Free Stubborn Love by Wendy Owens

chair. “What is it? Is he ugly? No wait, he’s old… like really old, right?”
    “Excuse me?” I growled as he laughed, trying not to laugh myself.
    “That’s it, isn’t it?” Colin leaned forward, still laughing. “You’re into the geriatric dudes aren’t you?”
    “No!” I exclaimed, chuckling slightly. “He’s actually very hot.”
    Why are you talking to him? I asked myself. He’s just playing you. It’s what he does. Closing my eyes for a moment I took a deep breath, focusing on the task before me: getting Colin the hell out of my place before William showed up.
    “Sweetheart, I was just playing around. I’m sure he’s a great guy.” Colin smiled as he attempted to soften the blow of his earlier teasing. I didn’t have time to respond, because in the next moment there was a knock at the door.
    It was too late. I had run out of time. I turned away from Colin to answer it. I needed to think quickly. I would open the door and slip out so there would be no time for William and Colin to meet. Pulling back my shoulders, I pushed the air from my lungs, opening the door. As I did, I heard Colin’s voice… directly behind me.
    “Don’t worry, he’ll think you look as hot as I do.” He was standing so close I could feel his breath on my neck. What the hell? Was he some sort of stealthy vampire? How in the heck did he sneak up on me so quickly? It was too late now; the door was already open. My jaw had dropped, my mouth hanging open from Colin’s comment.
    William stood there looking at me with flowers in his hand. They were a beautiful array of wild flowers, but I could say nothing, only look back at him, expressionless. Colin was directly behind me—his breath still finding its way to my bare back.
    “Hi,” Colin greeted him, reaching past me and extending a hand to my date. “I’m Colin Bennett. You must be the date.”
    I couldn’t believe my ears. He was really doing this, and I was just standing there like an idiot, letting him.
    William hesitated for a moment, obviously puzzled, a nervous half smile emerging. At last he freed a hand, and the two locked in a shake. “Yes, I suppose I am the date. Name is Stryker, William Stryker.”
    As he pulled his hand back, Colin burst out into a robust laughter before asking, “Like Bond? James Bond? Sorry, friend, I don’t mean anything, that’s just, well—that’s quite a name.”
    William looked annoyed. I remembered when we were at the park, and how he mentioned he had been made fun of for his name while growing up. Leave it to Colin to alienate a guy in the first thirty seconds of meeting him. “I’m sorry, who are you?”
    With an elbow to Colin’s ribs, I managed to block any answer from him as he gasped in response. Any reply he had would probably be dripping with sarcasm and only create an uncomfortable evening for William and I. “Nobody important. Tell Paige I’ll be back late.”
    I grabbed the flowers with a smile, remarking how beautiful they were and what a thoughtful gesture it was. Shoving them into Colin’s hands, I slipped through the door and pulled it closed behind me.
    As we walked down the stairs, I knew what was coming. There was no way any guy would let slide what just happened. There would be questions.
    “Who was that?” he asked. And there it was. I had expected to make it out onto the sidewalk before the questions began, however, William clearly was one not to beat around the bush.
    “My landlord,” I answered plainly, as if it were quite inconsequential to me. Yes, he was a super hot landlord, and he also made me want to strangle him sometimes, but William didn’t ask me those questions.
    William shook his head as he followed me out into the night. “Wait, what? Does he live with you?”
    I knew I would not be able to avoid the questions with a dismissive attitude and decided if I wanted any chance at a fun evening I would need to clear the air quickly. I stopped and turned to look at him.
    “God, no!