Chapter 88: CHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHT —I can explain, if only you will let me

Immediately she ended the call, she sat down with her laptop, keeping herself busy. Damian said he was coming over. So, she wanted to wrap up what she had to do and get ready. He was going to spend the night. She wanted that. Then her phone chimed. Ignoring it, she went on with her work. It was probably a message from a friend or something. Ainsley didn’t look up from the laptop even when she had several buzzes from the phone. It wasn’t something unusual. Then she saw Damian’s call. Quickly, she closed her laptop, thinking he was already here. Picking the phone, which had stopped ringing then, she rushed towards the window with some expectant look.

Peering out of the window, she didn’t see his car. So she went back to her seat. As she waited, she checked her phone. The internet was ablaze with hot pictures of Damian and a… Whatever she was, in very compromising poses. She stared at the picture. A BDSM club? “Really, Damian?” At first, she couldn’t explain how she felt. Angry? Uninterested? Distrust? She couldn’t place her feelings. Her emotions were everywhere, running around. She wailed inside. But her pride wouldn’t let her cry out. She held it in with so much pride her chest hurt. When he called again, she ignored it. Flinging the phone away, she stood up and went to her room, where she laid down on the bed. Her mind was in turmoil over the images she had just seen. They were disdainful. To think he was the kind of man who wanted that made her want to vomit. She would have done it for him if he had asked for dress-up during sex. She didn’t mind indulging in it. But sex slave? That was way overboard. Only psychos do that.

People were going to great lengths these days to spice up their sex lives. And dressing up wasn’t bad. As long as no whip or spanking was involved, she could cope. But why would he keep that from her and then go for it outside? “We’re not exactly exclusive.” she murmured. “Maybe I don’t deserve some commitment from him.” she told herself. But then, this wasn’t something one kept away from a partner. Rolling so she was facing up, she sighed. Was she expecting too much by asking that he stay committed to her? They never had that conversation, truly. It was just expected. She hissed angrily. He was upset about Jake. Wasn’t that why he was so aggressive that morning? She had convinced him nothing was going on there. Jake was her past. Indeed, she could hope he would reciprocate the feeling by staying off his exes too, and stuff like this. What had she expected anyway? He was a playboy. She should have known he would never be satisfied with being with her alone. When she heard a knock on her door, she ignored it. That had to be Damian.

Ainsley rolled back, so she was now lying face down, propping herself well on the pillow. The second knock was persistent. With a shrug, she went to fling the door open in anger. Whatever he had to say, we should hear him out, she muttered to herself. A part of her wanted to believe there was a logical explanation for it. She never bothered to peek through the door hole because she assumed it would be Damian. To her surprise, her friend stood with a bottle of her favorite wine and a smug smile. “What are you doing here, Jess?” she asked rudely, but her warm hug made up for her attitude. Realizing she was taking out her anger on her friend, she pulled back. “I’m sorry.” she apologized as she stepped away for Jess to come in.

“It’s fine.” Jess said, shaking the bottle while walking in. Once inside, she waited for her friend to turn around and shook the bottle mischievously, “I brought company.”

“Ain’t you going home?” she asked, looking at the wall clock. It was late already, and she would have preferred to be on her own for the night. “I thought you wanted to get something and head back home.” She asked, looking at her friend suspiciously. Wasn’t it shady that she was here at this time? Did she see the pictures too? Oh, everyone did! That’s the annoying thing about the internet. Everyone saw things.

She was deliberately being callous, and Jess noted while refusing to be bothered inwardly. She wasn’t about to let herself be chased away by her mean words. “I..” she began but stopped to rephrase it. “We just got back. I just got you back. So, I was thinking a ladies’ night out would be nice.” she said with a sheepish look.

Ainsley knew then that her friend had seen the picture. Jess was always a chatty box when she tried to cover some suspicion. And she knew about the pictures. Her friend was here because she wanted to cheer her up. “No, Jess.” she snickered, “I know what this is. Go home.”

Jess ignored her. Uncorking the wine bottle, she set down her things on the couch and poured them both a glass full of wine. When she extended one to Ainsley, she collected it. Albeit, suspiciously, and she sat down. When they both had a sip, she started to talk. “I saw the pictures.” she confessed. “I’m sorry about that article too.”

Snickering, Ainsley took another swig of the wine. The articles had done nothing but speculated as usual about the playboy’s return. Some hinted that he had been off the game lately and wanted to know why. Was there a special lady somewhere? They wanted to know more. Some had gone on to say spicey sex was fun too. How irritating! It was insulting the things those bloggers do. Shouldn’t they be discouraging such acts? Instead, they were clamoring for more. She should have them closed down if she had her way. But then again, who could blame them? The media loved the playboy. He could never be wrong in their eyes. “You didn’t do anything.” She replied to her friend, who had apologized for the write-ups. The ones who should be apologizing were the insane bloggers, digging dirt, poking their noses into affairs they have no right to. Angrily, she gulped the drink and refilled her glass.

“I… I’m sure there must be some explanation for it….” she was interrupted then. That was good because Ainsley had just stopped her from saying she didn’t think Damian was one into kinky sex. They had sex before, and he wasn’t the type to choke or spank his partner. Shouldn’t Ainsley know that? Grateful for the interruption, she gulped down her wine too.

