The Love Laws (34 page)

He
shrugged. “I don’t. Just curious. Also, what about Jamie?”

“What
about her?”

“Well,
if you take down that YouTube video, I could be persuaded to mention your reality
show to Duncan. I doubt very much he’ll hand over his check book to you, but I
will tell him about it.” He’d been planning on giving Duncan a heads up anyway.

She
paused, still watching him carefully. “I thought she wasn’t interested in you.
Why would you care if people found out what a bitch she is? In fact, if she
rejected you as you said then you should be thrilled about that video.”

He
threw his hands up in exasperation. “Jesus. Have you always been so vindictive?
Just because she isn’t into me doesn’t necessarily mean I want revenge on her.
She’s a nice lady who’s sacrificed everything to get her store off the ground.
She doesn’t deserve to be publicly embarrassed like that. So, do the right
thing for once and take it down, ok?”

“No.”

“No?
Why not?”

“Because
you obviously have feelings for her.”

“So?”

“You
really have no idea, do you?”

“Enlighten
me.”

She
glared at him. “Kevin. I’ve been throwing myself at you since I came back. How
do you think it made me feel when I saw those pictures of another woman in your
room?”

Feel? “Kerry. You said you didn’t care.
I’ll always be Mr. Right Now. Remember?” He’d suspected that Kerry’s attack on
Jamie had been motivated by jealousy but he’d also believed her when she’d
claimed otherwise. It had never occurred to him that Kerry had been actually hurt
by his interest in Jamie.

“I
lied. Unlike you I’m pretty good at it. Now. I’ve got to get out of here. Will
you be here when I get back?” She said the words like a challenge but there was
just a hint of hope in her dark eyes.

Kevin
shook his head. “I’m sorry. Ker. I have an AA Meeting to get to. Dylan is
waiting for me.”

All
warmth left her expression and she shook her head in pity. “It just figures
that you’d finally get sober for a woman who doesn’t even want you,” she said
in disgust as she snatched up her purse and stormed towards the door. “I hope
that cow breaks your heart. I really do. I can’t think of anyone who deserves a
good ego crushing more.” She shot these words over her shoulder as she exited
the room in a flourish of dark hair. The resounding slam of the door echoed
behind her.

Kevin
sat down on the bed, completely stunned by her revelation.

Was
Kerry even capable of caring about another person or was this just another
manipulation? He didn’t know the answer to that question. He sincerely hoped
she was. As a teenager she’d been wild and fun. The ultimate party girl - she’d
been up for anything. Clearly something had happened to her along the road to
adulthood and she’d turned into this cold, scheming seductress. As much as he
disliked the woman she’d become there was a part of him that would always
remember the girl he’d known and even cared about at one time.

Oddly
enough, she’d actually done him a small favor. She’d somehow managed to
reassure him that he wasn’t prone to violence as he’d come to believe. Dylan
had tried to convince him that the nightmares were just signs of stress rather
than premonitions or insights into his character. Kevin had pretty much ignored
his younger brother’s suggestion because obviously Dylan cared about him. He’d
say anything to make him feel better. Kerry, on the other hand, had no such
agenda.

Kevin
still had doubts and fears regarding the nightmares but Duncan’s ex had inadvertently
shown him that he was capable of controlling his darker tendencies. When he’d
been standing at her door he’d been out of control. That video of Jamie,
obviously manipulated by Kerry, had driven him into a fit of rage. Yet when
he’d confronted Kerry about it he hadn’t had the slightest inclination to hurt
her. Even with her arms trapped behind her back, completely at his mercy, he
hadn’t been tempted to do her any harm.

Perhaps
the nightmares weren’t a sign that he was on the brink of violence but some
kind of outlet for all the darkness he’d been exposed to over the years
instead. He hated to admit it but it was possible that Dylan had been right all
along. For the first time in a long time Kevin entertained the possibility that
he wasn’t predestined to become a monster. Maybe he was just a guy with an
active imagination and a serious case of psychopath overexposure.

Or
maybe he was fooling himself.

Love Law #7 –
Rebuttal: In Defence of the Man-Whore

By Kevin Hall

Cinnamon Spice,
the author of
The
Love Laws
, makes several good points. The most important of which is that
yes, there are bad men out there who will tell blatant lies to get women into
bed. Yes, they will prey on the romantic nature of the fairer sex and concoct a
viable commitment-friendly scenario to convince them that casual sex isn’t
really casual when the connection is so undeniable. Some of these losers will
be sly and hint at a bright future together while thinking about how quickly
they can sneak out of your bedroom the next morning without leaving any DNA
evidence. Others are more overt in their deception and will make false
promises, swear their undying devotion and basically say anything to get what
they want. These creatures are the true man-whores and should definitely be
avoided if you are looking for something real and lasting.

Where Miss Spice
goes wrong, however, is on four points:

(1)
  
She assumes
quite wrongly that women are totally innocent in this deception. This is
insulting to her genre. Yes, I’m sure that there are a few naïve victims out
there who have been hurt by the machinations of the evil man-whores, but for
the most part I believe that today’s modern women are not so easily fooled. If
they allow themselves to be deceived they may be looking for an excuse to fall
into bed with someone they hardly know simply because they want to get laid. Most
true man-whores are fairly obvious. (For instance, if he doesn`t give you his
phone number or last name then he`s not looking for a relationship. Also, if he
makes indefinite statements like ‘we should get together sometime next week’ or
‘let me check my calendar’ when you suggest future plans then odds are he falls
into the deceptive category of man-whoredom. Guys who are looking for a real
connection will do anything, and I do mean anything, to spend more time with
you.)

