Guys Like You

by Vivian Kohlman

  We packed our bags and walked off campus and onto the side street that leads into the heart of Georgetown. We got no more than a block or two off campus when my angst-filled mind began to relax. I guess I just needed a breath of fresh air.

  King had meetings all afternoon in the Tyson’s Corner office about twenty minutes away, so I knew he wouldn’t be able to join us, but I sent him a text asking him to meet up with me downtown when he was done. At least that would allow the security guard to leave—King was OK with no security as long as he was with me.

  That thought made me look back to check the security situation. The dark sedan was keeping to our pedestrian pace, but pulling over to let other cars go by as needed. And Stephen, the guard who was almost always with me during the week, was walking behind my friends and me. I smiled at him and he nodded curtly.

  When we reached the waterfront, we realized that it was a bit too cold to sit outside, at least on the water—the breeze whipping up off the Potomac wasn’t exactly warm. But I always have a backup plan; we decided to go to the upper level bar in a beautiful restaurant on the waterfront with a full glass wall that spans from vaulted ceiling to floor. The view was amazing—all the trees on the opposite shore were turning orange and red and the breeze was making the river a bit choppy.

  The upper bar felt expansive; the glass walls gave us views of the Potomac, Rosslyn, and the Kennedy Center—not to mention the bustling restaurant downstairs from the loft-like overlook. My friends and I were the only people on this level—and it was nice to have this space to us alone. But shortly after our drinks were delivered, we received a surprise addition to our little gathering.

  I watched Miko’s blonde spiky hair appear over the railing as he ascended the stairs. I knew it was him; not many guys have that almost-white color of blonde.

  This is the first time I’ve seen him since we broke up three months ago. Actually, I didn’t even see him when he broke up with me; we broke up over FaceTime and neither of us ever felt the need to get together again for “closure”. Frankly, it seems that neither of us thought of the other again.

  He paused at the top of the stairs, probably wondering if it was a good idea for us to talk, but then he slowly started walking our way. And he was staring at me…like really staring at me. I don’t think he ever looked at me with that much desire when we were dating. Luckily, his smile quickly turned friendly. I got up off my stool and told the girls I’d be back in a minute—I wanted to have some privacy while speaking to him.

  To be honest, I wasn’t too sure how this was going to go—Miko did break up with me because of my current boyfriend; he might still carry some bitterness. In my peripheral I saw the security guard start to rise from his seat, but I put a hand out to stop him and said “he’s a friend” as I passed his table. I was hoping I was right, that Miko actually is a friend.

  “Hey, Miko,” I said when I was close enough to pull him in to a hug.

  “Hi, Ava,” he responded, holding on to me tightly before releasing me and looking me up and down. “You look fantastic.”

  “Thanks. So, what are you doing here?”

  “Well, I just signed the title on one of the condos in this very building. It has amazing views…you’ll love it,” he answered.

  “Oh, nice!”

  “Yeah, I’m looking forward to moving in. So I’m having a celebratory lunch downstairs,” he said, slightly blushing.

  “Are you on a date, Miko?” I asked in a teasing tone.

  “Yeah, I am. Uh, Shannon came down with me for a couple of days,” he said.

  “Ah, I see. So it was true, I did have to worry about her,” I said, referring to his study partner at MIT, who our friend teased me about while Miko and I dated. I was still smiling, and was honestly not bothered by any of this. But he was; he seemed slightly uncomfortable.

  “No, you had nothing to worry about, Ava. Shannon and I didn’t start to date until after you and I broke up. I, on the other hand, should have worried all along, eh?”

  “Miko, King and I…well, it’s complicated,” I said, trying to avoid talking about my cheating on him. “Do you really want to get into this now?”

  Not only did I cheat, but I’m still with ‘the other guy’—that has to be annoying for Miko to know.

  “No, you’re right. We know how things played out. He makes you happy, doesn’t he?”

  “Yes, Miko. I’m happy.”

