His Games, Her Rules

I hear a rattling noise from the doorknob in the living room as I step out of the kitchen into the living room and down to the small foyer. The door opens and Monique steps in, giggling like a love-sick teen. On the other side of the half-opened door, Dave stands there, grinning at her.

I lean against the wall and clear my throat. Monique spins around at once, surprised to see me at home.

“Robyn, you’re home?”

“Yeah.” I give her a big smile as I shift my gaze to Dave who’s standing on the other side of the door.

He peeks his head in and waves at me, a little smile on his lips.

“Hey, Robyn.”

“Hello, Dave.” I give him a small smile. “I’ll leave you two alone,” I say as I walk back to the kitchen.

I made spaghetti and meatballs earlier for dinner before Monique stumbled into the foyer with Dave. I grab a fork and sit down on the barstool to eat, with Monique and Dave giggling and laughing in the foyer.Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

Dear God, I thought as I roll my eyes. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been in love that’s why I’m cringing right now or it’s because I can see through Dave and I can tell he’s a phony but I don’t know how to tell Monique without hurting her feelings.

At this point, I think it’s both.

“See you later, babe,” Dave calls.

“You too, babe. Be careful. And call me when you get home.” Monique says to him. Suddenly, there is a squishing sound like they’re kissing and a silent giggle.

“I’ll see you later, handsome,” Monique whispers to Dave and I hear a peck sound like she just blew kisses at Dave, and then finally, the front door shuts.

“Fuck me in the head.” I groan under my breath.

Monique has dated a lot of guys over the years and obviously, the relationship didn’t turn out great, but I’ve never seen her like this. Happy, carefree, and so in love. Maybe Dave brings out the best in her even though he’s a little too much and obviously a fake. I don’t like Dave and I think he knows that too. He’s a slut. I just don’t understand why Monique doesn’t see that. There are some men out there who are casanovas but then they meet this one girl who tamed their heart and they don’t look at other women, not anymore, and Dave is nothing like those men.

I care so much about Monique, I don’t want to see her hurt. Her past breakups weren’t tragic, she ended most of them. Monique knew they wouldn’t last and she knew where she stood from the beginning, so it didn’t come as a shocker when she found some of them cheating on her. But with Dave, it’s something different. So if he fucks shit up with her, it’s going to hurt her more than her past breakups and I’m going to have to hurt him.

“Hey, babe,” Monique says to me as she walks into the kitchen.

“Babe, huh?” I grin at her and she rolls her eyes, smiling.

“Shut up.” She groans.

“So you spent the night at his place?”

“Yeah. We, um, we went on a date and he drove us home. We had a little fun and I was a little drunk. That’s why I’m just coming home.” She says as she shrugs her shoulder.

“So, he’s the one?”

“I don’t know… yet. But, seriously, Robyn, Dave is a great guy. He’s nice. He’s sweet, and he’s good in bed, so that’s a plus.”

“So he treats you right?”

“Mm-hm.” She nods.

Monique drops her purse on the counter and grabs a fork from the plate rack. She sits down on the opposite stool and starts to eat from my plate of spaghetti.

“I just don’t get it, why don’t you like him?”

“Dave? I never said I didn’t like him.”

“Yeah, you don’t have to say it, but your attitude toward Dave seems to say otherwise.”

“Dave told you, didn’t he? He told you I didn’t like him.”

Monique stays silent as she shrugs. She exhales and grabs my glass of water and brings it to her lips to take a gulp. She’s stalling. Of course, he told her I didn’t like him. What’s he, 10?

“He was just worried that you didn’t like him. Dave likes you, he wants to be friends.” Monique says as she places the half glass of water in front of her.

“I’ll pass. You know how I feel about being friends with your boyfriends.”

“That’s not it. I like you, and I like Dave. I don’t see why you two shouldn’t be friends.”

I want to laugh, but I don’t. She sounds so in love.

“You barely know this guy. You guys have gone out a couple of times these past few weeks and you sound all lovey-dovey.”

