matter-of-factly.
The elevator d oor s chimed and then slowly opened . Zhané glanced at Devlin , waiting for him to say something, b ut he clung to the strong, silent stereotype. How ironic. Two str a ngers ha d just performed the most intimate act a man and woman could do. Yet, an awkward shroud of silence now hung over them. Within the span of a few hours, her emotions had mutat ed from disbelief to anger to calm acceptance. Her boyfriend had dumped her, she’d met the guy responsible, and she was fine with it. Life had a fucked up sense of humor.
Zhané c ollected her purse and walked through the elevator doors. As an afterthought, she tossed a few parting words over her shoulder. “It was a pleasure meeting you , Devlin Hart . Thanks for the ride.”
SIX
“You did it right there in the elevator?”
“ I s ure did .”
“ Girl, y ou are scandalous! ”
“ Maybe, b ut that man was the best I ever had. ”
Zhané laid face down, feeling the soothing effects of a hot stone massage, while her best friend, Katina was on the bed opposite her getting a sea weed body wrap. This was one of the rare spa treatments they allowed themselves to indulge in every once in a while.
“You know that was just rebound sex ,” Katina informed her. “Devlin Hart t ook advantage of you in a moment of weakness.”
“I disagree. Devlin actually d id me a favor. He helped me to realize that what Malik and I had was a shell of a relationship .”
“ You can’t be serious. ”
“ I am. And I harbor no ill will toward Malik . I w a s just as wrong as he was. D ev lin says our relationship was doomed from the start. ”
“ Oh, now y o u’ re quoting this guy? ”
“He said some things that really resonated with me.”
“ He’s a male chauvinist . You can’t even take what he says at face value .”
“He’s not that bad, Tina.”
Katina propped herself on her elbows, and turned toward Zhané , her dark eyes wide open in surprise. “ Not that bad! Girl, that man must have h ypnot ized you. In fact, you probably didn’t even fuck him . He’s so smooth he made you believe it happened!”
“ Shit, if that wasn’t real, pinch me ‘cause I can still feel my body humming from what that man did to me a week ago. ”
Katina cracked up laughing. “W hat am I going to do with you? You’d better give me your car keys so you don’ t try to drive back over there for seconds!”
Zhané laughed too , careful to keep still so the stones didn’t slip from her back. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“ Ooh, you’re worse off than I thought .”
“ I was upset with Devlin at first, but after I thought things through , I realize d I have no reason to be pisse d at him . Nobody can make my man leave me but me . I have to take some res p onsibil ity for our breakup . ”
Katina let out a deep sigh. “You’re too forgiving, Zhané .”
Zhané closed her eyes, signaling the end of the conversation. She felt a connection with Devlin Hart, but maybe it was all in her mind. Maybe Katina was right: it was just good old-fashioned lust. No satisfying r elationship could come from a quick ie in an elevator . She was setting herself up for failure again, jumping f rom the frying pan into the fire. Her sigh mirrored Katina’s. Oh , well. I’m not going to beat my self up about it. What ’s done i s done.
Thankfully, she’d never have to see Devlin Hart again. He’d forget all about her, and in time, she’d forget how for a blissful moment, he ’d given her a memory to last a lifetime.
********
“ What’s your opinion , Dev? Is a girl who puts out on the first night worth keeping around? My friends say those types of women are hos. ”
Devlin l istened half-heartedly to the caller on the line . There was a time when he would have thought a woman who gave it up during a one night stand was easy. He was suspicious of
The elevator d oor s chimed and then slowly opened . Zhané glanced at Devlin , waiting for him to say something, b ut he clung to the strong, silent stereotype. How ironic. Two str a ngers ha d just performed the most intimate act a man and woman could do. Yet, an awkward shroud of silence now hung over them. Within the span of a few hours, her emotions had mutat ed from disbelief to anger to calm acceptance. Her boyfriend had dumped her, she’d met the guy responsible, and she was fine with it. Life had a fucked up sense of humor.
Zhané c ollected her purse and walked through the elevator doors. As an afterthought, she tossed a few parting words over her shoulder. “It was a pleasure meeting you , Devlin Hart . Thanks for the ride.”
SIX
“You did it right there in the elevator?”
“ I s ure did .”
“ Girl, y ou are scandalous! ”
“ Maybe, b ut that man was the best I ever had. ”
Zhané laid face down, feeling the soothing effects of a hot stone massage, while her best friend, Katina was on the bed opposite her getting a sea weed body wrap. This was one of the rare spa treatments they allowed themselves to indulge in every once in a while.
“You know that was just rebound sex ,” Katina informed her. “Devlin Hart t ook advantage of you in a moment of weakness.”
“I disagree. Devlin actually d id me a favor. He helped me to realize that what Malik and I had was a shell of a relationship .”
“ You can’t be serious. ”
“ I am. And I harbor no ill will toward Malik . I w a s just as wrong as he was. D ev lin says our relationship was doomed from the start. ”
“ Oh, now y o u’ re quoting this guy? ”
“He said some things that really resonated with me.”
“ He’s a male chauvinist . You can’t even take what he says at face value .”
“He’s not that bad, Tina.”
Katina propped herself on her elbows, and turned toward Zhané , her dark eyes wide open in surprise. “ Not that bad! Girl, that man must have h ypnot ized you. In fact, you probably didn’t even fuck him . He’s so smooth he made you believe it happened!”
“ Shit, if that wasn’t real, pinch me ‘cause I can still feel my body humming from what that man did to me a week ago. ”
Katina cracked up laughing. “W hat am I going to do with you? You’d better give me your car keys so you don’ t try to drive back over there for seconds!”
Zhané laughed too , careful to keep still so the stones didn’t slip from her back. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“ Ooh, you’re worse off than I thought .”
“ I was upset with Devlin at first, but after I thought things through , I realize d I have no reason to be pisse d at him . Nobody can make my man leave me but me . I have to take some res p onsibil ity for our breakup . ”
Katina let out a deep sigh. “You’re too forgiving, Zhané .”
Zhané closed her eyes, signaling the end of the conversation. She felt a connection with Devlin Hart, but maybe it was all in her mind. Maybe Katina was right: it was just good old-fashioned lust. No satisfying r elationship could come from a quick ie in an elevator . She was setting herself up for failure again, jumping f rom the frying pan into the fire. Her sigh mirrored Katina’s. Oh , well. I’m not going to beat my self up about it. What ’s done i s done.
Thankfully, she’d never have to see Devlin Hart again. He’d forget all about her, and in time, she’d forget how for a blissful moment, he ’d given her a memory to last a lifetime.
********
“ What’s your opinion , Dev? Is a girl who puts out on the first night worth keeping around? My friends say those types of women are hos. ”
Devlin l istened half-heartedly to the caller on the line . There was a time when he would have thought a woman who gave it up during a one night stand was easy. He was suspicious of
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