STALEMATE [MAFIA] [MXM] ✓

24: AN EXAMPLE

Salem jumps, looking up to find a familiar brunette standing in the doorway. She's the one who hates him, ever since she found out about Atlas. She's also the one who attempted to cover up his freckles when he was going undercover. Salem doesn't even know her name, he just knows that she can't mind her business and he finds her annoying.

Salem stands up, forgetting to exit out of anything, and steps away from the desk. He's not used to getting caught—he's not used to breaking rules in the first place.

"That's crazy," Salem says, trying to figure out what the hell to say. He's not very good at coming up with excuses on the spot. If given time to think, however, he's excellent at it. This is why he's always been more of the planning type, rather than going into things blind. "I got permission to be in here."

"Really?" She replies, not believing him. She raises an eyebrow at him, crossing her arms. The door is ajar behind her. Salem really should've locked it. "Why?"

"None of your business," Salem says. He thinks that, if he actually had gotten permission to be here, that's probably what he'd say. She really does need to learn to mind her business. Or at least only be nosy when it benefits Salem, like Donovan does. She still doesn't believe a thing he's saying, so he bluffs. "Ask him."

Ah shit, Salem probably shouldn't have said that. Well, too late now.

"I will ask him." She says simply, examining him up and down, expression one of distaste. She seriously thinks she's so much better than Salem, and it's obvious in everything about her. Her mannerisms, her body language, just down to the way she talks to him. He knows why that is, too.

Why did Jordan just have to fucking tell them?

"Cool." Salem says, though he's internally freaking out. Then again, she was probably going to mention it to Jordan either way. Is there any way he could've kept her from doing that? The only thing he can think of would be to get her to trust him somehow. Salem isn't good at being put on the spot, which is why his next words are even stupider than everything else he's said. "We could definitely be friends."

She can't even contain her confusion, scrunching up her face. "Friends?"

Salem nods, humming. He decides to just run with this, since he's already dug himself a hole this deep. It's not like there's much more harm he could do. "Best friends. You know, if you weren't such a bitch."

"I'm not a bitch," she argues, looking offended and a bit confused. Salem gives her a doubtful look, because she definitely is. Well, at least to him. This girl has hated him ever since she learned who his ex was.

"You kind of are," Salem disagrees, surprised at how cordial this conversation still is. He just called her a bitch, and she doesn't even seem to care that much. She's mostly just perplexed. It's kind of funny. "To me, anyway."

"That's because I don't like you."

Salem knows the answer, but he still asks, "why?"

She frowns, clearly not having expected to be confronted with this conversation today. Salem will take what he can get. Anything to distract her.

"Because I don't trust you." She says, though she's starting to look kind of unsure.

Salem has to keep himself from finding comedy in the situation when he asks for specification once again. "Why?"

"Nobody does," she defends, starting to look a little frustrated. "You were in a relationship with Atlas Di Angelo. I didn't even know he had feelings. No one here will ever trust you."

Yeah, Salem really doesn't think he's going to be getting out of this. He appears to just be confusing this girl more than anything. Then again, confused is far more preferable to mad.