Our Secret (A Cinderella Billioaire Story) - Amber Heart

Contents Freebies + Newsletters Copyright Blurb Our Secret Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Thanks! Money Eyes Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13

Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Epilogue Thanks! Trust Fund Bad Boy Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36

Thank You! Stalk The Author



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Copyright © 2016 by Amber Heart All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. All characters in this book are over the age of 18. Individuals on the cover are models and are used for illustrative purposes only. This is a work of fiction. All events taking place are a result of a role play amongst all parties and all parties are fully consenting adults. This story is written for adults. It includes detailed and intense sexual activity between consenting adults.

Can their romance last when his family finds out? Eric Flinton Being the son of a famous billionaire can be rather… repetitive, and Eric needs a break from his name and nagging Mother. So when he enrolls in the local college, he uses a fake name and changes his style. Overnight he goes from a responsible gentleman, to a cocky bad boy. After strolling in late to his first class, he’s partnered with the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen. Despite his charm and dashing good looks, he fails to win her over. Her studies are too important and she won’t waste her time with an arrogant bad boy. How will he prove to her that he’s different without blowing his secret? Rosalie Winters What starts as a kind gesture ends up captivating Rosalie, his piercing blue eyes didn’t help either. As she keeps running into him, it becomes harder and harder to hold back her ever-growing attraction. But her studies take priority, and nothing can distract her from becoming a doctor. Rejecting him was the hardest thing she’s ever done. After saving her from a sticky situation and driving her home, she comes to find that there is more to this man than meets the eye… Is he the Prince Charming she’s been looking for? Our Secret is a full-length billionaire romance with no cheating and a very HEA. For a limited time, this novel features 2 bonus novels: Money Eyes and Trust Fund Bad Boy!



Our Secret A Cinderella Billionaire Story By Amber Heart

Chapter 1 Rosalie Winters had always been that mousy girl in high school, with bushy brown hair, the long skirts, blouses that covered everything, and soft spoken enough that no one ever heard her. She’d graduated two weeks ago, and was getting ready to go to college. Her parents were driving her up to the campus, and she was excited, but nervous at the same time. She’d never been away from her parents before. Part of her was nervous about having to depend on herself for the first time, but she was also determined to prove to everyone that she could do it. Ha! Everyone. That was a good one. All she had were her parents. Rosalie wasn’t the type of girl to have a lot of friends. Hopefully that would change in college. It was a place where people wanted to be, so that meant they had to study. It made her feel a little more like she would fit in. “Ok, here we are!” The car pulled up in front of a dormitory, and Rosalie jerked herself out of her reverie. An old brick building loomed in front of them, and Rosalie instantly fell in love with it. “Yeah, I guess we are.” She had her room assignment, so she led the way. It was on the third floor, and as far as she knew, there was no elevator. Luckily, she didn’t have much to take with her. Two suitcases, some bedding, and an extra trunk of her favorite books was really all she had with her. She had some money to get anything else she needed, but that was the furthest thing from her mind. She really just wanted to get behind her door, close it, then lose herself with setting up her room. She found the right door, opened it, and was happy to see that she was the first one there. That gave her room to breathe and settle in. Her mom put the package of bedding on the bed frame, then folded her arms over her chest, looking around appreciatively. “It looks like a nice little place. You can make it cozy in no time.” Rosalie gave her mom a smile. It was a transition for her, and the way she’d always handled things was by being alone. So, even though it would hurt her later, she needed to get rid of her parents so she could break down on her own. “Whew! That’s a heavy trunk!” Her dad had the case of books, and he put them at the foot of the bed. “Well, we won’t keep you. I know you want to get unpacked.” She hugged him gratefully. Then she disappeared under both her parents’ arms. Rosalie thought she was getting squeezed to death, but she reveled in the moment for the few seconds that it lasted. Her mom was already tearing up, and that meant Rosalie’s waterworks wouldn’t be that far behind. She swallowed hard, hitched a smile to her face, and watched as they walked out the door, waving. She closed the door behind them, then went over to the bed and sank down on it. It really was a nice looking dorm room. The living room area had a small kitchenette in it, and there was a comfortable chair that she could already see herself curling up in with a book. Her bedroom area was small, but that was fine. All she was going to do in it was study and sleep. She didn’t entertain any vivid daydreams about finding a boyfriend while she was here. She wanted to be pre-med, and that was going to take up all of her time anyway. Maybe about an hour into her unpacking, the door opened. Rosalie tensed, looking over her shoulder. The girl who had just walked in with a couple of bags looked like she’d just come from a biker gang. Her nose and eyebrow were pierced, she was covered from head to toe in leather, and her combat boots looked like they could stomp anything in their path. Rosalie smiled at her and half raised a hand in a friendly wave. The girl didn’t even look her way, just went straight to the other room and slammed the door behind her. Rosalie’s heart sank. She’d been hoping for someone that she could make friends with as a roommate, but it struck her that she probably wasn’t going to get that with this girl. Sighing heavily, she went back to dusting off her books and putting them on the shelf that stood across the from the bed. About fifteen minutes later, the door opened again, and a male version of the girl came in. He looked at the open door, to Rosalie, dismissed her and headed straight for the other door. It was locked, apparently, and he started pounding on the door with his fist. “Vanessa! Open this damn door right now! If I have to break it down, we’re going to have problems.” Vanessa screamed something else at him, through the door, which remained firmly locked, but Rosalie couldn’t make it out. She turned her attention back to her own room. She tried to drown out the conversation that was going on behind her, but it was hard. She jumped when the door opened again. Another guy in leather came in, saw the first man at the door and grabbed him by the arm. He said something that Rosalie couldn’t hear, and the two left. As they did, the newcomer sent a glance her way. Something happened in Rosalie. Her breath quickened, and her heart raced. Something in those bright blue eyes of his had kick started a part of her that she’d never knew existed. She blushed, turning away quickly to go back to her task. When the door closed, she looked behind her again to see an empty living room. Maybe this wasn’t the best place to be after all. That guy though… A shiver ran down her spine as she thought about those piercing blue eyes. That was something that could distract her from her studies. Maybe she’d see him again. Rosalie shook her head to clear it. No. She didn’t need any distractions, and she wasn’t going to moon over some guy that she didn’t even know. As if to accentuate that point, she got up and closed the door to the living room with a definitive click. Looking around her, now she had a room. A real room to relax in. It was the Friday before term started, and she had the next two days with nothing to do. Part of her wanted to try to make friends with her roommate, but if Rosalie was honest with herself, it was only because she was hoping to see that guy again. So that idea was turned down right away. She was already familiar with the campus because she’d studied every inch of the map on the school’s website. She’d been ecstatic to be put into this particular dorm, because the college’s coffee shop was a short walk away. Since everything had been so close on the campus that she could possibly need, she’d sold her car to help with tuition. Her parents had offered to help her as much as they could, and she was eligible for student loans. That wouldn’t be completely detrimental, as she’d wanted to try to do it on her own. Hence selling the car. Thinking about the coffee shop made her wonder if it would be a good way to waste the rest of the afternoon. Grabbing her purse and one of her books that she’d just painstakingly polished and re-homed on her shelf, she took the new key to her bedroom, locked the door behind her, and set off to the coffee shop. She dodged a football being thrown down the hallway as she went, then a girl in a towel running away from a

guy in boxers, both of them laughing like hyenas. She blushed, trying to look anywhere but at that couple. She found the stairs and made her way down slowly. Checking each landing to make sure it didn’t have flying objects and streakers before she went down. The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky when she got outside, and she was glad that she’d come. It was such a beautiful day, and such a wonderful school, that Rosalie really was content. The coffee shop had an outdoor patio, and she decided that she was going to get her coffee and sit outside. Gaining the darkness of the shop, she had to stop for a moment to let her eyes adjust. It was a quaint little spot, decorated with warm, chocolate brown walls and brightly colored paintings and pictures dotting the chocolate river. The front was like any coffee shop. The counter with the bakery items, the little tables for students who came to work on their laptops, and the fridge that held little non-coffee drinks. The back, however, was the reason she’d been so excited about this place. It had almost a living room feel to it. Plush couches and overstuffed armchairs for people to sit and read, or just to hang out and have a good time talking. It almost reminded her of the Common Room of Gryffindor in the Harry Potter series. Granted, she would never tell anyone that, because they would probably see her as a geek, but it warmed her heart to feel like she might be able to sink into one of her favorite fantasy worlds…if only for a little while. There was no line at the counter, and she moved towards it. “Hello, welcome to The Gathering. What can I get for you today?” The perky blonde behind the counter looked like she just came from a photo shoot. She was tall and slender, with sparkling green eyes and a chiseled face. It made Rosalie blush a little because she was too beautiful to look at. She said a silent prayer that this wasn’t going to be like high school all over again. The beautiful people had ignored or tormented her, her entire academic life. “Um, can I get a raspberry hot chocolate please?” The girl raised her eyebrow, looking at Rosalie like she was crazy. It was a hot summer day. Why would she want something hot? Shaking her head as if to say, “you’re the customer” she went to work making the drink. Rosalie exhaled as she paid and took her cup outside with her. There was a small table near the back of the patio that had only one chair with it. Perfect. She made a beeline for the table, opened her book to page one, and settled herself in for a wonderful afternoon. How much time passed, before she looked up, she had no idea. She was about ten chapters into her book, though, and her hot chocolate was almost gone, so it had to be a couple of hours at least. The angry voice from her room grated against her ears. Looking up, she saw the young man who had been pounding on her roommate’s door earlier. He was sitting a couple of tables away with the blue eyed god that she’d seen earlier and some other girl with similar taste in fashion that Vanessa had. This one’s hair was blue, though, so it wasn’t Vanessa. She wanted to get out of there, because she didn’t want them to recognize her, but the only way out of the courtyard was right past them, since it was ringed with hip high bushes that were too close together to slip between. She angled her book so she could hide behind it, completely unable to focus on her story now. She took a quick peek, and saw that the boy with the blue eyes was looking at her. Rosalie’s face grew beet red and she dove behind her book so quickly that she almost overbalanced in her chair. Luckily, she kept her balance at the last second.

Chapter 2 Vanessa’s boyfriend was talking animatedly to his companions, but he kept his voice low. It wasn’t like Rosalie was trying to listen in, but sometimes she caught a few snatches of the conversation. Once or twice she peeked out from behind the book, but the girl would stare at her, and she’d try to hide again. Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment already, when the boy turned his attention to her. “Hey! Vanessa got you spying on me or something? You’re her roommate, right?” Rosalie froze. She wasn’t the type of girl who liked confrontation, and she was already trying to find a way out of there. “Answer me! The little bitch has you spying on me, doesn’t she?” He got to his feet, looking for all the world like he was going to march right over to her table and hit her. In Rosalie’s mind, thunder crashed and the world got dark. He advanced on her about two or three steps, then stopped. The other boy, with the piercing blue eyes, had a handful of his leather jacket holding him back. “Come on, man. Ease up. I’m pretty sure that Vanessa doesn’t even know who her own roommate is right now. She was still moving in when you went up to talk to her and she slammed the door in your face. Sit down, Rob. Leave the poor little mouse alone.” Anger flashed through her at being called a mouse, but he was right. She was a mouse, and she wasn’t going to do anything about it. She silently thanked the boy for holding him back. A drop of water hit the end of her nose, and she wrinkled it in surprise. The thunder that she’d thought she’d imagined was real. The darkening around her wasn’t her imagination, it was a storm rolling in. While the boys talked back and forth, she took the opportunity to run around them. Darting like a little deer, she didn’t stop running until she got to her dorm. She tried to talk herself down as she walked up the stairs. Her breathing was finally back to normal by the time she gained her own bedroom. Rosalie closed the door behind her and leaned against it, closing her eyes. Her heart was still thudding painfully in her chest. Was it really safe to be roommates with someone who was mixed up in this kind of group? Maybe other people could deal with it, but she didn’t know if she could. She was already terrified of Rob, and she hoped she wouldn’t have to see him again, but that wasn’t going to happen. The wood vibrated against her back, and her heart stopped. Had Rob followed her back to her room? She was giving herself a little pep talk in order to open the door, but by the time she finally got the guts to do it, there was silence. That scared her even more. Was he now lying in wait to attack her because he thought that she was spying on him? Gritting her teeth and preparing herself for the worst, she cracked open the door. The living room was empty. Was he maybe hiding behind some of the furniture? She took a step out into the living room, and her foot bumped something. Looking down, she saw her book. It was a little damp, but in her rush to get away from Rob, she’d completely forgotten about it. Now she kicked herself for forgetting one of her favorite books, but she was more than grateful to have it back. She looked around the living room again, but it was still empty. She couldn’t see Rob bringing it back to her, and she wasn’t too sure about the blue haired girl either. That could only mean one thing. The boy with the blue eyes. He must have seen her running scared and grabbed the book off the table. She hugged it closer to her chest, smiling. Maybe being roommates with Vanessa wouldn’t be so bad after all. She wasn’t taking any chances, though, and she locked the door behind her when she went down to the community bathroom for a shower. The ordeal she’d been through had shaken her, and the one way she could get rid of everything was a nice, hot, boiling shower. It was almost like a cleansing of sorts. The hotter the water, the better it felt. When she came back out, pink skinned and shining, she felt like she could give the roommate situation another try. She got dressed, then tiptoed over to the other bedroom door. She took a deep breath, raised her hand to knock. There was no answer. “Vanessa?” She waited a few more minutes for an answer then turned around and started to walk back to her own room. The door unlocked behind her, and the mottled face of a girl who’d been crying peeked out from around the door. “Who are you? What do you want?” She was still sniffing, like she wasn’t quite done crying yet. “Um, hi. I’m Rosalie. I’m your roommate. I just wanted to say hi and see if you wanted to get to know each other.” There. It was out. She’d given the girl the opportunity, and if she got the door shut in her face again, it wasn’t for lack of trying. “How did you know my name?” She looked like she was suspicious of Rosalie. Now it was Rosalie’s turn to fumble over the words. “I, um, I didn’t mean to, but I overheard the guy that was in here pounding on your door earlier. He said it.” Glancing back up at the girl’s face, she was afraid the girl would be angry that she’d listened in. She gave Rosalie a small smile. “Yeah, that was my boyfriend, Rob. He can be a handful sometimes, but he’s a good guy, really. Just really emotional, and he always thinks he’s right. It’s worse than any woman that you’ll ever meet, but I love him so much.” Rosalie returned the smile. It was the first time that she’d had a girlfriend to have boy talk with, and she had to admit that she liked it a lot. “I’m sorry about listening in. I really wasn’t trying to, I promise.” Vanessa came out of her room. “It’s alright. I’m pretty sure that the whole floor listened in.” The two of them stood there in silence for a few minutes, then Rosalie excused herself back to her room. As far as she was concerned, this had been great! She’d met her roommate, and the girl hadn’t taken an immediate dislike to her. Maybe college would be a little different than high school after all. She could only hope. When Saturday dawned bright and early, there was no sign of the storm that had run through campus the night before. It was still early, and it didn’t seem like the rest of the dorm was up yet. It was just too quiet. She had to laugh, though, because she was quickly learning that Friday night was the liveliest part of the weekend here. She grabbed her purse and went down to the coffee shop again. A pick me up was what she needed to get started on her day. She was fully unpacked, and now it was time to get some groceries for herself. There was a little

supermarket on the other side of the coffee shop, and it wouldn’t be too bad of a walk if she kept the groceries light. She stopped in at the coffee shop, grabbed her drink to go, then strolled along the sidewalk until she got to the store. Her strategy was simple. Grab a little basket. She couldn’t get too many groceries into one of those little baskets, and when it was full, she’d check out. If there was anything she’d missed, she’d just make another trip. That way, she wouldn’t kill herself carrying too many bags, and she could get some extra exercise. The first aisle that she went down, was the tea and coffee aisle. Granted, she loved the little shop, and it wasn’t too far away, but there were going to be days that she didn’t want to leave her room, and for those days, she needed coffee. She was focused on the flavors in front of her, and didn’t pay any attention to who or what was around her. She moved sideways down the aisle, reading the labels, when she bumped into something solid. “Oh! I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking!” She immediately apologized before she even got a chance to see who it was that she’d jolted. It was the boy with the blue eyes! At first, she didn’t recognize him because he had on jeans without rips, and a plain t-shirt instead of a leather jacket. His face was freshly shaven, and she could still smell the sweet shaving gel he’d used. “It’s fine.” He kept staring at her, and she blushed. Turning back towards the front of the aisle that she’d come from, she decided that she was just going to grab a random box and get the hell out of there. “I think you might find this one to your liking.” He reached up and grabbed a box from the top shelf that she hadn’t even looked at yet, and held it out to her. Rosalie’s hand shot out of its own accord to take the box and put it in her little shopping basket. “Thank you. And thank you for bringing back my book. I hadn’t even realized that I’d forgotten it.” Oh no! The word vomit had come out. She’d meant to say two words to him, then beat a hasty retreat, but her mouth had a mind of his own. He smiled at her, and she froze. His smile was utterly dazzling. It was like a moth being reeled in to the flame. She had to tell herself not to move any closer to him. “It’s no problem. Enjoy your coffee.” He turned away from her, and it took her a second to realize that he was stocking the shelves. Did he work there? Something told her to just turn around and leave, but there went her mouth again. “I’m Rosalie, by the way.” She blushed furiously. He didn’t even turn around to acknowledge her, he just kept on stocking the shelves. She was so embarrassed that she had to talk herself out of running down the aisle to get away from him. She forced herself to take one slow step at a time. She really didn’t understand him. Why would he come to her rescue like that, when Rob wanted to pound her face in, bring her book back to her, then just ignore her when she tried to make friendly conversation? Something wasn’t right with that boy, and she couldn’t wait for her classes to start on Monday so she could forget all about him and just throw herself into her studies. At the checkout, she saw him disappear into the back room pushing a pallet of empty boxes. She was mad at herself for watching him until he walked out of sight. She was better than that! She refused to let herself crush on a boy that had no polite manners whatsoever, was full of himself, and probably was a complete slacker when it came to school, too. She paid for her groceries, grabbed the bags in a firm grip, then started off towards her dorm. Vanessa was up when Rosalie got back into their room, and she eagerly started to help put things away. She also showed Rosalie her own groceries, and told her that if she needed something to help herself. “Do you like romantic comedies?” Rosalie smiled. “Of course! I think if you’re a female, it’s sort of hardwired into your DNA.” “I was going to make a lazy day of it and throw some movies on. Wanna watch with me? I have popcorn.” “Sold! Let me just change back into my jammies.” Rosalie darted off into her room, changed into her pajama pants and a t-shirt, then dove onto the couch with Vanessa who had just brought a big bowl of buttered popcorn with her.

