19. Lennie
NINETEEN
LENNIE
I woke up to the sun shining and my alarm going off. Another night of restful, nightmare-free sleep.
After climbing off the bed, I stretched, allowing my limbs to wake up.
As I went to the bathroom and started to get ready for my day, I noticed I hadn’t heard Dante moving around downstairs.
Typically, he was making breakfast or drinking coffee by the time I was up.
Quietly, I looked down the hallway and saw his bedroom door was ajar, revealing a sliver of darkness.
My curiosity got the best of me, and I walked toward it.
I peeked inside, pushing the door a little wider, and saw Dante still fast asleep.
He was lying in the middle of the bed with his bare torso on full display.
My mouth began to water when I took in the lines of his abs and pecs.
He had no tattoos, and only a thin line of hair trailed from his navel down to his boxers.
I stood there like a creep, enjoying the rise and fall of his breaths. He looked peaceful like this—it was so different from his usual stern demeanor.
Before I could get caught, I moved the door back to where it was, then returned to my room to get ready for the day.
That morning, Bohdi insisted on bringing me into work. I caved because my ribs were still quite sore.
The car ride consisted of Bohdi asking me if I was alright and trying to keep small talk alive between us.
I knew he liked me, but the feelings were not mutual.
I wasn’t sure what had come over me the night we’d hooked up.
Maybe I was just lonely? No, I knew the real answer.
I’d wanted to escape the memories of my kidnapping, and he was the closest thing to me at the time.
Shitty, I knew. But it was the reality of the situation.
Bohdi gave me a peck on the cheek before I got out of the vehicle. I thanked him for the ride before going to the coffee cart in RSS.
“The usual, Len?” the barista asked.
I nodded. As I waited for my latte to be finished, I decided to set the record straight with Bohdi. I pulled out my phone and sent him a text.
ME:
Thank you again for the ride, Boh.
BOHDI:
Of course! It was my pleasure
Ugh. I needed to be honest and deal with this before it got out of hand.
ME:
I have to be honest, I only see you as a good friend. What happened the other night was a one-time deal. I’m really sorry.
I felt horrible for hurting his feelings, but I couldn’t go on with him thinking there was something between us. Three bubbles popped up on the screen and then disappeared a few times. By the time the response came, I’d received my coffee and had made my way upstairs.
BOHDI:
No problem, Len. Always here if you need me.
Relief flooded me, and I was thankful he was happy to keep our friendship in place. The morning went quickly as I tried to find Sarah, along with other prolific sex traffickers. By lunchtime, I hadn’t found anything and was starving from skipping breakfast.
Fortunately, I’d made plans to meet up with my friend Darcy for lunch. I loved my team, but it would be a relief to talk to someone who didn’t know what had happened to me.
I met her at a small bistro a couple of blocks from the office. Darcy waved at me when I arrived, as if I could miss her. Lime-green lowlights peeked out from her straight black hair, and she was dressed in an extravagant goth ensemble.
“Lennie! Finally! I thought you might blow me off again,” she said as I sat down. “Seriously, what has been going on with you?”
“Sorry. There’s a lot happening at work right now.” I shrugged noncommittally.
She continued to pester me as I ordered a coffee, but soon realized I wasn’t going to give her any more information and changed the subject to a dark stalker romance she was reading.
“Have you ever wondered why authors never talk about the penguin waddle you have to do to the bathroom after your ass and pussy are filled with cum?” she asked just as the waitress arrived at our table.
The poor thing looked mortified, but Darcy appeared unperturbed.
“Probably because it isn’t sexy,” I answered once we’d ordered our food and the waitress had left.
She hummed in agreement. “Or like, how unrealistic stalking books are. Like there’s no way the stalker could just stand there for hours without having to go to the bathroom. Yet you don’t hear about that.”
For some reason, I felt like there were eyes on me at that moment. I chalked it up to paranoia and shook it off before refocusing my attention on my friend.
I let out a laugh before wincing as my rib throbbed with pain. “Girl, you have way too much time on your hands.”
Darcy rolled her eyes. “Well, if someone had actually hung out with me and given me some attention, I wouldn’t be thinking about the logistics of stalking.”
I let out another giggle as I took a sip from my coffee, attempting to focus on my friend as my mind started to wander. I still hadn’t heard from Dante, and I was trying to not let it bother me. I was staying at his house, and yet he wasn’t talking to me.
His denial last night still plagued my thoughts, along with the words that lit my insides on fire. “I want nothing more than to rip all of your clothes off and take my time wringing every shred of pleasure out of your body.”
I squirmed in my seat thinking about his piercing gaze and the strong fingers that had dug into my sides.
“Earth to Lennie!” Darcy said while waving a hand in my face. “Girl, what is up with you? You need to spill.”
And so I did—or at least I told her part of it. I told her about my hook-up attempt with Bohdi and how I was staying with a “work friend” because of “renovations to my condo”. I told her about the chemistry with said work friend and how I was slowly going out of my mind because I wanted him so bad.
Darcy took in the information like a sponge and seemed delighted that I was actually giving her juicy gossip. She loved a good story, especially if it had lots of spice and desire.
“So why haven’t you boned him yet?” she asked before taking a bite of her turkey club.
I put my head in my hands and groaned. “I tried last night, but he turned me down.”
That detail caught Darcy’s attention. “Are we sure he’s not gay?”
That almost made me choke on my own sandwich before I shook my head. “No, he’s definitely not.”
My mind began to spin, and thoughts about why he hadn’t hooked up with me began to rear their ugly heads.
Was I not pretty enough? Did he pity me?
I wanted him. I wanted him badly. And tonight, I was determined to fulfill my desires.