  “Good. That’s all I ever wanted for you. That was a great picture you posted with your girls. Where were you?”

  “Oh, you must mean the morning we woke up at Asli’s uncle’s ranch. Yeah, we had a little girls-day-out for Asli’s birthday.”

  “Well, it was cute. Look, I should get back, but it was good to see you,” he said, as he put a hand on my upper arm as a friendly gesture.

  I smiled and hugged him once more, and then he waved at my friends before I watched him walk down the stairs. A few months is all the time that’s passed since I was dating Miko, but it feels like a lifetime.

  Seeing him made me realize that I’m a completely different person than I was just a few months ago. At least, I feel like a different person. Miko’s a wonderful guy, but I never felt quite right with him or Preston, my previous boyfriend. At least, not how I feel with King.

  I was relieved that our first encounter post-breakup is over. The first time you run into an ex is always a little off-putting—you never know how they’re going to act, or how you’re going to feel. Asli asked how it went when I sat back on my stool.

  “Well, I guess we’re still friends, which is nice. And it kind-of made me want to say yes to King.”

  “Say yes?” Tori asked.

  “Uh…yeah,” I hesitated, knowing they’re going to be pissed we went the whole day without divulging my impending decision. “King asked me to move in with him. Officially.”

  “I thought you were living with him already,” she said.

  “I am. Well, practically. But he wants to make it official. Move my stuff in, get mail there, call it home…”

  “That’s not a bad crib to call home,” Asli chimed in.

  “Yeah, if you were ten years older, maybe. But you’re not ready to act like a housewife, are you?” Tori questioned.

  “I know that’s how it looks, but remember: King’s not used to relationships. I think this will just make him feel better…more solid. And I’m just…I don’t know. I’m so incredibly into him.”

  We talked about the pros and cons and concluded that it didn’t make sense for me to say no. And we continued to talk about how I shouldn’t make a big deal out of this, until Tori’s eyes grew wide and she had a smile creep across her face.

  “What?” I asked, confused at this change in mood.

  I felt my boyfriend’s massive and warm arm move over my waist from behind me as he leaned down to kiss me hello on my cheek. As always, I didn’t have to look to know it was King. I could smell him and sense him; his presence felt like better half was back to make me whole…even when he wrapped his arm around me while I was still dating Miko. He just feels right.

  I don’t know what it is, but I’m whole when King’s with me. I put my hand on his face and made him kiss my lips just so I could breath him in; it’s almost like I refuel every time we touch.

  He said hello to each of my friends and chatted with us as a group for a bit; as soon as he and I had a chance to talk just the two of us, he asked about my unplanned run-in.

  “So, how was it seeing Miko again?” he asked.

  “How’d you…” I foolishly started to question how he knew about that.

  My mind quickly shifted to the security guard. Every time one finished a shift, they told King or the guard replacing them about any anomalies that occurred during their shift. I’m sure he told King I spoke to a male briefly, and I’m sure King asked about him.

  King had an apologetic smirk on his face, confirming he already knew, so after a brief pause, I shook my head and just answered his question.<
br />
  “It was good,” I said with a chuckle. “No bad emotions at all; he just wanted to say hello.”

  “You may not have bad feelings, but I promise you that he does. No man could lose a girl like you to another man without regretting it.”

  “You’re a little biased. It seems he’s moved on pretty quickly; I’m sure he was done with me far before he broke up with me. I was quite the handful back then.”

  “Back then? When did you stop being a handful?” he joked.

  I playfully swung my hand to lightly smack him on the shoulder.

  “Oh, stop! You know I’ve gotten better!” I joked. “Well, I’ve tried at least.”

  “This is you trying? I guess I should consider myself lucky.”

  “Well, I guess I’m still a handful sometimes,” I admitted.

  “That’s OK, baby. I have big hands, so you’ll never be too much for me.”