Chapter 3 Six hours had gone by before either girl had realized it. They’d been riveted on the tv, watching Bridget Jones go through her various escapades, then started on Grease. Vanessa had gotten up once to refill the popcorn bowl, and that had really been the only interruption. Rosalie loved having a friend to be couch potatoes with. “So, what program are you in?” Conversation had always been something that Rosalie hadn’t been that great at, so maybe she could practice more with Vanessa, then be able to make new friends in her classes, too. “I’ve been bouncing around a lot, not really sure what I want to do, so I’m just taking the general education classes right now.” Vanessa didn’t seem to be too worried about it, and it struck Rosalie as odd. How could you go to school without some kind of clue as to what you wanted to do there? College wasn’t cheap. You couldn’t just stay there for an indeterminate length and enjoy the ride. Someone was paying for it. She wanted to say something to that effect, but she knew she’d been seen as the geek and the nerd in high school, so she didn’t want to chance ruining this new friendship. “What about you? Any idea what you want to be when you grow up?” Vanessa laughed good naturedly. “Yeah, I’m going premed. I’m not really a social butterfly or anything, so I figured that I should go for a career path where that wasn’t really important.” Rosalie had meant it to be a joke, even though it had a painfully true undertone to it, but Vanessa just stared at her. “Are you afraid to stand out?” It was a question that took her by surprise, because she’d never thought about it, but she wasn’t sure that she could answer that right now, because she didn’t know. “I’m not sure. I’ve never really thought about it. Do I look like it?” Vanessa gave her a warm smile to take the sting out of her next words. “Well, you kind of look like an old fashioned version of Florence Nightingale. The clothes that you wear are beyond out of style, and you have such a beautiful face that you should really show it instead of hiding it behind your long hair.” Rosalie was a little stung. She loved her long, thick, brunette hair. It was her best feature, in her eyes. But she could definitely agree with the clothes. It wasn’t like she would see anything that she was wearing in a fashion magazine any time soon. “I’m paying for school myself, so I don’t really pay too much attention to style. I just get cheap, comfortable clothes.” She could feel her cheeks heating up painfully, and she hoped that Vanessa wouldn’t look down on her for it. It was nice having a girlfriend to hang out with. “Well, if you were really serious about trying something new, then I could help you out. I have a friend who does hair, and I know some places to go shopping that would fit your budget but would still change your look. Just an idea.” Rosalie was silent for a moment. They were nearing the end of the movie where Sandy went to Frenchie and had her make over her entire image to fit in with Danny. She’d always wanted to shock people in high school like that, coming back one summer looking like a knockout, but she’d never had the guts. Now, she was in college, and she needed to stop being afraid of everything. “Ok, let’s do it. I’ve been a mouse all my life, I could use a bit of a change. Just nothing too drastic, ok?” Vanessa laughed. “No problem. I’ll break you in easy.” She snatched her cell phone off the arm of the couch and started to text furiously. She paused, looking up at Rosalie. “You want color, or just a cut and style?” Not quite knowing what Vanessa would have her looking like if she gave her a free hand, she decided to play it safe. “Just cut and style. I like my mousy brown.” The girls shared a laugh and went back to the movie. The next morning, a loud knock on her door woke Rosalie a minute before her door was flung open and Vanessa came dancing in. She went over to Rosalie’s window and tore open the curtains, whistling to herself as she went. “Wake up, sleepyhead! Time to start your makeover!” She was in a much better mood than the first time that Rosalie had seen her, and part of her wanted to ask if she was ok, after what she’d seen and heard from Rob, but she didn’t want to say the wrong thing this early in the friendship. “Vanessa, it’s only eight thirty!” She threw a pillow at the girl, missing by a mile. Vanessa grabbed it and deftly threw it back at her, hitting Rosalie in the face. “Exactly! We’re wasting daylight! We have a lot to do before school starts tomorrow. Get up! Get up! Get up!” Laughing at her antics, Rosalie managed to slide out of bed and get herself dressed. “I’ll be right back. Just gonna go brush my teeth.” Vanessa shooed her out of the door and Rosalie grinned the whole way to the bathroom. If this was going to be her new life, then she was ready for it. She’d never realized just how much she’d wanted it until it had happened. It was easy not to miss what you hadn’t experienced. She took care of her morning hygiene routine, then came back through the door. “Vanessa, I’m--” She broke off when she saw the girl with the blue hair sitting in the living room. They locked eyes on each other, and both of them froze. Vanessa came bouncing out of her room. She saw the frigid glare between the two girls and sobered up. “What’s going on out here?” The girl with the blue hair glared at Rosalie as if she’d done something wrong. For her part, Rosalie couldn’t think of anything she’d done to this girl, so she just blushed and tried to get away as quickly as she could. She went back to her room to put away

her toothbrush, hairbrush, etc. When she came out, Vanessa was looking at her, too. “This is your friend whose hair I’m supposed to do?” Vanessa nodded. “Fine. Let’s get this over and done with.” The girl had complete animosity towards her, and Rosalie was starting to think that this was a bad idea. She didn’t know if she should trust the girl with scissors anywhere near her face. It was quick, and that was something that made Rosalie happy. It only took about thirty minutes before the girl finished up and walked out the door. Rosalie sat there, in the kitchen chair, frozen in place until she heard the door slam behind her. “Whew. What did you do to Blaze?” Vanessa looked at Rosalie with her arms crossed over her chest. “I don’t even know her! I’ve seen her once!” Rosalie had her hands up in surrender, getting ready to spill the whole story about the coffee shop. The more she talked, the harder it was for Vanessa to keep a straight face. When she ended the story with the boy with the blue eyes bringing back her book, Vanessa burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?” Rosalie demanded, trying to figure it out for herself. “Well, Blaze is head over heels for Eric, and she must have been sitting their when he grabbed your book and brought it up.” That dumbfounded Rosalie. Blue eyes had a name. It was Eric. And he’d taken time away from his friends just to bring her back a book? Did that mean something? Rosalie was the last person to know anything about dating or romance or courtship, and she would admit that freely. Maybe Vanessa could be an insight into the boy. Mentally pumping the brakes, Rosalie chided herself for even starting to think that way. No. She wouldn’t try to get closer to Eric. It wasn’t worth it. She had school to focus on, and he was just that arrogant punk that wasn’t her type anyway. Not that she really had a type, because she’d never dated, but if she did, he wouldn’t be it. She pushed him out of her mind and focused on something else. “So, is her name really Blaze?” This earned her another laugh from Vanessa. “No, it’s actually Stacey, but she didn’t think that would work in our group. It was too…innocent. So she dyed her hair and changed her name. It helped her change her image. Kind of what we’re doing with you, but without the color. Oh yeah, come look at your cut!” Vanessa had a full length mirror in her room, and she grabbed Rosalie’s hand, pulling her in front of it. Rosalie was dumbstruck. Whatever Blaze had done to her hair was beautiful. Before it was all one length, flat, almost lifeless. Now, she had bangs that framed her face, her hair was in layers, and she had a side part that would let her flip her hair in or out of her face whenever she wanted. It gave her a boost of confidence that she’d never felt before. “Wow! She did an amazing job! I love it! I’d like to tell her that, but I don’t think that would be too smart.” Vanessa shook her head, validating that idea right away. “To be honest, with the look she’d given me, I thought she was going to sheer me like a sheep.” “No, she’s not like that. She’ll get back at you some other way, if she wants to get even, but it’ll be subtle, and only something you’ll know. Almost like blackmail rather than blatant sabotage. I’ve known her for a couple of years, so I can promise you that much. Are you ready to go shopping?” Vanessa’s bubbly personality spilled over and infected Rosalie. “Sure. Don’t get mad at me if we don’t find anything to make me look like less of a mouse, though. My mom used to tell me that I could only be what I was, and I’m a mouse.” Vanessa rolled her eyes. “Your mom never met me. Let’s go! I’m driving.” Rosalie patted her hair a couple more times, loving the way it felt when it slipped through her fingers. She smiled at her reflection, thinking that maybe, just maybe, things were looking up. She went and grabbed her purse, following Vanessa out of the room and down to the parking lot. Vanessa’s car was a blue sedan, not the newest, but not exactly a clunker, either. Gallantly, Vanessa opened the passenger door and bowed her into the seat. Rosalie was doubled over with laughter as Vanessa scooted into the driver’s seat. The girls were singing at the top of their lungs to the cheesiest hits on the radio, laughing and having a good time. Vanessa pulled up in front of a shop that Rosalie had never seen before. Grabbing her purse, Rosalie followed Vanessa in. The shop was dark, and there was some heavy metal blaring from the speakers. Rosalie expected to see ripped leather clothes with safety pins as decorations everywhere, but it really wasn’t all bad. “Hey, Marissa. I brought a friend with me, and we need a makeover. Can you hook us up with a dressing room?” Vanessa was talking to a girl behind the counter with at least a dozen piercings in her face. It made Rosalie a little squeamish, but she soldiered on, following both girls to the row of dressing rooms against the back wall. Marissa unlocked one, then Vanessa shoved her in, closing the door behind her. “Ok, get naked! I’m gonna go grab some things for you to try on. We’re going to find the new Rosalie!”

Chapter 4 Rosalie was down to her bra and panties in the dressing room, with Vanessa handing her things over the door. She was embarrassed that she had someone with her when she was clothes shopping, because she’d never had anyone besides her mother with her until now. Some of the outfit choices Rosalie couldn’t even bring herself to try on. She just picked them up between a thumb and a forefinger and moved them over to the discard pile that was rapidly growing on the chair. Some of those skirts barely covered her butt, and there was no way that she could walk around with her cheeks hanging out under her hemline. Maybe a change in wardrobe could help her, but this was not the way to go. “Um, Vanessa? Can we get something a little more…” She broke off, not quite knowing how to phrase it. “Just with more material?” There was a silence on the other side of the door, and Rosalie winced. Had she already pushed her new friend away? “Yeah, you got it. Hang on.” Vanessa’s voice sounded more than a little disappointed, and it made Rosalie want to leave. A bundle of clothes came over the top of the door again, and she sighed. Hopefully this batch had something in it that she would actually wear. A black leather skirt caught her attention instantly. Judging by the other skirts Vanessa had offered her, this one was actually of a decent length. Excited for the first time since they got into the store, she put it on. It went to mid-thigh, and she could actually pull it to almost her knees. She smiled. There. A compromise. Now for a shirt. A turquoise blob caught her attention, and she picked it up. It was a halter top, but it didn’t have too much cut out of it, just bare shoulders. Feeling better about her choices, she walked out of the dressing room with a confidence that she hadn’t felt before. Vanessa’s eyes lit up and she grinned, happily clapping her hands. “That’s perfect! Wow! What a total transformation! I love it!” The praise made Rosalie blush, and she looked down at herself. “I wouldn’t say it was perfect. She looks like a prostitute who hasn’t been out in the sun very often.” Rosalie’s head snapped up in anger. It was Eric. Mr. Blue Eyes himself. What the hell was he doing here? It was bad enough that Rosalie was showing off these new clothes in front of someone she hardly knew, but him? Rosalie ran back into the dressing room, almost slamming the door behind her. Her cheeks were red and burning with embarrassment. She heard a thud, and could only assume that Vanessa had punched him in the shoulder. “What is wrong with you? She looked cute!” Rosalie maneuvered herself so she could peek out through the crack between the door and the wall. She had to balance precariously over the chair and massive pile of discards, doing her best not to press her face against the door so it wouldn’t make a noise and move. Eric rolled his eyes at her and shrugged off the blow. “You can’t dress up a mouse and expect it to be anything more than a mouse. Sorry, that’s the truth.” His attitude was cold and nonchalant. Rosalie’s cheeks were still pink, but it was no longer with embarrassment, now it was with anger. How dare he put her down when he was friends with girls who wore less! She was just trying to find a happy medium between mouse and whore. That decided it right then and there. She was going to buy this outfit, and she was going to rock it. Maybe she was a little on the pale side, but she could start studying outside and fix that. Rosalie froze. Was she really going to take advice from this insensitive asshole? She leaned back, intending to change out of the outfit, but she slipped on the pile of clothes and accidentally pushed the door open. Vanessa and Eric froze, staring at her. Rosalie couldn’t do anything but stare back. Eric shrugged and turned on his heel, leaving the store. Vanessa watched him go with a scowl on his face. “What was he doing here anyway?” hissed Rosalie once he was out of the store. Vanessa tossed her head haughtily. “Probably here to tell me something else that my ex wanted me to know.” Rob was still trying to get at her, apparently, and she was holding her own ignoring him. Maybe he’d turned to his lieutenant to get the message across. A smile manifested on Rosalie’s face. Well, if that was the case, then he’d failed. He hadn’t said a word about Rob the whole time he was in the store. Was it maybe because of how she looked in that outfit? Or had he maybe been so disgusted that he couldn’t get the words out? Damn! Clothes shopping was an emotional roller coaster. Rosalie colored at the thought of him paying enough attention to her to forget what he was supposed to be doing. Then she got mad at herself. Why would he pay attention to her at all? She was invisible. In a haze, she paid for the skirt and top, mechanically making the rights sounds and movements to make it look like she was paying attention to Vanessa’s conversation. In reality, she was repeating a mantra over and over again in her head. Tomorrow school started. Her premed classes wouldn’t take her anywhere near Eric or Blaze or Rob, or any of that bunch. It was a hope that she held on to, and she started to count down the hours until her day was over. As the girls made it back to their dorm, they found Rob blocking their way. Vanessa froze, glowering at him, expecting him to move. The two of them stood in complete silence, staring at each other. Rosalie took that as her cue and slipped around him to get into the building. She almost felt bad about leaving Vanessa out there with him, but she was sure the other girl could handle it. Besides, she was still reeling herself, and just wanted to be alone. In her room, Rosalie hung the outfit up in her closet. She stared at it for a few minutes then yanked it off the bar and flung it across the room. She frowned at the pile of blue and black in the corner of the room. It felt like it was alive and had eyes to watch her accusingly with. Stalking across the room, she picked it up and hung it back in the closet…as far back as she could reach. There. It wasn’t anywhere that she could see. She still hadn’t decided if it had been a nice purchase, or if it had just been an impulse buy. She walked over to her desk and looked at the stack of textbooks. What better way to destress than to pack her bag for tomorrow? Yes, it was a bit on the geeky side, but it made her feel better. She grabbed her backpack and perused it for a moment. It was one of those heavy duty ones that high school kids used because they usually got slung all over the place. She pulled out her schedule and started to comb through it, separating the books by day. When she had everything she needed for tomorrow, she packed them in her bag, threw in a handful of pens and pencils, a stack of notebooks, and a calculator. She didn’t have a laptop, she was still saving up for that, but she was proud of being able to pay for her things herself, so the more things she could get for school, the more self-sufficient she saw herself as. For now it was the old fashioned, pen and paper way. The tiny window gave her a nice view out onto the quad behind their dorm. She went over to it in order to catch the last few rays of the sun as

they played across the grass. Her eye caught Vanessa and Rob, locked in a heated embrace, and she turned away embarrassed. She was embarrassed that she would never have the courage to have such a blatant public display of affection. Then she realized, you actually had to have someone first. That was the first hurdle, and she didn’t believe she would get there. Standing in front of the mirror, she gave herself a once over. She wasn’t completely unfortunate looking. The new hair cut framed her face and made it look fuller, almost pretty. The makeup gave her face a soft glow, and to her, she looked more alive than she had in years. Her eye caught the reflection of the closet, and she wondered what she would really look like in the style of clothes that Vanessa and her friends seemed to like. It would certainly catch Eric’s attention if she dressed that way, and she’d even feel a little like Sandy at the end of Grease. But was she really willing to lose herself in order to catch a guy? No. She couldn’t justify it. Maybe that would be something she’d put on her bucket list. A boyfriend. Why did that little thing seem to be so far out of her reach? Sighing, she grabbed her robe from the hook on the back of her door and grabbed her bathroom bag. Might as well wash all her worries away in the shower. As the hot water rushed over her, Rosalie let her tears mix in. This was supposed to be a new beginning for her, and so far it just seemed like she was royally mucking it all up. It felt good to just let it out. No one was here to hear her, and she could let the weight slide off her shoulders. Toweling herself off, she put her robe on and headed back to her room. Vanessa still wasn’t back from whatever she was doing with Rob, so that left Rosalie alone with her thoughts. Changing into her pajamas, she crawled into bed and stared out of the window. She wasn’t really the praying type, but she closed her eyes for a minute and sent up a silent prayer that tomorrow went smoothly. The moon shone through the window, bathing her in a soft glow. It made Rosalie feel like a fairy princess, being kissed by the moonbeams. When she’d been younger, she’d hoped that there had been a mistake somewhere along the heritage line and she’d wake up one morning with wings and be beautiful. It was the product of an overactive imagination, and that had gotten her more than her fair share of teasing growing up. A few people had even suggested that she write down her crazy fantasies and publish them as fiction books. That thought made her blush, and it was with that thought that she finally fell asleep. It was quite a while later that Vanessa came back up the stairs to her room. Rob was on her heels, and the two were knocking into almost everything as they made their way to her room. A particularly energetic kiss knocked into the bookshelf that Rosalie had built and set up next to her reading chair. The crash brought Rosalie into a state of semi-awareness. Sitting up with her heart racing, she jumped out of bed and rushed to the door of her room. She opened it and saw the two in a state of undress. “Oh my goodness!” Rosalie quickly slammed the door shut again, locking it behind her. She crawled back under the covers and cried herself to sleep, feeling more alone than she had even in high school where the other girls made sure to point out her faults and let her know that she would never amount to anything. Did that mean that they were right?

