Not only were none of her personal desires being met, but she still had to go next door and tell Ryan what the deal was. That was the job of a man! It was something that her husband already should’ve taken care of! God, everything was so frustrating!
It finally came to her. She would keep it simple. She would go next door and ring the doorbell, tell Ryan that she’d call the cops if he ever talked to Ashley again, and come back home. Oh, and she would receive an apology too. That’s for damn sure!
She grabbed her winter coat and headed out the door.
Be firm. Be demanding. Tell this asshole how it’s going to be! You’re the one in charge; not this creepy pervert. You’re a strong, brave, independent woman. Show this dickhead that you deserve just as much respect as any man!
She rang the doorbell and her heart swiftly fluttered.
Ryan answered the door in only a pair of orange athletic shorts. A noticeable sweat dripped down his shirtless body–his lean, yet muscular physique sending her into a trance–as he used a towel to dry off his thick brown hair. Ashley was right about him having abs–abs and veins. Thick, prominent veins ran down his arms and biceps, only emphasized by his chiseled and powerful chest. He was perfect.
“Jen?”
She snapped to attention, flustered and blushing. “Um…h-hi-hey.”
The businessman smiled and took a step to the side. “Come on in. It’s cold out there.”
She scurried into his house and stood on the gray entryway rug.
“I just finished a workout downstairs,” he told her, shutting the door and making his way into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water.
She kicked off her shoes and followed him into the kitchen. “I wanted to talk to you.”
He filled a clear glass with water and leaned against the edge of the marble countertop, waiting for her to divulge whatever was on her mind.
“I would like an apology.”
Ryan finished his long sip before glancing in her direction. “An apology?”
“Yes, an apology.”
“For what?” he asked, unmistakably amused from her request.
“For the way that you took advantage of my daughter,” she told him.
He walked over to the table and took a seat. He pointed to the chair next to him for her to sit as well. “Take a seat.”
Jen followed his order.
“How about you tell me what’s really going on?”
“Excuse me?” she asked.
“With you,” he specified. “What’s really going on with you?”
“This isn’t about me,” she said. “It’s about my daughter.”
“When was the last time someone talked about you?”
This wasn’t the conversation that she’d expected to have. In fact, it didn’t even remotely resemble what she’d played through in her mind. “What?”
“With your husband, or your daughter, or your friends,” he said. His hand rested calmly next to his glass of water. “When was the last time that the conversation was about you?”
She thought to herself for a few moments before shrugging her shoulders.
“Remember last week when I told you that you needed guidance?”
She nodded, unable to hide her disgust after hearing his words. This man possessed an arrogance that she’d never been privy to before, but there was something warm and captivating about him at the same time. He caused her to experience a cavalcade of emotions.
“Here we are, a week after you stormed out of my house, furious at me over what your daughter was wearing,” he said. “Yet, your husband never confronted me and now you’re here, sitting at my kitchen table, asking for an apology.”
“Which I still want,” she said, not shying away from looking at the stud whose body still had her smitten. Fortunately, she managed to conceal her lust.
He let out a soft, almost arrogant laugh after taking another sip of water. “I’m not going to apologize to you.”
“Why not?”
“Do you think you want an apology?” he asked with a slight grin.
“I know that I want one,” she nodded confidently.
Ryan shook his head slowly with a smile. “Jen, you don’t have the slightest clue as to what you really want.”
Her eyebrows perked up.
“And do you want to know why?” he asked.
She waited for him to reveal the answer.
“Because you don’t have anyone guiding you,” he said. “Are you familiar with the concept of hypergamy?”