A Modern Love Story

by Jolyn Palliata

  He didn’t answer as his whole body relaxed back into the mattress. He would have gladly fallen asleep if it wasn’t for the doorbell ringing. “Sonofabitch,” he growled, rolling to the side.

  Payten put a hand on his arm. “Don’t get up, lover. I’ll get rid of them.” She leaned down and bit his nipple, causing him to jolt. “Don’t go anywhere.”

  He closed his eyes and he sank back down. “Get me a water while you’re up, and put something on. I don’t want you answering my door naked.”

  Rolling over, he half-listened through the closed door and heard the murmur of female voices. He figured it was Lizbeth at the door, looking for a fight. Fuck that. He was staying right where he was. It wasn’t like she didn’t already know about Payten. He’d smooth that shit out later.

  A few minutes later, he heard the door open.

  “Hey, you have a visitor,” Payten said, closing the door behind her.

  He peeled back a lid and was almost startled to see her somber expression. Lizbeth must have torn into her. He held the laugh back as he grabbed the water bottle from her outstretched hand. “Get rid of her. I don’t want to deal with her now.”

  The corner of her mouth twitched as she drummed her fingers on the wall. “How did you know who it is?”

  “What other chick would be here? Lizbeth’s been looking to bust my chops about you. Guess she got a bite out of you too.” He snickered as he took a pull off the bottle.

  “It’s not Lizbeth. It’s Robbie.”

  He choked, spraying water all over his bed. “What the fuck?!” He glared at her, barely-contained panic curling in his belly. “That’s not even funny, you bitch.”

  She cocked her head to the side. “I guess I didn’t realize you hadn’t told her about us. I would’ve thought you to be the loyal type. I figured you broke up before she left.”

  As he stared, it suddenly clicked she’d answered his door in a blouse with one button fastened. Oh, shit! “She’s really fucking here?”

  Payten nodded and sat on the bed next to him. “She wants to talk to you.”

  His self-preservation kicked into high gear as he sought to defend himself. “We did break up. Sort of. We agreed, if either one of us found someone else, all bets are off.” He failed to mention his little fling with Payten wasn’t supposed to amount to anything other than a damn convenient distraction.

  “Then you have nothing to worry about, do you?” She patted his cheek. “This is a bit awkward for me. How about I get out of here and let you two get caught up?” She grabbed her clothes and quickly got dressed. “I’ll call you later, sweetness. I’ll let Robbie know you’ll be right out.”

  He scrambled off the bed after Payten closed the door behind her. Pulling a shirt over his head, he silently cursed, wishing he could at least take a shower before he did this. That was all he needed—to smell like sweat and sex as he fought with his girlfriend about banging another woman. Jesus fucking Christ, how did all this shit go to fucking hell?!

  He managed to pull himself together before heading to the living room.

  “Rob. You’re here.”

  Robbie’s cold eyes angled toward him. “I’m here.” The flat tone of her voice made him more nervous than the anger he was expecting. Even still, he couldn’t help but notice how damn beautiful she looked.

  “You’re back.”

  “I’m back.”

  “I wasn’t expecting you.”

  “No shit.” She arched a brow. “I kinda got that much for myself.”

  It occurred to him that he should’ve asked Payten what had been said between the two of them. He stood there, at a loss for words. He wanted to go to her, hold her, touch her, but he knew he had no right.

  “So…you and Payten, huh? I honestly didn’t see that one coming.” She shrugged. “Maybe I should have.”

  Her accusatory tone got his back up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I know you and women, Luc. I’m not fucking blind. But I can’t believe I meant so little to you…” Her voice cracked. She pulled her shoulders back as she composed herself. “I never abandoned you. I was always coming back.”

  “I know that,” he snapped.

  “Did you?” She gestured towards Payten’s white, lacey bra, hanging over the back of the couch. “If you knew that, why did you start screwing the first available woman you came across?”

  “It wasn’t like that.” His jaw tightened.