Chapter 5 Monday morning dawned bright and early, and excitement ran through Rosalie. It was the first day of a new chapter of her life. All the bad things that she’d worried about over the weekend were now gone, disintegrated. It was time to start her premed program, and the sense of accomplishment from that alone would be enough to erase the memories of a certain blue eyed individual that peeked out at her from the shadows of her thoughts. She quickly and firmly pushed that thought from her mind, shouldered her bag, and grabbed the key to her bedroom. Locking the door behind her, she peeked over at Vanessa’s room. It was silent. Something told her that her roommate wasn’t awake yet. Whether it was because she didn’t have any classes, or whether it was because she’d stayed up too late the night before, she didn’t know, but she wasn’t going to bother her now. Heading out the door, Rosalie made her way out of the dorm and towards the science building. Her first class of the day was Organic Chemistry. It wasn’t one that she found particularly interesting, but it was something she would need for her chosen career, so she had to go through it. All she hoped for was a partner that wasn’t completely awful. Taking the stairs up to the third floor, she realized she better never be late, because these stairs were no joke. She might even need to start working out just to get to her classes. There was a gym somewhere on campus, but she hadn’t considered it too important until now. She found the right room, opened the door, and almost tripped her way inside. The corner of the carpet was loose, and her sneaker had just caught it as she was coming in. Luckily, her hand was still on the door handle, and she could pass it off as if nothing happened. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment anyway, and she hastily looked around to see if anyone had seen. No one was paying attention to her at all, and it gave her some relief. There was an empty lab table near the back of the room, and she made a beeline for it. It was always easier to be at a table alone rather than be the person that came in late and had to basically ask everyone if they wanted to be partners just to find a seat. Doing a mental victory dance, she put her bag on the table and started to pull her books out. There was a steady murmur of conversation around her, and she decided to busy herself with getting a pen out and grabbing a notebook to turn to the first page. The door opened and the professor walked in, clutching an overstuffed leather briefcase that seemed ready to burst open with the slightest breath of wind. He looked like the absentminded grandpa that you always saw in movies. It made her smile. Something told her that this was going to be a wonderful class. He set up his briefcase, dug through one of the pockets, then switched on the overhead projector. It put a bright light on the whiteboard behind him, and he winced as he turned to pull down the screen. He sorted through his clear plastic sheets until he found the one he wanted and put it on the projector. Rosalie flexed her hand, getting it ready to take some extensive notes. “Hello, class, I’m Professor Hammond. This is Organic Chemistry, and we’re going to jump right into it.” He gave out the page number and Rosalie obediently turned to the correct place in her book. Her notebook was ready with the date and the title of the chapter, and her hand was poised an inch above the paper. Since class had already started, everyone’s eyes turned to the door when it opened. Rosalie’s mouth dropped open. For a full thirty seconds, she sat there, frozen, as Eric walked in, nonchalantly, like he owned the place. Rosalie told herself that he must be lost. Yes, that was it. He would take one look at what was being written on the projector and turn around. Confident that she was right, Rosalie went back to listening to the professor. She pointedly ignored him while he stood there. Finally the professor turned around. “Can I help you?” Eric shrugged. “Well, I’m in this class, so I guess I need you to set me up with a partner.” The professor was silent for a moment, sizing him up, then turning to look at the rest of the class. His eyes met with Rosalie’s and he smiled. “Go ahead and sit with the young lady there in the last row.” Eric’s eyes followed the professor’s and when he saw Rosalie, his smug smile slipped. He didn’t even answer the man, just walked up to the table next to Rosalie and sat down. The professor went back to lecturing, and Rosalie was frantically writing down notes, checking in her book to make sure she had the right sections highlighted to go along with them. Eric just sat there, ankles crossed on top of the desk, hands behind his head, staring at the professor writing down his notes. After a while, the professor announced that they had a five minute break, and Rosalie began to massage her hand. “Are you going to put any effort into this class at all?” Her tone of voice said that she was not amused at with Eric’s antics. He ignored her. “Hello! I’m talking to you!” “Oh, I’m sorry, did you want something?” Did he purposely try to be a jerk, or did it just come naturally? Ugh, she hoped that he would just fail out or drop the class so she wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore. “Yeah, I want to know if you’re going to do your part in this class or not?” Her voice was hard and her eyes were narrowed at him. Anyone looking at her now would have cringed at the look on her face. Eric just laughed. “What’s it matter if I do or not?” Rosalie’s hands balled into fists, and she seriously considered smacking the crap out of him. Her grade was not going to suffer because this guy was in the wrong class, or didn’t care what grade he got. Either he was going to help do the work, or she just wasn’t going to put his name on it. It was that simple. She was about to tell him just that, when the professor walked back in, calling the class to attention. Sighing heavily, she reached into her bag, pulled out a notebook and pen, and shoved them into his hands. Then she went back to ignoring him the rest of the class. Eric sat there, looking for all the world like he was relaxed. It was far from the truth, though. He was trying to figure out this girl sitting next to him. Usually, he was a good judge of character, but he just could not get a read on her. She read classic books, and he decided to bring back the book that she’d left at the café, but she just didn’t fit the mousy stereotype. Shopping for some more risqué clothes with Vanessa? That didn’t fit with it at all. Granted, the little haircut and makeover that she’d gotten had really made her eyes pop, and he’d taken notice. She wasn’t the type of girl that he could go have a good time with, but he was drawn to her, and he couldn’t understand why. When he’d walked

into the room, he’d had his usual guise as a slacker firmly in place. It was an act, but no one ever saw that. He came from a family that had money, so tuition wasn’t a problem, but he didn’t want people to know what family he belonged to. They were prestigious, and he didn’t want to run with that crowd until he had to. At school, his parents left him alone. After classes, however, they usually had plans and parties and he had to wear a suit and be charming, acting like he cared about things they did when he didn’t. So, he tended to make the most of it when he could. Part of his guise, was to act like he didn’t care about classes or anything else, but what others didn’t know, was that he had a semi-photographic memory. He could sit in class and remember the things he needed to without taking notes. It helped him with his nonchalant bad boy image that he worked so hard to culminate. As he sat there, his gaze went over to the girl more than he would like. There was a fire in her that he hadn’t seen in other girls before. It was more than just a drive to do well in school, and it intrigued him. He was just wondering what she’d do if he asked her to go to a party with him when she slapped a notebook and pen down in front of him. He was shocked. She actually thought that he’d come to class unprepared, and she was trying to help him. She slid her book over towards him, trying to share with him, too. It was something none of his friends would have done. When he was at school, he hung out with what his parents dubbed “the riffraff”. When he was at home and himself, he had the money and title to do what he wanted and get what he wanted. He’d never had to work hard to get anything, and that made him a little conceited, as well giving him a feeling of entitlement. “Come to a party with me tonight.” It wasn’t really a request, it was more of a demand. No girl had ever turned him down, in either aspect of his life, so he felt like he was doing her a favor. She was that mousy girl that was never popular, and here he was offering her the popular by association link to him. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “I’m sorry, did you say something?” He was taken aback by her tone. “Yes. I said come to a party with me. Tonight. I’ll come get you.” She snorted. “I’m sorry, I’m trying to learn about acid based chemistry here. If it has nothing to do with that, please don’t talk to me.” She ignored him, going back to taking notes, and checking facts in her book to highlight. He stared at her openly. She’d just turned him down. Not only that, she wouldn’t even entertain the idea. She’d flat out refused him. He was more than a little in shock, but he was willing to forgive her serious lack of judgement and still show up to pick her up that night. Once she saw him all dressed up and looking good, there was no way that she would tell him no. He entertained himself with that idea until class was over. Rosalie was shocked. Eric had just sort of asked her out. And she’d said no. She was proud of herself for not getting caught up in his beautiful blue eyes, and staying focused on the class. The notebook and pen she’d given him sat on the table, untouched. When the class was dismissed, he got up and left. She shoved the items back into her bag, and she checked her schedule to see where she had to go to next. She had a full class load, and that meant at least two classes a day. She didn’t have time to think about Eric, so she didn’t pay any attention to him when she breezed out of the building. He, however, was watching her, and he was still a little in awe that she had turned him down so quickly for that party.

Chapter 6 The rest of Rosalie’s classes went just fine. She loved being back in a learning environment, and she was glad that she didn’t have to see Eric’s face in any of them. It had been quite a shock when he’d showed up in her Organic Chemistry course, and she couldn’t imagine a career path that someone like him would want to take that involved that class. So how had he wound up in it? She shook her head. It didn’t matter. He was her lab partner now, and there was no way to get rid of him until the next term. She considered making a calendar and counting down the days until she didn’t have to see him anymore. She chuckled at the thought. No, she wasn’t going to be that juvenile. When she got back from her last class, it was six in the evening. She immediately unpacked her bag, and started to lay out her books, so she could have her bag ready to go in the morning. Rosalie started working on some of the problems from her Pharmaceutical Math course, immersing herself in a world that she was unfamiliar with. At seven, there was a knock on her door. It startled her so badly that the pencil skidded on the paper, making her one look like a seven. Rosalie was still wearing the clothes she’d had on for class, so she had no qualms about answering her door. When she did, she froze. It was Eric. “What are you doing here?” She had more of an accusatory tone than a quizzical one, but she couldn’t help it. He had no reason to be here, so other than interrupting her studies, there was nothing good that could be accomplished from his visit. “I told you there was a party tonight. I came to pick you up.” His voice was confident, nonchalant. Almost like he was doing her a favor. That instantly rubbed her the wrong way. She did vaguely remember him demanding that she accompany him to this party tonight. “I told you that I wasn’t interested. Is there anything else that I can help you with?” A hand snaked its way over Eric’s shoulder, and it drew Rosalie’s attention. Blaze appeared behind his shoulder. “Told you she wouldn’t come. But don’t worry, Eric, I’ll be your date.” Rolling her eyes, Rosalie closed the door in both of their faces and locked it, going over to her desk to finish her homework. She liked getting a head start on everything, especially on her first day. If that hellion thought that she was going to let her studies slip to go to some gang banger party with him, then he was sorely mistaken. Besides, Blaze was more than willing to go with him to the party, so what did he need her for? She shook her head, then did her best to focus on the math problems that she’d started. She finally finished the assignment around eight thirty, and she unlocked the door to go get a glass of water from the kitchen. When she emerged from her room, she saw Vanessa sitting in the living room, reading something that looked like Shakespeare. “Hey. Rough day so far, too?” Vanessa offered as a conversation starter. “No, not really. I guess I just can’t shake my geekiness and I had to start homework right away.” Rosalie laughed as she came and sat down on the couch with her water. “How about you?” Vanessa closed the book and promptly chucked it across the room. “Ugh! I hate Shakespeare with a passion! Why did it have to be the first reading assignment for the term?” Vanessa crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, making Rosalie laugh again. She looked like a petulant five-year-old, throwing a temper tantrum. “What class is it?” “Some medieval literature course that I need. I don’t think I really need it, I think they’re just making me take it to torture me.” “Come on, it can’t be that bad. What are you reading?” Rosalie enjoyed English, reading and poetry that others didn’t really like. “Romeo and Juliet. I mean, ok, they’re teenagers in love and they end up killing each other because they think they can’t be together. It was a stupid plan that ended up in them both being dead. I get it. So why do I have to read it?” “Well, if you think about it, it goes a little deeper than that. Have you ever been so in love with someone that you couldn’t imagine life without them?” It was a concept that Rosalie believed existed, but she’d never felt that way before in her life, and with her self-esteem in the toilet like it was, it was damn near impossible for her to think that anyone would be thinking that way about her. “No. I firmly believe that there is no such thing as true love. There is lust, and there might even be affection, but if you’re with someone long enough, that can come with anyone. This whole, other half of your soul kind of love that people talk about, it’s just not real.” Privately, Rosalie agreed with her, but that notion wasn’t going to make Vanessa care more about the class. “Well, maybe I could help you with it.” Vanessa’s eyes lit up. “Would you? Oh, I would love you forever!” Vanessa jumped down from her chair and crawled over on her knees, grabbing at Rosalie’s shirt, and over dramatically begging. “Please! Please! Please!” Rosalie was laughing so hard, she choked on her water for a second. “Alright! Alright! Don’t kill me, sheesh.” Vanessa jumped up and started dancing around the living room. “What do you say about getting out of here and going to a party? You know, just to take the tension off of us both for the night?” Rosalie frowned. She hadn’t really wanted to go to the party, and she was pretty sure that this was going to be the same one that Eric had tried to take her to.

“I don’t know. Eric tried to get me to go to a party with him tonight, too, and I told him no.” Vanessa froze in place. “What? You didn’t mention that. He asked you? Oh my god, does he like you?” Vanessa turned into a gossip girl with a twist of cupid somewhere in there, and it was almost endearing. “I can dress you up and you can borrow some of my things, it’ll be so much fun, what do you say?” Rosalie bit her lip. She really didn’t want to, but with Vanessa being her only friend, and being so excited about it all, she didn’t have the heart to say no. “Alright. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to talk to him.” Vanessa frowned. “Don’t you like him? I mean, he did ask you, right? Most girls would kill to have him ask them. He’s kind of a big thing on campus, you know.” That meant nothing to her. It was obvious that Blaze liked him, and that she was clamoring for his attention, and Rosalie wasn’t going to put her studies aside for a boy. No way. That was her whole life on the line, her future, and she wasn’t going to give it up and turn into a could have been over a boy. “No! He’s so stubborn and arrogant. He didn’t even ask me to go with him, he just demanded that I go with him. I don’t know about you, but there’s no respect in that at all, and I just don’t feel like that was the right way to go about asking me, if he wanted me to go with him. I guess I do still have some romantic notions, even if I don’t think I’ll ever find love.” Vanessa stared at her for a second, then shrugged it off. “Come on over to my room. I’ll get you ready.” Rosalie still hadn’t said that she wanted to go, but this was such a thrill to Vanessa to let her get her dressed up, so she finally relented. “Alright. Let’s go.” Vanessa jumped up and down, clapping her hands in delight, and Rosalie looked at her, so out of place in the bad girl role. Maybe she was more like Vanessa than she’d originally thought. Rosalie went into Vanessa’s room, astonished at the mess, and found the one corner of the bed that wasn’t littered with outfits to sit down on. Vanessa disappeared into the closet, talking to herself, and Rosalie took the time to look around the room. There were pictures taped up to Vanessa’s mirror, of her and Rob, but they looked like they’d been torn in half, then put back together a few times. If love was a tumultuous ride like it was with these two, then she was happy not to feel it. A leather jacket hung from the back of her desk chair, and from one look, Rosalie could tell it was Rob’s. “Found it!” Vanessa emerged from the closet with a top that looked more like half a top. “Ok, you can wear your jeans, but I have this shirt and some boots to go with it, and I think you’re going to look drop dead sexy.” Rosalie couldn’t help but smile. This was what she’d wanted to have when she was in high school. A friendship where they could spend time together, laugh and joke, and go have a good time. Rosalie grinned at the enthusiasm on Vanessa’s face. Better late than never. “Ok, I’ll go change and I’ll be back.” Rosalie reached out to grab the shirt but Vanessa jerked it back out of her reach. “Why would you go back to your room to change? Just change here. That way, if I don’t like the way the shirt makes you look I can get you another one and we won’t waste any time.” Rosalie blushed. She’d never changed in front of anyone before, and it made her more than a little self-conscious. “Ok, ok. Give it here.” Rosalie grabbed the shirt then turned her back to Vanessa while she took her shirt off. She happened to be facing the mirror, and when she pulled the hem down to where it belonged, she was stunned. The shirt was black, with the shoulders cut out, a lace edge across the neckline, and beading across the chest. The little beads caught the light, sending rainbows of color out from her shirt that dazzled whoever was looking. The boots that Vanessa handed her looked like Harley Davidson boots, but not necessarily like hooker boots. They had a chunk heel, and they had a couple little zippers on them, but they weren’t completely out of her range of what she would wear. She slipped them on, and Vanessa instantly attacked her hair with a brush before she could even stand up straight. “Hold still, I don’t want to burn you.” Burn her? What the hell was she doing back there? She wasn’t facing the mirror anymore, so she really had no idea what was going on. “There. That’s perfect.” Rosalie turned back around, and her mouth fell open. With the shirt, she already thought that she looked spectacular, but now, she looked breathtaking. Vanessa had curled her hair quickly, and big curls snaked over her shoulders, just kissing the tops. Her eyes sparkled, and her face glowed. She really looked pretty. Rosalie threw her arms around Vanessa, almost knocking her over, because she was trying to put on some pencil heels with one hand. “Thank you so much! I look beautiful!” Vanessa caught herself against the wall and laughed. “Well, you are. Just need to spice up your wardrobe a little and learn how to do your hair and makeup. That’s what I’m here for. Now let’s go! Don’t want to get there too late.” Rosalie followed Vanessa out the door, quietly very pleased with how she looked, and vowing to make sure she took the time to do her hair and makeup from now on.

