Page 30 of Bad Influence
You invited her to stay, you can’t ignore her forever.
I know that, but I also know how much I loved seeing the spark in her eyes when she ordered food for the first time. That small bit of freedom and choice meant so much to her, and yet she’s still marrying my brother.Ifshe’s marrying my brother.
It hasn’t escaped my notice that neither her or my grandmother confirmed there’s going to be a wedding.
With nothing left to do, and no possible reason to avoid going home, I lock up and start walking back. The sun is just starting to set and it’s about seventy degrees out. Probably the only thing I miss about California is the constant sunshine and the surfing. A couple of years ago I went to Los Angeles just to surf for the weekend.
To delay my time, I take the stairs up to the eighth floor, climbing slower than I usually do.
As soon as I get to the door, I hear loud music playing inside. I can’t make out the lyrics, but it sounds like Spanish or Portuguese.
Slotting my key through the door, I unlock it and walk into the apartment, completely unprepared for what’s waiting for me.
“Fuck,” I groan quietly.
Caroline has her back to me as she dances and sings along to Bad Bunny, her hips gyrating to the music. She’s wearing a little blue dress with white flowers on it that just about covers her ass, leaving her long, golden legs bare.
What will they look like wrapped around my waist?
The thought isn’t as unexpected as I’d like.
It takes me a minute to realize she’s pushing a vacuum back and forth on the rug.
I lean against the wall, crossing my arms as I watch her. I should announce myself. At the same time, I’m probably never going to get the opportunity to see her this free again.
She dances around the vacuum, plugging in the part to get the corner spots. When she spins around, she finally sees me and screams. I barely catch the sound over the music.
Scrambling for her phone, she pauses the music and the song cuts off.
“You scared me!” She accuses, resting a hand against her chest.
I shrug. “I was just enjoying the show.”
Her hand goes to her waist as she gives me a flat look. “It wasn’t for you.”
“Too bad. I can get used to the entertainment.”
Caroline’s cheeks flush the faintest pink.
“Two weeks ago you wanted me out of the apartment,” she says cuttingly.
“Two weeks ago I didn’t know how talented you are,” I say.
“Leave it to a man to think of cleaning as a talent,” she quips, turning away. Unplugging the vacuum, she wraps the cord on the back.
“I didn’t know you knew how to clean.” I straighten, walking to the fridge to get a bottle of water. We both seem to be ignoring her wedding card stuck to the door. It’s a cold reminder of what’s coming and that I shouldn’t be bantering with her.
“What am I, an ‘alpha male’ who can’t figure out how to plug in a vacuum and push it back and forth?”
I nearly choke on my water. “The men are really catching strays tonight.”
“Do you know how many incel podcasts there are talking shit about women?” Caroline asks.
“I don’t listen to podcasts, but based on the number of incels in real life, I’m guessing a lot.”
“So many! And all of them are talking shit about how women should be taking care of the house and kids all the while remaining a size two because otherwise they won’t be able to keep a man.”
Caroline slams her hands on the countertop, her eyes flashing. “The only thing weshouldbe doing is letting men live because there’s no skincare in prison, and kicking you out of our beds.”