  “That’s fucking bullshit, Lucian! Look at you two! People’s lives don’t mesh like this overnight.” She picked up a pair of Payten’s stockings and flung them at him. And then a Woman’s magazine, a nail file, a bottle of nail polish. Jesus, where had all that shit come from?! “You two have been together awhile!”

  “You can’t tell—”

  “If I ask Conrad or Lizbeth, how long would they say it’s been going on?”

  He looked away, knowing exactly what answer she’d get, and how it would look.

  She stalked up to him, hands on her slim hips, as she stared him down. “What would they say?”

  “Awhile.”

  “How long after I left?”

  He didn’t answer. Didn’t want to.

  “How long?!”

  “The week after.”

  Tears sprung to her eyes as she shoved at his chest. “You fucking cold-hearted sonofabitch!”

  He grabbed her arms and tried to pull her close. “Rob—”

  “No!” She struggled fiercely in his grasp.

  He let her go. “Let me explain.”

  “You think you’re this big fucking mystery to me that I couldn’t possibly figure it out for myself?! Bullshit!” She backed away. “But just because I understand what it stems from”—she shook her head—“doesn’t make it forgivable.”

  He didn’t know what she thought she knew, but he was positive she couldn’t know the hurt she caused when she left, that it was so intense it actually caused him physical pain. “You don’t know—”

  “Because I left you—despite the fact you encouraged it, even insisted on it. And this is my punishment. I lose you because I abandoned you, right? Leave them before they leave you. Hurt them before they hurt you. You know what?” She threw her hands into the air. “You win. If that’s the way you want this to play out, then so be it.”

  He took a step toward her as she snatched her purse off the couch.

  “Stay the fuck away from me, Luc. I mean it.”

  He watched, dumbfounded, as she stormed out of his apartment. And out of his life.

  *****

  Robbie jabbed at the lock on her apartment door without a single ounce of patience. All she wanted to do was hide and cry, let the fury and frustration blaze through her and burn itself out. Dammit, she needed a release. She didn’t even think about the fact that she wouldn’t be alone, that Lizbeth still had use of her place. The lock clicked and the door jerked open before she slid the key home.

  “Robbie!” Lizbeth grabbed her limp body into a bear hug. “Why didn’t you call? I would’ve picked you up.”

  “Did you know?” Robbie whispered.

  “I just got off the phone with Scott. He told me you were heading back. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about.”

  Lizbeth pulled back and studied her face, surely taking in her stinging eyes. “Oh God! I’m so sorry! I just found out myself.”

  “So you do know?” Robbie stepped around her into the apartment. She heard Lizbeth swing the door shut as she started to babble at her back.

  “Rob, you have to believe I didn’t know. Of course I would have told you if I had. I just hadn’t been around him much. That cock-sucking sonofabitch…” Her voice trailed off. “Who told you?”

  “I went straight over from the airport. I wanted to surprise him.” She scoffed. “What a joke.”

  “Was she there?” Lizbeth asked gently, putting a hand on Robbie’s arm.

  Robbie suddenly found it hard
to breathe as she remembered how it felt to see a barely-clothed Payten answering Luc’s door. I thought you two had broken up, Payten had said. I’m so sorry, Robbie. I didn’t know, she insisted. Payten was blameless, Robbie knew, even when she went so far to say Luc is with me now. At least she told it how it was.

  “Yeah. She answered the door.”

  Lizbeth spun her around into another hug. “I’ll fucking kill them both for doing this to you.”

  Robbie brought her numb arms around Lizbeth’s back as the tears began to seep out of the corners of her eyes. As soon as she had a good grip on Lizbeth’s shoulders, the sobs ripped free.

  *****

  That evening, Luc left for Hooligan’s earlier than he’d intended to. He’d worked himself up into a good mad, and needed to focus on something to burn it off.

  Robbie hadn’t even given him a chance to explain. She just fucking attacked. What the hell?! That wasn’t right! He had his reasons but she didn’t give a fuck, did she? Wouldn’t even hear him out!