Chapter 7 Rosalie was a little apprehensive as they pulled up to the house. The music was thumping so loud that she could hear it before she got out of the car…and that was over the thumping of Vanessa’s alternative rock CD. Her palms began to sweat. How did one act at these types of parties? She’d never been invited to one in high school, and she had no idea what exactly went on there. All she had to go off of was what she saw in movies, such as Never Been Kissed and Drive Me Crazy. It seemed that both Drew Barrymore and Melissa Joan Hart knew how to handle them, but they didn’t exactly include a manual when you were watching the movie. Vanessa was bouncing on the balls of her feet, waiting for Rosalie to get out. “Come on! Let’s get in there before all the booze is gone!” As far as Rosalie was concerned, the booze could be gone, and she’d feel a little better about being here. The only plus side to this was, when people got drunk and threw parties like this, they hardly ever remembered anything, so if she said or did anything that was a party faux pax, then no one would know her and laugh about it later. “I’m coming, I’m coming.” Her stomach was in knots, and she was nervous. She did her best to smooth out the expression on her face so no one would be able to pick up on it. Vanessa grabbed her hand and promptly started to pull her towards the front door. With every step she took, Rosalie felt like she was getting closer to the very gates of Hell itself. The door burst open and a girl in a short skirt and just a bra came out with a drink in her hand, calling after some guy named Todd. Rosalie sucked in a breath. She pulled on Vanessa’s hand and planted her feet, making it so Vanessa got pulled back and yanked around, facing Rosalie. She pointed at the shirtless girl. “Promise me that if I get like that, you will take me home.” Vanessa looked confused, then followed the finger until she was watching the girl, too. Her face relaxed. “I promise. But I highly doubt that you would even let yourself get to that point.” Rosalie had to admit that Vanessa had a point. Smiling and shrugging it off, she followed the other girl into the house. Music assaulted her ears as soon as she crossed the threshold. Guys in football jerseys were charging at each other with girls on their shoulders, playing a game of chicken. A group of people in solid black clothes were sitting on the couch and chairs, even the floor, in a sort of circle, smoking cigarettes. Rosalie held her breath as they passed, but the smoke still made her eyes water. There was a guy doing a handstand on a keg, with two other guys holding him by the feet so he wouldn’t fall over, a tube in his mouth, and chugging for all he was worth. Rosalie wasn’t too surprised that he had his own cheering section for his stunt. A guy had a table set up with a lot of equipment, and the headphones over his ears told her that he was the DJ. All in all, if this was the norm for a party, then she wasn’t quite sure that it lived up to the hype she was expecting. Vanessa suddenly squealed and bolted, and it took some shoving and weaving to get through the people around her so Rosalie could follow. When she did, she came face to face with Eric, Blaze draped over his shoulder like some sort of brightly colored scarf. When he caught sight of her, he made no effort to hide the fact that his eyes were roaming all over her, from her toes to the top of her head. Whatever that meant, Rosalie quickly averted her eyes and went to the other side of Vanessa and Rob, who were now in the middle of a make out session. “I thought you didn’t want to come?” The tone he used was accusatory, but Rosalie felt like she had nothing to defend herself about. “I didn’t want to come with you.” She corrected tartly. Usually, she had a high tolerance for annoying and stupid things, but when it came to Eric, he just always seemed to cut that tolerance down to zero. His arrogance, and the fact that he seemed to think he was entitled to whatever he wanted just really rubbed her the wrong way. Granted, she thought he was very good to look at, and he was sweet for bringing her the book back that she’d forgotten at the café. He’d seemed almost decent when she’d bumped into him at the grocery store, too. Well, until he’d opened his mouth. Then he just shot himself in the foot with a machine gun, and she’d lost all interest. Rosalie walked away from Eric towards a table that had all kinds of questionable food on it. Something looked like barbecue chips, and she grabbed a little bowl before adding a handful to it. There were some pretzels and a sort of Chex Mix, and she made sure she got some of them, too. Hopefully, he would see that she didn’t want to talk to him and get the hint. Of course, he should have gotten the hint from the way that she acted in class. The thought of having to be his partner made her frown, and she hoped that she could devise a plan in order to make him pull his half of the weight. Eric went down the hallway, and Rosalie heaved a sigh of relief. She hoped that she wouldn’t have to be around him the whole time they were at the party. Eventually, she found the line for the bathroom. It was as good a place as any to hide out until Vanessa was ready to leave, so she joined the back of the line. Someone bumped into her from behind, and she almost tripped and fell over the girl in front of her. Usually, Rosalie didn’t have a temper, but Eric had already used up the diminished capacity that was left. “An ‘excuse me’ would be nice.” Her tone was icy as she whirled around to see who it was. Blaze was glaring at her. “Oh, it’s you.” She turned back around, fully prepared to ignore her. Blaze poked her in the back. Rosalie gritted her teeth and turned around again, slowly, almost like a scene in a cartoon when someone was really angry and turned in slow motion before all hell broke loose and they started wailing on the other person. “You’re right, it would be. So how about you say ‘excuse me’ for moving in on my territory?” Her eyes were blazing, her arms were crossed over her chest, and anger radiated off of her in waves. Rosalie was completely unaware of what she was talking about. “Territory? What territory? I’m in line for the bathroom, and the last time I checked, it didn’t belong to you.” “Sure, act dumb. Or is this really how smart you are? If it is, then you should rethink your career choice.” Liquid poison dripped from Blaze, and Rosalie got a little nervous. If this girl was certifiably nuts, then she needed to get the hell away from her before she got into something

she couldn’t finish. “How do you even know what career path I’ve chosen?” Blaze growled at her like a cat who’d gotten wet. “Does it matter? I’m telling you that you need to stay the hell away from Eric. He’s mine.” It took a second or two for the information to process. “What? I don’t want Eric. You can have him.” If that was all, then this conversation was over. She wasn’t going to fight Blaze for something she didn’t even want. Eric couldn’t even stand her, so why was Blaze so worried? “Just remember that. He’s mine, and we’re going to be together, so stay the hell away from him.” Blaze turned on her heel and strode away. Rosalie, on the other hand, rolled her eyes and moved up in the line. She didn’t even want Eric…did she? He seemed like such a pompous ass. But she still thought that it was sweet that he’d brought her book back. And that he’d steered her towards a drink that she now couldn’t believe she’d ever lived without. What was his deal? Did he have split personality disorder or something? She rolled her eyes again. There was no reason for her to try to analyze the creep because she didn’t want to be with him…right? She decided that she would push those thoughts to the back of her mind for when she had the time to figure it out. Right now, she just wanted to find Vanessa and go home. She’d had enough of the party already. After she’d taken her turn in the bathroom, she decided it would be best to find Vanessa and ask if they could go home. Vanessa was draped around Rob’s neck, looking for all the world like she’d been drinking for the whole day. Her eyes were glazed, and she was slurring her words. “Vanessa? Are you going to be able to drive us back?” Rosalie had no idea where they were, or how they’d gotten to the party, so even if she drove, she had no idea of how to get back. She needed Vanessa to either drive or be able to give directions, and it seemed like she was incapable of both at the moment. “Yeah. Sure. We’ll go soooooon.” She dragged out the last word, and it worried Rosalie. “Don’t worry. I won’t let her drive. She’ll be too busy with me anyway.” Rob put an arm around Vanessa and started to guide her towards the stairs, where Rosalie was sure the rooms were being claimed by drunk couples with an itch that needed scratching. She rolled her eyes and headed for the front door. Maybe she could just hang out by the cars and hope that someone else was going back to the dorms and would be willing to give her a ride. Exasperated, she sat down on the curb and put her head in her hands. “You need a ride back?” She froze. It was indeed what she needed, but she didn’t want to ask Eric for help. She bit her lip, but finally, she turned to face him. “Yeah, I kinda do. Vanessa is too drunk to drive, and I’d take her back with me if she could give me directions, but she seems to be too caught up in Rob that I don’t think she’ll be wanting to go with me. So I’ll just ask someone else who’s going back to the dorms for a ride.” She almost hissed the words out through her teeth, but she managed to keep it somewhat civil. “Come on. I’ll take you.” He started to walk towards the parking lot of cars in the front lawn, but she stayed firmly where she was. To be honest, she was looking for Blaze. If that crazy girl was anywhere nearby, she wanted to be as far from Eric as possible. The mop of blue hair was nowhere to be seen, and she did have an early class in the morning… “Thanks. I appreciate that very much. I would have waited for Vanessa, but I do have a pretty early class.” There. That was enough of a reason. It wasn’t like she was going on a date with the guy. It was a fifteen minute car ride. Twenty, tops. She followed him. He didn’t hold the door open and he didn’t do anything polite. He simply went to the driver’s side and got in, expecting her to do the same. As Rosalie got in, she failed to notice that Blaze had been watching the whole time.

Chapter 8 “Um, thanks for giving me a ride home.” Rosalie had her arms around herself, because she didn’t know what to do with her hands. She didn’t really trust them with her being this close to Eric. He was still as attractive as he had been when he caught her eye, but the personality that went with it was giving her whiplash. Nice one minute, then a self-satisfied ass the next. “You’re welcome. I’m sorry that Vanessa didn’t bother to monitor herself so you could get home safe. I wouldn’t have let that happen if you were with me.” His voice was soft, and it made her look at him under the cover of her lashes. Was he trying to be sweet? This was a complete change from trying to force her to go to the party with him because he’d never been turned down before, but she was still a little wary of him. The playboy attitude that he had wasn’t going to fly with her, and if he tried any funny business, then she would get out of the car and try to find her way back to campus on her own. It didn’t matter how late she got there, as long as she made it back safely. She didn’t trust herself to say anything else, because she was naturally too inquisitive not to ask what was on her mind. Right now, what was on her mind, was why he had such personality shocks every now and then when she saw him. She gritted her teeth and looked out the window to keep herself from asking. They lapsed into silence. “So why didn’t you come to the party with me?” Apparently, he had an inquisitive mind, too, and he just had to have answers to whatever questions popped up into his head. She let herself have a little half smile, because it was something that they had in common. “It wasn’t so much the company, as it was the way you asked…well, told me to go.” The bitterness that she always tried to keep out of her voice came out, and she winced. She really could be a bitch at times, and this time she’d acted like a scorned high school girl instead of a mature college woman. He chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “You’re right. I wasn’t exactly Prince Charming when I tried to get you to come with me. I want to apologize.” “It’s ok.” She was in shock. He was being a decent guy, and he’d even apologized for being so rude. What was going on here? A personality transplant? Her curiosity raised its ugly head, and she could tell that a barrage of questions were going to come spilling out. She needed to keep the words behind her teeth before she said something that ruined this car ride home. “Would you have gone if I’d been more of a gentleman?” The question caught Rosalie by surprise. She thought about it for a minute, then blushed as she answered. “Um, yeah. Actually. I would have probably tried to talk myself out of it, but if you’d been nice about it, I would have.” Now she needed to shut her mouth. There was nothing else that needed to be said between them, and it was still at least a ten minute drive to the campus. If she wanted to get home quickly, she had to muzzle herself. Rosalie bit her lip. She could feel the word vomit coming up that she wanted to keep deep inside. “Why are you so nice to me one minute, then a complete ass the next? That makes no sense to me.” She winced as the words left her mouth, but there was nothing she could do now. “It’s complicated. I’m not sure that you would understand.” There was a little sting to his words, and she immediately got up in arms because he was insinuating that she wasn’t smart enough to follow along if he explained it. “Try me.” He looked over at her and studied her face, his eyes resting longer than they needed to on her lips. A blush crept up her cheeks again and she was glad that it was dark. Maybe he wouldn’t see it. He gave her an impish grin. “Alright. Try to pay attention.” She wanted to growl under her breath, but she fought the urge. “I’m not what you think I am. I’m not this slacker, greaser wannabe that it looks like I am. It’s a part that I play to disguise who I really am. I come from a very wealthy family, and I don’t want to be looked at just for the weight of that name. I want to be looked at for who I am. So, this is the cover I use when I’m in school. My last name is actually Flinton.” Rosalie could only stare at him. What? He was part of the Flinton family? That’s impossible. This egotistical brat was really social royalty? No way. His manners were too rough, and he didn’t know how to treat a woman. She couldn’t believe that at all. She arched an eyebrow at him, the look of disbelief plain on her face. Her silence made him glance over at her, and the look he gave her was unintelligible. “I understand what you’re saying, but I’m having a very hard time believing it. Sorry, but you just don’t strike me as the Prince Charming type.” There was a heavy layer of sarcasm in her voice, and it made him laugh out loud. His laughter was infectious, and she couldn’t help but smile at him a little. “I deserve that. No, you’re right. I haven’t been acting like the Prince Charming type at all, but then again, that was the whole point. I wanted to act as different to who I really am, as I could. This was the most unconventional role I could come up with.” “So, is that why Blaze hangs on to you like a little puppy?” The bitterness that she felt made its way into her voice, and she instantly wished she would have kept her mouth shut. Maybe he would take this all as curiosity rather than her admitting that she cared at all about what went on between him and Blaze. “No. No one knows about who I really am.” He whipped around towards her with a fierce expression on his face. “And I don’t want you to tell anyone, either. This is something that no one knows, so if it starts to spread, I’ll know it came from you.” She leaned a little away from him, wondering if it was still too late to jump out of the car if he went completely crazy and started foaming at the mouth.

“I wasn’t going to say anything. I’m still not sure if I believe it all myself.” She winced. She hadn’t meant to add that last part, but she lacked the filter between her brain and her mouth that kept some things from being said when the situation wasn’t right for it. He turned to her again, and the glare he gave her was an indignant one. “You don’t believe me, do you?” Rosalie knew they were almost on campus, so if she could draw out the conversation a little longer, and not get him too hotheaded, she could still make it home unscathed. He stared at her until she squirmed. If she didn’t answer him, he might keep staring and run them off the road. “I’m sorry, but no, I don’t believe you. From what I’ve seen of you, you fit the profile of the slacker more than anything else.” She bit her lip, expecting him to explode. “I guess I played the part so well that you wouldn’t see anything else. Listen, I’ll prove it to you. How about Thursday night I’ll pick you up around six? I’ll meet you at the library, because I can’t be seen picking you up. My sister has her cotillion, and I was going to blow it off, but I guess I’ll go and just take you with me.” She looked at him for a few long minutes, to the point where she missed that they were at her dorm. “You don’t have to tell me now, you can tell me if you want to or not in class.” She still sat there, staring at him like he’d grown an extra head. “I believe this is your stop.” His voice was starting to sound like he was getting irritated, so Rosalie snapped herself out of it and made sure she had everything she’d brought with her. “Thanks again for the ride.” He simply nodded at her, and she took that as a dismissal. Opening the door, she almost jumped out of the car in her hurry to get out of that situation. She kept walking, refusing to look over her shoulder, even when she heard his tires squealing out of the parking lot. Everything that he’d told her was just too much for her to take in. A secret prince? With the attitude of high school drop out? No, there was no way. The offer of the sister’s cotillion piqued her interest. What if it was true? Rosalie battled back and forth with herself, trying to figure out if she believed it or not, but she couldn’t come up with a definitive answer. She shrugged as she let herself into her room. Like he said, she didn’t have to answer right now. She could tell him in class. That night she fell asleep thinking about a wonderful prince with startling blue eyes, dressed in ripped jeans and a leather jacket, riding on a motorcycle with an extra padded seat for his princess. She smiled, watching him completely out of his element in her dream, in the ballroom of a castle, dressed to the nines in a suit of white and cream, his hair immaculate, little white gloves on his hands, bowing to her in a ball gown, and asking her to dance. It was a nice dream to fall asleep to, and that was exactly what it was. A dream. There was no way that what he was saying was true. How could he be two so completely different people? He wouldn’t be able to keep his worlds separate like he claimed he was. There was bound to be a crossover now and again, and she didn’t believe him to be anything more than what she saw on a daily basis. Blaze could have him. She followed him around like a sick little puppy anyway, and she was cut from the same cloth as him. Rosalie was the type of girl who could be taken home to a mother and a family, whereas Blaze was the fling of the week. As she fell asleep, after considerable scenes of Eric in both roles, she decided that she wasn’t going to go. Let him throw his pretty stories in Blaze’s face if he wanted someone to confide in. She wasn’t going to say anything to anyone, because she didn’t want them to think that she was nuts, not so much that she wanted to be his confidant. Tossing and turning for a long time, she finally let herself fall asleep to the image of him that she preferred. The man in white and gold, standing tall and proud like a king, with the leather gloves and the palace manners. Being a hopeless romantic like she was, she often wished that she’d been born into another time and place. One where princesses and knights existed, where things were simple and seemed to make sense all the time. Granted, that would never happen without a time machine, but hey, in the land of hopes and dreams anything was possible. It would be something that she’d hold to herself on the nights where she needed a happy place to cheer her up, but no one would ever know about it but her.

Chapter 9 When Organic Chemistry rolled around again, Rosalie was going to ignore the offer that Eric had made for her to see if he was telling the truth. Part of her, the larger and more logical part, said that there was no way in hell that he could be, and that this was just a trick to make her look gullible and stupid. She took her usual place, set up her notebook, and waited for the lecture to begin. She couldn’t keep her eyes from glancing at the door every few minutes, however, because Eric wasn’t here yet. When the door opened, her heart skipped a beat. When she saw that it wasn’t him, her shoulders sagged in defeat, and she felt like the rest of the day was going to be gloomy. No one had ever affected her like this before. Could it really be some true feelings that she had for him? Infatuations and crushes meant nothing, and she’d had a crush or two, but this was different. Should she open her heart to him? As the professor walked in, she quickly pushed those thoughts out of her head. Besides, just because she was feeling this way didn’t mean that he was. She started to take notes and highlight in her textbook. Twenty minutes later, Eric came shuffling in, looking for all the world like he was just trying to be fashionably late. He failed, however, because the professor was too engrossed in his own lecture to notice him slink in. “Hey. Thanks for not saying anything about what I told you.” She was confused. Oh, right. The social royalty thing. “I highly doubt anyone would have believed me anyway if I had. Besides, how do you know I didn’t?” She didn’t know if she liked him to assume things about her, but then again, she was the type of person to keep a confidence, so she was caught in a catch twenty-two. “Because the first person you would have told would be Vanessa, and she would have told the rest of the school.” Ok, so he had a valid point. So? That still didn’t mean that she believed him. “So, about the cotillion? Do you want to go?” He brought it up. This must be some elaborate joke he was trying to pull off. “I wouldn’t have anything to wear.” There. Not a yes or a no, just a nonchalant excuse. He grinned at her, and the impish nature of it brought a sparkle to his blue eyes that made her breath catch in her throat. “I think I can help you there.” For the first time, she noticed that he had a large bag with him. That was strange in and of itself, because he never came to class with any supplies. He started to rummage around in it for a few minutes, as if he was checking to make sure everything was there, then pushed it behind her chair. “I wouldn’t want that to stand in the way of you believing me.” She was dying to dive into that bag and see what was in it, but she refused to give him the satisfaction. She’d do it between classes. When he wasn’t around. She went back to taking notes, and he reclined in his chair, as was his usual, giving the slacker impression he was so known for. Rosalie rolled her eyes. It became a game to her then to see just for how long she could ignore him before glancing his way. Whether he knew what she was doing or not, he never let on, but when the professor dismissed them, she heaved a sigh of relief. “Um, thanks for this. Whatever it is.” She added the last part hastily so that he wouldn’t know that she was dying to get into that bag. He shrugged. “See you at six in front of the library.” He straightened the collar of his leather jacket, then flipped it up as he walked down the stadium seating to exit the class. She waited for a few minutes after he was gone before taking the bag and heading back to her dorm room. She still had time before her next class, so she could look through the bag in peace. Usually, when she got home, she stacked her books up nicely and swapped everything out. This time, the books got tossed haphazardly into the corner of her desk and she flopped onto the bed with the bag. She took a deep breath, steeling herself in case there was a snake or a frog or some other slimy gross creature in the bag. The first thing that she pulled out was a shoe box. She frowned. This reinforced her idea that something gross and alive was in the bag. She didn’t see any air holes poked into the lid, though, so maybe it would be alright. Wincing, she lifted the lid slightly, trying to peek in without actually taking the lid off. It was a pair of shoes. A pair of soft pink, satin shoes. They had a little heel to them, but by no means were they hooker heels. They were beautiful. What was he thinking giving these to her? She had nothing to go with that. Reaching back into the bag, she pulled out a small pouch. Inside of it was a rose gold necklace with a single pearl in the middle. Not exactly a choker, but a little more loose. There was no way this could be real gold…right? It was a thin band, and if it were real, somewhere on it the carat would be stamped. She flipped it over until she found an engraved section. It was 14k gold. Her eyes almost popped out of her head. Was he really giving her all of this? Could he be telling the truth about having all that money? If he was, then she would never cut it as an interest to him because there was no way that she could keep up with him in that respect. One more thing lay in the bag, and it was a garment bag, folded carefully in the bottom. Holding her breath, she pulled it out and hung the bag from her closet door. She unzipped it slowly, watching as pale pink satin in the exact shade as the shoes spilled out of it. It had one shoulder strap, leaving the other bare, and an A line shape with a small sash around the middle. The skirt flounced out like a princess dress, with little roses picked out in gold thread all along it. Tears came to her eyes at the beauty of the dress. He couldn’t go all out for just a cruel joke, could he? If he was giving her all of this expensive stuff, just to embarrass her, people would ask where a slacker would get the money for it. If he had been telling the truth, he wouldn’t want anyone to dig into that question very far. She put her head in her hands. He was giving her all this proof that what he was saying just might be real, and yet she was doubting it. No one had ever been that nice to her before, and she was just too gullible for her own good. Ugh! What was she going to do? Meet him at the library, or calmly return it all in the next class they shared? She was staring around the room, looking for some kind of inspiration as to what she should do, when her eyes fell on the clock. Shit! She was going to be late for her next class! She threw the right books in her bag, locked the door behind her and tore out of the dorm at a run. Eric had been just outside the dorm, waiting to see when she’d come back out. He knew that she wouldn’t take the bag with her to her next

