Chapter 16: CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Tatiana had cut me halfway into our phone conversation and decided that all that was too important for a phone call and that was why I sat across from her on a cool Saturday evening, in one of the diners closer to hers. Drinking coffee.

"So, you're telling me that you guys did the dirty?"

"No, not really. He just went down there with his…um…his mouth and he did…things to me."

"He gave you mind-blowing head. That is what you meant to say. For fucks sake, Arizona, you're not a virgin anymore, stop acting like one."

"Oh, okay…" Tatiana shook her head and returned to the pressing matter at hand.

"I'll be very frank with you, Arizona. There's nothing wrong with what you guys did, you're both adults and I guess fucking someone who you were once intimate with is better than doing random strangers."

"But he's my ex."

"Did you listen to what I just said? It's better to do him than others."

"Why?"

"Because the devil you know is always better than the angel you don't know. You hate him, there won't be felt, just wham bam and go."

"You think so?"

"I know so, honey. Besides, it's Ian you want and not some random man, right?"

"That also means I'm normal, right? I mean I want the man who did me dirty to bend me over every surface in the house and then some more…"

"Okay, okay, I don't need the details of what goes on in your head or the things you want him to do to you. I'm sure you get a general idea if you want him and he wants you, go for it. Use him, it's just sex."

I heaved and drained my coffee, we ordered pizza and was halfway into it when Tatiana's phone rang, from the way her face lit up, I knew it was Dimitri and Tatiana won't be sitting across from me much longer. And I was right.

"I'm so sorry, Arizona. I and Dimitri have to visit the cake shop for a tasting and then he says he has a surprise for me." She squealed like a little girl and laughed, it was pretty infectious and I found myself laughing too.

"It's alright Tatiana, go have fun and you guys should try your best not to have a baby before you get married…"

"Fuck you!"

"Dimitri would be doing that soon enough. Send him my love, okay?"

She nodded and power walked out of the diner, I sighed and waved the waitress over and ordered a doughnut with another cup of coffee, this time with some extra cream and sugar. I wasn't ready to go back home just yet. it was a lovely Saturday and besides, Mikael will be too busy playing with his father and basking in his undivided attention to notice my presence or absence. I decided I'll have my doughnuts and coffee first and then know what to do or where to go. I smiled at the waitress and thanked her when she dropped my order on my table, I was about to begin eating when someone sat across from me, it was none other than Captain John Hank.

"Hello, beautiful."

"Captain, what…"

"Oh, c'mon. we're not at work, just call me John, cupcake." I took a deep breath and reined in my temper, I don't know why but I've always hated Cupcake as a pet name, and now someone I wasn't particularly fond of was calling me that name. I wasn't pleased.

"Mr. Hank, I'll call you John on the condition that you call me Arizona."

"Sure. Arizona…such a beautiful name."

"Thank you, John. By the way, what are you doing here?"

"I live in this area. Was walking down the street when I saw you sitting pretty, and then I decided that I should come to say Hi. Besides, you still owe me a lunch date."

"Alright then, let's get this over with."

John made his order, he had to repeat it about three times because the waitress was too busy burning his features into her brain and eye raping him to give his orders her undivided attention. Even though I couldn't quite blame her—John is quite the eye candy—it was still funny to me. I laughed at how big, mean John looked like he was about to have a heart attack and how his cheeks were tinted pink. It looked cute.

"I see you're having a swell time, at least one of us is having fun. That's enough consolation for me."

"Were you expecting me to feel sorry for you?"

"Well…a little empathy would have been nice."

"In that case, accept my sincerest apologies. It's not your fault I'm sitting here stuck with a grouchy old man instead of been at home with my kid."

"…And your baby daddy?"

"Excuse me?"

"Ian. You said you'd rather be home with your kid; I think you forgot to throw Ian in there somewhere."

"I and Ian aren't a thing. Again, not that it's any of your damn business…"

"Easy there, Tigress, no need to get feisty."

"Was there a reason you wanted to have lunch with me or do I need to be on my way because I think we're done here?"

"Woah, no, we're not done. Okay, I apologize, I might have come off as a little too…much about a particularly sensitive subject. Forgive me."

"Your apology isn't completely accepted but we'll move on." Thankfully the waitress delivered his order and I didn't have to speak to him while I enjoyed the rest of my late breakfast. I had just taken the last sip of my coffee and dropped the cup, only to realize that John had finished his and was watching me.

"How the hell did he finish eating before me, I had a head start and where the hell did all the food go? He's so ripped."

"Thanks a lot, darling, I appreciate the compliment."

"Hold on, don't tell me I said that out loud."

"Yes, you did, cupcake."

"Oh, how I hate that name. Dang it, Ari, you still thinking out loud?!"

