The taxi came to its slow stop just outside my apartment with a loud screech of the brakes. Surely squeaky breaks meant something bad? How is he aloud to even drive the car? Throwing open the door I didn't bother paying the cab driver, after all, he took Anthony's side in that little argument so Anthony can pay him for his loyalty. Slamming the door shut behind me – on Anthony's face – I stormed into my apartment building without so much as a second glance behind me.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I stomped out my building rage and fisted my hands by my sides. There was just something about that man I despised.

Something? You mean the fact that he is a womanizer, a complete jerk, already admitted he sleeps around, refuses to hire people with 'mental issues' and the added fact that he didn't hire you isn't enough to have you swearing to forever hate this man?

Fair point. I – for many reasons – will forever despise this man. I nodded to myself as I clarified my feelings to myself.

Strange how you need to clarify your own feelings... to yourself. Yep, you really do need help.

Rolling my eyes I wondered into my apartment and slammed the door shut behind me, being sure to click in the lock as did so. Biting my lip in annoyance I pulled off my jacket revealing my bare shoulders and threw it on the couch beside the window. Just as I was about to spin around towards the kitchen area of the apartment my eyes caught on a flicker of movement outside making me take a few steps forward. Leaning my head against the cool glass I narrowed my eyes as I saw Anthony standing on the curb, his steady gaze looking over the apartment with his strong disapproval before he fixed the buttons on his jacket and started inward.

"Shit." I cursed to myself as I ran back over to the door and made sure it was fully secured and bolted. There was no way he was getting into this apartment.

Unless he found the spare key.

"You have got to be kidding me." I groaned as I leant up against the door and hit the back of my head.

Yeah. How obvious do you think the awkwardly placed pot plant in an otherwise empty hallway will be? After all the man is supposed to be smart.

The strong shudder of the door as the loud vibration of Anthony's knocking on the door made the obnoxious piece of wood shake and hit me in the back of the head.

"Ow!" I scrunched up my face and stepped forward, spinning around on my heel and holding the back on my head with my hand. Stupid door.

Stupid Anthony for knocking.

"Sky," his loud voice boomed. "Open the door."

Shush. If your quiet maybe he'll think you're not here.

"Skylar I know you're in there!" He shouted, his voice building in both frustration and annoyance. "Open the damn door. Now!"

"Go away Anthony!" I called back as my eyes flickered to the floor where I watched his shadow, anxiously.

"Open this fucken door right..." His voice trailed off mid-sentence as his shadow left my vision – meaning he had stepped away from the door.

I leaned forward and narrowed my eyes at the small gap in the door. Where did he go?

You complain when his there and you complain when he leaves. Make up your mind woman.

Biting my bottom lip I stepped forward and reached out for the door handle when it suddenly turned on his own and the door swung open with a strong force that had me stumbling backwards to avoid being hit. My heels caught on the flat surface and I slipped back landing on the floor boards with a loud thud.

Well I've always said. It takes skill to trip over a flat surface. Not everyone can do it you know.

With my eyes wide I looked up to find Anthony standing in the door way, the spare key hanging from his finger as his eyes darted around the room, slowly taking in the small, messy apartment before landing on me – still on the floor.

I told you he'd find it.

Not now.

"You know," he started, his tone lower, more seductive as he leaned down and crouched in front of me. "I think I can get used to this position. You on knees and everything." He chuckled.

Narrowing my eyes at him, I quickly swiped my right leg across the floor taking his legs out from under him making him fall to the floor – his head hitting the floor boards a little too harshly to be classed as gently. Standing up on my feet I stood over him and smirked down at Anthony. "You're right. It is a nice sight, you on your knees and everything."

"Ha Ha," he mocked me as he lifted himself up to his knees. "Very funny."

I thought it was!

I smiled at my inner self who seemed to have team up with my inner pride – I haven't seen her in years, she must have on a retreat somewhere, probably getting a deep tissue massage...

"Sky?"

"Huh?" I blinked rapidly as I shook my head slightly.

"Do you do that often?" Anthony asked me as he got to his feet and dusted himself off. Why, I had no idea, I vacuumed last week. Or was it the week before?

"Do what?" I played dumb. I knew exactly what he was referring too.

"Faze out like that?" He frowned. "Seriously do you have issues or something?"

"We all have our 'issues', that's what makes us unique." I tried to shift the topic.

"Oh no, I'm pretty sure your issues are one of kind." He shook his head and rolled his eyes at me. "Nice place."

I narrowed my eyes at him. He was being sarcastic, that I knew, but he didn't have to spit the words out with such distaste at the place. I rather liked the apartment.

"Thanks." I smiled. "It's vintage."

"Oh sweetheart, not even vintage would touch a place like this." He gestured around the room. "This is a termite mound."

"Get out and give me my damn key!" I pounced. Jumping a little since even in my heels I was still not tall enough to reach Anthony's height I tried to reach my spare key as he lifted his hand above his head and smirked down at me.

"No, thanks, I think I'll keep the key."

"You can't do that."

"I am your fiancé." He mocked a hurt expression. "It is only fitting I have a key to your apartment, Pumpkin."

Pumpkin?

"Pumpkin? Do I look short, fat and orange to you?!"

He smirked.

"Don't answer that." I held up my hand in hopes of silencing him.

