Bad Rep (Bad Rep, #1)(80)

I opted out of a lot of makeup and just coated my lips with a pale lip gloss.  Not bad, I thought looking at myself in the mirror.  I noticed the irises I kept in a vase on my dresser were officially dead.  I scooped them out the glass and tossed them in the trash.  I would have to remember to get some more.  I was a sucker for fresh flowers, irises being my favorites.  So, I tried to keep them in my room most of the time.  At least until they died and I got around to getting some more.

I looked at the clock and shocked myself by seeing I still had fifteen minutes until Jordan was due to pick me up.  I sat back down on the couch, smoothing my dress underneath me.  Riley had left for her shift at Barton's thirty minutes ago, so the apartment was silent.  I didn't feel like watching TV, I was too antsy.  I grabbed my pack of cigarettes and went out onto the balcony.  I was making a conscientious effort to minimize my smoking.  But there were days when it proved difficult.  I pulled a cigarette out of the pack and lit it up, staring out into the court yard just behind our building.

I heard the sound of guitar music wafting up from below.  I leaned over the railing, my hair dangling around me and saw Eli plucking at his strings just beneath my balcony.  Well, crap.  I hadn't seen Eli since I had text dumped him.  Which was surprising, considering how much time he spent at his cousin's apartment just down the hall.

As if sensing my presence, Eli stopped playing and looked up.  His face went perfectly blank and he lifted a hand in a halfhearted wave.  “Hey,” he called up.  I gave a short wave back.

“Hey.”  We didn't say anything and I realized I looked like an idiot dangling over my railing.  So I pulled myself up right and sat down in the white deck chair to finish my smoke.

“Maysie!”  I heard Eli call out.  I tried not to groan.  But I didn't want to ignore him, so I got back to my feet.  Eli had moved so that he stood out in front of my balcony.  The guitar hung around his shoulders and I noticed off handily that he had let his hair grow out and that it was naturally curly.  Interesting.

“What's up, Eli?” I asked, trying not to sound completely bitchy.  But this was awkward.   Eli reached up and scratched the back of his neck.  He seemed nervous.  Which was weird because I don't think I had ever seen Eli anything but high and laid back.  Well except the night he and Jordan had gotten into it.  But I didn't want to think about that.

“How've you been?” he asked, dropping his hand to rest on the front of his guitar.  I took a last drag of my cigarette and knelt down to stub it out in the flower pot I kept for my butts.

“Um, fine,” I answered, standing back up and leaning my hands on the iron railing.

“Good.  That's really...uh, good,” Eli said.  He was being strange.  Maybe he was on something.

“So have you taken up serenading in your free time?” I joked, trying to alleviate some of the uncomfortable tension.  Eli chuckled and tapped a quick beat on the hollow wood of his acoustic.

“Why not, the ladies love it.  You always did.”  He glanced back up at me and I recognized that look.  It was the one he always gave me before pulling me into a bedroom at his cousin's place.

I cleared my throat.  “Well, I'd better get going.” I jerked my thumb in the direction of the sliding glass door to make my point.  I turned around to head back inside.

“So why haven't I heard from you?  In my world, wanting space doesn't mean you pretend the other person doesn't exist,” Eli called out just as I was about to open the door.  I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead on the glass.

I turned around and went back to look down at Eli in the courtyard.  “Can we not do this now?  I mean, this isn't the best place to have this conversation,” I said shortly, kind of annoyed he was putting our personal stuff on display for the neighbors.  Looking over I could see old Mrs. Graves sitting on her balcony, pretending to read the newspaper.   But I knew that nosy lady was listening to everything we were saying.

“Well, let me come up so we can talk,” he insisted.  Where was this coming from?  I seriously thought he would be done with me by now.  Hell, I strongly suspected he was hooking up with other girls the whole time we were “dating.”  So why the sudden need to hash shit out with me?

“Now's not a good time, Eli.  I'm getting ready to go out,” I said, trying to end the conversation quickly.  I figured Jordan would here any minute.

Eli ran his hands through his hair.  “I know you're with that other guy.  The dude from the bar.  I've seen him coming out of your place.  Is that why you needed space?” Eli asked sarcastically.  Okay, enough was enough.

“No you self-involved prick. I needed space away from your sorry ass.  Got a little sick of the drunken booty calls and then not hearing from you for days.  And let's not forget your attempts to take my clothes off in my place of employment.  Oh, and how about going off to parties with girls practically shoving their tongues down your throat?  Is that enough of a reason?” I bit off angrily.

Eli at least had the decency to look ashamed.  “I guess I deserved that,” he grimaced.  I barked out a laugh.