TWENTY-ONE #3
Vinnie’s mouth pressed into a thin line, his throat bobbing as if swallowing down something he wasn’t sure he should say. The silence stretched, and with every passing second, the space between us felt smaller, as if the walls themselves were closing in on us.
‘I’m sure he’s fine,’ Vinnie said at last, though his mouth stayed half-open, as if something else wanted to come out.
He took in a deep breath and held it too long to be casual. Then he gave a short, almost guilty smile and looked down.
‘Sorry.’ His tone sank. ‘Sometimes… I forget where the line is.’
My head angled. Instinct moved faster than thought – I ducked beneath his arm, putting some much-needed space between us before my nerves snapped altogether.
‘It’s okay,’ I said, all wide-eyed ignorance.
I abandoned the mop. No way in hell was I cornering myself in a seven-by-seven-foot bathroom to soak it. He’d follow me in.
Kitchen towels would do.
I dropped to my knees and began wiping the coffee from the tiles, my movements shaky but gradually steadying.
He stayed behind, unmoving.
I could feel his stare burning a hole on my face.
‘Are you two…?’ he started, but trailed off into charged silence.
My head snapped up. I pinned him with a look sharp enough to tell him exactly how little of his business that was.
He raised his palms as if I’d drawn a weapon.
‘Sorry, just…’ He clicked his tongue, gave that lazy grin again, the one that always felt like a mask.
‘Vinnie…’ I stood slowly, stealing a glance at the shoebox as I tossed the soiled towels into the bin. ‘There’s nothing between D’Angelo and me – we’re working together.’
But even as I said it, something inside me writhed.
Why the fuck did that feel like a lie?
He exhaled, and the sunny smile returned like a bad habit. ‘Good.’
‘I promise we’re keeping things professional,’ I added, dry and careful.
That seemed to give him pause. His brow creased, and when understanding finally settled, he chuckled awkwardly. ‘Oh—no, that’s not why I asked. Private life is private.’
I raised a brow, wiping my hands slowly, never breaking eye contact as I let the question hang.
I should have remained a fucking hermit.
He hesitated a beat too long.
‘I know it might be sudden, all things considered, but I’ve got tickets for a show tonight – some rising band’s playing in Primo. Want to come with?’
The air shifted.
I allowed a sharp and entirely programmed smile and made a goddamn beeline for the shoe rack like a woman on a mission.
Pulling on my trainers with too much focus, I tied those laces tight, as though binding my sanity to them before it completely left me.
‘I think I should take it easy tonight, after…’ I let the sentence die, unable to get the words out.
He realigned his jaw, looking down at his shoes, which suddenly made him look a little older in that light.
‘And I’m sure I’d just scare the girls off if I tagged along with you two.’
His voice darkened a fraction. ‘Us two?’
I paused, hands still on my shoes, heart kicking up again. ‘Cain and you,’ I said with forced levity, as I pulled my hair back into a ponytail.
He didn’t smile. Didn’t speak right away. His jaw worked, his eyes turned away briefly.
When he finally spoke, it was colder. ‘Right.’
I zipped up my hoodie – hurriedly, as if suiting into armour. My fingers lingered at the collar.
Vinnie was… intense. Fun – sure, if one liked chaos.
The kind of man who thought emotional boundaries were for the unimaginative.
From what I’d seen, he bounced between women too young for his age – too much, too fast. And he was also the kind that made you laugh until you couldn’t breathe, suffocating you in the end.
‘I was thinking it could just be you and me, actually.’
He said it. Just like that.
Looks like we are doing this now, I thought, biting my cheek.
‘I appreciate the invite,’ I said, each word slow and careful as if I were defusing a bomb in pitch darkness. ‘But we work together. It’s probably best we don’t blur that line.’
His smile returned, but it didn’t reach his baby blues.
The moment crystallised. I squared my shoulders. Zipped the hoodie all the way to my throat. My hands flexed at my sides once, just before I reached for the door.
‘You’re a nice guy, Vinnie,’ I said, pushing the words out more firmly. ‘Don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s bad for business.’ The underlining meaning stood stark between the syllables.
Managing a polite smile, I slid my key off the hook. The chill of metal grounded me – and I took in a deep breath when he moved towards the door.
We stepped out together, side by side, but my skin didn’t believe it yet. My nerves stayed coiled.
Some things didn’t need a scream to be a warning.
‘Thanks for coming to check up on me. Let me know if Cain gets back to you.’
After locking the door, we both left the building, and I did my best to keep that friendly mask on my face as I waved a goodbye and started walking first, then jogged away from him.
He stayed where I left him, unmoving until I circled the first corner.
Fuck. My. Life.