Living in Sin - Lucero Isabel

Copyright © 2013 Isabel Lucero Editing: Cynthia Boudreaux Cover Design: Robin Harper from Wicked by Design Formatting by: Angela McLaurin from Fictional Formats

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the above author of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication and use of these trademarks are not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. If you have obtained a copy of this book without purchasing it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please delete the file and purchase a copy legally. This novel is for your enjoyment only and may not be resold or given to other people. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Epilogue Letter to Readers Acknowledgments About The Author

I walk into the dimly lit restaurant and take a seat at the end of the bar, looking around the room to see if anybody catches my eye. Before I can look around the whole place I see the bartender heading my way. “Hey, man. What can I get for ya?” he asks. “I’ll take a Vodka and Tonic.” “Comin’ right up,” he says while reaching for the alcohol. “You’re awfully dressed up. Got a hot date?” I know I stand out in here because everybody else is dressed very casually, and I have a black three-piece suit on, but that’s alright. “I will soon enough,” I respond, and he smiles, shaking his head. I’m sure he thinks I’m being a cocky bastard, but it’s the truth. He puts my drink in front of me and I slide a twenty towards him, telling him to keep the change. He nods and walks away. I continue to let my eyes wander around the room when I see a lady sitting several seats down from me. She’s a pretty, light skinned black woman. She has

curly hair that falls a little past her shoulders and she’s wearing a tight blue dress. When I get up from where I’m sitting and take my drink to a bar stool that’s two spaces from hers, she never takes her eyes off of me. I angle my body towards her, and notice she’s smiling at me with the straw from her drink in her mouth, giving me an obvious inspection. I raise an eyebrow at her and give her a small smile. She seems to be embarrassed, because she ducks her head, turns in her seat, and reaches for her phone. While she’s texting, I keep taking small glances at her, and I can see her eyes move in my direction without her moving her head. She’s trying to play hard to get, but I’m better at that game than she is. The bartender walks over to us, but before he can say anything, I speak up. “Another Vodka Tonic please,” I say, and then look at the woman sitting to my right. She looks up at me briefly, anticipating that I’ll buy her a drink, I’m sure. “Will you also send a couple of drinks to the two women sitting back there, please?” I say with a gesture towards the ladies sitting at a corner table. I spotted them almost as soon as I walked in. One is a blonde with her boobs pushed up and almost out of her red Vneck shirt; the other is a brunette who is wearing a white, lacey dress. The bartender gives me a funny look, and the lady at the bar looks back at the two women I was talking about. I smirk and down the rest of the drink that’s in front of me. I decide not to look in her direction again for a while.

After a few minutes, I hear her order a couple of shots from the bartender. Something called a lemon drop, I think. When the bartender places them in front of her she takes them both and walks over to me. I don’t bother to turn in her direction, but when she puts one of the shots directly in front of me, I can’t help but take a glance. It’s then that I notice she has on some sky high heels that make her legs look amazing. With her standing up, I can see every curve of her body. “Will you take a shot with me?” she asks. I stand up, taking the shot glass into my hand. We’re only inches apart and even though she has those high ass heels on, I still tower over her. I guess that’s gonna happen when you’re 6’4. “Are we toasting to anything?” I ask. She bites her lip and looks down briefly. When she looks back up at me she has a killer smile plastered on her face. “How about to nights we’ll never forget?” she says. I smile at her and nod. “Okay then.” We take the shot and then put the glasses back onto the bar. I wait to see if she’s going to say anything else, but she doesn’t. I tilt my head, and then glance at the two women I sent drinks to. They’re both staring at me and giggling. I look back at the lady in the blue dress in front of me, and notice she’s looking at the two women as well. When she looks back at me, she still doesn’t say anything. “Well, time to get my night started, I guess,” I say. I step around her; looking at the two women in the back, and with a jerk of my head, let them know to come with me. They hurry out of the booth and head in

my direction, giggling the whole way. When they reach me, I turn back towards the lady in the blue dress. “You comin’?” I wait a few seconds before walking away, and don’t bother to turn around. I make my way out of the small restaurant that’s on the first floor of a hotel, and towards the elevators that will take me to a room upstairs that’s already been reserved for tonight. The elevator dings and the doors open. I walk in and it’s then that I turn around for the first time since leaving the restaurant. I see three beautiful women. Leaning forward, I hit the button for the thirteenth floor while looking at all of them. I lean back against the wall in the elevator, putting my hands in my pockets, and crossing one foot over the other. I study all of them while they stare back at me. The blonde whispers something to the other two, and they all nod and smile. “Ladies, I don’t think it’s nice to whisper about me. I may have to punish you for that.” The blonde lets out a small moan and shifts her body, Blue Dress bites down on her lip, and the brunette’s face turns red. The elevator reaches the thirteenth floor, and I allow the ladies to get out first. They stand in the middle of the hall, waiting for me to lead them to the room. Luckily, it’s not too far from the elevator. I slide the key into the slot, push the door open, and gesture for the women to go in. I’m sure to check out each of their bodies as they pass. I sure did get lucky tonight. Once we’re all inside, the girls all sit on the bed, and I make my way to the small bar in the room. “Would you ladies care for a drink?” I ask.

“No thank you, we’ve had enough,” the blonde says while playing with her hair. I pour myself a shot and throw it back real quick. I excuse myself to the bathroom just to give them time to talk, because I’m sure they’re going to want to discuss a few things. While I’m in the bathroom I hear them whispering and laughing. I give them another minute before I head back into the room. As soon as I get near the bed, the blonde stands up and saunters towards me. She unbuttons the one button on my jacket, and the top three buttons of my white shirt that’s underneath. She notices the tattoo that’s on my chest and starts tracing it with her fingers. When she’s done doing that she finishes unbuttoning my shirt before sliding both the jacket and shirt off, and lets them drop to the floor. With my shirt off I’m sure I look strikingly different than the man in a suit. I have a tattoo that stretches across my chest and down part of my left arm. I also have one down my ribs, and if she were to turn me around, she’d see black wings that spread across my shoulder blades. After the three women stare at me for a minute, the blond puts her fingers in the waistband of my pants, and pulls me towards the bed with a devilish smile on her face. The other two seem a little shyer than their friend, so I figure I’ll need to make them feel comfortable. I give the blonde a small kiss on the side of her mouth before turning my attention to the other two. As I get closer to them, they scoot further back onto the bed which works perfect for me. I climb onto the bed and give the brunette my attention first. I crawl slowly over

to her, never letting my eyes leave hers. She’s looking at me like she’s afraid I’m about to pounce and have her for dinner, and she’d be right. Once I’m close enough, I place my right hand on her leg and run it up the outside of her thigh and under her dress until I reach her hip. I pull her down a little bit, which causes her to fall flat on her back. She’s got her legs slightly spread apart, and her black high heels planted on the mattress. I make my way through her legs until my face is above her own. My hand moves the hair that covers the side of her neck, and I bury my face there and inhale her sweet scent. While I’m there, I slowly let my tongue graze her soft skin. She takes a deep breath and angles her neck to give me better access. I run my tongue up her neck until I reach her ear, and then give her a little nibble on her earlobe. It’s then that she lets out a moan. “You’re so sexy,” I whisper in her ear. Women love to be complimented, and since I know she’s feeling shy, I figure it can help her open up a little more, and feel more confident. I pull away and look at her; she smiles while her cheeks flush. When I push myself up and am on my knees between her legs, I feel hands running up my back, to my shoulders. I turn my head and see blond hair falling over my shoulder, grazing my chest. She puts her face by my neck and starts doing her own licking and sucking. While she’s doing that, I run my hand up the dress of the brunette until I reach her panties. I let my fingers caress her through the thin material, feeling her wetness already. I start rubbing on her clit and she

throws her head back, arches her back, and grabs onto the covers. The blonde moves her arms down to my belt and starts undoing it, fumbling with the button on my pants. I reach down with my free hand to help her out. Getting up from the bed, I take off my shoes and pull my pants off. I look over at the lady in the blue dress and see that’s she just watching all of this like it’s her own live porno show. “Hey, beautiful. Do you wanna help me with something?” I ask her. She looks around at the other girls first and then back at me. “Okay,” she says meekly. Once she’s standing in front of me, I grab her ass and pull her body to mine. I make sure she’s close enough to feel my dick pressing against her stomach. When she looks at me with wide eyes, I give her a smile. “I think my friend needs help getting out,” I say to her. She smiles and looks down. For a minute I don’t think she’s going to do anything. Finally, her hand rubs up and down my hard cock that’s still trapped inside my boxer briefs. “This friend?” she asks playfully. I smile at her again, happy that she’s coming around. “Yeah, he wants to have some fun.” She looks back at the other girls before dropping to her knees in front of me. The other two begin to walk towards us. As I’m watching them make their way closer, I feel the tug of my underwear coming down, and her warm mouth around the tip of my dick. She swirls her tongue around it and grips the shaft with one of her hands. My hand instantly goes towards the back

of her head, willing her to take me all the way into her mouth. A lot of women can’t take me fully, so I don’t expect her to, but a man can dream. The blonde walks up and licks my lips before thrusting her tongue into my mouth. With one hand on the back of the head of the girl on her knees, my other hand goes around the back of the neck of the blonde. After kissing her for another minute, she pulls away and walks towards the brunette. I’m now watching my dick go in and out of the mouth of a beautiful woman. Her full lips are wrapped around me and she’s able to take most of my length to the back of her throat. She pulls my cock out of her mouth and licks around my head before she bares her teeth, and grazes them across the sensitive skin. I throw my head back and let out a hissing noise. I hear her giggle a little bit and then feel her wrap both hands around my shaft and begin stroking me. I look for the other two girls and notice that they’ve made their way to the bed, and are mostly undressed, playing with each other. God, I love my life. I coax the girl up from her knees and give her a kiss on the mouth before guiding her to the bed. I watch the blonde straddle the brunette and take her nipple in her mouth. The brunette bites down on her lip and closes her eyes. I make my way to her other nipple and suck it into my mouth. I hear her gasp and her head flies up off the bed, her eyes watching my mouth. I gently bite down on the hardened bud, and she lets out a moan that makes my cock jump. The blonde situates herself next to the brunette and watches me. I feel the bed dip behind me, and know that the other woman has made her way to the party.

“Hey, Sweetheart. How about you come up here?” I ask her with a smile. She’s completely naked and crawls up to me. I swiftly pick her up and place her above the brunette’s pillows, making sure her legs are straddling her friend’s face. She lets out a squeal at first, but then when she realizes what I’ve done, she gives me a smile. “Why don’t you be nice to your friend here,” I say to the brunette. She doesn’t say anything, only scoots up a little more and then I see her tongue slowly make its way to the bare pussy that’s sitting above her. The brunette licks her slowly, starting from her entrance, ending at her clit and then back down. Blue Dress, as she’s now named, lets out a moan and that seems to get the brunette all riled up. She pulls down on her friend’s thighs, bringing her pussy closer to her mouth. She sucks and licks on, in, and around that beautiful pussy and clit, and I can’t wait to bury myself deep inside of it. I get myself to stop watching and pull the brunette’s panties off. I can see her wetness glistening around her entrance. I instantly rub my fingers through her juices before thrusting them inside, causing her to moan louder. I suck on her sensitive clit before lifting my head and making eye contact with the blonde. She’s rubbing her own clit while she watches. I crook my finger at her, motioning her to come over, and she happily makes her way to me. I drop my hand to her pussy, and push two fingers in through her wet folds. After eliciting a few moans from her, I remove my fingers, grab her by her waist and position her on top of her brunette friend. I guide her face to the bare pussy

that’s being licked and she joins in. Getting up, I make my way back to my pants to grab some condoms, and then take my position behind the blonde’s ass and the brunette’s pussy. They are grinding their pussies together, and the sight of the three beautiful women together makes my cock swell some more. I guide the condom on and begin rubbing it along the blonde’s pussy. She moans with appreciation, and starts pushing her ass into me. I place my hand on her lower back, pushing her up a little so I can position myself at her entrance. Teasing her, I put the head in and slowly pull out. She groans in frustration. I can’t deny myself any longer, and in one quick thrust, I am buried deep in her warm, tight pussy. She yells out in surprise. I don’t move, giving her time to adjust to the size. Slowly she begins to grind on my dick, so I pull out slightly and push into her again. She’s no longer licking her friend’s pussy, unable to concentrate on anything else. I grab her hips and slam my cock deep inside of her, over and over. She’s moaning, grunting, and gripping the covers. I move my hands down and caress her ass before spanking her right cheek. She lets out a surprised yelp before saying, “Oh God, yes!” Deciding it’s time to show somebody else some attention, I pull out of her and slide into the brunette. She had no idea that she was about to be filled with a thick, nine inch dick. “Oh fuck!” she yells out, slightly muffled since her friend’s pussy is still in her face. I can’t help but grin. I maintain my hard thrusts into her sweet pussy. My movements are making the

blonde’s ass jiggle in front of me, and I can’t help but spank her again. “Ooh yeah!” she squeals. I gently move her off of her friend and lie her down on her back. While still fucking the brunette, I slip my fingers inside the blond and find her G-spot. “Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Yes. That’s it. Oh God.” She continues her rambling as I continue my assault on her friend’s pussy. Unfortunately, I have to pull my fingers from the blonde so I can grab the brunette’s legs and rest them on my forearms. The girl riding her face moves away and focuses her attention on the blond. “Yeah, baby. Lick her pussy, and make her come in your mouth,” I say to her. I got the blond close, so I’m sure it won’t take much to push her over the edge. She moans a response, and quickly puts her face in between her friend’s legs. I focus my attention on the brunette again, and lift her ass up slightly to give me a good angle at hitting her Gspot. With her legs up and resting on my arms, and me pushing them up close to her shoulders, I can get in deep. She starts moaning and mumbling words I can’t understand. I look over and see the other two girls are perfectly happy playing together. I keep fucking the brunette, and feel her bite down on my shoulder while her nails run across my shoulders. She’s getting close. I drop one of her legs and use my free hand to rub her clit while I still hit her G- spot.

“Oh shit. Yes. Yes. Right there. Don’t stop. Oh my gosh.” It’s only seconds later when she comes all over my dick. I slow my pace and drop her other leg, letting her stretch out a little bit. I pull out almost completely and then slide back in, causing her to twitch. Once I remove myself from her completely, I crawl over her body and put my lips next to her ear. “You felt so good, baby. I loved having my cock inside of that sweet little pussy.” She finally opens her eyes and bites down on her lip. I pull that condom off and put another one on, and make my way to the other two girls. They are now doing what’s known as ‘scissoring’ in the lesbian world. The blonde is lying down on her back and Blue Dress is holding her left leg in the air while she sits in between her legs sideways. They are rubbing their pussies together in search of release. I know I should go help them, but fuck this is hot. I lean over the blonde, and suck her nipple into my mouth while squeezing the other one. I push my fingers down onto the blonde’s clit and begin rubbing circles while the other girl still grinds her pussy. The blonde begins tensing up and I know she’s about to get the release she’s been looking for. “Oooh shiiit,” she screams out, and suddenly I see liquid flying everywhere. She’s a squirter. I don’t stop rubbing her clit until I know she’s done coming. Her juices coat her thighs, as well as her friend’s. She relaxes her whole body, looking like she’s about to fall asleep, instead she gets up and goes to the bathroom. I have no doubt it’s to clean up.

I grab the brunette’s leg and drag her down to the bottom of the bed where Blue Dress and I are. I position her with her legs spread apart away from us and she’s looking up at me, upside down. I situate Blue Dress over her, on her hands and knees, that way the brunette can play with her pussy while I pound her from behind. The two girls are in the sixty-nine position, and are moving their tongues through each other’s wet folds. Continuing to push my dick deep inside of the girl’s luscious pussy, I have my hands on her lower back, and move my hand further down to allow my thumb to rest lightly on the small opening of her ass. I pause, waiting to see what her reaction will be. In some way she’ll let me know if she’s okay with it or not. She tenses up for a minute, and then ever so slowly, pushes her ass back, letting me know to continue. I put a finger in my mouth, getting it lubricated and place it back onto the tight spot. I poke and prod slowly, so she can warm up to the feeling. I inch my finger inside and have stopped thrusting into her pussy. Her friend is still eating her pussy when I notice the blonde has walked back into the room. I hear her moan in excitement as she moves over to the bed, jumping in between the brunette’s legs, and starts fingering her pussy. I wait for a second, and Blue Dress pushes her ass back, trying to get my finger to go in deeper. I give her what she wants and push it in. “Mmm, oh God,” she moans out. I twirl my finger around in her ass and get back to driving my cock into her pussy. She lets out a string of cuss words, but I can tell it’s all in pleasure.

Peeking over, I see the blonde is about to make the brunette come again. She’s got her lips around her clit and has two fingers moving in and out of her pussy. Thrusting my finger in and out of the girl’s ass, I start feeling her tense up. I fuck her harder and faster while she yells out in bliss, and before I know it, her pussy muscles are clenching my cock, and her ass has my finger on lock down. “I’m coming!” she yells, like I couldn’t tell. I give her a few seconds and slowly extract my finger from her ass and pull my dick out. She collapses on her side right next to her friend who’s starting to tense up herself. I let the blonde continue to suck and lick on her clit while I move her fingers out of the way and use two of my fingers, that weren’t in the ass of her friend, to go deeper inside of her, searching for that sweet G-spot. I curve them up slightly, and she comes almost instantly. “Aahh yessss,” she exclaims. Before I can get my fingers released from her pulsating pussy, the blonde has come over and pulled my condom off and starts sucking me off. She grips my balls in one hand and strokes me with the other. She smacks the tip of her tongue with the head of my dick and then takes me into her mouth. After a few more strokes, I pull out of her mouth, grab my dick, and stroke until I release my load all over her tits. She brings her hand up and smears it all over her chest, looking at me with hooded eyes. We all collapse on the bed, but I don’t allow myself to lie there for too long. I get up and gather my clothes

so I can get dressed in the bathroom. I grab a washcloth to clean up, wash my hands, and luckily don’t have to fix my hair, since I keep it short. After putting my clothes back on, I head back into the room. The girls are sprawled all over the bed, legs tangled; hair messed up, makeup smeared. My work here is done. “Ladies,” I say to them, “tonight is definitely a night I’ll never forget.” I glance at Blue Dress and she smiles. “Maybe I’ll see you again sometime.” “Wait,” the blonde says, “I think I want to know your name.” “It’s Jay.” “Your real name?” she asks. I give her my best smile. “It’s Jay,” I say with a wink. She scoffs but winks back at me. “Have a good night, Jay.” “Oh, I will. Thank you, ladies.” They all smile and giggle as I let myself out. As soon as I enter the elevator I feel the vibration of my phone in my pants. I reach in, look at it and see Nico’s name across the screen. “What’s up?” I answer. “Hey, man. Are you free?” he yells into the phone. I hear a lot of voices in the background and the unmistakable sound of club music. “Yeah. I’m leaving Planet Hollywood now.” “Cool. Meet us at The Horse. We got a new one,” he replies before hanging up. Great. I exit the hotel and hope that I don’t have to wait

long before a cab drives by. It’s only a few minutes later when a cab pulls up to drop somebody off. I walk closer, hoping to get in before anybody else does. When the door opens, I see a black high heel hit the ground and as my eyes wander up, I see sheer black pantyhose on the leg that is hanging out of the car. I continue watching as a tall, beautiful woman gets out. Her hair is in a sleek bun on top of her head and she’s wearing a black knee length skirt and white top. I see her struggling to get a suitcase out of the backseat. “Let me help you with that,” I say as I pull the suitcase free. She barely looks up because she’s too busy digging in her purse for some money. I take the time to admire her even more since I’m closer. Her lips are full, the bottom one a little more plump than the top. Her eyes are a striking green, gray color, and she has flawless skin which doesn’t require a lot of makeup. She’s wearing light colored lipstick and mascara. I realize that I’m staring at her so I place the luggage on the sidewalk and step back. “Thank you,” she says as she reaches for the handle of her suitcase, still not looking at me. Obviously she’s in a rush. She turns to walk into the hotel I just left and I can’t help but notice the way her hips sway and how that skirt accentuates her ass. Goddamn! I slide into the backseat of the cab she just exited. “The Horse, please.” The cabbie nods his head and takes off. I close my eyes and ready myself for a long night.

“Hey, man. We’re here,” the cabbie says as we pull up in front of the Grecian style club. I open my eyes and grab for my wallet. Pulling some money out, I try to stifle a yawn. “Long night?” he asks. “You have no idea.” I hand him the money and get out. Walking through the entrance, lined with white pillars, I make it inside and see half naked women walking around and dancing on stage. I’m instantly approached. “Hey there, sexy. Wanna go get a drink?” a redhead with small tits asks. I know that what she really means is do I want to go buy her several drinks so she can have time to convince me to get lap dances and private rooms. I don’t think so. “Not right now, beautiful. I’m looking for some friends,” I say, hoping to appease her. “Okay, but I’m going to come looking for you later,” she says, running a finger from my chin down to my

chest. I only smile and walk away. It doesn’t take me long to find the guys since they’re surrounding a dancer, throwing money at her and being loud as fuck. She’s upside down on a pole with her legs spread apart, doing some spinny shit. “Hey! Look at this pretty mother fucker here,” Troy says as I walk up. “Damn, I know they want you dressed appropriately, but a suit? You’re making us all look bad,” Nico says with a laugh. I give my best model pose while stroking my chin. “Hey, don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful,” I say jokingly to Troy. He’s always giving me shit because of my blue eyes and what he calls ‘girly’ eyelashes, just because they’re long. Troy is dark skinned, and even though I’m partially black, I got a lot of traits from my mom. I got her blue eyes, eyelashes, and fair skin. I got my dad’s full lips and height. “Shit, you know I ain’t hatin’ on you. Girls think I look like Tyson Beckford,” he says, putting his hands in his pockets and looking off to the side, striking his own pose. We all start laughing. “Man, whatever. Y’all ain’t got this Ricky Martin look goin’ on, so it don’t matter,” Nico chimes in. “Yo. Ricky is gay, man. What you tryin’ to say?” Troy says with his eyebrows raised. “What? I didn’t mean that. Bitches still think he’s fine, and I know I’m fine,” Nico replies, running his hand through his hair. “Okay, girls. You’re all beautiful. Now come sit

down,” Marc says with a laugh from a table nearby. “Now, tell me. What’s up with the suit?” I take a seat at the small table with Nico, Troy, Marc and a guy I don’t recognize. “It was for a client. Well, three clients.” “Three clients!” Troy barks. “What the fuck did you do with three clients?” “Whoever set up the appointment wanted a mysterious businessman who picked her and her friends up for a night of fun. So that’s what I did,” I say with a shrug. “Wait, you know we gotta have more details than that,” Nico says. “I was given a description of what they’d be wearing so I knew who to pick up. We did the flirtatious thing before going up to the hotel room. They didn’t want me to know their names so we never mentioned them. For them, it was just about being able to meet someone in a bar, have the best sex of their life, and then go on about normal everyday stuff.” I end it with a sly grin. “Psh. Best sex of their lives. You cocky mother fucker,” Troy mutters. “Anyway, that’s why the suit.” “Sounds better than my night,” Marc says. “Oh yeah? What did you have going on?” I ask. The other guys start laughing so I know they must already know the story. “Well, let’s just say the woman I was with had a… fetish.” “Ah come on, what kind of fetish? Foot fetish? Latex fetish?”

“Ugh, I wish it was one of those. She has a sploshing fetish.” “What the fuck is sploshing?” I ask. “She likes to have food and stuff smeared on her, then eaten off.” “That’s not too bad, right? I mean, whipped cream and chocolate syrup ain’t bad to lick off a nice, naked body.” “Too bad she wanted fuckin’ baked beans and ketchup rubbed all over her! That shit is nasty.” Me and the rest of the guys all start laughing while Marc just shakes his head in disgust. “Don’t forget the best part, bro. Tell him the rest,” Nico says. “Alright,” he sighs. “She brought out this chocolate cake and I was just glad it was something sweet. Well, she puts it down on a folding chair that she had already had set up and…” he trails off, not wanting to relive whatever he’s about to say. Nico doesn’t let him forget because he quickly pipes in. “She fuckin’ sat on it, and grinded all over it!” he howls, banging his hand on the table in a fit of laughter. “She had chocolate all in her ass and shit. It probably looked like shit, huh Marc?” he laughs. Marc leans over and smacks him in the head. “Fuck off, Nico.” He rubs the back of his head, still laughing. “Aww. I’m sorry, bro. You still feelin’ all shitty about it?” He howls in laughter again, but gets up and moves away from Marc. Nico is the youngest one out of all of us at twentytwo, but he acts like he’s eighteen sometimes. He’s like

a younger brother to all of us. Marc is the oldest at thirty-four, Troy is thirty, but will lie about his age like a woman would. He likes to say he’s twenty-seven, which is how old I am. There’s more guys at the agency, but we’re the ones who hang out together the most. “So, who’s this?” I ask, gesturing towards the quiet, new guy at the table. “Ah, this is Kade. Kade, this is Jace,” Marc says, gesturing between the two of us. The kid looks nervous. I don’t know how old he is, but he looks really young. I decide to see how nervous I can make him. New guy initiation type stuff. “How old are you?” I ask. “Twenty-two.” “Are you virgin? You look like a virgin.” The guys laugh while I try to keep a straight face. “No, I’m not a virgin,” he says, his face getting red. “So you’re not scared of pussy?” I ask while he takes a sip of his drink. He spits some of his drink back into his cup, obviously not expecting that question. He looks at Marc for help, but Marc knows I’m only fuckin’ with him, so he just shakes his head and grabs his drink. “Uh, no. I’m not scared of it.” “It? What the fuck is it? You can’t say pussy? How you gonna fuck a pussy if you can’t say the word ‘pussy?’” I ask. He’s making this easy. “Yo, maybe he’s like Ricky,” Troy says. “You know, maybe he’s just doin’ this for the money, but ain’t really feelin’ the females. Maybe we need to take him to a different kind of club. I ain’t seen him look at

not one set of boobs in this place.” The new guy’s face goes bright red and he clearly doesn’t know how to respond. He probably thinks we’re all a bunch of assholes, not realizing this happens to all the new guys. A waitress walks by our table and Troy gets her attention. “Excuse me, Miss?” he says, showing off his white-ass teeth while giving her the biggest, fakest smile on Earth. “We seem to have a problem.” “Oh no, what’s wrong?” she asks. “Well, you see. This young man over here doesn’t seem to be interested in any of the females in this club,” he says, pointing right at Kade. “I mean, the rest of us think you all are gorgeous, but we like women.” The waitress looks back at Kade and gives him a comforting smile. “The guy at the bar is gay,” she says with a shrug of her shoulders. It’s then that Kade finally speaks up. “I’m not gay! I love women, and boobs, and pussy!” he says, looking directly at me. I shrug in response. The waitress walks away, and we all look at each other and laugh. “We’re just fuckin’ with you, man,” Troy says. Marc pats him on the back and Kade seems to relax a little. We sit around and tell the new guy our craziest stories and experiences. I don’t think he realizes what he got himself into. We all work for an escort agency, and as the law goes, we are not contracted for sex, but it does happen. A lot. The particular agency we work for has a pretty regular client list, and even though they aren’t supposed

to, they do ask for them to get tested regularly if they are going to be requesting sex. When we’re told that we’ve been booked, we’ll know if it’s for companion only services, or if it’s likely we’ll be having sex. The women who book the appointments tend to get excited, and will let it be known what they’re looking for. Of course the agency tells them they are not contracting us for sex, only for our time. Sometimes it’s only for a date or for them to have someone to talk to. There have been times when it will be a rich old lady looking for some arm candy to take somewhere important. Either way, we are always sure to be safe. I’ve met with several people for dates, and the woman will let me know that she wants to book me again and she’ll also let me know in explicit detail what she wants to happen next time. If she isn’t a regular, we’re sure to get certain tests done before the next date. The men at the agency are checked for STD’s very regularly, so the clients never have to worry. If requested, the results of such tests will be made available. Everything about the agency is very hush hush. “So, she’s crawling around on the floor, meowing like a cat, and wants me to pet her. It’s fucking ridiculous,” Nico says, describing one of his dates to Kade. “Did she purr when you fucked her?” Kade asks. “Nah. We didn’t even fuck. She just wanted to be treated like a cat. People are weird, man. I don’t care though. I got paid for it.” “Are any of you in a serious relationship?” Kade asks.

Nico busts out laughing. “Are you kidding? What girl is gonna be okay with you fucking all kinds of people all the time?” Troy gets up from the table. “I gotta go take a piss.” “You gotta girlfriend?” I ask Kade. “Not really. Just a girl I’ve been talking to for a while. We aren’t exclusive or anything.” “What does that mean? Talking to?” Marc asks. “She’s just a friend. We flirt and we’ve fucked a couple times before, but we’ve never had the relationship conversation.” “You gonna tell her about your new job?” I ask him. “Eventually.” I laugh. “Okay, let me know how that goes.” “So you don’t have a girl?” he asks me. “Nah. No girl for me.” “What about Troy?” “He has a fucked up story. He was engaged and caught her fucking some guy in his bed. Only it wasn’t just any guy. It was his cousin. He’s sworn off all relationships and is happy with his job.” “Damn, that is fucked up,” Kade says, shaking his head. “Yeah. Just don’t bring it up around him. As much as he acts like he’s over her, he’s not.” Troy walks up with a tray of shots and we stop talking. “Come on, fellas. Let’s get to drinking.” We all grab a shot glass filled with clear liquid and raise them up for a toast. “Here’s to the people we fuck, here’s to the people who fuck us, if the people we fuck are fucking with us, fuck them and here’s to us!” Nico says.

“Here, here,” we all agree and knock it back. The liquid burns my throat on the way down. The music rumbles throughout the club and we all sit back and watch the ladies do their thing. Well, some of us sit back. Nico and Kade are standing at one of the stages, telling the stripper to do different things. Not that she’s listening. Marc leans over towards me. “I think I’m gonna head out.” I pull the sleeve of my suit up and look at my watch. Two-thirty. “Yeah, I’m gonna leave, too. Wanna ride together?” I ask him. “Yeah, let’s go.” We stand up and say bye to the guys. On our way to the door, the redhead from earlier stops right in front of us. “You’re not leaving are you?” she asks, looking me up and down and then at Marc. “Who’s your friend here?” “Yeah, I’m leaving. Sorry,” I say, not sounding sincere at all. These girls try to take you for all you’re worth. I refuse to pay just to have some titties in my face when I get paid to do a lot more than to watch some chick wiggle her body in front of me. She tries pouting before turning her attention to Marc. “What about you? You can stay for a while, can’t you?” Marc makes me look bad when he turns on his charm. He shoots her a smile and runs his hand down her arm, grabbing her hand. “I’m sorry, sweetie. My friend and I have to get going. I’ll be back and I promise to find you. Okay?”

The girl pretty much melts into a puddle in front of him. “Oh. Okay,” she says. “You take care now,” Marc says, giving her a wink. “Yeah. You too.” We walk outside and wait for a cab. “How’s your mom?” Marc asks me. “She’s doin’ alright, I think,” I answer. “So what are your plans for this weekend?” I ask. “Not much. I only have one client this weekend, but she’s booked both Saturday and Sunday.” “More sploshing fun?” I ask with a laugh. “Oh God no! Not the same woman. I don’t know if I could do that again.” “Oh you would. You get paid to,” I laugh. A cab arrives and we both climb in. “So, three chicks huh?” he asks me with a smile on his face. I laugh. “Yeah. Doesn’t happen too often.” “I’ve never had three at once,” he says. “I ain’t gonna lie. It’s almost stressful. Two is easy, but three is work. If I had three arms maybe, but fuck. I got one hand in a girl’s pussy, and my dick in another girl’s mouth, what am I supposed to do with the other chick?” Marc laughs. “I don’t know, man. Not a bad night’s work though.” “True.” “So, you ever think about settling down?” he asks. “Sometimes, but like Nico said, what girl is gonna want to be with any of us, knowing what we do for a living? Not any that I know of.” Marc just sighs. He seems to be getting more and

more worried about this settling down thing. I assume it’s because he’s in his mid-thirties. The cab pulls up to my condo, so I pull out some money and toss it on the seat. “See ya later, man,” I say to Marc as I get out. “Yeah. Take it easy.” The cab pulls away and I walk towards the lobby of my building. I live in a five hundred foot skyscraper, and am lucky enough to live in a penthouse suite on the top floor. “Mr. Jamison, how are you sir?” the concierge asks me as I walk by. “I’m fine, John. How are you?” “Same ole thing, sir. Wife’s bothering me about taking her to some show,” he says with a roll of his eyes. John’s probably in his forties and always complaining about something his wife is making him do. “Gotta keep the lady happy, John. You know that,” I laugh. “You got that right. Happy wife, happy life. You have a good night, Mr. Jamison.” “You too, John, and you know you can call me Jace.” “Will do.” I make my way past him and into the elevator that will take me to my suite. When I finally get up into my place, I strip off all my clothes and take a hot shower. As soon as I get out, I flop onto the bed, and I’m sure I’m asleep before my head hits the pillow.

Walking through the door of my apartment, I use my foot to close the door while holding three shopping bags in each hand. I go to my room and gently lay them all on the bed. I walk into the kitchen; grab a bottle of water and gulp almost the whole bottle down in one drink. It’s fucking hot outside. Going back to the bedroom, I kick my shoes off, sit on the bed and start going through all the bags. Inside of them are decorative wedding pieces. I have to put together a few different ideas for Mrs. Roberts, because she just can’t make up her mind on what she wants for her daughter’s reception tables. Why the daughter doesn’t get a say, I don’t know. Actually, I do. Mrs. Roberts is a woman who gets everything she wants. I feel bad for her daughter. The poor girl probably has had no say in her own wedding. I gather a glass dish and put some turquoise and clear jewels in it with a few candles of different sizes. Another piece is something that looks like a giant wine glass. Inside of it will be a bouquet of flowers. I pick

up a few tall glasses and throw some flowers inside and fill them with water, a floating candle will sit perfectly at the top. The last one is a small bowl with several small floating candles and flower petals in the water. I hope she will finally make up her mind after seeing them in person. Apparently, photos in an album aren’t good enough. I pick up my phone to give her a call. “Yes?” the haughty voice on the other end answers. “Hello, Mrs. Roberts. It’s Adrienne. I have those centerpieces put together for you.” “Oh, yes dear. Thank you. I can stop by in about fifteen minutes to take a look. See you then.” She hangs up the phone before I can respond. Luckily, fifteen minutes works for me. Not that I have a choice apparently. I carry each piece into my dining room and place them on the table. After straightening up my living room a little bit, I hear a light knock on the door. Swinging the door open, I see Mrs. Roberts there holding several bags herself. “Goodness, it’s hotter than Hades out there,” she says, walking past me. I let out a small laugh. “Yes, ma’am it is. That’s May in Vegas for ya.” She makes herself at home, and puts her bags down on my couch, looking over my things, like she always does when she comes over. “Oh, what’s this?” she asks, picking up a birthday card that’s sitting on my coffee table. “A birthday card my dad gave me.” “Oh. Well happy birthday, dear. You didn’t tell me.”

“Thank you. It was yesterday.” “Did you do anything special?” she asks as she walks over to a large mirror that’s on the wall in the dining room. She attempts to fix her hair that the wind has blown slightly out of order and checks her lipstick. “Just had dinner with my dad.” “No boyfriend, then?” she asks as she turns towards me with a sad smile. It’s almost like she’s saying “you poor, lonely thing.” “No. No boyfriend. I’m too busy with work.” “Of course you are, dear.” I walk over towards the centerpieces, hoping to get her to choose one and leave, but of course, I’m not that lucky. “How old are you? I might have somebody I could set you up with.” “Oh that’s not necessary. I’m not looking for anybody,” I say. She’d probably try to set me up with an old geezer. No thank you. “He isn’t as old as me, if that’s what you’re worried about,” she says with a small smile. “I know some young hotties, too.” I laugh out loud. “You’re not old, Mrs. Roberts,” I say, knowing that will please her. “You’re a doll. I pay a lot of money to not look old,” she laughs. Mrs. Roberts is probably in her late fifties or early sixties. I’d never ask. She does look really good though. She’s in good shape and keeps her blonde hair short. She obviously gets Botox injections, because she barely has any wrinkles. I’m also pretty sure she’s had a boob job, because those babies are always on display.

“Anyway, I’ll leave you alone about the boyfriend thing. I just think that a young lady as beautiful as you are deserves to have a little fun, too. All work and no play isn’t the way to live.” “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be sure to get out and play a little,” I say with a smile. “Okay. Now where are those centerpieces?” After hanging out at my house for half an hour, Mrs. Roberts finally picked a centerpiece. Thank goodness. As soon as I got her out the door, I couldn’t help but think about how little fun I actually have. I’m always working. An event coordinator’s job is never done. I’m either planning weddings, company parties, grand openings, or some other fancy shmancy thing some rich people are wanting done without actually doing it themselves. I love my job though. I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. I call my best friend, and see if we can plan a night out. I could go for a drink or three. “Emilie speaking,” my friend answers. “What? Who answers the phone like that?” I laugh. “I don’t know. I’ve been trying out new ways to answer the phone.” “Okay. What else you got?” I ask. “You’ve reached Emilie,” she says in her upbeat voice. “Next.” “This is Emilie,” she says like she’s just been transferred a call from her secretary. “I got one for you,” I say. “What is it?” “Hello.”

“Oh shush. I’m trying to be different. What do you want?” “I’m just messin’ with ya. Answer the phone however you want. Weirdo. I was just calling to see if you wanted to go out.” “Wait. Hold the phone! Adrienne wants to go out? What is going on?” she squeals. “Come on. It’s not that strange. We’ve been out together before.” “Uh, yeah! Like, five years ago!” “Oh please, you exaggerator. Do you wanna go or not? I have other friends you know,” I tease. “Psh. No you don’t. Your assistant doesn’t count. I’m down to go out. Where do you wanna go?” “I don’t know. Just come over later and we’ll get ready here and figure it out.” “Okay, I’ll text you when I’m on my way.” “Sounds good. See ya lata!” “Emilie, out.” I laugh and hang up. She’s crazy.

Several hours later I have a knock on my door. “Hurry up. I gotta pee!” Em’s voice screams on the other side. I run to the door and open it up. Emilie rushes past me, straight to the bathroom, dropping a backpack on the floor. I grab it and put on the couch and wait for her to

come back out. “Whew! I thought I was gonna pee on myself there for a minute.” “Why didn’t you go before you left your house?” I ask. “I did! I have the bladder of a child, or an old person.” “So do you have any ideas on where we should go tonight? I have no idea what to wear.” “Where aren’t we going is a better question. You haven’t asked to go out in I don’t know how long and I am taking advantage! I can’t even believe you asked where to go. We live in Las frikken Vegas!” She starts shaking her head in disbelief and pulls out some clothes from her backpack. “Geez. Calm down, crazy. So club clothes, I take it?” “Yes, Adrienne. We’re going to a few clubs, so be ready.” She pulls out a little black dress and a gold one. “Which one do you want to wear?” “I have my own clothes, Em.” “I know you do, but not a lot of club type clothes. So pick one,” she says as she holds out the two dresses. “Does this one have slits all down the side?” I ask, grabbing the black one. “Yes! Isn’t it sexy?” she says, pulling it back. “I guess I’ll let you have it. I’ll take the gold one.” “Great! Let’s do our faces and hair,” she says as she takes off towards my room. I drop the gold slinky dress on the bed then go to the bathroom where Em is already plugging in her

straightening iron. “Are you going to straighten your hair tonight?” Em asks. “Nah. It will take too long. Do you see this craziness?” “Your hair is beautiful! I’m jealous. I wish I had those curls. I have this plain, stringy hair.” “Whatever. I’d kill to wake up to straight hair every morning where all you gotta do is brush it.” “Well, thank your parents for the curls!” she says. My dad is a black and Cherokee mix and my mom is a German and French mix. I have long, soft, uncontrollable curls. I love it sometimes, other times I just have it pulled up. When I take the time to straighten it, it’s nice and silky looking, but that takes a long time, so it’s a rarity. Emilie combs through her shoulder length, dirty blonde hair and parts it on the side. She has her bangs side swept, and places a headband on. She only straightens her bangs out and she’s done. Ugh. Jealous. “Maybe, I’ll just put my hair up or something,” I say. “What? No! Let them curls loose, girl. I love them. Where’s that calm down spray?” I laugh. “Calm down spray?” “Yeah. You know. That stuff that you put in your hair that keeps it from getting frizzy, but holds curls.” “Oh. That calm down spray. I’ll get it. It’s not a spray though, it’s more of a cream.” “Whatever. Just put that in there and leave it down. It’ll look great with that dress.” I do what she says, mostly because I don’t feel like putting it up. I grab the dress and start changing.

“Oh no. No! I can’t wear this.” Emilie pops out of the bathroom, trying her hardest to feign innocence. “What’s wrong?” “You know what’s wrong. My boobs are gonna pop out of this thing!” “No they won’t. I have double sided tape,” she says as she starts walking towards her backpack. “Em, you’re pushing it with the length of this thing. It’s right under my ass and I won’t be able to bend over even a little without giving somebody a show. Now I have to worry about leaning over and having a tit pop out. Nope. Not doing it.” She crosses her arms over her chest and twists her mouth at me. “Stop being such an old lady. You’re only twenty-four and you better wear dresses like that while you can. You have great boobs and the next time you go out, you’ll probably be fifty, and your boobs will be to your waist.” I walk to the full length mirror and try to adjust myself as much as I can. It’s a sexy dress, no question. The gold looks good against my caramel skin tone, and because it’s a mini, it shows off my legs, which even I’ll admit I’m proud of. The drape sleeves are a nice touch, but it’s got a slit in the front that drops down to my belly button almost. With double sided tape I can make sure I have no nip slips and can keep most of my boobs covered. My stomach will be slightly exposed, but nothing too bad. “I guess I’ll wear it.” “Yes! I knew you’d change your mind when you saw yourself. You look hot! Maybe I should have picked that dress.”

“You’ll look good in the black one. Go put it on so we can go and I’ll tape myself up.” She rushes to the bathroom to change, and I cover the girls up and hope that I have no accidents tonight. With a quick mascara touch up and some nude colored gloss to go over my lips, I’m ready for whatever tonight brings. Em comes out of the bathroom, looking damn good in her black little dress that exposes pieces of tan skin on the right side of her body. “We gonna be turnin’ heads tonight!” she says excitedly. I laugh. “Let’s hope we don’t break any necks.” We link arms and head out.

I only live a couple blocks from The Strip so it doesn’t take us long to get to where we’re going. Apparently we’re going to Ghostbar first. The cab drops us off in front of the The Palms and we hop out. I cringe at the long line outside of the club. “Great. We should have come earlier.” “Chill out. I got this,” Em says as she walks right up to the front of the line. “What are you doing?” I whisper yell at her. “These people in line are gonna kill us.” “No they won’t. We have VIP passes,” she says as she pulls out a couple of tickets from her purse. “How’d you get those?” I ask.

“I got connections.” We slip right in and instantly make our way to the Sky-Deck. We’re on the fifty-fifth floor of the hotel, and the view is amazing. We get a couple of drinks and walk to the Ghost-Deck, which is even more awesome. It’s basically a glass area that allows you to see straight down to The Strip. “I definitely don’t take advantage of living here,” I say. “I know you don’t. Crazy woman.” After walking around for a little while, we luck out and find a couple of seats two guys just vacated. We sit down and sip our drinks while we people watch. “So, what’s been going on with you? Work keeping you too busy to talk to your best friend?” Em asks. “Yes actually. I’m planning some rich lady’s daughter’s wedding. The mom is very particular. I’ve been running around finding things for her and making sure the location is going to be set up the way she wants it. I can’t wait till this girl gets married. This has been stressful.” “I couldn’t deal with rich people telling me what to do, unless it was Mr. Grey,” she says with a wink. “Yeah you could if they paid you well enough,” I say with a laugh. “Maybe you’re right.” “They aren’t all rich people either, but I do seem to work with the Richie Rich’s a lot. Anyway, no work talk. Yuck.” “Okay, gotcha. So guess who I saw the other day?” she asks with wide eyes. “Oh God. Who?”

“Liam!” “Ugh.” I scrunch my face in disgust. “Oh come one. Don’t you want the scoop?” “Not really, but I know you’re gonna tell me.” “Yep! So I was about to close up the coffee shop, and he walks in, trying to look cool and shit, with his stupid sun glasses and scarf. Who wears a scarf when it’s a hundred degrees? Anyway, he sees me and tries giving me his ‘I’m-so-charming-smile’ like it would work on me. I kept cleaning and hoped Lisa would take care of him and he’d leave. Did that happen? Nooo!” She pauses for a minute so she can take a drink. “So he gets his drink and then walks over to me. I try ignoring him but he just stands there. When I finally look up, he smiles again. I asked him what he wanted and he said he just wanted to say hi and see how I was doing. Then he asked me how you were and if we were still friends and blah blah blah. I can’t believe him! I just turned around and went to the back. What a fucking bastard!” she yells. “Yeah, he’s a douche.” Emilie nods and takes another drink. Liam is my ex-boyfriend. We dated for about eight months until he decided he wanted to kiss Emilie. I guess he thought Em was going to fall for his shit, but luckily for me I have a good friend. She slapped him and told me as soon as she got in touch with me. They were both out and ran into each other at a club. His excuse was that he was drunk, but I’m not stupid, he’s just a prick. I dumped him and Emilie was nervous that I’d hate her, but I know she didn’t do anything wrong. We’ve been friends for too long for me to ever worry

about her backstabbing me. She’s like my sister. I’m just glad I didn’t waste more of my time on him. After being at the club for a couple hours, we decide to go to another club. Well, Emilie decides. She doesn’t even tell me where we’re going next, but we get in the cab, ready to continue our night. “So have you been on any dates lately?” I ask her. “Dates? What are those?” she laughs. “I know, right? What happened with that Steven guy?” “Nothing happened. He was boring and barely touched me. I felt like this sex crazed person because I was always the one trying to put the moves on him. Talk about frustrating.” “Yeah. That’s weird. Maybe he’s gay.” “I wouldn’t be surprised. I caught him watching Magic Mike one time.” We both throw our heads back in laughter. “What about you? You haven’t planned any functions for any young, hot billionaires lately that you can hook us up with?” she asks. “Ha! I wish. If I did, I’d have told you already. The only guys I’ve worked for are old or hideous.” “Boo that!” “Indeed, but I have seen this one hot guy around at some of the functions I’ve planned. I don’t know what he does, but damn is he sexy!” “Ooh! Do tell.” “Well, there isn’t much to tell. He’s super tall, which is good for me, since I’m kind of tall myself. I’m not sure what his ethnicity is, he’s mixed for sure, but I

don’t know with what. He’s always with a different girl every time I see him. Obviously a player, so that sucks.” “You haven’t talked to him?” she asks as we pull up to some other place. “No. I’m usually wandering around, making sure everything is going the way it needs to be. I don’t think he’s even noticed me. He’s always focused on the woman he’s with.” “Well, let’s look for some sexy guys in here,” she says as we walk into some smaller club that I didn’t even see a sign for. When we get to the bar, we order our drinks and try to find a place to sit. Luckily this place isn’t too packed. We find another smaller room that has a few couches and chairs with some tables. It’s much quieter in this room which is good because I’ve started getting a headache from all the bass music. There are only a few other people in this room, all well-dressed. “Look at all the Richie Riches in here,” Em whispers to me. “I know. I was just thinking that.” “Maybe I’ll find a hot billionaire to sweep me off my feet,” she says. I hear a high pitched squeal followed by a laugh come from behind me and look back to see what’s going on. I quickly turn back around. “Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.” “What?” Emilie says, looking behind us. “No,” I say, trying to grab her arm.

