First You Fall

Toni’s P.O.V.

I’ve started to really like waking up in a pair of strong and tattooed arms. I smiled at Zacky’s sleeping face before rolling over to look at the clock.

Fuck 4:23. I’ve got to cut the whole afternoon sex thing out of my schedule.

“I have to go home.” I whispered in Zacky’s ear, tapping his shoulder lightly.

Zacky just yawned and wrapped his arms tighter around my small frame, rolling us over. I sighed and gave his shoulder a light push.

“I really have to go Zacky.”

“No you don’t.” He replied, burying his face in the crook of my neck and placing light kisses there.

Now if I really had the choice I would have stayed right there in his arms with the highly possible chance at amazing sex later and then maybe hanging out with the guys. But I needed to get back to my apartment and take care of some things. Like making sure the place was still fucking standing, hunting down my landlord about the plumbing that needed fixing and sifting through all the bills that were probably stacking up in my mailbox. Not to mention I needed to get ready for work that night. As much as I enjoyed spending so much time at Zack’s it was really starting to mess with my schedule.

“Sadly, I really do.” I climbed out of Zacky’s arm and took this as a sign that he was finally giving in because if really wanted to he could hold me hostage in that bed for as long as he liked.

“Why?” He asked standing up and stretching. I paused, momentarily distracted by his boxer clad body.

Zacky smirked at me before repeating his question.

“I just have stuff to take care of.” I replied as I grabbed my clothes and started getting dressed.

“Have someone else take care of it and you stay here.” He said, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind.

“It doesn’t really work that way.” I laughed and scooted out of his arms. “I need to talk to my landlord and get all my mail and I have to work tonight.”

“Fine.” Zacky sighed dramatically. “But you’ll regret leaving just for all that boring shit.”

“Probably.” I laughed as I pulled my shoes on.

“Let me get dressed and I’ll give you a ride.”

“I’ll be downstairs.” I replied as I left the room and bounded down the stairs.

“Woah hey Toni.” Brian said as I avoided a near collision with him on the stairs.

“Hi Brian. Do you know if Val’s around?” I asked.

“Well she’s supposed to be around here at some point tonight anyways. You might find her somewhere down here.” He gestured towards the lounge.

“Thanks.” I said moving past him and towards the lounge.

“Val” I started to yell as I walked into the lounge but I stopped short, seeing a bunch of unfamiliar faces in the room.

“Hey, Toni.” Val said, jumping up from the couch and walking over to me.

“What’s all of this?” I asked. Looking around the room, I noticed the men staring at me and whispering to each other.

“Oh it’s nothing. We’ve got a meeting-type deal at five. Where are you heading?”

“Just back to my place.” I said distractedly.

I was still watching the guys watching me. “That’s the new girl.” I heard one of the guys whisper. I turned to say something to him but suddenly they had quieted down and were staring behind me. Moments later I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and pull me back against a toned body.

“I’ll be back soon. Brian will start it off.” I heard Zacky say in a domineering tone I didn’t hear him use all that often. All the guys in the room just stood silently and nodded.

“Ready?” Zacky whispered in my ear and I just nodded.
------------------------------------------------

“I’ll see you later tonight.” Zacky said as he pulled up in front of my apartment building and leaned over to give me a kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and moved closer to him. When I felt Zacky’s fingers slide under my shirt I pulled back from the kiss.

“Don’t you have a meeting to get back to?” I smiled, opening my car door.

Zacky smirked and tapped my ass as I climbed out of the car.

I walked into the building and headed straight for my landlord’s apartment. I know stereotypical landlords are either a fat ugly, old and balding man or a cranky, odd smelling, old woman but mine was neither. Dawson was in his early twenties like me and wasn’t too bad looking. He seemed more like a high class pimp than the type of guy that runs a crapass apartment building. Either way he was still a fucking ass and had that landlord/pimp sleazy aura.

When there was no response to me ringing the doorbell, I started banging on the door. After a minute of banging and the occasional kick, the door finally swung open.

“What the fuck Toni?” Dawson said, blowing smoke from his cigarette in my face.

“I need to talk to you.”

“So you try to take my fucking door down.” He said, eyeing his door as if he expected to find some huge dent in it.

