Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 73556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
“What happened?”
“I had a reputation for ripping people off. That’s not why I was dismissed though. No one could prove I’d done these thefts, but they suspected it. I did steal, let me be clear, but of course I never admitted to any of it. This guy, another Marine I had beef with, made up a lie about me one day. Said I basically committed fraud. Took private documents off base. I hadn’t. It was him. Though, I had already been suspected of some petty thefts I had committed, which were just me takin’ some pocketknives, food, things like that. I never stole people’s money, but I would take things. So, because of all of that, I was an easy patsy. Usually, I didn’t steal because I needed those things I took. It was the high of gettin’ away with it, and the adrenaline rush attached to the act of stealing that I craved. None of that mattered though. I lost everything and was kicked out, over a lie.
“I kinda fell apart after that. A deep depression. I had no money, no plans, no prospects. I did allow a couple of mature women to kind of serve as sugar mamas, but that got old real quick. It’s not my style to take advantage of women in that way. I didn’t want to be with these women, damn sure didn’t want to fuck them. They deserved better—someone who actually cared about them. I was just using them, and in some respects, they were just using me, too. It made me feel worse.” As Roman spoke, layers of his façade wore off. He did in fact have a complicated understanding of women. It seemed that he struggled between wanting to protect women and prey on them out of necessity. The odd part, however, was that he was acknowledging it in his own way, and he seemed to have no desire to go back to the way things were.
“For me, life had to get better, but I didn’t know how. Anyway, I was barely able to afford my horrible studio apartment at the time. I had gotten rid of my benefactors, so to speak, and was workin’ odd jobs, just like my father used to. I used to watch him steal in stores when I was a lil’ kid, and learned how to do it, too. He stole stuff then sold it to people in order to support his drug and drinkin’ habit though. I thought about my life, and how messed it was. Then, one day, I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, Genesis. I got to thinkin’ about what I wanted in life, and I hatched a plan to make my life better. I used my skills to get my hands on some cash, and basically started over.” He took a deep breath, then waved the bartender back over. Fresh drink in hand, he tilted his head back and gulped it down. “I was ready for somethin’ new.”
“What was the final straw?”
“Fear I’d end up like my father. The bad parts of him. I hated myself. I remember lookin’ in the mirror and thinking, ‘You’re going to end up just like him.’ I decided to go to college. To me, that was the only answer. I prayed I’d get in. And I did. I was accepted into the University of Texas in Austin. I was a double major: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, another degree in Economics, and I took my Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, also known as—”
“… FINRA.”
“Yeah.” He smiled. “Then I got my Master’s in Business Administration. I took that, the Series 7 and Series 63 exams and passed with flyin’ colors. I also had an internship with Goldman Sachs, and that’s where I built my career from the ground up. I make an amazin’ salary, I own and live in a beautiful loft penthouse downtown. I’ve worked damn hard to get to where I am. I earned it.” He looked down at the now empty glass, then locked eyes with her. “I’m not a perfect man but I try to do right by people who do right by me, Genesis. I’m greedy, and a little possessive of my shit… like my cars and what not, but I don’t mind sharin’ with people that I love, and they love me back. In fact, I insist on sharin’. I’m sharin’ this stuff with you, this information about my past, things I don’t particularly enjoy discussing, because I want this to start off right between us.”
“Honesty is the best policy.”
“Yeah. I don’t want you findin’ out something through the grapevine. I want you to get it straight from the source. I really like you, Genesis. You’re special. I know every guy says that to a girl he wants to smash, but I’m being for real. Of course your brother is protective of you… Tony knows how special you are, too.” She hung her head, and her cheeks burned with heat. “So, that’s why I’m doing something that’s not easy for me to do right now. I’m showin’ you my ugly side. I’m not going to hide it from you. If I really want to get to you know like I claim I do, and take this somewhere, then I have to be candid. I just came to the realization that I don’t… I don’t trust easily. Especially when it comes to love.