“What? What’s wrong with you?” “It’s the guy.” “What guy?” “The guy. The one I told you about earlier. He’s here and with a different chick.” “Oh. Let me look,” she says. “Okay. Be cool.” “Always.” She kind of glances around the room like she’s looking for a clock or something, then turns around completely. “Oh wow. He’s delicious.” “I know he is.” “Like, lick him up and down, delicious.” “I know!” “You better jump on that.” “I am not going to talk to him. He’s with some girl. He’s always with a girl. You know I don’t need any more of that shit in my life.” She looks back at him. “Em! Stop staring. You’re being obvious.” “I don’t care. He’s yummy.” “Apparently somebody else will be getting a taste tonight,” I say. “Uh-oh,” she says, still looking at him. “What?” “He’s coming over here.” I gasp. “No he’s not!” She finally turns back. Her eyes are wide and she grabs for her drink. “No. Really.” “Oh my gosh!” “Be normal.”

I grab for my drink as the most attractive man I’ve ever seen walks up and stops right in front of me.

“Excuse me, Ma’am?” I say to her as she tries her best to act like I’m not standing in front of her. As soon as I get a glimpse of those beautiful eyes and pouty lips, I know it’s her; the woman who got out of the cab the other night in front of Planet Hollywood. “Yes?” she says quietly. I don’t even know what I’m going to say. I had no plan before walking over here. I just knew I had to say something. It’s rare to see the same person twice in a city like this. Especially one you find attractive. “I’m sorry if this is strange, but I just wanted to come over and say hi.” I know that comes off as a stupid, cheesy line, but I guess it is. She doesn’t say anything. She only looks back at my date, letting me know that she knows I’m with somebody. Damn. “Adrienne! Don’t be so rude!” her friend says, smacking her on the arm. “Sorry. This is Adrienne Miller and I’m Emilie Watson. We’re best friends. Who are you?”

Wow, she’s a talker, but she’s also just made my night by giving me this information. “Hi, Emilie,” I respond, giving her my most charming smile while I extend my hand to her. “I’m Jace.” “Jace, you have beautiful eyes, do you know that?” she replies, still holding onto my hand. “Thank you.” “Adrienne, did you see his eyes? Just gorgeous,” she says, looking me up and down. I pull my hand from her slowly and extend it to Adrienne. She hesitates, but her friend nudges her so she takes it. “It’s nice to meet you, Adrienne.” She smiles politely, but looks around for my date. “Are you just going to leave your date over there all night?” she asks. “No. I just wanted to introduce myself. I hope you ladies have a good night,” I say as I retreat back to my date for the evening. Fuck. That didn’t go well at all. What the hell was she supposed to do? Give me her number or maybe invite me to sit down next to her while I’m on a date with someone else? Had I have seen her any other time, maybe I’d have had a chance. “You too, Jace!” her friend yells out at me. I get back to Laurie, my woman of the evening. “Sorry about that, beautiful. I had to go say hi to friend of mine,” I lie. Adrienne is anything but a friend right now. Luckily for me, Laurie understands. “Oh, it’s no problem,” she says in her bubbly voice. Laurie is young and innocent. She says she’s only had one boyfriend and they didn’t have sex. Now that she’s twenty-one, she feels like she’s getting to an age

where she shouldn’t be a virgin anymore. This is her first time hiring an escort, and she says she just wanted somebody she could be herself around. “So if I wanted to see you again, could I?” she asks. This is where things can get blurred. Either she’s talking about hiring me again, or she’s talking about seeing me on a more personal level. I really hope it’s the first one. I don’t date anybody who’s hired me. I don’t date period. “If you want to go out again, you know how to get in touch with me,” I say with a smile. I push my body to hers and let my left hand run from her shoulder, down her arm, and then grab her hip. I bring my head down and place a small kiss on the side of her mouth. She looks up at me, her face flushed, then slowly puts her hand on my chest and allows it to trail down to my lower stomach. Her breathing has gotten heavier and I know she’s nervous. I move my hand to push her long, black hair behind her shoulder, and caress the side of her neck. She looks up at me briefly before she wraps her arms around my waist, and rests her head on my chest. I hold her in my arms, knowing that’s all she needs right now. “You don’t have to rush anything, Laurie. It’s okay to wait for the right person,” I say to her. “I know. I’d like to see you again, though. I like talking to you,” she says into my chest. I rub her back. “Okay. I look forward to it.” She pulls away and gives me a smile and I smile in return. “You ready to go?” I ask. “Yeah, let’s go.”

We walk out and I can’t help but notice that Adrienne and her friend are gone. Laurie has her arm hooked in mine as we walk outside. “Stay right here, and I’ll go get the car,” I say to her. “I don’t want you hurting your feet in those heels.” “Thank you.” I walk around the corner and down the block a little ways until I find the lot I parked in. I normally only ride in cabs, but when I’m with a client, I drive my car. I slide into the royal blue Bentley and quickly drive back to the front of the club. Exiting the car, I round the front and open the passenger door for Laurie. Before she enters, she rises up on her tiptoes and plants a small kiss on my cheek. I smile down at her and place my hand on her back, guiding her into the car. I shut the door and turn to walk to the driver’s side. I see Adrienne and Emilie standing there, watching me. Emilie’s jaw is open as she gawks at my car. As soon as Adrienne notices me looking at her, she turns her back and starts talking to her friend. Ouch. I walk to my side of the car, slide into the cream colored leather seat and take Laurie home.

When I get back to my place, I run into John in the lobby again. He’s behind the desk going through some papers “Hey, John. Did you go see that show with your

wife?” I ask. “I did, and it was terrible. The things I do for that woman.” He shakes his head. “What was it?” “Oh who knows? Something with people flying through the air. I can’t believe I paid two hundred dollars for something like that,” he says, rubbing his hand over his thinning hair. “Did your wife enjoy it?” I ask. “Yeah. She wouldn’t stop talking about it. Hopefully she won’t ask me to go to another one for a while.” “Ah come on, John. It couldn’t have been that bad.” I lean against the table in the middle of the lobby and give him a smirk. “It was. Next time she can take somebody else. How about you take her? Then you’ll see how terrible those shows are.” “If the price is right, I will,” I say with a wink and walk towards the elevator. He laughs at me goes back to work. He has no idea that I’m an escort. When I get up to my place, I walk through the entry hallway and throw my wallet and keys into a bowl that sits on a table. Walking into the kitchen, I grab a bottle of water from the huge stainless steel refrigerator, and toss it onto the counter. Taking an apple, I toss it up in the air while I walk to my seat. I sit on the last seat at the bar, looking out the floor-to-ceiling window that takes up one wall in the kitchen. After a few minutes, my phone rings and I stand up to pull out of my pocket. “Hello?”

“Hey, what are you doing?” Marc asks on the other end. “Shit. Nothing. Just got in, sitting here looking out the window. What’s up with you?” “I thought I was bored. You’re looking out a window?” he laughs. “I know. Living the good life. What’s up?” “Nothing. I just got back from this date.” “Date?” I ask. “Well, appointment. Not an actual date. You know.” “Ah, gotcha.” “Anyway, she was talking to me about wanting to meet up again, but next time she wants another guy to come along. So I’m asking you. I definitely don’t want Nico or Kade to annoy me all night.” I run a hand over my face, and lay my face against my arm that’s propped against the glass window. “What does she want to happen on this date?” “Hell, I don’t know, man.” “Well, alright. Just let me know when and where, and I’ll be there.” “Great. Thanks, bro.” “Yeah. I’ll talk to ya later.” “Alright. Bye.” I hang up the phone and go upstairs to the level my room is on. I’ve been on ‘dates’ before with another one of the guys. Some women like to have more than one for a night, they’re usually older though. They just want some arm candy for some sort of function and want attention lavished on them. Other times, women want to actually have sex with more than one guy. I’d never choose to have a threesome where there were

two guys and not two girls, but I get paid to do otherwise, so I do it. Not that the guys ever have sex with each other. Oh, hell no, but I have no problem fucking some chick in the ass while somebody else pounds her pussy. I undress and get in the shower, ready to get to sleep. I have plans for a productive day tomorrow.

“Holy fucking balls!” Emilie screeches. “That car is fucking sexy.” I sigh. “Yeah, I wouldn’t expect anything less.” “Adrienne, he’s sex on a fucking stick. Why were you so rude? I was two seconds from climbing up that tall body of his and latching on forever.” “I know he’s sexy! You’d have to be blind to not notice that. When he said my name with that deep voice of his…” I shiver just thinking about it. “I’d let him fuck me in a second, but that’s all it would be. He’s always with a different girl. I’ve seen him with four different chicks now. He’s obviously a player. I’d never be able to be in a relationship with him.” “So don’t be! Just fuck him and then tell me how it is!” Em shrieks. “I’ve never been one to do the whole fuck buddies thing. You know that.” “Yeah, but you’ve never had the chance to be fuck buddies with someone who could be a Greek God!” Emilie closes her eyes and puts her hands together like

she’s praying. “What are you doing?” I ask with a laugh. “Praying to God and asking him to please send me another God-like creature that I can lick from head to toe.” “While you’re at it, ask him to send me one, too. But one that doesn’t fuck everybody and their mom.” “Okay,” she says with her eyes still closed. She opens them back up and looks at me. “It’s done. Now we wait.” We laugh as we climb into a cab that pulls up in front of us. “Wanna stay at my house tonight?” I ask Em. “I guess. I was planning on using my vibrator and having naughty thoughts about God-like creatures though. Are you okay with that?” “Only if you’re okay with me doing it, too,” I reply. We both look at each other and then burst out laughing. “Okay then,” she says. “Honestly, Em. I need to get laid. It’s been too long.” “Ugh. You’re telling me! I haven’t had sex in like…” she pauses, counting on her fingers, “six months!” “I think it’s been like nine months for me,” I say with a pout. “Since Liam?” she asks. “Yep. That shouldn’t even count, though. He wasn’t that good. Selfish bastard.” “My last time was with a guy I met in a bar. He was fine! He had all these muscles and I just knew I was gonna have some amazing, drunk sex. We get back to

my place and we fall into the bed, ripping our clothes off, and he puts a condom on and then jumps on top of me. He goes to push it inside of me and I can barely feel anything! I wasn’t sure if he was hard or not. It was terrible, and then he came in like two minutes. What’s worse is that when he was done, he said, ‘not bad, huh?’ What the fuck? I could have kicked him in the face. Worst. Sex. Ever.” I can’t help but laugh. “Oh my gosh! That’s worse than Liam. You win…or lose I guess.” We pull up to the apartment complex and pay the cabbie. Taking off our heels, we make our way up to the lobby of the building and get in the elevator. Once we hit the third floor, we walk the short distance to my door and throw all of our stuff on the floor as soon as we walk in. “I just got hit with a wave of sleepiness just now,” I say. “Me too. That alcohol is catching up to me.” “Guess I won’t be having any naughty thoughts tonight, I’d probably fall asleep before I finished. Like Liam,” I say and laugh at my own joke. “Eh. Maybe I’ll get a second wind,” Em says. We go and change into some shorts and tank tops before laying across the wide, black couch in my living room. We lie feet to feet with our heads on the arm rests on each side and put on a chick flick. I don’t know how long we stay up, but we both end up falling asleep there on the couch. That night I dream of beautiful, blue eyes and tall, God-like men.

When I wake up in the morning, I smell bacon and coffee. I push myself up and can see directly into the kitchen. I get up and shuffle towards the breakfast bar, sit down and groan. Em turns around with a smile on her face. “Good morning, sunshine!” “Ugh. How are you a morning person? I hate those people,” I say, rubbing my eyes. I realize now that I slept with my mascara and eyeliner still on, so I probably look like a raccoon. “Yeah, but you love me. Anyway, I’ve had two cups of coffee already, so I’m good.” Emilie places a cup of coffee in front of me with some creamer and bowl of sugar next to it. “I think I should just marry you, and not worry about any guys. You’d make a great wife,” I say as I add the sugar to my coffee. She acts like she’s thinking about it and then says, “You can be my backup.” I laugh. “Okay. That works.” “So do you have any plans for today?” she asks, turning around to finish cooking breakfast. “No. Thank God. I don’t have to see Mrs. Roberts until Monday, so I’ll probably be a lazy bum all day.” “Oh.” She’s quiet and I know she’s thinking something. “Why?” “Oh, uhh…I was just thinking maybe you’d want to

go have dinner with me.” I keep watching her but she doesn’t turn around to look at me. Something in her tone makes me believe something’s up. “Okay,” I drag out. “Where did you want to go?” “I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know later, though.” She finally turns around but doesn’t make eye contact with me. She’s acting funny. “Em.” “Huh?” she replies without looking at me. “What’s goin’ on?” “Nothing. Why?” “You’re just being weird,” I say, still eyeing her suspiciously. “No I’m not. I just…if you don’t want to go eat because you wanna stay home, that’s fine. Maybe we can go out another day. I don’t want to ruin your lazy plans.” “It’s fine. Just make sure you tell me where we’re going in enough time for me to be ready. I don’t know if we’re doing casual or fancy.” “Yeah. I don’t know either. I’ll make sure you’re appropriately dressed. Don’t worry,” she says, giving me a smile. We sit down, eat breakfast and drink lots of coffee before Em gets dressed to go home. “I’ll see you later,” I say as she’s walking out. “Yeah. I’ll talk to you later.” Once she’s gone, I go to take a nice, long, hot bath. My bathroom is big, length wise with his and her sinks. The only good thing about that is I have plenty of counter space for all my hair products, but no need for

his and her sinks when there is no man living here. The space between the counter and the tub is small, though. I turn around, take one step and I’m to the tub. Too bad this isn’t a big, Jacuzzi tub. That would be nice. After I soak my body in the hot water, shave and wash my hair, I get out and decide to take the time to straighten my hair. It’s still fairly early and I have nothing else to do until I hear from Em about dinner. I put my iPod on the iPod dock and blast my music while I do my hair. After singing and dancing in the mirror for what seems like hours, my long, dark brown hair is silky smooth and flows straight to the middle of back. After all this work I really hope Em doesn’t want to go to a fast food place or anything. I check the time and am surprised that it’s already four-thirty. I go to the closet and try to find something to wear, but it’s hard to choose when I don’t know where I’m going. Walking past my full-size bed, I find my cell that’s sitting on top of the black chest of drawers. I notice I have a text message from Em already. Emilie: Hey, so go to Binion’s Steakhouse at like 6:30 Me: Okay. Meet you there? I wait a few minutes for her response. Emilie: See you later! I’ve never been to Binion’s before so I do a quick

Google check to see what the dress code is. I find out that it’s on the twenty-fourth floor of the West Tower and that the dress code is business casual. I decide on a sheer chiffon high low dress. The top is leopard print and the bottom is black. The front of the skirt stops about three or four inches above my knee while the back goes almost to my ankles. I pair that with some black faux suede strappy platform heels. Looking in the mirror, I apply some light eyeliner and mascara, then some pinkish lipstick with gloss. Bam. Done. When I get there, I pull out my phone and text Em to let her know that I’m here. Her response is quick. She tells me to meet her inside. I walk into the building and try to find the elevators. It takes a few minutes, but I finally find them and escape from the loud noises of the casino. The ride up is smooth and I lie my head back and close my eyes. The elevator dings and I’m greeted with vintage décor. It’s much dimmer up here, very romantic. The windows showcase a beautiful view of the city. I look around but don’t see Em anywhere. I text her again. Me: Where are you? I’m at the restaurant already. Emilie: Grab the table, please! It’s under my name. Just go sit before they give the table away. Me: You’re always late!! Hurry up. I don’t wanna look all lonely and sad up here.

Emilie: Yeah yeah I go to the hostess and tell her Em’s name. She takes me straight to the table, and it’s one near a window. I thank her then turn my head to look out the window. The twinkling lights down below make it seem so peaceful, but I know it’s a madhouse down there. After the waiter brings me some water, I tell him to give me a few more minutes since I’m waiting on Emilie. I text her…again. Me: Hurry the EFF up! Emilie: Don’t be mad at me… Me : Em you better not be standing me up. You asked me to come out and now I’m here. Get your ass over here! Emilie: ………… That’s her response. Fucking dots. I don’t even know what to say. I take a deep breath and look around the restaurant. It’s not too packed. I can just get up and walk out and be fine. I’m still pissed that I got ready for nothing. Me : You’re a bitch, and I hate you. I’m leaving now. Don’t talk to me for at least three days. I grab my clutch from the table, and go to stand up,

but what I see next stops me dead in my tracks. “Adrienne,” the deep, sensual voice says. I pause in a half standing, half sitting position with my eyes wide and I’m sure my jaw just hit the table. I eventually snap out of it and let myself fall back into the seat. “Uhh…” I say, aware that I sound like an idiot. He gives me a smile, showing off his perfectly white teeth before he sits down on the opposite side of the table. “I was just leaving,” I say. “You just got here,” he quickly responds. “How do you know?” I snap. “Because, I was downstairs and just watched you come in.” “I’m still leaving.” “You don’t want to stay and have dinner with me?” He gives me another perfect smile and I almost want to just sit, stare, and bat my eyelashes at him. Stupid, Godlike man. “No. I was supposed to have dinner with my friend, but apparently after making me come here, she changed her mind.” “If I had made you come, I wouldn’t change my mind about spending time with you,” he says and gives me a mischievous smile. He catches me by surprise with that statement, and once again I’m sure my mouth is open and eyes unblinking. “Okay, why are you here? What are you doing?” I ask, trying to keep my mind from him making me come.

“Well, it looks like we’re on a date.” He leans back in his chair and I notice he’s got a nice light blue button up shirt on that brings out his eyes. “We’re not on a date. I was here, waiting for my friend, and you showed up. That’s not a date.” “It can turn into one though.” “I think you have enough dates,” I blurt out before thinking about it. He leans forward and tilts his head a bit like he’s trying to figure something out. “What do you mean?” he asks calmly. “I don’t go on dates with men who date several other women.” “Who says I’m dating several other women?” He leans back again and strokes the facial hair on his jaw. “Well, I saw you with a woman just last night.” I don’t tell him that I’ve watched the way he interacts with other women as well, and was jealous about it. “That’s one woman, and we aren’t dating.” “Right. Well, even if I believed you, you’d have to actually ask me out on a date before I’d agree to be on one with you.” I stand up and start walking away from the table. My hands are shaking and I want to slap myself for not just sitting there, but I refuse to be one of many. “Adrienne.” I hear him calling me, but I refuse to stop or turn around. Nope. Not gonna trap me with those beautiful eyes and wonderful smile. Not even if he ripped his shirt off and showed off what I’m sure is an amazing body. Okay, that might give me pause, but there’s no way I’m giving in.

I rush out of the restaurant and jam my finger into the elevator button over and over until it opens. I’m relieved when I don’t see him rushing after me. And slightly disappointed. Gah! I’m so stupid. I give myself a face palm and wait for the elevator to drop me off at the first floor. Once it opens, I fly out and walk as fast as I can to my car. I open the door, throw my clutch on the passenger seat and drive home. When I’m inside my apartment, I try to figure out how many names I can call Emilie before she hangs up on me. She’s got a lot of explaining to do. I walk to the table where I throw all my stuff and look for my phone. Clutch, keys, but no phone. Did I? I couldn’t have. Fuck. I left my phone at the goddamn restaurant and now fucking blue eyes has it! That’s probably why he called my name, but he only called it once. I’m sure he realized he could use this to his advantage. Dammit!

Sitting around an oak wood poker table in Marc’s entertainment room, I listen to Kade talk about his first appointment. I peek at my cards. An ace and a ten, my favorite hand. I throw in a few chips and wait to see what everybody else is going to do. “It wasn’t too bad. We just went to some party that her company was having at the MGM,” he says with a shrug. “Uh huh, and?” Nico prods. “Nothing,” Kade says almost defensively. The rest of us look at each other with knowing eyes. He’s embarrassed to talk about what actually happened. Troy finally looks at his cards and throws in his own chips, and Nico folds his hand. “She was old as shit, wasn’t she?” Nico asks. Kade doesn’t say anything; he looks at his cards and throws them to the center of the table. “She wasn’t that old,” he says. I laugh. “So she was what? Forty?” Kade looks around at us all and then runs his hand

over his buzzed head, like he’s trying to brush something off the top of his head. “Okay, she was maybe sixty.” “Knockin’ boots with the granny, huh?” Nico laughs. “Shut up,” Kade responds, trying to hold his laughter in. “Don’t worry about it, man,” I say. “We’ve all been there. You got your money, that’s all you gotta worry about.” “I didn’t fuck her anyway,” he says, almost pushing Nico out of his seat. “After being presented to all of her old friends as her date, which she was obviously proud about, we went up to a hotel room.” “Oooh!” Nico chimes in, laughing. Kade ignores him. “She just wanted me to strip for her, and then she ran her wrinkled fingers all over my body. She kept touching my chest and abs, and talking about how it had been so long since she’d touched a man’s body that was firm with muscles.” “It’ll get crazier,” I say. “Marc, get your ass in here, it’s on you. I’m about to just throw your cards in,” I yell. “I’m coming! Hold on. I just gotta get these drinks.” Marc comes walking in holding three hook glasses in one hand and two in the other. They’re all filled with dark liquid. “What’s this?” I ask. “It’s just something I came up with.” “I ain’t drinking that shit. Who knows what you just threw together. Gonna have us throwing up in here,” Nico says, taking a swig of his beer. “Why don’t you stop being a bitch, drinking beer all

the time, and move to a man’s drink?” Marc responds. Troy starts cracking up. “He’s right. You do drink bitch drinks. I think I saw you drink something that was pink and had fruit in it.” “Man, fuck y’all. That fruity shit was delicious.” “Anyway, just drink it. It’s liquor. It’s what grownups drink,” Marc says, passing them out. I grab the glass and smell it on instinct. “Fuck, that’s strong.” Marc smiles. “Yeah.” While Nico and Kade inspect their glasses, Troy, Marc and I clink our glasses together and drink. The liquid trickles down my throat, leaving a trail of warmth. Troy must have taken a big gulp because half of his drink is gone and he’s got his eyes squinted close while he shakes his head. “Whoo! Fuck. That’s a serious mother fucking drink right there,” Troy says. I take another drink, and if possible, it seems even stronger. It’s not a bad taste, just strong as hell. It’s got some sort of flavoring in it, but it’s mostly liquor. “What’s in it?” Nico ask, still holding the full glass of liquor. “Oh it’s a little bit of stop asking questions and fucking drink it,” Marc replies. Nico shoots us all a glare as we all laugh. Kade shrugs his shoulders and takes a drink. “Damn, new kid is showing you up,” I say as I take another drink. Nico looks around the table at each of us, then quickly downs almost the whole drink. “Aaaah! Fuck. Oh God, that’s gross.” He starts

coughing and holding his chest. He rushes into the kitchen and when he returns he’s got a water bottle attached to his mouth. We all laugh. “Peer pressure’s a bitch,” I say. Marc finally looks at his cards and throws in his chips. When the flop comes out, it’s two tens and a two. I’ve got three of a kind and my ace kicker. I throw in a stack of chips, raising the blind. Everybody folds except Troy. “Take your time, baby boy,” Troy says to Nico. “You gotta enjoy it, savor it, taste it…” “Are we still talking about liquor?” Nico asks. “If you fuck the way you drank that, I feel sorry for your clients,” Troy says. “Just rushing to get it over with, not taking the time to enjoy the taste and feeling of it.” He shakes his head in disgust. “Oh whatever. You don’t know how I do things. I’m a beast in the sheets.” Troy ignores Nico’s last comment and we wait for Marc to reveal the next card. It’s a six. I check and Troy looks at me suspiciously before raising. I quickly throw in the chips to match and we wait for the river card. The card is flipped and revealed to be an ace. Fuck yeah. That’s why this is my favorite hand. I always get lucky with it. I wait a few moments before raising, making it seem like I’m really contemplating on what to do. Troy sits back and stares at me. “What you got, man?” he asks. But it’s not really a question he expects me to answer. He’s trying to figure out if he wants to fold or not.

“You’ve already come this far. Might as well,” I say, knowing Troy is very competitive. The only way he could beat me is if he has a four of a kind or straight flush. With the cards on the board, there’s no way in hell he can have a straight flush. The pair on the board are the tens and since I have the other one, he can’t have a four of a kind either. I take another sip of my potent drink and wait to see what he’s gonna do. He keeps looking at the cards, then to me, trying to figure out if I can beat his hand or not. “Fuck it.” He throws the chips in, and tosses his cards, face up onto the table. I see that he has a pocket pair of kings, so he has two pair. Good, but not good enough. I place my ten next to the other two on the table and my ace by its pair. “Full mother fucking house, baby!” “Goddammit!” he yells. I laugh and start collecting my chips. He mutters something about pretty boy powers which only makes me laugh more. I lean over to Marc. “Yo, so what’s in this drink for real?” “It’s Wild Turkey 101 proof, Everclear, and black cherry soda.” “Goddamn,” I say. “I know.” He smiles and looks over at Nico, who is still nursing his water bottle. “Ah man, so I gotta tell y’all about this sexy ass chick that I saw the other night,” Nico says. “She was short, and you know I like my women fun sized, and she was curvy as hell. I’m talkin’ coke bottle figure, for real! Her tits were perfect, her hips were amazing and

she had a nice firm lookin’ ass. Oh my god, I thought I had died and went to heaven!” “First of all, you only like fun sized because you’re short, let’s just point that out,” Troy says. “Just because I’m not a fucking giant like some of you doesn’t mean I’m short. Five-ten is not short.” “Oh you’re five-ten now? I thought you were fiveeight?” Troy asks. “Whatever. Anyway,” he says, turning his back towards Troy, “she was fine as fuck. Wifey material.” “Oh yeah? You want to settle down already?” I ask him. “Eh. I don’t know. How long can you do this job?” he asks rhetorically. “You ain’t even been doin’ this that long,” Troy says. “Definitely not as long as you, old man,” Nico jokes. “Shit, look at this smooth, chocolate skin. I don’t have a wrinkle on this body.” “Nah, I’m just sayin’. I mean, have y’all thought about how long you’re gonna be doin’ this?” I have thought about it. I’ve been doing this for several years now. I did it for the money in all honesty. I mean, I didn’t need to do it just to get a date. My brother was killed, my mom went into a depression and couldn’t work, I haven’t seen my dad in I don’t know how long, and we were broke. As soon as I was legally able to do this job, I did it. When the money started coming in, I was hooked. I wasn’t used to being able to buy what I wanted when I wanted. I was able to pay my mom’s debts off and put her mind at ease. I’ve made a

lot of money in this job, and in the beginning, I just spent and spent because I could. After a while, I began saving, investing and trying to set myself up for success, because I do know that I can’t work this job forever. I took college classes to get a degree, and now I don’t necessarily have to do this job if I don’t want to. “Shit, I’ll do this job until I’m fifty if I can,” Troy says. “Money and pussy, what else do you need?” “Man, whatever. What if you find a woman you want to settle down with? She ain’t gonna be okay with you fucking all kinds of people,” Nico says. “I ain’t ever getting married, so I don’t have to worry about that. I’m a bachelor. I do bachelor shit.” We all know that Troy is still pissed about what his fiancé did to him. Even though it was a few years ago, he hasn’t gotten over it and is still thinking he’ll be content being single forever. I think he’ll change his mind after a while. “What about you?” Nico asks, looking directly at me. “I’m not gonna do this forever, probably not for much longer actually. It’s made me a rich man though,” I say with a smile. “I have some things going on, I’m gonna venture into a different type of business.” “What kind of business? You holdin’ out on us?” Nico asks. “Nah. Troy and Marc know about it.” “What? That’s fucked up. Why am I being left out?” he asks, looking hurt. “They’re working with me. We’re doing grown men business. Don’t worry about it. You’ll know soon enough.”

He doesn’t say anything else. He’s probably feeling left out, but in all honesty, he wouldn’t help me business wise. Marc and Troy are like me in the sense that we’ve been saving money because we’ve been doing this a long time. Between us three, we have degrees in business, finance, and can actually make something happen with them. “As far as wife-ing somebody though, I don’t know about all that,” I say, trying to change the subject. “You don’t want to get married?” Marc asks. “I haven’t really thought about it, I guess. I’ve been doin’ this and haven’t really had time or the desire to date anybody. I get laid now; don’t need a wife for that. Although, having someone at home would be nice. It sucks going to that big ass place and having it be all quiet. So I don’t know.” I shrug my shoulders and leave it at that. “When was the last time you actually dated somebody outside this job?” Marc asks. I actually have to think about it for a while. “Uhh, it’s been a couple years since I’ve tried a relationship. Anything else was strictly sex.” They all nod their heads because that’s just the way it goes. Any girl you come across in your personal life is only going to be for sex. Once you disclose your job, they run as fast as they can. If they try to stick around, they end up getting jealous when you have to spend the night with someone or spend a weekend with a client. That just leads to problems. You walk in and you get questions like, who were you with? What did you do? Did you enjoy it? Was she young? Was she hot? It’s too much.

“Oh, but there’s this one girl that I’ve seen a few times recently. I wouldn’t mind getting a piece of that.” “Oh really?” Nico asks. “Like you wanna fuck her? Or date her?” “I wanna fuck her for sure. I don’t know her well enough to want to be with her for longer than that. She has a nice body though, and I’d like to see her stripped naked and laying across my bed.” “What’s she look like?” Nico asks. “She has long legs, an exotic look that I can’t quite place, and a nice, plump ass.” “And you haven’t used your pretty boy powers to get her in bed yet?” Troy asks with smirk. “She thinks I’m dating a client she saw me with. She ain’t havin’ none of that. I don’t know if I’ll even run into her again. If I do, though, I’ll be sure to use my powers to get her into my bed.” “Y’all don’t get tired of having sex?” Kade asks. When we all look at him like he’s crazy, he continues. “I mean. Like, you do it for your job, and then you still want to do it in your personal life?” “What kind of man asks if you get tired of sex?” Troy asks as he gets up from the table and puts his palm on his forehead, throwing his head back. “I can’t believe I heard a man ask that question,” he mutters as he walks away. I laugh at his theatrics. “Okay. Work is work. There is no emotion there, no real connection. I go in and flip a switch. I’m somebody else. They don’t get to know the real me, they see who I want them to see, who they want to see. I also don’t get a choice in who I have sex with or go on dates with when they hire me. I have to

pretend to be interested, even if I’m not. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you’ll get hooked up with a nice looking woman…or three,” I throw in and hope Troy hears me. He’s still jealous. “But most of the time, you don’t get paired up with anybody that’s your type. So in your personal life, you get a choice. You get to pick someone you’re attracted to. Someone you may want to actually spend time with. It’s different.” We continue to talk and drink for a few more hours before the rest of us decide to head home. On my way to the door, Marc pulls me back. “Hey, man. So that appointment I was telling you about is going to be on Friday. I’ll text you or call with directions to wherever she chooses.” “Okay, cool. I’ll see you then,” I say and then go home to think about when I’ll actually be ready to quit this job.

“Where were you yesterday?” I seethe at Emilie. “I can’t believe you asked me to go to dinner with you, and I straighten my hair, pick out a cute outfit, and drive all the way down there, just for you to not show up. And to top it off, GLC shows up and makes me behave like an idiot and I forget my phone!” “Okay. Before I explain anything, what the hell is a GLC?” Emilie asks. I let out a sigh. “God like creature. But that doesn’t matter. Where were you?” “Okay, first of all, calm down. I was going to meet you there, but I had this plan, and I was going to set you up on a date with this guy who’s friends with Chris. You know, the guy I work with. Anyway, he’s not really my type, but I like him as a friend, and I thought maybe his friend would be good-looking, and we could all have a good night.” She finally stops rambling and just stares at me. “Wait, so you set me up on a blind date with a guy you’ve never seen, who is friends with a guy you don’t

even find attractive, and you thought that would be fun? Also, please explain why none of you showed up!” “I never said Chris wasn’t attractive. He’s just not my type, maybe he’s yours, I don’t know. He’s cute, but we’re just friends. I asked him if his friend was an ugly toad or not and he assured me that his friend was not a toad.” “Ugh. Whatever. Where did you all go then? Because you sure as hell weren’t with me!” I move from the entryway, and fall onto the couch. Emilie follows suit, sitting on the opposite end. “Well, I was getting ready to leave my house when Chris calls and says they can’t make it because Greg, his friend, got sick. I figured you wouldn’t want Chris to show up and then it would be like Three’s Company…but not really since he isn’t gay. At least I don’t think he is.” “You’re rambling again! Stop!” “Sorry. Anyway, so I said that was fine and I was going to meet you, but before I left, I went to the bathroom and realized I started my fucking period! Not only that, I had no feminine products. Nothing. No tampons, no pads, not even panty liners. What kind of woman am I?” I want to laugh, but I also want to portray my anger. I never had a good poker face and I start laughing anyway. “It’s not funny! I was stuck on the toilet, trying to reach into my cabinets and drawers to see if I could find anything. Meanwhile, I have you texting and yelling at me.” “What did you do?” I ask through my laughter.

“I did what any woman would do. I folded up some toilet paper, put in my underwear and went to the store to get some goddamn tampons!” I fall onto my back and curl into the cushion, laughing. Emilie joins in, and all is forgiven. “So. GLC? We have to change that. That sounds like a cable company or something. Now what could we call him?” She taps her chin with her finger while inspecting the ceiling. “Well I don’t know. It was shorter than actually saying God-like creature, and I’m not good with nicknames.” “Let me think, let me think. How about, SB? Because he’s a sexy beast!” Em starts cracking up at her own joke. “Okay, maybe blue eyes, or SOS for sex on a stick, or Daddy Warbucks, cause he obviously has money. Ooh, maybe we could call him…” “Just stop already,” I laugh, cutting her off. “Your suggestions aren’t any better than GLC. I’ll just call him God.” “Yeah, and if you’re lucky, maybe he’ll be making you scream, God yes, oh God, oh, oh, oh, God!” she starts feigning an orgasm. “You’re ridiculous,” I laugh. “No. You are. I can’t believe you didn’t stay and have dinner with him! Dinner could have turned into dessert. Mmm, I bet he has good dessert.” “Oh, I’m sure he has good everything. He’s so confident, and smooth. If I was just a little weaker, he could snap and I’d be at his feet waiting for a command.” “Ooh, I bet he’s dominating, too. I bet he’d throw

you on the bed, hold your wrists above your head and have his wicked way with you. He’d boss you around and force you on your knees to suck his dick.” She pauses. “Or maybe that’s just what I want for myself.” “You need to stop talking like that, because even that’s getting me excited! Plus, we don’t even know how he might be. Maybe his peen is small, and he’s selfish in bed like Liam. Maybe he comes in like four seconds, maybe he’s just terrible all around.” “You’re crazy. You know you don’t believe any of that. He’s a giant with giant hands so he has to have a giant penis. And when he gets in touch with you to try to return your phone, you better stop being such a stupid bitch, and be nice to the man. He hasn’t done anything to you. You’ve seen him with women. Big whoop, he’s fine as hell, of course women are gonna flock to him. Maybe he’s telling the truth and isn’t dating anyone.” “I know! I’m being a dumb, I-don’t-know-what-Iwant, woman. But I do know what I want. I want someone with a big dick to fuck me like crazy and make me forget about the world, if only for a few hours.” “Atta girl! Also, ask him if he has any big dick friends. Hell, at this point I’ll take an average dick friend.” “How is he gonna get in touch with me if he has my phone? It doesn’t have my address in there.” “I don’t know. House phone? Work phone? He’ll find a way.” “I’m sure he will.” I respond. Excitement hits me as the thought of seeing Sexy Beast again. “Oh!” Em exclaims. “I just hired this new chick to work at the coffee shop. Her name is Shelia and she

seems cool enough. Kind of quiet, but she may just be nervous. She’s fairly new to Vegas, and I think she moved here with her college roommate or something. Anyway, she asked if I wanted to go to dinner with them, and I said yes, but you have to come.” “Why do I have to come?” “Because, they could turn out to be lame bitches, and I want to have my bitch there,” she replies. “Okay. Gotcha. If they’re a couple of lame asses then we ditch ‘em and go have some fun.” “Sounds like a plan!” she exclaims. “In the meantime, I need to figure out what the eff I’m going to say to Sexy Beast.” “So we’re going with Sexy Beast?” she asks with a smile. I shrug. “I don’t know. It’s just what came to mind first.” “Okay. Well, what you say depends on what you want to do. Are you gonna keep being a bitch and being all, oh, he’s got so many girlfriends, he’s a player, I can’t be in a relationship with him, or be okay with just getting the shit fucked out of you?” The part she was mocking me on, she did in a whiny voice. I scowl at her. “I don’t sound like that, for one. For two, I don’t think I want the shit fucked out of me. That might be embarrassing,” I joke. “I think I’ll just go with the flow. If sex is all he wants, I shouldn’t be turning that down, considering I’m in a sexual drought.” “Good. Then just be yourself. You’ll be fine.” “I know, but when I get around him, I get all nervous. Stupid GLC.” When I hear a knock on my door, I shoot a glance at

Emilie. Nobody ever comes to my house without me knowing about it first. It’s usually only Emilie or my clients. I guess it could be Mrs. Roberts making an unannounced visit. I wouldn’t put it past her to do that. I cross the room, walk past the kitchen and to the door. I look through the peephole, but don’t recognize who the person is. I slowly open the door. “Yes?” “Hi. Are you Miss…” he looks down at a paper. “Adrienne Miller?” “Yes that’s me,” I respond hesitantly. “Great. This is for you, ma’am.” He hands me a small envelope and a fairly long, thin, black box. “Thank you,” I say as I reach for the items. He smiles and walks off. I close the door and walk over to Emilie, who’s looking at me with curious eyes. “Who was that? What do you have?” “I don’t know,” I say as I sit down next to her. I open the box first. As I pull the top off, the scent is what hits me first. A strong, citrus aroma fills the air. I gaze down inside of the box to see two beautiful, yellow roses, lying on a white satin material. I immediately pick them up, put them to my nose and inhale. “Those are beautiful!” Em shrieks next to me. She grabs one and inhales the amazing scent as well. I see a small piece of paper that was lying under the roses. I take in in my fingers and read the only word that’s on there. Friends?

Emilie snatches it from me and reads it. “Do you think this is from Beautiful Blue Eyes?” she asks. I can’t help but laugh. “New name I see, and you have beautiful blue eyes, too.” “Please. His eyes put my eyes to shame. Anyway, so it’s him, right? Has to be.” “Let me open the envelope and we’ll see.” I tear the side of the envelope open and pull the paper out. This paper has a few more words than the last. I think you left something behind. I’m sure you’re wondering why I didn’t just send it to you. Well, that would be no fun. I’ll be at Delmonico in The Venetian at six-thirty. See you there. -Jace aka God-like creature I die a little when I read his sign off. “Oh Em Mother Effing Gee!” I yell. “How does he know we call him God-like creature?” Em’s eyes go wide as she yanks the paper from me. “Oh fuck, it is him! I knew it.” “That’s great, Em. How the fuck does he know what we call him? That’s terribly embarrassing!” “Uh-oh,” she says meekly. “I was texting you like a mad woman last night. I thought you were really trying to give me the three day silent treatment. I mentioned him in the texts. I don’t remember what all I said exactly, but I do remember saying something about how you were being bitchy and should just let the God-like creature with beautiful eyes fuck you, and maybe you’d loosen up.”

I’m sure my eyes are as wide as saucers. I just stare at her, trying to find words. She just squints and bites her lip, waiting for my reaction. “Emilie, I ought to kill you. How can I face him now? He’s gonna know we’ve been talking about him, and now I look like a psycho.” “Calm your psycho pants down. It’ll be fine.” “Oh my God. This is gonna be completely awkward. Good-bye potential sex life.” Emilie ignores my complaints. “Come on. Let’s pick you out the hottest outfit ever. He’ll take one look at you and forget about any text messages.” I groan and let her pull me into my bedroom.

After getting out of the shower, I throw on a pair of jeans, a black blazer on top of a white shirt, and a pair of casual Stacy Adams shoes. I glace at the clock and it reads five till six. I figure it’s best to go ahead and catch a cab to make my way down The Strip. You never know what the traffic will be like, and I have a feeling if I’m late, Adrienne will leave. Walking out of the elevator and into the lobby, I see John at the counter. “Leaving, Sir?” he asks. “John, please call me Jace. Really, it’s fine. And yes, I am leaving.” “Okay then. You want me to call you a cab, Jace?” He sounds awkward saying my name. I’m sure it’s just habit for him to say Sir or Ma’am to anybody who lives here. “Yeah that would be great.” While he’s on the phone, I sit in one of the lobby chairs. When he’s done, he comes around and sits

across from me. “Got another date tonight?” he asks with a grin. “Well, I guess you could call it that. I have her phone, and she has to meet me in order to get it.” “Stealing people’s phones now? Doesn’t seem like you’d have to do that,” he says playfully. “You’re right, I don’t,” I say with a laugh. “This girl’s a tough one. She’s definitely not throwing herself at me. I guess we’ll see what happens tonight. I’m gonna try to break down those walls that she has up.” “Good luck with that, buddy. There are women who are put on this earth to make our lives more difficult. Don’t get me wrong, I love my wife; lord knows I do, but she’s one of the difficult ones. It took me a long time to convince her to give me a shot.” “Ah, but John. Isn’t that the fun part? The chase? The wooing and seducing?” John shakes his head. “Maybe for you. It’s different these days, plus I’m sure you have the means to do more wooing and seducing than I ever could.” “I have looks and personality, doesn’t that count for something?” I ask with a laugh. “You’re humble, too,” he says, his voice dripping in sarcasm. “Hey. I can make money off these looks,” I reply with a wink. I get up and make my way to the front where I see a cab has just pulled up. I hear him laugh as he stands up to make his way back to the front desk. “Well, good luck tonight with the lady.” “Thanks, John. If I’m lucky, maybe you’ll meet her in a few hours.”

It takes a second for him to figure out what I meant. He shakes his head again, and smiles. “Stay humble, Sir…Jace.” “Although I like the sound of Sir Jace, just Jace will do,” I joke. After the twenty minute ride, I have about five minutes to get to the restaurant. I can only hope she’s one of those women who takes too long getting ready and is late. I hurry into the casino and find my way to the restaurant. When I arrive, I don’t see her, so I hang out near the entrance. I look down at my watch to check the time. It’s exactly six-thirty. “Are you waiting for someone?” a sultry voice asks. I look up and I’m face to face with Adrienne. I take a minute to look over her body. She’s wearing a short, turquoise colored cocktail dress. The middle is slightly see-through with different colored beads. It looks like it’s made to show off her small waist and curvy hips. Her long, flawless legs are on full display, and the silver heels she has on makes them look even better. I can’t help but think about how I’d love to have her wearing only those heels, with her legs thrown over my shoulders. I hear her clear her throat, trying to get my attention. “Sorry,” I say as I look those beautiful gray-green eyes. “I’m glad you came.” “Was dinner necessary? You could just give me my phone now.” “Of course dinner’s necessary. We all need to eat. Now come on,” I say as I extend my arm so she can hook hers through it. She hesitates only briefly before taking the few steps

needed to reach me. Her arm slides through and rests in the crook of my elbow. I tell the hostess my name and we’re immediately seated. After a few seconds of awkward silence, I break it. “God-like creature, huh?” I ask with a smirk. With her elbows on the table, she drops her head and puts her hands on her forehead, shielding her eyes from mine. When I laugh, her head snaps up, and she drops her hands to her lap. “You really shouldn’t read people’s personal texts.” “I’m sorry. Your friend was very persistent and the damn thing kept going off. The messages were continuing to pop up on the screen. My curiosity got the best of me. I apologize.” “Your nosiness,” she murmurs. “So, care to elaborate on that nickname?” I ask. “Not really, and how do you even know she was talking about you? Are you that full of yourself that you think you are the only God-like creature on Earth?” “I’m not full of myself, but you do realize that you just admitted to thinking I was a God-like creature, right?” “What? No I didn’t.” “Yeah you did. You said ‘are you that full of yourself that you think you are the only God-like creature on Earth?’” I can see a little blood rush to her cheeks, and she tries hiding a smile. “Anyway, can I have my phone now?” she asks, trying not to look directly at me. “I think I’ll hold onto it until after dinner.”

“Fine,” she huffs. “Is it really so bad to be out on a date with me?” I ask. She finally looks me in the eyes and studies me for a minute like she’s thinking about something. “No. It’s not too bad.” The waiter comes by, takes our orders and leaves us again in awkward silence. This time she’s the one who speaks first. “Thank you for the flowers. They are beautiful.” “You’re welcome. I was hoping to soften ya up a bit before tonight. I’m not so sure it worked, but I’m glad you liked them.” She gives me a shy smile. “I don’t need to be softened.” “No?” I ask. She only shakes her head. “I’m sure you’re soft in all the right places,” I say, unable to stop myself. She looks me right in the eye and shocks the hell out of me. “I’m sure you’re hard in all the right places.” “I’m getting there,” I respond. I lean forward with my arms resting on the table, waiting to see if she’s going to continue to play this game or not. Once again, she hesitates. I don’t know if she’s trying to come up with something to say, or if she’s thinking about running out of here. She grabs her glass of water again, and while she’s taking a drink, I see the condensation fall into her lap. Placing the glass back onto the table, she uses her hand to wipe off the water that has fallen. With the moisture

now on her fingertips, she brings them to her mouth and licks it off. “Oh, excuse me. I seem to have gotten all…wet.” There’s a look in her eye when she says it, and her voice has gotten huskier. Oh, she’s good. I clear my throat and sit back. She smiles, and the waiter brings us our food.