class, and he knew that her innate curiosity would make her rifle through it as soon as she could. When he noticed that she came out at a run, he patted himself on the back…figuratively. He’d made her late for class. He considered that a point on his scoreboard. She was so tight lipped with her head stuck in her studies that he couldn’t really see himself with her mousy type of person, but if he could get her to loosen up a little, then she just might be a great girl for him. He hadn’t really thought about it before, but when he’d been taking her home from the party, he’d seen some glimpses into her that he’d never seen before, and he’d liked it. Maybe he should start getting rid of the slacker reputation and start going after her for real. He shook his head. No, it couldn’t be that serious. He barely even knew the girl. He saw Blaze and Vanessa heading towards the dorm out of the corner of his eye. Ducking behind the tree he’d been leaning on, he hid himself as best he could. Blaze was annoying. No matter how many hints he gave her that he wasn’t interested, she just wouldn’t stop. He wasn’t sure whether or not she’d picked up on the possible, maybe, kind of attraction between himself and Rosalie, but if she had, he knew that she would make the poor girl’s life hell. She was the type of girl who didn’t care about anyone but herself, and when she wanted something she went for it. The pushiness was really getting old, and he’d even canceled on his friend Rob a few times, just because he knew she’d be there. It was like having a stalker that he couldn’t get rid of. As he walked back to his car, he couldn’t help but feel some excitement towards his sister’s stupid party. He’d been dead set on not going, but now that he had an excuse to get Rosalie out with him, he really should do something nice for her to let her know. Maybe some flowers or something. She was one of those romantic saps that loved flowers. He headed towards the little mom and pop flower shop at the edge of campus. Rosalie managed to get into her seat just before the professor walked in, and as she sat there breathing like a winded rhinoceros, she managed to get her notes out and ready, like she did for every class. Unfortunately, this time her mind was nowhere near anything that even remotely resembled the topic of the chapter they were studying. She was thinking about that beautiful pink dress, hoping against hope that it would fit her, and that she wouldn’t look like a sausage in it. She was blushing, even as she thought about it. If he had taken the time to know her size, get her something that she would like, and buy her expensive jewelry, then it had to mean that he was noticing her, right? Unfortunately, this wasn’t exactly something she could talk to Vanessa about, because it would blow his cover. The cover that she was beginning to believe more and more. Furthermore, it would just cause more animosity between her and Blaze, and that wasn’t something that she needed. That girl had a stare to her that would curdle milk, and she wanted to make sure it was never aimed at her. Her daydreaming must have translated to her face, because the professor chose that moment to ask her a question that she didn’t even hear. “I’m sorry, could you repeat the question, please?” Her cheeks flamed as she listened to the laughter of her fellow students. The professor indulged her, however, and when she heard the question, she breathed a sigh of relief. That one she actually knew. Answering it quickly and with more detail than necessary, she felt a little more than just satisfied when the giggled stopped and the rest of the class went back to what they were doing. Ha! I can still pay attention, thank you!

Chapter 10 The nigh of the cotillion was warm, and just slightly breezy. Rosalie had done her best to twist her hair into an elegant knot at the back of her head. It had taken her more than an hour, but she was finally happy with it. After that, she’d put on the dress, shoes and necklace, gave herself a look in her mirror, and frowned. She still couldn’t like what she saw. She just felt like she was a little mouse dressed in silk, but still a mouse nonetheless. She’d dabbed some makeup on her face, and that was the best that she could do. Part of her was still a little nervous that this was all a setup, just a joke that he was going to play on her, so she took an overcoat with her that hid most of her elegant attire. It was almost time for him to pick her up, and she still needed to get to the library. She put her ear up to the door, listening for Vanessa. The silence in the front room told her that it was safe to leave. Coming out into the living room in front of her roommate, dressed to the nines as she was, would take some explaining, and she’d been so busy getting ready that she didn’t have a cover story. Even if this was a joke, she would never tell the secret that Eric had confided in her. That wasn’t who she was. Leaving the dorm, she felt the breeze on her face, and she welcomed it. The coat covered her, but it really was too hot under it for the night. She took her time, walking slowly to the library. Not because she was having second thoughts, but because she didn’t want to rush there and end up being all sweaty and gross before she even got to the cotillion. She hid between the pillar and the corner of the building, still feeling a little silly for trusting this guy that she didn’t even really know. Twenty minutes of talking in a car on the way home from a party didn’t really qualify for the romance of the century. Rosalie’s head perked up as she saw headlights swinging her way. Her hands started to sweat, and her breathing grew rapid. Was this Eric? She drew back a little farther into the shadows, hiding, in case it was someone else. The car came and parked in front of the ornate steps that lead up to the front door. The car turned off, and someone got out. This was it. The moment of truth. “Rosalie?” Eric’s voice reached into the darkness, like a tendril crawling towards her, wrapping her in its warmth. He passed under the light of the street lamp in front of the building, and she saw that he was dressed up as well. He wore a tuxedo, the creamy black material showing off the angles of his body to perfection. His bow tie was the same pink color as her dress, and it made her feel instantly better about the situation. She took a deep breath and walked out into the light. Eric was nervous. He had no idea if she would really show up. He didn’t understand why he was so nervous, but he knew that the thought of her not going would upset him more than he cared to admit. The stairs of the library were empty, and he was starting to berate himself for hoping that she would be there. Ever since the first time he saw her, that day she was moving in, she’d been in his thoughts. Not very often, but lately, more and more. He heard a commotion up by the pillar, and he turned just in time to see her walk into the light from the street lamp. She was a vision. Her hair had been pulled up into a twist at the back of her head, not a single strand out of place, and the dress he’d bought her hugged her every curve. It looked like liquid rose gold flowing over her body. The light was weak, but he could see that she’d even put on some makeup. It wasn’t clumped on like a lot of girls seemed to do, no, it was a natural look that was just enough to highlight her natural beauty. His mouth fell open, and he didn’t even realize it. Rosalie watched Eric’s reaction to her, and she couldn’t help it. She smiled. His mouth had dropped open when he’d seen her, and she took that as a good sign. She’d been worried that she wouldn’t look good enough to go to one of these fancy parties, and the way he’d looked at her reassured her. “You look beautiful.” He’d finally closed his mouth and found his tongue. “Thank you. You clean up pretty nice yourself.” She meant it to be teasing, since she’d only ever seen him in jeans and leather, and now it was his turn to blush a little. “I don’t usually dress like this. I prefer not looking like a walking opportunity for a mugging.” She laughed. He seemed to be very pleasant tonight, without the usual put downs, or smart remarks, and she decided that she was going to enjoy the night. Even if it was the only nice time she would ever have with him. He bowed her into the car and she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face if she tried. “So, I don’t know if you knew this, but I’ve never been to a cotillion, and I’m not even sure what it is.” Rosalie turned her head out the window, so she wouldn’t see the snigger that she was sure would be coming her way. She lived under a proverbial rock, and things were simple and good there. “It’s boring really. It’s an old French tradition where the debutants were presented to society. Unfortunately, my mother likes to keep her social calendar full, and that means that we have these boring parties quite often. I usually can’t get out of them because she’s trying to play matchmaker with me and the daughters of every woman she knows. Some days I feel like she’s trying to pawn me off to someone else so she doesn’t have to deal with me.” At first, Rosalie thought that was a joke, but when she peeked at him from under her lashes, she saw that his jaw was clenched, and that it might be the truth after all. She’d read books of romantic stories from France, and she knew about debutants and everything that went with it, but she had no idea that those types of things still existed in the world. That fantasy world that she read about seemed romantic in the stories, but it couldn’t really be a way of life. She felt bad for him that his mother was trying to marry him off to some richer young woman. Her heart sank a little. That meant that she would never have a chance with him, even though she found herself liking him more and more, the longer she spent time with him. “Well, I’ve never been to one, or anything like that, so I’m excited. I hope that I don’t embarrass you.” When the words left her mouth, fear gripped Rosalie’s gut. She’d never even thought that she might embarrass him. She didn’t know how to act at one of these things, and she could just see herself making some kind of mistake that would get her kicked out. Her shoulders slumped, and she lapsed into silence.

“I want to apologize ahead of time for my mother. She’s a social butterfly with a screw loose. Scratch that, screw missing. If she starts to bother you just tell me and we’ll leave.” He cleared his throat, and now it was Eric who was nervous. “The cotillion is at my parents’ house, and it can be a little overwhelming. My mom likes to have the best of the best, and she likes to flaunt that we have money. If it makes you uncomfortable, we can leave.” That just plummeted Rosalie even farther into her downward spiral. She was going to be on display for his family and his real friends, and she wasn’t going to make the cut. A single tear slid from her eye, and she dabbed at it quickly to get rid of it without smearing her makeup. Why did she suddenly care if she wasn’t good enough? She didn’t really want to be with him, did she? Rosalie shoved that thought from her mind. That was something that would need a pros and cons list later and some perusal time in order to get an honest answer out of herself, and she couldn’t do that with him sitting beside her. About a half an hour later, Eric pulled up to a hotel. No, it wasn’t a hotel, it was a house the size of a hotel. Now it was Rosalie’s turn to let her mouth hang open. She felt like she’d just been brought to a castle, and that this was the one night in her life that she got to be Cinderella. No matter what happened, she was going to remember tonight for the rest of her life. A man was waiting outside in a uniform, and it hit her suddenly that he was wearing livery. Like back in the medieval days. How much money did Eric’s family have? Social royalty might even be an understatement at this point. The man walked around to Eric’s side of the car. “Good evening, sir. How are you tonight?” Eric unbuckled his seat belt and got out, leaving Rosalie to hurry up and follow his lead. The man got in, and drove the car away. Wow, valet. That was the first time she’d even seen an event that required one, much less been to one. Eric was standing in front of her, looking just like the prince in her dream, holding out a hand to her, and giving her a little half bow. She put her hand in his and felt his warm strength. It made her straighten her shoulders and raise her chin. She could handle this. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t what his mother wanted for him. It didn’t even matter if he really wanted her or not. He had invited her to this, and that meant, for tonight at least, that they were together, and they were going to have a good time. As soon as she turned towards the house, the music and sweet perfume of flowers and rich food met her nose. Garlands of fresh cut flowers were stretched along the hallway, a plush rug led the way to another room that was so brightly lit, that Rosalie went blind for a few seconds after the darkness of the night outside. When her eyes finally adjusted, she thought she was in a movie or a book. The room was as large as the one used for the Great Hall in Harry Potter, and it was almost as beautiful as it had been for the Yule Ball. There was a string quartet on a raised platform in one corner, banquet tables covered in white silk lining the walls, and a large chandelier hung in the middle of the room. Rosalie made a mental note not to get under it at all tonight, because it was so large that she was afraid the ceiling wouldn’t hold it. There were about a dozen girls in beautiful white dresses, all looking like they were no more than sixteen. The rest of the guests were dressed as if they were at a wedding or a more glamorous version of a prom. She was glad that Eric had given her this dress with the accessories, because nothing she owned would even be remotely close to acceptable. He was still leading her, her hand in the crook of his elbow, and with him by her side, she felt like she could face everything in front of her tonight. Even, gulp, his mom…who was on her way over.

Chapter 11 “Eric! Darling! I didn’t know you were coming. Thank you for at least getting yourself cleaned up a little.” Her voice had some bitterness in it when she commented on his attire, but then she saw Rosalie and hitched a smile on her face. “Well, hello! And who is this charming young lady?” Her eyes swung over to Eric, waiting for an introduction. He stretched the silence out a little more before giving his mother more of a grimace of pain than a smile, and held a hand up to her like Vanna White did when she was flipping letters. Rosalie bit her lip to keep from laughing. It was like he was showing her off as some sort of a prize. “This is Rosalie. She’s a premed student, and she goes to school with me.” His mother looked at her like she was a horse being bought, and Rosalie decided that if the woman dared to come over and open her mouth to look at her teeth, she would bite her. Childish, yes, but there it was. “And what ties to society do you have?” Both of them were silent for a moment, then she realized that Eric was leaving it up to her to say whatever she wanted. Smiling at her as sweetly as she could, she answered her. “None at all. I can’t even afford a laptop.” The look on his mother’s face could have curdled milk. She turned to her son and jerked her head, indicating that he should follow her. He apologized and let go of Rosalie’s arm so he could talk to her. She didn’t quite know what to do now that she was alone. She didn’t know anyone else, and she couldn’t even try to congratulate his sister, because she didn’t know which one she was, and there were a dozen girls in white dresses, making it more difficult to narrow down. Rosalie sighed and went to stand against the wall. This wasn’t quite what she had in mind, but then again, she was here, so she was going to enjoy herself. She would have much rather been with Eric, even if she had no idea what the blossoming thoughts and feelings in her mind meant yet, but she would have enjoyed figuring them out together. Her gaze swept the room, and she watched as some couples were waltzing around the dance floor. She loved the music, and it had something to it that tore her soul apart and put it back together. Her eyes closed of their own accord, and she swayed a little against the wall. Then she took a step away from it and swayed freely. She had no idea how to waltz, but she’d always loved watching Dancing with the Stars, and she’d been jealous of the way those women could move and look like they were floating through the air. Something grabbed her hand, and her eyes flew open to see Eric’s smiling face. “Care to dance? It looks like you were doing alright by yourself, now let’s see what you can do with a partner.” Rosalie froze. Eric was back, and the devilishly handsome smile that he was giving her was melting her knees. “I, um, I have no idea how to dance like that. I just love the way that the music makes me feel.” He waved away her excuses, grabbing her hand and dragging her out onto the dance floor. Rosalie bit her lip, trying to think of a way out of looking completely and utterly stupid when he tried to dance with her and she proved that she couldn’t look graceful at all. “It’s alright. Ballroom dancing was something that I had to add to my repertoire, and I’m sure that I could get you to stumble along with me.” He was being so sweet. She smiled at him. Ok, she could give it a shot. She nodded, and he took her hands. Taking a shaky breath, she smiled at him. Eric’s eyes locked on hers, and she felt like there was an intensity there that she’d never seen before. It touched her down to her very soul. His hands took hers, lifting them up almost to chin level. “Alright, this is your frame. I want your arms to be rigid. If they’re limp then it won’t look nice.” He tightened the muscles in his arms, and she couldn’t help but notice that it also pulled the ones in his chest tight. She quickly snapped her eyes up to his, copying what he’d done so her arms were in a tight frame. “Now keep your elbows up, about chin high, and your head back a little.” She did as she was told, wondering if this was what it was like for the celebrities on her favorite show. Granted, she thought that her instructor was a lot more attractive than most of the professional ones, though. “Try to follow my lead. I’m going to go slow at first until you get the steps right, then we’ll speed it up to match the music.” She nodded, looking down at his feet. “I promise I’ll do my best.” He grinned impishly at her. His feet started to move, and she clumsily tried to copy him. “Nice and slow. One, two, three. One, two, three.” She was starting to get the steps down, and she felt pretty proud of herself. “Ok, now we’re going to pick it up a little.” Fear sparked in her, and she looked up at him. He just smiled and started to pick up the pace a little. She followed, and before she knew it, they were sweeping along the floor like she’d always known how to do it. “Wow! I’m dancing! I never thought that would happen.” Rosalie laughed, and it colored her cheeks a little, and gave a sparkle to her eyes. Eric saw it and it took his breath away for a second or two. When he recovered, he had to change the subject, or he’d be getting tongue tied again. “We’re going to try a spin now, ok?” Panic flooded her face, but he laughed it off. Just remember the steps, and I’ll do the rest.” She was nervous, but she trusted him. He’d done nothing but tell the truth so far, so he warranted it. He did the steps, then pulled her under one arm and twisted her around. She stumbled a little, but she kept doing her steps, and to be honest, Rosalie was surprised that she wound up back in his arms where she’d started. He’d been right. His smile was so warm and genuine, that it melted a little spot in her chest. She didn’t want to think that it was her heart, because she barely knew him, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to get that attached to him if he was just going to dump her after tonight. Not that they were even going out, though, so how could he dump her? These thoughts chased each other around in her head, but she had to forcibly shove the thoughts away. They were unpleasant to her, and she wanted to enjoy the night with him. Hours passed, and she started to yawn. “Are you getting tired?” Was that disappointment in his voice? Was it relief? Did he want to get rid of her already? “I wouldn’t blame you, it is after midnight.” She froze.

