Page 51 of Antagonist

One day he acts like he can’t stand me, and the next, he kisses me stupid. If only I could just have some time with him without interruptions.

Would he keep himself from me? Or would he let me in?

I’m still annoyed at Fran for interrupting us when all she wanted was to tell me she’d booked her flights and would be stateside in just over three weeks. An email would have done it. Hell, even if she’d just told George, he would have passed on the information.

Instead, I had to hear about her flaky friends, her latest failed relationship, how she’s sworn off men, and a bunch of other things I would normally not mind talking about, but after she interrupted what would have likely ended in a very good orgasm, my patience was running thin.

“Wow, paying the sitter for an extra evening is totally worth it just to see that look on your face.” Melodie’s all-knowing smile as she waggles her eyebrows makes me laugh.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She rolls her eyes. “If I had a dollar for every time someone has said that when they clearly know what I’m talking about, I'd be in my Bahamas villa with my feet up and sipping from a drink with an umbrella.”

“You don’t have a villa in the Bahamas.”

“That’s because people are cheap. Anyway, don’t deflect. I know what I saw.”

I pick up two buckets to fill them with water. “What do you think you saw?”

“You salivating over Harrison’s butt as if it’s made of chocolate.”

“When have you known me tonotcheck out a sexy man’s butt?”

“This is true,” she says.

As we’re getting back to the group with the refilled buckets of water, I see flashing lights.

“What’s going on?”

Ray rushes over. “Dude, those damned women called the police on us.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

An officer in uniform raises his hands. “Calm down, everyone. Who’s in charge here?”

“Mr. Bradford is inside on a call,” Ray says.

I head up to the front. “I’m in charge, officer. How can I help?”

“There has been a report that you’re carrying out work without a license or the correct safety equipment,” the officer says.

“Excuse me. Get out…of the way.” Karina pushes her way over. “Officer, I’m Mrs. Karina Brunel. I reported this atrocity.” She flicks her long hair behind her shoulder.

“And what exactly is this so-called atrocity, Mrs. Brunel?”

“These people are damaging school property.Myhusband worked tirelessly to raise funds for the school to be repainted three years ago, and these…peopleare damaging what we worked so hard for.”

The officer turns to me.

“What do you have to say, Mr…”

“Crawford. But please call me Fletcher. What you’ll find here is a group of parents who are cleaning an external wall with the permission of the school principal. We are using buckets of water and mops.”

The officer lets out a breath that tells me he knows he’s wasting his time here.

“And what is the purpose of this cleaning operation, Mr. Crawford?”

Harrison seems to come out of nowhere, but suddenly he’s right next to me, his hand lightly touching mine. And fuck do I notice his skin skating over mine.