Page 9 of Hate You Up Close

Oh, God.Here we go again.

I already know where this conversation is headed.

“I didn’t come here to have an intervention,” I clip, gulping down the rest of my Jameson in one chug. I slam the glass on the table before wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

“Who said we’re having an intervention?” he shrugs. “I simply asked you a question.”

I’m not fucking dumb. He’s trying to beat around the bush instead of outright giving me a lecture about how my life is going down the shitter. I’d rather him come out and say what’s really on his mind than look at me with pity. I get enough of that from my family, and I’m tired of it.

“I’m fan-fucking-tastic,” I lie through clenched teeth. “Better than ever before. Does that answer your question?”

“Oh really?” he scoffs, clicking his tongue. “Because you look like shit.”

That’s more like it.

“Well, the woman I had on top of me last weekend would beg to differ,” I smirk. “She actually thought quite the opposite, singing my praises while she rode my dick all night.”

Zion’s brows shoot up as he shakes his head in disbelief, letting out a low chuckle.

“So, you’re dating again?” he asks, folding his arms across his chest.

“Fuck no,” I sneer. “But a man still has needs. I make sure every woman I’m with knows that it’s nothing beyond sex. Just two people getting off before going their separate ways.”

His eyes dart between mine like he’s trying to decide if I’m fucking with him or not. He’s clearly not hiding the fact that he’s judging me, and honestly, I don’t care that he is.

After a beat of silence, he blows out a breath before responding.

“You never cease to amaze me, Elliot,” he says sarcastically. “So where do these rendezvous go down? Do you take them back to your place?”

“That’s a stupid question,” I retort. “Of course not. There’s lots of places to fuck besides my bed.”

He should know that as well as I do. It seems like Zion has a new woman every week. The ladies practically fall to his feet over his dark, curly hair and bronzed skin.

“Enlighten me,” he asserts, bringing a beer bottle to his lips.

“The opportunities are endless,” I shrug, a cocky grin stretching across my face. “You have the back seat of a car, hotel rooms, a dark alley after a night out, and on rare occasions, mydesk. Although, I do try to keep work as professional as possible.”

Zion’s brows shoot up in shock as his eyes widen.

“The only place that’s off-limits to me is a bathroom,” I add. “That’s just too unsanitary for me. I wouldn't even be able to get hard in the same room where someone just took a shit. No thanks.”

I scrunch my nose, shaking my head at the thought. Not only am I a control freak, but a clean freak as well.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Zion interjects through furrowed brows. “You’ve hadsexin your office? At Ace Financial?”

I purse my lips together and shrug.

“Yeah, once or twice,” I reply nonchalantly. “You haven't?”

“Holy shit, Elliot,” he gasps, rubbing a palm against his jaw. “You’re fucking crazy.”

“And to answer your question, no,” he clarifies. “I have never whipped my dick out in my office. If you were to get caught, that would be immediate grounds for termination. There’s no slap on the wrist for that kind of shit.”

After my failed engagement, the thought of bringing another woman back to my place makes me physically ill. I would rather risk getting caught than entangling myself in another relationship. Never again.

“You’re just jealous because you're what some would callvanilla, and I take risks,” I chide. “Women love a good thrill, especially the quiet ones. You should try it sometime,” I add, lifting two fingers toward the bar, signaling that it’s time for another round.

“Yeah,” he mocks. “A risk that could get you fired. And trust me…I love you, man, but I amnotjealous of the trainwreck that is your life. You’re a fucking ticking time bomb, looking more miserable every time I see you.”