Do you ever think to yourself that something’s gotta
give?
I’m a successful business man, but my love life is the worst it has ever
been. I’m dating this chick who I have nothing in common with, and every time I
try to end things, she sneaks her way back in, and we have lousy make-up
sex.
I’m pretty sure she’s bipolar and hasn’t been diagnosed, yet. One minute
we’re watching some drama reality show—not my choice—and the next, she’s
accusing me of cheating on her. It’s like a broken record, and I’m tired of
hearing it.
“Baby, where are we having dinner tonight?” Christy, my soon-to-be ex-again,
asked.
“Can’t. Have to work—late.”
I’ve resorted to short, incomplete sentences with her. No matter what I’ve
said, she’s turned it around and tried to get me to do whatever she wanted. I
could probably speak Japanese and she would pretend I said that I wanted to
marry her instead of break up with her. I needed a plan to get her out of my
life forever—and fast!
“You always have to work late now. I thought you wanted to spend more time
with me?” Christy pouted, sticking out her bottom lip.
Spend more time with her? What the fuck? Hell no! I was lucky I’d never given
her a key or she would be over at my place every night. She was only at my place
now because I was horny as fuck and gave in to her temptation—again. I would
always give into her because work was stressful, and I needed the release.
“Jason and I are busy. We’re trying to open the new gym, you know that.”
That was just an excuse. Yes, Jason and I were opening a new gym, but most of
our business dealings were during normal business hours, and if I saw an email
after hours, then I answered it on my phone or from home. I could usually get
out of work by six at night, but I was just trying to get away from Christy and
I didn’t know how else to do it. I didn’t want to move. I loved my condo, but
moving might be the only option.
I didn’t like her anymore. She wasn’t really my type. I’ve always had a thing
for brunettes, and Christy was blonde and so fucking high maintenance, I wanted
to shoot myself. I loved the outdoors, sports, poker—Christy hated them all.
“Fine, I’ll come over tonight when you get home.”
“Christy, please. I need a night alone.”
“What the fuck, Brandon? Why are you being an asshole?”
“I’m not being an asshole. I just need some space.”
“Are you breaking up with me? Are you cheating on me?”
The first time Christy asked if I was breaking up with her, I made the
mistake of saying “yes”. I’m not going to make that mistake again. Her nails
hurt!
“I’m not cheating on you. I just need a night alone. Go hang out with your
friends. You know Mondays are busy for me.”
“Fine, but I want you all to myself this weekend since you’re going to Vegas
next weekend,” she said, coming up to give me a kiss.
Every ounce of me tried not to shudder under her touch. What was I doing? I
couldn’t stand to be touched by her, but at night I gave in to her come-ons?
I was certain God was looking out for me when I asked Christy if she wanted
to go to Vegas with us for my buddy’s birthday party a few weeks back. Christy
only wanted to come if we were going clubbing. I told her we were playing poker;
she turned her nose up and pouted for hours, and then accused me of cheating on
her—in the future. That should have been my sign to get the fuck out, but I
don’t listen sometimes. Christy has been nothing but trouble for me.
I didn’t respond to her about coming over for the weekend. I wasn’t going to
make any promises. I needed to talk to Becca, one of my best friends, and ask
her how I was going to get rid of Christy—for good.
*~*~*
“What’s wrong with you?” Jason, my best friend, asked as he leaned into my
office.
“Christy…” I groaned.
“I thought you were dumping her?”
“I tried—again.”
Jason sat in the chair in front of my desk. We had been friends since
college. He met his wife, Becca, at Texas A&M where we all attended, and the
three of us had been friends ever since. We were business partners now; I was
the Best Man at their wedding and lived with them when we first moved to San
Francisco.
They’ve been through all my ups and downs, especially in college when some
asshole started a fight with me and Jason and broke my back because our football
coach named me starting quarterback and not him. Jason and Becca were more than
friends—they were like my brother and sister.
“What happened this time?” Jason asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“When I told her that I was done, she cried and wouldn’t leave my place.”
“Dump her at her place.”
“I tried,” I said, burying my head in my hands. “She just follows me home and
then begs and begs—promising all these sexual acts that she ends up not
doing.”
Jason busted out laughing. “Oh man, that’s good!”
“Fuck you!” I said, throwing my pen at him.
“What’s so funny in here?” Becca asked, walking into my office.
“Brandon can’t get rid of Christy,” Jason told his wife.
I gave Becca a brief rundown of my obsessed girlfriend while she and
Jason laughed at me. It kinda sucks being single sometimes. I’ve always wished I
had what they had, but I haven’t been so lucky. I was close once, but then found
out the girl cheated on me one drunken night, and since then I’ve guarded my
heart.