  He leaned down and kissed my cheek and, while I was swooning, asked Tori how her jiu jitsu classes were coming along. As they talked about the new moves she was learning, King—still standing next to my bar chair—put an arm protectively over the back of my chair.

  He has such an easy way about him—he never had a problem hanging out with my girlfriends while always touching me, but never pulling me away from my friends. Luckily, the scope of his jealousy is just to guys he thinks want me—whether they really do or not.

  We finished off our drinks and then called it a day. I asked King if he wanted to stay where we were or go anywhere else here in Georgetown, but he was worn out from his many meetings today and just wanted to go home. He came into town only to pick me up and let the security guy go home, once again amazing me with his generosity.

  Chapter 3

  King drove Asli and Tori back to campus—they both had enough exercise for today—then he and I went to his house, picking up dinner on our way there.

  “I’m going to a competition this Saturday. It’s been a while since I fought; I feel like I’m losing my edge,” King said while we were eating dinner at the breakfast bar.

  “OK. Any chance Giorgio will be there?” I asked. Giorgio’s stayed out of our lives since LA, but the idea of him is always on our minds.

  “I can’t say for certain, but I highly doubt it. He’s not a member of any schools around here and he’s been fighting in the underground circuit since I won the LA fight. Honing his ‘no holds barred’ skills, no doubt. To be sure, I looked over the fight roster; he wasn’t on it. Plus, this isn’t a professional fight, just a competition for points, so he probably won’t waste his time. If he can’t fight in underground fights or get professional creds, he won’t lift a finger.”

  “Have you heard anything from him?” I asked.

  “Not a word. But don’t let that put your guard down. He’s still around, and I’ve no reason to think he’s stopped his vendetta against me.”

  I didn’t respond. I want to think that this is over; that we’ll all not have to look over our shoulders everywhere we go anymore. King took my silence as indifference.

  “Princess, you understand that things are still dangerous, yes?”

  “Yes, yes. If you say so.”

  I figured it was pointless to ask him if I still needed security. I can tell by this conversation he’ll say yes regardless of what the security company thinks.

  He put his fork down and used his hand to move my hair away from my eyes, then leaned forward to kiss my temple before apologizing for our situation. He apologizes all the time, making me feel kind-of bad. This isn’t his fault; this Giorgio guy is just crazy.

  But his touch, and the look of concern in his eyes, was so romantic that I instantly felt like going to bed. Or at least, going to his room.

  “Babe, I missed you today,” I said.

  “I missed you, too. So now that some time has passed, how are you feeling about seeing Miko?” he asked.

  “It was OK. He was on a date, so it was brief. But it was long enough to confirm that everything’s OK between us, and I don’t think it’ll be weird if we see him out with the guys, so it’s all good. He bought a condo on the water in the building where we were today, by the way,” I said.

  “Damn. Daddy’s hooking him up!”

  “Yeah, I guess. He deserves it, though; he’s a good guy.”

  King nodded once, but kept his gaze on me. I pushed my plate away, and asked him if we could go to bed. I want to be with him—skin on skin—for a while before falling asleep, but I’m so tired. So we went to bed, and had a quickie before passing out and sleeping over ten hours each. The next day I woke up with a smile.

  I only had one class, and not until two in the afternoon, so I said bye to King as he went to work. I was feeling normal again. I think I got the need to let loose out of my system.

  I decided to go to campus early to start to prepare for my midterms, so I quickly showered and texted my girls asking if they wanted to meet in the library—Asli wanted to get some studying in too so she agreed, but Tori had classes.

  Two hours later, Asli and I were deep in our books and sipping on coffees out of the library-approved, spill-proof mugs, when I got an unexpected text from an unknown number.

  Hi Ava. It’s Giorgio. We got off on the wrong foot. I’m at GU. Meet me for coffee?

  I looked over to Stephen, the security detail that usually comes to school with me, and noted the time—King said he’d be in meetings all day so I knew he was busy now.

