((Apologies for the pronoun mixups in the original version. Lesson learned to take more time going over my own work.))
*
"Here's to freedom!" Jack shouted as he toasted his friends. The group of guys laughed and hoisted their glasses. "Freedom!" They tilted their heads back and downed a generous portion of their beer. Wade leaned over and slapped Jack on the back once the glasses were settled.
"I bet it feels good to be rid of that bitch once and for all, huh?" Jack nodded in agreement and eased back in his chair.
"Nothing could feel better, my man. Nothing could feel better." said Jack. Earlier that week, Jack had finally given his crazy girlfriend the boot. With any luck, from here on out, the name Angela would be a distant memory. They'd been together for about six months, and it had started off well. She did everything to make sure he was taken care of, from cooking for him, to keeping the house clean, and fulfilling all his needs in bed. The bedroom was her specialty. Full pouty lips that made you think immediately of fellatio. Cascades of raven hair that always seemed to frame her face just perfectly. And her curves, well, she gave new meaning to the term "dangerous curves". She had perfect DD breasts that seemed to completely defy gravity, an ass that popped out of any outfit she wore and gave her a perfect bubble-butt, and a cunt that would make a grown man fall down in worship. She was a sexual dream, like a porn fantasy come to life. Jack couldn't believe his luck when they'd started dating. She seemed too good to be true.
Probably because she was. As the weeks turned to months, he noticed that she had a domineering streak in her. She wanted to know where he was at all times. She demanded he stay home instead of going out with his friends (Without affording him the same courtesy) and she'd maneuvered her way into every aspect of his life. She'd begun breaking into his email and social networking accounts, and deleted any female friends that she felt might be a threat. Once, they'd met an ex-girlfriend of Jack's at the mall, and after giving him the third degree, she had apparently taken her phone number out of Jack's contact list and left several violent and malicious messages on the poor girls answering machine. And they hadn't even been dating long enough to move in together. Jack was able to read the writing on the wall, and he quickly called an end to it. Told her they were moving too fast, said he needed some time to get his head together. Angela didn't seem to buy it though. She received the news in an eerie silence. She just nodded, leaned forward, and said in a quiet whisper "This isn't over." and stormed out of his apartment. He'd been unnerved to say the least, but it was certainly within her character. She always had to be on top.
"Hey bro, your beers gonna get warm if you keep staring off into space!" Steve chided him with a grin. Jack realized he had zoned out while going over the postmortem of the relationship. Still, he was just glad he'd gotten out when he did. You know what they say about sticking your dick in crazy. "Next round is on me, guys! I couldn't be in a better mood!"
"That's what we like to hear! I could get used to this!" Wade said with a laugh. The group was back together, and it was just like old times again. To freedom!
-Later that night-
Jack climbed out of his taxi, used it to steady himself, and then made the somewhat perilous walk up the stairs to his apartment. He'd tried not to drink too much tonight but he'd managed to push himself past the point of tipsy. The stairs seemed to shift of their own accord as he stepped on them, and it was slow going. Eventually though, he reached his apartment on the third floor, unlocked the door, and stumbled inside. It was dark, though various LEDs and power indicators around the room cast colors splashes of light. He was a bit pleased with himself for that. Jack had a bad habit of leaving the lights on whenever he left, but apparently he'd remembered on his way out to darken the apartment. He shuffled into the kitchen and opened the fridge. The light inside bathed the small kitchen in a yellowish glow as he hunted for something to graze on. As he searched for food, e couldn't get over the feeling that something was odd. A persistent nagging in the back of his mind. Yet whenever he tried to grasp as what it may be, the fog of alcohol carried it away. Jack shrugged, figured it must not be important, probably some forgotten errand, and pulled out the fixings for a sandwich. He popped the kitchen light on and set to the task of making his midnight snack. As he was constructing his sandwich, he found himself musing about his crazy ex once more. Even though she'd started to show some distinct signs of crazy, he couldn't help thinking about her body. She had an addictive quality to her, that's for sure. When she was on top of him, smothering him with kisses, filling his nose with her intoxicating perfume
*Her fucking perfume.*
Jack realized what had been nagging at him immediately. He probably would've noticed it earlier if he'd been sober, but now that he was aware, it was unmistakable. He knew that smell. It was in the air, and he was pretty sure he wasn't imagining it. He wouldn't forget that smell. it made him think of sex every time.
He whipped around and surveyed his apartment. The only light currently on was in the kitchen, so most of the apartment was still bathed in shadow. Was she here? He moved into the living room, held his breath, and popped the light on. The last thing he needed was to get jumped by a crazy woman wielding a knife or something. To his relief, the living room was empty. Everything looked fine.