“After midnight?!? Oh my god I have class in a few hours!” He frowned. Eric didn’t want the night to be over with yet, but he wasn’t going to try to pull her away from her studies. The degree that she was going for was her choice, and he wasn’t going to stand in the way of her dream. Besides, this was just a dance. It didn’t really mean anything, right? She was just a distraction to keep himself entertained. And, of course she believed him now. It felt good to have a confidant. Originally, he’d never wanted to tell anyone the truth, but right now, it felt like a huge weight had been taken off his shoulders, and he liked it. “I should get you back home, huh?” She looked up at him, sadness and regret in her eyes. He could tell that what she should do was warring with what she wanted to do, and he couldn’t blame her. He had class tomorrow, too, but he didn’t care. He would rather spend the next six hours dancing with her than sleeping. “I’m sorry, but yes. I need to get a little bit of sleep at least before I go to class.” He knew better than to push, so he took her hand and led her off the dance floor. The room was almost completely empty at this point, and she knew that some of these couples would stay up for hours yet, enjoying the ethereal surroundings and the pleasant company of their partners. She wished that she could join them. Eric led her back out the front doors, where the valet was still standing, and nodded for his car to be brought around. They stood in silence until the man drove up, and then he opened the door to let her in before heading over to the driver’s side. The whole ride home was silent, and Rosalie kept wishing that he would say something about the night. Something. Anything. Just to give her a hint as to what was going through his mind, and what exactly they might be to each other. Was this a date? Had it just been to prove a point? She didn’t want to push the issue, but she was dying to know what exactly was going on between them. Instead of bringing her to the library, he took her straight to the dorm. This time, he didn’t get out to get the door for her, and Rosalie’s heart sank. The evening was over, and with it the image of the prince that she’d liked so much. “I’ll, um, bring the dress and everything back to you in class.” She was about to slam the door, when he finally spoke. “No, it’s fine. You can keep them.” She waited for him to say something else, but when the silence stretched on, she finally closed the door and started for the dorm. She wanted to look back, just to see his handsome face in the guise of the prince one last time, but she knew better. She wasn’t going to try to force anything between them. She kept her back firmly to him until she got into the building with the door firmly shut behind her. That’s when her shoulders slumped, and tears started in her eyes. Her vision was blurry when she took off the dress and slid into bed, but it didn’t take long for her to fall asleep. Eric, meanwhile, was watching her go. He felt like a colossal ass, but he didn’t know what to do about it. She’d done something tonight that made him want to spend more time with her, and it was her pure joy and innocence that caught him. She wasn’t one of those girls that he could bribe to get what he wanted, or one that threw herself at him in the hopes of getting some kind of monetary reward out of it. This was a girl that he could really be honest with, one that could handle his mother, and yet still be herself without being catty or petty. It intrigued him, and that made him want to get to know her better. He wasn’t so great with words, however, because he’d never had to try before, and that was why he hadn’t said a word the whole ride home. He hadn’t known what to say. Watching her walk away in the moonlight tugged at something in his chest that he never thought he’d feel. He shook his head. He couldn’t drive home with visions dancing in front of his eyes.

Chapter 12 The next time they had class together, Eric came in with a large package under his arm. Rosalie’s curiosity was piqued, but she decided not to ask about it. He put it down in front of her seat, grinning wildly. The grin was infectious, and she couldn’t help but return it. “What’s this?” she asked him playfully. He crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged, like it was all news to him. She narrowed her eyes at him, but he ignored her, sitting down in his seat, and acting for all the world like he was paying attention to the class. She looked from the box to him, catching him watching her out of the corner of his eye. She finally grabbed the package and started to open it. The look on his face was blank and impassive, making it hard for her to get any clue from him. When she got the wrapping paper off, she realized that she was staring at a new computer. Her mouth dropped open. She looked from it to him, shocked beyond belief. “Do you like it?” She couldn’t get a word out in her surprise, but she nodded. His face lit up and he put his hands behind his head, leaning back in his seat nonchalantly. She didn’t know what came over her, but she threw her arms around him and hugged him, almost knocking him out of the chair. It rocked forward, putting him in the best position to hug her back. It felt warm and safe, and she didn’t want to let go. People were starting to stare at them, though, so she pulled away from him, her face burning in embarrassment. “Wow. Thank you so much! I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you for this.” Her hands trembled a little as she let them run over the box. “Well, let’s just say you can be my tutor and study with me, and we’ll call it even. Deal?” She stared at him. That’s all he wanted in return for this laptop? It was a high end computer, and she was sure that it cost him at least a couple grand, but that was all he was asking in return? “Deal!” A tear slid down her cheek as she looked at the box, just taking it all in, and he reached over to wipe it away. She turned her head up towards him, making their faces very close. His eyes bored into hers, almost like he could look deep down into her soul. Her cheeks grew hot, and she wondered if he would kiss her. His eyes traveled down to her lips, and then his face came closer. She took a deep breath, and as his lips touched hers, she closed her eyes, giving herself up to the moment. His need communicated itself to her, and she leaned in more, feeling herself caught up in the moment. The professor came to stand in front of them, clearing his throat loudly. Rosalie sprang away from Eric, almost upending her chair, all too aware of the entire class laughing at them. She pushed Eric and his self-absorbed grin from her mind as she focused on the class, but the feel of his velvety lips kept making her sneak peeks at him. He didn’t care about the class, he just sat there, staring around, watching everyone else. When the class was dismissed, he caught her hand. “So tonight ok? I think it might be good to get all your notes into your new computer.” Rosalie punched him playfully. “Tonight is fine. My last class is over at three, then I’ll be home.” The smile he gave her was genuine, and she couldn’t help but feel butterflies in her stomach. Was this a date? A real date? “Great. I’ll meet you at your dorm at three thirty.” The class was dismissed, and she floated out of there like she was full of air. The smile never left her face, and when her other class was over at three, she practically ran back to the dorm. When she opened the door to their room, she stopped dead. Blaze was sitting on the couch with Eric, and she couldn’t have been closer to him unless she was sitting in his lap. A low growl started in Rosalie’s throat. To be fair, though, Eric was doing his best to keep her at bay, even though she was making it difficult. Steeling herself for any fallout, she decided that she needed to put her mousy tendencies to rest. Rosalie hitched a smile across her face and sauntered towards Eric. Vanessa came out of the kitchen, and both her and Blaze’s eyes were on Rosalie. Once Eric realized that he wasn’t the sole object of Blaze’s attention, he followed her line of sight to see Rosalie come stalking her way across the room. Her eyes were locked on his and there was such an intensity in them that his heart skipped a beat. It was easy to believe that only the two of them were the only ones in the room. Rosalie put her hands to either side of his face, leaned in, and kissed him. It wasn’t just a soft and sweet kiss, it had some power to it, and Eric’s hands came up to pull her into his lap. Rosalie lost herself in the kiss, but she was very aware of the open mouthed incredulity that was radiating from Vanessa and the daggers that were coming from Blaze. She didn’t care. She was old enough now, and if she wanted something, she wasn’t just going to sit back and let it walk by, she was going to take it. When she finally backed off, her cheeks were pink. Her eyes met Vanessa’s, and her friend winked at her in approval. She pointedly ignored Blaze. “Are you ready to study?” She put an emphasis on study so it sounded like studying would be the last thing they were doing, and she felt a little satisfaction when Blaze got up and stormed out of the door. Eric nodded and followed her into her bedroom. “I can’t believe that you got rid of her. I’ve been trying to do that for weeks.” Rosalie was still a little shocked that she had done what she did, but she felt a little bit of fierce pride in it, too. She was staking her claim on Eric now, and Blaze could get lost. “Well, I can’t promise that she’ll leave you alone, but I’ll do my best to keep you safe.” He laughed and headed over to the computer that she’d put on her bed. He started to open the box and read the owner’s manual to make sure he set it up properly. She watched him, feeling a warm glow in her chest area. The two of them got the computer up and running, and he dictated to her as she typed her notes out. They weren’t doing anything special, just spending time together, and she felt like she was on cloud nine. He wasn’t trying to get handsy with her, wasn’t trying to get into her pants, and was being an all around gentleman. It was a shock to her, because she hadn’t thought he had it in him when she’d first met him. The bad boy persona had been a huge turn off, because it was a life that she didn’t want. But now… “Thank you so much for helping me. I never wanted you to buy me a computer. I’m not a gold digger, I swear.” She’d been afraid that that was what he thought of her. He looked up at her, with an unreadable expression on his face. “Do you really think that you have to defend yourself to me? I wouldn’t have bought this for you if I didn’t think you needed it. I know that you

would have never asked or expected anything. That’s why I bought it. It’s also why I don’t tell people who I really am. I don’t want a flock of girls after me for my money.” Relief rushed through her. It wasn’t a situation that she thought that she would ever be caught up in, but here it was. The studying done, he lay on the bed with his hands behind his head, just looking up at the ceiling as he talked. She bit her lip. Should she go and lay down with him? Deciding that she was going to risk it, she crawled up on the bed with him. “Well, hello there. I must say this feels a lot nicer than that leech trying to get to me.” They both shared a laugh at Blaze’s expense. The two of them lay there, talking for what seemed like hours. Finally, Eric looked at his watch. “Damn it. I’ve got to get going. I’m sorry. My mom has this charity dinner, and I have to go.” Now that she knew the truth about him, and his lifestyle, she felt like there were no barriers between them, and that she didn’t have anything to repulse her about his attitude. “It’s alright. I know you have a busy schedule, and I wouldn’t dream of holding you up. Thank you again, so much, for the laptop. I’d been saving up some money, but I was still only about halfway there. I swear I’ll repay you one day.” Rosalie didn’t like to accept charity, and even though it was easy for him to buy one with the hundreds of dollars he had, she didn’t want him to think that she wanted to be with him because of the money. It was more the romance behind it all. “I told you, don’t worry about it. Consider it a gift to make up for me being such an ass from the very beginning, ok?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m sorry, but I do need to go.” She jumped up, getting the door for him and letting him leave. As he walked out of the dorm room, Vanessa came barging out of her bedroom, almost barreling her over, slamming the door behind her and dragging her to the bed. “Ok, spill!” Vanessa looked at her with such a fierce look of anticipation that Rosalie couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Rosalie decided to play around a little and Vanessa gave an exasperated growl and Rosalie threw her hands up in surrender. “Alright, alright. He was in one of my classes, and we got paired up as lab partners. We kind of went from there.” It wasn’t a complete lie, but she still had to make sure that she didn’t give any hint of his true family connections to anyone else. If and when he wanted to reveal that to his friends, that was on him. Vanessa’s eyes were shining. “I’m so excited for you! He’s a sweet guy deep down, but then again, I’m sure you can already tell that, or you wouldn’t be with him. The standoffish way that he is with most people tends to make girls run the other way, but with his adorable face, they tend to come back and try to make it work.” Rosalie blushed. “You don’t think that Blaze is going to, you know, try to kill me in my sleep, do you? I know she was after him for a while, and what I did today was more than just stake a claim.” Even though she was trying to break out of her mousy ways, she was still not very big on confrontation. “No, you’ll be fine. She may try to do the odd thing to steal him from you, but she won’t actually hurt you. She knows better than that.” There was a dark look in Vanessa’s eyes, and she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but knowing that she was safe from Blaze lifted her spirits that much more.

Chapter 13 Rosalie felt like she was on cloud nine. Eric was into her. Not only that, he really wasn’t the pretentious asshole that she’d originally met. He was a sweetheart who just happened to have a hidden identity. It was a little on the romantic side and made her think about some of the romance books she’d read. Thinking about him made her cheeks red and warm, and it gave her butterflies in her stomach. She tried not to think about the people who might stand in the way of her happiness. Blaze might try some petty things to get back at her, and that was fine. She understood and that wasn’t what bothered her. No, she was worried about Eric’s mom. She looked like she wouldn’t accept anyone below the rank of princess for her son. Rosalie bit her lip. Maybe she could kill the mom with kindness the next time they met. The smart remark she’d given at the cotillion wasn’t exactly going to work in her favor. Well, it had when it came to Eric, but not when it came to the mom. That was going to be her main priority, between classes and homework, of course. She had to find a way to get his mom to like her. The day was a little chilly with a heavy wind, and Rosalie went down to the little coffee shop where she’d gone on her first day. She’d seen Blaze there for the first time, but she wasn’t thinking about that at all. She was thinking about the nice, chintz armchairs in front of the fireplace. Her class had gotten cancelled because the professor had a last minute emergency, so she’d taken the opportunity for a break and grabbed a book she’d been wanting to read. Rosalie was perfectly happy reading for hours on end, so she planned on making a day of it. It was something that she used to love doing, and sadly didn’t have much time for it anymore. She bought her hot chocolate and settled into the fluffiest armchair. Taking a deep breath, Rosalie smelled the crisp freshness of the pages, opening the book for the first time. That was heaven. The smell of a new book, the crinkle of a brand new page, and the leathery feel of the cover. How long she sat there, buried in the book, and lost in a story that she wished she could be a part of, she didn’t know. “Don’t think you’ve won anything.” Blaze stood in front of her, hands on her hips, staring daggers at her. Rosalie looked up, trying to bring her mindset back to reality. Seeing Blaze didn’t exactly give her the warm fuzzies, but she knew that she couldn’t avoid the girl for the rest of her time at school. “Blaze, I didn’t mean to take him from you, and I’m sorry if you feel that way. To be honest, I didn’t even like him in the beginning.” Thinking that honesty was going to be the best policy, Rosalie told her the truth. Well, some of it. She wasn’t going to betray that Eric wasn’t who Blaze thought he was. “I don’t need a little Goody Two Shoes like you trying to turn him around. He’s perfectly fine the way he is. I’ve got my eye on you, and I’m going to do whatever I can to replace you.” Rosalie felt a chill at the blatant threat and poison in the girl’s voice, but she opened her mouth to say something else, anyway. She never got that far. Blaze picked up the cup of hot chocolate that Rosalie had been drinking out of and promptly dumped half of it on Rosalie’s head. Before she could even get to her feet at the impertinence of it all, Rosalie dumped the rest of the drink on the brand new book Rosalie had been reading. That set her off. She didn’t mind the attack on herself, but she hated the loss of her book. Something snapped in her. When she looked up at Blaze’s smirking face, lightning flashed in her eyes. Blaze’s smirk slipped a little, but she quickly hitched it back up. “I don’t have a problem with you, but if you keep doing things like this, then I will. Just because I don’t want to fight with you doesn’t mean that I won’t. If I do, you’ll lose. I know I look mousy and weak, but I can promise you that I’m not.” Blaze huffed at her like her threat meant nothing at all, then turned on her heel and walked out. Granted, Rosalie was bluffing, but Blaze didn’t know that. When her book got ruined, she was ready to spit fire. It wouldn’t last long, though, and by the time the fight actually came around, her heart wouldn’t be in it anymore. She was actually relieved that Blaze had left rather than calling her bluff. The only thing that she was really upset about, was losing her book. Now she had to buy another copy. Growling under her breath, she picked up the empty cup and her sodden book, threw them both in the trash can, then left the café, doing her best to ignore the strange looks she was getting for having hot chocolate dripping down her hair. On the walk back to the dorm, her anger crested in her, and she was surprised to see that it hadn’t disappeared already. Normally, she didn’t hold grudges, and anger dissipated as soon as it manifested, but now she just couldn’t get rid of it. She banged the door open, stalked across the living room to her own door, unlocked it, and barged in. Vanessa had been sitting on the couch doing some kind of homework, and she was frozen in place, watching Rosalie. Slowly, she put down her work and slunk to the door to see Rosalie rummaging for her shower bag and towels. “Hey. Um, what’s going on? Are you ok?” Vanessa kept most of her body behind the door jamb, just to be safe if objects started flying. “I was at the coffee shop reading when Blaze showed up.” There was still anger in Rosalie’s voice, but now there was a tightness to Vanessa’s face, too. She’d had a private talk with Blaze when Eric had made his choice, and Blaze had promised to leave Rosalie alone. Vanessa had a few friends, and they were all pretty much the same. Rosalie was different, and she was actually having a positive influence on Vanessa, even though she wasn’t going to tell her that, and she wasn’t going to lose that. “She took my hot chocolate and dumped it on me. I don’t really care about that because I can go shower, but she poured it out on my book, too, and now I have to go buy a new copy. I just want to slap her or something.” Vanessa smiled. Rosalie really wasn’t a violent person, and it showed. If the worst thing that she could think of to do to her was to slap her, then it went to show how good a person Rosalie really was. “Ooooh watch out! Rosalie’s on the war path.” Vanessa smiled, and Rosalie couldn’t help but laugh. It was good that she had Vanessa to vent to. It seemed like all the anger was gone, and now she just had a mild annoyance that she had to find a ride to the bookstore to get herself a new copy. “That’s right! And I’m damn scary!” Rosalie straightened, put her hands on her hips and gave a scary look. Vanessa burst out laughing. The pink robe that she had hanging from her head by the hood didn’t exactly scream scariness.

