Enemies with Benefits

Chapter Fifteen

I stood in front of the mirror, twisting and turning. And frowning. How the hell should one dress for a dinner date after another man's head was in between her legs a few hours prior?

"I'm a piece of shit," I stated to my reflection.

"I'll say! I texted and texted and got nothing back. And then I got ditched again so you could go get dick." Leah's voice vibrated through the apartment and my eyes bugged out of my head.

"What? What do you mean?"

She made a face at me, a mix between confusion and 'are you stupid?'

"Uh...You said we couldn't go out tonight because the blond hottie already asked you to dinner?"

"Oh! Oh. Yeah. I'm not sleeping with him though, I...We're...It's kinda complicated."

"Well, shit. Can I have him then?"

I glared at my friend. "Down, Leah."

She giggled and flopped onto the bed. Her laugh would've seemed like proof that she was kidding, if only I hadn't known she wasn't. She'd jump David the second I left him alone with her if I didn't watch it. Not that I felt like I had any right to stop him from sleeping with someone else, just...not Leah. Anyone but her.

"How's work been? I've been thinking about trying to become a teacher too. Maybe not a fancy college professor, but yeah."

I didn't stop my laugh in time. "Do what?"

She shrugged, picking at a piece of her nail. "It seems easy. Sit with kids all day and tell them what to do. I feel like I'd be good at it, you know? You seem to like it. Why wouldn't I?"

I looked at her in the mirror with disbelief. "And you'd teach what exactly?"

"Probably math. It's less talking and grading than everything else."

"Leah, you failed Algebra. Twice."

"Okay, seriously? You could at least pretend to be supportive of my goals. What the hell has gotten into you, Rach? Honestly. God, New York changed you."

I pressed my tongue against the inside of my teeth to keep from spitting the venomous words I wanted at her. I took a deep breath and focused my attention on the necklace I was trying to clasp.

"Do you, Leah. If that's what you want, go for it. But it's a hell of a lot more than you seem to think it is."

Leah rolled her eyes and stood, coming up behind me and taking the chain I was struggling with. Fastening it easily, she pulled my hair from the clip I'd put it up in. "You look like a kindergarten teacher with your hair up. It looks dumb. You're going on a date, not to finger paint a giraffe with a four-year-old."

I shook my head and snorted a laugh. "Thanks for that input. Can I go now?"

"Is he not picking you up?"

I shook my hair out and looked at my reflection once more, straightening out the decorative necklace she'd just finished putting on me. "He is. I'm gonna head down to wait."

Leah followed me when I left the room and headed for the door, the pout on her face evident even without my having to look at her. "But I wanted to say hi."

"So you can flirt again?" I turned back to see her rummaging through my kitchen. "Don't you have anything better to do but raid my fridge?"

Leah spun with a mouthful of something. "No. I met another chick at the mall today, but she's kinda annoying."

I stared back with a straight face. "Tragic."

"Har har. Hey, can I ask something?"

"You just did."