Elijah

“She said what?” I stared at Malcolm, wondering if he was having a stroke or somehow confused. He stood in front of me, his face dead serious, and nodded. He wasn’t having a stroke. His words were valid.
“I’m sorry, sir.”
“She called me arrogant?”
“An arrogant, rich ass, to be exact,” he said with a straight face. I went to the bar and poured us both a drink, wondering if this was some practical joke. I handed him his and took a sip from mine with a shake of my head.
“I’ve been called worse things, I suppose.”
“I apologize, sir. I tried.” Malcolm’s eyes settled on the glass in his hand with a sigh, and I shook my head.
“I know you did,” I said kindly. “You’ve always been a devoted assistant, Malcolm, and for that, I am eternally grateful.” I waved my hand, thinking again of the girl I’d met only briefly, the one I’d been thinking about for days straight—the one who had told me off, shut me down, refused my offer.
If only it were that easy …
This would be more difficult than I anticipated, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. She seemed to be worth the trouble, but I wasn’t used to be shutting down, let alone so quickly. Typically, they came running. But not her, not this time.
“What would you like me to do?” Malcolm asked. He didn’t take a sip of his drink, but he held it politely anyway.
“You do nothing.” I tossed the remainder of the scotch back, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, and poured another. “If she says she wants me to do it, I’d better damn well do it, right?”
“Forgive me if I’m overstepping here, sir.” Malcolm set the full glass down on the table, staring at me, and I could sense a lecture coming on. “But if you don’t mind me saying, you have an array of beautiful women who are simply ready to throw themselves at you.” He paused and then cleared his throat. “Why this one? Can’t you, erm, please yourself with another? What is so special about her?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. And I didn’t. I couldn’t even begin to fathom why I gave two fucks about this woman, this stranger. I glanced down at the glass of amber liquid, took the shot, and then poured another. It burned so well, lighting my limbs and veins with fire. “There is just something about her that makes me crazy.”
“Crazy can be a bad thing, sir.”
“This is crazy in a good way,” I said. “A great way.”
“Is this all because you need a good lay?” Malcolm asked, once again with a straight face.
I chuckled and got to my feet, knowing that since I didn’t have Ava’s number or address, I’d have to wait until she was at work tomorrow to try this again. I hated to wait, especially for something I was this anxious to have. Waiting was not in my vocabulary, and it wasn’t something I was willing to get used to.
“I fucked someone last night,” I told him with a shake of my head. “And it was good. Decent. Just as it’s always been. But I need more. Fuck it. I need her.”
“I understand, sir,” said Malcolm, but I wasn’t sure he did. Because even I didn’t understand my feelings fully. Was this some sort of midlife crisis? It couldn’t be. My life couldn’t be further from a crisis. I had everything I ever wanted…
Except for Ava.
“Okay.” I poured another drink and tasted it, relishing the bitter sting on my tongue. “Because I won’t stop until I have her. And as long as everyone is clear about that, I should have no more issues from here on out.
Malcolm nodded curtly. Just once. “I wish you luck, my friend,” he said. “She might be a tough nut to crack, this woman. However, it would appear that she may be worth the time and effort.”
“All the better, Malcolm. All the better.” I laughed.