Friend-Zoned (Friend-Zoned 1)

If she were okay, she’d have come back by now.

Frustration at my own stupidity is a good way to describe my feelings right now. This is all my fault.

Just as I’m about to start banging my head on the table, my cell rings.

I jump and almost drop it. I juggle it for a few seconds before I put it to my ear and say a little too loudly, “Yes?”

“We got her. ” That’s my guy…and he knows where Tina is! I’m giving this man a bonus. I want to kiss his feet right now. I’m beyond relieved.

He gives me the details and I chuckle. Of course Tina would stay at a hotel three minutes from her apartment. I thank him with a promise of a swift money transfer and we’re done.

I decide to shower and change my clothes before I see her, I need to shave too.

No, don’t shave! She likes the scruff.

Yeah, my baby likes the scruff.

I shouldn’t call her that right now. That’s, of course, if she is willing to be my baby again. I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. What I did was almost unforgivable.

Why are you still sitting at your desk?

God, I’m such a schmuk. I wait for days for this information and now I’m hesitant about using it.

Nope.

I move before my body tries to resist. I walk past the ‘chill out’ room, down the hall and I hear Max shout out, “Where you going?”

I yell back to him, “To pick up precious cargo. ”

***

It was surprisingly easy to get a spare key to Tina’s room. And it only cost me a hundred dollars.

Okay, so I spouted some story about sneaking in to surprise my girlfriend who thought I was coming the next night. The girl at the main desk was an obvious romantic and fell for it.

Mental note; never use this hotel.

The girl at the desk had no way of knowing I wasn’t dangerous. I could’ve been Omarr, for Christ sakes.

So, here I stand in front of Tina’s room with my bag full of candy. I check my watch. It’s 11:49pm. I’m sure she’ll be asleep. Or at least I hope she will be.

That was my plan. Sneak in when Tina’s asleep; there will be less of a chance of her punching me in the face when she’s sleepy.

Wait…

Didn’t she go all Bruce Lee on me and put me in a choke hold when she was sleepy?

Great. Just great. I forgot about that.

I shake my head and slide the key card in. The light turns green and I gently open the door being careful not to make a sound. I carefully walk in and see Tina asleep in the bed. She’s sleeping on her stomach which she never does. She always curls up on her side. It looks as though she’s naked under the sheet that’s pulled just above her behind. I step closer and what I see makes me want to roar and punch something.

Tina’s back and shoulder are purple with bruises.

This is why she’s sleeping on her stomach. She hurts. I hurt her. I don’t deserve Tina.

But I want her.

I sit on the edge of the bed, careful not to wake her and lean forward with my elbows on my knees. I run my hands through my hair.