“I’m shaking in my little boots.” Rosalie grabbed her bag and closed the door behind her. “I’m gonna go wash the chocolate out of my hair, but would you mind taking me to the bookstore when I’m done? I just want to pick up another copy. I was at a really good part.” “Yeah, sure. I need to go get some play anyway. I swear this literature class was a mistake.” Vanessa hated her class, and was only too happy to provide Rosalie with rides every now and then in exchange for help in that department. “Great! Thank you so much. Back in a jiffy.” Rosalie grabbed her things and went to shower. On the way, she smiled. Having a good friend like Vanessa was something that she hadn’t been able to experience before, and now she was loving it. Eric crossed her mind while she was washing her hair, and she wondered what he was up to. When he wasn’t around, she thought about him almost constantly. Well, between classes and homework, anyway. She couldn’t wait to go out with him again, but had been struggling to come up with cheap dates so that he wouldn’t pay for both of them. She considered herself independent, but she really wasn’t making much money right now, and she needed to change that. While she was doing her homework on her new laptop, she discovered a website that let her work from home as a writer. She was good at inventing stories, and she’d applied to quite a few jobs. Now she was just waiting to see if anyone would hire her. It was something that she knew she could do even with her busy schedule, and it would make her feel better about herself. When she didn’t want them to, thoughts forced their way into her head, telling her that she wasn’t good enough for Eric, and that he would never be with her once he found out exactly who she was. Right now he was just looking at something new, and that was why he was still around. At first, it had been to prove a point, now it was a novelty that he was exploring. Unfortunately, for Rosalie, this was more than just a novelty. She’d been falling for him pretty steadily, and that gave her the constant fear that he was going to move on. Getting herself a job on top of the strenuous class schedule she had should show him that she was hard working and willing to do anything that needed to be done. She hoped that he would weigh that against the fact that she wasn’t rich and that it would have some significance to it. She still had to find a way to convince his mom that she was good enough, but she figured that could wait. She had to convince Eric first, otherwise he would dump her and she wouldn’t have to worry about the mom. She was worried that she was going to lose the first real relationship that she’d really felt something in. Rosalie got out of the shower and hurried back to her room. She didn’t bother with blow drying her hair, she just braided it and let it be. Getting dressed quickly, she grabbed her purse and knocked on Vanessa’s door. “I’m ready!” She hung up the phone quickly and smiled. “Great! Let’s go.” It struck Rosalie as a little odd that she got off the phone right when she came into the room, but to be honest, it could be something as innocent as she was leaving so she had to go. Giving Vanessa the benefit of the doubt, she followed her out to the parking lot and got into her car. The two of them blared loud pop music on the way, Rosalie swaying to the music and Vanessa singing at the top of her lungs. This was what she’d always wanted in high school, as far as friendship went, but better late than never. The book store loomed into view, and pure happiness rushed through Rosalie. It was a good thing that Vanessa was with her, because she could spend hours here and not even realize it. “Keep an eye on me. I go a little crazy in the bookstore,” warned Rosalie. Vanessa just laughed and waved it off.

Chapter 14 It was Saturday, and Rosalie was enjoying the fact that she didn’t have to get up early for class. The muted noise from outside lulled her into a comfortable place where she was floating on pink cotton candy clouds. Her pillow was soft and she was snuggled into it, loving the fact that she didn’t have to get up if she didn’t want to. BANG! Her bedroom door burst open with such violence that it hit the wall and bounced off. Rosalie almost leapt from the bed in panic, grabbing her nightstand lamp as a weapon. Her heart was pounding, racing a hundred miles an hour. Was she about to be assaulted? What was going on? “Good morning, sunshine! Hope I didn’t startle you.” The voice was welcome, but not this early in the morning. “Eric! What the hell are you doing here? How did you even get in? The door was locked.” Rosalie tried to give her heart a pep talk in order to calm it down, then put her lamp back on the nightstand. “Well, you’re right. It was locked. I’m pretty good at picking locks though.” He winked at her, and she sighed heavily. It was a false alarm, and as much as she cared about him, he wasn’t going to take her lounge time from her. She crawled back under the blanket. “Can I help you with something? Why couldn’t you have called instead of bursting in on me?” He looked bewildered for a moment, then closed the door behind him. That in and of itself told her that he wasn’t going to leave anytime soon. “I could have called, yes, and most reasonable people would, but then you would have had the chance to tell me no, and I didn’t want that.” Logic. He was throwing logic at her first thing in the morning. She threw her pillow at him and grumbled. Eric came and sat down on the bed, giving her that puppy dog look that basically got him anything he wanted. She peeked out from under the blanket, saw the look and groaned, burying herself even deeper in the covers. “And what exactly could I have said no to?” she asked, her voice muffled by the comforter. “Coming to breakfast with me.” Rosalie popped her head out from under the blanket. “I have no problem going to breakfast with you, but does it have to be right now? It’s the one day that I don’t have to get up early, and now you’re taking it away from me.” She was in full blown five year old mode and wanted nothing more than to duck under the covers. “Well, yes it does, because it’s not just going to be with me. It’s going to be with my mom, too.” Rosalie froze. Her eyes grew wide as saucers, and her mouth fell open. “Run that by me again?” She was pretty sure she’d heard him right, but she was hoping that she’d imagined it. He just grinned at her in that annoyingly cute way of his and refused to say anything. “If you want to break up with me you can just do it. You don’t have to sacrifice me to your mom for breakfast.” He laughed at that. “I have my reasons for doing this, I promise. Just come with me and be your naturally sweet self and there won’t be any problems.” Rosalie seriously doubted that, but she was willing to do this for him. “Fine! But boy do you owe me!” He gave a huge victory fist pump and did a little happy dance. Rosalie had to bite the insides of her cheeks to keep from laughing. Laughing would only let him know that he was getting away with it and would get away with everything if he just tried. She got out of bed, grabbed him by the shoulders, opened her door and promptly pushed him out of her bedroom. “Hey! You already said you’d go!” He was indignant when she slammed the door in his face and locked it. “And I am! But give me some privacy to get changed, geez.” There was silence on Eric’s side of the door, and she knew that he was feeling embarrassed now that he hadn’t even though of that. She dug through her closet, looking for something that might possibly pass his mother’s test, but she came up empty. All she could do was put on a nice pair of dress pants and a sweater, and hope that it would be good enough. When she opened her door he jumped up off the couch. “Slow down, cowboy. I’m going to brush my teeth and get fixed up.” He put his hands up in surrender and got himself comfortable on the couch again. The car ride was almost silent. Not because Eric didn’t want to talk, but because Rosalie was so nervous that she couldn’t do more than stare out the window. She kept running over their first meeting over and over again in her head. Why had she been so snotty and bratty? Oh, how she wished she could go back and do it all over again. At the time, she hadn’t had a clue that she would ever be with Eric, so she hadn’t cared if his mother liked her. Now that she wanted the woman to like her, she couldn’t for the life of her figure out a way to salvage the damage she’d already done. When he pulled up into the parking lot, Rosalie got another shock. It wasn’t a restaurant, as she’d expected. It was a country club. A real, authentic country club. “This isn’t going to go well. I’m not what she wants for you.” Rosalie could feel her knees trembling, and she didn’t want to get out of the car. Stalling seemed like the best way to go about it. Eric was at her door, holding out a hand for her, and she was all but pressing herself into the console to get away from the door. “Rosalie. Look at me.” She did. What she saw in his eyes gave her the strength to get up. They’d been together for almost two months now,

and what he was telling her with his eyes was that he wasn’t going anywhere, no matter what his mother said. It gave her that extra push that she needed. Rosalie straightened up, took his arm, and squared her shoulders as he led her in. The banquet hall was pristine, with not a fork out of place. His mother was sitting at a little table by herself, doing something on her cell phone. He strode up to her with a purpose, and Rosalie stayed behind him a little. “Good morning, mother.” She didn’t take her eyes from the screen as she smiled in his direction. “Good morning, Eric. I’m glad that you could join me for breakfast. I wanted to talk to you about something. Your sister’s cotillion had quite a few eligible young ladies, and I wanted to see which ones might interest you.” She still hadn’t looked up. Rosalie felt like clearing her throat so the self-absorbed woman would look up at her and see that Eric wasn’t alone. “That’s a great idea, mother, because I have something to say on that subject, too.” She closed her phone finally and looked up. The smile on her face vanished the moment she saw Rosalie. “I’m sure you remember Rosalie, right?” The scathing look in her eyes told them both that she did. “I don’t recall inviting her here to join us.” The icy tone would have frozen a flame, but he just shrugged it off. “No, you didn’t, but I did. Which makes it just as good. Now, about those girls. I know that you’ve been making spreadsheets to highlight the pros and cons of each one as a wife, and I’m telling you that you’re wasting your time.” She finally dragged her eyes away from Rosalie to focus on her son. “You know me all too well. I wouldn’t say that it’s a waste of time. I think being organized and looking at the whole picture is a good way to try to build your future. Sitting down to go over these charts is something we need to do before you choose one to get serious with.” Rosalie bristled. The bitch was going to pretend like she wasn’t here at all. Eric pulled out a chair for her, and she sat in it, keeping her gaze on his mother the whole time. She wanted to let the older woman know that she didn’t care what she wanted. She would leave when Eric told her he didn’t want her anymore. “That’s just it. I already have one picked out to get serious with.” That was news to Rosalie. She’d thought things were going great between the two of them. He’d brought her here so she would be part of this conversation, and so she would understand that he had to break up with her because of his mom. She could feel the tears starting to well up, and she wanted nothing more than to get out of there, but she couldn’t make an excuse to leave. She couldn’t even talk. The tears she was holding back were choking up her throat, and she knew no sound would escape. She would sit here, mutely, until he took her home, then never speak to him again. “How can you have already picked someone? You haven’t even seen my lists.” She was trying to be calm, but it wasn’t working. “Because I don’t need to make lists. I can get to know someone and know whether or not I want to be with them because of who they are.” Now there was some venom in his voice, and she flinched. Something told Rosalie that this was the first time that he’d spoken to his mother like that, and she didn’t like it. She turned her eyes to Rosalie, clearly blaming it all on her. Eric caught the look and took that opportunity to throw them both into turmoil. He took Rosalie’s hand, sliding out of his chair down to one knee. “We’ve been together for two months now, and I know all that I need to know about you. You’re hardworking and honest, you kept my secret when I asked you to, even though you had no reason to be loyal to me. You helped me, even when I was at my worst. You’re the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with.” He pulled a ring box from his pocket and opened it. “What do you say?” His mother found her voice first. “NO! I forbid it! You are destined for better than this trailer trash! You could be social royalty! A king, for god’s sake! Why would you throw that all away for a gutter mouse?” Anger fueled Rosalie as she decided on her words. “Eric, I’m sorry, but I have to say no.” She took a brief moment to compose herself, and his mother folded her arms across her chest, smiling smugly. “See? She doesn’t even want you. She knows there are more men out there that are closer to her social standing, and that she has no chance with you. You really are a smart girl. Good for you. I thought I’d have to point out that you didn’t deserve him.” “I’m not saying no because I don’t want to be with you.” His mother’s mouth fell open in shock. “I’m saying no because we’ve only been together for two months. If you still feel the same way six months from now, and you decide to ask me again, then I’ll tell you yes.” She smiled at him, and the beaming grin he returned told her that she’d made the right choice. He got up, put the ring back in his pocket, took her hand, and led her out of the country club.

Chapter 15 “Um, can you tell me what just happened? Because I’m not sure that I processed it properly.” Rosalie’s voice was faint when the words came out, and she wasn’t sure whether or not Eric had heard her. She waited for a few minutes, and was just about to open her mouth to ask again when he cleared his throat. She looked over at him and saw that his face was beet red. Had she said something wrong? Had she embarrassed him in some way? “I, um, wasn’t going to do it that way, but sometimes my mom can just get under my skin. She’s been pushing me to go out with the girls from the cotillion whenever I’m at home, and it just gets annoying. I’ve been staying away from the house for as much as I possibly can. I wanted to tell you earlier that I had strong feelings for you, but I couldn’t seem to find the words. I had bought the ring because I knew that I wanted to marry you some day, but I wasn’t quite sure on the when and the where yet. I was going to carry it around whenever we were together and hope for a really romantic moment to do it in. Unfortunately, my mom pushed me past the breaking point, and I did this more to get a point across to her.” Rosalie knew that she was in love with Eric, and she would have loved to say yes, but she didn’t know just how long this was going to last. She’d had a good reason to say no, but she’d made it clear that it wasn’t really a no so much as a not yet. “I honestly didn’t expect you to do that ever. I’m not really a catch of any kind, so I didn’t expect you to want to be with me very long.” That was the truth, even though she had fallen head over heels for him in the last two months and some part of her still hoped. “Why wouldn’t you? What is it about yourself that you think isn’t good enough for me?” They were parked now so he took the time to stare at her. With him looking at her so intently, Rosalie’s face got hot. “I’m not like those girls that your mom wants you to be with. I’m not rich or some socialite princess. I can’t give you that elevated status that she wants for you. I’m just a poor little dorm mouse trying to be a doctor that’s going to work hard for everything she has and wants.” It was something she was proud of, but she knew right now it wasn’t going to be good enough. If it was just up to matters of the heart, then she wouldn’t be afraid, but in today’s world, it was all about what you had and what you could do and what you brought to the table. Right now, she didn’t have anything, she couldn’t do anything, and she brought nothing to the relationship. She’d finally gotten a writing job online like she’d been praying for, but she hadn’t gotten paid yet for it. Technically, that meant that she wasn’t working yet because she had nothing to show for it. What could he possibly see in her? “That’s exactly why I want to be with you! You’re not like those girls that my mom wants me to be with! I want someone who knows the value of what they have because they worked for it. I want someone who will do what needs to be done because they aren’t afraid of hard work! I don’t want some prissy girl who has a maid to do everything for her. I want someone who has had some experiences in life so that when we finally start a family, we raise our kids the right way! How could you possibly think that I would want all of that with anyone but you?” A smile spread across Rosalie’s face. If what he was saying was true, then they would be together for a long time yet, if not forever because he claimed he wanted everything that she was. Tears started in her eyes, and she couldn’t stop a few from falling down her cheeks. Eric reached out and gently wiped them away with the pad of his thumb. He put his hand under her chin and pulled her face up so she was looking at him. “I don’t ever want you to think that you aren’t good enough for me. You’re everything to me. I don’t care what my mother thinks, or if she disinherits me. I have the grades and the schooling to get a job, and if I had to, I’d go work so you could go to school. I can see that you’re so passionate about your schooling and the career that you want that I will do whatever it takes to get you your dream.” Those words made something deep inside of Rosalie melt. The tears came back, and this time he had to hold her. She shook slightly with the emotion that she felt, and he was her rock, holding her until she was ready to go inside. When she was, he walked her to the door and made sure that she was alright before he left. Vanessa and Blaze were watching some horror flick in their pajamas when the couple came in, and Blaze stared daggers at Rosalie. She didn’t have the energy to fight right now, and she just ignored the girl. Eric, however, saw the look this time, and followed it to see where it landed. Once he realized that Blaze was looking at Rosalie as if she wished she would swallow poison, his jaw clenched. He would take care of that problem before he left, too. “I’m ok. I think I just want to lay down for a little while.” The secrets and the feelings that had made it to light this morning were overwhelming. Even though they were all great and made Rosalie happy, it was still a lot to take in, and she needed some time to process it all. He hugged her tightly, kissing her, long and slow, just the way she liked it, then tucked her into bed. He locked the door, then pulled it shut behind him. That’s where the niceness stopped. Both girls in the living room were staring at him, horror movie forgotten. “Hey, Eric. Nice to see you. I didn’t even know you’d come to pick her up. I thought she was still sleeping.” Vanessa’s cheeks were pink with embarrassment that she’d been naïve enough to think that Rosalie was still in bed at this hour when she was usually up and moving about long before now. “Hey, Vanessa. Yeah, I picked her up early this morning. We tried not to wake you up.” The sour expression on Blaze’s face could have curdled milk. “We just thought she was being lazy.” The girl couldn’t resist getting a dig in at Rosalie. Eric’s face went stark white and he rounded on her. He was so angry that his words came out between clenched teeth. “That girl is so far from lazy you don’t even know what you’re talking about. She actually goes to class, unlike you, and she passes those classes, unlike you. She is the sweetest person you’ll ever meet, and all you want to do is tear her down. For what? For me? Please. There is

nothing in the world that you could do that would make me choose you over her. That girl,” he had to take a breath and point towards Rosalie’s closed door, “Is going to be my wife one day. I’m not sure when yet, or where, but it’s going to happen. The next time I see you disrespect her like you just did, I’ll bury you.” His eyes blazed with anger as he left the dorm room. Blaze stared after Eric like she’d lost the most important thing in her life. Vanessa, meanwhile, was staring at Blaze with a look of satisfaction. It had been Vanessa who had told Eric exactly what was going on. She’d warned her friend to leave Rosalie alone, and even though she hadn’t done anything per se to sabotage Rosalie’s relationship, she was tired of hearing Blaze put her down. Now she’d been put in her place by the one person she actually cared about. Vanessa hoped that would be enough to teach her a lesson. Eric drove home, where he was instantly confronted by his mother. He cursed himself for letting himself get lost in thought, because it always put him on autopilot when he drove, and autopilot meant home. “Where have you been? Don’t tell me that you’ve been with that little gutter mouse the whole time.” His mother was fuming, and he didn’t care. He loved her to death, but lately, she’d been driving a wedge between them with all the dating talk. “Yes, actually, I was with Rosalie. And I meant what I said at the club. I’m going to marry her. She might want six months for me to be sure, but I can promise you that I am serious as a heart attack. I don’t care what you have to say about it, and I don’t care if you disinherit me. I’m going to be with her, and I’m going to give her everything she ever dreams of.” The vehemence of his words were almost like a slap in the face for her, and she looked stunned that he’d talked to her that way. Before she could gather her thoughts, Eric walked right past her and into the house. His thoughts were still on Rosalie. In a way, he was kind of happy that she’d asked him to wait. He realized now how selfish he’d been by trying to prove a point to his mother by using her, and springing a proposal on her out of nowhere like that. He was lucky that she didn’t flat out tell him no. He decided that he was going to start putting together a resume right away to apply for a job. He didn’t care what his mother said or thought. He was his own person, and he was going to live life his own way. Right now, Rosalie was his world, and he was going to make sure that he took care of it. He sat down at his laptop and started typing. It hit him that he really didn’t have much work experience, and that was going to hurt him in the long run. He chuckled sarcastically. Now was the time that he actually needed to use his real name. If he was lucky, they would see that and want him to be a part of whatever company he applied to in the hopes that his parents would make donations. All in all, he was a hard worker, and very determined. If it got him his foot in the door, his attitude and work ethic would keep him the job. A half hour later found his resume finished, and him scouring help wanted ads online, applying to what felt like hundreds of jobs. Every time he read one, all he could see was Rosalie’s face. If he had to work two or three jobs to make sure that she had the money for her tuition, he would see to it. The laptop was something she’d needed, and it was something he’d been more than happy to give her. Just like he was more than happy to give her the world. After submitting the fortieth resume, he decided to call it a day. He hoped that some of them would call him back, because he really didn’t have anything else to do for the rest of the day. But he would be damned if he left his room and let his mother start in on him again…

