Mia's footsteps echoed along the narrowed hall of her apartment building. The lights above hummed and began to flicker, the artificial light casting a pale blue hue over the waterstained floor.
The stench of beer and mold filled her noes, but she paid no mind. Five years of living in this building had stripped her of her sense of smell entirely.
She shook the snow from her hair and brushed it off of her shoulders as she reached the door to her apartment. The metal nine hanging on the door jingled slightly as she wriggled her key inside the lock. The nine swung rampantly on its small nail as she opened the door.
Perhaps if Mia had not been listening to music she would have heard the moaning and banging of the headboard coming from her and Lake's room. But the earbuds lodged in her ears rang loudly with blasting music, the sound escaping her ears and buzzing in the air.
Mia slipped out of her coat and draped it over the couch. Her shoes landed with a thud as she chucked them off.
Mia halted mid step.
She saw it then: the discarded pants and woman's underwear scattered throughout the apartment, leaving a trail of clothes down the hall to their bedroom.
Every muscle in her body stiffened. She slowly removed her headphones, the music's impotant vibrations filling the suddenly heavy air.
Moaning filled the apartment. Pleas and "oh gods" escaped from the bedroom. So loud it sent the glass coffee table shuttering.
Mia followed the trail of clothing as the banging grew louder. Her breathing slowed and hand trembled as she reached up to turn the brass door handle.
No.
Inside their bedroom was Lake, his hips grinding into Gigi, Mia's sister. Gigi's head was thrown back, her hands tangled in his hair as Lake's hips drove into Gigi's.
Lake tore his mouth from Gigi's breast as she climaxed. Neither of them had even noticed Mia come in.
Loud gasps and moans fell from Gigi's parted lips.
"Oh fuck," Gigi gasped as she spied Mia. Lake looked up and saw her standing in the door frame, his lips part9ng as if to explain.
But how do you explain this?
I fell, butt naked, into your twin?
The two of them scrambled off the bed and Gigi wrapped the bedsheets around her chest.
Lake looked at her with an unreadable expression and Gigi's eyes grew glossy. "Mia, I'm so sorry," Gigi pleaded.
Mia didn't know what to expect, what to do. She ought to be throwing things, cursing and screaming bloody murder.
Instead, a small laugh escaped from her throat.
Gigi jerked back in surprise as if she'd been slapped, and Lake continued to stay silent.
Numbness spread out over her limbs and all she could do was smile. "You two deserve each other," was all Mia said before leaving.
Gigi called after her but Mia did not stop. She grabbed her coat from the couch and closed the door softly behind her.
Mia didn't know what to feel. She should be mad, should feel betrayed and angry. But she only felt numb. Like her brain was still processing the events of what she'd just walked in on.
She started down the hall and rushed down the steel steps of the spiraling staircase that lead to the lobby.
Throwing open the doors, Mia breathed in deep. Gulping down the icy air that stung her throat.
Mia wrapped her arms around her body and began to walk through the melting puddle of snow and slush blanketing the sidewalk.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but soon her toes grew numb and her fingertips began to turn blue.
She looked over across the street at the building that had the words 'The Shadows' sprawled across the front in shimmering neon lights.
She crossed the busy street and entered The Shadows. The heat of the bar washed over her, the coldness in her limbs seeming to melt away.
"One whiskey neat," she rasped over to the bartender and slid into the high bench lining the counter.
The dark vinyl seat cracked and moaned under her thighs as she settled in.
Mia waited for the hurt to sink in, the rage. But nothing came. She hadn't loved Lake. She wanted to. For years all she wanted was to love that man. But when it came to Lake, she never had love to give.
But she did love Gigi.
A pang of betrayal struck her heart as she downed the glass of whiskey.
"Rough night?" a deep voice asked.
Mia didn't look up from the glass cradled between her frozen palms. "Rough day," she mumbled.