"Actually, um, yes. You're still thinking out loud, I'm not superhuman, I can't hear your thoughts. Well, I'm superhuman in the bedroom though."

"Oh, shut the fuck up, John." He waved the waitress over and asked for the bill, before I could say, Jack, he was pulling out his wallet and paying for both our orders. I grudgingly thanked him and hurriedly left the diner before he said something else or tried to follow me. My one mistake…I didn't come in my car; I took a cab and I was stuck on the sidewalk trying to get another one. So much for a quick getaway. A white BMW stopped in front of me and rolled down its windows, I didn't even need to look to know that it was John fucking Hank.

"You need a ride, princess?"

Great, another pet name.

"No, a cab will come along soon enough. I don't want to get in your way or stress you or anything like that."

"C'mon, don't worry about that. There is no stress in helping a beautiful lady like yourself. It's almost one pm, a beautiful lady such as yourself shouldn't be standing under this scorching sun."

A honk came from behind him, other cars wanted him to either park properly or get out of the way. He looked unbothered like he wasn't hearing the angry honking and loud swearing of other motorists.

"John, I don't think you've noticed but people are waiting for you to move out of their way."

"I've noticed, but I insist that you come in. Until you do, they can all burn in hell."

I looked from the angry drivers to John and back, they were beginning to swear at me too. Having no other option, I entered his car and he sped off.

"Took you long enough."

"Shut up, I can get off if you plan on been a baby right now."

"Not if the car is on child lock. Now, who's the baby?"

I sighed and shook my head, one thing I quickly noticed about John is that it was a fool's errand to argue or get into an exchange of words with him. I looked out the window and admired the buildings as we drove past, it took me a while to realize that this wasn't my side of town and that I didn't tell John where I lived.

"I'm sorry, I didn't tell you where I live. It escaped my mind."

"Jesus, Arizona, I know everything about you and Ian and you seriously think I don't know where you live, the most basic info?"

"Well, Mr. Smartass and know-it-all, this is not the way there. You are almost on the other side of town. So much for knowing where I live."

"I said I know where you live, I never said I was driving you there, Missy."

That shut me up as I looked hard at John, if he knew where my house was and wasn't taking me there, where was he taking me? Was he one of those Russian mobsters? A rat in the agency!?

I have to do something. I can't let him just take me to them just like that!!! I have so much to live for. I'm at the peak of my life, a good job, great friends, a possible promotion, MY SON!!!

I took off my seatbelt and began to search around in my purse for anything that can be used as a weapon. There was none, the only place I was sure of getting a weapon was in my car and I hate to break it to you but it was a long way from here right now. The only thing I could find was a ball pen, it would have to suffice. I tried my door again; it was truly child locked.

"Hey, Arizona, what are you doing? Put on your seatbelt?"

"Shut up!!!"

"What?"

I stabbed the pen into his hand twice, causing him to swerve a little, I quickly regained my balance and swung my right fist at him, I got him on the nose and I felt satisfied when I saw blood trickle down from his nostril. I swung at him again but this time he caught my fist and with one hand, he managed to overpower me and had me seated snugly in my seat, he held both my hands in one of his and got off the major road. He killed the engine and looked at me, at this point, I was praying he didn't just shoot me. He pulled out his handkerchief from his pocket and began cleaning off the blood on his hand and put it to his nose.

"You want to explain to me what happened back there?"

I kept silent and looked ahead, thinking of a means of escape, I wasn't going down without a fight.

"If I were you, I'd start talking. Why in the name of whatever it is you hold sacred did you just try to kill me?"

Silence.

"Alright, then. You give me no choice, I have to contact your supervisor, I'm sure he will be able to get the truth out of you."

Not my supervisor. If he called him, I wasn't getting that recommendation that I needed and that meant no promotion. I saw him pull out his phone from the corner of my eye and well…I decided that there were worse things than death one of them was getting demoted or suspended instead of promoted.

"Wait, stop. I'll tell you." He placed his phone down in the pigeon hole of his car.

"Well, go on, we don't have all day."

"You said you knew where I live but you weren't taking me there so I thought that umm…maybe you were…one of them."

"One of who?"

"The Russian mobsters. I thought you were a mole, a rat, that you were taking me to them."

His face was unreadable for a few seconds and then he burst out laughing, he laughed so hard that if we weren't locked up in this car, people would have stopped and stared.

"Sure, it sure is very funny…"

"You thought I was what?! I was taking you to an Italian restaurant across town."

"Oh…why? You already had your lunch date."

"That wasn't our lunch date, you didn't come out to meet me, you came out to meet one of your friends and I just happened to be there. Am I safe now?"

I nodded slowly and he released my hands and we were once again on the road to wherever this Italian restaurant across town was.

I have never felt so embarrassed.