“I know. Fuck.” she sighs. “Dave treats me right.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’m being a fucking bitch right now. I’ll try.”

“You mean you’ll be friends with him?”

“Yeah. I’ll try for you. I just don’t think it’s necessary. As long as he makes you happy, I’m fine with that.”

Monique gives me a big smile as we continue to eat in silence.

“Shouldn’t you be at work?”

“I came in a few hours ago.”

“Right. And by the way, what happened between you and Tyler? You hurt his feelings.”

“Did he tell you that?”

“He did. He said you told him you would never go out with him.”

“Oh, please. He should get over himself.”

“Wasn’t there a way you should have told him without hurting his feelings?”

“You’d think? Bad Boy over there wanted to move out of this apartment just so I could give him a chance.”

“What?”

“Yeah. I mean I told him we were neighbors and I would never date a neighbor and he offered to move out. Like, seriously? You would think since he’s hot and attractive, he could easily detect a red light from a woman. I can’t believe he’s friggin’ offended.”

“Frigging? What are you, 12?” Monique asks as she grins. I roll my eyes and giggle.

“I forgot to tell you…” I trail off, pushing the empty plate of spaghetti to Monique as I motion for her to serve more. “Dominique showed up at St. Jose.”

Monique pauses, hand holding the lid of the pot. “What did you just say?”

“I said Dominique showed up at St. Jose. Camilla Gray, Dominique’s younger sister was admitted because she may have fainted earlier that day. So we sort of had a conversation.”

“We? Who?”

“Dominique, Monique. Keep up, will you?”

“Wow, this is hot,” she grins, serving spaghetti and meatballs onto the plate. “Go on, what happened?”

“Nothing. The usual. We talked and he may have invited me to have dinner with him.”

“Dinner? Like a date?” Monique asks, covering the pot as she places the plate in between us, with a big grin on her face.

“Yup.” I avoid her gaze as I pick up my fork and start to eat.

“Did you say yes?”

“Of course not. I can’t let him in that easily.”

“Give me a break, Robyn. Your coochie needs some. You’re starving it.”

“Oh, I fucking hate you,” I mutter, still avoiding her gaze.

Monique chuckles. “You’re gonna have sex with Dominique sooner or later. Why not soon?”

“Okay. I’m gonna admit it for the first time and I hate that I’m about to say this. He’s attractive, fuck it, and he knows it, and he knows that I know it. And maybe I’m sexually attracted to him, a little” Monique gives me a look and I roll my eyes. “Okay, maybe more than a little, and trust me, I hate myself for it. And I actually hate this guy, not because he did something to me, but because he’s everything ranging from bad to wrong. He’s the type of guy I would never date, why should I have sex with him because he’s attractive and he makes me feel some kinda way?”

“There’s nothing wrong with being sexually attracted to a man as Dominique Gray. He’s hot, a little too hot if you ask me.” she exhales and rolls her eyes. “The point is there’s nothing wrong if your body feels this way when he talks or whispers things to you. Letting yourself feel pleasure by letting go for the first time in a long time with a man like Dominique Gray doesn’t necessarily make you other women. You know where you stand. You don’t want a relationship, and obviously, Dominique doesn’t want that either, so what’s stopping you two from having fun even if it’s one night? I know you have pride and this pride won’t get you laid, and you know that.”

“Because he always gets what he wants! And he wants me and he knows he’s going to get me.”

“And you don’t want him to feel like he won, right?” Monique asks as she smirks at me.

“Something like that. He needs to understand there are some things he can’t just get easily.”

“I’m pretty sure he didn’t get to you easily. You’re one of the hardest nuts to crack and he knows that. And what makes you more interesting is the fact that you’re not interested in his wealth, fame, and power. So for you to agree to fuck him, he’s probably the luckiest bastard on earth.”

“Yeah.” I exhale, smiling as I look up at Monique.

“Like a wise woman once said; play, but don’t get played.”

I smirk, raising my glass of water as I raise it upward, toward Monique. “Cheers to that.”

“Cheers.”