I know he wasn’t expecting me to say what I did. I figured I’d give him a taste of his own medicine, though. Sure, he has a way to get me flustered. But now that I think about what I want from him, or better yet, what I should only expect from him, I’ll up my confidence. I can play the sexual innuendo game. I’m definitely not innocent when it comes to this sex thing. I can feel his eyes on me while we eat dinner. I can only assume he’s trying to figure out my personality type. He thought he had me pinned as the innocent, easily flustered young girl that he could take advantage of. Well, with thoughts of him with other women out the window along with thoughts of anything serious, I can concentrate on getting what I want. Mr. Blue Eyes didn’t bank on me wanting sex as much as he does, I’m sure. The question is, do I go for it now, or should I wait? I don’t want to seem loose, giving it up on the first date, but hell, it’s been nine long fucking months. I’m getting tired of the solo loving. “So, I see you’re not a soup and salad kind of girl,”

he says, gesturing towards the steak on my plate. “No. I like a big piece of meat.” He looks shocked momentarily before he smiles. “I like a girl who can handle a big, thick piece of meat. So that’s good.” I try to hide my smile by biting my lip and concentrating on my food. I set my silver wear down and reach for my drink. It’s a mixture of black tea infused vodka, SoCo, lemonade and peach puree. It’s delicious, but has a kick. I better remember not to have too many. I glance at his plate. “I see you like crabs.” I try hard not to laugh, but a giggle escapes. I see him shake his head slightly, and the right side of his mouth pulls up. “This is Alaska King Crab. I eat this because I’m a king among men.” I bark out a laugh that I’m instantly embarrassed of. “King among men, huh? And what exactly does that mean?” “It means I’m the best at everything, nobody is better than me. I live my life like a king would. I do what I want, when I want. I get what I want, when I want. I succeed at whatever I put my mind to. I’m a king, baby.” He gives me a smile and wink before he digs into his crabs again. “I think you may be more confident than a king, too. But I don’t doubt anything you just said.” He raises an eyebrow at me, but says nothing in response. It’s a few more minutes before he does speak again. “Do you have any plans later?” I look up from my food and into those mesmerizing

eyes of his. “Not really. I had planned on staying home tonight, but things changed,” I say with a raise of an eyebrow. “I think this is better than staying home,” he replies. His tongue snakes out over his bottom lip and I find that I can’t peel my eyes away from his mouth. I shrug. “Maybe. I could have had steak at my house.” I’m going for nonchalance. “Could you have had steak in the presence of a king, though?” he asks with a devilish grin. I can’t help but smile back at him. “I guess not. You’re the first king I’ve met.” “Baby, I’m the only king you’ll meet.” He leans closer to me and gazes into my eyes with such intensity that my heart may jump out of my chest and onto the table in order to get closer to him. At the term of endearment, my body gets warm and I hope the heat that I feel in my body isn’t showing on my face. I know it’s such a simple term, but the way he said it has me wanting to pour my water on myself. Again, I go for a casual answer. “We’ll see.” Once we’ve finished dinner, the waiter brings our check and Jace instantly pulls out his credit card, handing it to him without looking at the cost of the meal. “Thank you for dinner,” I say. “Thank you for joining me,” he responds. “It’s not really like I had a choice. You were holding my phone for ransom.” “So you didn’t enjoy yourself?” he asks. “Well, I dined with a king, had some delicious meat in my mouth, and was able to wear one of my favorite

dresses. I guess it wasn’t too bad.” “If you enjoy those things, I can make sure you have an even better night,” he says in his deep, husky voice. “Oh? How so?” I ask, hoping my voice wasn’t as breathy as I thought it was. “How about visiting a king’s castle, having more delicious meat, and I’m not so sure about the dress.” I narrow my eyes slightly and purse my lips at him. “What do you mean visit a king’s castle, and are you saying you have more steak at your house, and why aren’t you sure about my dress?” He leans over the small table and licks his lips. “I mean, you come to my house where we definitely won’t be eating any more meat, but where I have something else that can fill you up, and you may not be wearing that dress. Shoes can stay though.” His voice is low, throaty, and full of promise. Warmth floods my body, but especially in between my legs. My heart beats faster and my stomach flips in excitement. The thought of him filling me up has me ready to jump up from my seat and find the nearest cab to make our way back to his place. Everything about him screams sex. I have no doubt that he is a pro in bed, and this would be the perfect person to end my sex drought. I finally find words. “Well, are you ready to leave?” He gives me a small smile just as the waiter returns with his credit card. Jace scribbles his name across the receipt and stands up. His large hand reaches down for mine and I take it while I stand. “I am now,” he finally responds. We make our way out of the restaurant and into the

warm evening air. “I didn’t bring my car. I hope you don’t mind riding in a cab,” he says. “That’s fine,” I reply. “We stand on the curb and he raises his long arm into the air, hailing a cab for us. When the cab pulls up, he opens the door and ushers me into the back seat. As soon as we’re both enclosed in the back, the tension thickens. His long leg grazes the side of mine. I can see his hand resting on his knee and can’t help but imagine the things he can do with those fingers. My eyes wander up his leg until I spot a bulge on his inner thigh. My eyes widen for a minute, and I think I must be mistaken, because there’s no way that’s what I think it is. Maybe it’s just the darkness and the way his jeans are laying that has my eyes playing tricks on me. I chance a peek up at his face and see that he’s watching me. Shit. I’ve definitely been busted checking him out. I bite my lip and turn away. As I’m looking out the window, watching all the pedestrians walking the streets of Vegas, I feel warmth on my leg. I glance over and notice his hand settling on the skin between my knee and wear my dress ends. He squeezes once and then moves it up just slightly. My eyes dart to the cabbie that isn’t paying any attention. I try to control my breathing while watching his hand disappear under my dress. I look up at him, but I can barely see his face in the dark. I can definitely feel his fingers, though. They are making their slow and tedious way up to the warmth in the middle of my thighs. I feel a finger glide over the lacy material of my underwear and I gasp. He touches

my clit with perfect precision and then makes his way down to where wetness is collecting in my panties. Two fingers glide back up and press onto my clit, making circles. My hands fly down and one grips the edge of the seat while the other grips his muscular thigh next to me. I throw my head back and bite my lip. “Here ya are,” the monotone voice from the front says, ruining the moment. Jace slowly moves his hand down my leg and reaches for his wallet. I see him pull out a few bills and throw them up front. “Thanks,” he says to the cabbie as he slides out. He extends his hand to me and helps me out of the cab. It’s then that I look up and realize where we are. Holy fuck this place is nice. The high rise has to have like fifty floors. I feel his hand on my lower back and can’t help but wish it was lower. We walk into the fancy lobby and my breath hitches at how beautiful it is. The entire room is light oak wood that has a glossiness to it. The front desk has a marbled table top, and there’s a small oak wood table in the center with gorgeous bouquets of fresh flowers. A twinkling chandelier hangs above with teal colored accents. A man is at the desk talking with someone when he glances in our direction. He quickly does a double take, smiles and shakes his head slightly. “Mr. Jamison,” he says in greeting. “John,” Jace responds with a smile. We turn left and make our way to a hallway that leads to the elevator. When the doors finally open, he allows me to go in first, then follows and presses the

button that says PH. I look up at him with my eyebrows raised. “What?” he asks, feigning ignorance. “Penthouse, huh?” “I told you, baby. A king.” I roll my eyes and he laughs. When the elevator dings and the doors open, we get out and I notice we’re on a floor with relatively no doors. We get to another elevator and he puts in some passcode and we walk in. I look at him with questioning eyes but he only shrugs. The doors open and when I walk out, I’m inside of his suite. To the left I see a long bar with several chairs, to the right is a long hallway. He ushers me towards the bar. I notice that to the right of the bar is a huge kitchen with dark cabinets and sterling silver appliances. There’s a breakfast bar with several more chairs attached to the kitchen area. Behind the bar I’m currently sitting at is a living room with a long, light colored, sectional and a glass top table. The couch is facing the floor-to-ceiling window, but it’s not only a window; you can actually walk outside. This penthouse makes my place look like a studio apartment. I love my place. It’s only twenty-two hundred square feet, but I have a den and spare bedrooms. This place is going to make me not ever want to go home. “You want something to drink?” he asks from behind the bar. I swirl back around in my chair. “Whatcha got?” “Everything,” he says with a shrug of his shoulders. “What do you like?”

“I’ll just take a Vodka and some sort of mixer.” He pulls the glasses out from under the bar and grabs the liquor from under there too. After pouring both of us a glass, he comes around and takes my hand. “Let’s go outside.” I grab the drink off the bar with my free hand and let him pull me along. I thought we would be stepping outside onto the terrace right in front of us, but instead he takes me back to the elevator. We go up, but the ride isn’t long. When we walk out, he guides me through another living room that has a kitchenette off to the side, and onto the rooftop deck. My mouth drops open. Not only is the view spectacular, but the deck stretches for what seems like miles. I know it’s not that long, but it feels like it wraps around two sides of the building. I glance to the right and see something that looks like a bar or grill at the very far end, a table and eight chairs, and then closer to us is a brown wicker couch with a table to match. To the right the deck extends even further. From here, we have a panoramic view of The Strip, and the mountains. It’s beyond breathtaking. He drops down onto the couch and taps the area next to him. I make my way to him, taking a sip of my drink on the way. When I sit, I place the drink on the table in front of us. “This is amazing. I can’t get over this view.” “Yeah, it’s nice. I’ll never get used to it,” he responds. “How many floors is this?” I ask. “Three.” “Wow. You live here all alone?” He laughs. “Yes, I live here alone. You don’t need

to worry about anybody coming by.” “Why do you need all this space?” I ask. It may be rude, but I couldn’t help it. “I guess I don’t need the space, I just want it.” I decide to leave it alone. No need to go digging for stories. This is only sex. I never have to see him again after tonight. “Can you guide me to a bathroom in this place? I’m afraid I might get lost if I go exploring by myself.” He gets up while letting out a deep chuckle. “Sure, follow me.” We walk through a different sliding door and into a bedroom. There’s a huge bed cloaked in a silver-gray bedspread and several pillows. At the foot of the bed is a black, cushioned bench. He walks past them and to my right I notice a white circular lounge chair. We get to a door and he extends his arm towards the bathroom. “It’s all yours,” he says. I wish it was. I enter the bathroom and see that it has his and her sinks set into a dark gray granite top. Each sink has its own framed mirror and there are beautiful wall sconces on the sides of them. A deep, round bathtub is on the right of the sinks, also set inside the granite, leaving plenty of space for candles. Not that he has any. A small chandelier hangs above it. Connected is a large shower room that could easily fit five people. The glass is completely clear. No hiding in there. I use the bathroom and wash my hands. Looking myself in the mirror, I give myself a pep talk. “You can do this. You’re a strong, independent woman. You work hard and deserve to have some play time. Men go out and get laid all the time. There’s

nothing wrong with you doing it, too.” I made sure to pep talk quietly. I step out into the bedroom and see Jace sitting on the lounge chair. I walk over and sit on the bed that I can only assume is his, because this seems like a master bedroom. He watches me as I toe my shoes off, letting them drop to the floor. I scoot back a little and make eye contact with him. He slowly gets up from the chair and takes his blazer off. Tossing it on the chair, he begins unbuttoning his shirt. I try to watch without drooling on myself. He peels the shirt off his body and is left wearing only jeans and a ribbed, sleeveless undershirt. His tattoos are on full display. Funny, I never imagined he had them. He’s always been fully covered up, but I gotta admit, they look fucking sexy on him. He has a chest piece that extends to his left shoulder and upper arm. I can’t quite make out the detail, but it’s exquisite work. He saunters towards me and stands at the side of the bed. I let my tongue slide over my bottom lip and then bite down on the side as I take him in. His arms are deliciously muscled and his chest toned. I can’t wait to see what’s under that shirt…and those pants. He pulls me closer to him by my ankle and then swiftly flips me onto my stomach. I let out a small gasp, but don’t stop him. He finds the zipper on the back of my dress and slowly unzips it. I feel the breeze on my back, and then I feel the wet tip of his tongue licking me from the nape of my neck to the top of my ass. My body shivers uncontrollably. Jace flips me onto my back again and pulls the dress

from behind my shoulders and down my body. I’m left wearing my black, lace bra and panties. His eyes rake over the entire length of my body like he’s deciding on what he wants to do first. My chest is rising with hard, heavy breaths, my entire body feels like it’s on fire, and my pussy is dripping. He grabs my legs, spreads them as far apart as they can go, and crawls in between them. He’s like a panther; long, beautiful, muscular, and intense. His eyes feel like they’re boring into my soul, the muscles in his arms and shoulders are flexing with every movement, and I’m the innocent deer about to get pounced on. I’ve never wanted to be prey more in my life. His face hovers above mine and his tongue snakes out and onto my lips. They part on instinct, and I feel the warmth and wetness of his tongue glide over mine. Without thinking about it, I suck his tongue into my mouth, causing him to make a deep groaning noise. I release it, and he drops his face to my exposed neck and licks up towards the bottom of my ear. I feel a small bite on my lobe and I moan. He sits back on his knees in between my legs, and rubs his thumb over my clit through my panties. I bite down on my lip and lift my head enough to be able to watch him. Looking back into my eyes, he pulls the black lace down past my hips, lifts my legs in the air, and removes them. He grips the underside of my thighs with his huge hands and opens me up to his viewing pleasure. I see a small smile touch his lips. “A piercing. I like it.” He’s referring to my hood piercing. It’s a gold bar

with two pink jewels, one that rests directly on my clit. He maneuvers mine and his body to where he’s lying on his stomach with his face directly at my opening. I feel his tongue flick the piercing once, then twice, and then he takes it in between his lips and sucks. My hands fly to his head and I pull him closer. He releases my clit and pulls back slightly, causing my hands to fall from his head. I grip the cover instead. He lifts my ass up in the air, and my legs hover above my shoulders. I’m spread wide open. He inspects me for a moment before lowering his head and licking me from my ass to my clit and back down. “Holy fuck!” I blurt out. I wasn’t expecting that. He does it again, and again. His hands are holding my ass in the air, and his tongue dips inside of my wet opening then up to my clit where he sucks it into his mouth then tugs the piercing gently with his teeth. “Oh God yes!” I moan. He lowers my ass and legs back to the bed and stands up. I watch him as he begins undressing. He pulls the shirt off and I get a better view of the tattoos on his chest. His abs are perfect, and if I counted right, there may be eight of them. He has that delicious V that I wish all men had. He notices me salivating over him, and begins slowing down; teasing me. “I didn’t know that kings did strip teases,” I say playfully. “I told you I’m one of a kind,” he says with a perfect smile. He unbuckles his belt, unbuttons his pants, and ever so slowly unzips his jeans. He’s watching me the entire time. I’m now propped up on my elbows, my legs still

spread apart. The jeans drop to the floor and I see his ridiculously large and hard dick trying to push its way through his white boxer briefs. I definitely saw what I thought I saw back in the cab. Holy shit. I look back up into his eyes, -my face full of disbelief, I’m sure- and he winks at me. He knows he’s blessed. Finally taking off his boxer briefs, he grabs a condom out of the drawer next to his bed and rips it open. My only thought is, I hope it fits and doesn’t rip. Staring at his cock that’s pointing directly at me; I can’t help but want to put in my mouth. I don’t know if I’ll be able to take the whole thing, but I want to try. When I see him, taking the condom out and positioning it at his tip, I figure I can suck it later. He covers his length with the condom, and it doesn’t rip, but looks stretched to the max. He crawls back onto the bed with me, lays his body over mine, holding himself up with his forearms, and whispers into my ear. “Are you ready?” he asks in deep, husky whisper. “Yes,” I breathe out. With one hand, he reaches down and I feel his engorged tip at my entrance. He slides it around, moving the wetness through my folds. I whimper in response. “Impatient?” he asks playfully. I moan in response and push my hips up. He enters me slowly. Inch by inch I feel myself stretching around his thickness. When I think there can’t possibly be anymore, he thrusts the rest of the way in and I yelp. “Are you okay?” he asks. He’s stopped all movement, and is letting me get used to his size.

“Yes, yes,” I answer frantically. Slowly he pulls his long cock out until the head is at my entrance again, but this time he fills me with one thrust. “Fuck!” I scream. He gets on his knees; his cock still fully buried in me, and lifts my legs straight up. He’s holding both ankles in one hand while he slowly moves in and out of me. “Your pussy is so fucking tight,” he grunts. After several more thrusts, he lets my legs fall onto his shoulders, but only momentarily. He grabs my calves and pulls my legs apart, and up. My ass lifts slightly off the bed again, and he plunges even deeper inside of me. “Oh, God!” I yell out. I reach back for pillows or covers, anything to squeeze. His dick dips in and out and I can hear my wet juices as he enters me. I’ve completely soaked him. “You’re so wet for me,” he says. I can only groan in response. I’ve lost the ability to speak coherently. Dropping my legs to the bed, he leans back over me and slides his tongue back into my mouth. He kisses me deeply and passionately. I feel like I can’t get enough of him. My tongue darts into his mouth and my hands grip the back of his head while he fucks me. It’s his turn to suck my tongue into his mouth. When he frees my tongue, I feel him bite on my bottom lip. Not too hard, just enough to send a perfect mixture of pain and pleasure through my body. Before I know what’s happening, he flips us over to where I’m now on top of him.

“I want to feel you come, Adrienne,” he states. He grabs my legs and pulls my knees up until my feet are planted firmly on the bed. He’s much deeper this way. He gently nudges my knees further apart, and once again, I’m spread open to him. I grind myself on his cock, reveling in the feeling of him filling me up completely. He tugs my feet until they’re up closer to his head. Holy fucking shit. “You’re so deep,” I pant. He lifts his hips and penetrates deeper. “Shit!” I throw my head back, my hands resting on his stomach. He wraps his hands around my hips and lifts me up, then drops me back down on his dick. Hard. “Ah shit!” I yell. He continues his onslaught, then moves one hand to my clit and rubs circles on it. “Oh fuck. Oh my God. Yes. Yes! God, yes!” I scream as I come completely undone around him. My pussy constricts, squeezing his throbbing cock. I bring my legs back and let my body drop on top of him. I try to get my breathing under control, and when I try to pull up, his cock twitches and causes my body to shiver. “Oh yeah. You’re so fucking sexy, Adrienne. That’s what I wanted to feel.” He peels me off of him, lays me on my back, and licks my pussy. I gasp and my body scoots up when his tongue hits my sensitive clit. He begins licking and sucking around my drenched folds before slowly, and more gently licking around my clit. Flipping me over, he lifts my hips up until my ass is in the air and my face is still on the bed. I feel his dick slide through my juices, then between my ass. I tense

up. I’m not opposed to ass play, but his dick is a fucking monster. I don’t think I could handle that. He moves back to my pussy, coating it with my wetness, then plunges deep inside. My body moves forward. I grip onto a couple of pillows and bite down on the covers. “I love your ass, it’s so fucking perfect,” he says while squeezing each cheek with his hands. I feel a sharp pain as his hand comes down and spanks me. It surprises me, but I love it. “Yes! Spank me again,” I beg. “You like that?” he asks in a throaty voice. “Yes. God yes!” I feel the sting of his hand hitting my ass, and it only gets my pussy more wet. He leans over my back, his sweaty body rubbing against my own. His hand reaches around and plays with my pussy as he thrusts deep inside of me. I feel the pressure building up again. It takes only a few more strokes before I come again. “Fuuuck!” I shout. With amazing speed, he pulls out, flips me over and buries himself deep inside of me again. My legs now resting on his forearms, hips slightly lifted, he pummels me. I hear his deep grunts, feel his sweat drip onto my body, and I anxiously await his release. “Oh fuck. I’m about to come. God, you feel so good,” he says. I feel his body tense up and his movements slow. He releases my legs, and they are in complete muscle failure. I do my best to plant my feet on the bed, and wrap my arms around his broad shoulders. I begin

grinding my pussy onto him while he’s completely buried inside of me, and he comes immediately. Hard and loud. “Shit!” he roars. I slow my movements and feel his cock throbbing inside of me. his face is over my shoulder, resting on the bed. His rapid breaths are hard, his body completely slick with sweat. When he moves, he hovers over my face, gives me a charming smile and gives me a quick kiss on the lips. He slides out, stands up and makes his way to the bathroom. I’m left sprawled across his bed, arms and legs are every which way, and I can’t bring myself to move. My body is spent. I’m physically and mentally tired, but I can’t fall asleep here. I see this God of a man walk out holding a washcloth, his impressive length still hard and pointing at me. “Here you go,” he says, handing me the washcloth. “Thank you.” He turns to put his boxer briefs back on, and that gives me enough time to clean myself up a little while he’s not watching. Turning around, he reaches for the washcloth so I hand it to him. He goes back into the bathroom, and I decide I better find my dress. I let my legs swing off the bed and go to stand. Only my legs are clearly not ready to be walked on. I wobble briefly and then move around the bed to the other side. When I get there, he walks out. Opening a dresser drawer, he pulls out a pair of basketball shorts and puts them on. I bend down to get my dress and feel a shirt hit my head.

“Hey,” I exclaim. Smiling, he just shrugs. “I figured that would be more comfortable than that dress.” I look at the large T-shirt then back at him. “Oh. Uh…I don’t think I should really be leaving wearing only a shirt.” “You’re leaving right now?” he asks, genuinely curious. “Well, yeah. It’s late. I need to get home. I have to work tomorrow.” “Oh. Well, I can take you.” “No. It’s fine, really. I appreciate it, but I can just catch a cab.” “Are you sure? I can take you, it’s not a big deal.” “Yeah, I’m sure.” I put his shirt on the bed and slip my dress back on. He walks up behind me and zips it up for me. I turn and glance over my shoulder, looking up at him. “Thanks.” “You’re welcome,” he responds, giving me a small smile. “May I use your bathroom?” “Of course.” I move past him and into the bathroom. Once I’m done using it, I wash my hands and look at myself in the mirror. Yuck. My eye makeup is slightly smeared, my body is somewhat flushed, and my hair that was once in a nice up-do, is starting to come apart. I wipe the smudged mascara from my face, take my hair down and then tighten it back up in a bun, using water to tame the fly-a ways. When I emerge from the bathroom, Jace is propped up on the bed. His upper body leaning against the

headboard, and his long legs sprawled on top of the covers. He has his hands connected behind his head, and his eyes are closed. As I get closer, his eyes pop open. “I called downstairs and had them get you a cab. It should be here soon.” “Oh. Well, thank you.” I don’t know what else to say. This is awkward. What do you say to a one-night stand? Hey, thanks for the sex, I’ll be on my way. He swings his legs over the side of the bed, still sitting. “So?” he asks. “So, what?” I ask, completely confused. “How does it feel to have been with a king?” He smiles and I’m grateful that he’s not making it awkward. Only making jokes. I scoff and playfully roll my eyes. “Oh, I guess it was okay.” “Just okay, huh?” A wicked smile dances on his lips. “Uh-huh,” I answer. Trying to ignore my aching pussy that just took a beating from his giant cock. My muscles are exhausted and I try to stifle a yawn that has crept up on me. “Looks like I wore you out,” he says. “The things women will do to get their phones back. May I have it now?” I ask. “You can have it anytime you’d like,” he responds, arching an eyebrow. Not talking about my phone at all. “I mean my phone,” I say, extending my hand. He reaches into his nightstand and pulls it out. “You didn’t even have it with you at the restaurant?” I screech.

Handing it to me, he shows off his perfect teeth with a confident smile. “I had to make sure you ended up back here with me.” I yank the phone from him. “Cocky much?” “Maybe,” he answers. I guess he has a right to be cocky. He did get me up here after all. A thought finally hits me. “How did you get my address to send the flowers to?” “I didn’t think you were gonna ask,” he replies with a smile. “I had to go through your contacts in hopes of finding your house phone, but it’s not in there. I found your work number though, and asked for your address so I could return your lost phone.” “Who gave you my address?” I snap. “They should have had you deliver it to my work, they don’t know if you’re a psycho killer or not.” “I used my charms on the woman on the phone. She gave it to me, no problem.” I scoff. I’m gonna have to find out who gave a stranger my home address. He walks me to the elevator in his suite and when it opens, he goes to step in with me. “That’s okay. You don’t have to come down with me. You’re not even dressed. I can make it from here.” He tilts his head in confusion and his eyes narrow. “I’d like to make sure you’re not out there waiting by yourself.” “If it’s not outside, I’ll wait inside until I see it pull up. No worries.” “Okay,” he drags out and looks at me skeptically. “Okay,” I reply. “Uhh, thank you…for tonight.”

I don’t know if I’m thanking him for dinner, or sex. Maybe both. “Anytime, Adrienne.” I smile and hit the button to close the elevator. I need to be alone with my thoughts. This was a one-time thing. That’s it. Not gonna happen again. It was fun, hot, amazing, delicious sex…that will never happen again. He’ll move on to one of his many girls, and I’ll continue my busy work schedule and be good to go without sex for a while. Yep. That’s that. I can go without again.

It’s Friday, and time to go meet Marc for his appointment with a client. I haven’t heard from Adrienne since last Sunday, and I guess I didn’t really expect to. She doesn’t have any of my contact information, and the only information I have of hers is her work number and address. I’m sure I could get in touch with her if I wanted, but what would I say and what would it be for? She’ll eventually wonder what I do, I’ll tell her, and she’ll run. My work keeps me busy anyway. I can’t have any sort of regular relationship with anybody. She was good in bed, no doubt. If all she wanted was for me to fuck her every now and then, I would be good with that. However, she ran out of here so fast last time, and didn’t bother with any ‘I’ll call you’ pleasantries, so maybe she isn’t interested in that either. I wonder if I’m slippin’ on my skills. Nah, couldn’t be. I’ve just never had someone not want to be with me more than once. Call me a conceited bastard if you want to, but it’s the truth. They’ve never ran away from

me so fast. I wonder if maybe she has a boyfriend or something. Ah well, I don’t have time to worry about it. My job awaits. About twenty minutes later, I arrive at a hotel just off The Strip. Scanning the area, I notice Marc standing alone near the entrance. I walk over to him, and notice he’s got his preppy look going on. He’s got on a white long sleeve shirt, and on top is a blue and white argyle vest. He has his blonde hair parted on the side, and he’s running a hand through each side, making sure it’s perfectly in place. Marc has got to be the most metrosexual man I’ve ever known, but the women love it. “And people call me pretty boy,” I say jokingly to him. “Shut up,” he laughs. “I gotta make sure I look good.” “Whatever. So what’s goin’ on tonight? Did she say?” “Not really. She just wanted us to meet her here. She’s already in the room; I was just waiting on you.” “Oh okay. Well, let’s do this thing.” We walk through the lobby and since she’s just on the second floor, we take the stairs. Once at her door, Marc knocks, and a few seconds later the door opens. The woman at the door is a pretty blonde with hair that goes to her waist. Probably in her early forties. Her nails are painted blood red, and she’s holding a champagne glass. “Marc!” she exclaims, “So good to see you again.” “You too, Christine,” Marc replies leaning in to kiss her cheek.

She looks over at me. “Who’s your friend?” “This is Jay.” “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Jay,” she says with a smile. “Please, come in.” I’m not the only one who doesn’t tell clients my real name, but Marc and Troy use their real first names. Nico is short for Nicholas, and I’m not sure if Kade is his real name or not. She opens the door wider and we walk in after her. There are a few candles lit, and some soft music playing from somewhere. I notice there are a few bottles of champagne on the table, and one looks more than half empty. Walking back to the table, she refills her glass. “Care for some, guys?” she asks. “No thank you,” Marc and I answer simultaneously. “Christine, you look gorgeous tonight,” Marc says to her. It’s only then that I pay attention to what she’s wearing. Obviously Marc is playing the part, because I find nothing gorgeous about a cream colored, floor length night gown. It’s plain and less than flattering, but you can’t say that to her. “Thank you, Marc,” she says happily, running a hand down the dress. Christine isn’t a bad looking woman, though. She’s got bright red lipstick on to match her nails, and although I’m not usually a fan of red lipstick, it looks good on her. She has nice sized tits from what I can tell, and has a little extra meat on her bones. Nothing wrong with that. Cutting to the chase, I ask, “What are you wanting to

do tonight, Christine?” She blushes a little and walks over to the bed. “Come sit with me.” Marc and I join her on the bed. We’re sitting at the foot with her in between us. “I’ve never done this before. What I’m about to ask anyway. I’ve always been curious, and the last time I was with Marc, he made me feel so comfortable, so I figured why not.” I smile at her, waiting for her to continue. “I’d like to be with both of you…at the same time.” Her face flushes, and I can tell she’s embarrassed to admit her fantasy. A lot of people usually are. Marc looks over at me, probably trying to gauge my reaction, but I don’t have one. I assumed that’s what it was, and it’s not like I haven’t done it before. I’m pretty sure Marc has as well, but I don’t really know how he feels about it. “We can do that,” I reply, rubbing my hand up and down on her back. “Okay, I don’t really know how to go about it. I mean, like who goes where and when.” I let out a small laugh. “Don’t worry about all that, we’ll work it out.” “I’m going to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.” She hurries off. I understand her drinking almost a full bottle of champagne now. Nerves. “Hey, man. You sure you’re okay with this?” Marc asks. “Yeah. It’s not really like I have a choice. This is my job,” I say jokingly. “I know. I just didn’t want you to feel

uncomfortable. We’ve never done this together before.” He looks kind of nervous, which is strange, because Marc is always pretty confident. “Are you okay with this? Have you had a threesome with another guy before?” “Kind of, but we didn’t both fuck the chick at the same time. She wanted us both, but wanted to fuck me while the other guy watched and vice versa.” “Oh. Well, it’ll be alright, man. We won’t be doin’ each other so don’t freak out about it,” I laugh. “Unless you’re just worried I’ll out shine you.” “Please,” he laughs. The door opens and Christine comes out no longer wearing her granny night gown. Now she has on a corset type thing that barely covers her ass and pantyhose. She looks much better this way. Her curvy body is on full display. She walks over and stands between Marc and me. Facing him, she begins taking off his clothes starting with his pants. While she pries the button apart, Marc takes his vest and shirt off. Once she’s got his pants undone, she pulls both his jeans and briefs down. Turning to me, she runs her red nails down my chest. Once she reaches the hem, she lifts my T-shirt up, and I have to help her get it over my head. She then starts undoing my pants and tugging them down. Both Marc and myself are now completely undressed, and she drops to her knees. Taking my dick in her hand, she begins stroking it slowly. Her head turns towards Marc’s cock, and she takes him in her mouth. I hear her moaning around his dick while she pleasures both of us. After a few minutes, she switches,

but she doesn’t take me in her mouth right away. She licks my shaft from the tip to the base, getting it slick with her saliva. Finally putting her mouth around my growing cock, she tries her hardest to take me all the way in. Using her right hand to stroke while sucking as much of me as she can, she begins moaning and shifting her body more and more. I see her other hand stroking Marc’s dick with such voracity. She stops sucking me, and simultaneously jerks Marc and me off. She examines both of us in her small hands while moving them up and down along our length. Marc stumbles forward a little, which causes her to bring our dicks closer together, almost touching. I take that moment to reach down, lift her up and lay her on the bed. Squealing in delight, she scoots further up the bed with a playful smile on her face. Marc makes his way around towards her head, and I position myself by her legs. I flip her over onto her hands and knees, and she quickly takes Marc in her mouth. I watch as his dick goes in and out, his hands going for the back of her head. I grab a condom from my pants on the floor, slip it on quickly, and as soon as I’m on the bed again, I thrust into her soaking pussy. She screams out, almost gagging on Marc’s dick as the force of me diving into her pushed her forward. I ease out, grab the base of my cock, and tease her by pushing my engorged head into her pussy, and pulling out. I do this several times until I feel her pushing her ass back, trying to get more of me

inside of her. “You want more, Christine?” I say in a low voice. Continuing my teasing. “Mmm, yes!” she pleads from around Marc’s dick. “Are you sure you’re ready for it?” I ask. She pulls away from Marc and turns her head towards me. “Fuck me!” I smile at her, grab onto her hips, and slam into her hard and fast, causing her to yell out. Pounding her pussy with such force is causing her ass to shake, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t turn me on even more. I’m a sucker for a big ass. The soft flesh is slamming into my lower stomach, and I wonder if she’ll allow one of us to fuck her ass. “Is this what you wanted? You like that?” I ask. “Oh God yes,” she pants out, her whole body moving as I fuck her hard and fast. Marc stays on his knees in front of her, slowly stroking himself. When I pull my dick out, I lie on the bed near Christine. She’s still on her hands and knees, unsure of what to do next. “Come ride me, Christine.” She begins climbing on top of me, but I stop her. “Turn around. I want to see that ass move up and down when you ride this dick.” I hear her moan, and she complies immediately. She wraps her hand around my cock, and guides it into her pussy. My hands instantly go to her ass while she begins bouncing up and down on my shaft. I push her forward so I have a better view of my cock disappearing into her heated core. Thinking of Marc, and his inability to have much fun

with us two in this position, I have her turn around. Pulling her closer to my chest, her ass is now available to Marc. He gets in position behind Christine, and I feel his fingers rub against her pussy, and in turn, touching my dick as it moves in and out of her. I pull out a little, and feel his finger slide into her pussy while my dick is still inside. She cries out in pleasure, and I hear a moan come from Marc’s throat. After rubbing her pussy, and lubricating his fingers, he pulls away. “I want to fuck your ass, Christine. Is that okay?” he asks. She hesitates momentarily, but then gives into her desires and nods her head. Marc begins probing her tight hole, because she tenses up and stops moving. Making sure she’s comfortable, I stop my movements as well, and instead focus on her tits. The outfit she has on exposes her bottom half, because she has no panties on, but the top is tight, and has her boobs pushed up as high as they can go. I begin undoing some of the clasps until I free her big, natural tits. I squeeze them together and take turns sucking on each nipple. I hear her take in a sharp breath. “That’s it, honey. I promise this will feel good,” Marc says to her. He probably has a finger or two in. I peak over her shoulder and see him spit onto her ass, lubing her up more. His hand is moving faster and faster, his fingers able to move in and out easier. Christine has her eyes closed, and her bottom lip in her mouth. Marc pulls his fingers out, grabs one of the condoms I pulled out earlier, and slides it on. He’s standing on

the bed behind Christine’s ass, and I see him spread her ass cheeks apart, and then guide his cock into her slowly. Her face contorts, and she begins moaning. It feels like forever before Marc pushes himself all the way in. We both stay still, allowing her to move first. I feel her begin grinding, and she feels even tighter now. “I’m okay,” she breaths out. “You sure?” I ask. “Yes. It feels fine.” Marc begins slowly moving in and out, and I can feel his cock moving along the length of my own. I start thrusting, and Marc and I get into a rhythm. Christine is moaning, cussing, and scratching my chest, but I can tell it’s because she’s enjoying it. We aren’t moving too fast or too hard, but with the pressure of Marc’s dick against mine through her tightly stretched perineum, the feeling is intense. Marc’s eyes are closed and his head is thrown back, I’m sure it’s even more intense for him, being in her tight asshole. She begins moving more, feeling more comfortable and enjoying the feeling of two dicks in her at once. Marc’s eyes open, and he briefly looks at me, before holding on to her waist and plunging faster into her ass. Christine goes rigid. “Oh fuck. Fuck. Oh God, It feels so good, don’t stop. Yes.” She continues mumbling for only a few more seconds before exploding all over my dick with a loud scream. I hear Marc grunt and see the muscles in his arm flex. “Shit, I’m gonna come,” he says.

I feel Christine’s pussy constricting around my dick, her juices coating me, causing her to slide up and down easier. Marc forces himself into her ass harder, then stops moving and I feel his dick throbbing while he comes. With all the intensity and pressure on my dick, I come a few seconds later, hard and loud.

A few hours later, I’m sitting on my couch trying to find something to watch on TV. I scroll through several channels before deciding to just put it on a sports recap show. A little while later, as I’m starting to fall asleep on the couch, my phone starts ringing. “Hello?” “Hey man,” Troy’s voice says from the other end. “What’s up?” I ask, stifling a yawn. “Not much. Were you sleeping?” “Nah, it’s all good. What’s goin’ on?” “Well, I just got off the phone with Marc. He was talking about the opening. What did you have in mind for it?” Troy asks. “Ah man. I don’t know. What you got?” “Shit. You know I don’t plan shit like this. I’m just the brains behind it all.” I laugh. “Whatever, man. You ain’t the only one with a degree. Anyway, when are we thinking this is gonna happen?” “I talked to the contractors earlier, and they gave me the estimate of about two months.”

“Damn. That’s sooner than I thought.” “Yeah. They puttin’ in work.” “Okay. Well, I have an idea. I’ll talk to Marc and let him know.” “Sounds good. I’ll talk to you later.” “Okay, cool.” After I hang up with Troy, I give Marc a call to discuss the opening of our business. It’s been a long time coming, and I couldn’t be more excited about this new path I’ve carved into my life.

It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve had the best sex of my life. I thought fucking him would settle a craving, and I’d be good to go for a while. Instead, it awakened a sexual beast that I had living inside of me. It’s all I think about now. Sex. I want it. I need it. I fantasize about Jace and his huge hands doing wonderful things to my body. I can still remember the way his tongue felt as he slid it into my pussy, and the warmth of his mouth as his lips encircled my clit. I was sore for days. My entire body ached from the pounding he gave me. I’ve used my fingers and my vibrator, and neither one will do. I crave his body like a pregnant woman craves pickles and ice cream. How can I tell him that I want to use his body for my own pleasure? What would I even say to him? I’ve never had to chase after a guy. I haven’t asked anybody out on a date, haven’t initiated the first kiss, and

certainly haven’t asked anybody if they want to be fuck buddies. I just can’t do that. Plus, I have no idea how to get ahold of him. I only know where he lives, and I definitely won’t be showing up to his suite like some sort of stalker psycho. I groan and force myself to get out of bed. Before I make it to the bathroom, my phone vibrates on my nightstand. It’s Em. “Hello?” “Wake up, we have plans,” she says excitedly. “Ugh. No. I can’t deal with your happiness right now.” “Too bad. Get up because we have places to be.” “How come I never know about our plans until the last minute?” “I don’t know. I’m on my way over. It’s already ten, so stop being a lazy bum.” The phone clicks and I go use the bathroom, brush my teeth, and pull my hair into a messy bun on top of my head. I put on some shorts, flip flops and a white tank top. By the time I’m dressed, I hear Em banging on the door like she’s the cops. “Hey! Why are you trying to break my door down?” I say as I pull the door open. She gives me a shrug. “I thought maybe you had gone back to sleep, so I was prepared to wake you up.” “Well, I proved you wrong. I’m ready and everything, see?” I say, extending my arms and showing her that I’m dressed. She eyes me with a disgusted look on her face. “If that’s what you call ready. It doesn’t matter anyway. We’re going to go get pampered. Nails, hair, waxing.”

“Waxing?” I say, interrupting her. “I think I’ll pass. Last time you convinced me to get waxed, my hoo-ha was sore for days! No thank you.” “Stop being so dramatic,” she laughs. “I’m sorry. Last time the chick was new. This time, it won’t be the same one. I promise. We need to go get prettied up, go out to dinner with these two, hopefully-not-lame bitches, and then hit a club up and find some sexy men to dance with. That’s the plan.” She says the last part with finality, flips her hair over her shoulder and walks towards out door. “I guess I could use a few drinks,” I say, following her down the hall. “Still not over the king?” she asks with a laugh. “Oh shush,” I say, playfully pushing her. “Hell, from what you told me, I wouldn’t be over him either. I’d be scaling the building trying to get to him.” A loud and embarrassing laugh escapes my throat. A few people nearby all turn and look in our direction. Ignoring the stares, I continue to laugh. “Oh my gosh, Em. You’re too much. I picture you climbing the building like Spiderman and shit. Oh God, that’s too funny,” I say, unable to stop my laughter. “You think I’m playing. I’d be camped out on that balcony waiting to pounce him.” She lets out a small laugh at herself. “I think you’re crazy for not wanting to be with him again. You said yourself he was amazing in bed…and huge! It’s not like you’re getting any elsewhere.” She gives me a pointed look. “Well, thanks for reminding me,” I say and roll my eyes. “I don’t know what you think I’m supposed to do.

I don’t have his number, and showing up to his place would be desperate and sad. I won’t do that.” Emilie lets out a dramatic sigh. “Whatever. Guess you’ll have to find you another man tonight. He probably won’t be God-like, or be as good in bed, or have a huge…” “Okay!” I say, interrupting her sentence. “I get it. Let’s just go.” She laughs me off and we head out. Once we get to the salon, we sit down to get our toes done. Em looks over at me and lifts her eyebrows. “What?” I ask. “Nothin’, I was just trying to figure out what’s wrong with us.” “What do you mean?” “I mean, what’s wrong with us? We’re hot, we’re single, and we have jobs. Why don’t we have men?” I let out a sigh. “I don’t know. We have standards? We’re too picky? I’m not sure.” We let the silence settle between us while the chairs we’re sitting in massage our backs, and the ladies make our toes look nice. After about twenty minutes, we get our manicures and then move on to the hair stylist. I decide I might as well take advantage of getting pampered and have them straighten my hair for me. An hour later, my hair is sleek, shiny, and super straight. They always make it seem so easy at the salon, and it always looks much better than when you do it at home. Emilie got her hair lightened and it’s almost completely blonde now, the bottom half is spiral curled. Beach waves is what it’s called I think. Something I definitely couldn’t do with my hair.

She checks her watch. “You ready? We have just enough time to go get dressed, then meet those chicks at the restaurant.” “Yeah. Let’s go.” Once we’ve made it back to my place, we quickly change into our dresses. I make sure to choose my own this time. I pick an above the knee, black sequin dress. One long sleeve, the other sleeveless. It’s got a small V cut with sheer material, showing just enough cleavage to be sexy, but not too much to be slutty. Em is wearing a black and hot pink, color block mini dress. We lock arms and head out to the restaurant. “I really hope these bitches aren’t lame,” I say to Em before we enter the Italian restaurant. “Me too. Shelia seems nice enough. I don’t know anything about her friend, though. So we’ll see.” When we walk in, Em immediately spots Shelia. She’s hard to miss. She’s waving her hand in the air almost frantically. Her friend is next to her with a wine glass in hand, looking around the restaurant with a bored look on her face. We walk to the table and Shelia stands to greet us. “Hi.” “Hey She,” Em says. “This is my friend Adrienne. Adrienne, this is Shelia.” I extend my hand to shake hers. “Nice to meet you. How are you liking Vegas?” “It’s hot,” she says with a laugh. “Yeah. It’s definitely that,” I respond. There’s a bit of an awkward silence as we wait to be introduced to her friend. The blonde at the table hasn’t stood or made much of an attempt to look at us. I

already have a bad feeling about her. Shelia looks down at her friend. “This is Vivian.” At the sound of her name, she finally looks up. With a forced smile, she finally speaks. “Oh, hi,” she says as if she’s just realized we were there. “Hey,” Em and I say simultaneously. After glancing at each other briefly, Em and I take a seat across from them. “So what’s the plan for tonight?” Shelia asks excitedly. “Well, after we eat, we were just planning on hittin’ up a few clubs. There’s plenty to choose from,” Em answers. “Have you not been enjoying the nightlife yet?” I ask. She shakes her head slightly. “Not a whole lot.” “Don’t let her fool you. We’ve had some fun,” Vivian says before finishing her wine. Shelia blushes a little and I wonder what Vivian means by that. I look at Shelia and see if she’ll say anything about it, but she smiles and shakes her head like it isn’t a big deal. “So, Vivian. Have you been to Vegas before?” Emilie asks. “Oh yeah. Quite a few times. I love Sin City.” When she doesn’t say anything else, I turn my attention to Shelia. She’s quiet but seems sweet. “Shelia, what made you decide to move here?” “Well, Vivian has visited here quite a lot and she wanted to live here, so I figured why not? At least I’d know somebody.”