(2)
  
The ugly truth
is that women have needs just like every organism on the planet. Sometimes they
are willing to be seduced to fulfill that biological imperative. (Or maybe
they’re just curious about the prowess of the man-whore as opposed to lesser
men as Miss Spice suggests). Afterward when both parties have been used,
hopefully to their mutual satisfaction, only the woman has the option of
blaming the ‘convenient man-whore’ for taking advantage of her. She gets what
she wants without feeling like a slut and the man-whore becomes the scape-goat.
This is a testament to female empowerment rather than their victimization.

(3)
  
Another
injustice that has been perpetuated by Miss Spice is that all men who are
successful with women make false promises or tell lies. This is simply untrue.
Some men who are perceived as man-whores actually go out of their way to state
that they are not looking for a relationship to last longer than their current erection.
And yet they still get lumped together with the true man-whores. In this case,
the ‘apparent man-whore’ is the actual victim and deserves our sympathy, not
this self-righteous condemnation. The fact is that some women think they can
reform the man-whore before he is ready with just the power of their own
self-delusion. These types of females honestly believe that sex with them is
always the beginning of a real relationship even if the man-whore’s position
has been clearly stated. The obtuse female in this scenario will agree to the
casual preamble and then proceed to ignore it if it suits her purposes. Whether
she’s using her body as relationship bait or her ego simply can’t accept that
she is so resistible, either way she is forcing herself on her chosen man-whore.
When the man resists this trap he is once again the scape-goat who has used and
discarded the poor, helpless female. Even if he was clear and direct in his
motivations, he is somehow transformed into a villain. Now does this seem the
like the action of a predator? Or a victim?

(4)
  
Perhaps the most
significant error Miss Spice makes in her man-whore persecution is her belief
that they cannot be reformed. I know for a fact that she is wrong in this
assumption. It’s inexplicable but sometimes when a perceived man-whore meets
his perfect match then a transformation actually does occur. He may never become
an actual prince but some of his warts do disappear. Gross metaphor? Yes. But
it’s true. A reformed man-whore is very capable of being in a loving,
monogamous, committed, long-term relationship with the right princess in truly
Happily Ever After fashion. Especially if he’s been kissed by a lot of
princesses (not to mention a few witches) and is finally ready for something
real. He is not a lost cause as Miss Spice suggests and should not be
overlooked strictly because of his past. Especially if his chosen princess
rejects him at every turn, calls him names, abandons him and then ignores him
for eleven days, six hours and forty-three minutes (at the time of this
writing) and yet she remains the only woman he thinks about. The only woman he
wants. The only one who makes giving up other woman effortless because they
just don’t compare.

So, perhaps Miss
Spice should examine the facts before she discounts all man-whores and
recklessly casts them aside based on an unfounded theory. I am prepared to
volunteer my services and help with some in-depth research if she is willing to
put her prejudices aside and get to the bottom of this grievous injustice.
Perhaps over a candlelit dinner? Readers, please Comment if you think Miss
Spice should accept my challenge. Results of our research shall be posted here
in further editions of The Love Laws
.

“That
cocky bastard,” Jamie muttered to herself as she slapped her lap top closed.

It
was after closing at Hidden Treasures and Theresa had left for the evening.
Unable to help herself, Jamie had been eager to check the
Vancouver Star
website to see if Jeff had pulled her article yet. He hadn’t. Instead Kevin’s
contribution had been featured prominently with a great big picture of the
author himself, looking beyond hot in jeans, a plaid shirt and that maddeningly
boyish smile.

She’d
stared at the picture in shock for a few moments and then commenced with
reading the article. By the second point she’d been frothing at the mouth with
outrage. How could he get away with writing such chauvinistic crap? Women using
men as scapegoats to fulfil their own needs? What a complete crock of shit. She
couldn’t believe what she’d just read.

Then
she reached the fourth point and her rage had turned into something soft and
sappy. Mr. Kevin Hall had just announced to the world that he was reformed. For
her. Not Kerry. Her. Despite the way she’d treated him and the outrageous
lengths she’d gone through to avoid him. None of that seemed to matter to him.

Unfortunately
he’d made his declaration in a web article which pretty much ridiculed Love Law
#7 and made a complete fool of her. She didn’t know if she wanted to kick him
in the knee-cap him or kiss him until they were both breathless.

Either
way she needed to see him immediately. She’d decide on her course of action
when she saw his gorgeous face. She decided right then to go to his hotel and
confront him. Her disinterested pretense had gone on long enough. She wanted
him. She couldn’t deny it anymore. Once she blasted him for attacking her in
that article she would tell him how she really felt and maybe, just maybe, they
might just have a future together. Provided Kerry was completely out of the
picture.

She
began hurriedly packing up for the night. She was fixing her wild hair in the
mirror beside the dressing room when her cell phone rang, startling her from
her primping.

Jamie
rushed across the room, hoping to catch the phone before it went to voicemail.
Grabbing her purse from under the counter she fished out her cell phone and listened
as her real estate agent, Pam, rattled off several questions in quick
succession. Apparently she had a motivated buyer for the Martin’s house.

Jamie’s
heart sank. She really didn’t want to think about this right now. As much as
she needed to sell the house a big part of her had been hoping some great
miracle would intervene and save her from having to take such drastic measures.
For all the bad memories that existed there it was still her childhood home and
letting it go seemed like severing an important link with her past.

The
reality of her situation demanded that she be practical. If the buyer had some specific
questions that just couldn’t wait then she would honor her responsibilities and
meet Pam at the White Rock house immediately.