Page 53 of Consumed By You

CHAPTER TEN

One Month Later

“I’d like a Grey Goose Martini, please,” a woman requests, sitting down at the bar. She’s a regular, here every Wednesday night, by far the slowest night of the week. I fetch the vodka.

It took me a month to get back on my feet after getting fired from Scott Industries, and losing Benjamin. The disbelief, anger, and pain overwhelmed me to depths I had never reached before. None of the time I spent with Benjamin meant anything to him. He never called, never asked to talk, never wanted an explanation.

It took me a while to accept that he meant much more to me than I did to him.

Sometimes at night I still catch myself going through every conversation, every interaction we ever had. I try to figure out why he is incapable of commitment, why he truly expelled me from his life. We were blissful that morning. He didn’t seem to be regretting anything that was happening.

Remembering the good forces me to remember the bad, remember how he treated me the last time we spoke, and I experience a kind of rage that could boil my blood.

In a daze, I hand the woman her drink and go to finish inventory. About a week after I left Scott Industries, a newspaper published pictures of Benjamin with a lanky blonde. She was strikingly beautiful, the ideal woman he’d want on his arm.

It nearly ripped my heart out.

Not even a week after us and he was already back to his old habits.

I couldn’t even face Doris. She’s called a couple times, no doubt after hearing how much of a horrible person I was.

“Darcy? Could you go get my dry cleaning?” my boss, Marilyn, calls down from the steel stairs leading to her office. She’s a badass woman, tattoos covering nearly every inch of her. She’s also one of the nicest people I have ever met.

“Yeah, sure thing.” I take off my apron and head up to her office. Kevin takes my place behind the bar, at home in the dark spirited atmosphere surrounding him. I have to say I like being here. It’s decent money with tips and the company isn’t bad. I’m beginning to trust people again.

“Here’s the money. I have to run out of here. I have a date.” She smooths out the tight black number hugging every inch of her body. Marilyn is a serial dater. She has a different date nearly every night, so this is nothing new.

“Call me from the bathroom if you need saving.” I snicker, taking the money, and she rolls her eyes, gawking at me.

“That was once!”

“Sure.” I laugh, knowing she’s done it probably fifteen times.

“I should set you up with someone, like, seriously.” She puts on her coat and picks up her purse. “When was the last time you got lucky? You always look so tense.”

Last time I got lucky was in a shower, and it was the best experience of my life. There’s been no one since, and that’s okay. I knew Benjamin would tangle my world into knots. I can still feel his breath against my lips, hear the groans as he moved within me. Sometimes I can feel him touching me. I know it’s my imagination. He’s never there, but for a brief moment, I feel safe.

“I’m good. I don’t want a relationship right now.”

“Then don’t look for a relationship. Just find some hot dude for a night.” She cackles loudly, scrunching her petite nose my way. “You’re a prude, but I love you. Now go get my clothes.”

I follow her down the stairs and head to the back for my purse. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I underwent what can only be described as a post breakup makeover. I sliced off my waist-length black hair, cutting it to shoulder length. Striving for a fiercer, more sophisticated look, I wear more makeup now. I like the change. This job requires you to look good.

Today I’m wearing a leather skirt, paired with a dangerously low-cut black t-shirt. I switch out of my boots into flats for the long walk to the dry cleaners and reapply my red lipstick.

“I’ll be back, Kevin.”

“Sure thing.”

***

“That will be fifty dollars.” The woman behind the register smiles and I hand the money in exact change.

Fifty dollars?For dry cleaning?

“Have a nice day.” I turn to leave and nearly slam right into a solid wall of a body.

Holy shit. It’s Dimitri.