I glance over a Vivian and she has a tight smile on her face. Clearly she runs things between them two. I wonder why Shelia is even friends with her because I’m getting a total bitch vibe and Shelia is definitely one to easily be trampled on. “So do either of you have a boyfriend?” Vivian asks. Em and I both laugh. “We were just talking about this actually,” Em responds. “We don’t know why we can’t find any nice guys.” “Do you?” I ask Vivian. “No, I don’t. I have plenty of male friends, but nothing serious.” “What do you mean by male friends?” Em asks. “Like friends with benefits?” Vivian has a smug smirk on her face. “Something like that. I make sure to get what I want, when I want.” When she says that, I’m instantly reminded of Jace. He said the same thing. I assume Vivian thinks of herself as a queen. “Must be nice!” Emilie barks out. “I don’t have many guy friends, and none that I’d be willing to have sex with. Adrienne was able to get lucky not too long ago, but for some reason she’s not wanting to have a repeat performance with the guy.” I shoot Em a warning look, telling her to shut up, but she only shrugs her shoulders. “Oh? Why wouldn’t you want to be with him again? Was he terrible?” Vivian asks, while flagging down the waiter. “No, he wasn’t terrible,” I say before Emilie interrupts me. “He was the best, or so she says. He’s fucking hot as

hell, too! Super tall, probably rich, beautiful blue eyes, oozes confidence. Yumm.” Vivian tilts her head slightly like she’s trying to figure something out. She looks to Shelia who’s looking into her menu, and then back at me. “Sounds like a catch. Something must be wrong with him if you’re uninterested.” I try to shrug it off and leave it alone. I don’t really want to talk about how Jace is a man-whore, or how I’m actually considering being one of his many fuck buddies. I don’t know these girls, and don’t really want them knowing my business. Emilie seems to be unaware of my demeanor, because she just keeps talking. The waiter comes by to take our orders, and refill our drinks. Once he’s gone, Em opens her mouth. “Adrienne’s not wanting to be with a ‘playboy.’ She actually used air quotes like it wasn’t a true statement and rolled her eyes. Vivian looks shocked. “Playboy? How do you mean?” “He’s got lots of chicks on his dick, apparently,” Em answers bluntly. Shelia chokes on her drink a little, and I try to kick Emilie under the table, but only get the chair. “I’ve just seen him out and about with different women. That’s all,” I say. “Hmm. So you were with him sexually, but don’t want to be in a relationship with him because you’ve seen him with other women?” Vivian asks. I’m not sure if she’s being rude, or genuinely curious. “I’m just saying that a monogamous relationship with

him is something I don’t see happening. If I want anything from him, it will be sex.” “But you don’t want to have sex with him again?” she asks with a small laugh. I let out an exasperated sigh. “I don’t know. I’m not worried about it. Let’s just hurry up and eat and then get out of here.” Luckily for me, the conversation about Jace ends and we’re able to talk about other things. After we all finish our meals, we go catch a cab and make our way to a club that Vivian had insisted on us going to. When we arrive, we all slip out of the cab, and Vivian leads us to the front of the line. She speaks with the guy at the door, exchanges a few quiet words, and then with a kiss on the cheek, he lets us all in. “Have a good time, ladies,” he says as we pass him. We’re ushered in so quickly that I don’t have time to see what the name of the place is. It’s away from The Strip, and looks like a small, hole-in-the-wall type place. From the outside, I definitely don’t see a chick like Vivian frequenting here, but who knows. Once I get a look on the inside, my jaw drops. It’s absolutely gorgeous. The room is dimly lit, a few tables around the bar area, which is several steps up from the main floor. There are larger, and more comfortable looking seats scattered along the sides of the walls, and a dance floor in the middle. When I look up I see that there is a balcony overlooking the first level. With it being so dark I can barely make out what’s up there, but I think I see a few doors, so I’m assuming they’re rooms that play different music or something. This is definitely

more of a posh type place, and one that is well hidden. I’d never expect it to look so fancy on the inside from what the outside looks like. Vivian and Shelia are in front of Emilie and me, leading us to a corner section of the room. “What the fuck? How have we never heard of this place?” Em whispers to me. “I don’t know. It’s like we’re in a secret club or something.” “Vivian’s probably a rich bitch.” I laugh and look up to see that we’ve reached our destination. We’re sitting in a corner booth that has a view of the whole place. The seats are a gorgeous burgundy color and when I slide across the seat, I feel the soft velvety material rub across my legs. “Wow, this is nice,” I say. “Yes it is,” Vivian responds. “How do you know about this place? I’ve never been here before.” Em asks. “I know the owners and nobody would come here unless they’ve been told about it. It’s not advertised a whole lot.” I see Em about to ask another question, but a guy steps up to the table. “Ms. Winters, how are you?” he asks with a charming smile. “I’m fine, Charles. How are you?” Vivian responds. “Perfect. Can I get you ladies anything?” I see Emilie looking the guy up and down, and notice she’s biting on her bottom lip. Oh God, here she goes. “When you say anything, Charles, do you really mean anything?” she asks and goes back to biting her

lip, giving him her best seductive look. He glances at the rest of us for a brief second, but then turns his attention on Emilie. He leans down and brings his face closer to hers. “By asking me for anything, are you prepared to handle anything I give you?” His voice is a deep, husky whisper, but his message is definitely loud and clear. Emilie clears her throat, probably not expecting his response. “Well, that depends on what you have to offer.” He stands and smiles at her. “Maybe you’ll find out later.” He turns to Vivian. “Vivian, please be sure to find me before you leave.” With a nod and polite smile at us, he turns and walks away. I lean into Emilie and whisper in her ear. “Holy shit. That guy was pretty hot.” “I know, right? I’m prepared to do anything he wants. I think my panties are wet,” she whispers as she wiggles in her seat. We both start laughing. “Oh God, you’re too much,” I say. “I wouldn’t bother looking into that too much,” Vivian says. Em and I turn our heads in her directions. “What do you mean?” Em responds sharply. “I mean you getting excited about Charles. He’s like that with everyone. He’s paid to be that way.” My eyes narrow. “He’s paid to flirt?” Vivian laughs and inspects her nails. “No. I mean, he’s an escort.” She cuts her eyes to me, then back at Em. I turn towards Em, whose eyes are probably as wide

as mine. “Escort? Like gigolo, escort? As in gets paid to sleep with women, escort?” We both look back to Vivian. “Well, they aren’t paid to have sex with anybody. They are paid for their time to hang out with women. Go to parties, go out of town for a weekend, and go to dinner, stuff like that. If sex happens, and that’s a big if, then that’s between them.” “So I’m sure he’s made a lot of women’s panties wet,” Em says. “How do you know about the escort business?” I ask Vivian. She shrugs and looks around the club. “I just know.” Shelia has her face in her phone, ignoring the whole conversation. I turn back to Emilie. “That’s crazy, right? I mean an escort? You don’t just hear about these things in everyday life. Who would have thought we’d have met one.” “Yeah, and I’m sure he knows what he’s doing, too. With a job like that, you have to gain lots of experiences and learn new things. Ooh…I’m intrigued,” Em replies, looking around for Charles, I assume. “Em! You can’t be considering sleeping with him. He sleeps with everybody. That’s kinda gross.” “Adrienne, let’s talk about this a minute. Number one,” she says as she holds up one finger, “I haven’t had sex in a long time. Number two, you yourself said you think Jace is a player and you’ve seen him out with several people. What if he’s slept with all those women? You slept with him! It’s the same thing. Number three, that guy is hot as hell! Number four, at least with an escort it can be no strings attached, and I’m sure they have to be tested. If you sleep with some

random guy from the bar, he could easily be a man slut and have had sex with all kinds of people. And probably doesn’t even get tested regularly! Number…” “Okay! Stop with the counting. I get it. It’s just weird.” “So Adrienne, you’ve never had fun with an escort?” Vivian asks with a smile on her face. “Uh no.” She tilts her head. “Really? Why don’t you try it out? You might have the time of your life.” “No thanks. I’m good.” “Oh that’s right, you have someone you can sleep with, right? What was his name again?” Shelia finally gets off her phone, and nudges Vivian with her arm. “I gotta go pee. Will you come with me? I don’t know where it is.” “Yeah, let’s go,” Vivian responds. “What the fuck is up with that chick?” I ask Em. “Who? Vivian? I don’t know.” “She just rubs me the wrong way. She seems kind of bitchy. Poor Shelia is like her puppy, and what’s up with her knowing escorts and the escort business?” “Yeah, she won’t be a close friend of mine anytime soon. She said she came here a lot, so I’m sure when she would visit Vegas, she’d also visit escorts. I don’t know.” “You think she’s been with Charles? He did come up to the table to say hi to her.” “Ugh, probably.” “So, really. Are you okay with sleeping with an escort? He probably charges a shit load!” “If I flirt enough, and show him I’m interested,

maybe he’ll want to sleep with me for free. He doesn’t know I know he’s an escort. He can’t sleep with me and then be like, ‘oh by the way, I’m an escort and you owe me three thousand dollars.’ I don’t think so!” “Yeah, that’s true.” “Are you gonna find Jace?” I let out a groan. “I don’t know, Em. I told you I don’t know how to get a hold of him besides going to his house. I’m not that much of a creeper.” “But you want that dick again, don’t you?” she says with a devilish smile. I can’t help but smile back. “It was soooo good, Em. You have no idea.” “I know! I want an idea of how any dick feels.” Shelia and Vivian return with some drinks and all talk of escorts and dicks subside and we enjoy our night. With each drink, Shelia begins opening up a bit more and is actually pretty funny. Vivian isn’t as much of a bitch when she drinks, but she’s definitely sluttier. She dances with any and everybody on the dance floor, grinding her ass on men’s crotches, putting her face in women’s cleavage; it’s entertaining that’s for sure. Em and I dance and ogle some eye candy. We play a game called ‘who do you think’s an escort?’ and laugh the night away. We never see Charles again, which disappoints Emilie a little. At some point we lose track of Vivian and Shelia. We wander around the place, looking for them, but they seem to have left. It’s late and Em and I want to get home, so Emilie shoots Shelia a text, hoping she’ll see it eventually. We leave the club arm in arm and find a

cab. As we’re getting into the back seat, I’m pretty sure I see Jace get out of the cab ahead of us, and enter the club we just came out of. But I’m drunk, and my eyes are tired, so I don’t bother thinking about it.

Come Monday morning it’s back to business as usual. I spent my weekend recovering from my hangover. I had no desire to do anything but lie around in pajamas, eat junk food, and watch movies. Now I’m back at the office, listening to messages, responding to emails, and getting ready to meet with Mrs. Roberts again. Her daughter’s wedding is this Saturday, so she’s become even crazier. I wonder if they call brides bridezillas, then what do they call the moms of the brides? Momzillas? I’ve only spoken with her daughter a handful of times; she seems to be letting her mom do whatever will make her happy. The phone on my desk rings. “Hello?” “Hi, I’m not sure if you’re the person I need to talk to or not, but hopefully you can help me,” the deep but playful voice says on the other end. “Well, I’m not sure, but I’ll do my best,” I respond. “Great. I’m looking for somebody to help me with a grand opening of a club.” “Okay, Mr…”

“Edwards. Sorry.” “That’s fine. Mr. Edwards, I can definitely see what I can do for you. If you don’t mind, I’ll patch you through to my assistant and she’ll take down any information you have. I have a meeting with a client very soon, otherwise I’d do it.” “Oh, that’s perfect. Thank you so much, Ms…” “Miller,” I laugh. “Sorry about that.” His deep laugh echoes over the phone. “It’s no problem. I look forward to working with you, Ms. Miller. Have a good day.” “You too. I’ll talk to you soon.” I patch him through to my assistant, Cindy, and two minutes later Mrs. Roberts walks in. “Adrienne, dear! Please tell me that everything is going according to plan. I’m about to have a nervous breakdown.” “It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Roberts. Yes, everything is fine,” I say with a smile. “Good. That’s great to hear. I’m about to shoot the seamstress. She’s messed up on my daughter’s dress, and I’ve had to bombard her with phone calls and visits to make sure she fixes it before Saturday.” “I’m sure she’s enjoying that,” I say with a smirk. “Now, Adrienne. You know I’m a sweet old lady; some people just push my buttons. Is it so much to ask that everybody do their job?” “No, ma’am. Just don’t go shooting anybody, or you’ll miss the wedding you’ve stressed over for so long.” “Well, I couldn’t do that.” “How’s everything else going?” I ask.

“Dreadful. I have family coming in, and that’s just a problem in itself.” “Why’s that?” “You haven’t met my family, Adrienne, but you will on Saturday,” she says. “Well if they’re anything like you, I’m sure I’ll love them,” I say and give her a playful smile. “I’m the nicest one,” she replies with her own smile. “Oh goodness.” We both laugh. Working with Mrs. Roberts has been a pain in my ass at times, but I like the old lady. We’ve developed a nice relationship. “Well, Mrs. Roberts, I’ll be on location Friday night to make sure everything is perfect, and then of course be there early Saturday to make sure the caterers and everybody is in place and doing what they’re supposed to. You won’t have to worry about anything, that’s my job.” “You’re a sweetheart. Thank you, Adrienne.” “It’s no problem.” “Well, I’m off. I have to deal with some unruly kids.” “Good luck,” I say with a laugh. She waves and walks out. About twenty minutes later, Cindy walks into my office. “Hey, so I just got off the phone with Mr. Edwards, and he gave me his contact information, I wrote down all of his ideas and he wants you to meet with him.” “Okay, when?” “He wants to know if you’re free for lunch.” “Today?” I screech.

She gives me a sympathetic smile. “Yeah. He said is schedule is full for a while and is free this afternoon.” “Well, that’s good for him. I’m busy.” I start stacking papers on my desk so I can get a clear view of the giant calendar I have stuck to the top of my desk. “I have a phone call with Mr. Martinez, I have to check in with the crew that’s setting up the Roberts’ wedding, and I have to put together a little portfolio of ideas for this other client.” “I know, but the Roberts wedding will be done soon, and you could use another client. Plus, he sounds superhot on the phone. Maybe he’ll be single,” she says with a coy smile. “I don’t need a boyfriend. What is up with everyone trying to get me laid, or in a relationship? Geez,” I huff. “Calm down. I was just playing.” “Sorry, Cindy. I’m just frustrated.” “It’s fine. What do you want me to tell Mr. Edwards?” I let out a drawn out sigh. “I’ll meet him. A girl needs to eat.” “Atta girl. I’ll let him know, and then get back to you.” “Kay.” I send off a few emails, and then call Mr. Martinez about his company party. While I’m on the phone, Cindy walks in and sticks a post-it note on my desk. The note just lets me know when and where to meet Mr. Edwards. Once I’m off the phone, I run to the bathroom and freshen up. I have my hair in a bun, so I just put some water on some of my fly-aways, and hope they stay

down. I reapply some lip gloss and try to smooth out my black pencil skirt. I’m meeting Mr. Edwards at a little café that’s only a block and a half away from my building, so I decide to just walk down there. As soon as I arrive, I quickly make my way out of the sweltering heat, and into the air conditioned building. It’s pretty small, but there aren’t many people here. I order a sandwich, a small salad, and grab a water bottle. Sitting at a corner table with a view of the door, I eat and wait for my new potential client to walk in. It’s only a minute later when the door chimes, and I look up to see a ridiculously attractive man standing at the door. He’s wearing a blue suit with what looks like a light pink dress shirt, his blonde hair is perfectly combed, and he’s looking around the café. When he makes eye contact with me, he gives me a smile. He begins to approach, so I stand up. “Ms. Miller?” he asks. “Yes, that’s me. Nice to me you, sir,” I say as I shake his hand. “You, too. Do you mind if I order some food?” “No. Please,” I say, gesturing towards the counter. Once he collects his lunch, he comes and sits across from me. “Thank you so much for meeting with me. I know it was very last minute, but I just don’t have an opening in my schedule for a while. I’m about to go out of town, you see, so I wanted to get together and figure as much out as possible.” “Oh, I see. That’s perfectly fine. No problem,” I say with a smile.

“Wonderful. So where do we start?” he asks before taking a bite of his burger. “Well, if you could just tell me about the event you want me to plan, and which services you’d like me to be in charge of, that would be great. I have the notes my assistant Cindy took down, but if you’d like to specify anything, please do.” “Well, the club is three floors, different themes on each. I explained to Cindy what each floor consisted of, so I won’t bore you with those details again,” he says with a grin. “Right, I have those here. I gotta admit, Mr. Edwards, it sounds like it’s going to be an amazing club.” “I certainly hope so.” “I’m going to be honest, sir. I’m not sure what all you want me to do. Since it’s a club, you’ll obviously have drinks and music readily available, and I’m sure the décor will be up for the opening.” “Yes, that’s all true, but because it’s the Grand Opening, I want there to be some sort of raffle tickets for prizes. Now I’ll be honest with you, even though I’d like to say I know a lot about women, I don’t know what kind of prizes they’d like to win. If you could find out if we could put together salon packages or something along that line, that would be great.” I smile at him. “I can definitely help with that. I’ll just talk with some of my closest friends and coworkers, and see what they’d like to win, and go from there. Now what about prizes for men?” “Well, again, I don’t know. I know what I like, but I

don’t know what other men would like.” “That’s fine. I’ll figure it out. You’ll just have to let me know your budget. What about food? Little h’orderves on each level?” “That will be fine. Each level extends outdoors, so maybe we can set up some serving tables out there.” I nod as I jot down notes in my little notebook that I brought along. “When will I be able to see the club? I’ll just need a quick walkthrough so I can get a better idea on where things will go, and maybe get some other ideas.” “I’ll talk to the contractors and then get in touch with you. It’s not quite ready yet, but once it’s safe for you to walk through, I’ll be sure to let you know.” “Sounds good. How long will you be out of town for?” “Only about a week, maybe two.” “Business or pleasure?” I ask, and instantly regret being so nosey. He gives me his most charming smile. “I try to include a little pleasure in everything I do.” I feel the heat in my cheeks. “I see,” I respond. “I’m sorry for being intrusive. That was really none of my business.” “It’s fine Ms. Miller. No worries. You know what they say about all work and no play, right? We all need to play a little, or we may go crazy. “Very true,” I say, remembering Mrs. Roberts saying almost the same thing. He finishes his food, and empties the rest of his water bottle into his mouth. “Well, Ms. Miller, it was a pleasure. Thank you

again.” I stand up and we walk towards the door. “No problem, sir. I’ll get some ideas together and email you to see what you think.” “Great. We’ll speak soon, then.” We shake hands outside, and then turn and walk in opposite directions. It’s time for me to get back to the office, and start coming up with ideas for his opening.

I hate rushing. After taking a five minute shower I look for something to throw on. I figure business casual will do and put on some jeans, a blue shirt and a white blazer. Since I don’t have time to wait for a cab, I get into my Bentley and rush through traffic, hoping like hell that I’m not late. Fucking Troy waited until this morning to tell me that I needed to meet with this lady when he knew about it yesterday. He knows I hate being late. It’s a terrible impression to make when you’re meeting someone for the first time, especially someone you hope to do business with. When I arrive, I quickly get out of the car, hit the alarm and speed walk to the front door. It’s five minutes past the arranged meeting time. Not too bad. Walking in, I see a woman walking around with a notepad and taking notes. She’s clear across the room and unaware of my presence. I get closer before I speak up so I don’t have to yell, but when I almost reach her, I stop in my tracks. Is this really my luck? I decide to stay where I am, and lean up against a pillar, waiting for her

to turn around. She never turns around so I clear my throat to get her attention. When she realizes someone is here, her body quickly turns around and as soon as she sees me her mouth opens a little bit. “Hello, gorgeous,” I say with a smile. “What are you doing here?” she asks. “I was told I needed to meet an event planner. I take it that’s you.” “Yes, and I was told by Mr. Edwards that I was going to be meeting a Mr. Thompson.” “Well, my friend, Mr. Thompson informed me this morning that he wouldn’t be able to make it, so here I am,” I say, extending my arms. “I see. You want to go ahead and get started?” she asks, looking a little nervous. “You just want to walk through first?” “Yes, sir, that’s fine.” “Adrienne,” I say with a laugh, “You don’t have to call me sir. I mean, really, it’s a little strange.” “Oh, should I just call you king?” she says with a playful look on her face. A smile stretches across my face. “That works for me. By the way, have you met any other kings lately?” She blushes and looks down at her notepad. “Just the one,” she says. “Told you. The one and only.” “Shall we?” she asks, nodding towards the rest of the room. I smile and nod at her. We walk through the entire first floor of the club, and she pauses in certain areas and writes something down. I can’t help but stare at her

perfect figure. She’s wearing a form fitting purple top that’s tucked into a black skirt, and both fit her body perfectly. Her legs are covered by black pantyhose, but the purple heels she has on still makes them look great. When we get up to the second level, she finally breaks the silence. “Oh wow,” she breathes. “Yeah. This is Troy’s level.” “Mr. Thompson?” she asks. “Yeah. Each level is designed by one of us. The first one was Marc’s. Mine is the top floor.” She raises an eyebrow. “Figures you’d be on the top.” “I like being on the bottom too,” I respond with a grin. “Is that all you think about?” she asks, shaking her head. “You don’t think about sex?” I retort. She doesn’t answer right away; she just turns around and begins inspecting everything. “Come on! Women think about sex just as much as men do.” “I never said we didn’t. I just think this is inappropriate to talk about since I’m working for you now.” “I don’t think it’s inappropriate. I don’t care if you want to talk about sex. I promise I won’t fire you.” “Geez. Thanks.” “Adrienne, I’ve had your legs wrapped around me.” I step closer to her, and bring my mouth to her ear. “I’ve tasted that tight pussy of yours.” Standing straight in front of her, I bring my thumb to her lips while my

hand rests on the bottom of her face. “Your juices coated my lips.” Her breath hitches, and she licks her lips, but in the process, licks my thumb. I drop my hand and we’re left staring into each other’s eyes. “Nothing you say to me will be inappropriate,” I say softly. “So tell me, have you thought about me?” She takes a small step back and runs her hands down her skirt while avoiding my eyes. I lift her chin until she’s looking at me again. “I’ve thought about you,” I say honestly. “I doubt that,” she says quietly. I let go of her face, but this time she continues to watch me. “What makes you think that?” I ask. “Jace, look, I’m going to be honest okay? Hopefully your promise to not fire me will stand.” “I’m not going to fire you. Just tell me.” “Okay. I know you see lots of other women. I’ve seen you with several different ones, and I’m only assuming that you sleep with them, too. You’re attractive, and I’m sure women throw themselves at you, and being a guy, you aren’t going to turn them down. I get it. So I’m sure having sex with me once isn’t making you forget all your other women, or even having you wanting to stop seeing other women. I’m not naïve.” She’s seen me with other women? I’ve only seen her once when I was with a client. Shit. I wonder just how many women she’s seen me with. “Well, I don’t know how many women you’ve seen me with, but I can tell you that I’m almost a hundred

percent sure that I didn’t sleep with all of the ones you saw me with. I won’t insult you by lying and say that I haven’t slept with other women. I have. A lot of them. That doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about you, though. I can’t fully explain to you why you’re different than those other women other than saying you’re the one woman I’ve wanted to be with in a long time.” I can’t tell her that I’m only with the other women because they request me and pay to spend time with me. She probably won’t believe me, but it’s not easy to tell someone you’ve slept with that you’re an escort. I’m not lying when I say that I’ve thought about her. She’s definitely my type, and I’m not used to being with my type of women. I’m so used to putting on a front and pretending to be interested in women that I wouldn’t give a second look on the streets. “So you go out with and sleep with women that you don’t want to be with? That doesn’t make sense to me. Why do it?” “They want to be with me,” I reply. She scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Look, I’m about to begin working with this business full time,” I say, gesturing towards the club. “I won’t be dating a lot of women.” Meaning, I’ll be out of the escort business, but I can’t say that. “I’m not even sure how to take that,” she says with a shake of her head. “I’d like to get to know you, Adrienne.” “I think you know me pretty well,” she says and starts walking towards the stairs. I follow her, watching her hips sway as she tries to walk as fast as possible. I grab her elbow and pull her

closer to me. I grab her face with both hands and stare into her eyes. “I know you physically. I know you’re beautiful. I know how your body feels under my own. I know how you taste. I know the way you sound when you cry out as I fuck you. I know how you feel when you come, but I want to know more. I want to know where you went to school. I want to know what your favorite food is. I want to know if you have any siblings. I want to know what kind of music you like. I just want to know you, Adrienne.” Releasing her face from my hands, I take a step back and wait for her response. I can only hold my breath and hope for the best. “If you wanted to know me, then why haven’t I heard from you since we were together? You have my work number, and my address.” “I didn’t think you’d want to see me again. The last time I saw you, you all but ran away from me. It was like you couldn’t get away fast enough. I thought about getting in touch with you, but I didn’t. I apologize.” “So, we’re gonna try to be friends?” she asks. “That would be nice.” “No benefits,” she says, and I’m not sure if it’s a statement or question. “Do you think you can resist me?” I say playfully. “Oh God,” she says dramatically. “I think I’ve heard you say that before.” “You won’t be hearing it again as long as you’re still going out with women you don’t want to go out with,” she says with an eye roll.

“Fair enough.” “Good. Now show me your level and I should be good to go.” We walk up the stairs that lead to the top level, and she once again walks around making notes. Once she’s done walking around the deck outside, she walks towards me. “Done?” I ask. “Yep. I think I have everything I need. I’ll confirm the food and door prizes with you, or should I speak with Mr. Edwards?” “You can get in touch with any three of us, but I’d prefer if you’d contact me,” I say with a smile. “I guess that means we should exchange contact info, huh?” “It does.” She smirks up at me and then writes down her email address and phone number on a page in her notepad, rips it off and hands it to me. “Email address is for work purposes. That’s how I contact a lot of my clients. My cell is on there as well if you ever need to get in touch with me, and I wrote down my work number, in case you lost it.” She hands me the notepad and pen. “I need your information too, sir,” she says with a playful smile. I take them from her and jot down all my information, and hand it back. “And if I want to get in touch with you for something that’s not work related?” “I always have my cell on me, so I’d try there first.” “Okay. Do you have plans this weekend?” I ask. She gives me a funny look.

“Friends can’t make plans?” I say with a laugh. “Mmhmm. Anyway, I have to work this weekend.” “All weekend?” “Well, Friday night and then most of Saturday.” “I see. Well, I guess we’ll have to make plans for a later date then.” “Yeah.” We begin our descent to the first floor in silence. When we reach the front door, I walk her out and to her car. “It was nice seeing you again,” I say as I open her door. “Yeah. You too,” she replies. “Talk soon?” I ask. “Sure…friend,” she says and then gives me a wink. She climbs into her car and drives away. I pull my phone out and send a text, then make a phone call.

I drive away, my hands feeling clammy on the steering wheel, and I’m smiling like an idiot. Friends. I can be friends with him. I’ve had plenty of guy friends; maybe not any that had been as good looking as him, or had given me amazing orgasms, but friends nonetheless. I’ll just try not to think about the sex we had, or the size of his dick, or the way he licked my pussy just right… fuck! When I get back to the office, I grab my purse and phone and see that I have a message. Hey, friend. Want to go out to lunch as friends? I promise it will be a friendly lunch. –J I can’t help the joker-like grin that spreads across my face. I add him into my contacts before responding. Me : That depends. Are we going as friends? I couldn’t tell.

GLC: Funny. Yes, friends. Is that a yes? Me: When and where? GLC: Is today too soon? After I read his message I do a little squeal and my cheeks begin to hurt from smiling too much. Me : I suppose I can pencil you in. Where? I take lunch at 11:30. GLC: Great. I’ll be in touch with the details. Me: Umm…okay. He doesn’t respond back, so I guess I just have to wait for his next text to find out where we’ll be meeting. I go into my office and try to keep myself busy with work and not think about my lunch date with Jace. Instead I make sure everything is good to go for the Roberts’ wedding this weekend. I can only hope that everything goes according to plan because I don’t even want to think about the hell Mrs. Roberts will raise if it doesn’t. While I’m on the phone, Cindy comes in with a bouquet of flowers and a dumb smile on her face. She places them on my desk and starts digging for the card. I snatch it from her and she smiles again before leaving. As soon as I hang up the phone, I read the card. They say yellow roses symbolize friendship. They

also say pink roses symbolize appreciation. I appreciate you not only accepting my invitation to lunch, but also my friendship. I’ll pick you up at 11:30. –J I re-read the card several times before finally placing it on my desk. I lean over the beautiful bouquet of pink and yellow roses. Their intoxicating smell has already filled my office, but I feel the need to bring my nose closer to them. As I’m inhaling their scent with a smile on my face, Cindy creeps into my office with an even bigger smile on hers. “Does somebody have an admirer?” she asks. “No. Somebody has a friend.” “That’s an awfully big bouquet to be from a friend,” she replies with her eyebrows raised. “I guess I have some nice friends.” “Hmm.” I ignore her inquisitive stare and pull my makeup bag out and begin touching up my face. “Who are you getting all pretty for?” she asks playfully. “You sure are in my business, Cindy. Maybe you need a date.” “I do, that’s why I’m bugging you.” “Or you could do some work,” I say as I apply my lip gloss and then drop everything back into the drawer of my desk. “Eh,” she says with a shrug. “Bugging you is more fun.” “For you.” “So do you have lunch plans or something?” she

asks. Before I can answer her, I see Jace in the doorway of my office and he takes my breath away. Even though I just saw him this morning, I’m surprised by how good he looks. He changed and is now wearing some dark blue jeans, a royal blue T-shirt with some sort of design on it, blue and white sneakers, and a blue and white baseball hat. He sure does know how to match his clothes up. You can tell he isn’t the type of guy to leave the house in sweat pants and flip flops. I like it. I peek around Cindy’s shoulder and he smiles, showing off his perfectly white teeth. “Hey, are you ready? I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Cindy turns around and her jaw drops. She checks him out for a good minute before swinging her head back in my direction. Her eyes go wide and I decide to ignore her. “No, it’s fine. I’m ready,” I say with a smile as I walk past Cindy. “Great,” he responds. I turn back to Cindy. “I’ll see you when I get back.” “I’m sorry. I’m Jace. I’ll be taking Adrienne to lunch,” Jace says as he extends his hand to Cindy. She smiles and takes his hand. “I’m Cindy. Adrienne’s assistant. She didn’t tell me she had a date today,” she says as she looks over at me and narrows her eyes. “Well, I hope she doesn’t have a date. We’re just friends because she refuses to date me,” Jace says as he looks back at me and winks. “This is a friendly lunch.” I roll my eyes. “Hmm. Well I hope to see you around here more

often, Jace,” Cindy says with a flirtatious smile. Skank. “Okay, we should go now,” I chirp. Jace walks towards me and places his hand on my lower back and we walk out. “I look forward to talking to you when you get back, Adrienne,” Cindy calls from my office. When we get outside I see his blue Bentley parked out front. He opens the passenger door for me and I slide in. The cream, leather interior is spotless. It has some wood paneling, and it looks like it was just driven off the showroom floor. There is no trash in here, no leftover cups or water bottles anywhere. No receipts in the side panels. Definitely not like my car. When he gets in, he looks over at me and smiles, then starts the car and drives off. “Nice car,” I say. “Pretty spacious in here.” “Thanks. Yeah, I need as much space as possible. I’m a big man,” he says and then glances at me quickly with a grin on his face. “Uh huh. Why didn’t you get an SUV or something? I mean, this is nice and obviously big enough for you, but an SUV would be bigger.” “I do have one. I just like this one more.” “Oh. So where are we going?” “A little hole-in-the-wall type place, but I promise the food is delicious. Plenty of meat, I know how you like it.” I can’t help the small laugh that escapes. “Oh good. It’s been a while since I’ve had some good meat.” He smiles but doesn’t say anything in response. When we arrive at the restaurant, it definitely doesn’t look like much from the outside. It’s crammed

in between a couple of other food places, and the neon open sign on the door is starting to go out. Jace opens the door for me and I walk inside and see a ton of people. Must be good. Jace leads me to table near the wall and a waitress comes over to take our order. She’s an elderly lady with her blondish gray hair put up into a messy bun. She takes our drink order, leaves some menus, then hurries off. “So what would you suggest?” I ask Jace as I look at the menu. “Everything is good here, so I guess it depends on what you’re in the mood for. Cheeseburger, steak, ribs, chicken. You can’t go wrong with any of it.” “I’ll just stick to a cheeseburger.” The waitress comes back and drops off our sodas and takes our order. “So, Adrienne, tell me something about you.” “What do you want to know?” “Anything. Everything.” “Okay. My dad raised me by himself from the time I was ten until I moved out. I have no siblings. My favorite color is purple, but like a dark purple. Uhh… that’s about it. Your turn.” He smiles and leans forward with his arms crossed on the table. “Okay. I was raised by my mom. I had one brother, but he died several years ago. My favorite color is blue, any shade will do.” “I’m sorry to hear about your brother.” He nods and gives a sad smile, but doesn’t say anything else, so I leave it at that.

“Is blue your favorite color because of your eyes?” I ask, trying to lighten the mood. He lets out a small laugh. “No. You’ll be surprised to know that I hate that my eyes are blue.” “What? Why?” “I don’t know, probably because everybody makes such a big deal out of them.” “They’re just not your usual kind of blue. They’re very unique, and you’re obviously mixed with something, so it’s rare to see those kinds of eyes on someone like you.” He laughs again. “I guess you’re right. Also, I’m a mixture of black, Spanish and French. In case you were wondering.” “Ah. Well I’m a mixture of black, Cherokee, German, and French.” “I knew you had an exotic look for a reason,” he says with a grin. “So are you from here?” “Yep. Born and raised. How about you?” “No. I’m from New York, but I’ve lived here since I was nineteen.” “What made you move here at such a young age?” He pauses momentarily. “I needed to get away, I was young and Vegas was intriguing, and I figured it would be easy to find a job here.” “It’s not easy to find a job in New York City?” I ask with a laugh. He smirks. “I guess I just wanted a change of scenery.” “Whatever you say.” “So what made you stick around here? You never wanted to move?”

“Sure I did, but I wanted to stay close to my dad. I felt like he needed me. Plus, I found a good job here, and you can’t really go wrong with Vegas. I mean, the heat is a bitch, but you always have plenty to do.” “Very true.” Our food arrives and the cheeseburger isn’t at all what I was expecting. It’s huge! It takes up almost half my plate, and the cheese is dripping down the sides. Jace has a pulled pork sandwich and that’s huge too. Pork is falling out of the bread, but everything looks delicious. As he watches me inspect my cheeseburger, trying to figure out how to bite into it, he begins laughing. “Can’t handle it?” “Well I’ve never had to try to get something as big as this in my mouth before,” I say and then look up at him with a smirk playing on my lips. He leans back and his eyes go wide momentarily. “Oh really? Never, huh?” “No, I don’t think so.” “That’s a shame.” “Indeed,” I reply before taking a bite. I think back to the night we had sex and how I wanted then to take him into my mouth. His size was intimidating, but I wanted to feel him in my mouth. I wanted to see how much of him I could take. I squirm a bit in my seat before snapping myself out of that thought process. When I sneak a peek back at him, he’s watching me closely. “Got something on your mind?” he asks. “Nope,” I say, maybe too quickly.

We continue to eat our food while talking about school, music, and movies. I’ve learned that Jace is very well-educated, loves drama and horror movies the most, is pretty eclectic music wise, and totally gets my sense of humor. We both are pretty quick-witted, but I think I may be more sarcastic than him. Before I know it, it’s time for me to head back to work. “Thank you so much for lunch. You were right, the best meat in town, and biggest. I’ve never had bigger or better meat before.” “Okay, you need to stop,” he says with a laugh while shaking his head. “What?” “I get your little innuendos.” “I have no innuendos. I just said I enjoyed the meat here. The burger was big and thick. I liked it.” “Uh huh. I have something else you’d like,” he mumbles, but I still heard him. “As do a lot of people, I’m sure,” I respond under my breath. He looks down at me as we walk out, but doesn’t say anything, and I give him my most innocent smile. “Thank you for the flowers by the way.” “You’re welcome.” We get to the car and he opens the door for me once again. I’ve never had a boyfriend or any guy friend do that for me. I guess chivalry isn’t dead for everyone. “You never mentioned any relationships or boyfriends while we were getting to know each other in there,” he says after he starts the car. “You never mentioned any girlfriends.”

“I haven’t had a girlfriend in a long time.” I turn in my seat to face him and scrutinize him. Once he glances at me, he laughs. “Why do you have your mouth twisted up like that? It’s true.” “I’ve seen you with women before. None of them were ever girlfriends?” “No. They were dates, but I haven’t been in a relationship in a couple years at least.” “Hmm. Okay.” “And you? What’s your story?” I let out a long and loud sigh. “My last boyfriend kissed my best friend. He was a douche. We were together for eight months, and broke up about the same amount of time ago.” “So you haven’t been on dates with anyone since him?” he asks. “Only if you count your manipulative dinner date to get my phone back as a date. Other than that, no.” “I’m not manipulative. I just know how to get my way,” he says with a small smile. “Uh huh. I’m sure you do.” “You know I do.” “Whatever.” “Well, if I knew that was your first time on the dating scene in a while, I would have done a lot more.” “I think it ended up just fine.” “Just fine? That’s it? You really know how to hurt a guy’s ego.” I laugh. “Right. I don’t think you need any help with your ego.” “Do you really think I’m that full of myself?”

I look over at him and study his beautiful but masculine face. He’s truly gorgeous. His strong jaw line is covered with a five o’clock shadow. The sun is causing the blue of his eyes to really pop, and his full lips look soft and kissable. He’s obviously rich, good looking, and has women near him all the time. Being a cocky bastard is something that he could be, but he’s not. He’s funny, charming, kind, and thoughtful. Getting to know him in the restaurant was great. He left the waitress a wealthy tip because he overheard her on her cell talking with someone about being late on bills. He’s bought me flowers twice now, and never allowed me to pay for my own food. He makes me laugh and opens doors for me. He’s truly a gentleman. “No. I think you’re perfect,” I say softly. I realize now that we are stopped in front of my office. He looks over at me and his face is blank of emotion. Finally he gives me a small smile. “I’m far from perfect, Adrienne, but I’d like to think I can be perfect for someone…someday.” We continue to stare into each other’s eyes; my heart starts beating faster and I lick my lips. His gaze drops to my mouth before moving back up to my eyes. In my mind I’m begging him to kiss me, but then there’s another part of me that says I need to just get out of the car. I want him. There is no denying that, but I want him to want me and only me. I don’t think this friends thing is gonna work out. I won’t be able to hang out with him and not have thoughts of wanting more. I’m about to say just that when he reaches over and grabs my hand in his. My small hand just about disappears within his own. My poor heart is working overtime; I can feel it beating

hard through my chest. He leans in closer, and closer still, and any rational thoughts that I could or should have, go out the window. In this moment I want his mouth on mine. I want to feel his tongue move over my tongue. I want his smooth and soft lips to caress mine. His other hand moves to the side of my face and without thought, I close my eyes and nestle into it. He strokes my cheek with his thumb and I open my eyes and meet his gaze. His face gets closer to mine and I close my eyes waiting to feel the warmth of his mouth. When I do, it’s not what I was wanting. He kisses me…on the corner of my mouth. It’s mostly on my cheek, but he lingers for a few seconds, and I revel in it. When he pulls back and I open my eyes, he’s already studying me. He caresses my face one more time and gives me a smile. “Thank you for coming with me today. I had fun.” I take a deep breath and smile back. “Me too.” “Maybe I’ll see you soon?” “Yeah. Maybe,” I say with a smile. What I don’t say is that I want to see him tonight. In bed. Naked. He shows off his perfect smile, and squeezes my hand gently before letting go. I get out of the car and once inside the building, I go straight to the bathroom. I’m completely wet.

“So what you’re trying to tell me is that you’re giving up pussy.” “Troy, nobody said anything about giving up pussy,” I respond with a laugh. “That’s basically what you just said. You said, ‘I’m lame as fuck and don’t want to get no more pussy.’ That’s what I heard anyway.” “Whatever, fool. You better get your hearing checked then.” I continue to get my suit on, and since Troy is already dressed, he’s standing in the doorway of my bedroom giving me a hard time. “Are you really getting out of the escort game, though? I mean, you’ve made a shit load of money doing this.” “Yeah, I know, but I can’t keep doing it forever. We’re gonna make a shit load of money with the club, too. It’s not like I’m gonna go broke.” “Well I know that. Maybe I just love pussy too much. I don’t think I’ll ever stop,” Troy says while

mindlessly playing with his watch. “Come on, bro, you know you could get pussy without this job, so don’t act like that’s the only reason you do this.” When he doesn’t say anything, I sit on the bed and put my shoes on. “I knew Carla was cheating on me. She didn’t do a very good job at hiding it. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought she was cheating on me with my cousin, though.” I look up at him and he’s still looking down at his watch. He doesn’t bring up what happened a whole lot, so I decide to let him talk until he doesn’t want to anymore. “I was hoping that if I just spent more time with her that she would be happy and we would be okay. She never expressed her feelings to me. I had no idea how unhappy she was and I just wish she would have told me. Instead, she decided to sleep with my cousin while I was at work, making money for our wedding. It had been going on for months. I only found that out through him, because she tried to tell me it was only the one time.” He finally lifts his head and looks up at me. “I never treated her wrong; I worshipped the ground she walked on, and got her anything she wanted. I didn’t realize that I was buying her love. I had no idea she loved my money more than me, and I didn’t have a whole lot compared to now,” he says with a smile. “I bet she’d really love me now. I’m just afraid to go through that again, and with the money I have now, I feel like women would want more. More than just me.

They’d want what I can offer them, and I can only offer myself.” I take a minute to take in what he said before responding. “Troy, you’re a good guy, and the right woman won’t want you for your money. The right woman will only want you for you. Carla seemed to be happy. She was happy getting the material things that you got for her and…whatever she was getting elsewhere.” I pause, gauging his reaction. I don’t want to hurt him anymore, but I want to tell him what I think. When he doesn’t say anything, I continue. “I’m sorry to say it, man, but Carla wasn’t the one for you, and I think you dodged a bullet with that one. That doesn’t mean you should swear off relationships altogether. You’re letting her win if you do that. Move on, meet someone, and be happy. You deserve that, it’s her that doesn’t.” After a few minutes of silence, he finally speaks up. “Yeah. Thanks for listening, man. I don’t mean to be all sensitive,” he says with a small laugh. “No problem. We can stop being like girls now, right?” I ask with a grin. “Definitely. You ready to go? We’re gonna be late, and you know the boss will have our asses if we are.” “Yeah, let’s go. I don’t want to deal with that drama.” We leave my place and grab a cab to head to the hotel. Almost all the other escorts from our agency will be there since we were invited by our boss, and you can’t really say no. “You think there’s gonna be any hot chicks there?”

Troy asks. “Probably,” I say with a shake of my head. “What? Maybe I want to find the one.” “Right. The one for tonight maybe.” “So you ain’t gonna be lookin’ for any hot ass tonight?” “Looking and seeing are two different things. I may see some hot ass tonight, but I won’t be looking.” Troy’s face transforms into a look of shock. “What the fuck, man? Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask. “Who is she?” he asks. “What are you talking about?” “The girl that obviously has you so pussy whipped. She’s why you aren’t lookin’ to get laid tonight. She’s the reason why you want to get out of the escort business too, huh?” When I don’t respond right away because I’m thinking about what to say, he starts in again. “I knew it! My boy’s in love.” “Whoa! Calm down. Nobody is in love.” “Well, what the fuck?” I let out an exasperated sigh because I know he isn’t going to leave this alone. “I did meet someone, but it’s complicated. We hooked up once already, and then she disappeared. I ran into her again because she’s the same woman who’s setting up our opening event. So the day you called me to take your place is the day I saw her for the first time since hooking up.” “You’re welcome,” he says with a smug look. “Anyway, she’s made it clear that she’s seen me

with several different women and thinks I’m a player. She refuses to be with me again, but has agreed to be friends. So that’s where that is.” “So she doesn’t know what you do then?” “I told her I wasn’t in a relationship with anybody, and that with the opening of the club I wouldn’t be dating around so much.” “You’re really not gonna tell her what you’ve been doing as a career? That doesn’t seem like it’s gonna end well.” “Thanks,” I respond blandly. “I’m just being honest, brother. She’ll find out. Women find out everything. Then it will be ten times as bad than if you told her.” “I don’t even know how I’m supposed to tell her something like that. She’ll go screaming for the fucking hills and I’ll never see her again.” “You don’t know that.” “I just feel like if we establish more of a connection, then it will be harder for her to hate me if she finds out the truth.” Troy smiles and shakes his head. “I can kinda see what you mean, but I don’t know.” “I don’t fuckin’ know, either.” We stop talking when the cab pulls up to the hotel. I toss him the money and Troy and I get out. Nico and Kade are out front laughing about something, and I see Marc talking to another escort, Adrian a little further away. “Y’all ready for this shit?” Nico asks. “I guess,” I respond. “Why did we have to come, exactly?” Kade asks.

“To be seen, to be eye candy, who knows?” Nico says. “The boss says to come, we come, that’s that. Probably in hopes to pick up clients. There are gonna be some wealthy people here,” Troy answers. Marc makes his way over to us. “You ready, guys? Best behavior tonight, don’t forget,” he says, looking at Nico and Kade. Kade looks around at all of us. “Why did you look at me when you said that? I’m always good.” “Not when women and liquor are around,” Marc laughs. “Whatever. Like I wanna get on the boss’s bad side tonight. Thanks for the advice though, dad,” Nico quips at Marc. We all make our way into the hotel and follow the crowd to where the party is. I’m hoping to get in, be seen by the boss, and then be able to leave. We stop along the way to talk with some of the other guys, and then finally make it to the huge ballroom where everybody is. Our first stop is the bar. Marc orders everybody some shots, and then we each get our individual drink. As Marc is passing around shots, he stops at Nico. “Think you can handle this?” “As long as it isn’t that nasty shit you had at your house.” We all laugh, down the shots, take our drinks and begin mingling with people. After about twenty minutes, I run into Troy. “Hey, man. Seen any hot ass tonight?” he asks

quietly. “I’ve seen old ass, but that’s about it.” “Same here,” he responds, still looking around. “Wait. I think I see some potential.” I turn and look where he’s facing. I only see a huge group of people dancing, but can’t really make anybody out. “Where?” “It was three or four women. They are on the other side of the dance floor. I can’t see them anymore.” “Well go check it out. Maybe you’ll find the one.” “Maybe I will. Have you seen the boss yet?” “Nope, but I need to so I can get out of here.” “Alright, man. I’ll come find you soon.” “Alright.” As I’m at the bar getting another drink, I hear a couple high pitched laughs that make me turn around. First thing I see is Troy, he’s facing my direction but he has a couple of women in front of him. Guess he found the potential. He gives me a wink and then goes back to talking with the ladies and making them laugh. I can’t see their faces, but I’m going to assume they’re good looking or he wouldn’t be wasting his time. I turn back towards the bar, take a sip of my drink, and listen to the conversations around me. I’m looking towards the dance floor when I hear two female voices behind me. “What the hell is going on here? It’s like fucking hot guy central. Did all these guys just step out of a GQ ad or what? I mean, I’m about to lose my mind, and my panties. I don’t know who I want to talk to first. What do you think? Has anybody caught your eye?”

I can’t help my smile. Troy would be all over this girl. I might have to make sure I get a good look at her so I can point her out to him later. “Ssh. You’re so loud. I haven’t been looking at anybody. I’ve been working.” That familiar voice instantly washes over me. I turn around and see that her back is to me, and her friend is looking in my direction. It’s the same friend she was out with when I saw her at the little night club. It’s obvious she recognizes me because I see the smile begin spreading across her face. I raise a finger to my lips, letting her know not to give me away. She gets the hint and drops the smile. “So Adrienne, what ever happened with that Godlike creature?” I can’t help the smile that crosses my face, and I have to stop myself from laughing. “What are you talking about? I just told you about him yesterday. The lunch date.” “Oh, that’s right. So where do you think that’s gonna go?” “You’re being weird,” Adrienne says. “No I’m not. I’m just curious. He’s fucking hot! I just want to know if you’re stupid enough to actually only be friends with him.” She glances over at me with a hint of a smile. I like this girl. She’s on my team. I hear Adrienne let out a sigh. “Em, I’ve already been over this.” “I know, I know. He’s hot, you like him, but you don’t know if he really likes you or just wants to sleep with you. You want him alllll to yourself. I get it.”

Her friend glances at me, but this time with a serious look, like she’s trying to let me know that I need to do something with the information she’s giving me. “Maybe you should just give him a chance. He seems like a nice guy, and if he’s not, I’ll chop his dick off for you.” I raise my eyebrows at her and she just shrugs and begins looking around again. “I don’t know. Maybe,” Adrienne answers. I’m surprised by her response. She’s actually considering it, even if it’s only a slight chance. At least she didn’t say no fucking way. “Gah, Em. You have no idea how much I wanted him to kiss me after lunch, like kiss me, kiss me, but at the same time I knew I shouldn’t let that happen. God only knows what else would have happened.” “Yeah right, like you would have slept with him in the car in front of your office,” Emilie laughs. “Didn’t you say that he made you…” she trails off and wiggles her eyebrows with a devious smile. “Sssh! I can’t tell you anything.” Emilie laughs, and I figure I’ve had enough time to eavesdrop. I see Adrienne begin looking around; probably hoping nobody overheard her friend. Before she turns around to see me, I take a few steps closer to her and lean down over her shoulder. I put my mouth next to her ear and whisper. “I made you what?” I hear her gasp as she jumps. She quickly turns and faces me, her eyes wide. She looks back at her friend who’s laughing, and then back at me. “How long have you been there?” she squeals.

“Not long,” I say with a shrug. “Did you know he was there?” she asks Emilie. Her friend gives her best innocent act, but I don’t think Adrienne buys it. “What are you doing here?” she asks me. “Saying hi to a friend,” I respond and lean down to kiss her cheek. She smiles and before she can say anything else, I see Troy walking over with the two women he was talking to. I barely glance at them before turning back towards Adrienne. “Adrienne? Emilie? What are you guys doing here?” Adrienne and Emilie turn and look at the two women coming over with Troy. “Oh, hey! Small world. What are you guys doing here?” Emilie asks. “Adrienne is working this event. I was lucky enough to be invited. Have you seen the guys here?” she says, fanning herself. I’m watching Adrienne as she tries to act like I’m not standing right next to her. Troy looks at me and nods his head in Adrienne’s direction and mouths ‘this the one?’ I nod back in response and he smiles. The blonde that Emilie is talking to responds to her question. “Yeah, they’re all hot, but that’s because…” she trails off as she looks back at me and Troy, and when she makes eye contact with me, I freeze. Are you fucking kidding me? “Jay?” she asks. The brunette turns to look at me, along with Adrienne, Emilie and Troy. All eyes on me, and I have no idea what the fuck I’m supposed to say or do here. The brunette blushes and ducks her head. Oh great.

Could this get any worse? Probably. Adrienne looks confused; Emilie is looking between me and the blonde with a scowl on her face. Troy looks just as confused, but I think he’s starting to put it together. “Hey,” I respond with a forced smile. The blonde, whose name I still don’t know, looks at Adrienne and then back at me. A mischievous smile appears before she speaks again. “Well, I think we should all get some shots. What do y’all think?” Nobody says anything, but she orders six shots anyway and passes them out to us. “Oh, I don’t know if I should drink. I’m working,” Adrienne says. “Come on. Just one,” the blonde replies. “Let’s toast to reunions and…” she pauses to look at me, “to nights we’ll never forget.” Fuck.