“The plumbing in my bathroom isn’t working.” I said, crossing my arms. “And if you had answered all my messages I wouldn’t be here banging your door down.”

“Correction. If your ass was ever around you would have gotten my message saying your plumbing is not my problem.”

“What do you mean it’s not your problem? You run this shabby ass place.” I said, waving my arms around.

“And I will keep running it. But your plumbing is still your problem. Looks to me like you’re fucked.” Dawson said sneering at me.

“It’s your building so it’s your fucking problem.” I said frustrated.

“No. It would be my problem with any other tenant but you. You’ve skipped out on a couple of month’s rent. You should be glad I haven’t taken your ass to court. So anything that breaks in your place, consider it your problem. We’ll call it your way of paying me all that rent you owe me. But here” Dawson grinned and handed me a small piece of paper “they’ll fix your plumbing for 250. That’s probably as cheap as you’re going to get around here. Good luck with that. And don’t forget this month’s rent.” Dawson finished and slammed his door in my face.

I looked down at the paper and gave a frustrated groan.

Where the fuck am I going to get 250$ to spare?

I looked at my watch and realized that I should probably be getting ready for work. I ran up the stairs and into my apartment. After a quick shower, I was dressed and making my way out of my apartment. I reached the club an hour later and checked in with Rory before getting behind the bar. While serving drink after drink, I managed to take my mind off of my small money problem.

At around 9:30 I spotted Zacky and the guys strolling into the club. I smiled and moved to the other end of the bar. Moments later, Johnny had fought his way through the crowd and was standing in front of me.

“Hey you.” I smiled.

“Hey.” Johnny replied before placing his order. “By the way, swing by in a bit. Zacky wants to see you. It’s not like you two just saw each other a couple of hours ago or anything.” He laughed.

“Oh haha.” I replied, sliding him the tray with the guys’ drinks on it. “Actually can you send Val over here? I want to talk to her.”

“No prob.” Johnny grabbed the tray and walked off to the back.

A couple of minutes later I looked up from mixing a drink to find Val sitting at the bar.

“Johnny said you wanted to talk to me. What’s up?”

“I’m having a slight problem and I need a favor.” I said, standing in front of her and pretending to wipe the bar down.

“Sure what is it?” Val asked.

“I need to borrow 250 dollars to get my plumbing fixed. But I get paid in a couple of days and I can get it back to you then. I promise.” I spoke really fast.

“Toni relax. Of course I’ll give you the money. And you don’t need to pay me back.”

“I want to though. I moved out of my dad’s place to go make it on my own. Not to go living off of other people’s money.” I said, placing a beer in front of Val.

“Well if you don’t mind me asking, why didn’t you just get the money from Zacky? He would have given it to you without a second thought.”

“I know and that’s the problem. I told you already, I don’t want to take money from Zacky. Especially since I know he won’t let me pay him back.”

“You do realize you wouldn’t be having this problem if you just listened to my suggestion right?” Val said, taking a sip from her beer.

“And what suggestion was that.” I asked confused.

“You should just move in with Zacky.”

“Not this again.” I sighed.

“What, it’s true! You spend all your time there anyway. Your apartment is falling apartment. You’re having trouble making the rent and fixing all the shit in that place. You hate the people in that building anyway. The neighborhood is a constant death threat. The bills are stacking up and heaven only knows how you’ve survived this long without cable and managed to keep your electricity going.”

“Actually my electricity company just called. My electricity is next to go.” I sighed, running a hand through my head.

“Exactly!”

“But this next paycheck should take care of that.” I said.

“Or you could just listen to my ass. Ask Zacky to move in. It would settle all your problems and you two would get to spend more time together. Where are the flaws in my plan? Where?” Val said, making dramatic hand gestures.

“It’s just not that simple. If he wanted me there he’d ask. And if I asked it’d seem like I’m doing it only to escape from where I am now. I don’t want to seem like I’m using him, Val. I was surviving before him and I will keep making ends meet now that I have him.”

“Well at least consider it.” Val sighed.

“Yeah maybe.” I looked towards the back of the club and could barely make out Zacky laughing and messing around with the guys.

Maybe.