  When Conrad made it in, he took one look at Luc and demanded to know what happened. Luc didn’t try to contain himself as he spewed the story in the midst of a seething rage.

  Conrad let Luc vent, and then waited until the red in Luc’s face faded before pointing out the obvious to his dense friend. “You’re not really mad at her.”

  “The fuck I’m not!”

  “You’re mad at yourself for fucking up, and projecting it on her because it’s easier to do that than admit you screwed the pooch on this one.”

  Luc opened his mouth to spit out a retort, but realized Conrad was right. “When the fuck did you become so damn insightful?”

  “I’m a bartender. Psychology 101 and a good ear is a prerequisite.” He took in Luc’s countenance—slumped shoulders and all. “Now what?”

  “I don’t know. But I imagine groveling will be involved.” He scrubbed his knuckles along his jaw line. “Jesus, you should have heard her. She was so pissed she was swearing.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you. Groveling is a decent start where Robbie’s concerned, but you know you’re gonna have to ditch the blonde, too.”

  “Glad to do it. The next time I see her,”—he glanced at the clock—“which will be any minute now, I’m cutting her loose.”

  “I don’t know why you went there in the first place. I mean, I can see why—the chick is seriously hot. But come on, man. You had Robbie.”

  “Tell me something I don’t already fucking know. All right. I need to think instead of react. Jesus, every instinct I’ve had lately has been way fucking wrong. I gotta figure a way to fix this shit.”

  Despite how well he knew Robbie, he had no idea how to go about it. All he knew for sure was he had a craving for her—always had. There was a tenderness and connection he only felt in her arms, and since he’d had a taste of that, he knew it was all he’d ever want in life. It was as if there was this clarity now that she was back, but where the fuck had it been when she was gone?! He shook his head as he realized it was the fear of her leaving him, of never having her again, of never feeling that again.

  “What?” Conrad asked, watching as Luc shook his head and rubbed at the back of his neck.

  “I’m a chickenshit sonofabitch.”

  “You’re just figuring that out?” He dodged the fist popping out in his direction. “Well, you’re on your own with this one. Can’t even get you insider information since Lizbeth still won’t talk to me.” He pointed at Luc. “That’s on you, too.”

  Luc held up his hands. “I know, I know. Jesus, I can only put out one fire at a time.”

  “Still,” Conrad mused, “I’m surprised one of us didn’t get a heads-up from Lizbeth. Doesn’t seem right that she’d want Rob to find out this way.”

  “Yeah,” Luc muttered, considering the idea. “I’m guessing she didn’t know. Robbie had her suitcase with her. She must have come straight from the airport.”

  “Because she couldn’t wait to see you,” Conrad concluded.

  “Yes, thank you. I fucking got that part for myself.”

  Luc was still glaring at Conrad when his cell rang. He dug it out and looked at the display. Payten.

  “Yeah,” he answered.

  “Hey, Luc. I’m so sorry. I know I was supposed to meet you at the bar, but my father just called and needs an impromptu meeting regarding a client of his. I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll get together for dinner or something. Talk to you later, sweetness. Bye.”

  His eyes went wide when he heard the click in his ear. Jesus, he didn’t even get a chance to get a word in edgewise. What the fuck?

  He slid the phone back into his pocket. “Guess I’m not breaking up with the blonde tonight.”

  “You should go to Rob’s and try to smooth things over. I got things covered here for a bit.”

  “No way, man,” Luc said. “This shit’s delicate—I gotta handle it with kid gloves. I need to make things right, but I have to do it the right way. Once I get things straightened out on my end with Payten, and I’m free and clear—no strings attached—then I can go to Rob. Even still…” What the hell was he going to say to her? How could he make this right?

  “She might be okay if you just tell her that you’re gonna break it off with Payten.”

  “No. It’s not fair to have Rob waiting around until I can make it official. I won’t tell her how I feel and then what I intend to do. When I go there, it’s to damn well win her back—plain and simple, no screwing around. I’ll fucking get down on my goddamn knees to beg and grovel if I have to.” He looked at Conrad with genuine earnestness. “I have to get her back, Conrad.”