I drink half of my shot before putting it back onto the bar so nobody can see that I didn’t finish it. Vivian is acting strange, and does she know Jace? She called him Jay. I wonder if that’s a nickname, and then wonder just how well they know each other. Jace has gotten awfully quiet, which is unlike him. “So, Jay, how have you been? It’s been a while, well not that long,” Vivian says with a laugh. Jace’s face is hard, and the smile on his face couldn’t be more forced. It’s almost like he’s gritting his teeth. “I’m fine,” he responds. “You sure are,” Vivian says in a husky voice while looking him up and down. I’m about to beat this bitch down. “Troy, this is Ms. Miller, she’s the one who will be working on our opening event,” Jace says, taking the attention away from Vivian. “Ms. Miller, this is Mr. Thompson, the one you were supposed to meet the other day.” I’m realizing how much I hate that he’s referring to

me as Ms. Miller like he doesn’t know me, but understanding that this is his other business partner. Troy, or Mr. Thompson as I should refer to him, extends his arm to shake my hand. He has a wonderful smile, and smooth, dark, flawless skin. “Ms. Miller, it’s so great to finally meet you. I’m sorry I was unable to meet with you the other day, but I hear Mr. Jamison here took care of you.” I shake his hand and can’t help but smile back. “Yes, sir, he did. It’s nice to meet you as well. “Please. Call me Troy. Mr. Thompson makes me feel old, and I’m anything but,” he responds with a cheeky grin. Oh, he’s charming alright. Did Jace and his friends all go to a charm school together? I feel myself smile again and realize he’s still holding my hand in his. I hear Jace clear his throat and Troy looks up at him, and back at me before releasing my hand. “I’m sorry if we interrupted anything,” Troy says. “I just wanted to come get my buddy so we could go talk with our…somebody real quick.” “No worries. I need to get back to work and make sure everything is running smoothly. It was nice meeting you.” I glance at Jace and give him a small nod before I walk away. I hear Vivian say something to him, but don’t bother to try to linger to hear any of it. Trying to find Mrs. Roberts, I make my way through groups of people who are standing around and drinking, or gossiping. The minute I see her, I plan to ask if she’s okay with me leaving. I’ve done my job and everything went as planned. The decorations were perfect, flowers were strategically placed, food was plentiful,

centerpieces came out gorgeous, the bride had thrown her bouquet already, so there was no longer a need for me to be here. I spot her talking with an older gentleman and a younger one, both handsome in their own right. She has a champagne glass in her hand, and her head is thrown back in laughter. At least she’s in a good mood. When I’m a few feet away, she turns and spots me. “Oh, Adrienne! Please come here. You’ve done a wonderful job, dear. I can’t thank you enough.” “Thank you, Mrs. Roberts. I’m so glad you’re happy with it.” She places her arm around my shoulder and brings me into the circle with the two men she was talking to. “This is Ms. Miller; she’s responsible for putting this whole thing together. Isn’t she fabulous?” she says. “Oh yes. You did great. It couldn’t have been easy working with this one,” the older man says playfully as he points at Mrs. Roberts with his thumb. “Oh you shush!” she says with a gentle push. “Adrienne, this is Benjamin Wright. My friend, financial advisor, and attorney,” she says gesturing to the older man who’s probably in his sixties. His hair is almost completely white, but he looks to be in good shape for his age. “This is his son, Mason, who also works as an attorney in his father’s firm.” Mason looks to be in his thirties. His dark hair is slicked back, and he’s wearing a black on black tux. The darkness of his eyes catches my attention. They almost look black and they are boring into me. He looks to be the epitome of dark and dangerous. I smile and shake both their hands before asking

Mrs. Roberts if I can speak with her alone. “What is it? Is there an emergency?” she asks, as soon as we step away. “No. Everything is fine; you have nothing to worry about. I just wanted to check in to make sure you were happy with everything, and see if it would be okay if I took off.” “You don’t’ want to stay and enjoy what you put together?” she asks, seeming a little hurt. “It’s not that. I’m just extremely tired. I don’t think I’d be much fun anyway.” She gives me a small smile. “Are you sure? There are definitely some young hotties here. I told you I didn’t just know old people.” “I may have seen a couple that weren’t hard on the eyes,” I say with a smile. “Just a couple? Goodness, are you blind?” she says, stretching her arms wide and looking around the room. “Let me introduce you to some people. Maybe that will make you feel more comfortable to stay. I just want you to have some fun. You work too hard, dear.” As soon as I’m about to open my mouth to respond, I hear high heels clacking on the floor, getting closer to us. “Mom, I need to talk to you.” I see Mrs. Roberts roll her eyes and let out a low sigh before turning around. “Yes?” When I look past Mrs. Roberts, I see Vivian standing there. “Oh hey, Adrienne,” Vivian says. “You two know each other?” Mrs. Roberts asks.

“Kind of,” I answer. “We went out the other night,” Vivian responds. “Hmm. Well what can I do for you, Vivian?” Mrs. Roberts asks. I step away to give them some privacy. I had no idea she had another daughter, she’s never talked about her. I wonder what that relationship is like. After a couple of minutes, Mrs. Roberts finds me lingering in the doorway. “Sorry about that.” “No worries. I had no idea you had another daughter.” “Step daughter,” she clarifies. “Ah.” “Yeah, she just moved here. We’ve never been close. I’m Mommy Dearest according to her, but she’s like my red headed step child. Evil.” I can’t help the laugh that erupts. “So is this the unruly child you were talking about before?” “Unruly is a nice word to describe her. Anyway, so you went out together? How did that happen?” “My friend works with her friend, and they made plans to go out and Vivian and I got invited.” “I see. Just be careful with her. She’s vindictive, selfish, and…” “Evil?” I finish for her. “Yes,” she says seriously. “Okay. I don’t think we’re going to become the best of friends anyway.” “Excuse me, Liz?” a deep voice interrupts. I turn to look towards the voice and see that it’s Charles from the club the other night.

“Oh,Charles! So great to see you,” Mrs. Roberts beams as she gives him a hug. I almost forgot she had a first name; I’m so used to calling her Mrs. Roberts. I believe she told me her name is Elizabeth, but clearly Charles knows her on a more personal level. “You too. You look great,” he responds. Liz blushes and playfully smacks him on the arm. What a flirt. Charles looks at me and then does a double take. “Sorry. Charles, this is Adrienne. Adrienne, Charles,” she introduces. “I know you from somewhere,” Charles says while he looks at me. Liz looks back and forth between us like she’s trying to figure out what to say. “I saw you the other night at the club. I was with Vivian.” “Ah yes! I knew I recognized you. Sorry to interrupt your conversation here. I just haven’t seen Liz in so long and wanted to say hi.” “It’s fine,” I say. “I’ll leave you two to catch up.” “Please say you’re staying, Adrienne,” Liz pleads. “I might hang out for a little while,” I respond with a smile. “Good. Maybe Charles can find you later and you guys can hang out. You don’t mind, do you, Charles?” I feel my face flush. I hate that everybody feels like that have to hook me up. I hate that Charles probably thinks I’m some lame ass now. “It’s okay,” I start to say at the same time Charles

says, “Of course not.” I give them both a small smile and walk off. Hopefully I can find Em, that way I don’t look like a lonely loser who needs friends. Unfortunately it’s not Em who I find first. Instead I find Jace and Vivian. She’s got her body pushed up on him, and has her hand on his chest. She looks desperate. I try to turn around before they see me, but I see Jace’s head lift up and we make eye contact. He apparently has his attention off Vivian too long because she turns to see where he’s looking. When she sees me, a small scowl is on her face, but she quickly loses it and plasters a fake smile on instead. “Adrienne! Come here,” she says in a fake friendly voice that’s way higher than her normal voice. I take a deep breath and try to force a smile of my own while I walk over there. “Hey, I didn’t know you knew my mom,” she says as she finally peels her body off of Jace. “Oh yeah. Well she hired me for this wedding,” I say as I chance a look into Jace’s eyes. He’s already staring at me. “Oh. I had no idea. Then again, she doesn’t tell me anything,” Vivian says. “Yeah. I like her,” I respond, because I don’t know what else to say. Vivian shrugs. “If you like the bitchy type.” I don’t bother to point out that she’s the bitchy type. “So anyway,” she says when I don’t respond. “Tons of hot guys here, right?” she says looking back at Jace. Jace’s eyes are narrowed at me, waiting for my response. Well, since he’s here letting bitchy fingers

rub all over him, I decide to have some fun. We’re only friends after all. “Oh yes, definitely!” I say, feigning excitement. “I just got done talking with one.” I hope she doesn’t ask who because I don’t want to admit it’s the escort from the other night. “Only one? I’ll have to walk around with you so we can find more.” I glance over at Jace and almost laugh at his expression. He’s almost daring me to continue to walk around talking to guys all night, but as soon as Vivian looks at him he forces a smile on his face. “Sounds good to me,” I say in response. “I might as well have some fun tonight, other people seem to be.” “So I take it you’re not interested in that guy anymore?” she asks. Fuck. I do not want to have this conversation in front of Jace. Shit. I don’t know how to get out of it. I hesitate and my eyes glance at Jace again before looking at Vivian. “You know? The one with the beautiful eyes? The one you say you slept with but don’t want to be in a relationship with?” she says with a smile. What the fuck? She looks back at Jace. “Don’t worry; they probably weren’t as beautiful as yours.” Jace looks pissed. His stance is stiff, and his jaw is tense. “Uhh, no. I…” I start, but she quickly interrupts me. “Oh, wait! Didn’t you say he was a man whore or something? Maybe you should hook up with someone tonight. No strings attached. Someone like Charles…if

you know what I mean,” she says with a devious smile. I know she means with an escort, but there’s no way I’d pay to sleep with someone. “I don’t think I’m desperate enough to pay someone to have sex with me,” I say sharply. She looks embarrassed for a minute before forcing a smile on her face. “Be careful not to offend anyone,” she says. “There might be people here who both pay and get paid.” She looks to Jace and then back at me. “Sorry, but I have to go find somebody,” Jace says before storming off. I look at Vivian but she only shrugs, turns around, and walks away. Deciding it’s probably a good idea to leave, I go find Emilie so I can at least let her know. After scanning the entire ballroom, I don’t see her, so I decide to go look in the bathroom. As I leave the ballroom, and enter the hall with the bathrooms, I hear whispers and giggles. “So, is it true what they say?” the female voice asks with a giggle. “What would that be?” the baritone voice responds. “You know…” I hear a deep chuckle. “You might have to tell me.” When I get to the door that’s marked ‘janitor’s closet’ I know where the voices are coming from. “Does that mean I’ll get the chance to find out for myself?” the voice that I now know belongs to Emilie, asks. Oh God. Who the hell did she corner now? I pull my phone out and send her a text. Ten seconds

later she comes bursting out of the room. I’m standing directly across from the room she was just in. “What the fuck? Adrienne, you said it was an emergency! I thought something happened to you!” she screeches. “Oh calm down. You can go back to being a whore in a minute. I just wanted to let you know that I’m leaving. Are you okay to stay here?” “You’re lucky I love you. Yes, I’m fine, but why are you leaving?” “Just tired,” I say with a shrug. “I don’t believe that, but I’ll get the truth out of you later.” “Just like I’ll get information out of you about what’s going on here,” I say, gesturing towards the room that’s hiding some guy. She smiles and blushes. We hug and say bye, then I’m finally free to get the hell out of here.

When I get outside, I walk around the hotel to get to the back. I was excited to secure this hotel for the wedding location. This one is away from The Strip, and far from anything else. I turn the corner and see the outdoor pool that’s closed for maintenance. If I try to walk around this huge area I don’t know where I’ll end up, so I decide to turn around and just go the other way. After about ten steps, an arm reaches out and pulls me into the

darkened area of the pool equipment area. I’m about to scream when a large hand covers my mouth and my body is pushed up against the wall. “I’m not going to argue with you about the man whore comment. You think what you think, but I’m glad that you’ve been talking about me.” Jace removes his hand from my mouth, but his body is pushed up against the front of mine. “You like that I call you a man whore?” I ask breathlessly. “No, but you at one point said you were interested in me. At least I’m assuming so since that’s what you’re friend said.” “She’s not my friend.” “Good.” “Will you back up please?” I ask. “Why?” “Why not?” “Friends don’t normally press their junk against their friend’s stomach.” “Friends don’t normally fuck each other, but I guess we’re special friends.” “No, we’re not.” “I thought I was good enough to fuck, but not be in a relationship with.” “I never said that,” I say. “That’s not what you’re friend said.” “She’s not my friend! She looked to be one of your special friends,” I say as I push him away from me. “She’s no friend of mine. I don’t even know her name.” I scoff and roll my eyes. “I said you’ve been with

several other girls, which is true, and that I wouldn’t be with someone who sleeps around so much.” “Yet you sleep with me.” “One time! Maybe it was a mistake.” “So you don’t want it to happen again?” he asks as he once again moves closer to me. He drops his head until his lips are where mine are. As he talks, they brush against mine. “What do you want, Adrienne?” I’m left speechless. Every thought of what I want and don’t want is running through my head, but I can’t bring myself to say anything. Not with those intense eyes of his staring into mine. Not with his soft, full lips grazing over my mouth. “Use this beautiful mouth of yours to tell me what you want, Adrienne,” he says as he brings his thumb to my bottom lip and gently pulls it down. “Whatever it is, just tell me. If you want me to leave you alone, I will.” “I…I want…” I stammer. Unable to think of anything to say, I lick my lips and take a breath. “I’ll tell you what I want,” he says. “I want to take my time with you. I want to go slow, and make sure my mouth meets every part of your body. I want to taste that delicious pussy of yours. I want my mouth on you when you come.” He moves his hand slowly down my body until he reaches the hem of my dress, and then he slides it up my thigh until he reaches the front of my panties. Warmth spreads through my body. “I want to taste how wet I get you. I want your legs wrapped around my head while I lick, suck, and devour you.”

His fingers begin rubbing my clit through my panties, making my pussy even wetter. “There’s so much I want to do to you, Adrienne. I want my body to become familiar with yours. I want you to call out my name when I fuck you. I want you to beg for more.” Slipping his finger to my panty line, he pulls them over just enough to slip a finger in and begins running it along my wet slit. He doesn’t ever put his finger inside me; he just rubs me up and down. He wants me to beg for more. “I want to make you feel good, Adrienne. I want to fuck you so good that you become addicted to me. I don’t want you to think about anybody else fucking you. I don’t want you to want anybody else. I want to be more than your friend, and more than a fuck buddy, but mostly I just want you to want me.” He slowly pulls his fingers from under my skirt, leans forward, and kisses my neck right below my ear. “I’ll be waiting for you to figure out what it is that you want. Let me know when you do.” Then he walks away.

It’s been almost three weeks since that fucking wedding. The wedding where I thought Adrienne was going to find out about me sleeping with that bitch of a blonde, but not only her, two of her friends as well, one of which was at the wedding, too. Three weeks since I told her what I want from her, and three weeks since I’ve heard from her. She’s been communicating with Troy or Marc about the opening of our club. I know I’ll see her again, it’s inevitable with her working for us, but I haven’t actually tried seeing her, either. I had a couple more clients since then, but none that I’ve slept with. After those dates, I was able to quit. I wasn’t sure how it would feel to no longer be an escort since I’ve been one for so long, but it’s okay. I’ve been busy with the club business and focusing on that. My phone starts blaring from the kitchen, so I run from my bedroom to answer it. “Hello?” “Yo, I need you to come over to the spot real quick,”

Troy says. “Man, I just got out of the shower and was about to relax. What do you need me there for?” “You ain’t gotta get all dressed up. Nobody’s here, but I have somewhere to be, and we need to go through the paperwork for everybody that’s gonna be hired.” “Where you gotta go?” I ask. “Don’t worry about that. Can you make it? Marc isn’t answering his phone.” “Yeah. I’ll be there soon,” I say. “Thanks, man.” “Sure thing.” I throw on some basketball shorts, a sleeveless shirt, and some Jordans. At least I’ll be comfortable while I work. I’m at the club half an hour later, and Troy’s already gone. I make my way to the back office and start going through all the paperwork. About forty-five minutes later I think I hear a voice out front. I wait a few seconds but don’t hear anything, so I continue working. Five minutes later I hear footsteps walking towards the office. I look up at the door and wait. “Mr. Thompson?” the voice says softly. “Mr…” she stops talking as she reaches the door and sees me sitting there instead. “Well, hey there, stranger,” I say to Adrienne. “Oh. Hey,” she says meekly. “I thought Mr. Thompson was going to be here. I have some papers to drop off.” “You can drop them off with me.” “Right,” she says as she steps forward and puts a small folder on my desk.

She makes sure not to get too close; she almost has to lean forward to get them to land on my desk. “You can get closer, I promise I don’t bite, unless you want me to.” She lets out a long breath before taking a seat in front of me. “Look, Jace, I’ve been wanting to talk to you.” “Really? Doesn’t seem like it. I haven’t heard from you in three weeks.” “Well, you could have called, too,” she snaps. “I didn’t think you’d want me to. I said I’d be waiting for you to figure out what it was that you wanted. Have you figured it out yet?” She rubs her hand across her forehead and looks everywhere but at me. “Look, I’m not asking you to marry me. I’m not asking you to move in with me. All I’m asking is for you to just hang out with me, go out occasionally, see how we get along, and see what happens. You’re thinking into it too much.” “I’m a woman, what do you expect?” she says and I can’t help but laugh. “Because I’ve been thinking too much, I’ve realized that maybe I do want to hang out with you more. When I’m not with you, I’m thinking about you, and I’d rather be with you.” I can’t help the grin that crosses my face. “Don’t be so smug. You look like the cat that ate the canary,” she says. “Who me?” I ask, feigning innocence. “Uh huh.” “Well, I’m almost done here, but as you can see I’m not really dressed to go anywhere, otherwise I’d ask if

you wanted to grab some food or something.” “That’s okay. What if we order some Chinese or pizza or something and just hang out here? If that’s okay.” “That’s perfect. You choose, and I’ll order.” “Okay, umm, Chinese?” “Sounds good to me.” After our food is delivered, we take it to my floor of the club and eat out on the deck. “It’s so beautiful out here,” Adrienne says, admiring the view. “Yeah, I like it.” “I’d assume so since you designed it,” she says with a smirk. “Ha ha. So, what have you been up to these past three weeks?” I ask. “Working. That’s about it.” “Oh yeah? What else are you working on before our thing?” “I have some sweet-sixteen party for some snotty little brat.” “Snotty little brat, huh?” I ask with a laugh. “You have no idea. Even though her dad is the one paying for it, she’s the one trying to give orders. I’m so close to just smacking her in the mouth.” “I never understood the big sweet-sixteen parties. I never had any birthday be a big deal, let alone paying thousands of dollars for one,” I say. “Me either, but are you saying you don’t have big, lavish birthday parties now?” “Why do you ask that? Because I have money?” “I don’t mean to offend.”

“No offense taken. I haven’t always been rich. I know I have the big penthouse suite and the fancy car, but other than that I don’t really live my life like some rich snob. I like petty things like Chinese take-out,” I say with a wink. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean…” “No, it’s fine. I get it,” I say sincerely. “My dad made good money, but we didn’t have a whole lot. We were just comfortable. He made sure of that,” she says. “That’s good. It’s good that he took care of you. Do you mind me asking what happened to your mom?” “She had cancer. My dad never remarried. I don’t even know if he dated. He was always concerned about caring for me, which is why I was sure to stick around even after high school All we have is each other.” “I’m sorry about your mom, but your dad did a great job raising you.” She nods and gives a sad smile. “My dad took off when I was three. I have no idea who he is or where he is, if he’s even still alive. My mom did her best raising both my brother and me. My brother wasn’t even one yet when my dad left. She had several jobs and we still pretty much lived paycheck to paycheck. My brother was almost fifteen when he died. He was shot, and nobody was arrested for it. Pretty typical for living in New York. My mom was devastated. We both were, but she went into depression, stopped working, and began drinking. It was bad.” “That’s terrible. I’m so sorry. Is that why you moved away?”

“Yeah. Not only did I need to get away from there, but I needed to make sure I made enough money to help my mom out, and to make sure I never had to live paycheck to paycheck as well.” “Seems like you succeeded,” she says with a smile. “Yeah.” “And your mom?” “She’s okay. She’s supposed to be sober, but I don’t know for sure. She hasn’t answered my phone calls lately.” Adrienne doesn’t say anything just gives me an understanding nod. I normally don’t talk about my family much, but she was honest about her parents, so I thought I should share something, too. “So are you ready for this club to be open?” she asks, lightening the mood. “Yes and no. I’m ready for it to be open, but I’m not literally ready. I need to get some more people hired and trained, and just a few other little things.” “I can’t wait to see it up and running. It’s gonna be a big hit, I already know.” “I’m glad you think so.” With our food already finished, we’re just sitting at the table outside. After a moment of silence and a few exchanged looks, I decide to make a move. I’ve been staring at her long legs that are on display due to the shorts she’s wearing today. I lean over and run my hand up the side of one. “Haven’t seen you outside of a dress or skirt before, and you always have pantyhose on. I like being able to see your skin.”

“Oh yeah, I’m being comfortable today,” she responds. Before I can do anything else, she surprises me. “Do you want to go back to your office?” she asks. “Sure.” I’m not sure if she’s just trying to stop me from touching her, or if maybe she wants to be inside if we do anything else. We take the stairs back down to the first floor and into that office since I don’t have furniture in my office up here, yet. I walk into the office first, and when she comes in she closes the door behind her. I go and sit on the couch that’s in the back corner of the office and she follows. As soon as I sit back and stretch my legs out, she stops in front of me. She doesn’t sit and she doesn’t say anything. I can tell she’s nervous. I give her a small smile and she slowly drops to her knees. Oh shit. She keeps glancing at me like she’s waiting for me to stop her. I’m definitely not. Getting in between my legs, she reaches for my shirt and pushes it up. With one last glance at me, she brings her mouth to my stomach and starts kissing. I let my head fall back and allow her do whatever she wants. Her mouth begins moving lower and lower. I feel her fingers slide into the waistband of my shorts, and because they’re loose basketball shorts, it’s easy for her to pull them down. I rise up enough and help push them down further. My hard dick pops straight up. I forgot I didn’t put any underwear on in my rush to get here. I look down at her and see her wrap her small hand around my cock. She begins stroking me slowly, driving

me crazy. After a few seconds she looks up and bites down on her lip once she notices that I’m watching. Her hair is down and falling around her face as she’s leaned over me. She sits up on her knees and without saying anything, reaches for my hand and puts it around my dick. With her hand on top of mine she begins stroking again. After a few seconds, she removes her hand, leaving just mine. She’s now watching me jerk off, but she seems to like it. While I stroke the length of my dick, she ties her hair back but doesn’t take her eyes off of my hand and cock. She inches closer to me, and I think she’s gonna take over but she doesn’t. Adrienne begins licking the tip of my dick before wrapping her lips around the head while I continue my movements. I hear her let out a moan, which only turns me on more. The fact that she’s getting turned on makes this hotter. I grab the base of my dick and stop stroking so she can try to take more to the back of her throat. Her hot, wet mouth moves further down the length of my cock, and I feel her swirling her tongue around. She rises up a little until only my head is in her mouth, and I begin stroking myself again. With that, I’m rewarded with another moan. “Mmm.” “You like that?” I ask as I quicken my strokes “Mmm, yeah.” She begins sucking my dick again, so I remove my hand and place it on the back of her head. Both of her hands replace mine, and she starts a partnership of strokes, sucks, and licks. I feel her try to take me all the way to the back of her throat. While I’m in as deep as I

can get, I feel her tongue shoot out and lick my shaft. Fuck, that’s good. After coating my dick with a good amount of her spit, she begins stroking me right towards the top, her fingers gliding right over the mushroom tip. It’s a sensitive spot, but she’s doing it perfectly, I can’t help the hiss that slips through my teeth. “Fuck!” I bellow. She stops and holds my cock gently in one hand, and licks me from my balls to the head of my dick. I can’t take it anymore. I pull her up from her knees, take my shorts off completely, and start undoing her shorts. Once I get them undone and she slips them off, she’s left standing in front of me with a purple thong. “Let me see that ass,” I say as I turn her around. Holy fuck. I can’t get enough of her perfect fucking ass. It’s so round, but not all muscle. I place both hands on both cheeks and squeeze. I gently spank one side and watch her ass jiggle. It makes my dick even harder. I pull the thong off and then turn her around until she’s facing me. That perfect pussy is right in front of my face. Her hands go to my head and she pulls me closer to her. I put my hands on her hips and let my tongue dart out and part her wet pussy lips. “Ah shit,” she moans. I keep licking her up and down, and then suck her clit into my mouth. I hear her let out another groan mixed with a cuss word. While I continue licking her pussy, I move my arms in between her legs until my hands reach her lower back, and then I lift her up as I stand up. She lets out a squeal as her legs go up and

near my shoulders. She positions them on top of my shoulders and around my neck. I turn around and lay her on her back on the couch; all with my lips still on her pussy. She loosens her grip on me, but her legs are still over my shoulders and her hands still firmly gripping my head. Pulling away slowly, she lets go of my head, and I slip two fingers inside of her soaking wet pussy. Using my thumb, I caress her swollen clit gently while my fingers curve up inside of her. She begins writhing on the couch, her hands gripping the couch cushions while her head is thrown back in pleasure. I remove my thumb and replace it with my tongue. I lick and finger fuck her until she’s about to come, but I stop. I hear her groan in frustration, but I’m determined to make her beg for more. I stand up and remove my shoes and shirt, and she does the same while still lying on the couch. Unfortunately the couch isn’t big enough for what I want to do, but I’ll improvise. I extend my hand to her and pull her to a standing position. As soon as she’s standing, I lift her up and her legs instantly wrap around my waist. I carry her to the large, sturdy desk, and push the papers to the floor before setting her on top of it. Before I’m about to slide into her, I realize I don’t have a condom on. Luckily Troy had an idea to put a bowl of condoms in each bathroom at the club, to promote safe sex, and I think he has some in the drawer of the desk. I lean over and open the drawer and pull one out. She lifts an eyebrow when she sees it. “Troy’s,” I say with a shrug. Once I have it on, I lift her legs until her feet are

planted on the desk, and she’s spread wide for me. She leans back on her hands, and I maneuver the tip of my dick at her entrance, pushing in slowly, then withdrawing. I see her trying to inch her way closer to me, but because she’s sitting on the edge of the desk, she can’t go too far. I enter her again slowly, but don’t go all the way in. While my head rests just inside her, I reach down and stroke my dick while she watches. She bites her lip and moans in both pleasure and frustration. “Please, Jace,” she whines. “Please what? What is it that you want, Adrienne?” She groans and tries pushing herself onto me. I remove myself completely, but move my fingers to her pussy, and rub circles on her clit. “Jace,” she cries out. “Say it, Adrienne. Tell me what you want.” “I want…I want you. I want you to fuck me, please! Just fuck me.” I slide in, thrusting into her in long, slow strokes, watching my dick disappear into her warm, wet pussy. When I can’t control myself any longer, I push her onto her back across the desk, crawl in between her legs, and bury myself deep inside once again. Lifting her left leg, I cross it over and lay it near her right leg, causing her body to be partially on her back and partially on her side. In this position, her ass is visible to me, and I can watch it shake as I plunge inside her with hard thrusts. I smack her ass a few times, evoking cries of bliss as she grips the edge of the desk. When I realize that my movements have caused us both to be on the brink of

falling off the desk. I pull out and stand us both on the floor in front of the desk. I turn her around, and bend her over the dark wood. She automatically lifts one leg and rests her knee on the desk, giving me a perfect view.

He submerges himself in me fast and hard from behind and I let out a throaty grunt. He’s so fucking big, but God does it feel so fucking good. His right hand is on my hip while his left hand is on my ass, spreading me open. I feel his chest graze my back and then his breath is on my neck. I feel his kisses first, and then a small bite on the side of my neck that causes my body to break out in goose bumps. “Is this what you’ve been wanting, Adrienne?” he asks in a deep, husky voice. “Yes,” I pant out. “Have you missed this dick?” he asks before licking my neck. “Mmm,” I moan. “Have you?” he demands, stopping his movements. “Yes! I’ve missed it.” “You can have it anytime you want. Just don’t disappear on me. Got it?” “Yes, please don’t stop!” I cry.

He pulls my leg down, and spreads them apart while I’m still lying across the desk. His hand reaches around and begins playing with my clit while steady immersing himself in me. The pressure is building. His other hand comes and rests right in between my shoulder and neck, his fingers lightly grazing my throat. I move his hand until it’s completely on my throat and he tightens his grip just slightly. I’m shocked to realize how much it turns me on. With his hand lightly around my throat, his other hand rubbing my clit vigorously, and his large cock pounding into me, I come like I’ve never come before. “Aaah, fuck! Jace! Oh my god. Yes!” My words are loud and guttural. “Oh yeah, baby. Fuck yeah,” he grunts from behind me. He lets go of my throat and removes his fingers from my clit once I’m done coming, and grips my waist and lifts me up until I’m on all fours on the desk. I thank God for Jace’s height and the height of the desk as he fucks me hard and fast while I hold on for dear life. A few minutes later, his grasp tightens and he comes, his dick throbbing inside of me. Holy shit. After we throw some clothes on, we both go to the bathroom to freshen up. My hair is all kinds of fucked up, my makeup is smeared and partially sweated off. Thankfully, I always bring some makeup with me in my purse, so I was able to make myself look decent. However, my hair ends up being wrapped up in a bun, because there’s no helping that. Now as I walk back to the office, my pussy is aching, and my legs are wobbly, but I have a huge smile

on my face. I don’t know why I’ve been so stupid as to let seeing Jace with other girls bother me. He’s been single, of course he’s going to be with other women, and I wasn’t with him, so why should I care? Well, nothing is going to stop me from being with him now. I walk into the office and Jace is picking up the papers from the floor, putting them back on the desk. “Let me help,” I say as I round the desk and start collecting papers. “I hope nothing got messed up.” “I’m not worried about it,” he says, looking up and giving me a smile. Once the papers are all put away, he drops into the chair behind the desk and pats his knee. I grin and happily go sit on his lap. “As much fun as this was, I feel like I need to take you on a proper date,” he says. “We’ve been on a date before.” “No. The first time was because you wanted your phone, not because you willingly wanted to go out with me. The second time was as friends.” He says friends like it disgusts him. “Okay, you’re right.” “I know,” he says with a smile. “Whatever,” I say with a laugh. “So, what does a proper date consist of?” “What would you like to do?” “It doesn’t matter to me,” I respond. “That’s not helpful. Are you a dinner and a movie type girl, or a picnic in the park type girl, or a stay indoors, preferably in the bedroom type girl?” he asks with a roguish smile. “Any of those work for me,” I respond.

“What about something you haven’t done before? Is there anything you want to do that you haven’t?” “There’s tons of things I want to do but haven’t, but those aren’t really date type things.” “Well, tell them to me anyway,” he says as he runs his hand up and down my thigh. “I’d like to leave Las Vegas. Not forever, but I’ve never been anywhere else, so seeing something new would be nice. I’d like to go snorkeling; I’d like to have dinner outside at night under the stars. Oh, and go on a treasure hunt. I know that probably sounds lame, but I’ve always wanted to do it.” “A treasure hunt, huh?” he asks with a small laugh. “Hey! No judging,” I say, playfully shoving him. “I’m not. That’s a good little bucket list.” “So what’s yours?” I ask. “My bucket list?” I nod in response. “Haven’t really thought about it before.” “Come on. There has to be something you haven’t done.” “Well, I’ve been out of Vegas, and I’ve been snorkeling. I haven’t done a treasure hunt, so I’ll say that,” he says with a smirk. “You suck.” “No, but you do, and very good,” he says, bringing his mouth to mine and giving me a couple of kisses. Deciding to not comment on my sucking capabilities, I go back to our previous topic. “I’ll give you some time, but I want you to tell me a few things that you’d like to do, too.” “Yes, ma’am,” he responds. “So when are you going

to be free for a date?” “Well, since I go back to work tomorrow, probably not till next weekend. Does that work?” “That’s perfect actually. It gives me time to figure out what we’re gonna do.” “Great. So it’s a date then.” “Definitely.” I look at the clock on his wall, and realize I was supposed to meet Emilie thirty minutes ago. “I gotta go,” I say as I jump off his lap. “What’s wrong?” he asks. “Oh nothing. I just forgot I was supposed to meet Emilie. I left all my stuff in the car, because I was just planning on dropping off some papers and leaving. My phone’s in the car and I’m sure she’s been blowing it up.” “Well, I’m glad you stuck around after dropping off the papers,” he replies. “Me too,” I respond with a smile. “I’ll text you later, okay?” “Sounds good.” He stands up, gives me a kiss, and then spanks me as I walk away. I turn and playfully scowl at him. I hear him chuckle as I walk down the hallway.

When I got to my car, I texted Em, ignoring all her texts that were cussing me out, and told her to just meet me at home. So now I’m getting ready to walk into my

apartment building, and hoping she isn’t too mad. I’m confident once she hears my reason for being late, she’ll be fine. As I round the corner that leads down the hall to my door, I see Em leaning against my door with her arms crossed at her chest. “What the hell happened? You better have a good fucking excuse for just leaving me hanging like that. I called and called. I texted you a million times and you just ignored me. So what is it?” she rambles, not letting me get a word in edgewise. “I fucked Jace,” I blurt out, hoping to shut her up. She blanches, her jaw drops and her eyebrows shoot up into her hairline. “What? Who? What?” she exclaims. “Yeah, that’s right. Let’s go inside please,” I say as I push her away from the door and open it. “Start from the beginning. How did this happen?” she asks as she throws her purse on my table and moves to the couch. I go over the entire story with her, starting from how I thought I was just dropping papers off to Troy, to eating with Jace, and then to working up the nerve to making my move. She gasps, laughs, exclaims, begs for details, and then finally leaves me alone to go use the bathroom. “So what does this mean?” she asks as soon as she steps into the room. “What do you mean?” “Are y’all like in a relationship now?” “I don’t know…I think. I really don’t know.” “How do you not know?” she asks, bewilderingly.

“He did say for me not to disappear on him. That means he wants me around, right?” “I think that means he wants to know where your ass is. You can’t talk to him one night and then not talk to him for weeks. You said he’s planning a date now, right? I think that’s your answer right there, but if you need more clarification, just talk to him about it.” “Yeah, I’m gonna text him later anyway.” “Good.” “So what have you been up to?” I ask. “You mean before I was stood up? Oh, I was out with someone,” she says slyly. “Who is this someone?” I ask, instantly curious. “Uhhh…” “Emilie Mae! You better not even think about keeping this from me, knowing damn well I always tell you everything!” “Okay, okay. Chill. I just don’t really know what it is yet.” “Uh huh, go on.” “I was out with Troy,” she says, biting her fingernail. “Troy?” I squeal. “Yeah,” she drags out. “What’s goin’ on there?” “Well, I spent some time talking to him at the wedding.” “Was he the one in the janitor’s closet with you?” I screech. “Yeah,” she answers shyly. “Y’all have been talking since then and you haven’t told me?”

“No. I gave him my number and he only just called last week. That’s when we made the date for today.” “Do you like him?” “I do. He’s so funny, and he isn’t offended by the crazy shit I say. He’s also very gentlemanly. He pulled out my chair, opened doors, stuff like that. We’ll see what happens. We didn’t kiss or anything, it was just a nice date.” “Awww,” I say with a big cheesy smile. “Oh shush,” she replies, fighting her own smile. We talk for a couple more hours about Troy and Jace, amongst other things, and once she leaves, I jump in the shower. After I get out, I throw on a large comfortable shirt, grab my phone and jump in the bed. With the phone in my hand, I instantly get giddy. It’s like I’m in Jr. High all over again. Me: Hey I know. Hey is a pretty lame way to start off a text conversation, but I wasn’t sure what else to say. I wait a few minutes, getting antsier as time goes by. It’s still fairly early, so I doubt he’s asleep already. Finally my phone dings. GLC: Hey, gorgeous. What are you doin? A huge smile spreads across my face. With one term of endearment, I’m putty. Me: Just lying in bed. What about you?

GLC: Would it be cheesy if I asked what you were wearing? If not, what are you wearing? And, I’m just on the couch, watching TV. I let out a laugh when I read his text. Of course he’d ask that. Me: Would it be a tease if I said nothing? GLC: Yes. It is a tease. I laugh again, and decide to have some fun with Mr. Jamison. Me: No, that wasn’t a tease. It’s not like I said my pussy is wet just thinking about everything we did earlier. GLC: Great. Now I have to adjust myself. Me: Sorry GLC: I doubt it. Keep it up and you’ll have to come take care of this problem you’re causing. Me: Don’t tempt me with a good time. GLC: You have no idea just how much of a good time we could have. We have plenty of things to try out still. Me: Oh really? Care to share?

G LC: Not really. I need to make sure you’re interested enough to keep coming back. Me: I’ll definitely be coming…back. ;) GLC: Good. I’d hate to have to turn into a stalker and hunt you down. Me: Won’t be necessary. GLC: So, Saturday, all of Saturday. You’re mine and only mine. I let out a squeaky noise, and do little flutter kicks with my feet after I read his text. You’re mine and only mine. Eeek! Me: I think I’m okay with that. GLC: Oh, there’s no thinking about it. That’s just the way it is. I hope you’re ready. Me: I think I’m ready now. G LC: Don’t tempt me…I don’t have to get up early tomorrow, you do. I think about it briefly. Part of me wants him to come over, but I also would need to clean up my messy apartment, and make myself look less like a bum. Plus, I

do have to go to stupid work tomorrow. Me: Rain check? GLC: Most definitely. I’ll let you get some rest. Talk to you soon. Me: Okay. Good night, Jace GLC: Good night, Adrienne After I read through all of our texts again, I change his name from GLC to Jace in my phone. I plug my phone in, curl into the fetal position under the covers, and go to sleep with a smile on my face.

Every day this week leading up to my date with Adrienne, I’ve sent her flowers with two cards. One that goes with the flowers and the other that was marked do not open until I tell her. She’s been asking every day what I’m up to, and why I would send her something she couldn’t open. She doesn’t realize it’s all a part of a bigger plan. This past week has been eye opening for me. Not only have I realized that I actually enjoy having someone to talk to on the phone, or text late at night, but I’ve found out that it’s nice to be able to be myself with someone. Well, I’m able to be myself with the guys, but I’ve never been myself with a woman before. It’s like I’ve been role playing for the past several years. Adrienne has made me recognize that I haven’t been living. Living isn’t working, coming home and going to sleep, and working again. That’s all I’ve ever done. Sure I’ve hung out with Troy, Marc and Nico from time to time, but I could have done more. Just in this week alone, Adrienne has had me try new

restaurants when we’ve met for lunch. She’s made me think about what I want in my future by just asking simple questions that have nothing to do with work, which is all I thought about before. I’ve been so worried about making sure I didn’t live pay check to pay check, that I did what I had to do to get plenty of money, and didn’t think twice about having a family, or possibly moving out of the city, or even getting a pet. Knowing that I can be myself around Adrienne, and feeling like she’s a trustworthy and loyal person based on her relationships with her father and her best friend, I feel terrible about keeping stuff from her. Her friend Emilie has accompanied us on a couple of lunch dates, and I can tell they are more like sisters. They care about each other so much, and I know they’d do anything to protect one another. Emilie surprised me when she said she’s been talking to Troy. He’s never mentioned anything about it, but I figure it’s because of his past, and I won’t push him on it. I worry, though, that he’ll actually tell Emilie what he does, and then if Adrienne finds out through her or anyone else, it will be bad. I know she at least knows of the blonde I fucked a while back in the hotel, which coincidentally enough was the first time I had seen Adrienne. She says they aren’t friends, but I don’t put it past her to tell Adrienne what happened between us and the two other girls. Fuck, it’s so bad. I know she needs to know the truth. She needs to know about my past and what I’ve done, and she needs to hear it from me, but I can’t help but think she won’t be able to handle it. No other woman has handled it. Opting to not think about it right now, I push it aside

and worry about the date with Adrienne that I’ve spent so much time coming up with. Hopefully she won’t think it’s too much. I just wanted it to be unique and something she’d remember. After what she told me about her ex-boyfriend, and everything he did or didn’t do, I can’t help but want to treat her the way she deserves to be treated. Making a few more phone calls to make sure everything is set up and in place; I text Adrienne to make sure she’s ready for the day.

I hear a dinging going off, but I know I didn’t set my alarm for this morning, so I look around the room, still half asleep. Once I wake up a little more, I figure out that it’s my phone. I flop onto my stomach, stretching across the bed to get to the phone on the nightstand. My fingers find the cord and I pull it closer to me. I try getting my eyes to focus completely, and when they do I see that I have three messages from Jace. Jace: Rise and shine. It’s time to get up. Jace: Adrienne, I have plans for you. You’re all mine today, remember? I’d call and annoy you, but I’m in a meeting. Wake up! Jace: Who ignores a king? I can’t help but laugh at his last message. Looking at the time stamps, I notice he’s been trying to wake me up for half an hour. I type out a quick respond and send it.

Me : I’m so sorry, King Jace, please forgive me. I’m awake and at your beck and call now, sir. Jace: I know you’re being sarcastic, but I like it. Please continue to have such behavior throughout the day. It pleases the king, and the king may be willing to please you. Now, get up and make your way to 1070 Sahara Ave. You have an appointment in forty minutes. Jace: And don’t even think about responding and asking questions. Just do as the king says. Text me when you’re done there, and I’ll give you further instructions. Enjoy. I make a ‘hmph’ sound after reading his message. Don’t ask questions? I hate not knowing what I’m walking into. Although, I will admit this is exciting. He’s planned something for me, and I don’t think it would be anything bad. With a spring in my step, I rush to get ready and elect to stick with simple and comfortable. I doubt I’m going anywhere fancy this early in the morning. When I arrive to the building I’m shocked to see that it looks like a mini castle. I’m instantly dreading my decision of cut off shorts, flip flops and an off-theshoulder shirt. They are going to look at me like the store workers looked at Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. If I had enough time to go back home and change, I would. Getting out of my car, I make my way to the front

door, and as soon as I step inside I’m greeted by two women behind a huge semi-circle black desk. The lobby is spacious and there are a few other women in robes walking through to a door on the other side. They look at me like I definitely don’t belong. Arriving at the desk, the workers don’t look to be judging me, so that’s good. “Hi, I have an appointment. My name is Adrienne Miller.” After a few clicks on her keyboard she looks up and smiles. “Yes. Welcome, Ms. Miller. Is this your first time here?” “Yes, can you tell?” I ask with an embarrassed smile. She smiles but doesn’t say anything. “We have you set up for the Ultimate Spa Experience Package. You’ll be getting a body scrub, body wrap, Swedish massage, and an energizing oxygen facial. So you’ll be here with us for a little while,” she finishes with another smile. “Wow. How long is all of that going to take?” I ask. “A little over three hours.” Holy shit. Talk about relaxation. She comes around the desk and escorts me to a locker room that puts my high school locker room to shame. The room is as big as my apartment and glossy, wooden lockers line the walls. There are large, leather ottomans placed in the middle, and long counters that hold everything from towels and tissue, to body lotions and body mist. “You can put your things in one of the lockers and the robes and slippers are in this closet over here,” she says with a gesture. “Once you’re ready, come on out and I’ll lead you to where you need to be.”

“Great. Thank you.” After inspecting every inch of the locker room, I get my robe and slippers on and meet the woman in the hall. I notice her name tag says Maureen. Maureen takes me through the hall and we walk pass signs for the Jacuzzi room, a restaurant, a VIP resting room, and some red clay room. After making a few turns, we reach another hall with several doors on each side. She opens one of the doors, and I follow her in. “Liam will be with you soon, and once you’re done here, I’ll be sure to get you to your next stop. Enjoy,” she says before walking out. Oh, I’ll definitely enjoy. I’ve never been to a spa before in my life, but I’m sure this takes the cake. After my three hours, I’ve decided I want to live here. Everybody was so nice and my body feels amazing. My skin is smoother and softer than it’s ever been. I need to make sure I treat myself to some spa action from time to time. It really helps alleviate the stress. Once I’m back in my car, I send Jace a text. Me: Your Majesty, I’m done with my appointment. Thank you so much. It was unreal. Jace : You’re very welcome. Now go home and open the card labeled #1. Me: Yay! Finally! I throw the phone on the passenger seat and race home. I’ve been dying to see what’s in these cards.

Rushing through the door, I dart straight to the stack of cards sitting on my breakfast bar and find the first one. I rip the envelope open and pull out the purple cardstock paper inside. You and Emilie once talked about going here and trying on dresses for no reason. You were “planning ahead” as Emilie said. Find this location and ask for Mary. Jace A smile spreads across my face as I realize he was actually listening when Emilie and I were talking about our hunt for bridesmaids dresses. We said that even though neither of us was engaged, we wanted to be able to pick out our own bridesmaids dresses so we wouldn’t be stuck with some atrocious mess. Emilie and I had a good time going to this one bridal shop and trying on every dress, even the ugly ones. We pointed out which ones were acceptable, and which ones weren’t. I grab the other envelopes to take with me and then jump in the car and drive to the bridal shop. When I arrive, I’m as giddy as a kid on Christmas. I immediately go to the front and ask for Mary. “She’s in the back. I’ll go grab her for you,” the other employee says. While I’m waiting, I tap my fingers impatiently on the desk, and then switch to biting on my thumb nail. How far back is the back in this place? Down the street? After what seems like an hour, they both come

walking to the front and Mary is holding a large white box with a smile on her face. “Here you go, hun. I hope you like it,” she says as she hands me the box. “Can I open it now?” I ask excitedly. “I don’t see why not,” she answers. I place the box on the desk and slowly pull the top off. Inside is a gorgeous, dark purple, knee-length dress. It’s strapless and has beautiful white, silver, and purple beading under and between where my breasts will be. It’s stunning. I thank Mary before leaving the shop and speed walk to my car to text Jace again. Me: Oh my gosh! I love it! You didn’t have to buy me a dress, but I’m so happy that you remembered my favorite color. Jace: I’m glad you like it. If you haven’t already, open #2. Before replying to his text, I open the second envelope. Okay, so maybe I enlisted some help with the dress. I knew you liked purple, but Emilie did help with picking out the right size. I am only a man after all. Clue Two There’s a couple of ways to get out of Vegas, but in order to see as much as you can, I’d suggest

driving. However, as a driver you have to keep your eyes on the road. Having someone drive you is better. For a long trip, I’d suggest a long vehicle, and there’s only one company here that’s fit for a king, so I’d suggest going there. Jace I almost want to cry by how thoughtful and generous he’s being. I can’t believe he’s gone through all this trouble for our date. Out of Vegas? I wonder where and when? Certainly not now. I know he’s talking about a limo company because of the long vehicle clue, but I don’t know all the company names. I’ll have to do a quick internet search on my phone. Fit for a king. Hmm. As soon as I type in limo companies in Las Vegas in the search engine, it isn’t hard to figure out which one he was talking about. Royalty. Of course. I can’t help but laugh out loud. I pull up to the limo company and walk straight to the front desk. I don’t really know what to say, so I just give them my name. “Oh, yes. Just one moment,” the man at the desk says. He walks into a room behind the desk, but promptly returns with a backpack and a manila envelope. “These are your reservations, itinerary, and this bag was left for you as well.” “Thank you,” I reply. I grab the backpack and envelope and all but run back to the car so I can tear into both. I toss the backpack on the passenger seat and open the envelope first. Inside the reservation paper is more like a

voucher. I can go in and state when I would like to use their services and they will arrange it. The location, however, has already been chosen. Southern California. I wonder briefly why he chose that location. I continue to look over the paperwork and notice that I can take as many people as I want when I do go, and we have scheduled stops in certain places. Putting the papers back in the envelope to go over more later, I grab the backpack and unzip it. Inside is snorkeling gear. Mask, snorkel, fins, gloves and an underwater camera. “Oh my gosh!” I screech out loud. He is sending me to California to not only get me out of Vegas like I said I wanted to, but to go snorkeling as well. I can’t believe this. I don’t know if I can accept this. It has to be an expensive trip. Me: Jace, I’m speechless. I really don’t know what to say. This is too much, I mean, I don’t want you to feel you have to spend all this money on me for things I said I wanted to do. I can’t believe you thought of all this stuff. Jace : It’s not too much. It’s what you deserve, Adrienne. Please accept this. You’re always doing things for other people whether it be your father, friends, or clients. You need to have things done for you too. Read #3. I open envelope number three on the verge of tears. I can feel the lump in the back of my throat forming. He’s definitely gone above and beyond.

