His Games, Her Rules

“Are you gonna explain to me why we’re in your car smoking weed at around 8 pm or we’re still gonna sit back and enjoy the smell of weed?” I ask, passing the joint to Monique who takes it and puts it in her mouth, taking long drags as she throws her head back and purrs the smoke through her nose and mouth.

I don’t smoke, nor does Monique but that doesn’t mean I can’t handle a few smoke down my lungs. I’ve had a taste of weed and cigarettes in the past but I didn’t make a habit of it. Since Monique and I became friends, I’ve only seen her smoke thrice and during those times, she always made me smoke with her because she needed someone. Monique stress-smokes sometimes and right now as we sit in the front seat of her car with SZA blasting from her stereo in a low volume, I have a feeling something has happened.

Is it home? Monique barely talks about her family. The only thing I know about her family is that they live in New Jersey. Her dad’s not in the picture. He got his best friend’s 23-year-old daughter pregnant so he had to flee with the pregnant girl to God knows where, leaving Monique and her younger brother with their mom. Their mom became depressed and she started drinking to the point it became an addiction. Monique and her aunt, her mom’s older sister, got her into Rehab before Monique left for New York leaving her brother behind.

“Come on, girl. Talk to me. What happened?”

“Dave dumped me.” Monique blurts out at once, flicking the butt of the joint in a plastic cup inside the cup holder.

Dave dumped her? What?

“I’m sorry, you say what?”

Monique chuckles sadly as she bites her bottom lip.

“That fucking cock piece of shit dumped me. Me!”

I knew this was going to happen eventually, but not like this. My prediction was Monique was going to walk in on him with another woman and she’s going to get angry and dump his ass.

“Why? Did he say why?”

Monique exhales and tosses the last of the weed in the plastic cup as she looks at me. Her corneas are red, even mine too.

“Last week, he was acting weird. I would call him and he wouldn’t pick up. And when he does, he’ll tell me that he’ll call me later, that he’s busy. And when I popped by his apartment without calling him, he would get angry, asking me why didn’t I call him even though I’d called him earlier and he didn’t pick up. I knew things were going south, I just… I didn’t want to believe it. It was too soon. I wanted to break things off but I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Today, I confronted him and he told me he needed space. He told me he didn’t like that I was always around and I was calling too much. I barely called this idiot unless I wanted to check on him. And I’m never around unless he wants me to, and all of a sudden, he needed space. I’m a model, for crying out loud, I don’t always get free time. I was so angry I asked him if he wanted us to break up and this motherfucker said yes.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.” Monique exhales and runs both her hands over her curls. “And to think I was beginning to like the idiot,” she scoffs.

I stay quiet, trying to digest everything Monique just told me. So, we’re in her car stress-smoking weed because she’s angry Dave dumped her. Dave, of all people.

“Aren’t you gonna tell me, ‘I told you so,’? I’m surprised you haven’t said it yet.” Monique pulls her legs to her chest as she leans against the car door with her back.

“Oh, I was gonna wait until you’re done narrating everything.”

Monique scoffs and smiles. “You’re a bitch.”

I smile at her. “I told you so. I told you he was no good. Also, you’re better off not dating Dave.”

“Yeah. I just don’t get why it hurts though. Maybe because I was starting to think we were getting serious and I may have liked him more than the guys I dated before him.”

“It doesn’t matter. You and I know Dave is way below your league. He doesn’t deserve you. And you and I know he’s never gonna meet someone better.”

“Yeah.”

“Is that why we’re stress smoking? Because of Dave.”

Monique laughs and swats my arm. “Fuck you, Robyn.”

“Seriously? I thought something happened at home.”

Monique’s smile falters as she avoids my gaze. “Nothing happened at home. I haven’t even called in months.”

“How about your brother?”

“I call him every chance I get,” she exhales. “He’s doing okay. He’s in college now. I think he’s a junior. I’m happy for him.”

I smile at Monique sympathetically.

“Enough of the pity party. Let’s hit the club tonight. It’s Friday, we should do something fun.”

“Yeah. And you’re gonna look your best because we’re gonna get you a new man and you are forgetting about Dave.”

“You and I know you suck at matchmaking.” Monique giggles. “Also, I don’t need another man to get Dave out of my head. I was never in love with him. Give me two days and I won’t even remember I used to go out with someone called Dave. He’s already past tense to me.”

“I like the sound of that. I’mma hit Tiwa up, see if she wants to join us.” I pick up my phone from the dashboard as I unlock the device.

Surprisingly, there’s a text message from Tiwa asking me if we want to get hammered tonight and party. I smile and type a reply.

To Tiwa; Sure. Monique is nursing a heartbreak. She wants to hit a club.

“Which club are we hitting?” I asked Monique, with my focus on my phone. Tiwa is typing.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Club Rogue.”

I look up at once, locking eyes with Monique who’s grinning at me. “You’re kidding.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Leonardo Gray owns that club. Why would you wanna go there? There’s a probability he will be there.”

