Lawless Hero

Warren and Melvin had known each other in Afghanistan, but I was sure they didn’t talk anymore. So I knew as long as I didn’t tell either of them about the other, I should be fine.

“Damn. When did you grow so cold?”

“That’s not helping your case. Like I said, I’ve got to go.”

“Fine, I’ll call you later,” he said as I walked away.

“Please don’t,” I called over my shoulder.

My hands trembled as I fumbled with my key to unlock the front door of the building.

When would I be able to afford to live in a place with a doorman?

Inside my building, I slammed the door shut and turned to look outside. Melvin had left. I breathed a sigh of relief and then headed upstairs to get ready for work.

* * *

Melvin was still nowhere to be seen when I left the building again. On the entire walk to my nondescript office building about a mile from my apartment, my thoughts bounced back and forth from Melvin to Warren.

Warren. I had slept with him again. Did I finally have him out of my system? He had satisfied my physical needs, but I felt like he could offer me so much more…

At work, I ran into Kim in the break room while getting another cup of coffee to keep me going.

She smiled when she saw me. “You weren’t answering your phone last night,” she said.

“Oh, I might have hooked up with someone,” I said teasingly as I headed to the coffee machine on the counter.

“You? Hookup with someone? I need the details!”

Kim and I had been friends for years. We shared practically everything with each other.

“Maybe later,” I said, pouring coffee into my mug. “How are you and that new guy working out?”

“Which one?”

“The tall one with the beard. I can’t remember his name.”

“Drew? He was like two men ago. You need to keep up!”

“Are you ever going to find a decent man?” I asked before taking a sip of coffee.

She sighed. “I don’t know. There aren’t any good guys left who aren’t already in a relationship.”

“Right?”

“Was it the guy from Afghanistan that you hooked up with last night? Melvin?”

I frowned, staring down at my coffee.

Kim raised her eyebrows. “No?”

I looked up, noting the excitement on her face. “No, it wasn’t Melvin. I met another guy in Afghanistan too…”

“Warren? Yeah, you told me about that crazy night right before you left.”

“He caught up with me a few days ago.”

“And Melvin found you like a week ago? That’s so weird.”