You’re going to California! Sounds good right? You can choose when it is that you want to go, because I know you have work to think about. You can also take whoever you want, except guys. No guys allowed. The spot you’re going to is supposed to be really good for snorkeling. Clue Three Go home, get ready, and put your new dress on. Meet me at the spot where you first laid with a king. Also the same spot you first ran away from a king. 6:00pm I quickly snatch my phone up and send him a message. Me : First of all. I don’t think I like the no guys allowed rule for my trip. I have somebody in mind to go with me, so that might have to change. Second, I think you’re trying to get really lucky, and I’ll have you know…it’s working. See you soon. Jace: We’ll discuss the rule when I see you, and I’m definitely the lucky one. Now go get ready. Me: Yes sir! It’s three o’clock now, so I have three hours until I get to see Jace. Trying not to speed, I make it to my house as swiftly as possible. After eating a quick meal, and brushing my teeth, I make sure to put extra effort into my hair and makeup. Although, I’m sure it will get

messed up by the end of the night. Wishful thinking, anyway. With everything done, the last thing that I do is slip on my dress. It fits absolutely perfectly and falls right above my knees. The fabric is like silk caressing my skin. I look into my closet and pick a pair of silver heels to match the beading of the dress. Putting on some silver jewelry, and grabbing my purse, I’m ready to leave. I decide to take a cab to Jace’s place because I’d have no idea where to park there anyway. When I step from the cab, my heart begins beating rapidly and my stomach is doing flips. I’m not sure why I feel so nervous. This whole day has been a gigantic build up and I’m finally at the grand finale. I’m so anxious to see Jace after all he did for me today. Walking into the lobby of his fancy sky rise building, the same man from the first time I was here is at the desk. He does a double take when he sees me and smiles. “Ms. Miller?” he asks, and I nod in response. “You look beautiful, ma’am. Mr. Jamison has instructed me to take you up to his floor.” “Okay. Thank you,” I reply. Before we walk to the elevators, he makes a quick phone call. I imagine it’s to let Jace know I’m here. “Right this way,” he says as he escorts me to the elevators. I’ve always hated riding in elevators with other people. There’s always that awkward silence, but riding with him isn’t like that at all. He’s quite talkative. Once we reach the floor that houses Jace’s personal

elevator, he punches in the code for me, and then steps out. “There you go, young lady. I hope you have a good night. That boy’s been talking about this day for a while now.” I can’t help but smile when I hear that. “Thank you, Mr…” “John. Just call me John.” “Okay. Thank you, John. Have a good night.” He smiles and walks off as the doors to the elevator close. After the short ride up, the doors open up to his suite. I thought he’d be standing right there, but he isn’t. In this big of a place, I don’t even know where to start looking for him. Not sure I remember which way is what. I step inside and a note propped on the table in front of me catches my eye. It has my name on it, so I open it. Take a left, go straight until you see the door that leads outside. I’ll see you there. Following his directions, I find my way to the outside deck, the deck that wraps around most of this building. The lights are all turned off, but candles illuminate the way. I follow the candles further down the deck until I see a table and chairs surrounded by a canopy of twinkle lights. My steps slow the closer I get. I’m in heaven. “I led you on a treasure hunt, but I think it’s me who’s found the treasure.” The deep, familiar voice washes over me, and I turn

to look at Jace. My breath catches as I take in the man before me. Now, more than ever, he’s God-like. Not only because of his looks, but because I now know of his kindness, generosity, thoughtfulness, and big heart.

I throw myself on him. My arms wrap around his neck and I hold him there for a couple of minutes. In one day he’s managed to cover everything I said I wanted to do that I haven’t been able to. What I thought were merely questions, turned out to be an elaborate plan for him to give me things I’ve only dreamed about. I feel terrible for judging him to be someone who only cares about sleeping with women. How ignorant and narrowminded to judge somebody before you truly get to know them. He’s proven to me already that he’s so much more than I could have imagined. He gives to charities, he’s very generous, and he isn’t uppity because he has money. He wants others to do well; he’s always thinking of other people, he’s simply amazing. “Hey, are you okay?” he asks as he rubs the length of my back. I pull away and look up at him. “Yes. Jace, I can’t even express to you how much this whole day has meant to me. You really didn’t have to do all of this, but I appreciate it so much. Thank you.”

He pulls me in for another hug and kisses the top of my head. Stepping back with his hands around the tops of my arms, he smiles at me. “I know I didn’t have to do it, but I wanted to. I hope the treasure hunt was as fun as you’ve always hoped it would be.” His smile melts my heart. “It was more than I could have hoped for,” I answer. “Good. Are you ready for dinner? I don’t know how well you can see the stars out here because of all the lights down there,” he says, gesturing towards The Strip. “That’s why I have these lights. We can pretend they’re the stars. So we get to have dinner under the stars no matter what,” he finishes with an alluring smile. My heart swells even more and I get on my tiptoes to give him a kiss. “Sounds perfect.” He has a mini buffet set up along the side of the deck, so we go make our plates, then sit down in our canopy of stars to eat. Not only do I have beautiful twinkle lights surrounding me, but the view of the city below is breathtaking as well. I feel like I could take a picture and put it on a postcard. “So about that rule,” I say in between bites of my salad. “Oh yeah. Who do you want to take with you?” he asks. “Well, you said no guys, but I don’t think that’s fair. I mean, there’s a guy that I think has a right to go. He did pay for it.” His face breaks into a grin. “You want me to go with you?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” “I just don’t want you thinking that you have to take me. You can take Emilie and whoever else and have a girl’s weekend or something.” With a small pout I say, “But I want you to come.” “Okay. When do you plan on going?” “Well, I don’t know. Not for a while, because I do have a couple work events coming up in the next few months.” When he doesn’t say anything right away, I look up from my food and see him with a far off look on his face. It takes a little bit before I realize that I basically said I anticipate us being together for the next few months. Is that too presumptuous? “Okay, well just let me know,” he replies looking at his plate. I decide to stop talking about the trip and try another direction. “I would have never guessed you were a romantic,” I say with a playful smirk. “What? What do you mean?” “All of this. Everything you did. It’s all very Prince Charming.” He gives me a funny look. “Prince? I don’t think so. You know better.” “Oh whatever,” I laugh. “Well, I’m glad you think so. I’ve never done anything like this, so I’m glad it turned out okay.” “You’ve never been romantic? I find that hard to believe.” “I haven’t. It’s been a couple years since I was in a relationship, and even that wasn’t too serious. It didn’t

last very long at all. I’ve always been busy with work, and it just got in the way of everything else.” “That’s been your only relationship?” I ask, baffled that that would even be possible. “Pretty much. I mean, I had your typical puppy love relationships in school, but that’s nothing serious.” “I’m so confused. How is that possible?” He gives me a pointed look that says are you sure you want that answer? “I told you, Adrienne. I’ve been with plenty of women, but they never meant anything to me. That’s just the ugly truth.” I nod and turn my attention on my food. A foolish as it may be, I don’t want to think about him with other women. “Look, I should probably tell you more,” he says. “No. No, you don’t have to,” I interrupt, unwilling to talk about his sexual adventures right now. “Let this night be just about us, okay?” He gives me an apologetic smile and nods. After we eat our dinner, he escorts me inside and offers me something to drink from the bar. Three drinks later, I’m feeling pretty good. He’s had the same amount that I’ve had, but seeing as how he’s much bigger than me, he’s not feeling it like I am. With liquid courage in my system, I begin talking about things I probably wouldn’t normally talk about right now. “So, is there anything you haven’t done that you want to try?” I ask. “This again? I thought I said a treasure hunt,” he says with a crooked grin. “No, I mean sexually.”

I can tell he’s taken by surprise because his eyes go wide momentarily. “Uhh. No, I think I’m good.” “So you’ve done it all?” I ask. “Well, I do have boundaries, so I’m sure I haven’t done everything.” “Have you done anal? I mean, like not having it done to you, but you know,” I say with a giggle. He scrutinizes me for a minute. “Just answer the question! This is for fun.” “Yeah, I’ve given anal,” he answers hesitantly. “Okay, have you had a threesome?” “Yes,” he replies slowly, like he’s afraid to answer. “Really? With like two girls?” He downs the rest of his drink before answering. “Yeah, I’ve been with two girls at the same time.” “You can handle that much responsibility?” He laughs. “Are you trying to offend me? Of course I can handle it.” “Hmm. Okay. Have you…” “Am I going to be able to ask any questions?” he asks. “Go ahead,” I say with a shrug. “Answer the questions you asked me.” “Okay. Umm…no, and kinda.” “So no to anal, and you kinda had a threesome? How does that work?” “Right. No anal, and the threesome was when I was in college. The girl was a friend of mine, and the guy was somebody we both knew, so when we had been drinking we thought it was a good idea to try it out. Well, it wasn’t a good idea.”

“Why not? What happened? You can’t leave me hangin’ like that.” “Well, he was…” I pause, unsure of how blunt I should be, then I figure what the hell. “He was eating me out, and the girl was kind of lame and apparently had no interest in girls so she was just lying next to me on the bed. So while he’s eating me out, she’s just there, like a dead fish. I think he tried to finger her or something, but who knows. He asked her something like, why wasn’t she doing anything, and she said, ‘Oh, am I supposed to moan for her?’ and so we switched positions. The new position was for her to be riding him, while I was…are you sure you want to hear this?” I ask. “Yeah. It sounds like it’s gonna be a good story,” he says with a smile. “Okay, well while she’s trying to ride him, I’m sitting on his face, and then she starts complaining about how it’s too big or hurts too much and she can’t do it right. So his dick goes soft, and she doesn’t want to blow him, so I get down there to do it, while she takes my old spot. Once he’s hard again, I get on top of him and ride him. Me and her are pretty much face to face, but she doesn’t want to touch me or have me touch her, so it was weird. After a while, she just leaves.” “Wait, she just left the room? In the middle of sex?” “Yep. Come to find out later, she liked the guy and just wanted to have sex with him, and that was her only shot. She was mad that he and I were doing it better, I guess. I don’t know. It was wack.” Jace starts cracking up.

“Hey, don’t laugh at my terrible sex stories!” I frown. “I’m sorry, I’m just picturing it. I can’t believe she up and left like that.” “I’m sure even you have embarrassing sex stories,” I say. “Oh, you have no idea. I’m sure I’d take the cake.” “Are you going to share?” “No. I think I’m good.” “Come on!” I say as I shove him. “After my embarrassing threesome story, you’re not gonna share one?” He looks up and to the side like he’s trying to figure out which one he wants to share. “Do you really have that many to choose from?” I ask. His head comes down and he shoots me a serious look. “Like I said, you have no idea.” He takes a sip of his drink and then a small smile plays on his lips. “Well, there was this one girl I was with that wanted to be tied up while we had sex. I’m all good with that, so I tied her hands to the headboard and her feet to the footboard. She was really excited about it, wanting to touch me, but not being able to. Everything was going fine until right when she was about to come. All of a sudden she yelled, ‘Wait, stop!’ so of course, panicking, thinking I hurt her or something, I pull out and back away. I ask her what’s wrong and she asks to be untied, so I start undoing the binds, then I hear it… the sound of her peeing on the bed.” My eyebrows shoot up and my hand goes to my mouth. “Oh my gosh!”

“Yeah. She peed herself, and the bed. I’m just glad I wasn’t still inside her when that happened.” I begin laughing hysterically. Once I get going, it’s hard to stop. So I laugh until I have tears running down my face. “I’m sorry. That’s too funny. It’s not too embarrassing for you though. If I were her, I’d be mortified! I’m assuming you never saw her again?” “No, I’m sure she didn’t want to face me after that. It reeked of piss in that room.” “I don’t blame her,” I say with a laugh. “Can I ask you a personal question?” he asks. “Okay,” I reply slowly, worried what the question might be. “Why haven’t you tried anal?” “Uhh. I don’t know. My ex talked about it doing it, but he’d come in two minutes anyway, so there was never enough time to try. Sorry, that’s probably TMI.” Jace laughs. “That guy sounds like a winner.” I roll my eyes. “Oh yeah.” “So, that means you’re willing to try it?” he asks. My eyes widen and I’m sure there’s panic all over my face. “What?” he asks, laughing. “I don’t know if I could try with you! I mean, you know…I might die.” He barks out a deep laugh. “I wouldn’t let you die. Well, maybe feel like you’ve died and gone to heaven,” he says with a playful smirk. “Oh please,” I laugh. All of a sudden Jace is standing up and grabs my hand to stand me up with him.

“Adrienne, I never want to hurt you. I only want to make you feel good.” His right hand sweeps hair away from my face and his left hand caresses my cheek before grazing the side of my neck. “Can I make you feel good, Adrienne?” Unable to find words, I nod my head in response. He dips down and takes my face in between his hands. His tongue brushes against my lips, parting them, and then he gives me a deep, passionate kiss. Our tongues collide; one of my hands goes to the back of his head and the other to his back, pressing him closer to me. I feel like I can’t get enough of him. I need him closer, on me, in me, everywhere. I just need him. My moans and pants become louder as we continue the kiss, and he sucks my tongue into his mouth. I reach for his shirt, trying to tear it off of him. In one quick movement, he lifts me up and I wrap my legs around his waist. He walks through the house, barely breaking his mouth from mine. When we arrive in his bedroom, I slide down his body until my feet hit the floor. He undoes the back of my dress and it falls gently to the floor. I’m instantly left in my white lacey bra and panties and silver heels. He throws his blazer off and onto the floor; he doesn’t bother with the buttons on his shirt, as he rips it open and throws it next to the blazer. As he finishes taking his clothes off, I stand there and enjoy the show. When he turns to grab a condom from his nightstand, I catch the black wings tattooed across his shoulder blades, moving with every muscle that flexes.

He turns and stalks towards me with lust-filled eyes. Grabbing my hand, he leads me to the floor- to-ceiling window that takes up one whole wall. Turning me to face the window, he spreads my legs apart and I place my hands on the window. I hear a low rumbling sound come from his throat. I turn my head and look over my shoulder to see him watching me. He rips the condom package open and stretches it over his hard length. “Turn around,” he demands as his body reaches mine. I do as I’m told. I feel the warmth of his body on my back; his hand reaches around and rests on my lower stomach. He pulls me into him and then takes both my wrists in his other hand and raises them above my head on the window. “Don’t move,” he growls. I leave my hands together stretched above my head, resting against the window. I feel his hands run down my sides until he reaches my panties. Slowly, he pulls them down my legs, and I step out of them. He unhooks my strapless bra and lets it fall to the floor. Once again, he’s at my back, his mouth is at my neck, licking and nibbling until he reaches my earlobe. I feel his fingers slide across my wet folds before inserting two fingers. My head goes back and rests on his shoulder. “You like that?” he asks. “Mmm,” is my only reply. He removes his fingers and I groan in protest, but I’m instantly treated to his thick cock being thrust inside me instead. I yell out in surprise and my hands come down. He grips them again in one hand and pins them to

the window while he fucks me from behind. I’m slightly bent over, giving him easier access. He lets my hands go before turning me around, pushing my back against the window. He lifts my right leg up and my foot rests on his shoulder while he enters me. Holding my hips to keep me balanced, he pumps into me in a steady rhythm. I look down and watch his impressive length move in and out. Moving slightly, he causes my leg to drop, but he quickly picks me up and my legs drape over his forearms, while his hands rest under my ass. He fucks me standing up, impaling me onto his dick over and over again. I scream, I cuss, and my nails dig into his shoulders. I’ve never been more turned on. Jace carries me to the bed and puts me down while still inside of me. He stays on his knees while my feet are planted on the bed, and thrusts into me slowly. His dick finds my g-spot while his fingers play with my clit. Within minutes, and with a guttural scream, I come all over him. “That’s it, baby,” he whispers gruffly. He slides his dick out, and spreads the wetness all over my pussy with his fingers. Thrusting two fingers inside, and then running them up to my clit, he quickly gets me ready for another orgasm. My pussy is so fucking wet, and I can feel it pulsating around his fingers. Suddenly, I feel his fingers drop lower..and lower. He brings them back up and inserts them into my soaking wet pussy, and then drops them back down to my ass. Looking up at me, the question is in his eyes. He’s asking if it’s okay to go there. I give a slight nod

and he instantly spreads my legs wider and drops to his stomach. His face is in between my legs and I feel the warmth of his tongue slide over me. “Oh shit!” I exclaim. His tongue dips into my pussy before he licks my other opening. I gasp and grip the covers in my fists. Such a foreign feeling, but so good at the same time. He pokes and prods with both his fingers and tongue, getting me wet and ready. Jace moves momentarily, reaching into the end table and retrieves some lube. He squeezes some into his hand, massaging it onto his finger and my ass. He sits up on his knees again and ever so slowly slides one finger into my ass. I clench on instinct. “Relax, baby, I’m not gonna hurt you. I promise. Just relax.” I try to relax. I take a deep breath and feel his finger go in deeper. His tongue is on my clit, moving in circles. I moan in pleasure as his finger fully makes its way in. Continuing to lick my pussy, his finger begins its journey out, and then back in. Before I know it, he has a steady rhythm going. It doesn’t hurt. It actually feels really, really good. But I know this is nothing compared to his dick. After a few more minutes of him fingering my ass, and licking my pussy, I get the overwhelming urge of needing more. I need it harder and faster. I just need more. The pressure is building, but I want more. “Fuck me now,” I pant. “You sure?” “Yes, yes! Please. I want to feel you inside me.”

He retracts his fingers, and positions himself before me. He’s sure to rub more of my own juices over my ass before attempting to slide in. As soon as I feel his head try to enter, I clench. He leans over me and looks into my eyes. “Baby, we can stop anytime you want. I promise to be gentle. Okay?” I nod and he kisses my lips. Staying over me, he caresses my face with one hand while his other hand guides him in. My hands go to his hips, ready to push him back if I need to. Slowly and as gently as possible, he enters me. Just the tip at first. I grunt and squeeze him, and he stops, giving me time to adjust. I feel him push into me further and my eyes squeeze shut as I bite on my lip. He squeezes more lube onto himself, and a little more slides in. My grip tightens on his hips, and he pauses again. I can feel a burning sensation, and momentarily, I think that I won’t be able to go on. I almost feel like I’m going to rip in half. With a few more gentle pushes, I’m stretched around him. He pulls out a little, and then pushes back in. With every small thrust, I feel it sliding in easier. Thank God for lube. After what seems like ten minutes, it doesn’t hurt as bad. It’s not the most comfortable feeling, but I’m not dying. As long as he keeps his thrusts slow and gentle, I’ll be fine. “You okay?” he asks, his face right next to mine. “Yeah,” I breathe. Moving onto his knees again, he makes small and deliberate movements. His fingers go to my pussy and I feel him in both places now. The pressure is intense, but it’s starting to feel good. I don’t know if it’s the

alcohol in my system or what, but I decide I want to be on top. I feel like I have more control that way. He flips us over carefully without ever pulling out. I’m afraid if he did take it out completely, I wouldn’t want to have him put it back in. I move up and down, allowing his dick to stretch me open. With my hands on his stomach, I grind down on him. “Oh fuck,” he growls. “Your ass feels so good, baby. It’s so fucking tight.” I groan in response. His fingers find my clit as I continue to move up and down. With pressure building once again, I quicken my movements, grinding on him a little faster. Grinding is better than lifting myself up and down on him, I’ve found out. His fingers work diligently to help me along. “Oh, oh, oh. Fuck, Jace! I’m about to…I’m about to come,” I yell as the waves roll over me “Let me feel it, baby. Come for me.” With another throaty scream, one that’s for sure going to have my throat hurting later, I come. I come by him fucking me in the ass, and it was amazing. After the few minutes it takes for me to catch my breath, and allow him to pull out, I flop over onto my back. He changes out condoms, and then drives into my pussy hard and fast. His dick feels extra hard, and I know it won’t be long before he reaches his climax. Five minutes later, it’s his turn to yell out as he comes. Best. Sex. Ever.

When I wake up I feel an arm wrapped around my waist. I turn slightly and see Adrienne curled up behind me. A smile plays on my lips as I look at her. Last night after I went to the bathroom to clean up, she had fallen asleep in the bed. When I returned to the bedroom, I crawled into the bed next to her and fell asleep, too. This is the first time a woman has ever stayed the night at my house. I’ve never invited or even wanted a woman to stay over. She fell asleep and I didn’t think twice about it. Sometime in the middle of the night she must have woken up because she is now wearing the shirt I was wearing last night. I move as slowly and quietly as possible as to not wake her up, and make my way to the bathroom so I can pee and brush my teeth. When I get back to the bed, she begins stirring. I watch her as she stretches her arms above her head. Her eyes slowly pop open and she looks around, looking confused at first. Then she spots me. “Morning, gorgeous.”

She gives me a shy smile. “I doubt I’m very gorgeous right now. Can I use your bathroom? Oh, and do you have an extra toothbrush I can use?” “You’re always gorgeous to me, and of course you can. If you look in the cabinet in the middle, there should be some things you can use. I buy a few of everything at a time, so there’s toothbrushes and toothpaste there for you.” “Thanks,” she says as she climbs out of bed and walks around the bed to the bathroom. While she’s in there, I throw on some gray and black flannel pants and one of my sleeveless workout shirts. I walk to the kitchen and start making breakfast. Ten minutes later, Adrienne finds her way to the kitchen. “You cook?” she asks, sounding shocked. With a laugh, I respond. “Yeah. What? You think men can’t cook?” She shakes her head and smiles. “Well, I’ve never met one that did.” “Now you have,” I say with a smile. “The eggs and bacon are done, and these pancakes will be finished soon. I have coffee brewing and orange juice in the fridge.” With a smile, she hops onto a stool at the breakfast bar. “What don’t you do?” “Oh, I’m sure there’s something. Actually, this is the first time I’ve cooked for somebody else. I always only cook for myself, so hopefully you like my cooking. If not, pretend you do,” I say with a wink. “I always assumed single guys just ate out all the time. It’s good that you know how to cook.” “If I ate out all the time, I probably wouldn’t be able

to afford this house. I eat a lot.” She laughs. “Yeah, well we don’t want you losing this place. It’s amazing.” “Well, I’m sure I’ll sell it sometime and buy an actual house, with a yard and all that.” She looks surprised by that response, but doesn’t say anything. I place all the food on the bar and we dig in. “Thanks for breakfast. That was really sweet of you.” “Sweet? Am I gonna need to prove my manliness to you?” I joke. “I think you did that last night,” she answers with a sly smile. “Well, I’m always down to prove it to you, if that’s what proves it.” She only smiles and continues eating. I wish I could continue making her smile, but I know I’m about to make that smile go away. I’m just hoping it’s not for good. I keep telling myself that this is a good thing. I have to tell her the truth. She needs to know everything, and then we’ll be able to move forward. I know she’s somebody I want to try to be in a serious relationship with, but I know that can’t happen as long as I’m keeping something from her that’s been me for so long. “Adrienne, remember last night when I said that…” The phone interrupts me. “One sec.” I jog over to my cell. “Hello?” “Jace! What the fuck, man? I tried calling you a million times last night. Where the fuck you been?” “Man, I’ve been minding my own business. Where the fuck you been? You’re the one who keeps disappearing,” I reply to Troy. I say that, knowing damn

well he’s been sneaking off to go see Emilie, but not saying anything about it. “Whatever,” he says, deflecting. “We got the opening next weekend and since Marc is finally back in town from his trip with that client, we all need to get together and have a pre-celebration since we’ll be busy and stressed as fuck opening night.” “Alright, that sounds good to me. Where and when?” “Tonight, but let me talk to Marc first and then I’ll tell you time and place.” “Okay, cool. I’m bringing Adrienne if she’s free.” “Oh. You think Emilie will come, then?” “Maybe. Why?” I say through a grin. “Just curious. Talk to you later, man.” I laugh as I hang up and walk back to Adrienne. “What’s so funny?” she asks. “Troy. He still hasn’t told me about him and Emilie meeting up, but I can tell he’s feelin’ her. He asked if she would be coming tonight.” “Tonight?” she asks with a furrowed brow. “Oh yeah. You’re coming with me tonight,” I say with a smile. “Oh I am? And where am I going with you?” “I don’t know yet. Troy wants to celebrate the opening of the club, before the opening of the club, since he says we’ll be busy and stressed out.” “You probably will be, but okay. I can’t stay out too late though. I do have work tomorrow.” “That’s fine.” We continue eating, and talk about topics that range from childhood memories to crazy, drunken, college memories, even to what we’re looking forward to in

our lives. Adrienne and I laugh at each other’s funny stories, and sympathize with the sad ones. In this moment I can feel us growing closer. I’ve never had these moments. The moments when you get to know another person on a deeper level. Getting to know someone’s wants sexually is nothing compared to getting to know someone’s dreams of their future. Even though I know it’s a cop out, I decide on telling Adrienne about the escort thing until after tonight. I tell myself that after we’re done celebrating and it’s time to take her home will be the time I tell her. I can’t keep dragging it out. After a while, Adrienne slips her dress and heels back on, and we head down to my car so I can take her home. “See you later,” I say as she steps out of the car. “I can’t wait. Tonight should be fun. It’ll be my first time hanging out with you when you’re with your friends,” she says with an eyebrow lifted. “You think I’m a different person with them?” I ask with a laugh. “I know you are. We’re all different with our friends. I would never talk to you about some of the things I talk to Emilie about.” “Oh, I know. Things like God-like creatures, right?” I ask with a smirk. “Oh, shut up!” she says with red cheeks. “It’s okay. I like it. I mean, I know I say I’m a king, but if I can be a God, why not?” “You’re too much,” she says with a laugh. She leans into me and I bend down to kiss her. “Yeah, but you like it.”

“I do.” “I’ll give you a call later to let you know the details about tonight.” “Okay.” We kiss one more time before she walks away. I shut the passenger door and walk over to the driver’s side. On my drive back home, I consider all the different ways I can tell her the truth, and also consider all the ways she can react. Fuck. I don’t see this going good.

While I’m in the shower, I hear my phone ring several times. As soon as I get out, I grab it and see that both Jace and Emilie have called me. Only Jace left a voicemail, but that’s probably because Em left several text messages. His voicemail lets me know where we’re going and that he’ll come pick me up at six-thirty. When I read Em’s messages, she’s basically saying Troy called her and asked if she was going out with me tonight. So she’s yelling at me about not inviting her. Deciding to call her, I press send as I walk back into the bathroom with a towel wrapped around me. “So you don’t invite your best friend to go out with you when hot guys are gonna be around?” she says as soon as she picks up the phone. “Oh hey, Em. Nice to talk to you too. What? Oh, yeah, I spent the night at Jace’s house last night, and just got home and took a shower. He called while I was in the shower to let me know about tonight. So what’s goin’ on with you?” I say.

She’s quiet for a little while before responding. “Ummm…okay, I apologize for being crazy. Now where were you and for how long? Did you say you spent the night?” “Yes. I have to tell you about the whole day though! It was amazing, Em! A dream come true.” I end up sitting on the edge of my bed, with only a towel on, and tell Em everything from the spa appointment, to the dinner under the stars, and of course the sex, but with limited details. “Anyway, I was going to tell you about tonight, but I didn’t have any details about what was going on. So, are you coming or what?” “Are you serious? Of course I’m coming!” “Yay! Now tell me what’s going on with you and Troy.” “Well, not much. He’s really nice, and very considerate. It’s weird because I kind of want to jump his bones, but he’s so…I don’t know. Hesitant.” “I heard he had a hell of a last relationship. It probably has something to do with that.” “Like he’s still broken hearted or in love?” “I don’t think he still loves her. Maybe he’s afraid to get hurt again.” “Yeah. Maybe.” “Well, I’m still sitting here in a towel, and I need to start getting ready. Jace is gonna be here at six-thirty, and I have about five hours to eat, figure out what to do with my hair, do my face, find some clothes, and maybe take a nap.” “Didn’t get much sleep at your sleepover, eh?” Em asks.

“No, not enough,” I laugh. `When I hang up with Emilie, I flop back onto my bed and close my eyes. Sleep overcomes me in minutes. I wake up in a panic. I didn’t set an alarm, and I’m just sure that I overslept. When I look over at the clock, I’m able to breathe a little. It’s only a little after three o’clock. I throw on an oversized t-shirt and go to the kitchen to warm up some leftover pasta. After eating, I go to my closet to figure out what I’m going to wear. I can’t do my hair or makeup until I have clothes picked out. I have to be sure that my makeup will match my outfit. After pushing hanger after hanger to the side, I find a mini, sleeveless, black dress. It’s form fitting and shows off my curves. The back is sheer, so that determines my hairstyle. An up-do. I look through my drawers and find a pair of pantyhose. The front of them is solid black, while the back is sheer. I decide to add a bit of color by pairing it with red heels and red dangling earrings. I’ll be sure to carry my red-and-black clutch. With the outfit picked out and ready to go, I make my way to the bathroom to pull my hair up and put my makeup on. I give my eyes the smoky look with a charcoal gray shadow and a glittery highlight. Since my eyes are fairly dark now, I decide to go with a nudecolored lipstick and gloss. Don’t want to start looking too drag queen-ish. I end up pinning almost all of my curls back until it looks like I have a curly, messy bun on the back of my head with a few curls framing my face. After slipping on my clothes, spritzing myself with perfume, and using the bathroom one last time, I head to the living room.

Twenty minutes later, Jace is at my door. “Hey,” I say as I open the door. “Hey, you look amazing.” “Thank you, you’re not too bad yourself,” I say playfully. He’s wearing a black shirt and black blazer with a pair of white jeans. He could definitely be a model. I walk up to him and run my hand along the scruff on his face before stealing a kiss. I’ve never seen a five o’clock shadow look so good. He’s got it all trimmed up and looking perfect. I grab my clutch and make sure I have my phone and keys. “Ready.” Once we get to the car, I see he’s chosen his SUV this time. It’s a black Range Rover with really dark tint. When I get inside, I see that this one is just as clean as his other vehicle. The interior is black and gray and the chrome is probably still as shiny as the day he bought it. “This is really nice,” I say. “Thanks. I usually prefer my Bentley, but I gotta pick Troy up and figured I should give him more space. I hope it’s okay that he rides with us.” “Yeah, of course. I don’t mind.” When we get to Troy’s place, I gawk from the passenger window. We pull up into one of the three driveways. Each one is set a little in front of the one next to it. There are palm trees on the sides of a huge, floor-to-ceiling, arched window near the front door. It’s gorgeous, and I can only imagine what the inside looks like. Jace texts Troy to let him know we had arrived, and soon after Troy comes walking out. He’s wearing a

long sleeved, white, collared shirt that has thin black stripes, and a black vest. A pair of blue jeans, and black shoes finishes the outfit. He looks good, too. These guys should never be allowed to go out together. I can only imagine the amount of women who would throw themselves on them. When he climbs into the back he flashes me his perfect smile, showing off his straight, white teeth. “Hey, Adrienne.” “Hey,” I respond with a smile. “Jace, do you mind if we pick up Emilie, too? She was just going to meet us there, but maybe we can just all ride together.” I see Jace look in the rearview mirror and smirk. “Yeah, that’s fine, just let me know where to go.” I turn and look at Troy in the back. “You don’t mind, do you?” He smiles. “No, it’s fine.” “Okay, good. Let me text her to let her know.” I send Em a text to let her know we’ll be by to pick her up. I may have left out that Troy will be with us. “Hey, so Marc, Kade, and Nico are gonna be meeting us there. I think Marc said someone else was coming with him,” Troy says from the back. “Okay, cool. I haven’t seen Marc in a long time. He was out of town for a while,” Jace responds. “Was this that work trip he said he was going on?” I ask, and then realize that he never specified if it was work or pleasure. Jace and Troy share a look through the mirror. “Yeah. It was for work,” Jace responds. “Oh man, did you hear what Nico did?” Troy asks quickly.

They talk about somebody I haven’t met before, so I kind of tune them out. I give Jace directions as we drive, and soon enough we’re at Em’s place. I take out my phone and let her know we’re here. As she’s on her way to the vehicle, I see Troy watching her. Em has on a cowl neck, dark blue, knee length dress. Even though she’s yet to turn around, I know the dress. The back crosses at the top in an X formation and the rest of her back is uncovered. Troy’s gonna go crazy. She opens the back passenger door, and before she even has it all the way open, she’s already talking. “Adrienne, do you think Tr…Troy! Hey, I wasn’t expecting to see you,” she says as she realizes Troy is in the backseat. I stifle a laugh knowing she was about to ask about him. She slides in behind me and then we’re on our way to the club. I hear Troy compliment her, and Emilie reciprocates. Jace reaches over, grabs my hand and brings it to his mouth, kissing my knuckles. “So, are you guys excited about this club opening, or what?” Em asks excitedly. “Yeah, I’m just worried about the first week. I think that’s when everything that can go wrong, will,” Troy responds. “Are Adrienne and I invited to the opening?” “Em, I have to be there because of my job. So I’ll be there whether Jace wants me there or not,” I say playfully as I squeeze his hand. He looks over at me and gives me a heart melting smile. “I’ll always want you around.”

“Awww,” Em coos. “I’ll make sure you get in,” Troy says to Emilie. “Thank you. I’m sure it’s gonna be crazy busy for a while. Everybody always wants to be in the new clubs first. So is this what y’all do? Open clubs and stuff?” “This is our first one,” Troy answers. “Oh. So you both work together, right? What’s the official title, like entrepreneurs or something?” They both seem to pause to see who’s going to answer. Jace clears his throat. “Well, we hope that after this we’ll be able to branch out and get more up and running.” “So what did you do before? If this is the first business that you’re opening, then what was your job before?” I ask Jace. I was under the impression that that’s what he did. That he had opened up other clubs here in Las Vegas with Marc and Troy. I guess that’s why I never asked. “It’s right here, man,” Troy says, leaning forward and pointing out the window. “Oh, okay,” Jace responds. “Let me text Marc and Nico and see if they’re here yet,” Troy says, pulling his phone out. A few minutes later, once we’re parked, Troy’s phone goes off. “Yeah, they’re all in there,” he says. On our way to the front door of the large, one level building, Jace grabs my hand. “We’ll talk about my job later, okay?” he says with a small smile. “Okay.” We walk straight into the Blue Martini and are

instantly surrounded by loud voices and loud music. There’s a huge round bar in the middle and that’s where we go first. As Troy and Jace talk to the bartender, Emilie pulls me to the side. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me Troy was in the car! I was about to ask if you thought he’d like my dress. That would have been embarrassing!” I laugh. “That’s for asking all those questions when you knew Jace was right behind me. You’re lucky I didn’t do that to you!” “Oh whatever. I’m so excited! I’m glad we’re all hanging out together. Double date, woot woot!” she squeals. “There’s gonna be a few more guys joining us, though.” “Oh really? Are they gonna be as good looking as these two?” she asks. “Well, Marc is really good looking. He’s the other one that’s involved in their club. I don’t know the other guys.” Jace and Troy walk over and hand us our drinks. “Thank you,” Em and I say in unison. “Here you guys are!” a voice yells. We all turn and look in the direction of the voice. It’s a young-looking guy. He’s got tanned skin, and dark brown, unruly hair. His dark eyes are a little glazed, and you can tell he’s been drinking. The guy next to him looks young, too. He’s got blonde hair and light colored eyes. It’s hard to tell with it being so dark, but the fact that they aren’t ugly is obvious. “Hey,” Troy and Jace say at the same time. “Nico, this is Adrienne and Emilie. This is Nico and

Kade,” Jace introduces. “Hey,” Nico drags out. “What section of the club did you find them, cause that’s where I need to go,” Nico says with a laugh. “We brought them here,” Jace says sternly. “Oh,” he says softly. Then his voice becomes animated. “Wait! Kade, oh man, tell them about your date yesterday. Oh God, you guys, this shit is the funniest shit I’ve heard in a while. I’ve never had this happen to me with any of the women I’ve been with. I swear Kade’s had the worst luck since he started.” My brows furrow. At first I think he’s just talking about a regular date, and then he says since he’s started, which doesn’t make sense. Although, he’s drunk and rambling, so who knows? “Yeah, hold on. Let’s talk about it later. I need to find Marc,” Troy says. “I’ll be right back,” he says to Emilie with a smile. When he disappears into the crowd, Em pulls my arm. “Let’s dance!” I hand my drink to Jace before she yanks me further away. He gives me a small smile, and then me and Emilie are lost in the crowd. The music is good and my heels aren’t too uncomfortable, so we dance for a few songs. “Damn, why is it that all their friends are cute? I mean, those other two aren’t bad to look at,” Em says while we dance. “I don’t know. I’m curious as to what they do. I wonder if Jace and Troy work with them. Emilie just shrugs and keeps dancing. After the song we’re dancing to goes off, we make our way back to the

bar. I don’t see Jace or Troy, though. I don’t even see the other guys that were with them. “Wanna get another drink?” Em asks. “Nah, let’s go to the bathroom first.” “Okay. I wonder where the guys are.” “I know. Hopefully they won’t be hard to find,” I say, still looking around for them. “Well, considering they’re the most attractive men here, we’ll just be on the lookout for a mob of women, and the guys will probably be in there.” We struggle through groups of people, looking for the bathroom. After a while, we finally make it to a hallway that holds the bathrooms and emergency exit. We pass the men’s bathroom on the way and hear a girl’s voice inside. “Come on, you know you want to,” the seductive voice says. Em and I pause near the door and listen. “Maybe we’ll hear them have sex,” Em whispers with a smile on her face. A toilet flushes in one of the bathrooms, causing whatever the guy says to be muffled. “I know you enjoyed yourself last time. There’s no denying that, so why don’t we just leave and go have some fun? Just the two of us this time.” A man starts walking down the hall towards the bathroom, so Em and I move a few steps away and act like we’re just chatting in the hallway. When he goes to open the door, it’s locked. He bangs on the door with his fist several times. “Boo! He’s ruined our fun. Now we won’t get to hear a live sex show. Let’s go to the bathroom now,”

Em says as she walks across the narrow hall to the women’s bathroom. Right as we get to the door, we hear the men’s door unlock and the man waiting outside the door, pushes his way in. “Come on, man. If you wanna fuck a girl in here, at least move it into one of the stalls and leave the main door unlocked. I almost pissed myself.” Em and I get into the bathroom but peek through the cracked door, watching the show. “Sorry, man.” “We’re leaving anyway. We need a bed for what I have in mind,” the female voice says huskily. The door opens wider, and since the women’s bathroom is set a little further down, they won’t come our way to get back to the club, so Em and I continue watching. When I see the girl, my mouth drops, although I shouldn’t be too surprised. “Is that…Vivian?” Em whispers. “Yeah.” “What a whore. What the fuck is she wearing?” “A whore’s uniform,” I whisper back and we both try to keep our laughter quiet. Vivian steps further into the hall. “You ready?” she asks. Jace walks out into the hallway next, and I think my heart stops.

I end up leaning back against a wall in the bathroom. The door is now closed and Emilie is looking at me with a mixture of rage and pity. I know she’s pissed at Jace, but I also know she’s worried about me. I can’t find any words. I’m embarrassed, heart-broken, and angry. I just don’t know which one to feel first. I should have known this was going to happen. This is why I didn’t want to be with him in the first place. Vivian though? They had been together before? Jace said he didn’t know her, that he didn’t know her name. The fact that he lied to me probably pisses me off the most. “Adrienne, we have to go confront them. I know this sucks and you’re probably pissed and hurt and confused, but this bitch can’t get away with this shit. I want answers, and I know you do. What are we going to do?” “She said they were leaving,” I respond quietly. “Fuck that! Let’s go. Come on.” Emilie pulls me by my arm and out into the hallway. Still holding onto my arm, she leads us out of the hall

and into the darkened club. With every step, my anger grows. Thoughts of our date yesterday flood my mind. He went out of his way to give me what I’ve always wanted. It was beautiful. I don’t understand why he’d do this. “Did you hear her when she said, ‘last time you enjoyed yourself?’ That means they’ve been together before. That means he lied to me about knowing her. Em, you know I hate when people lie to me more than anything else. I don’t know what they’ve got going on, but she was all over him at the wedding, and I should have known something was up then. I can’t believe I’m so stupid.” “Stop! You’re not stupid. You’re a girl falling for a guy, and hoping he’d be a good one. They are out there, Adrienne. There may not be many good ones, but there are some. That does not mean you’re stupid, it means you’re just ready to find the one and willing to take that leap of faith when you think you have him. You trusted him to be honest; you trusted that he cared for you. You’re not stupid, he is, and I’m going to be sure he knows that.” We go back to the bar and although Jace isn’t there, we spot Troy. “Have you seen Jace?” Emilie spits out as soon as we get near him. “Uh, I think I saw him head towards the front door. Why? What’s up?” I’m sure he can tell when two women are fuming. “Nothing. We’ll be back.” We storm off towards the front door. I don’t know what I’m going to find, but my heart is beating out of my

chest and my body feels hot. I’m shaking with anger, and I don’t know if I want to punch him or her first. They’re both in the wrong. They both knew each other and kept it from me. Was it a fun game to them to have some sort of secret? Is that why Vivian said what she did at the wedding? Was her intention to make Jace think I didn’t want him? Her mom did say she was evil. When we get outside there are a few people mingling out front, smoking or waiting for a cab. No Jace or Vivian though. We walk a little further down towards the side of the building and spot Vivian right away. How can you not spot someone who’s dressed up like a prostitute? More skin is visible than clothes, it’s disgusting. She turns and sees us. Surprise grazes her face before a smug look takes its place. “Well, look who’s here,” she says snidely. “If you’re looking for Jace, he’s already gone to get the car.” “For who? You?” Em asks. “He wouldn’t leave with you,” I spit. “Oh really? He’s fucked me already, I’m sure he’ll be okay with me leaving with him in his car.” I’m taken aback by her bluntness momentarily. “Are you really surprised? I know you thought of him as a man-whore, and you’re right. I was first. He was with me first. You mean nothing to him. You’re just another pussy for him to stick his dick in.” “He said he didn’t know you. So you must mean even less. Did you know that he denied even knowing your name? That’s gotta sting. He doesn’t want to admit that he’s been with someone like you,” I snarl.

She goes quiet momentarily and looks to the parking lot. “You wanna know something about your man, Adrienne? I bet it’s something else he didn’t want to admit. Something else he kept from you.” She pauses, looking back and forth between me and Emilie. An evil, devious smile appears on her face. “Honey, Jace is an escort. He’s paid to be with women. He has no need for you, because he gets it elsewhere all the time.” I’m literally stunned speechless. I can’t think of anything to say in response. Jace an escort? “Why would we believe you?” Em asks. “You don’t have to believe me. Ask him. Maybe he’ll tell you about our night with two other women,” she says with another snide smile. Jace has always been honest about sleeping with other women. He’s said he’s had threesomes and has had plenty of different experiences, but I never imagined he got paid to do it all. That means he’s probably been with way more women than I thought. “So what you’re saying is that you had to pay him to get him to sleep with you? You want to try and act all high and mighty, when you paid him to fuck you. At least he was with me because he chose to be. I never had to pay him anything. So you can try to hurt me with your fucking information, but if anything, that should make you feel worse.” Even though I’m hurt and pissed off at Jace, I won’t allow her to know that. I won’t give her the opportunity to kick me while I’m down. I may go wallow in my sorrows later, but right now, Vivian will never get the

pleasure of thinking she broke me down. “You’re such an awful person that no man would willingly want to be with you. I pity you for having to buy love and attention. If I were you, I’d be embarrassed. You’re pitiful.” I turn and stalk off in the opposite direction, back towards the front door. Emilie is quick on my heels. “Did you see her face? Fuckin’ priceless!” Emilie laughs. I don’t respond. I’m too pissed to say anything. When I get to the front door, I realize that I don’t even want to go inside. I have no idea where Jace is but I’m in no mood to hang out in a club. “I think I’m gonna go home,” I say to Em. “You can stay if you want, but I’m just gonna catch a cab.” “Are you crazy? Of course I’m coming with you. I don’t want to be here if you’re not here.” There are a few cabs outside so we quickly climb into one and head home. “Are you going to talk to Jace about all this? Do you believe her?” Emilie asks. “I’m sure I’ll talk to him, but not tonight. I need some time to think about everything. As far as believing Vivian? Maybe. I know she’s a bitch, and her mom even warned me away from her, but she also knows escorts. Remember that night at the club? She knew Charlie and told us about him. Plus, Jace hasn’t told me anything about his job. Until tonight, I assumed opening clubs and things was what he did. I thought maybe he just owned a bunch of places. He’s talked about being with lots of women, but how they didn’t mean anything to him. He even told me that I’m the first woman in a

long time that he wanted to be with. It makes sense,” I say with a shrug. “Maybe. How do you feel about that, though?” I let out a long, sad sigh. “I don’t know. If this is true, he’s slept with way more people than I thought. I know that shouldn’t matter, but what if I’m not enough? A man who has probably been with all kinds of different women, done it all kinds of different ways, had every fantasy come true doesn’t stay satisfied with one woman. This means he could still be sleeping with other women, and that is not okay! Not only that, he lied to me! I asked him about Vivian when I saw her all over him and he said he didn’t know her, not even her name. He could have told me the truth then.” Emilie nods in agreement. A few minutes of silence goes by before she speaks again. “Do you think Troy and those other guys are escorts, too?” “I hadn’t even thought of that, but it’s possible. They all know each other somehow.” “Plus, did you hear that one guy say something about how the other guy had just started or something?” Emilie says. “Yeah. So how would you feel if Troy is an escort?” I ask. “I really don’t know. I don’t think I could be with someone and be okay with them leaving and knowing that when they do, they are going to go sleep with someone, or even just spend time with them! I’m too jealous for all that.” “Em, I knew this was going to happen. I knew he’d

let me down. It was just a matter of when.” “Maybe it’s not true,” she says unconvincingly. “Maybe not, but I’m leaning more towards it is. They were in the bathroom together. You saw that. It’s just he was so nice. He did so much for me for our date, and said he wanted to get to know me more. We were learning more about each other and having a good time. Don’t you think being an escort is something you should tell someone right away?” “Would you have stuck around if he did tell you?” “I…I don’t know.” “And he probably knew that. Maybe he was just trying to keep you around as long as he could. You can’t be mad at him for wanting you around.” I don’t respond. I can’t. The lump in my throat is swelling and I know if I try to talk, I’ll just start sobbing. We pull up to Emilie’s place first, and after she gives the cabbie her money, she leans over and hugs me. It’s then that a few tears fall down my face. “Just talk to him, okay? If you find out that he did cheat on you, then you let me know and I’ll cut his dick off. Can’t fuck anybody without a dick.” A small laugh escapes despite my mood. “Thanks, Em.” She slips out and the cabbie drives me home. Once I get there I strip my clothes off and drop onto the bed. I leave my cell in my purse in the other room, and try not to think about what Jace is doing and who with.