Her work was in chaos, scrambling to get ready for their new boss coming tomorrow. And now her home life was in a flaming pile of shambles.
She'd need to move. Maybe in with Ruth, her half sister, assuming her girlfriend was okay with it. "Rough week," she corrected as she thought of the fight her and her father had gotten into a few days ago.
When she finally looked up, her breath caught and for a moment, she forgot all about Lake and Gigi.
The man sitting next to her has eyes darker than midnight, black pools of tar drilling into oblivion.
The Christmas lights strung over the bar danced along his high cheekbones, casting shadows along his jaw. His face was too sharp, too harsh to be handsome.
And yet...
Mia couldn't stop staring.
He smirked.
"I'm Mia," she said, drowning in his eyes. Wow. Talk about dreamy.
"Harlan." His voice was like silk and Mia had to remind herself to breathe. "Tell me about your rough day, Mia," he said before taking a sip from his drink.
Mia swallowed and drank the second glass that the bartender had poured. The alcohol burned, but it wasn't enough to wake her from her nightmare of a life.
Mia blew out a long breath. "Well," she said, the two drinks already making her head swirl. "My boyfriend is cheating on me," she announced, still numb to the words.
Harlan tilted his head and smirked, his long fingers going over the rim of his glass. "Now who would ever cheat on you?" he asked in that deep voice.
Mia snorted. "Lake," she said bitterly. "With my twin."
"Och."
She nodded. "Pretty much." She shook her head. "I never loved him," she mumbled. "I loved the idea of him, I think."
Mia looked over to the stranger. His eyes trailed over hers.
She laughed. Why shouldn't she pour out her heart to this stranger? A guy she'll never see again.
She nodded. "I don't even think he loved me. Maybe that's why I stayed?" Mia shrugged. "Like if I could make him love me then maybe I wouldn't feel so...unlovable?" Mia took a steady breath. "I don't know."
Harlan met her stare, his brows drawn. "I'm sorry," was all he said, his voice flooded with understanding.
Mia bobbed her head and summoned over the bartender for another drink.
"And," she said, "the cherry on top of this steaming pile of shit, is that my work life is just as miserable," she moaned. "The company I work for is getting a new CEO and the rumors about this guy..." she shook her head and blew out a long sigh. "This guy is said to be the biggest ass. Arrogant. Condescending. Basically the embodiment of self-assured privilege. He's the King of Assholes."
Mia sunk back another shot. "And," she continued through the burn, "I get the pleasure of being this guy's assistant."
Mia leaned back in her seat. "A real womanizer too," she said. At this point reality felt like a fever dream. The world was fading in and out and all Mia could focus on was Harlan.
"He's supposed to be, like, the most beautiful guy on the planet," Mia slurred. "But I think you are," she giggled.
Harlan began to smile. A wide, endless grin that turned Mia's insides into jello.
Oh shit. Had she said that out loud?
His eyes narrowed, gleaming with something that Mia didn't understand. "And this King of Assholes," he drawled, "you know his name?"
She shrugged while downing her drink. The burn trailed along her throat and she smiled, giddy from the alcohol. "Nope. Haven't seen his face, either. Only heard the rumors."
"What's the company name?" he asked casually.
"Gillian & Wells. It's a law firm up town."
Harlan's smile grew as something sparked behind those black eyes. "Well, Mia," he said before standing. "Do you need me to call you a cab?"
Mia shook her head. "My half sister's going to pick me up."
He nodded, satisfied with that answer. "I have a feeling I'll be seeing you soon."
Mia frowned.
About to ask him what he meant, Harlan waved over to the bartender.
"Her drinks are on me," was all he said before leaving. A gust of cold wind entered the bar as the doors flapped closed behind him.
Mia sat back in her seat, his words ringing in her head.
I have a feeling I'll be seeing you soon.
Her frown deepened and she looked back to where he'd been sitting only moments ago.
I have a feeling I'll be seeing you soon.
What the hell did that mean?