CONNOR
I took a final look at the neutral-coloured shirt and jeans trousers I had on and decided it was good enough. Not too dressy. Not too pale. I slid a silver-coloured wristwatch on my wrist and smoothened my hair which stubbornly refused to lay still as always. After Kenzie had stormed out on me earlier today after our talk about her moving to my place, I had doubts about her still pulling through with honouring my mother's invitation but I shrugged off the thought. Kenzie was smarter than that. This was work and she would not let her emotions override her decision or professionalism. I had sent her a reminder text an hour ago, letting her know I was going to come to pick her up in an hour. Even though she did not reply to the text, I was certain she had seen it.
A sudden ring of the doorbell came and I walked to the door and twisted the doorknob, only to be greeted by the unwelcoming familiarity of Jessica, her eyes full of mischief and her lips lifted in a smile.
"Hello, handsome." She greeted me in a sing-song tone and brushed past me into the room before I could stop her. I sucked in an air of frustration and turned to face her, shutting the door behind me again.
"Good heavens, it's been a while since I was here. Although the last time was worth the wait." She rested herself on the arm of the cushion and gave me a come-get-me look, biting her bottom lips seductively. "Remember the last time? You and I got drunk at Zed's party and the fuck was so good...."
I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet, causing a satisfactory laugh from Jessica at my discomfort.
I took in a deep breath and exhaled again. "Listen, Jessie, I have somewhere important..."
"Your mother's little dinner party. How can I forget?"
I stared at her deeper and intently. How did she know...
"I was invited too. So, don't worry. You guys won't be alone."
I scoffed out a ridiculous laugh at myself.
Right. This was a dinner party to spite Jessica and Kenzie the more. What was I expecting from my mother? It wasn't new. She had done the same to Tory.
"You know..." She got up again and paced around the room, watching the paintings and art walls on walls as if it were her first time here. "I still can not believe you would ditch your forever sweetheart for a new girl." She shot me a sarcastic look, her mischievous smile never slipping from her face. "I mean..., you guys were so perfect together."
Oh. Now, did you think so? How funny.
"Jessie..." As much as I was beginning to enjoy the fact that she had bought into the idea of my relationship with Kenzie, I did not want to waste much time with her. Kenzie would be waiting by now and I was not one to take other people's time for granted.
"What do you see in her?" She began to advance towards me now, slowly and cautiously like a tigress about to devour her prey.
"Who?" I feigned ignorance.
"Her." She was standing too close to me now, her body almost rubbing with mine. "Your new girl."
"Jessie, I have to leave..."
She hushed me with a finger over my lips, her nails long and neatly pedicured. I checked in with myself, searching for any sign of likeness or love I might be feeling for the woman that I may be refusing myself from seeing, but yet again, like a zillionth time before, the feeling of affection for her was dead empty and the only yearn I felt for her was the urge to pin her to the bed and fuck her hard until she begged for mercy.
The doorbell rang just in time to save me from making any further action I might end up regretting. I heaved a breath of gratitude at the timely intervention and hurried to open the door, only to see Tory standing before me in casual jeans and blouse, a purse clutched nicely in her hands. She gave me a warm smile that slipped off as soon as Jessica joined me at the door.
"Oh, hi there, ex-girlfriend."
I could imagine the look of triumph on Jessica's face as she said this and I set my jaw, fighting the urge to push her violently out of my house.
"Erm, I think I should get going..." Tory began to say but I immediately cut in, pulling Jessica a little rough from behind me and shoving her out of the door. "She was already leaving."
Jessica laughed despite my treatment of her and flipped her long dark hair in self-satisfaction.
"I don't understand you both. Don't you think Ari would be quite...unhappy if she hears that your ex-girlfriend is still seeing you behind her back?"
"Come on, Jess..."
"Don't worry. I won't tell." She said, gesturing a zip of her mouth. "See you when you come, sweetheart." She blew me a kiss and walked away elegantly, her heels clicking noisily against the hard floors until she disappeared down the hallway and away from sight.
I sighed in relief and stepped aside for Tory to come in and when she did, I shut close the door again.
"Why was she here?" Tory asked, sitting on the arm of the cushion, the same spot Jessica had sat on earlier. I compared the former with the latter. A tigress, bold and tough and a meadow; weak and soft.
I ignored her question and glanced at the wristwatch on my wrist. I could imagine Kenzie waiting for me in her living room, fully dressed and waiting. Possibly wondering if I had forgotten about the event too. She should have called me, though. At least to check in and be sure I was alright or even to ask about the reason behind my lateness.
"You shouldn't be coming around here, Tory," I told her instead and noticed how her face fell and her shoulders slouched at my words. I immediately jumped in to clarify. "For now."
"Why? Don't you want me around you anymore?"
"You know that is not what I mean..."
"Then, what do you mean?" She crossed her arms across her bosom, the way she did whenever she wanted to cause trouble one way or the other.
"Tory. You don't want people thinking we are still having something behind my girlfriend's back. They would grow suspicious."
"But I am your girl..." She made to snap and immediately stopped, realizing her words didn't match the situation quite well.
She sighed and released her arms from her chest, running them through her hair.
"But that wasn't part of the plan, Connor."
"Yes. Because we were stupid enough to not think about it in the first place."
"Fine." She nodded and clutched her fingers to her purse even tighter. "Are you off somewhere?"
"Mom invited me and Kenzie over for dinner."
"Cool." She rose from her sitting position and walked over to me, giving me a swift peck on the lips. "I should let you be on your way, then."
"Okay," I replied, doing my best not to sound as nonchalant as I felt. "See you around."
She gave me another smile and left the room, shutting the door behind her. I sighed again as she left and my phone vibrated in the pocket of my trouser. I pulled out the phone and opened an unread message from Kenzie. I had saved her name as Ari, with a heart emoji to steer off any other suspicion.
Where are you?