I don’t know how much time has passed, but I hear my phone from the other room. I drag myself out of bed and walk to my purse to retrieve the phone. Before even looking at it, I go right back to bed and lie down. I scroll through the notifications for text messages, missed calls and voicemails. All of them are from Jace and Emilie. The first text is from Jace. Jace : Babe, where’d ya go? I’ve been looking through the club. Jace: Adrienne, this isn’t funny. Where are you? I’m worried about you. I look at the time stamps and notice it was probably shortly after I left that he sent those. After those messages, he called three times, but didn’t leave a message. He texted again. Jace: I need you to let me know that you’re okay. Please. Several more calls came through and he left a few voicemails, but I don’t want to hear his voice right now so I leave them alone. Em started texting and calling me about two hours ago, at one in the morning. E m: Adrienne, Jace is freaking out. He’s been

looking for you. Em: Okay, seriously. Troy just called me. He wants to know if I know where you are. What am I supposed to say? I didn’t answer, but he’s only gonna keep calling. Em: Dammit, Adrienne! Don’t be mad at me. She left a voicemail too, but in order to hear hers, I’d have to listen to Jace’s, so I don’t bother. Em: I left you a message, but I’m going to tell you again. I told Troy that we saw Jace leave the bathroom with Vivian and what Vivian told us. I’m sorry, but I can’t let them think you’re missing. I told Troy to let Jace know that you don’t want to talk right now, but that you’re fine. A few more calls from Jace came through after that, but he didn’t leave a message and he didn’t send any more texts. I feel bad for making him worry, but I’m still pissed, so I don’t feel too bad. I toss the phone on the bed next to me and go to the bathroom. While I’m in there, I hear the phone ring again, but don’t rush to answer it. After washing my hands, I go back into my room and grab the phone. Jace. I let out a shaky breath. I know I need to speak with him soon, but I haven’t thought about what I’m going to say yet. I usually pre-plan my arguments. I need to figure out what I’m going to say and then plan for whatever response he might have. Ugh.

While I’m still holding the phone, I receive a text message from Jace. Jace: Adrienne, please give me a chance to talk to you. I’m sorry. I need to explain, but I want to do it in person. Please. I can feel his desperation in the message. My heartstrings are being pulled, and I know he deserves a chance to explain himself, but I don’t think I’m going to like what he has to say. I don’t want to break down and be a crying mess in front of him. He’ll have to make do with talking on the phone. Without responding to his text, I dial his number and with my heart in my throat, wait for him to pick up. “Adrienne,” he says softly, almost relieved. “I don’t want to meet up right now. You can explain over the phone,” I say, trying to stay strong. I hear him let out a breath. “Okay.” When he doesn’t say anything else, I let out an exasperated sigh. “Jace, did you fuck Vivian?” “Yes.” His answer is simple. One three letter word, and yet it breaks my heart. My heart beats faster, my body grows warm with anger, and I feel the lump in my throat again. I try to push forward and not allow myself to cry. “Are you an escort?” “I was. I’m not anymore.” “Since when?” “Only a little while,” he answers sadly, like he knows the answer won’t appease me. “Were you an escort when we met?”

“Yes.” Again, that tiny little word crushes me. I have one last question. One question that will determine what happens from here. “Did you fuck anybody else after me?” Silence. I can hear him breathing, but that’s it. I’m holding my breath and hoping for an answer I know I’m not going to get. His silence is answer enough. “Adrienne, let me explain.” “Good-bye, Jace.”

Goddamn that stupid fucking bitch! She’s managed to ruin my relationship with the only woman I’ve let myself care about, the only woman who I’ve allowed to learn about the real me. I know I didn’t tell Adrienne about being an escort, but I felt letting her know about my personal life was more telling. She may not know, but in doing that, I let her know more about me than any other female has ever known. Adrienne knows me. The real me, and she didn’t want me to be anyone else. I fucked it up, I know I did. I know I should have told her about what I did a long time ago, but I didn’t know how. I knew it would hurt her, and that’s something I didn’t want to do. I’m sure Vivian made it seem like there was more going on between us. She was really trying to get me to fuck her in the bathroom of the club. I’ve never had a girl follow me to the bathroom and proposition me. I told her I wouldn’t sleep with her, and since I wasn’t an escort anymore, she couldn’t hire me either. She didn’t like that. After we left the bathroom, I tried my hardest

to get away from her, but she followed me and kept talking about how we could go to her house. My plan was to let her believe I’d take her home, which is why she was waiting outside. What I really did was go back inside and look for Adrienne. I was going to tell her to come home with me and I was going to come clean about everything then. Only Adrienne found Vivian first, and all went to hell. I understand why Adrienne is upset and she has every right to be, but she needs to give me a chance to fully explain to her everything. I need to see her; I need to make her listen. Our opening is coming up next weekend and she has to be there. I know it may not be the right time or place to have this conversation, but it may be the only chance I get. I could go to her house, but I know she won’t let me in. All I can do is wait.

This week was the slowest week I’ve had in my life. I tried, unsuccessfully, to contact Adrienne, but she’s been ignoring any and all phone calls and messages. After the first three days, I stopped. There was no point in continuing to try when I knew she wouldn’t respond to me. Troy and Marc have spoken to her regarding our grand opening, but they’ve both said that she hasn’t mentioned anything about me. She’s been strictly professional, and I’m not surprised. Part of me worries that she’s moved on and is fine. Maybe she doesn’t want anything to do with me. I just can’t let her go that easy. I know we’ve only known each other a few

months, but when you have someone you know is special, someone who makes you feel, then you don’t let that go without a fight. Tonight is the night I’ll see Adrienne again, and I plan on making sure she doesn’t leave without hearing what I have to say. I’m already dressed in a black suit with light blue pinstripes. A baby blue button up and black tie to set it off. I’m both excited and nervous about tonight. I can only hope for the best for both the club, and Adrienne and myself. Walking out of my building, I nod to John behind the desk. “Good luck tonight, sir.” “Thanks, John,” I respond without stopping. Getting into my Bentley, I text Troy to let him know I’m on my way. When I arrive, I park in the back and enter through an employee only entrance. There’s already a line at the front door and it gives me hope that tonight will be a success. At least business wise. I find Troy and Marc in the office on the first floor. “You see the line out there?” Marc asks with a smile. “Yeah. Gonna be a busy night,” I respond with my own smile. “Uh, Adrienne is out there somewhere. She’s making sure everything is set up,” Troy says. “Just in case you wanted to know.” “Oh okay. I think I’ll wait until she isn’t busy.” “You haven’t talked to her since that night?” Marc asks. “Nah. She hasn’t really given me the time of day.

Once she found out I was an escort, fucked that Vivian bitch, and had sex with someone else after I had sex with her, she was finished.” Marc gives me a sad look. “I’m sorry, man. It was me who asked you to join in with me and that client.” I shake my head. “Don’t worry about it. It’s work, or was. Plus, I didn’t know what was going on with Adrienne then. She took off after our first time together. She didn’t give me time to explain that.” “Well, hopefully you’ll get the chance to talk to her,” Marc says. I nod. “So, is everything good to go? We don’t need to do anything before the doors open?” “I think we’re all set,” Troy answers. “Good. Want to go to the bar and take a shot before we get this thing started?” I ask. “Of course,” Troy responds and Marc smiles. We walk out of the office and down to the bar. All of the employees are in place and ready to start working. Marc’s level is the first level, and it has an elegant feel to it. There are cream colored leather couches with dark red pillows, facing low, rectangularshaped tables. Those are on two walls of the room. The other wall has little sections with small walls enclosing a small table and booths for more of a private feel. Each table has a small chandelier hanging above them, and the ‘room’ is soft and plush, colored the same red as the pillows. The bar sits towards the front, and the dance floor is in the middle of the room. “To a successful night, fellas,” Troy says as we lift our shots in the air.

“Well, ready to go to our levels?” I ask Troy. “Yeah, let’s go have one last look while they’re empty. Marc, have them open the doors in about fifteen minutes.” Troy and I head up the stairs to his level. There’s also an elevator, but we put that in mostly for the drunk people who won’t be able to walk up and down stairs very well. It’s helpful to their friends who will end up having to take care of them. Troy’s level has a red glow around the entire room. Along one wall is a huge couch that breaks into smaller sections with small tables placed in each section. Behind the couch, across the length of the wall, is something that looks similar to a large bookshelf. There are different size lanterns on each shelf and a few large mirrors. In other sections of the room are curved booths with small candles resting on black tables. He has three round, small stages that are a few steps higher than the ground floor, for people to dance on. Near the outside deck are cream colored benches and tables, His bar is at the back of the room and the dance floor is in the middle. “Looks good, man,” I say. “Yeah, I like it,” he responds with a grin. “Well, I’m heading up to mine. See ya later.” I leave him on his level, and go up to enjoy mine while it’s still clean and quiet. My level has black leather, curved seats with three tables at each couch. There are cream colored curtains that you can pull if you happen to only be taking up one table and want more privacy. Each table in the club has a fairly large chandelier above it. Another section of

booths curve around a large area and face each other. In a back corner of the club are larger booths that also have curtains that can be put to use. There are dim lights giving off a red glow, similar to Troy’s level, around those tables. The chairs at the bar are large and have backs on them so people can sit comfortably. The dance floor is in the middle like the other levels. Each of our outside decks holds another smaller bar with more tables and chairs. Marc’s bar also serves small finger foods. I start hearing voices and footsteps and know that the doors have been opened. The DJs begin playing their music and our opening night has officially started. A smile crosses my face. I’ve finally moved past being paid for my company. Moving to a door in the corner of the room, I remove my key and unlock it. Once through, it locks automatically and I make my way to the office that gives me a view of the whole level. I watch the people trickle in and tour the level. After about half an hour, I exit the office and slowly head down to the first level. I need to find Adrienne. I need to make sure she doesn’t do what she needs to do and then leaves. All I can think about is explaining everything and hoping she believes me. I stop on Troy’s level and look around there first. If she’s with Emilie, then maybe they’ll be here and talking to Troy. After about fifteen minutes of searching the tables, booths, and bar, I decide to head to the first floor. When I get to the darkened stairs, what I see not only shocks me, but pisses me right the fuck off.

I’ve been dreading tonight, and if I wasn’t so concerned with my job and being professional, I wouldn’t have come. I know that Jace is here somewhere. He has to be since it’s the grand opening of his club, but I hope that there will just be so many people that I won’t run into him. Knowing we’re in the same building has my nerves on end. Even though I’ve hoped that I don’t see him, I made sure to go buy a new dress for the occasion. I bought a black, above-the-knee length dress. It’s completely backless and the opening stops right above my ass. The dress is equipped with five faux pearl necklaces down the back. They drape along the length of the cutout. The front of the dress has three, shorter-length faux pearl necklaces as well. I was able to find the perfect ivory and black Swarovski crystal shoes to match. Because of the back of the dress, I decided to wear my hair in a tight, high bun. I keep telling myself I didn’t go all out in the hopes to make Jace eat his heart out…but I did. My plan was to come early, and make sure everything was setup and

then leave. I had to make sure the raffle stations were set up on each level where I wanted them to be. I also had cake, cupcakes, fruit, and chocolate fountains set up on each deck. This job was fairly easy. After getting the prizes figured out, we printed out photos of what people were trying to win and blew them up to post near the raffle ticket stations. When I told Emilie that I wasn’t planning on staying, she pouted and had a mini tantrum. She was coming and didn’t want to stay here alone after I had left. After tons of begging and bribing, she convinced me to stay. She’s also the one who helped me pick out my outfit. I told her about my phone call with Jace, and she understands why I’m upset, but still thinks I should talk to him some more. When I asked why the hell for, her response was because there are always two sides to a story, and I didn’t give him enough time to explain further. Whatever. I’m thinking a little bit of space will help me figure things out. Maybe he doesn’t care anymore. I know I didn’t answer his calls, but he did only try for the first few days after I found out about everything. Since he hasn’t tried since then, maybe he thinks I’m not worth the trouble. Men only go after what they want. Tonight I’m going to try not to think about it all, and just have a good time with Em. That might be hard to do since I’m in his club and know he’s lurking somewhere. However, maybe he’ll be too busy to worry about me. After I made sure all my work was done, I found Emilie and we got some drinks on the first level of the club. “Thanks for staying,” she says with a sly smile. “Uh huh. You owe me,” I respond with a smirk.

“Whatever. We’ll have a blast tonight and you’ll forget why you didn’t want to stay.” I give her a pointed look. “Okay, maybe not forget completely, but let’s drink!” We throw back shots of Atomic Fireball, and then drink our Long Islands. “So, have you talked to Troy?” I ask. “Yeah. Two days after everything went down, he called me. As soon as we got on the phone, it was kind of that awkward silence, so I broke it. I straight up asked him if he was an escort too. I think that’s what he was waiting for. He told me that he was, and still is.” “Still?” “Yep!” “And?” “Well, nothing. He said he never thought about when he’d quit. This is what he’s done for a while now.” She stops talking and takes a drink. “I know y’all hadn’t gotten serious, or even had sex, but I know you liked him. What are you going to do?” She shrugs. “I don’t know. I do like him, and I told him that, but I also told him I don’t think I could handle him being with other women all the time. He understands that. We pretty much left it at that.” “We know how to pick ‘em, huh?” I say with a forced laugh. “Yeah,” she says, rolling her eyes. “At least Jace isn’t doing it anymore.” “I know, but that’s not really the problem. He lied about knowing Vivian when he had actually fucked her and two other girls at the same time, no less. He kept

who he was or had been from me. If that’s your job, I think it’s kind of important to tell the girl you’re fucking that that’s what you do. He also fucked someone or more than one person after me and him had been having sex. That’s pretty fucked up.” “I know, I know. I just think if you were to ever get past all that, it would be okay for y’all to get together because he’s not still getting paid to be with other women. Troy is.” “Another shot?” I ask. “Yep. Let’s have a liquid marijuana shot this time.” “Sounds good to me!” After taking another shot, we finish up our Long Islands and head to the dance floor. We dance through a few songs before Emilie drags me back to the bar. “One more shot?” she pleads. “Okay, one more.” “Yay! Let’s have the Porn Star this time.” “Mmm. I’ve always wanted a porn star in my mouth,” I say sarcastically. With the third shot down and a Long Island Iced Tea, I’m starting to feel that warm, happy feeling. We dance a couple more songs and then go to the bathroom. The hall that they’re in is lined with fancy wall sconces and the doors have beautiful carvings in them. “These guys don’t need to be escorts, I don’t think,” Em says. “I think because they are or were, is why they were able to build this place up. With the money this brings in though, I agree, they shouldn’t need to, but maybe they want to.” “Whatever. Let’s pee, then head upstairs. I want to

check out the other levels.” After waiting in line for a few minutes, we use the bathroom, touch our faces up, and then find the stairs that lead us up to the second level. The more I walk, the more I start feeling the effects of the alcohol. Em and I get giggly and dance a few more songs on the second floor. We go to the deck and grab some of the treats I had set up earlier. “Does eating cupcakes help absorb alcohol?” Em asks. “Uhh, gotta be better than nothing,” I answer. After eating a cupcake, we both dig into the fruit and dip it into the chocolate. “Let’s get some water, and then after a while, we can get another adult beverage,” I say with a laugh. “Sounds like a plan.” After we’ve down some water, we go back onto the dance floor and I almost forget about my problems. Em and I are laughing and having a good time when we hear someone clear their throat nearby. We turn and see Troy standing there with a smile on his face. “Ladies. Having fun?” “Yes we are,” Em answers. “Good. Emilie, can I talk to you for a minute?” Emilie looks at him then back at me. I know she’s struggling with what she should do. “Yeah, go ahead. I’m going to go grab some more water. I’ll meet you back here in a little bit.” “You sure? Are you gonna be okay by yourself?” “I’ll be fine, Em.” Troy gives me a smile and places his hand on Emilie’s lower back and escorts her somewhere. I turn

to go back to the bar and as I’m walking along the side of the club, I stop dead in my tracks. Liam. My stupid ex-boyfriend is a few feet in front of me with another guy and a girl. As if he felt my presence, he turns and sees me. A smile dances on his lips and he turns and says something to his friends. I pivot and begin walking anywhere else, but then I feel his hand on my elbow. “Adrienne.” I pause; take a deep breath and turn to face him. “You look gorgeous,” he says, looking me up and down. “Thanks.” I take a minute to take him in, and notice that he looks fairly good. Too bad I know he’s an asshole and shitty in bed. I wonder how many girls he’s fooled into thinking he was worth something. “I haven’t seen you in a while. How’ve you been?” “I’ve been fine.” “Good,” he responds, giving me another smile. A group of people move past us and push me into him. My body slams into his and he reaches out and puts a hand on my hip to steady me. I quickly move back and out of his touch. “Watch it, assholes!” he yells towards the group of guys. “You okay?” he asks. “Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks. I was just heading towards the bar,” I say as I move past him. He joins me and when we are near the stairs, I stop walking.

“It was nice seeing you, Liam,” I lie. “Are you trying to get rid of me?” he asks with a crooked grin. “I’m just trying to go get some water.” He gives me a sad smile. “Adrienne, I’ve wanted to talk to you for a while now, but you’ve never given me the chance. Can we talk real quick?” I think back to when we broke up and realize he’s right. I never did give him the chance to say much of anything. Just like I’m doing with Jace. Clearly I have a problem letting men speak after they’ve pissed me off. Maybe it’s because I just assume whatever their going to say is going to be stupid and piss me off more. “Fine, but just a few minutes.” He smiles and leads me to the stairs since there are less people there and it’s a bit further away from the music. I lean back on the wall while he stands in front of me. He runs one hand through his dirty blond hair and then places both hands in his back pockets. His blue blazer is open, revealing a plain white t-shirt underneath. “Adrienne, I just want to apologize for what happened. I know I fucked up and I know you hate the ‘I was drunk’ excuse, but I want you to know how sorry I am. It wasn’t like I always had a thing for your friend or anything like that. I was just really drunk and we were all hanging out and having a good time. You and I had just had a fight over something, and I was mad. I let my emotions control my actions. It was wrong and stupid and I’ll never forgive myself. I just want you to know that I still respect you and know that I missed out on

something great with you. That’s something I’ll have to live with.” After hearing what he had wanted to tell me this whole time, I regret not allowing him the chance to do so before. He seems very mature about it, and very different than the guy I remember. Or maybe different than the guy I made him out to be because I was pissed at him. Either way, I think allowing him to speak his mind will give us both closure. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you the chance to explain yourself, Liam. I was pissed and I knew what you had done and that was all I needed to know. It was still wrong, but I know you know and acknowledge that now.” He looks relieved. His hands come out of his pockets and he gives me a small smile as he steps closer. “Forgive me?” he asks with puppy dog eyes. I smirk and roll my eyes. “I guess. But only because it doesn’t make sense to hold onto any ill will. It’s been so long now.” He stretches out his arms for a hug and I barely push myself off the wall before his arms surround me and he lifts me up off my feet. “You’re so great, Adrienne. I’m so glad we’ve put this past us.” “Me too. Can you put me down now?” “Sorry.” He places me down and then gives me a kiss on the cheek. “You look really good. I hope you’re happy.” I hesitate, because I’m not happy anymore. Not without Jace. I know I need to give him the same

opportunity to explain himself, and not wait eight months before it happens. I’m about to say something when I hear a noise behind me and to my left. I turn around and see Jace standing there. His jaw is tense, his fists are balled, and what’s worse is I have no idea what he’s thinking. “Jace.” My voice is soft and breathy. I’m surprised and nervous. Liam looks between Jace and me, probably trying to figure out what’s going on. “Uh, I think I’ll leave you two alone. You’ll be okay?” he asks me softly. I only nod in response and then turn to watch him walk away. He has to walk past Jace and Jace is blocking most of the space that connects the two areas. Liam tries to move past him, but Jace moves just slightly to stop him. Liam is a few inches shorter than Jace and looks up at him. “What’s your problem, man?” he asks. “Do not touch or kiss her again,” he seethes. “Jace, it’s fine,” I start. “It’s fine? He can be all over you? He can touch and kiss you? He can lift you up in his arms, and that’s fine?” “No. I didn’t mean…” He turns back to Liam. “Do not. Touch her. Again. Got me?” His voice is low and menacing. Liam looks confused and a little nervous. “Yeah, I got you.” Jace moves aside and Liam escapes. When Jace pins me with his intense glare, I wish I

could escape, too. He moves closer to me, and I back myself into a corner. Literally. I’m stuck in place watching him approach me. He stops inches from me, and I look up into his eyes. Unsure of the emotion I see there, I look away. “Come with me.”

As I follow him up the stairs, past girls who all but push their boobs in his face, I can’t help but feel nervous about how our talk is going to go. I still have feelings for him, that’s obvious by how much I want to push these girls down the stairs. We reach the third level and he turns to make sure I’m still behind him. There’s no smile on his face. Nothing. He’s blank of emotion and this makes me more uncomfortable. Shouldn’t I be the one mad at him? I didn’t do anything. Why is he acting like he’s upset with me? We walk to the back corner of the room and he unlocks a door and we slip in. We go up some more stairs and reach another door. When we walk in I notice the large, rectangular window that looks out onto the club. There’s a large desk and I can’t help but think back to our tryst on the other desk. He has two large, comfortable-looking chairs and a table in the corner of the office, a mini bar and refrigerator sit in another corner.

Unsure of where I should go, I walk to the middle of the room, then turn to face him. He closes the door to the office before taking a seat on the edge of his desk. There’s a few moments of silence while we study each other. “Who was that?” he asks. His face still hard as stone. I hesitate for a minute. “Liam. My ex-boyfriend.” His expression changes to one of surprise and confusion. “Your ex?” I only nod in response. “And you like him again? I thought you hated him for what he did to you.” He runs a hand over his head and I can tell he’s getting angrier. His eyes narrow at me and his jaw clenches. “I was just giving him a chance to say what he wanted to say.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I know I’ve made a mistake. Jace tilts his head at me, his face screwed up in disbelief. He looks away from me momentarily before pinning me with a glare that shows not only his anger, but his disappointment. “Are you kidding me, Adrienne? You let that fucking guy explain himself and yet you ignore me when that’s all I want to do? I’ve been going crazy waiting on you to give me a chance to talk to you, and you’re here in my club with your ex-boyfriend having a nice little reunion?” He walks to the other side of the office, his back to me. “Jace, I was going to give you the chance to talk to

me. I realize I’m bad at not letting people tell their side of the story once they’ve pissed me off. I’m giving you the chance now. What do you want to say to me?” He turns and faces me but stays on the other end of the office. His face softens a little, but I can tell he’s still angry. “Adrienne, I was going to tell you. I had planned on telling you the night you found out.” “You didn’t think that was something you should have told me before then?” “Of course I knew, but I also knew you’d disappear on me and I’d never see you again.” “You don’t know that for sure,” I murmur. “Really? So if I told you that I went on dates with other women, and occasionally fucked them too, you would have been okay with that?” he responds bluntly. I blanch, but don’t respond. “Exactly,” he says. “Look, I was honest when I told you I have been with lots of women. That’s true. I just didn’t tell you that I got paid for it. I know that might make a difference to you, but what if I didn’t get paid? Would you be okay with me just having dated and slept with tons of women? Is it the fact that I got paid to do it that bothers you?” “I knew you said there have been a lot of women, but being an escort for years means it’s probably a hell of a lot more than I ever would have imagined.” “You’re probably right,” he deadpans. “Why did you choose to be an escort? Why this life?” He exhales a long breath. “I told you a little about my family, something I’ve never done before by the

way, so you know I didn’t have an easy childhood. My father was never around, and my mom did the best she could. My brother and I had dreams of moving away and making a better life for ourselves. We saw how much mom struggled, and knew that was something we never wanted to do. My brother was a good kid; he never got in trouble at school and always did what he was told. He was very unlike me, but all three of us were close, and we helped mom around the house when she was at work. After working double shifts she’d come home with a smile on her face when she saw that we cleaned up. “One day we decided we wanted to make dinner for her, but we were missing a few things. Drew walked down to the corner store to get what we needed.” He pauses and takes a deep breath. “Someone shot and killed him as he was coming home. Obviously it was a hard time. He was my best friend, the only friend I had sometimes. My mom couldn’t handle it. She cried every day and would continuously call in to work. It became such a regular thing that they fired her. I was just a teenager and had to find little jobs to do to make sure we had money for electricity and some food. To make matters worse, my mom developed a drinking problem, and it was almost like I lost my mom, too. “One night, a couple friends of mine were talking about how they overheard some guy on the street trying to convince women to be escorts and split the money with him. He was probably some druggie or drunk just talking crazy, but that sparked a conversation about escorts and what the job actually entails. I went to the library that day and did some research. I contacted

some companies and when I heard back from one, I knew that as soon as I could leave, I would. I was able to get away from the life I had been living, away from the home that held terrible memories, and knew I’d never have to worry about money again. “When I got my first check, I sent most of it to my mom. I wanted to make sure she was taken care of, and I still make sure of that. Over time I started getting paid more and I had all this money to spend on whatever I wanted. It was new and exciting. I didn’t want to give that up. I didn’t want to worry about never having money again. So yes, it may be something people look down on as a job, but when it comes down to it I’d rather do what I did and have money, than eat sandwiches in the dark because I didn’t have power. Being an escort made me a lot of money; it put me through school, and made me capable of opening this club. I won’t regret doing it.” Trying to absorb all the information he just gave me, I’m frozen in place, staring at him. Once again, I realize he’s much more than I give him credit for. To go through so much at such a young age and make something of yourself is incredible. I never knew poverty. I didn’t know what it was like to struggle like that, and I couldn’t imagine it. So I’m in no place to judge anybody for the decisions they make to better their life. “Jace, I…I don’t know what to say. My heart breaks for you, but at the same time I’m so proud of you. I know you’re more than just an escort. I’ve gotten to know the kind, generous and caring man that you are, but I can’t get over the fact that you lied to me and slept

with other people after we were together.” I watch him as he strolls towards me. The look on his face is unreadable. “What did I lie about?” “Vivian. You said you didn’t know her.” “I don’t know her. That’s not a lie. I didn’t know her name either. Not until you told me what it was.” I back up a few steps, trying to get some space. My brows furrow at his statement. “I’m confused.” “She hired me, her and two other girls. I never knew their names and they didn’t know mine. We had sex, Adrienne. That doesn’t mean I know her.” “I hate that you had sex with her,” I grumble. “I hate it, too. I can’t change it though. It was my job.” “So you only had sex with her once and that was when you were an escort?” He nods. “Only once.” “So what was up with you two being in the bathroom together at the club?” “She followed me in there. As soon as I walked in, she was behind me. She pushed herself on me, and I told her I wasn’t interested. She thought because I was with her before that I would want to be with her again. A lot of clients get that way. They think if you’re with them once, they can convince you to be with them without them having to pay you.” “How many people were you with after me?” “I had dates with a few, but I only had sex with one.” When I wince, he continues. “You and I had only been together once. You ran off and I had no idea if I’d ever see you again. That date had already been secured,

I couldn’t back out. I never had sex with anyone after I knew I wanted to get to know you more. Even after you ran away from me, you were always in the back of my mind.” The door to Jace’s office bursts open, and Troy and Emilie are standing there. “Oh thank God!” Emilie exclaims dramatically. “Your girl here was having a meltdown when she couldn’t find you downstairs,” Troy tells me, looking amused. “You could have just called or texted me,” I say. “I lost my phone,” she says with a pout. I look to Troy and he signals that she’s had more to drink. “Sorry to interrupt. I just figured you’d be up here. I can keep an eye on her while you guys finish up.” Emilie walks up to Jace with the most ridiculous mad face I’ve ever seen. I can tell she’s trying to be intimidating, but it’s not working. “Do you remember what I said I’d do if you weren’t nice to her?” she asks. He glances at me before looking down at her again. “Maybe.” “Oh, you remember. I don’t care how cute you are, with your stupid blue eyes. You don’t get to fuck over my friend and get away with it.” I look over at Troy who’s trying to keep from laughing. Jace looks just as amused, and when Em lifts her finger and points up at him, ready to say something else, I burst out laughing. Soon after, the guys join in, because Emilie looks so small compared to Jace, and with her wagging her finger at him, she looks like an

old lady scolding their grandchild. Em turns around with a scowl on her face. “What’s so funny? I’m serious. I’ll chop it off!” I continue laughing. “I know, Em.” She narrows her eyes at me. “No need?” she asks in what she thinks is a whisper voice, but everybody can hear her. Jace looks at me, waiting for my answer. “Come on, Em. Let’s get back downstairs.” “Want another shot?” she asks excitedly. “Uhh. We’ll see,” I say, knowing she doesn’t need any more alcohol. She links her arm in mine and we make our way to the door. Before I get to threshold, I feel a hand at my elbow. Jace tugs on my arm, causing me to turn around. “I’m not letting you walk away from me so easy. You’ll hear from me again.” He speaks with finality and I know I’ll hear from him very soon. I gulp and nod in response. I turn and give Troy a small smile as we walk out. “You’ll hear from me again, too, Troy!” Emilie calls out through her laughter. “You’re such a drunk ass,” I tell her as we walk back into the club. “Am not!” I laugh. “Right. So what did you and Troy talk about?” “Probably the same thing you and Jace talked about. Their lifestyle choices.” “Is Troy planning on quitting?” “I doubt it.” We get to the bar and she slams her hand down on

the bar. “Waiter. Give me a shot.” The bartender, not waiter, looks at me and makes a face. “Let me get them, Em,” I say, pushing her away from the bar. “Hi, can you give me some water in a shot glass? She won’t know at this point.” He shrugs and fills two shot glasses with water. “Here you go,” I say, handing Em a shot glass. “What’s this?” she asks, looking disgusted. “There’s no color to it.” “It’s a new drink. It’ll be fine. Drink up.” We both drink our waters and I watch her face to see if she’ll say anything. She looks at the glass, licking her lips. “Let’s not get that again. It’s weak.” I smile at her. “Okay.” Emilie sits on one of the barstools and dances in her seat, her eyes closed and arms in the air. She almost reminds me of those inflatable air dancer guys that are outside of businesses. I laugh to myself as I watch her. When I look up, I see Troy strolling towards us. The way he walks reminds me of a runway model; one hand in his pocket, the other hand swinging at his side. The all-white suit he’s wearing makes him stand out amongst the crowd. He smirks as he passes Emilie. Her eyes are still closed and she doesn’t know he’s there. “I called you a cab for her. She’s about to be passing out soon.” We both glance back at her. “I agree. Thank you.” “It’s no problem.” He pauses and I can tell he’s debating on saying something else. “Adrienne, I know it’s not my place, but I want you to know that Jace is a really good guy. He’s better than me, but don’t tell him I

said that,” he says with a smile. “And I know he really cares about you. Jace has never really been a relationship type of guy, so he may not know how to go about everything, but trust me when I say, he’s trying. Please don’t let what we do, or in his case, have done, overshadow the good.” “Thanks, Troy,” I say with a smile. He smiles in return and looks over at Emilie. “What’s goin’ on there?” I ask, gesturing between him and Em. “She deserves better than me,” he sighs. “I was a relationship guy, and because of that relationship I think I’m ruined.” “Don’t tell me you’re going to let what someone’s done in the past determine your future,” I respond, giving him some of his own advice. With a smirk, he responds. “Touché. However, I think the damage is done. I don’t trust easily anymore, and when you don’t trust someone, it causes problems. And I’ll be honest; I love my job too much to give it up. I told you Jace is a better man than me,” he finishes with a smile. “Maybe you just need to find someone to love more than your job.” I put my hand on his shoulder and walk past him to Emilie. He doesn’t respond, but gives me a tight smile. I grab Emilie’s arm and we make our way outside. I can’t wait to get home. I have a lot to think about tonight, and a decision to make.

I decide to let one day go by without contacting her. That’s long enough. She said Sundays are usually her lazy days, and I’m really hoping that’s true and that she’s home. I won’t let her keep hiding from me. I’m going to make her admit to me and herself that she has feelings for me. I walk up to her door and knock. With my finger on the peephole, I wait. I hear her footsteps nearing the door. “Em, is that you? Why do you cover the damn peephole?” I hear the lock turning, and I’m ready to make sure she doesn’t slam the door in my face. The door opens slowly and she’s looking lower, expecting to see Emilie. Her eyes move up and she finds my face. I put my hand on the door, ready to keep it open if she tries to close it. “Jace! What are you doing here?” she asks, running her hands through her hair. “I’m here to talk to you. I told you you’d hear from

me again.” “Yeah, well, I expected a heads up first.” “If I called, you wouldn’t have answered. Can I come in?” She hesitates for just a moment. “Yeah, let me just get decent.” “I think you look beautiful,” I say as she lets me in. Her dark, curly hair is loose and wild, but she makes it look sexy. She’s wearing a shirt that falls off one shoulder and shows some of her stomach. Her ass is swaying in front of me in tight, black pants. “Thanks. Let me just grab a rubber band real quick.” She disappears into another room and when she returns her curls are secured on top of her head. She gestures towards the couch, so I sit down, and she sits in a chair off to the side of me, with her legs curled underneath her. I sigh and lean forward. “Adrienne, you can’t deny that we have a connection. I feel it every time I’m with you, and I know you feel it, too. I joke about being a king, and I may come off as confident and without worry, but right now I’m worried you won’t forgive me. I’m not confident that I’m good enough for you, and you’re the only one who makes me feel like a king. When I’m with you I feel like I can do anything, and you make me want to be better and do better. I’ve never had that before. You know me, Adrienne. The real me. The only other person that knows as much as you do is Troy. I know you’re mad, and I understand, but you being mad at me is proof you care about me. If you didn’t, then you wouldn’t even bother being mad.” I see the wheels in her head turning. She’s watching

me with her beautiful eyes, they’re brimming with tears. I hold my breath, waiting for her response. If she chooses to kick me out, I won’t be able to say anything else to convince her to give us a try. I’ve said everything that I can, so at this point it’s all up to her. I don’t think you can ever fully explain to someone what they mean to you and how much you truly care about them. They aren’t in your mind, or in your heart, and therefore will never know the emotions you feel when you’re around them or think about them. All you can do is show them with actions, and I hope I get the chance to prove it to her. I’m shocked when she jumps out of her chair and rushes me. She throws her arms around my neck and sits sideways on my lap, her legs resting on the cushion next to me. I feel her face buried in my neck and I let out the breath I was holding. My arms wrap around her, and I keep her close to me. “Jace, of course I care about you!” she says into my neck. “That’s why I was so hurt.” I stroke her back. “I know, baby. I’m sorry.” We sit there for a while, no words are necessary. After a few minutes she pulls away from my neck and looks at me. “Wanna start over?” she asks. I smile at her. “I think that’s a good idea.” “Okay, so we’ll forget about the last three months.” “Well, I don’t know about that.” I say. “Yes. That means our first date won’t be because you stole my phone and held it for ransom.” “I didn’t steal it,” I correct with a grin. “Whatever.” “That also means no running away from me after sex.

It bruises my ego.” She laughs. “Oh please.” “Okay, get up,” I say, gently guiding her off of me. She looks at me with confusion written all over her face. I get up and stand in front of her. “Hi, I’m Jace,” I say with a smile as I extend my hand to her. The smile she gives me warms my heart. “Hi, Jace. I’m Adrienne,” she says, shaking my hand. I bring her hand to my lips and kiss the back of it. “It’s nice to meet you, Adrienne.” She bites down on her lip. “You, too.” I release her hand and she puts her hands in the back pockets of her pants, causing her shirt to lift up and more of her stomach to show. “So tell me, Jace, what do you do?” she asks with a devilish smile. I raise an eyebrow at her before giving her a crooked grin. “Well, Adrienne, I own and co-run a club with two friends and business associates. Before that, I earned money by working at Elite, which is a company that employs a large amount and variety of men who are hired to spend time with women for whatever they need.” “Hmm. You have no relationship with any of the women you spent time with?” “None whatsoever.” “Okay.” She gives me a shy smile and I grab her arm and pull her into me. “Come here.” Her arms wrap around my waist and her head rests on my chest. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face.

“Would you like to go on a date with me?” I ask, with my chin resting on her head. I hear her giggle. “Sure. What do you want to do?” “You.” “On a first date?” she exclaims, pulling away from me and feigning shock.” I look down and smirk. “It’s not like it hasn’t happened before.” She blushes and looks down. “Oh shush. That wasn’t technically a date, so whatever.” A knock on the door interrupts our conversation. “That’s probably Emilie. Only you and her show up unannounced,” she says, playfully scowling at me. “And who shows up announced?” I ask, raising my eyebrows questioningly. “My gentleman callers,” she quips with a grin. “Funny,” I say dryly as she walks to the door. I turn to look at some of the pictures she has on her walls while she answers the door. I’m only half listening when I hear a name that catches my attention. My head snaps up and I look towards the door. “I just wanted to come by and bring this to you. As soon as I saw it I knew you had to have it. Plus, I was so pleased with your work for the wedding and want you to know that you’ll always be who I go to for my events. And I have lots of them, dear,” the familiar voice says. “Mrs. Roberts, that’s so sweet of you. Thank you, I really appreciate that,” Adrienne responds. “I’d invite you in, but I have company right now.” “Oh?” the woman’s voice questions. I’m still looking towards the door when I see the

woman’s face peak around and spot me. What the hell? Adrienne turns around and gives me an apologetic smile and a shrug. “Jace? Honey, what are you doing here?” she asks, surprised to see me. She’s not the only one.

My head moves from Mrs. Roberts to Jace, and back again. They know each other? How? And then a terrible thought enters my head. Has Jace been with her? She’s so much older. I cringe. This will be very awkward if that’s the case. Oh, God. Jace walks towards us, and I allow Mrs. Roberts the space to step in. Jace looks at me cautiously and I know he’s wondering what I’m thinking. “Liz,” he greets, and gives her a hug. She hugs him and kisses him on both cheeks. Liz. That’s what Charles called her. Has she been with all the escorts? She did say she knew young hotties. Maybe this is what she was referring to. She looks between Jace and I, confusion marring her face. “Uhh…” “How…” We both start speaking at the same time. Jace smiles at us both. “Liz, this is Adrienne. A girl I ’ m dating.” He emphasizes the word dating. “Adrienne, this was my boss.” It takes a few seconds before it clicks. My eyes

widen and I look at Mrs. Roberts. She shrugs her shoulders and gives me a smile. “You’re his boss?” I stammer out. “Was,” Jace corrects. She looks at him and pats his cheek in a very motherly way. “Jace left me, and apparently to be with you,” she says affectionately. “How did you two meet? Did you…?” she asks. “No, I didn’t hire him,” I laugh. “We just met by chance,” I shrug. “Well, how about that? Small world,” she says, smiling at us both. “I’m so happy for you two. Adrienne, you have a good one here, and Jace, Adrienne is an absolute doll.” A thought comes to me. “Is that why you were at the wedding?” I ask Jace. Liz laughs. “Oh, yes. I made a few of them come. I’m always thinking business, Adrienne. I told you I knew some hotties,” she says with a wink. I shake my head and laugh. “Well, I don’t want to keep you two from…anything. I’ll be on my way. I hope you like your gift, and I’ll be in touch.” She gives both Jace and me a hug. “And I hope you’ll stay in touch, too, Jace.” “Of course,” he says with a smile. “Okay, bye you two,” she says with a wave of her hand as she walks out the door. When the door closes, Jace and I both face each other. “Well, that was interesting,” I say. “She seems to be fond of you.”

He nods his head. “She’s like that with all of us. She’s like everyone’s mom, but you definitely don’t want to cross her.” “And you’ve known her for how long?” “About seven years.” “Wow. Do you know that Vivian is her stepdaughter?” His face scrunches up in disgust. “No, and I hope she never finds out what happened between us.” “They don’t seem to get along,” I say. He changes the subject, and I’m grateful. “I didn’t even put together that you were there working that event, and therefore working for her. I think I was too busy eavesdropping on your conversation with Emilie.” “Uh huh. Sneaky.” “Me? I was just standing there minding my own business when you two popped up next to me and started talking. What’s a guy to do?” “Make your presence known before embarrassing things get said.” “Well, that wouldn’t be fun. You never told me what I made you do,” he says with a grin while his hands reach for my hips. He pulls me close to him, and I blush remembering what I had told Em. That his kiss had gotten me all wet and excited. “Oh, I don’t remember,” I lie. “I don’t believe you,” he says, his hands dropping to my ass. “I…I really don’t remember,” I lie again. His right hand leaves my ass and two seconds later I feel a

stinging sensation. He spanked me. I squeal in surprise. “Do I need to make it happen again?” he asks. His voice is deep and raspy. His hands caress my ass and his lips move across my neck. I begin breathing heavier, wanting more. “Mmm, maybe.” He kisses his way up to my ear. “You need to tell me what happened,” he whispers gruffly in my ear. I feel his tongue glide over the outside of my ear. His hand moves from my ass to the apex of my thighs, and he palms my pussy. Moving his face in front of mine, his tongue darts out and licks across my lips. I part them, allowing him to kiss me passionately. His hand massages my pussy through my pants, and I feel myself begin to grind on him. He removes his hand, and I groan in annoyance. “Tell me, Adrienne,” he demands. “You…you made me wet,” I breathe. “Are you wet now?” he asks while his hands move to my stomach. His fingers graze over my hips, and then move up to my breasts. “Yes,” I pant. He moves his hands down and pops open the button of my pants in one quick move. His hand slides in slowly, and I feel his fingers move across my pussy. Through the wetness, his fingers glide through my folds up to my clit where he rubs gentle circles. My eyes close and I gasp. “Damn, I love how wet you get for me,” he says huskily. “Only you get me this wet,” I moan. I hear him growl. “This is my pussy.” I’m not sure if it’s a question or a statement.

“Yes,” I respond. “It’s all yours.” Suddenly his hand is gone and he’s lifting me up. My legs wrap around his waist and my arms around his neck. “Room,” he says, but I know it’s a question. I gesture for him to go to the right and he carries me to the bed. I let out a squeal when he tosses me onto the bed. He quickly removes his clothes before ripping my pants off of me. I’m not wearing underwear, and when he notices I hear a deep rumble come from his throat. His eyes are intense and wild with lust and desire. I quickly pull my shirt off, and just as quickly he’s on top of me. I reach down and grab his hard cock, guiding him into me. I can’t wait any longer. I need him inside of me. Jace pushes into me hard and fast. I lift my legs higher and spread them further apart, allowing him to go deeper. His movements never slow. He’s rigorous and commanding, and I love every second of it. He’s holding my wrists down on the mattress as he drills into me harder and faster. I groan and grunt with every thrust. He releases my wrists and moves his arms under my legs, then he’s hovering over me again. With my legs on his arms, and therefore lifted higher, it’s so much deeper and more intense. We’re both lascivious, and animalistic. There is nothing sensual and romantic about the sex we’re having. It’s rough and hard, and delicious. “Whose pussy is this?” he asks through grunts. “Oh, God, Jace! It’s all yours. It’s your pussy.”

“That’s right, baby. It’s all mine. Who gets this pussy wet?” “You. Only you! God, yes. Fuck me!” I wail. He moves one hand to my throat, causing my leg to drop. The slight pressure around my neck is so erotic. I can feel my pussy getting wetter. “Mmm, yeah,” I moan. “You like that?” he growls. “Yes! God, I love it!” I feel his fingers tighten a little more while he steady thrusts into me. I feel the pressure building, and my eyes squeeze shut while my toes curl. “I’m…I’m about to…” I trail off, unable to finish the sentence. “Yes. Come for me, baby. Let me feel it.” I erupt, screaming and clawing at the bed. My pussy pulsates around his dick, and I feel him tense up. I plant my feet and match his movements. A few seconds later, he’s pulling out. I watch as he strokes himself, and then watch as he comes on top of my pussy. “Fuck!” he roars. It’s so fucking hot watching him come on me. After he’s done, he collapses next to me, and I let my head fall to the bed. He turns and looks at me. “Sorry, I didn’t have a condom on. I’ll get you a towel.” “That’s okay. I think we were both caught up in the moment. I’m on the pill anyway, and I’m clean.” “Good. Me, too. I get tested regularly. Promise,” he says with a grin. “I assumed so,” I respond. “I’ll be right back,” I say

as I move to get out of the bed. “Ow.” “You okay?” he asks. “Yeah. My legs are weak,” I say with a laugh. “Ahh, my work is done,” he says as he locks his fingers together behind his head. I laugh as I make my way to the bathroom to clean up. While I’m in there I can’t help the smile that stays on my face. Being with Jace makes me so happy. I don’t remember ever being this happy with Liam. Jace makes me laugh constantly, we get each other’s humor, and he makes me feel good. He’s amazingly generous and thoughtful, and of course the sex is phenomenal. I haven’t had sex like that ever! With him, I can be myself, and that’s what’s truly important. I won’t lie and say the escort thing doesn’t bother me. It does. But I believe him when he says it was only work, and that he doesn’t have a relationship with any of the girls he was with. I might have also asked Emilie to bug Troy about the workings of it all. So I already knew about all the testing that goes on to make they don’t get STDs. That was another major worry of mine. I also understand his reason for wanting to make a better life for himself, and after Emilie told me what Troy said they make, I totally get why this job was perfect for that. Holy shit! For up to a couple hours, they can earn around seven hundred dollars, but if someone books them for a whole day or weekend, we’re talking thousands. The prices all differ for each guy, but they all make good money. Since Jace has been doing this for almost seven years, I’m sure he’s made a pretty big chunk of change.

However, I will say I’m glad he’s not doing it anymore. I don’t think I could continue a relationship with him if he were. I can’t help but wonder what Emilie is going to do about Troy. I glance at my iPod dock and it reads six-thirty. I grab the robe that’s hanging on the back of my door, put it on, and walk back into my bedroom. Jace is lying on the bed with only his underwear on while he talks on the phone. Climbing back onto the bed, I lie next to him and take this time to inspect his tattoos. I’ve never had the chance to pay much attention to them before. I run my fingers over the script on his right side. It runs straight down and reads, ‘I am not your opinion of me.’” I look up and meet his piercing blue eyes. He grins, and my heart melts. While he continues his conversation about what seems to be club business, I move onto the tattoo on his chest. Straddling his hips, I lean forward and examine the artwork. It’s a fire phoenix. The head and neck begin on the right of his chest, and the bird’s wings flare out in the middle and left part of his chest. It’s a mixture of gray, orange, and hints of yellow which look really good on his fair skin. The bird is on fire, its tail feathers are long and winding. They stretch across his shoulder and upper arm. Below the bird is dark smoke and flames licking upwards. The bird is rising from the ashes. It’s exquisite, and I know this has a lot of meaning to him. When I peek back at him I notice he’s off the phone. He has his arms folded behind his head, and he’s watching me intently. “Can I see the one on your back?” I ask.

