At first, I thought he was joking. I have never even considered a freestanding home in the suburbs. I like city living, having room service available at all hours of the night, the ease of other delivery, having everything right at my door. Yet the longer I thought about it, the more I wondered if maybe it was not more room within my walls but around me that I needed. The idea of having land, green grass around me instead of concrete has slowly begun to appeal. It could not hurt to have Drake buy it and redo it, the money is negligible. If once he is finished, I do not like it I can always sell. I send him a reply, I want it. He replies he has already bought it, he knew I would want it. Smartass.

Speaking of smartasses, as my mind has all day it turns to Alexa. I send Alexa the message that she can leave for the night if she has finished everything. I will see her in the room at eight so we can have dinner together. I have barely hit send when my door is opening without her first knocking. She is stiff as a board crossing to my desk. The card is laid on my desk with a snap that feels loud in the room. Why the fuck does it go straight to my chest like a blow? Then she puts her keys down on top it, the keys to her apartment and the building.

“I’m not going back to that room. You can come to my condo, any time you want. I’ll go to your place, any time you want, you can fuck me here anytime you want, but I’m not going back to that room.”

I do not take my eyes off the card as I work to take in a deep, calming breath. “You are ending this.”

“No, damn you, Leo. I just said it. Here, my place, your place, in a god damned car. I don’t care, but I’m not going back to that room. I’m not going back to feeling like I’m some dirty secret, just a fuck you can’t stand to be around any time you don’t have your cock inside me. Is that it? Is that all I am? Am I so undeserving of anything more than a few hours in some hole in the wall where no one can see us?”

Fuck, the shit she thinks about herself. Did I not just spend an entire evening at her side, proudly identifying her as mine? I have given her more than I have ever given any woman. All while she has not asked for what I want to give. She has never asked for forgiveness, never explained herself, and she is demanding I let it all go.