  “I know, man. Do what you gotta do.” Conrad looked over at the picture he had of Lizbeth by the register. “You and me both, buddy.”

  *****

  Payten was steaming pissed as she drove away from Hooligan’s. He was gonna break up with her?! No goddamn way that was going to happen! Luc had another thing coming if he thought he could shrug her off so easily. Thank God she’d shown up when she had. Thank God she’d overheard his conversation with that sniveling little twerp, Conrad. To think that the two of them where scheming to get rid of her, like she was some piece of trash that could be tossed aside! They’ve both got another fucking thing coming!

  Her mind raced around the problem at hand. This was something she could handle. She could always work a problem until she got what she wanted. Never had she done without anything she truly had to have. That fucking bitch Robbie just had to come back and screw everything up. She was supposed to have a year to work Luc around into position, not months. Christ, was she supposed to be a miracle worker?!

  She suddenly laughed out loud as she pictured Robbie’s face when she answered the door. Her expression was classic! And what an imbecile that woman was—believing her when she said she hadn’t known they were still together. Of course she knew! Love like that doesn’t just go poof because of a temporary separation.

  If it was anyone else, Payten knew she wouldn’t have had a chance. But she knew how to work Luc. She’d done her own research on that one. A troubled childhood had shaped him into the deliciously hard man he’d became. And she knew exactly how to exploit it. Abandonment was such a traumatic event to a child, and she counted on the fact that it had left scars. Of course, a touch of Rohypnol in his drink that first night certainly didn’t hurt. She’d figured the first time was going to be the hardest—to crack that iron shell of his—but that once he’d had a taste of her, it’d be harder for him to deny. She’d simply had to keep up the momentum. After all, he’d already had her once, why not again?

  All her gambles had paid off so far. She was too fucking close to back off now. Besides, she was stronger than him. She had more determination, more discipline than he had. She could work this. Shit, even when he’d hollered Robbie’s name during sex, she’d been able to keep pushing forward. If she could refrain from taking his head off with that one—despite the fact he hadn’
t realized he’d done it—she could focus on this tiny hiccup without any issues.

  A thought suddenly bloomed into place. There was only one man that could help her now—her father.

  Snatching her phone, she quickly made the call and arranged a meeting with her father at the house. Once that was done, she rolled her shoulders back and put a smile on her face, hoping it would be heard in her voice. Hitting the speed dial, she called Luc to postpone their date. She made sure she spoke swiftly, but not rudely, so he couldn’t try to do something stupid like break up with her over the phone. Men were so fucking heartless sometimes.

  By the time she made it home, her father’s BMW was in the driveway. The house was actually his, but he chose to live in a condo downtown instead, leaving the estate for her use alone.

  Payten went straight to the office, where she knew he would be waiting for her. When she strolled in, her father had already built a fire in the fireplace and had helped himself to a snifter of brandy. He was seated at the desk, twisting around to pull a leather-bound case volume off the bookshelf behind him.

  He peered over his glasses when he heard her footsteps. “Payten. Good to see you, princess. You’re timing is impeccable. I’d been meaning to come over and do a little research, but I’ve been putting it off.” He focused on the book in front of him as he asked absently, “Now, what did you need my help with?”

  “Well, Daddy,” she began, meandering towards him. “You know how you always told me to go to any lengths to get what I want?”

  “Yes, princess. Never settle for less when you certainly deserve more.”

  “I’m so glad you agree with me.” She smiled as she came up behind him, slipping a hand onto his shoulder. “I knew you would.”

  *****

  The next morning had Robbie up early and fussing around the apartment, trying to distract herself from dwelling and sulking. When it was late enough, she decided to call the L’s and let them know what was what.

  “Are you sure you’re okay, sweetie?” Leah asked, concern lacing her tone.

  “I’ll be fine, Leah. It’s not like I’ve never had a guy break my heart before.”