"Aw, don't feel self-conscious babe, you're a very hot looking pumpkin." He said as his eyes wondered over my body for a moment. There was nothing 'hot' about my body, only average. Wide hips, my stomach jiggled a little as my waist line wasn't as small as most desired, my butt was massive and my breasts were once again, average size. "Well, as hot as you can be in clothes like that." He recoiled in disgust. "Seriously what are you wearing?"

I frowned and looked down at my light grey singlet top and my black skinny jeans, I'll admit this entire ensemble cost me fifteen dollars from K-mart but I thought it was okay. Maybe a bit plain, simple and average, but then again that was me.

"What's wrong with this?"

He gawked at me. Actually gawked at me, mouth opened, eyes wide and everything. "Oh honey you need help, and in more ways than one."

I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed my arms defensively over my chest. "You know I can make that wedding ring become a real problem for you."

"Ah, so you are still agreeing."

"I didn't say that."

"But you didn't say no."

I frowned. "Ah, I'm pretty sure I did say no..." I shifted my gaze away from him as I thought back. "Yep, somewhere in the office, or maybe even the taxi. How hard did you hit your head?"

"My head does kind of hurt do you have some ice or something?" He nodded as he reached back and touched his head where his fragile little mind had collided with the hard wooden floor.

I walked over to the freezer and started looking for some ice while Anthony continued to ramble on.

"Anyway, as I was saying. You clearly have bad taste in clothes and..." he trailed off as I threw the bag of peas at his head. Anthony flinched back and caught the packet before it collided with his head.

Oops, bad aim I guess.

"And vegetables. You actually eat these things?"

I frowned looking at his disgusted face in confusion. "What's wrong with peas?"

"Everything." He stared at me like I was some joker.

"Their good for you Anthony." I mocked him, talking to him in a small voice that I normally reserve for children.

"They're only good for throwing at people," he paused as he stared at the bag. "And as it just so happens, they may have some uses as an ice pack, but that's it." He agreed as he placed the frozen packet of vegetables on his thick head.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance and focused on my objective within this conversation. "Okay, note taken; peas are bad. Are you going to leave now?"

"Why would I leave we're not finished."

"I was finished when I got out of the cab."

"Stop holding grudges, just because I didn't hire you, you don't need to get angry."

"For the last time," I huffed in anger. "It is not because you didn't hire me. I am angry because you are an annoying, condescending asshole who needs to be hit with a tow truck." I smiled sweetly.

"Tow truck? Really?"

"Get out Anthony."

He waved me off with his hand as he grabbed his so called 'contract' and placed it on the island bench that separated the two of us as he perched himself on the kitchen stool, shifting and wiggling himself a little as he failed to get comfortable.

"How do you sit on these things, they're so uncomfortable?"

I death stared him, my plain brown eyes glaring at him with my rising anger. "I'm not sighing this."

"Explain to me what you want then." He tried to reason with me.

"I – uh – ah – um..." I trailed off as I averted my gaze. That was a good question; what did I want?

I could feel Anthony's eyes on me, his strong and steady gaze focussed on me as he read my insecure facial expressions like an open book. "You don't know, do you?"

I swallowed hard as I looked him in the eyes. I needed to tell him the truth, the only way this was going to work out to be profitable for either of us is if we are honest in our wants and desires. "No," I confessed with a deep sigh – the sudden weight of my confession being lifted off my shoulders.

He frowned a little in confusion as he looked down, thoughtfully for a moment.

"That's it? Silence? That's all I get?" I snapped. I had confessed something – perhaps the only thing other than my unemployment status and my inner self – that made me feel somewhat insecure and all he gave me was silence? Bloody men.

"I was just thinking. I hadn't expected that answer."

"What did you expect?"

"Honestly?"

"No I want you to lie to me." I rolled my eyes.

If sarcasm was fuel, that amount could have taken you to the moon.

Anthony raised his eyebrows as if to say 'really?' but the glare I gave helped him to realise I was indeed joking. "Well I kind of expected you to hand me your life plan and be done with it. You don't seem like one of those shy, inexperienced girls who needs someone to show her what she needs."

"I'm not."

"But you're not one of those confident girls who takes control?"

"Sometimes."

"Or you're just fooling yourself." I heard him mutter as he looked down and tapped his hands on the counter top.

"I heard that."

Anthony smiled at me. "It seems to me you think you know what you want, you think you want to control everything, you think you want your life planned out in little flash cards but what you really, desperately need is to have your control taken from you, to be completely at the mercy of another so you can discover what it is you truly like."

"Are we talking about life still?" I questioned as I regarded him. To me, it sounded like his mind was still caught up in the positions we were in on the floor.

"Of course," he winked at me. "Whatever else would I be talking about?"

I rolled my eyes at him and pushed his 'contract' further towards him. "I may not know exactly what I want but I know enough to say I am never signing that contract."

"Fine. How about we figure out what you want first and then discuss the little details." He suggested.

Hm, reasonable, very reasonable.

"Again, this is life and not just sex?" I wanted to clarify and make sure his mind wasn't swimming in the gutter with the rest of the male population.

How very sexist of you. Your mind is in the gutter just as much as any male... Or did you get a sex change and I just never noticed?

"Sex would be a great way to test it out." He suggested.

"Anthony!"

"What?" He shrugged at me, "it's going to happen sooner or later, you might as well welcome the pleasure and have some fun with it."

Oh I am really liking this man.