outburst. I don’t blame him. I’m such a fucking idiot and loser! The sadness turned to self-loathing.
I thought about calling and begging him to come back, trying to explain how crazy my life had become after meeting him in Afghanistan, but I didn’t.
Why would someone perfect like him want a problem-woman like myself?
The answer would not come.
FIFTEEN
Tyler
The next morning, I woke up as confused as the night before? What the hell was Mercy’s problem? She had called me, invited me over, let me fuck her, and then went nuts crying? What the hell?
I picked up my phone from the nightstand and turned on the screen. No messages. Maybe it was a one-off? She didn’t seem like that type of woman, but what the hell do I know? Not much.
After throwing the covers back, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stretched my arms. She had been a good lay. I couldn’t deny that one bit. Why did I always attract the crazy women?
The look on her face when she came stuck with me as I went through my morning routine, gradually waking up and getting ready for the day. With no job, I had nothing but time.
Around lunch, my phone rang. I grabbed it excitedly, expecting to see her phone number on the screen, but it was one I didn’t recognize. Who the hell is this? I answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Ty-man, what’s up. Long time no hear.”
“Who is this?” I asked, not sure about the voice.
“Damn, bro. We lose touch for a year, and you’ve already forgotten me.”
“Oh, hey, Roger. What’s up. I didn’t expect to hear from you again.”
“Yeah, you made that quite evident last time we met.”
“What’s up?” I asked, getting straight to the point. “If this is about the past…”
“No, no,” he interrupted. “I want to talk to you about a new opportunity. What are you doing these days?”
“Nothing much,” I admitted.
“You did all that complaining back in A-stan, but you’re enjoying that money, aren’t you?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, not believing what he was saying on the phone.
“Look, let’s meet up, okay? This is a solid idea, and you’re the perfect partner.”
“I don’t know, Roger.”
“You fucking afraid?”
“Man, don’t do that to me.”
“Do what?”
“Try to manipulate me. It doesn’t work.”
He laughed.
“Not anymore, huh? Anyway, what do you say? At least hear me out.”
“Fine. When do you want to do it?”
“You got time now? I have a hot date tonight.”
“Sure, now is fine. Where you at?”
“Let’s meet at Lucy’s Diner on Fifth-Third Street.”
“I’ll see you there in half-an-hour,” I said then ended the call.
Whatever he had in mind, I was not interested, but he wouldn’t stop bugging me until I told him in person and made it abundantly clear we weren’t going to go into business at all anymore.
* * *
On the walk to Lucy’s Diner, I wondered what Roger might want. Why had two people with connections to Afghanistan come into my life at roughly the same time?
I had sought out Mercy, but Roger had showed up on his own? Was it just a coincidence? None of the world made much sense. Ever since I returned from Afghanistan, my view of the world had changed.
All I thought about was coming up with a way to get over the guilt attached to the money I had made illegally while serving my country. It didn’t matter how many times I told myself we hadn’t hurt anyone.
When it came down to it, I had participated in a scheme that had made many people wealthy. The money I received was enough for me to do nothing for a while, but I had to come up with my next step.
Mercy did not seem to be the type of person who would date someone without a job or any prospects for the future. And she was definitely someone I wanted to get to know better.
When I made it to the diner, I saw him sitting in a booth next to the front window. He nodded
I thought about calling and begging him to come back, trying to explain how crazy my life had become after meeting him in Afghanistan, but I didn’t.
Why would someone perfect like him want a problem-woman like myself?
The answer would not come.
FIFTEEN
Tyler
The next morning, I woke up as confused as the night before? What the hell was Mercy’s problem? She had called me, invited me over, let me fuck her, and then went nuts crying? What the hell?
I picked up my phone from the nightstand and turned on the screen. No messages. Maybe it was a one-off? She didn’t seem like that type of woman, but what the hell do I know? Not much.
After throwing the covers back, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stretched my arms. She had been a good lay. I couldn’t deny that one bit. Why did I always attract the crazy women?
The look on her face when she came stuck with me as I went through my morning routine, gradually waking up and getting ready for the day. With no job, I had nothing but time.
Around lunch, my phone rang. I grabbed it excitedly, expecting to see her phone number on the screen, but it was one I didn’t recognize. Who the hell is this? I answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Ty-man, what’s up. Long time no hear.”
“Who is this?” I asked, not sure about the voice.
“Damn, bro. We lose touch for a year, and you’ve already forgotten me.”
“Oh, hey, Roger. What’s up. I didn’t expect to hear from you again.”
“Yeah, you made that quite evident last time we met.”
“What’s up?” I asked, getting straight to the point. “If this is about the past…”
“No, no,” he interrupted. “I want to talk to you about a new opportunity. What are you doing these days?”
“Nothing much,” I admitted.
“You did all that complaining back in A-stan, but you’re enjoying that money, aren’t you?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, not believing what he was saying on the phone.
“Look, let’s meet up, okay? This is a solid idea, and you’re the perfect partner.”
“I don’t know, Roger.”
“You fucking afraid?”
“Man, don’t do that to me.”
“Do what?”
“Try to manipulate me. It doesn’t work.”
He laughed.
“Not anymore, huh? Anyway, what do you say? At least hear me out.”
“Fine. When do you want to do it?”
“You got time now? I have a hot date tonight.”
“Sure, now is fine. Where you at?”
“Let’s meet at Lucy’s Diner on Fifth-Third Street.”
“I’ll see you there in half-an-hour,” I said then ended the call.
Whatever he had in mind, I was not interested, but he wouldn’t stop bugging me until I told him in person and made it abundantly clear we weren’t going to go into business at all anymore.
* * *
On the walk to Lucy’s Diner, I wondered what Roger might want. Why had two people with connections to Afghanistan come into my life at roughly the same time?
I had sought out Mercy, but Roger had showed up on his own? Was it just a coincidence? None of the world made much sense. Ever since I returned from Afghanistan, my view of the world had changed.
All I thought about was coming up with a way to get over the guilt attached to the money I had made illegally while serving my country. It didn’t matter how many times I told myself we hadn’t hurt anyone.
When it came down to it, I had participated in a scheme that had made many people wealthy. The money I received was enough for me to do nothing for a while, but I had to come up with my next step.
Mercy did not seem to be the type of person who would date someone without a job or any prospects for the future. And she was definitely someone I wanted to get to know better.
When I made it to the diner, I saw him sitting in a booth next to the front window. He nodded
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