Free Unwrapped by Gennifer Albin Page B

calling. Thinks it makes her look more professional in public.
    “Hey, it’s me.”
    “Zelly! How are you?”
    How can she just talk to me like she hasn’t torn my life apart? “I’m good.”
    “Awesome. You getting cold feet yet?”
    Wouldn’t you like that? “Not yet.” I chuckle with her. “What have you been up to?”
    “Not a lot. It’s been so boring! Totally sucks.”
    So I’ve seen. “Listen, I’ve gotten a huge piece commissioned, and need all the available time I can get my hands on this week.”
    “Cool.” She’s always hated that I ‘get to spend a couple hours farting around with paints, and then get thousands of dollars for it.’ As if that’s what I do.
    “The thing is, I’ll be really busy, and won’t have time for wedding stuff.”
    She hesitates. “I didn’t want to say anything. Zelly, you really need to make a bigger effort. You don’t even know how lucky you are to have found a guy who can take care of you, so you can sit around and not have to work.”
    “I work really hard, Courtney.”
    “Whatever. You know what I mean. You’re not a slave to schedules like the rest of us.”
    Is this what drew her to Bobby? Wanting to be taken care of? “The reason I bring this up, is because Bobby and I are trying to not see each other before the wedding, but I’m a bit worried that–”
    “You want me to take care of him?” If I hadn’t known they’d slept together more than once, I’d believe the boredom in her voice. “What’s in it for me?”
    Unfuckingbelievable. “What do you want?”
    “A portrait. A big one.”
    Not only has she fucked my fiancé, now she wants me to commemorate her beauty, at the cost of about four thousand dollars and a few weeks of my time, when I know she’s going to be humping him like a rabbit on Viagra until the wedding.
    “Sounds good!”
    “When we hanging out again? I miss your face!”
    Yeah, right. I grind my teeth and force the scream back down my throat. “Soon.”
    “And don’t worry about a thing, Zelly. I’ll take really good care of Bobby, and make sure he stays out of trouble.”
    “Thank you.”
    “He won’t even so much as look at another woman. Not on my watch!”
    “Bye.” Times like this I hate my iPhone. What I wouldn’t give for an old receiver I could slam repeatedly into the cradle to let off steam. Instead, I hang up and hit the shower.
    I’ve got to see a man about a whore.

Chapter Three
     
    My legs are shaky, but my mind is set. I grip the bottle of champagne tighter, and knock on the door. I’ve tarted myself up a bit with a sweater dress a shade of blue that makes my eyes look violet, and a pair of white thigh high socks that you can’t see the tops of unless the dress rides up accidentally-on-purpose.
    I’m scrubbed and shaved and smooth and scared.
    Eric opens the door, and smiles when he sees me. “Haze. This is a nice surprise.”
    “Is this an okay time?” God, I hope Courtney isn’t here.
    He waves me in and closes the door behind me. “Perfect time.”
    “Is Courtney here?”
    “No.” I don’t realize he’s going for a hug until we’re already pressed together, and I’m wrapped up in his arms. I take my first real breath in hours, and relax into the embrace. Eric is all clean soapy man scent, whereas Bobby smells like expensive cologne sprayed with a heavy hand. Eric feels so different from Bobby, all sharp angles and long lines to Bobby’s shorter, more built frame.
    I’ve always liked him. I think he found me attractive too, but it’s always been the detached appreciation of two people in happy relationships with other partners. I never understood what kept him and Courtney together. Her tastes run pretty shallow, and while his classic bone structure, melty brown eyes, and shaggy blonde curls qualify him in the looks department, he’s not exactly well-off. Courtney likes to be pampered. Eric works his ass off, but he’s a sous chef, and puts in long hours for not that much