I’ve only been dating Christy a few months. I don’t love her. Never have. I’m
not even sure what attracted me to her. She’s not my type. I want a girl that is
down to earth, loves sports, doesn’t care if I go mountain biking with Jason
every weekend and wants me for me and not for my money or a free gym
membership.
You would think that I have women fawning all over me. I’m so busy with work,
that I haven’t had time to go out and meet anyone new. It was easy for me to
call Christy, get off like I needed, but it has come to the point where she made
my skin crawl.
I met her at a bar one night. Maybe it was the way she rubbed her ass on my
dick that made me want to fuck her that night—yep, that was it—but since then, I
haven’t gotten rid of her.
“Maybe it’s time to get a restraining order?” Becca asked.
“Or move back to Austin,” Jason said.
“I’m not moving back to Texas. I like it here. Plus, the Giants are way
better than the Astros.”
“But they have our Cowboys,” Jason said while Becca was looking at her
phone.
“You want me to run our Austin gym again?” I asked.
We currently have four gyms. One in Austin, one in Houston, one in Denver and
the one here in San Francisco. In January, we hope to open a new one in Seattle.
The current property is in foreclosure, and our real estate guy, Paul, was
working his magic to get us a good deal. Everything is included in the sale
since it’s currently a gym, so we won’t have to spend a lot of time setting
everything up. We will just need to add our signature touches like a spa, beach
volleyball and basketball courts, with our operating hours extending to be
twenty-four hours a day.
“You’re not going back to Texas,” Becca said. “This is what you do. You tell
your door guy to not let her in…”
“Done that,” I said, cutting her off. “But somehow she gets in.”
“You tell them that if they see her on the property, then to call the cops.
You tell Christy that, too. Tell her if she shows up again, the cops will be
called and you’ll be getting a restraining order.”
“That’s so harsh,” I said.
“It’s either that or her sleeping in front of your door every night.”
“Why do I always have to find the crazies?”
“Your luck will change, B. You just need to get Christy out of the picture
and let that special someone into your life,” Becca said, patting my shoulder to
comfort me.
*~*~*
Christy: What time are you getting off?
Jesus, fucking Christ! Didn’t we have this conversation this morning? I’m
not answering her.
And I didn’t.
She texted again.
Christy: I miss you already. I can’t go a night without you.
I groaned, throwing my phone on my desk and continued working.
Christy: Why aren’t you answering me? You better not be cheating on me.
I’ll hunt that bitch down!
I decided to text her back. My luck, she
would show up at the gym and cause a big scene. Couldn’t have our clients seeing
that shit.
Me: I’m not cheating on you. I’m at work. BUSY!
Christy: I’ll be at your place tonight at 10.
Why do I seriously find the clingiest women in the world? Fucking
hell!
Me: Might not be home.
Christy: I’ll come by the gym.
No!
Me: Might not be at the gym, either.
Christy: So you ARE cheating on me?
Me: Christy, I have friends…not just you. And no, for the last time, I’m
not cheating on you. I have a meeting.
*~*~*
I didn’t hear back from Christy. I already knew that she would be at my place
when I got home. I needed to be a fucking man and just break up with her for
good. I needed to listen to my head and my heart—not my dick.
At five-thirty, Jason stuck his head in my office. “Going home.”
“I’m doing it. Breaking up with Christy for good tonight.”
“Right…” Jason said with a laugh.
“How is it out there? I think I need to burn off some pent-up energy so I
don’t agree to let her suck my dick.”
Being a fairly new gym in the area, Jason and I created two-week trial
passes. We expected a lot of the after work crowd to show—and they had been for
the last few weeks. Each Monday seemed to bring out more people trying to start
their week off right.
“Fairly busy, but not full.”
We stepped out of my office that overlooked the floor. I scanned the area,
seeing people taking advantage of our smoothie bar, standing in line for
racquetball and enjoying our equipment and weights.
“Nice. I’m going to work out.”
Usually we don’t work out when it’s busy, but I needed to really get my head
screwed on straight. A good run always cleared my head.
Running, not sex Brandon!
As I continued to look over the floor, my eyes drifted to the treadmills to
see if any were open. That was when I saw her.
“Have you seen her before?” I asked Jason.
“Who?”
“Her.” I pointed to the brunette I’d never seen before, running on the
treadmill.
“No, never seen her before. Why?”
“Because—I’m going to marry her,” I said, walking away and not waiting for
him to respond.