“There couldn’t be any explanation for it, Jess. That’s who he is.” she laughed harshly and took another gulp. “Isn’t that what I was trying to protect you from?”

“Not this.” Jess refused to believe that Damian, who had explicitly explained he couldn’t be with her, could do this to the woman he left her for. He had explained the night he was going to take Ainsley out before the Jake incident that night, that he loves her friend. He didn’t use those exact words as much, but she knew he cared deeply for her. A man like that didn’t sabotage his relationship over some stripper. Something wasn’t right even if the evidence was staring them right now in the face. “He loves you.”

“He never said that to me.” Ainsley blurted out angrily. “What am I doing?” she staggered as she stood up. “I expected this. I should have known he would do this.” She hissed out.

“Ains.” Jess called out just as a knock was heard. They both turned towards the door. “It could be him, coming with some sort of explanation.” She whispered. In a way, it excited her that Damian was here to explain. She hoped for all their sakes that this was some mistake. It had to be. That was for sure.

“I don’t want to see him, please.” Ainsley pleaded with her friend. “Go, send him away.”

“You have to talk to him.” Jess said, walking towards the door to peep. “He’s the one.” she turned to her friend.

Ainsley deliberated on it. She couldn’t make a pick though, between listening to what he had to say and just shutting him out until she was ready. Taking deep breaths, she said, finally making up her mind. “Make him go away, Jess. I can’t see him. Not now.”

Jess nodded that she understood then opened the door. Before Damian could step in, she stepped out and closed the door after her. At the soft sound of her friend walking towards the door, she sighed. Ainsley wanted to hear him out too. She didn’t want to deal with the drama yet.

“It’s that way, hun.” Damian said, noticing that Jess didn’t let him in. That would be to protect her friend from him. Or she was simply following Ainsley’s instruction. Either way, he didn’t like it. “Is she in?” he asked. She should hear him out. He didn’t do anything. Hopefully, she would listen. There was no way he could prove his innocence if she didn’t listen to his explanation.

“You know she’s in.” said Jessica with a sad look. “Why would you do this to her. You told me you care so much about her. That you had to see where you guys were headed. Is this what you had in mind? A BDSM club? Really?”

His hands ran through his head angrily as he tried to explain. “It’s not what you think.”

“Your picture was there. You were there. Why were you even at such a place?”

“I went with two visiting friends. And trust me, these men are whack. I had no idea we were going there until it was too late.” he said to Jess as he held his phone out. “When we got there, I wouldn’t do anything. It’s not my kinda fun idea, believe me.” he rasped. “The lady caught with me was for Clyde. I pushed her right off. Unfortunately, the camera didn’t catch that.”

Jess snickered. She believed him. But for her friend, whom she believed was listening right now, she asked, “Who’s Clyde?”

“The visiting friend. I could call him now.” bringing out his phone, he called Clyde, ignoring Jess’ lame excuses about not doing so. When his friend picked, he placed the call on speaker. “How do you intend to fix the mess you dragged me into?” he demanded harshly. Clyde chuckled. “Clyde.” he bellowed at him.

“Easy man, that was some good joke right there.” he said just as Bonnie laughed too. They were in the same room, lazing away on the bed. For today, they decided they were having fun in their hotel room.

“Is that Bonnie?” Damian drawled, “I’m going to kill you, man. You better get your mother fucking joker to take this off, or I’m going to sue you for every freaking penny you have.”

“Chill, bro.” Bonnie called out his friend.

“We will fix it.” Clyde replied, “Told you he’s in love, Man.” he said to his friend just as the call was disconnected.

Jess, who had been listening to the conversation, smiled at the mention of Damian being in love. It was obvious he was. How that escaped her friend’s attention, she would never know. “I see you have some freaky friends.” she said to him.

Ainsley stepped away from the door then. She had heard everything, had heard enough. Her anger wasn’t sated, though. Walking out of the living room, she went to her room to lie down. What a day it was.

Damian turned to Jessica sheepishly. “I’m sorry you had to listen to me swear. Those are my freaking guests. They came in some days ago.”

“Bonnie and Clyde?”

“Nicknames they picked up back in school.” he explained as he looked at the closed door sadly. “Would she ever listen to my explanation? I know it was silly of me not to have checked out the type of club it was.”

“You can speak with her.” she said, “But not tonight, okay? Let her get some sleep. You should too.”

“Okay. Thank you, Jess.”

She stayed until Damian got in the elevator and was out of view before she stepped back into the room. When she didn’t see Ainsley, she looked for her in the bedroom. “You heard that, didn’t you?”

“I did.” she sighed. “I’m still angry he put me through all that.”

Getting in bed with her, Jess rubbed her friend’s back. “I know. It’s why I told him to leave.” She hugged him gently.

“It’s better.” she mused as she thought about everything Damian had said. She believed him. He loves me but won’t say it? As she drifted to sleep, she saw him telling her over and over how much he cared about her. upset, she asked, “Why can’t you tell me you love me?”