Fourteen

Solomon exits the bathroom in a fresh pair of pants and shirt none the wiser to what Maddy and Archer have just finished doing. Archer is sitting on the sofa with a cigarette perched between his lips and Maddy is hunched over her laptop typing away. He looks at Archer, who greets him with a nod and a smile that seems just a little bit too smug for his own good.

"Right, Solomon," he says as he expels a thick column of smoke from his mouth.

"Hello Mister Archer."

Maddy turns around. "Solomon, are you hungry?"

He shakes his head courteously.

"I have to go out in a few minutes anyways, I was thinking of bringing home sandwiches from the bistro around the corner." She turns in her stool and rests her hands in her lap. "You'll be hungry in an hour or so, won't you?"

"Yes, Miss Bowen."

"Where are you going, huh?" Archer barks.

"I have to drop off my film rolls to be developed."

"When are you going?"

"As soon as I finish typing this up."

"You're not going on your own."

Archer stands from the sofa and tosses the remote to the television towards Solomon, who reacts quickly and catches it. Solomon goes to sit on the sofa while Archer walks to the back of the apartment to stand over Maddy. He takes in a sharp inhale of nicotine.

"You're not going on your own," he repeats.

"I've gone plenty of times before."

"Well today, you won't be going on your own, a'right?"

"If you want a tour of the city, just ask."

Archer shakes his head. "I could care less for this city, huh."

"So?"

He narrows his eyes before raising his brows.

"What, do you want to come with me so you can buy me a new bra?"

He cracks a half smile. He shakes his head.

"Go watch TV with Solomon. You can come with me if you want, I won't stop you."

He turns and walks back to the sofa and Maddy turns her attention back to her notebook. She makes quick work of finishing typing and she saves the document before closing her laptop. Archer hears the sound and looks over his shoulder at her. She rises from her seat and picks her book up, turning a few pages before shutting it and putting it down over her laptop.

"Are you going now?"

Solomon looks at Archer. "Going where?"

"I'm going to bring in my film rolls to be developed," she answers, approaching the sofa. "Would you like to come?"

Solomon shakes his head. "No thank you, I would prefer to stay here."

"Right, good man," Archer tells him.

"Archer," Maddy sighs. "Did you tell him to say no if I asked?"

"No, Miss Bowen," Solomon assures her. "I do not want to go. It is clear Mister Archer would like to go with you alone."

"Don't you want to see the city today, Solomon? It's so beautiful out!"

"Another time," he tells her.

She nods. "All right, if you're going to stay in, then make yourself at home. There are snacks in the kitchen if you get hungry, but I'll bring home something for lunch. If the phone rings, answer it, because it's most likely news about your family."

Solomon smiles appreciatively. Archer stands and walks around to the back of the couch to stand behind Maddy as Solomon expresses his gratitude towards her. Maddy is modest in accepting his thanks. When she turns around to get her bag from the corner of her apartment, she's met with Archer's hungry blue eyes. He scans the face of the journalist he ravished earlier and grins.

"What?" Maddy asks, pushing past him.

She plucks her bag up off the floor and goes to the door. She presses the button of the elevator as she puts her shoes on. Archer follows. He shoves his feet into his boots and stands beside her.

"Nothing."

"Were you just looking?" Maddy asks. Her gaze is straight forward.

He nods.

"Just looking to look, right?"

"That's right, Miss Bowen."

Maddy can hear the grin in his voice and she sees red. The elevator doors part and the two step in. Maddy tells Solomon they'll be back soon as the doors close. She turns to Archer, who's focus is on his boots now.

"I want to make one thing clear, Archer," she says.

Archer cocks his brow. "Ja, go on."

"I'm not your own personal piece of meat."

"Woah, Miss Bowen," he looks up at her and chuckles. Her face is serious. "What are you talking about, huh?"

"Don't treat me like I'm stupid, Archer, I know that look on your face, I've seen it on the faces of many men before."

"Have you had many lovers before me, Miss Bowen?"

"That's none of your concern, Archer."

"What look then, huh?"

"That self-satisfied look on your face," she responds, shaking her head. "I don't like it. You're acting like you own me. Before I couldn't get you to lighten up and now you're eyeballing me like you own my body."

"Huh," he scoffs. "Maddy."

He wraps his fingers around her bicep but she's quick to pull her arm away. She's an intensely independent person and she feels that Archer's face full of self-congratulation when he looks at her is a threat to that independence. Maddy doesn't like to feel threatened. She's beginning to think that surrendering herself to him and giving into that morning's surge of desire was a mistake. She doesn't know how Archer works. What if he took that moment of pleasure as the beginning of an ownership? Maddy has no idea, and not having an idea scared her. Sex in America wasn't a resignation of autonomy to a lover, but maybe Archer interpreted it as such. He liked having control as much as she did.

She tucks a loose tuft of hair behind her ear and steps out of the elevator first. Archer's face is phlegmatic as he follows one pace behind her. Whatever remnants of that morning's euphoria he had in his bloodstream have disappeared completely and he feels like his usual grim self again.

"I wasn't looking at you like I owned you, huh," he growls, lowering his head to speak at a level just loud enough for Maddy to hear.

"Yes you were, Archer, I saw it in your face."

"Can you see what I'm thinking from my face?"

"I'm a photographer, it's my jo—"

"You said you were a journalist," he grabs her bicep hard.

They stop walking in the middle of the sidewalk and they interrupt the flow of people behind them. New Yorkers mumble under their breath as they circle around to continue walking. Maddy goes to pull her arm free, but Archer's grip is solid.

"First you tell me to lighten up, huh, to let you in," Archer hisses at her.

Maddy opens her mouth to interrupt him before he continues. "You didn't let me in, you cut my bra off and fucked me against my bookshelf," she spits. "You haven't let me in at all."

Archer's eyes narrow. "I can't fucking believe this," he snarls. "Get down from your high horse, Miss Bowen, and open your goddamn eyes. I saw that you wanted it. We both wanted it."

"It was a mistake," she snaps.

Archer releases her arm. He bites down on his bottom lip and Maddy sees blood forming around his white teeth. He throws his hand up to the side of his head dismissively and shakes his head with a sharp click of his tongue.

"Go develop your fucking film on your own, huh, I can't be bothered with you."