Monique rolls her eyes. “Grow a pair of tits, Robyn. It’s been a month already, I still don’t get why you’re avoiding him. It’s called a one-night stand for a reason, I just don’t get why you’re avoiding him.”

“Avoiding? Dominique and I haven’t crossed paths ever since that night. Now tell me, how’s that avoiding?”

“Great. Then we’re going to Club Rogue tonight. I’m the one heartbroken, I’m the one who gets to choose the club.”

“I hate you.”

“I hate you too.” Monique smiles at me as I roll my eyes.

One month ago, I had one of the best sex of my life in a hallway with the one man I never thought I’d give in to. One month ago, I gave in to my desires and I didn’t regret it. I woke up the following morning with his marks all over my body, reminding me of the things we did to each other the previous nights. I didn’t want to believe it, but the marks were there to remind me it did happen. Throughout the following day, I could feel his lips on mine and his mouth between my legs.

And ever since that night that I walked away, I haven’t seen Dominique Gray and he hadn’t contacted me either. Was I disappointed? I don’t know. All I know is that I’ve spent this last month reliving that night over and over again.

I don’t know what’s happening to me. The man has succeeded in planting himself in my brain and I think about him, his fingers, his hands, his body, and everything that concerns him every chance I get.

It’s been a month, I should have forgotten about him and that night, but for some reason, I can’t. I’ve tried. Trust me, I’ve tried, but the harder I push the thought of Dominique to the back of my head, the more he finds his way into my brain and my dreams.

It was supposed to be a one-night thing, so why can’t I forget about him and the pleasure he gave me that night? His ocean-blue eyes taunt my dreams and I find myself thinking about the strange emotions I feel when he’s close to me. His presence alone shuts down my brain and I have no control over my own body. Like that night, I wasn’t thinking when I let him pin me against the wall of a barely lit hallway. And I’m happy I finally gave in to my desires.

A part of me is disappointed he didn’t bother to reach out and the other part of me is happy he didn’t reach out. It’s for the best, I always tell myself.

“You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?”

I playfully glare at Monique underneath my eyelashes as I type a message to Tiwa.

To Tiwa; We are going to Club Rogue. Meet us at the apartment and we’ll leave together.

“Does it matter?” I look up from my phone after clicking send.

“It does. You like him.” Monique grins at me and I glare at her.

“I don’t. I guess I haven’t had that much pleasure from a one-night stand before, so it’s messing with my head.”

“No, Robyn, you like him, and you’re afraid the feeling is unrequited because he’s Dominique Gray and the last thing he wants is attachment.”

“I’m not attached.”

“I know. But you’ve been thinking about him every chance you get and you keep thinking back to that night. He did you good, didn’t he?”

I’m not good at discussing my sexual life with anyone, including Monique. When I walked away from Dominique that night and looked for Monique, she knew something had happened because I wasn’t wearing my mask and anyone who saw me before I followed Dominique to that hallway could tell I was looking freshly fucked.

I didn’t tell her anything until we were back at the apartment and I opened up to her that I hooked up with Dominique. She screamed in delight and smiled as she asked for details. I didn’t give her any details, I only told her what she needed to hear. I told Noah and Tiwa a few days later because they suspected something was up with me and they wouldn’t shut up about Dominique and how they think we looked good together.

And also. I forgot my panties with Dominique when I walked out on him. Making it the second pair that’s with him.

“I don’t want to talk about Dominique Gray, Mo. Get your ass out of this car and let’s get inside. We’re not gonna prepare to hit a nightclub while in your car and you know that.”

Monique rolls her eyes as she turns around in her seat so that she’s facing the windshield. She unlocks the driver’s door and I unlock the passenger’s door as we step out of the car together.

“Mo?” Monique turns to look at me, grinning. “What kind of dumbass nickname is that?”

“Whatever. I thought it sounded nice.”

“No, it doesn’t. That’s the whitest shit I’ve ever heard.”

I chuckle and shake my head at my friend.

“Have you ever wondered if Dominique always thinks about that night too?” Monique asks as we ride the elevator to our floor.

“Seriously? I’m not gonna answer that.”

“Why not?” She asks as she laughs. “I bet he thinks about that night too. You’re hot, and you were not an easy nut to crack. You are not a woman that can be easily forgotten.”

With Dominique Gray, you don’t know what is what again.

“I once hooked up with this guy a few months ago. It was a one-night thing actually but it took me weeks to get him out of my head for good. That was how good he was. So it’s not really that big of a deal if you can’t get Dominique out of your head after that hot night between you two. He’s hot and he made you feel good.”

“Can we drop it?”

“Yeah, whatever. You’re no fun,”

The elevator stops and we get out on our floor. I see Tyler stepping out of his apartment as we lock eyes. I give him a warm smile and a nod of acknowledgment.

“Hey, Tyler,” Monique says to him.

“Hello, Monique.” Tyler smiles at Monique. “Looking good, Robyn.”

“Thanks,” I mutter as Tyler walks past us.

Monique and I step into our apartment and shut the door.

“I’m gonna go shower and get ready. You should do the same.”

“Sure,” Monique says as we walk toward the hallway together and disappear into our separate rooms.