The doorbell rang continuously and I groaned and wrapped myself under the thick duvet blankets of my bed. The ringing came again ceaselessly and impatiently and I blocked my ears with a pillow, trying to shut the noise away.
Why would anyone be at my place without calling me first? Everyone knew the rule. Call before you come. Who the fuck was it that didn't understand a basic instruction?
When the ringing did not stop, I knew there was no escape from this and I would have to face the situation head-on. I pulled my body lazily from the bed and dragged my feet from my room down the stairs and finally to the door. Pushing it open aggressively, I opened my mouth, ready to swear at whoever it was.
"Good morning, Connor." A cheerful sing-sang voice came and my eyes widened at the sight of Jojo holding a brown food paper bag in front of her that smelled strongly of chicken and sauce. Just as I was beginning to recover from my shock, another figure crept cautiously behind her and stood shoulder by shoulder with the teenage girl, face lowered in an emotion that looked like embarrassment.
Kenzie.
"What are you..."
I finally found my voice and made to say but Jojo jumped on my sentence halfway.
"I got this as a peace offering for the scene I might have caused last night." She said, still all smiles. "You shouldn't blame me though. You are the first guy Kenzie has ever brought home..."
"Shut it, Jojo." Kenzie snapped at her and this time, it was my turn to stifle a laugh while she glared at me like she was going to kill me for that.
"Anyway..." Jojo shoved the bag forcefully into my hand and I struggled to save it from falling to the ground. "Accept this as a token of peace offering from the deepest bottom of my heart."
I figured Jojo wasn't the type you could say no to, so I nodded my head obediently.
"I have to leave now." The crazy teenager flicked a glance at her wristwatch and back to me again. "I have classes in an hour and still have to drive myself to school. Remember, dinner at our place this weekend?"
I scanned my eyes around, trying to remember when I had agreed to have dinner with anyone. And Jojo of all people.
"Uh..."
"Let's make it next weekend, then. We are going to have so much fun. I am so excited." She said with a giggle and waved at me as she made to go away again. "See you on Saturday."
As Kenzie moved to follow her, the girl shooed her away, pushing her in my direction.
"No need to worry about me. Go have fun with your boyfriend. Go on." She shooed her away and then left, her footsteps pattering on the marbled floors until they faded into silence.
Kenzie and I sighed simultaneously. She faced me again.
"Listen, Connor. I am so sorry for barging in on you like this. Jojo kept insisting on seeing you and I tried to call but you weren't picking so I..."
"Want to maybe...have a cup of coffee while you try to calm your head from that dramatic adorable sister of yours?"
She searched her chocolate brown fox eyes around and pulled a strand of her ash's grey hairs behind her ears. Unlike yesterday and the first day we had met at the hotel, she did not look fake and out of place at all. She looked just...simple and normal.
Pretty too.
"Well..., I uh, kinda have some stuff..."
"Come on. You don't want to disappoint your sweet sister now, do you?"
I teased her with a smile and led her into the room, shutting the door behind us.
"Apologies for not picking up your calls when you tried to reach out to me. I was on the bed. Sleeping."
"Do you sleep for that long every day?" I heard her weight plough off the cushion behind me.
"Not really. I guess I was just a little too tired from yesterday's party."
"Yea. I guess."
I dived to the kitchen and in a minute, fixed us both a cup of coffee each. I returned to the living room and handed her a cup of coffee and she smiled in gratitude. Taking a seat on the cushion directly in front of her I took my first sip of coffee, letting my taste bud treasure the taste and the sweet smell of pure heavenly bliss.
"Did you have fun last night?" I watched her lips meet with the rims of the mug and my mind travelled back to the moment in the car last night when I had kissed her collarbones. My first thought had been to go for the lips which looked kissable if I was going to be honest. But I had decided to let the lips slide. Who knew how much power those lips held? A kind of power strong enough to run a man crazy.
"Not really."
"Why?"
"For one, I was in a gathering where everyone else was a stranger and another girl hated me and would hurt me with any slightest chance she got." She crinkled her eyes again as if recalling something else.
"We are supposed to meet with your mother today, right?"
I nodded. If it were Tory, I would have prevented her from going, afraid of what my mother would say or do to her. But for Kenzie, I wouldn't deny feeling her air of confidence and toughness. She would no doubt handle the situation well.
"Let's make it 8 pm. I will come to pick you up at your place. Although it would have been easier if you had moved into my place already. You were supposed to, right?"
She shifted a little uncomfortably and I grinned inwardly. Nothing pleased me more than breaking the hard walls I was beginning to notice she built around her.
"I...erm..."
"When will you be moving in with me?" I repeated my question, pretending as though I did not take notice of how uneasy it made her feel.
She stared at me, her tongue hung midway in her mouth and fumbling around for anything to say.
"I don't think I can." She finally confessed and I deepened the frown on my forehead as if I was oblivious to her whole objection in the first place.
"Why?"
"I know that we made a deal in the contract but...I really can't." Her eyes read plea now. "I have never been away from Jojo for an entire day. How can I do that for an entire year? It would kill me."
I ran a finger through my hair, slightly pissed at her lame excuse.
So, this was it? This was her reason for not wanting to be away from her sister. Did she think the girl was what? Nine?
"You can't do that. You can't just breach the contract, Kenzie."
She kept silent and fixated her gaze on the cup, her naturally long dark lashes fanning over her eyes as she did.
"Fine." I slapped myself inwardly for what I was about to say. "Let's do it this way. Three days with me. Four days at your place."
She opened her mouth to protest but I shook my head and she slumped back weakly against the cushion.
"No, Kenzie. This is the best I can do for you. Did you even take your time to read through the repercussion, should you try to break off from any part of our deal?"
"Of course. I would have to pay double the amount for my services as a fine." She did not look at me as she said and a part of me felt bad for putting her through this. But then again, she had agreed to it and I was paying her well for her service.
"I have to get going now." She got up, dusted and straightened her baggy jeans.
"Alright." I walked her to the door and she walked out of the apartment without a backward glance at me. She was mad. I could tell.
From my door, I watched her leave, her curvy hips and thick ass, slapping against each other in the safety of her trousers.
Fuck, those asses were fire.
