile. “I didn’t assume a thing, I just listed you among a certain type of man, some who’s motivation was based on my skin color.”
“Then you better tell your friends, because they’re looking at me like I’m the worst of the worst.”
She laughed at that and shook her head. “So that’s why you’re here? You want me to go back and assure your friends that you can’t be racist because you slept with a black woman.”
I growled and got in her face. “Stop twisting my words. I am not like that.”
“Don’t worry, Doctor, I’ve got this.” She turned around and walked back towards The Outpost. “I’ll spread the word.”
“Not funny,” I growled and hooked an arm around her waist to yank her back. Zola squirmed against me, the brush of her backside to my zipper causing my erection to grow. “I am sorry.”