Always Room for Cupcakes (Cupcakes 1)

h,” Amy May held up two fingers, as if I didn’t understand what both meant, “Joey Miller and The Douche are a certain type of guy. Clean cut, bordering on metrosexual, pretty boys, who wouldn’t know how to give a girl a wild ride, if she gave them play-by-play instructions … But that man you were with yesterday? He could give a girl an orgasm just by looking at her. He is the opposite of your usual pretty boys. I just never knew you had it in you.”

Although I was slightly offended, I had to admit she had a point.

But still… “Did you see him? I don’t know if you got a good enough look, because if you had, you’d know that I really had no choice. He’s that freaking hot! And, manly? I’ve always prided myself on being a good role model for women, but if Cade wanted to hit me over the head with a club, throw me over his shoulder, then take me off and ravage me …. I’d give him the club.”

Amy May nodded, her eyes wide in a way I knew even though she loved her husband, Eric, she’d like to be clubbed by Cade as well.

A little more seriously, I added, “I don’t know, Amy May, I know he’s different. A little dangerous, overbearing, maybe a little scary even, but God, I haven’t felt that way with a man in … ever. I think I owe it to myself to see what happens, even if it just ends up being a crazy mistake.”

“I agree.”

“You do?”

“Absolutely, girl, you deserve this. After everything you’ve been through, you deserve to have a man who’ll fuck you like it’s his job.”

I giggled at that, slapping my hand over my mouth at the girlish act.

“C’mon, let’s get to work.” She put her arm around my shoulder and led me around the corner. “You have to promise to tell me everything. No more teasing or making me wait. I don’t care if he’s just rolled off you and hasn’t even taken off the condom yet, you call me.”

“I swear it,” I said, looking down at her offered pinky and wrapping it with mine.

I stood outside the bank, the scenario I’d come up with working through my brain.

I couldn’t believe I was going to do this, but I had to have a justifiable reason for being in the bank I’d left at the same time I’d left my ex. I’d seen the perp inside, but knew the only way I’d get inside and get close enough to see her, and maybe speak with her, would be to finally give The Douche the confrontation he’d been looking for.

Ugh, I felt like I needed a shower just thinking about going into his office and having this conversation, but Moose needed this girl, and I needed the money, so…

Like every other time I walked into this bank during our marriage, as soon as I crossed the threshold, The Douche’s eyes found mine immediately, as if his gut told him anytime I was on the premises.

I used to think it was romantic, like we were drawn to each other or something, now it just pissed me off. Like everything else about him…

He rose from behind his desk and went to the door to his office, waiting and watching curiously as I beelined for him.

Being in that glass box all day would have driven me crazy, but he liked it. I think it made him feel more powerful, validated his status in some way.

“Delilah,” he said cautiously, probably worried I’d make a scene. Which, honestly, was always a possibility whenever we were breathing the same air.

“Douche,” I replied with an evil grin.

“Jesus, Lila, not here,” he said under his breath, his hand coming out to grab my forearm and drag me into his office.

I was about to rip my arm away when he released it, shutting the glass door behind us.

I positioned myself so I was standing between him and his desk, my perp directly in my line of sight in her position at the counter.

“What are you doing here?”

“You’ve been saying that you wanted to ‘explain’ for the last ten months,” I began, my hands on my hips in an angry stance that wasn’t all for effect. “Well, now I’m ready to hear it.”

The Douche ran his hand through his perfectly coifed locks, messing them up unintentionally, and I had a little jolt of glee that he’d be annoyed later when he realized he’d gone through his workday rumpled.

I never said I wasn’t a bitch. I had to be, to come to his job this way, staging a confrontation that I in no way wanted to have, just in order to have eyes on my perp … for a measly picture worth a hundred dollars.

Oh well, I’d already gone too far to back out now.

He cleared his throat, then brought his pained eyes to mine.

“It was a mistake, Lila, a one-time fuck-up that ruined my life. I’m sorry, and I regret it every day.”