  I had a chill in my spine as I took a second to figure out how to handle this. I looked around the quiet library gathering my thoughts, and then decided it was best to notify Stephen, but I got another text before making a move.

  I promise this is friendly…I just want to talk. Please give me ten minutes

  I thought about this. Even if he wanted to hurt me, he couldn’t get into the library without a student ID. So asking me to coffee could be his way to try to get me in the open. But I have Stephen with me today, and the café is always busy.

  To be sure I did the wise thing, I sent Stephen a text to tell him that we’re leaving and then responded to Giorgio, telling him to meet me at the café on campus in five minutes.

  I told Asli what was going on and begged her not to come with me or worry; I don’t want to get her involved with this guy at all. But I needed to talk to him. I needed to try to make this situation go away, if that’s possible, and I was intensely curious as to why he wanted to see me.

  I locked my computer and went to the table where Stephen was seated so I could explain my plan. Of course I asked him not to, but he immediately picked up his phone and called King, interrupting a meeting—exactly what I didn’t want Stephen to do.

  Again, I was reminded that I’m a dependent in this situation, not a direct client. I don’t know what happened, but by the slight smile on Stephen’s face and the quick nod of agreement, I could only assume that King was telling him to not allow me to meet with Giorgio.

  My fierce independent streak was screaming. I interrupted their conversation by loudly telling Stephen so that King would hear: “I’m meeting with Giorgio whether you two like it or not.”

  I ignored the glares from those studying around us and got up from the desk as Stephen scrambled to end his call with King and grab his things. I heard King yelling in the background as Stephen hung up on him—client or not, Stephen’s job was to protect me and he needed to stay with me.

  I opened the door to the library and stayed very aware of my surroundings as I walked to the café. I know Giorgio’s around somewhere—as long as he came here alone, I think I’ll be OK. The campus was packed, just like the café will be. It would be very hard for Giorgio to take me out of there against my will.

  The walkways between the library and the café were busy, but that didn’t seem to keep me calm. I wish my nerves would listen to my mind’s evaluation of the circumstances, but they were frazzled. My heart was pounding out of my chest, my palms were sweating, and my hands were shaking. I was looking fo
rward to hearing what Giorgio has to say, but I wanted this to be over already.

  When I reached the café, I saw Giorgio at an outside table and slight relief flowed through me. He was alone, as far as I could tell, and the outside was very busy with pedestrians and patrons alike. I looked at Stephen once, giving him a nod that meant I’m OK, and sat down across the table from Giorgio. Stephen stayed close by, not trying to hide the fact that he’s here for my protection.

  “What do you want?” I asked, and took a seat across from him. No need for niceties.

  “Hi Ava. Look, the shit at Sky Bar; I don’t know why I tried to manhandle you. I was just trying to piss off King, OK? I wouldn’t hurt you,” he said.

  “You threatened King with banging his sister whether she wanted it or not, did you not?”

  “I did,” he admitted, with an embarrassed look on his face.

  “So why should I believe that you didn’t mean to harm me? I know your history, and I remember exactly how much force you used while you were trying to kidnap me,” I said.

  “Kidnap, sure, but I’m not a rapist, Ava. I’m an asshole, yes. But I wouldn’t have done anything more than take you out of there. All I wanted to do was piss King off enough to have a little street fight,” he explained.

  “Even if that’s true, you have to know it was a juvenile move. And it’s still assault and attempted abduction. If you have an issue with King, deal with King. Don’t pull other people—like Claudia or me—into your little games,” I said.

  “It’s only fair. He slept with my girlfriend…”

  “Did he kidnap her to do so? I don’t think so. I think she was a willing participant; I think she wanted him,” I said, knowing I was pissing him off, but not caring.

  “She’s a slut who’d sleep with anyone. He’s not special and I’m not with her anymore, really.”

  I didn’t respond; I was getting impatient. I’m sure he didn’t ask me here to hash out his relationship status.