“Who are you?” he laughed. “Just kidding, come in Zayden, everyone in a 50-mile radius of Atlanta knows who you are.”
“I am not sure this is the right place.” I looked at the guy quizzically. Could it be her brother, maybe? Unlikely, they looked too different.
“No, of course you’re in the right place, come on in, Aria is just getting ready.”
I guess I was in the right place after all. “Are you her brother?” I asked the tall guy.
“No, I’m Nick,” he said, as though that clarified his relationship to her.
“And you are here because…?”
“I live here,” he glared at me. “With my girlfriend.”
That sent a wave of fury through my whole body, as though someone very close had stabbed me in the front. Aria was his girlfriend! She had told me she was single, had she lied? Had she made up the whole story for money? Wait, if she really was such a scheming bitch, she would be smarter than to have her boyfriend hovering around the apartment when I was due. And he didn’t mind that she was going out on a date with me?
“And you’re… okay with this?” I asked Nick.
“With what?”
“My deal with Aria,” I said, assuming he knew.
He shrugged. “I mean, it’s pretty unorthodox, but hey, you’re helping her out and that makes you a pretty awesome dude. Why wouldn’t I be okay with this?”
What kind of sick and convoluted world had I walked into? Was I growing old? Were college kids this casual with exchanging their partners nowadays? It seemed like a cool concept, on the one hand. To have one’s cake and eat it too. But on the other hand, why even bother to make a commitment to one person if straying was expected and accepted? From an epistemological standpoint, it simply seemed like a waste of time. They could just do what I do and sleep around. I shook my head in confusion and was looking around the house when Aria walked out of her room. Seeing her, I temporarily forgot that I was upset at her for lying about being single. I forgot about Nick. I forgot about everything. I barely even noticed that she had defiantly decided not to wear the dress I had sent her – and I’d have been foolish to expect otherwise anyway – because right now she looked better than a starry night sky. She was wearing a green one-piece dress that came right above her ankles, with a low-cut neck that contoured her breasts to perfection, and a cream-colored blazer on top of it. It wasn’t very immaculate, as far as attires go, but she accessorized it beautifully with a silver pendant, her hair tied up into a classy bun, and her makeup accentuated with deep red lipstick to match her hair. I was almost glad that she had chosen not to wear what I had sent.
“Hi,” she smiled serenely at me. “You find the place okay?”
“Yes,” I smiled back at her. “Well, Ned did. Should we get going?”
“Sure.” She waltzed over and grabbed my arm with a soft touch. Before we walked out of the apartment, she told Nick, “I will probably be back late, tell your girlfriend if she asks, I am not entirely sure we’re on speaking terms right now. See ya, Nick!”
My initial reaction was to grunt at the very sight of her talking to him but about three seconds later it registered; she was referring to Nick’s girlfriend in the third person, which meant that it couldn’t possibly be her. The rush of relief that ran through my veins was overwhelming.
Why did I care so much? I had screwed many girls that were in relationships.
“So Nick is not your boyfriend?” I couldn’t help myself from asking.
She burst out laughing. “You thought Nick was my boyfriend? Oh God.” She laughed for a couple of more minutes before adding, “Didn’t I tell you I was single?”
I shrugged. “You could be lying. People lie all the time.”
“Speaking from experience, huh?”
“I have never lied… to you,” I looked straight into her eyes. That wasn’t quite true, as I had lied to her about my interaction with Wilson, the loan officer. She didn’t need to know that, though. And it’s not like it was a lie that hurt her in any way. She was still getting the money she needed, and I was getting what I wanted; a chance to seduce her. If she ever found out – and I couldn’t think of any way she would – she wouldn’t exactly be able to be mad. However, knowing her, she would find a reason to be furious about it. The thought of it gave me weird pangs in my chest. As we hopped into the car, I tried hard not to let my thoughts drift in that direction again.
“These are for you,” I handed her the purple orchids I had forgotten in the car.
“Thanks!” She seemed pleased with my flower selection this time around.
“A drink for the ride?” I asked, producing the same bottle of champagne from our dinner a few nights ago that she had enjoyed so much.
Her face lit up upon recognizing the drink. “You shouldn’t have gone through all that trouble.”
She actually thought I was trying.
“Yeah, I should have. How else would I get that look to appear on your face?” I grinned. “But I have to be honest, I didn’t have to do anything at all to acquire the bottle.”
She laughed. “Yes, yes, I am aware of you and your rich ways. Which reminds me, am I dressed up to standards for your gala? I’m returning the dress you sent.”