Page 82 of Dirty Like Jude
“Perfect!” Katie put in supportively. Devi sipped her tea, and no one said anotherword.
I stroked Nicky’s chubby little cheek with my finger; he was dead asleep in his baby carrierthing.
Then I got out ofthere.
* * *
“You done with Taze?”I asked Roni at dinner. We’d just ordered our food. I’d picked her up on time. Made sure I was early,actually.
I’d driven her to the restaurant where I’d made a reservation, pulled out her chair for her, ordered us a couple of steaks and cut right to thechase.
She looked at me over the wine glass that was halfway to her lips. “Yes,” she said. “I’m done with Taze.” Then she took a sip, set the glass on the table between us and squared her shoulders like she was preparing for anattack.
“That on myaccount?”
“It was on account of the fact that you were a millimeter away from sliding your dick into me, yes,” she said, looking straight in my eyes. “And I’m not thatgirl.”
“Whatgirl?”
“The one who lets another guy fuck her while she has aboyfriend.”
“I know you’re not.” I did know. She’d made that pretty damn clear to my ass seven yearsago.
She left that onealone.
“Anyway. It’s not like Taze and I were getting married anytimesoon.”
“You were right to break up with him,” I toldher.
“Hmm.”
“You know he had other women.” It was a statement, not a question. I wasn’t gonna insult her. Roni was sharp; she had to know what Taze wasabout.
She said nothing for a long moment as she sipped her wine. Then: “And youdon’t?”
“I’m not yourboyfriend.”
“And if youwere?”
“I don’tcheat.”
She looked totally unimpressed with that. “Easy for anyone to say. Harder tolive.”
“What’s hard?” I said. “The thought of looking into a woman’s eyes, a woman who thinks I’m faithful to her, and lying to her… it’s fuckin’disgusting.”
“You’ve never lied to awoman?”
Well, fuck. She had methere.
I didn’t usually lie towomen.
I didn’tliketo lie towomen.
But fuck yeah, there were times I’d been dishonest with a woman. For a whole fucking plethora of reasons having to do with Kings business, the band, security, my privacy, other people’sprivacy.
And my own fuckingprotection.
I had a right to protect myself, didn’tI?