He lifts me up by my waist and places me next to him on the bed and turns to lie on his stomach. I inch forward on my knees and study his last piece of art. He has black and gray wings that spread across his upper back. Above the left wing is the date 12-05-1989, and above the right wing is the date 07-28-2004. It’s obviously a memorial tattoo, and I’m sure it’s for his brother. My heart breaks for him. Deciding to not bring up any sad memories, I go for something light instead. “Well, you really are a work of art, aren’t you?” I hear him chuckle before he flips over and pulls me on top of him. I lean down and give him a series of small kisses. “You wanna watch a movie with me? We can order some pizza and have our first date right now.” “A first date after sex? Sounds good to me,” he says with a laugh. “And you’re a cheap date, too.” I exaggerate a gasp and playfully slap his chest. “Yeah, unlike you,” I say before a laugh escapes my throat. He raises an eyebrow at me, and I bite down on my lip to stop my laughter. “Good one, but you’re gonna have to pay for that,” he says with a crooked grin. “How much? I don’t think I can afford you,” I say as I try to scramble off of him. I see him trying to keep a straight face, but I’m laughing at my own jokes, and he’s struggling to keep it together. “I have ways to make you pay without money,” he says gruffly. “Oh, I’m sure you do.”

We end up having sex again before ordering pizza and choosing a movie. This time, he slowly teased me, bringing me to the brink of an orgasm, just to pull away and make me wait. Several times. He was completely in control, making me beg for everything I wanted. He certainly did make me pay for it, but if that’s punishment for my bad jokes, I’ll gladly be a terrible comedian anytime.

It’s been two weeks. Two, wonderful, fun-filled, amazing weeks since Jace and I became official… again. This time, though, we are official and without secrets. On the weekdays, Jace has come over after I got home and we’ve had dinner. Sometimes he hasn’t been able to make it because of work, but on those days he’s tried to meet me for lunch. On the weekends we’ve gone out to the movies, or went to go see a show in one of the hotels. We’ve been spending as much time together as possible. In that time we’ve gotten to know each other more and more, and I couldn’t be happier. Today is Saturday and Jace is going to be at his club, which is aptly called Club Trinity, and has asked that Emilie and I go. What’s good about knowing the owners is that when we get tired of the loud and crowded levels, we’re able to sneak off into their offices until we’re ready to go back into the chaos. Em and I are getting ready at my place again, so we can head over there together. She’s since dyed her hair back to more of a brown color with just small amounts

of blonde highlights. It’s now half pinned back with her bangs and a few longer pieces framing her face. She’s wearing a strapless, white dress that falls a little past her knees. It’s loose fitting and flares a little bit at the bottom. “How am I ready before you?” she asks. “I was eating,” I say with a shrug as I put another grape in my mouth. “Grapes? That’s not eating.” “They’re delicious, that’s all that matters. Plus, I only have to get dressed, that won’t take long.” “Uh huh,” she murmurs as she applies her lip gloss and checks her teeth in the mirror. “So what did you and Troy talk about yesterday after you hung up with me to talk to him?” I ask with a playful scowl. “Oh whatever, Ms. I’m all stuck up Jace’s ass crack, or is it the other way around?” she asks with grin. I almost choke on a grape when I start laughing. “That’s only happened a couple of times. I have to be drunk or close to it in order to relax my ass muscles. He’s too big, it makes me nervous.” Em busts out laughing. “For real. Let me know when you let Troy fuck you up the ass. Speaking of Troy, are you going to tell me what you talked about?” “He has to fuck my pussy first, and you know, the same ol’ shit.” “What’s that mean? You guys are just friends?” “I guess. He calls once in a while and he showed up to the coffee house when I was working, and hung out for a little while.”

“He likes you,” I say with a smile. “I know,” she responds with a grin. “I like him, too. I just don’t like his job.” I nod in agreement. “He told me about his fiancé and what she did. I think he’s definitely messed up from that, and honestly, I don’t think he’s gotten over her completely. That’s probably why he is so content with his job. He knows while he has that job he won’t have to worry about a commitment with anyone.” “She’s a whore. He shouldn’t have a hard time getting over her. She’s lucky he didn’t snap and kill her or his cousin, and then plead temporary insanity due to heat of passion.” “For real!” she laughs. “Well, let’s show him what he’s missing out on. You should flirt with a guy in front of him or something. Maybe it’ll give him a little push.” “I told him about a date I went on,” she exclaims. “What?” “Yep! It wasn’t anything serious, but when he called one night and asked what I had done that day, I told him. He didn’t seem happy about it, but he didn’t say anything.” “Yeah, because he doesn’t have the right to.” “I know. He was trying to ask questions about the date in this sly little way. It was so funny.” “Well, let me get dressed and we can head over there.” “Kay.” I decide to wear Jace’s favorite color and choose a dark blue, hi-low dress. Even the longer part is still

short and only goes to the top of the back of my knees. I put on a small, black belt around the waist, and let the rest of it flow. “Ready!” I shout as I walk out of the closet. “Told ya it wouldn’t take me long.” “Yeah, yeah.”

When Em and I arrive at Club Trinity, we have the cab driver drop us off at the back entrance. Jace told us he’d let us in there so we wouldn’t have to worry about the line. A few minutes after I send him a text, he opens the door looking devastatingly handsome. He’s wearing a long sleeved, black, button up shirt with a charcoal gray vest on top. His pants match the vest and he’s got some nice black and gray shiny shoes on. He smiles at us as we walk towards him. “Ladies,” he greets. “King,” Em responds with a giggle. Jace looks at me with slightly narrowed eyes. “What? Girls talk,” I say innocently as I stand on my tip toes and throw my arms around his neck. “Uh huh, I wonder what else you’ve told her,” he says quietly as he wraps his arms around my waist. “Only good things, of course.” “I hope so,” he says with a grin before giving me a kiss. “There are no bad things to say.” “Yet,” Em chimes in.

I laugh and Jace smacks my ass gently. As we walk down the hallway that leads to the office on the first floor, I have my arm hooked in Jace’s. “Are you working in the office still?” I ask. “Yeah, but you guys can go ahead and get some drinks and I’ll find you later.” “Okay.” “You look stunning by the way. I like that color on you.” “Thank you. I thought about you when I chose it,” I say, grinning like an idiot. He leans closer and I feel his hand running up my leg, under my dress until he reaches my hip. My breath catches and I glance at Em, but she’s standing in the doorway of the office a little ways away. “I hope you think about me all night, because I’ll be thinking about you. Mostly about having your legs wrapped around my head while I eat this pussy,” he says as his hand moves from my hip to the apex of my thighs. He runs his fingers up and down over the lace of my panties, putting a little more pressure when he touches my clit. I bite down on my lip and my eyes close instinctively. I feel the loss of his touch and open my eyes to find him grinning at me. “You’ll be thinking of me now.” “That’s not nice,” I pout. “Oh, but I’ll be very nice to you later.” “You better.” “Are you guys done having sex yet?” Em calls out from the office. Jace and I both laugh. “If we were having sex, you

and even the people in the club would have heard her screams,” Jace responds as we walk towards the office. I narrow my eyes at him. “Oh, whatever.” Em pops her head out of the office. “Ready?” “Yep.” I turn and give Jace a hug and kiss before Em and I leave. After we get our first drinks we make our way to a comfortable couch and people watch. Em and I have a good time watching all the drunkies try to dance. One guy drops to the floor and tries what I think is supposed to be The Worm, but he does a terrible job. At one point it looks like he’s trying to swim on the floor. Eventually he gets up, trying to get different girls to dance with him. They don’t, but he seems okay with dancing by himself. A few minutes later we see Troy and Marc walking together nearby. They don’t notice us, but I can tell Emilie is keeping her eye on Troy. When a woman stops them both and begins talking to them, Em’s top lip lifts in a snarl. I giggle and her attention snaps to me. “What?” “Nothing. Just looks like you’re about to charge that girl over there.” “I just don’t know why she has to be touching his arm and shit. Skank.” I laugh at her expression. She’s looking at this girl with disgust. “Y’all need to just hook up already, geez.” She only scoffs. “I’m gonna go get us some more drinks.” “Okay,” I say with a smirk. “Tell Troy hi for me.”

“I’m not going to talk to him,” she says. “Uh huh.” She walks towards the bar which coincidentally enough is near Troy and Marc. I sip the rest of my drink while looking around the room. After a few minutes I look back to see where Em is. I spot her at the bar with Troy at her side. Marc is still talking to the woman who stopped them. Troy must have seen her and followed her to the bar. I smile. It’s so obvious they like each other, but they try to act like they’re just going to be friends. I think it’s only a matter of time before they fall into bed together. Then it’s gonna be a lot more complicated. Especially if Troy continues being an escort. I sip the last bit of my drink and gaze around the room. I feel so awkward just sitting here alone. I hear a loud group of guys that are standing a little behind me talking about wanting to ‘fuck some chicks.’ I roll my eyes and think about going to the bar just to get away from them. The more they talk, the louder they get and curiosity gets the better of me. I turn marginally to get a look at the assholes, and recognize one of them. Liam. Now I worry if I get up that he’ll notice me and try to talk to me. Even though I forgave him for what he did before, that doesn’t mean I want a friendship with the guy. Plus, I remember how he gets when he’s been drinking. Annoying, loud, horny, but even less likely to give me an orgasm than when he’s sober. He gets more cocky, but doesn’t realize how sloppy he acts. Ugh. It’s all bad. Thankfully Emilie shows up with drinks.

“Liam is right behind us,” I say as soon as she sits down. “No!” she gasps. “Yes. Don’t look. I don’t want him to see us and come over.” “I wish he would. I’d kick him in the balls.” I laugh and take a sip of my drink. “Did you tell Troy hi for me?” I ask. She rolls her eyes. “I didn’t go over there to talk to him. He followed me to the bar…after he saw me walk by him,” she says with a mischievous smile. “What’d he say?” “That I looked good tonight, and he wanted to dance with me later.” “And will you dance with him?” “Sure. Friends dance together. Me and you dance together.” “Right, but I don’t think you like me like you like him…or do you?” I say with a wink. “Oh, you finally caught on. I’ve been waiting for you to realize I was in love with you,” she says dramatically. “I am loveable,” I say with a shrug. We finish our second drinks while we sit there talking. Liam still hasn’t moved from his spot, so we’re gonna have to chance getting up and hoping he doesn’t see us. Otherwise, we’ll be sitting her all night, and we’d like to check out the other levels. “Ready?” I whisper conspiratorially. “Ready,” she responds quietly. We ease off the couch and move quickly ahead and to the right. We get all the way to the stairs on the other

side of the room before looking back. “Good. The bastard stayed over there,” Em says. We begin walking up the stairs when we notice Troy walking down. Him and Em share a grin. “Can I get that dance now?” he asks her. She looks to me as if she’s asking permission. “Go ahead. I’ll go meet up with Jace in the office for a little while. Troy, can you open the door to that hallway?’ I ask. The offices on each level are behind locked doors that only they have keys to. “Yeah, sure thing,” he says. We walk over and he unlocks the door for me. “Don’t lose your phone this time,” I tell Em. “I’ll need to find you eventually.” “Okay, okay.” They walk away and I stand there with my hand holding the door open, watching the way they interact with each other. I really hope they find a way to work it out. Jace and Troy being friends, and Emilie and I being best friends would make for great double dates. Plus, they are so cute together! They both have blunt personalities and don’t sugarcoat anything. It’s funny to watch them banter back and forth. They’ve both met their match. I snap myself out of the zone I was in and turn to walk into the “secret” hallway. Spending some quiet time with Jace sounds good right about now. I just hope I’m not interrupting anything important. As soon as I step into the hallway, I feel someone behind me. Somebody has followed me in here before the door was able to close. Right as I’m about to tell them they aren’t allowed back here, I hear Liam’s

voice. “I thought that was you.” My body goes rigid. Jace’s office is at the far end of the hall, and he can’t hear that anybody is in here, especially if he has his door closed. When I face Liam it’s obvious he’s completely shitfaced. His eyes are bloodshot, his face is flushed, and he has a ridiculous smile plastered on his face. “Liam, you can’t be back here,” I say calmly. “You’re here,” he states simply. “I know, but I’m allowed to be back here. You aren’t. Why don’t you go back into the club, and maybe I’ll see you out there in a minute.” I try for a friendly tone hoping it will placate him and he won’t get hostile. Another thing that usually happens when he’s drunk. “I wanted to come say hi,” he says as he stumbles closer. “You’re lookin’ really good tonight,” he slurs. “Okay, come on,” I say as I step past him to open the door to the club. He grabs ahold of my wrist as soon as my hand reaches the doorknob. “No, you come on. I told you I was sorry. I thought you forgave me?” I look down at his hand on my wrist and then back at him with my brows furrowed. “I did, Liam, but that doesn’t mean you have the right to put your hands on me.” “Come on, Adrienne. My hands have been in a lot of other places,” he says with an eerie smile on his face. “I don’t care, Liam. Get off me!” I yell as I yank my

hand away from him. His eyes narrow at me as he backs me into the door. “Don’t act like you don’t miss me. Don’t act like you don’t want me,” he says as he runs his finger along my jaw. I turn my head and bring my hands to his chest to push him back. Instead he clutches my hands in his and pins them to the door behind me. I can smell the alcohol on his breath when he leans in and presses his nose against mine. “Don’t fight me, Adrienne. It’s only going to turn me on,” he snarls. When he leans in and nuzzles my neck with his face I bring my knee up and drive it into his balls. He releases me and stumbles back. While he’s bent over and cussing, I take off and run towards Jace. I really hope he’s in his office. Before I get there I’m being pulled back by my ponytail. I let out a screech and he pulls harder. “You stupid fucking bitch,” he seethes. He yanks me so hard that I lose my balance and stagger into him. He pushes me into the wall and I yelp again. “Shut up!” he roars. “Why do you always have to fuck shit up? I was trying to be nice to you, and this is how you treat me? This is why I cheated on you. You never appreciated me.” I don’t say anything. I’m too busy fighting back the tears. “You owe me one last fuck. We’ll call it a goodbye fuck.” I close my eyes, tears trickling down my face.

“Liam, please. Please don’t” “Yeah, baby. Beg me.” I hear a loud bang that startles me. My eyes pop open and I see Liam crumpled on the ground, Jace standing over him. He must have tossed him against the wall. Jace grips Liam’s shirt in his hand and lifts him up. Liam is conscious but he seems a little disoriented. Probably from both the alcohol and being slammed against a wall. “I told you not to fucking touch her again!” Jace roars. He’s furious. “Did I not say that?” he demands. “Fucking answer me, you piece of shit. Didn’t I tell you to not touch her?” he seethes. Liam finally nods. “Next time you’ll take me seriously. She’s mine. You have no right to fucking touch her ever again. Come near her again, and I’ll fucking kill you.” In the next second Jace’s fist is flying at Liam’s face. He hits him perfectly on the jaw and Liam drops to the floor. He’s out cold. When Jace turns around and looks at me, I can feel the fury radiating from him. He takes a step and gently wipes the tears from my face with his thumb. “Are you okay?” I only nod. My lip quivering. “Come here,” he says, pulling me to his side and walking me to his office. He sits me on the couch and makes a phone call. A few minutes later two of the bouncers are carrying Liam to the door at the end of the hall. “They’re putting him in a cab. They’ll get his

address from his wallet. He’s lucky I’m not just throwing his ass in an alley somewhere.” “You could have,” I say quietly. He gives me a sad smile before sitting next to me on the couch. “You sure you’re okay? He didn’t hurt you did he?” “I’ll be fine.” “I’m so sorry I didn’t come out sooner.” “It’s not your fault,” I say as I snuggle into his side. He has his arm around my shoulders and pulls me in tighter. “You wanna go home?” he asks. “Home?” I ask, hoping he doesn’t want to send me home in a cab. “Yeah. To my home. I don’t have to be here anymore.” “Yes. I’d like that,” I say through a smile. He pulls out his phone and sends a text. A few seconds later his phone dings. “Okay. I told Troy we’re leaving. He said he’d take care of Emilie and make sure she gets home safely.” His phone dings again. “Oh and apparently Emilie says you better call her in the morning,” he says with a laugh. “Okay. Thank you, Jace.” “For what?” “For just being you.” He squeezes me a little tighter and kisses the top of my head. We go ‘home’ a few minutes later.

After Adrienne and I come back to my place, I cook dinner while she showers and changes into one of my T-shirts. When she comes out I have spaghetti and French bread ready to eat. “You better quit spoiling me or you’ll never get rid of me,” she jokes as she walks in the kitchen. She wraps her arms around my waist from the side and rests her head on my chest. I let one hand fall over her shoulders as the other one is stirring the sauce. “Maybe that’s my plan.” “To spoil me?” “To make it to where you don’t want to leave me.” She looks up at me with those beautiful eyes of hers and smiles. I lean down and give her a kiss. “Go sit down, and I’ll bring you your food.” “Ooh, you are spoiling me.” “Just treating you the way you should be treated, babe.” I place the plates on the table before going to the fridge for drinks. “Do you want water, soda, wine,

juice, milk?” “Water is fine.” I take two bottles of water back to the table and sit across from her. “Are you tired?” I ask when I see her trying to stifle a yawn. “Yeah, maybe a little.” “Once we’re done eating, we can go to bed.” “Sounds perfect.” Once we’re done eating, I throw the dishes in the dishwasher and then go to my room. I strip down to my boxer briefs and crawl into bed with Adrienne. She’s flipping through the channels on the TV trying to find a good movie to watch. “All these channels you have and there’s absolutely nothing to watch.” “I know. I might as well cut it off, but I need my sports channels.” “Men,” she scoffs. “You don’t like sports?” I ask. “I like watching football more than anything. Other than that, I don’t follow them.” “I can deal with that. Football is my favorite, too. I like to watch basketball, too, though.” “Basketball is fine, just don’t ask me to sit through something like baseball or tennis. I won’t do it. Not even for you,” she says with a playful gleam in her eye. I laugh. “Okay, duly noted.” She yawns again. “Come on, let’s go to sleep,” I say as I take the remote and turn the TV off. I place it on the nightstand next to me and pull

Adrienne to my chest. One arm drapes over my stomach while her head lies on my chest. “Why are you so good to me?” she asks through another yawn. “Because you’re mine,” I state simply. And then she’s asleep.

The next morning when I wake up, Adrienne isn’t in the bed next to me. I look towards the bathroom but the door is wide open with the light off. I get out of bed, throw on some pants and go to the bathroom to pee and brush my teeth. I move towards the kitchen and hear her before I see her. She’s humming along to a song that’s playing from her phone. When I cross the living room I see her in the kitchen still wearing my T-shirt and cooking breakfast. It brings a smile to my face. “Good morning.” She jumps around like I frightened her. “You scared the shit out of me,” she says with her hand on her chest. “I’m sorry,” I laugh. “I’ve never made you breakfast before, but I hope you like this. I’m making scrambled eggs, bacon, smoked sausage, fried potatoes, and toast.” “Sounds amazing. I’m starving.” “I’m surprised you had all that in your fridge and pantry,” she says with a grin. “I told you I cook.” She smiles and continues cooking. “Need my help?”

I ask. “Nope. You go sit over there and watch sports or something,” she says, gesturing towards the living room with a spatula. “Who’s spoiling who?” I say as I make my way to her and give her a kiss. “You’re mine,” she says with a shrug and my smile grows even wider. “You can’t come in here without a shirt on. It’s distracting. I’m gonna burn the food.” “Sorry,” I laugh. “I’ll go put one on now.” Adrienne hasn’t brought up what happened last night with her ex, and I won’t talk about it unless I know she wants to. I know he was drunk off his ass, and I know he didn’t succeed in doing what he wanted, but I wanted to keep hitting him. I guess there isn’t a point after he’s already been knocked unconscious. If I ever see that bastard again, though, he’ll regret it. Even though I’m supposed to be watching sports, I can’t help but watch Adrienne as she moves around my kitchen. I’ve never had a woman in here before, let alone one who cooks for me. It’s nice to look over and see her in there humming and looking so happy. This, I’m realizing, is what I’ve been missing out on. Not just a relationship with a woman, but happiness. Seeing her happy makes me happy. “Okay, come and get it,” she says happily from the kitchen. “Come and get what?” I ask suggestively as I move from the couch towards the kitchen. She laughs. “Whatever you want, everything in here is yours.”

As I approach her, I notice she has an impish look on her face. “Everything, huh?” She nods as she bites down on her lip. “So this is mine?” I ask as I touch her mouth with my thumb. She nods. “This is mine?” I ask when my hand grabs her ass. Her eyes become hooded, and she nods in response. “Is this mine?” I ask, my hand moving to her pussy. She closes her eyes briefly. “Is it?” I demand. “Yes,” she breaths. “Good. What about this?” I ask when my hand rests over her heart. Her eyes widen slightly. She wasn’t expecting me to ask that. We stand there looking at each other. This is a pretty defining moment in our relationship. We’ve known each other for several months now, and although we’ve separated a couple times, it was never for long, and it never changed the way I felt. She’s special, and I know I’ll want her in my life for a long time. Forever. I just don’t know how she’s felt, or how she feels now, knowing what she does about me. “Yes.” One word. That’s all it is, and yet it means everything to me. I smile and lift her up. Her legs find their place around my waist. She’s holding a fork in one hand, but still wraps her arms around me. I kiss her cheek, then her mouth, and then the other cheek. She starts giggling, and I kiss her face some more. “Okay, okay. You might as well just lick my face like a puppy,” she says, laughing. “I don’t mind licking you,” I say as I raise an

eyebrow. “I know, and I love that you don’t mind. Now, let’s eat before all this food gets cold.” “Well, I definitely don’t want it to go to waste,” I say, looking at all the food she has laid out. “I can’t wait to eat it.” “Eat what?” she asks in her own suggestive tone. “I’ll eat you later. Don’t worry,” I say with a wink. We sit down to eat at the bar that’s near the floor-toceiling window. I’ve always loved sitting here and looking out at the view. “This view is spectacular,” Adrienne says. “I could never get tired of this.” “I haven’t yet,” I say with a grin. “What if I moved? Would you still want to come over without the view?” I ask. “Hmm,” she says as she taps her finger on her chin. “I guess.” She drags out the S. “I do like this view, too,” she says, pointing a finger at me. “Well, that’s good.” “Are you really thinking about moving?” “Maybe. I do really like this place, but I’m thinking maybe I should move further from The Strip, and get a house, not an apartment.” “I really don’t think you can call this an apartment,” she says, scrunching up her face. “Okay, maybe not, but you know what I mean.” “Yeah. Well, I’ll come see you even if you’re living in a van down by the river.” I can’t help but laugh. “Okay, Chris Farley.” She starts cracking up. “I’m glad you got that, or it would have been really weird.”

We start talking about our favorite SNL episodes, which turns into talking about our other favorite shows. “You’ve never seen Lost?” she asks like she’s appalled. “Uh. No.” “Why do you say it like that? Lost is awesome!” “I don’t know. I heard something about a smoke monster, and I was just like, no thanks.” “Yeah, I know that sounds weird, but really, you HAVE to watch it. It’s so good, you’ll get hooked. I know it!” “Mmm…I don’t know,” I say, just trying to get her all riled up. “I have all the seasons, I’ll bring them over, or you can watch them at my place, but you will watch them.” “Oh really?” “Yes. It will become our lazy Sunday thing to do.” All of a sudden, watching Lost doesn’t seem like a bad idea. I like the notion of lazy Sundays being ours. “Okay. I’ll watch it.” “Really? You will? Yay! I’m so excited. I promise you’ll love it,” she says excitedly as she claps her hands. “I guess,” I say, dragging out the S like she did earlier. She rolls her eyes at me. “That means you have to watch something I like.” “Like what? Porn?” She starts cracking up like it’s the funniest thing in the world. “No. Not porn,” I say. “But, I don’t mind watching that with you either.”

“Of course not. Are you running out of ideas?” she says playfully. “Of course not.” She laughs again. “Okay, so what do you like?” “Breaking Bad.” She scrunches up her nose. “Sons of Anarchy?” She shrugs. “Oh come on. You have to watch one of them.” “Fine. I’ll watch one. You pick which one. We can switch each Sunday between super, awesome Lost, and whatever you pick.” She says the last half like she’s sure it will be terrible. “Okay, I’ll surprise you.” “You always do,” she says as she leans forward and gives me a kiss.

It’s been a month of lazy Sundays with Jace. Okay, so that’s only four, but those four have been the best lazy Sundays I’ve had. We’ve sat around at either his place or mine in pajamas, taking turns making food for us throughout the day, and watching Lost and Sons of Anarchy, which I’ll admit is pretty damn good. I’ll also admit that I’ve fallen in love with Jace. He’s stolen my heart, and I don’t even want it back. It’s his. We’re coming up on our six month anniversary, and I know it’s annoying when people celebrate anniversaries by the month, but I have something planned for that date. There’s no way I could wait another six months for what I have planned. It’s nothing big, and he doesn’t even know there’s going to be an ‘anniversary’ date, but it’s my way to finally express to him how I feel about him. I’m nervous about saying the L word. Probably because even though I know he really cares about me, he’s never said it either, and there’s that tiny little bit of doubt that he won’t feel the same. I head out to go meet up with Em at the coffee shop.

She’s been managing it for about three years, and has become very close with the owner. The owner, who’s pretty old now, is talking about handing it over to Em. She’s so excited, and I couldn’t be happier for her. It’s such a cute little place. It’s about six-thirty and since it’s November, the nights have gotten cooler. I walk into the fairly empty shop, and see Em sitting at one of the tables clutching a coffee cup in her hands. “It’s effing freezing out there,” she exclaims. “Oh, come on. It’s like fifty degrees out there. That’s not too bad.” “Actually, it’s forty-eight.” “You know, people who live in Alaska would probably laugh at you for complaining about the temperature. It’s probably twenty-something degrees there now. I’m sure forty eight is pretty warm for them,” I laugh. “Remind me to never live in Alaska, then.” “Okay,” I laugh. “Let me get you some hot chocolate,” Em says, walking behind the counter. “Thanks,” I respond as I sit down. She gets back and sets down my hot chocolate and some cookies. “So are you ready for Thanksgiving? I’m ready to go eat some of your dad’s delicious food again,” she says. “I’m always ready for Thanksgiving.” “How’s your dad doing anyway? I haven’t seen him in a while.” “He’s good. He’s been busy working, you know him. Plus, he went on vacation to the Bahamas for a few

weeks.” “The Bahamas? Dang, he could have taken me along.” “I know, right? I wanted to go with him, but work gets in the way of that.” “Yeah. Damn responsibilities. I’ll be sure to take some desserts or something when I go, so he doesn’t have to do all the work.” “Yeah, I’m gonna make the ham and some sides. He makes the best turkey, so I’ll leave that to him.” “Good idea.” Em has been spending the holidays with us for about six years, ever since her parents died. She lost them both in a car accident when she was twenty-one. She makes sure she brings the dessert her mom used to always make for any occasion: strawberry trifle. “Where’s Jace?” she asks while chewing on a cookie. “Doing work stuff.” “Ah. So that’s why I get to see you,” she says giving me a sly grin before she takes a sip of her drink. “Oh, whatever. Where’s Troy? He hit that yet?” She almost spits out her drink. Her hand covers her mouth before it spews all over the table. “Oh my God!” she laughs. “I wasn’t expecting you to say that,” she says as she wipes some hot chocolate from her chin. “But the answer is no. My lady parts are lonely and sad.” “Well, if you aren’t going to give Troy a chance, I’d stop talking to him as much as you do. Honestly, you guys drive me crazy. When you two are together, it’s so cute! Y’all are all flirty and try to touch each other in

these sneaky little ways. Just do it already! The sexual tension is killing me, and I am getting laid!” “I don’t touch him in sneaky ways!” she gasps. “Yes you do. I’ve seen it, Jace has seen it, and we talk about it.” “Ugh. Whatever. We’re just friends.” “Uh huh,” I mumble before taking a drink. “Whatever happened to just having sex for fun with no strings attached? I’m pretty sure you were the one pushing me to sleep with Jace even though I had seen him out with girls.” “Well,” she pauses to think. “That’s different.” “I don’t think so. I think you’re just realizing that you really like him, and don’t think you can handle his job. You’d be a jealous, crazy, psycho girlfriend, and that’s fine! You just have to admit you actually like him. That’s why you won’t go forward with anything. You don’t want to get hurt.” She stares down into her cup like she’s looking for an answer to appear there. She finally looks up at me and I can see the emotion in her face. “You’re right. I do really like him, and being his friend, and talking and hanging out with him, is only making me fall for him more and more. He’s perfect, Adrienne. For me anyway. He’s so funny, he gets my crazy humor and isn’t embarrassed by my antics. We get along great, and obviously he’s sexy as fuck!” She sighs. “I just hate that when I’m not with him or talking to him on the phone, I think about who he’s with and what he’s doing. I wonder if he’ll fall in love with one of the women he has sex with.” “I know. I’m sorry, Em,” I say as I reach out and rub

her arm. She lets out another exasperated sigh. “Let’s talk about something else. No talk about guys.” “Okay.” After a few moments of awkward silence, she breaks it. “Okay, so any good Jace stories?” We both laugh and I end up telling her about my six month plan. She thinks it’s a great idea, and I only hope that Jace does too. We end up staying at the coffee shop until way past closing time. The other employees and customers left a while back, and with Em and I being so engrossed in our conversations, we didn’t even think to leave to go anywhere else. With hot chocolate and little goodies to keep us happy, we were fine with staying. “Well, I guess I better head home,” I say as I stand up and stretch. “Yeah, me too. I gotta be back here early in the morning.” I help Em clean up and turn off all the lights and we walk outside together. “Jesus effing Christ! It’s gotta be like negative ten degrees now,” Emilie whines. “Okay, I’ll agree that it’s a lot colder, but definitely not negative anything,” I laugh. “Maybe just right at zero,” I say, knowing even that is an exaggeration. “Which is too cold. I’m gonna run to my car. I’ll catch ya later. Good luck with that six month thing.” “Thanks,” I say as I turn and walk the other way to my car.

Three days later is November fifteenth, our six month anniversary. I’ve been excited and nervous all day. I hope I haven’t let on to Jace that anything is up. I’ve gotten all my little gifts all packaged and ready to go, and I’ve talked to Troy about making sure Jace stays at home at a certain time today since I’m having the packages delivered. I’ve also made sure to get all pampered and done up for our date tonight. Oh, God, I’m so nervous. I hope he doesn’t think this is too cheesy. The packages are already with the delivery person, and he knows when to deliver them. All I have to do is wait to hear from Jace. I sit down in my baby blue, chiffon, tea-length dress, and tap my feet on the floor, waiting anxiously for Jace’s response.

Troy and I are hanging out in my living room, watching some basketball, when I get a call saying I have a delivery. “That’s weird,” I say when I hang up the phone. “What’s up?” Troy asks. “John just called up here saying someone is coming up with a delivery. I didn’t order anything, though.” “Hmm. That is weird,” he responds. “Well, man, I’m gonna get outta here.” “Alright. Take it easy. I’ll talk to you soon.” “Okay. Let me know what’s up with this package. Hopefully it isn’t anthrax or anything.” “Funny.” He laughs and shows himself out. I wait by the door for the delivery guy to show up. When he does, I’m shocked to see it’s two packages. One is fairly big, but the other is pretty small. “Mr. Jamison?” he asks. “That’s me.” “Great. Here you go,” he says as he hands me the

packages. “I don’t need to sign anything?” “Nope. Have a good night.” Then he walks away. I close the door and take the packages to the kitchen. I inspect them trying to find a name or logo on them. The only thing I do notice is that the large box has a number one written on it, and the smaller one has a number two. I grab a knife and cut through the tape that’s on the box. After digging through some paper, my hand hits something that feels like metal. When I pull it out, I laugh. It’s a crown. It’s silver and gold and has what I hope aren’t real diamonds in it. KING is written in large letters on the front. Adrienne. It can only be from her. I place it on the table, and pull out more paper. At the bottom of the box is an envelope and good sized silver metal bar. When I pull it out I notice it has nice designs carved into it, and the bottom is a dark colored, round jewel. The top is uniquely shaped with gold designs running through it. When I finally figure out it’s a scepter, I laugh even harder. Such a smart ass she is. I tear open the envelope and read her perfect, girly handwriting. Jace I know you change your mind on whether you want to be a king or a God, so why not be Zeus? He was the king of the Gods. Here’s your crown and scepter. You are now official. Adrienne I shake my head and laugh. I wonder how hard it

was to find these. You don’t just see crowns and scepters all over the place. I put them together on the middle of the table and move onto the smaller package. Upon opening it I notice there’s a realtor pamphlet inside. I look through that and notice that it’s full of houses that are for sale and rent. Really nice houses, too. There’s another piece of paper inside, so I unfold it and read it. What’s a king without his castle? A king should always have a castle, and even though I like your place now, I know you’ve been thinking about moving. Here’s a booklet with brand new houses that are available to rent or buy. Brand new! Meaning nobody has ever lived in them, and of course they are all fit for a king. Lots of land! This is to show you that I support you in whatever you choose to do. I’ll visit you wherever you live. I couldn’t find a van, sorry. xoxo-Adrienne I laugh at her van joke before I look back through all the houses in the pamphlet. They’re all so nice, I’d have a hard time choosing one. I’m thankful that she gave this to me though. It will help me make a decision. I’ve told her about wanting a yard so if I wanted a dog, I could get one. I know I’ve mentioned moving into a ‘real house’ many times. I’m glad she’s giving me that little push, otherwise I may only just talk about it. I see another paper peeking out of the package and snatch it up.

I have one more present for you. Send me a message when you’re ready and I’ll deliver this one myself. I wonder what the other present is, and I wonder why I’m getting presents. Should I be getting her something? I don’t know. I don’t know why she’s doing this. I think about running out and getting something before she gets here. I have no idea what to get though. Damn, I wish I knew what all this was for. Maybe girls just like to do this stuff randomly. A thought comes to me. I think I know exactly what to get her, but I don’t know where to start looking. I don’t want to keep her waiting too long, but this is just too good of a gift to pass up. Considering what she gave me, I need to give this to her. I begin looking up places on the internet in hopes of finding somewhere close by that has this gift. I’m lucky. Within the first few minutes of me searching I find just the spot to go to, and luckily it’s not too far. I need to be fast, though. This is another reason why I need a new place. Rushing out the front door to my car would be faster if I didn’t live on the mother fucking top floor of a sky rise building! Almost an hour later I’m finally back at my house. If I had had more time to plan this out and do some real searching, I may have been able to find a better one, but this will work. I send her a message letting her know I loved the gifts, and to hurry her ass over here. She responds with a smiley face. And now I wait. After what seems like hours, Adrienne finally shows

up. I’ve hidden my gift behind the bar, so she’ll never see it. I open the door and see her standing there holding a small bag with tissue paper sticking out of it. She looks gorgeous in her blue dress, and her hair falls below her shoulders. She smiles at me nervously. “Hey, beautiful,” I say as I reach for her hand and pull her inside. “You look nice,” she says eyeing my outfit. I changed when I got back from the store, thinking basketball shorts and a T-shirt weren’t appropriate for exchanging gifts. Well, gifts like the one I plan on giving her. I put on some jeans and nice button up shirt. Nothing fancy, but probably something people don’t wear when they’re supposed to just be lounging at home. Oh well, hopefully she won’t think anything’s up. “Thanks,” I say and lean in to give her a kiss. Hand in hand we walk into the living room. “I like the gifts,” I say with a grin. “Really?” she laughs. “You didn’t think they were cheesy?” “What? No way, I’m wearing the crown and holding the scepter the next time I go out.” Her laugh bounces through the room. “Oh my gosh. What have I done?” “Confirmed what I already knew. I like the Zeus reference. King of Gods. I like it.” “I figured you would,” she says with a playful roll of her eyes. “Okay, can I ask a question without you getting mad at me?” I ask. “Wait. Do you want a drink?” “Yes and yes. You know what I like,” she responds

as she sits on the couch. After making our drinks, I return to the living room and sit on the couch, facing her. “So what’s your question?” she asks. “Okay. Are the gifts for something I should know about? Did I miss something, or are you just being nice?” She smiles a relieved smile. “No, you didn’t miss anything. I’m just being a girl.” “Oh. Okay. That makes me feel better.” “Well, technically, today we’ve been together for six months. So I wanted to give you something.” “I should get you something just for being able to put up with me for that long,” I say with a grin. “You’re pretty easy to be around,” she says, stroking the top of my hand. “Well, I have one more thing for you.” She takes a deep breath and then takes a drink. Her eyes bore into mine, and I can tell she’s nervous. “It’s okay. I’m sure I’ll like whatever it is,” I say, trying to reassure her. If anything, I should be nervous, but she doesn’t know what I have planned. The crown she got me gave me a great idea. A perfect way to tell her how I feel. “I hope so,” she murmurs. She hands me the small bag and I pull out the tissue paper. Inside are two silver, antique crafted hearts entwined with each other. One of the hearts reads, ‘My heart belongs to you.’ The other heart holds a picture of her and me. I don’t even remember anybody taking this picture. Adrienne and I are out on The Strip, the night

lights are blurred behind us, and she’s looking up at me with all the adoration in the world on her face. I’m looking down at her, my hand on her cheek, and a slight smile on my face. Her hand is resting on my chest, and I can tell she’s on her tip toes, getting ready for a kiss. Anybody can look at this and see two people in love. I look up at her, and she’s biting her lip. “There’s one more thing in there,” she says softly. I reach back into the bag and pull out a letter. Jace They say the best gifts come from the heart, but I’m giving you my whole heart. It’s yours. I trust that you’ll protect it and keep it safe. I’ve gone to bed every night since I’ve met you, thinking only about you, and woken up every morning with thoughts of you still in my head. Am I scared? Yes. Only because you mean more to me than anyone ever has. Not being with you scares me. Sometimes you just know when you’re meant to be with someone, and I know without a doubt that you and I are meant to be. My heart is only whole because you are in it. If you were to ever leave me, I’m afraid it would break and be irreparable. You brought happiness into my life again. A happiness I’ve never known. I love you, Jace xoxo I’m speechless, and that almost never happens. I haven’t looked up yet. I continue to read the note she wrote for me. I try to come up with words that will be appropriate, but I can’t. An idea comes to mind.

“Wait right here,” I say as I touch her legs. I get up and run to where I’ve hidden my gift for her. I get back and sit back down in front of her. “Adrienne, that was beautiful. I never thought I’d have an effect on someone like what you described. Making you happy is the only thing I want to do. You are the one who brought me to life. If it weren’t for you, I’d never know what true happiness is. For years I thought I was happy. But when you came along, I realized I had been missing out on so much.” Her bottom lip is quivering and I can see the tears threating to spill over. I grip the gift box in my hand, ready to open it. “I went out and got this for you. I had been trying to think of a way to express how I feel about you. I’ve never done it before, and I think I may have been overthinking it too much. This may seem corny, but it kind of goes hand in hand with the gift you got me.” She watches me as I open the box and pull out her gift. She laughs that beautiful laugh that always makes me smile. “Okay, let me explain. You bought me a crown, right?” She nods looking confused. “I’m a king, right?” A smile dances on her lips and she rolls her eyes. “Mmhmm.” “You said a king needs a castle, and thanks to you I can now go and pick one out. You also gave me a scepter, so it would seem I’m all set.” She looks at me curiously. “I think you forgot one thing. What is a king without

his queen?” I hand her the silver, rhinestone encrusted tiara I bought for her. It’s nothing fancy, just something I found at a costume store. “I love you, Adrienne. I think I have for a little while now. You are my queen and I will always treat you like one. You deserve the best, and I strive to be the best for you.” The tears spill over and cascade down her face. She puts the tiara aside and jumps in my lap. “Oh, Jace! I love you. I love you. I love you.” “I love you. More than you’ll ever know.”

“This is a nice place, man,” I say as I walk around Jace’s new house. “Thanks.” “How many rooms you got in here?” “It’s five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, a couple living rooms, the theater, gym, and game room.” “Oh is that all?” I ask sarcastically. “Whatever, man. I couldn’t turn this house down.” “Nah, I understand. There’s a fucking lazy river and waterfall out there by the pool. That’s insane. I think I’ll stay in the guesthouse out there.” “I don’t know why you’re acting like your house is a shack. Your house is fucking huge, too.” “I know. All my bedrooms aren’t suites though. And I don’t have libraries and shit.” “You want a library?” “No. Chicks like libraries, though.” He laughs. “Does Emilie like libraries?” “Man, why you asking about her? I don’t know. She hasn’t talked to me since we had Thanksgiving dinner

over at Adrienne’s dad’s house.” “Hmm.” “What do you mean, hmm? Do you know something? Has Adrienne told you anything?” “You sound like a girl, you know that right?” he says. “Just answer the question.” “You know why. She ain’t cool with the job. She likes you, man. How is that hard to see?” “I’ve never thought about giving it up, you know that.” “I know. Maybe it’s time to re-think things.” “Even if I did, I can’t do the relationship shit. I’m fucked up.” “I didn’t think I could do them either. Adrienne makes it easy.” “Where is Adrienne?” “She’s at work. She’ll be over later.” “She might as well move in.” “I hope she does one day.” “Look at you, all happy and shit. I’m happy for you, man.” Maybe quitting the escort business isn’t a terrible idea. I’m making money with the club, and Jace, Marc, and I are already planning to open another one. Maybe being an escort was my way to keep women from wanting to be in a relationship with me. I just don’t think I can trust another woman again. Not after what Carla did. I loved her more than anything and anyone, and she fucked me over in the worst way possible. “Yo. Troy,” Jace’s voice brings me out of my head. “Sorry, man. What’s up?”

“You alright?” “Yeah, just zoned out for a minute.” “Why don’t you talk to Emilie? Tell her everything. Not just what Carla did to you, but how you feel about relationships and trust now. Be honest with her, maybe it will help her realize why you are the way you are. She might think you just don’t give a shit about her.” “Yeah. Maybe.” “I just want you to be happy, man. You’re like a brother to me, and I just want the best for you. Don’t go through life not knowing what love is. You think you had it with Carla, but that wasn’t love. Not true love anyway.” “Maybe not,” I answer. I like to think Carla loved me. We were together for years, and I loved her, and thought she loved me. She said it all the time, but she didn’t really ever prove it to me. Maybe Jace is right. I’d love to have what Jace has with Adrienne. They’re perfect together. I think what’s most obvious is their friendship. If you don’t have friendship, you don’t have love, and they have it all. “Well, talk to her soon, because we’re doing Christmas over here. Adrienne’s dad, Emilie, Marc, Nico, and Kade will all be here. You’re gonna be here, too, and I don’t want it to be all weird and shit with you and her.” Shit. That only gives me a couple weeks. “Alright, man. I think I’m gonna head home. I can come over tomorrow to help put more stuff away if you want.” “Yeah, cool.” I show myself out and walk to my car. The whole

drive home I think about what I can tell Emilie. That I do like her, and have fun with her, but that I don’t trust her cause I don’t trust any woman? No, that shit ain’t gonna work. It’s the truth though. Maybe if I allow myself to be in a relationship with her, she’ll prove to me that I can trust her. As I’m stopped at a stop light, I pull my phone out and send her a message. Me: Hey, I need to talk to you. Meet me at my place in thirty? Her response comes just as I’m pulling into my driveway. Emilie: Okay. See you in forty five. I shake my head. She’s always sure to do things her way. I’m just glad she’s coming. Now is my time to be honest with her and see what happens from there. After I step out of my Escalade, I look up from my phone and start for my front door. What in the mother fuck? Carla is standing on my doorstep. A suitcase rests at her feet. Fuck. To be continued…

Dear Readers, I appreciate you taking the time to buy my book and read it. I do hope you enjoyed it. I am currently working on Book Two in The Escort Series, which will be Troy’s story, and Book Three will be Marc’s story. I am going to work my hardest, fastest, and best on making sure these books don’t take forever to come out. You’ll also be able to get a little more of Jace and Adrienne’s story in the next one. Thank you for your support, xoxo - Isabel

Once again, I must start with my husband. Thank you so much for always being there to support and help me. You are amazing! I’m so lucky to be married to you. If it weren’t for you, this story wouldn’t have been born. Thanks, baby! To every single blogger who has ever helped me in any way. Whether it be by sharing teasers, the cover, giveaways, or anything else, you guys are amazing! It’s because of you that people hear about new stories and authors, so thank you! I have to thank my readers and supporters who also share things from my page, and get the word out about whatever it is I’ve posted. It’s tough being a newbie, we need all the help we can get, and word of mouth is by far the best form of promotion. Thank you all! Special thanks to Michelle Lange Schwartz and Gretchen Anderson Purgason. You ladies have been the most amazing, uplifting, supportive, and helpful women ever! I don’t know even know what I’d do without you now. Thank you for reading my book and loving it so much! Thanks for all the kind words and motivation to keep writing. Love y’all!

Thank you to my “secret group” of women. I appreciate you all for agreeing to read and help me promote my book, and get my name out there. Shaneen, you are another special one, because you’ve been with me since my first book. I’m so glad that you loved it, and I appreciate you being the kind and generous woman you are. Thank you for supporting me and being a friend. I can’t forget Cynthia Boudreaux for being an awesome editor. Thank you for being so helpful and fun to work with. Thanks to my wonderful formatter, Angela from Fictional Formats for coming up with amazing chapter headings! I honestly would have never have thought to make them what they are and I’m absolutely in love with my book even more now. Thank you! Big thanks goes to Summer and Jenny from A Dirty Book Affair for offering to help me out when it came to release day blitz, cover reveal, and a blog tour. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of that. Robin from Wicked by Design. What can I say? Thank you a million times over for dealing with my numerous emails, questions, and suggestions. You are amazing at what you do, and I LOVE my book covers. Nobody else could have made them better. Thank you! Katie Harder-Schauer, Elena Pearson, and Lyndsey Wharton. You were all added a little late to the street team, but I will forever be happy that you were added in the first place. I love your reviews and I’m so glad you all enjoyed this book. Carrie Sutton, thank you for taking the time to create beautiful and amazing teaser pictures. I appreciate that, because I’ll admit it’s not

something I’m good at. Tonya Nichols, thank you so much for loving both of my books! Thanks for the review. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone. I’m grateful for everything anyone has done for me.

Isabel Lucero is a military wife who has been lucky enough to travel the world, and see some amazing sights. She has been married to her best friend for ten years, and together they have two of the most beautiful children in the world. She and her husband are Junior High Sweethearts, a couple who are truly meant to be together. One day, their love story might make it into a book. Isabel is the middle name of the author, and Lucero is her maiden name. Together they create her pen name. She was born in a small town in New Mexico, and was more than happy to move far, far away. She is a collector of high heels and tattoos, and is highly obsessed with both. She owns a crazy, little Miniature Pinscher who thinks he’s a Doberman. His name is Tyson. Isabel has always been an avid reader, able to devour books in a day or two. With her now focusing on writing, the reading has slowed, but her love for reading is still there. Something noteworthy is that Isabel loves to hear from her readers. Never hesitate to get in touch. She’s

always willing and ready to talk about anything. If you enjoy this book, she encourages you to not only let her know, but let the world know. Goodreads, Amazon, book blogs, groups, etc. She understands that word of mouth is the best form of promotion.

For more information about this author, you can find her at: https://www.facebook.com/authorisabellucero https://twitter.com/AuthorIsabel http://authorisabellucero.blogspot.com/ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7152948.Isabe Other books by this author: The Secrets That We Keep