Chapter 16 Rosalie wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but any time that Blaze wanted to come and see Vanessa, she would ask if Rosalie was home. If she was, she would have Vanessa meet her somewhere else. Not that Rosalie was complaining, because she didn’t like the girl, and no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t like the girl. Not after the things she’d said. Vanessa seemed to be fine with it, and would even cancel on Blaze just to hang out with Rosalie. The two girls had gotten pretty close, and it made Rosalie feel more and more guilty. Vanessa was her best friend. The best friend she’d ever had in her life, but she was keeping this huge secret about Eric from her. It killed her inside. She felt like she owed them both loyalty, and she was caught in the middle. Rosalie decided that she was going to have a talk with Eric. Maybe he would let her tell Vanessa the truth. She took out her phone and dialed, heart racing that she was even asking this. He’d trusted her innately with this information, and she had no problem keeping his secrets, but now it was killing her, and she hated that she felt like she was betraying his trust even by asking for permission to tell one person. It rang. Eric picked up on the third ring. “Hello?” His voice was sleepy, and more guilt weighed her down. She’d woken him up. It had woken her up in the middle of the night, and she’d done her best to wait until a reasonable time to call him, but it turned out that she was still too early. “Hey, it’s me. I’m sorry for waking you up. Do you want me to call you back later?” Rosalie bit her lip. She was considerate enough to do that if he wanted, but she really hoped that he would just let her talk about it now because it was really bothering her. Eric yawned widely from the other end of the phone. “No, it’s fine, babe. What’s going on?” Rosalie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Wincing, she launched into the story. “I, um, I just wanted to ask you something.” There was a serious tone to her voice, and it instantly woke him up. “Are you ok? Did something happen? Do you want me to come get you?” “No! No, I’m ok. I just was thinking about something last night, and it was bothering me, so I wanted to call and ask you about it.” Silence on the other end, and it only made her more nervous. “Vanessa is my best friend. I’ve told her everything except the truth about you and your family. I kind of feel like I’m lying to her, but I want to keep you safe and your secret, so I wanted to ask you first if I could tell her.” She said it all in a rush, hoping that he wouldn’t get mad at her. The silence stretched on. “Can you trust her?” There was a tone to his voice that said he didn’t think that it was a good idea, but if she could convince him, then he would be ok with it. Rosalie swallowed hard. Yes, it had only been a few months since they’met and gotten to be friends, but Rosalie was willing to bet that yes, she could trust her. She swallowed hard, hoping that she was putting her faith in someone she could trust. “Yes.” There was a firmness to her voice that she was sure would convince him. He whistled low on the phone and the awkward pause made her nervous all over again. “Ok. You can tell her. I might regret it later, but it’s ok. I’m sorry for putting you in that position. I know that it couldn’t be easy to have a good friend and not say anything about one of the most important things in your life.” There was a smile in his voice, and it set her at ease. “A very important part of my life if you don’t change your mind in six months.” She’d meant it as a joke, and if he would have been in front of her, she would have winked at him. The silence that came after her sentence was different, tense, and it wiped her smile off her face immediately. He was going to change his mind. “Look, Rosalie, I know you gave me the six month window to change my mind, but I don’t need six months.” Silent tears slid down her cheek as she thought of something to say. He was going to break up with her. Right before her birthday. This was going to be the worst birthday of her life. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go.” Click. He’d hung up. No ‘I love you’, nothing. Rosalie stared at her phone like it was a creature from another planet. The dial tone mocked her, so she flipped it shut and threw it across the room with a scream of pain. She burst into tears and threw herself down on her bed, face in the pillow to cry. It hurt. More than she ever thought it would. She’d fallen in love with this bad boy, then found out that he really wasn’t so bad, just putting on an act. Now he was going to break her heart, and she was going to spiral down into the darkness. “Rosalie! Are you ok?” Vanessa came bursting into the room, eyes wide, chest heaving like she’d just run a marathon. That’s when it hit her that her scream and the sound of the phone hitting the wall could bring someone else running. “I’m fine.” Her voice was wooden, completely devoid of all emotion, and muffled from the pillow. “Aw, honey, you don’t have to lie. What’s going on? Talk to me.” So Rosalie sat up and told Vanessa the whole story, from beginning to end of the first time that she’d ever seen Erik, up to and including the conversation that she’d just had with him. Vanessa looked like she was going to cry, too, when Rosalie finished. Vanessa pulled her friend into her arms, rocking her back and forth as she cried. “It’s going to be alright. I don’t know how, yet, but it will be, you’ll see.” Rosalie wanted to believe her friend with all her heart, but something gave her a sinking feeling in her gut, making her think that it was all wishful hoping rather than truth. ***

Eric hung up the phone. He scrubbed his hands over his face. He cursed himself for being so stupid. Of course she would want to tell Vanessa the truth. She was the only real friend that Rosalie had, and he was getting in the way of her being happy. He’d gotten off the phone because his own guilt had started to worm its way into him. Yes, she’d given him six months. He knew he didn’t need that. He loved her, and he wanted her to be his wife. He’d gotten the idea the night before that he wanted to do something special for her birthday, and now he was thinking that he was going to put a real proposal into it. A sweet and romantic one like she deserved, not a spur of the moment, prove something to his mom proposal that wasn’t even about her. Which meant that he had a lot of work to do. Christmas timeframe would have been better, because he’d thought of a horse drawn sleigh ride to start things off. Now he didn’t want to wait that long, so he would have to adjust his plans. There were horse drawn carriages that ran in the warmer seasons, and he supposed that would be a good substitute. He picked up his phone and started to look around in the yellow pages app. “Hello? Yes, I was wondering if I could book a horse and carriage? Two weeks from tomorrow. Yes. To pick me up from 8537 Whiteacre Ave.” Everything went well until he gave the address. Now the man was flustered. He started stuttering, saying he wasn’t sure that his humble carriage and his old nag would be elegant enough. Eric rolled his eyes. He really hated his legacy at times. He managed to calm the man down and assured him that everything would be just fine. He gave a wry chuckle. At least his name would ensure that the man wasn’t late. Now, he had to make reservations for dinner in the fanciest place in town. They were a little less surprised at his name, and the waitress even had the nerve to tell him she had to check to make sure that they had a table for him. He knew for a fact that they always had open tables because it was so expensive, hardly anyone ever went there. He swallowed his anger but remained polite in order to secure the reservation. Now, the one thing he wanted to do to make this proposal special, was to book the solarium. It was beautiful during the day, but there were some night blooming flowers that made it stunning, and it was remote enough to see the stars shimmer at night. That was where he wanted to propose. Now, the only thing he had left to do was get her a gift. Shit. What was he going to get her? A lightbulb went on in his head. Vanessa. She would know exactly what Rosalie would like. He got up and got himself dressed, intent on heading over there in an hour or so because Rosalie had a class, but Vanessa was off. *** Rosalie sat in class, staring at the professor without really seeing her. This woman was married, and she was always disheveled, had too much makeup on, and stains on her clothes. How was it possible for her to find her true love, when Rosalie considered herself much more put together and was now down on her luck? Granted, Erik hadn’t officially said the words that would break them up, but she could feel it coming. That feeling of cold and rejection swallowed her up. Her notebook sat in front of her without a single letter written in it from the lecture. Her eyes were glazed with pain and tears, and she stared off into nothingness. Her hand stayed down where no one would call on her to answer any questions. Had she been more aware of her surroundings, she would have noticed that her classmates were giving her strange looks because of her behavior. She didn’t even hear the bell when it rang to dismiss the class. It took someone getting up and walking behind her down the aisle, jostling her with a backpack, to wake her up. She pulled herself out of her daydream, mechanically put things in her bag, then walked from the room almost like her body was moving on autopilot. She managed to get out of the classroom and across the campus to her dorm room. She was hoping that Vanessa was going to be there so she could cuddle up on the couch with her friend, watch a movie and eat junk food. Vanessa had told her to just skip class, but that was something that Rosalie couldn’t bring herself to do, even though she felt completely empty inside. When she opened the door, she saw that Vanessa wasn’t home. The dorm was completely silent, no TV, no music, nothing. Looking at the coat rack that sat in the corner by the door, she saw that Vanessa’s jacket and purse were both gone. A fresh wave of tears flowed out of Rosalie, and she went straight to her room, got her bathroom bag and went down to the showers to drown her sorrows in scalding hot water. It was like she was trying to cleanse the feeling of betrayed love from her soul.

Chapter 17 When Rosalie came home from class, she was looking forward to a night of vegging on the couch, watching movies with Vanessa, but Vanessa wasn’t home. A heavy weight settled on Rosalie’s shoulders, and she dragged her feet until she made it into her room, closing and locking the door behind her. Unbidden, tears slid down her cheeks. It made her angry because they seemed to be broken, just leaking whenever they wanted. It made her feel weak that she couldn’t even control her own body. Being weak was one thing, but being unworthy… That was how Eric had made her feel. No. That was how Eric’s mother had made her feel. All she could think was that it had somehow finally gotten through Eric’s head, too, and he was waking up to see what his mother had wanted him to all along. It hurt, but it made her glad that she’d given him the six months to think about whether or not he wanted to really be with her. Something told Rosalie that this was going to be the deepest cut that she’d ever had, and she didn’t know what to do to try to start healing. She threw herself down on her bed and let all the tears she’d built up come flowing out of her. At some point, she must have fallen asleep, because when she woke up it was dark outside. She saw the clock on her nightstand, and it told her that it was five minutes till midnight. Five minutes until her birthday. She checked her cell phone. No missed calls, texts, or emails. Fresh tears threatened that Eric hadn’t even gotten a hold of her. She was left to assume that he would now never talk to her again, and that she should just move on. Rosalie burrowed down into her blanket and had to flip the pillow over so she had a dry place to sleep. When the sun came up, Rosalie had tossed and turned until she had bags the size of golf balls under her eyes. Her pillow was wet on both sides from her tears, and she felt like she weighed five hundred pounds. She didn’t want to move, didn’t want to get up, didn’t want to live. She rolled over and the sun hit her in the face. Rosalie hissed and rolled the other way, trying to find comfort in her blanket by wrapping herself in a cocoon. It was around ten that there was an insistent knock on the door. Rosalie groaned. “Go away.” The knocking resumed. Rosalie just wanted to be left alone, and this person wasn’t getting the hint. She popped her head out from under the blanket and growled audibly. There was a chuckle on the other side of the door, muffled by the wood, then more knocking. “I said go away!” Her voice was raw from crying, and she buried her head in the blanket again, letting a single tear slide down her cheek. The handle of the door rattled, then turned. Vanessa came in, grinning like an idiot and holding up a bobby pin. “You know, it’s not hard to get in if I really want to. I was just making sure that you were decent.” The lump of blankets moved just enough to let a hand come snaking out. That hand promptly gave Vanessa the finger, which only made her laugh. “Oh, come on, you. It’s your birthday and we’re going to do it right.” She seized the blanket and gave it a might tug. Rosalie was shocked, but she kept her senses enough to grab the blanket before it was completely gone. “I don’t care that it’s my birthday. It’s the worst day in the world. Please just go away.” She tried to get her blanket back, but Vanessa wasn’t giving it to her. “Well that’s just too bad because you have somewhere to be.” “Yeah, here, under my blanket, in peace and quiet so no one can see me cry.” Grumbling wasn’t getting her anywhere apparently, so Rosalie decided to try sympathy. “I just want to be left alone, ok? I’ve lost the most important thing to me right now, and I just want to sulk until I can find a face that I can put on in front of other people. I can’t face anyone else right now.” Vanessa’s face was impassive, and she just stared at Rosalie. “Like I said, you have somewhere to be. Get up, or you’re going in your pajamas.” Rosalie didn’t doubt that Vanessa would drag her out in her pajamas, so she decided that even though she might have lost this battle, she wasn’t down and out yet. “Fine. Get out so I can change.” Vanessa pumped her fist in victory and was made to leave. She paused in the doorway. “And don’t think that you can just lock me out. We already know that won’t work.” She giggled as she waved the bobby pin at Rosalie. The latter was trying to come up with a way to snatch it and lock the door anyway. “Stop looking at me like that. Even if you get this one, I have plenty more.” Damn. There went that plan. Rosalie just waved an irritated hand at Vanessa, who ducked out and closed the door behind her. Why did the world have to be against her today? It was the one day out of the year when things were supposed to be going her way, and the world decided it was going to have a little fun and do the opposite. Rosalie stalked over to her little window and looked out. Everyone looked happy. The quad was full of people laughing and talking, hanging out between classes. She hated them. She hated them all. The light had gone out of her own world, and the tiny pinprick that was Vanessa couldn’t be found unless you knew exactly where to look. She spared it a glance, seeing that it was doing its best to burn brightly and illuminate the area around it, but Rosalie was still lost in the darkness. She walked over to the closet and absentmindedly flipped through her clothes, coming up with a pair of jeans and a sweater. She didn’t even care if they matched or not, she just couldn’t be bothered. She ran a brush through her hair and threw it up in a ponytail. Opening the door to her bedroom brought her face to face with Vanessa. “I’m going to brush my teeth. Give me some space, sheesh.” Vanessa was indeed looking like she was about to go running after her to make sure that she didn’t just disappear. To her credit, she left Rosalie alone. Apparently, seeing the jeans and sweater made her trust Rosalie enough to brush her teeth. She was dressed, so she must be cooperating, right? Wrong. Rosalie was dressed and she was going to brush her teeth, and Vanessa was going to take her wherever they were supposed to go, but she was bound and determined to be sullen and unhappy through it all. Whatever it was. When she got to the coed bathroom, she saw a guy standing in front of the mirror shaving, and it made her heart skip a beat. Rosalie froze in the doorway. The guy looked like Eric…a little anyway. The pain came slamming back, threatening to spiral

her down into an abyss, but then the physical pain of the door closing on her heels snapped her back to reality. She steered for an open sink as far away from him as she could possibly get, then got very interested in the preciseness of putting toothpaste on her brush. She stared at herself, into her own eyes actually, the whole time she was brushing her teeth. When the door opened and closed again, she used every ounce of willpower in her not to turn around and see if the boy had left. She finished up and left the bathroom, coming back to see Vanessa waiting by the couch with her coat and keys. Rosalie rolled her eyes. “You really can be annoying sometimes, you know that?” Her voice came out a little gruff, but she couldn’t help it. Part of it was still raw from all the crying, and the other part was irritated anger. Whether it was righteous anger or not, it was still there. Vanessa gave her a mock bow, acknowledging that yes, indeed, she was irritating, but that she was damn proud of it, too. “Why are you so intent on dragging me out today? You know that I feel like crap already. If you were really my friend, you would let me wallow in pity in my own bed.” “Nope. I’m not a pushover girl, I’m a delivery girl. Let’s go.” That made no sense to Rosalie at all, but she didn’t want to expend the energy it would take to figure it out. “Whatever. Take me to the torture you have planned.” Vanessa’s face grew slack and she snapped to attention, like a soldier, saluting Rosalie and holding her coat out for her. Rosalie rolled her eyes and shimmied into the coat, grumbling under her breath. Vanessa took her role as escort very seriously. She stuck out her arm, bent at the elbow, as if she were a gentleman escorting a lady in eighteenth century England. Rosalie chose to ignore it, instead gesturing that Vanessa should lead so she could follow. The girls made it to Vanessa’s car, and Vanessa tucked her in before slamming the door. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” “Nope. It’s not my right.” Rosalie growled under her breath again, crossed her arms over her chest, and glared out of the window. Vanessa was in a jovial mood. She turned on the radio and started to sing along. Her voice wasn’t perfect, but it was pleasant, and this time she was grossly over exaggerating, making it sound much worse than it was. Rosalie rolled her eyes. She’d decided that it was better not to say anything at all. If she did, Vanessa would just spin something positive on it, and she didn’t want any positivity at the moment. She really just wanted to get the hell out of this car and crawl into a hole where no one could find her. Vanessa turned towards a road that she recognized, and her heart started to thump painfully in her chest. She was sure that it was beating loud enough that Vanessa could hear it as she slowly turned her head towards her friend. “Where are we going?” Vanessa just shrugged. “I demand that you tell me right now!” Rosalie’s voice shook with anger and fear, and Vanessa frowned at her. She’d sworn not to ruin the surprise, but her friend was really starting to get upset. What should she do? “It’s going to be ok, Rose. I promise. Can you trust me?” If that question would have been asked at any other time or location, Rosalie would answer yes with full confidence. As it was, Vanessa was driving her towards Eric’s neighborhood, even after she’d poured her heart out and told her how much it had hurt when he’d decided that he deserved a social princess. Rosalie was starting to think of jumping out of the car at the first available stop sign or red light. She reached for the door handle. Vanessa saw it and hit the lock button. “I know you’re mad right now, but trust me, this needs to be done.” Fear flooded into Rosalie. She was taking her to Eric’s house so that he could officially break up with her in person. That way she wouldn’t have to worry about getting home because she had a friend with a car right there. Oh she was slick! That meant that she’d coordinated with Eric for all of this! Pain and betrayal swept through her all over again, ripping what little dignity and stability she had left out of her. Vanessa pulled up in front of Eric’s house, opened the door, and dragged Rosalie out before slamming the door and driving off.

Chapter 18 Tears slid down Rosalie’s face as she turned towards the house. Memories of the cotillion swept through her. She’d been so happy to be there with Eric, and the fact that they had teamed up against his mother’s archaic societal dreams was something that she would never forget. Pain stabbed through her heart. She needed to get out of there before Eric or anyone else came out of that house. She turned towards the open end of the street, shuffling along. It would be a few hours of walking before she got anywhere near the campus, but maybe she could hitch a ride. Rosalie was so lost in her own little world, that she almost didn’t see the horse in time. She jumped to the side, looking at the beautiful white horse, dressed to the nines in shining harness, pulling a beautifully polished carriage. The man on the driver’s box tipped his hat to her, and she smiled. It was really something to see a horse and carriage in today’s world, and it warmed her heart. She wanted to look over her shoulder to watch it, but that would bring Eric’s house into view, and she didn’t want to hurt herself more. “Rosalie! Wait! Come back!” The blood drained from her face. It was Eric. He was outside. She silently cursed herself for not sprinting down the road to get away from the house. Now he was outside and he saw her. She didn’t want to see him or talk to him. It would only make her cry to hear him say that she was getting tossed to the curb. She bit her lip to keep it from trembling. She kept walking, straightening her back and squaring her shoulders to give her a false positive look. Inside she was crushed, but outwardly, she looked like nothing phased her. Footsteps pounded the ground behind her, and she could tell that he was running. She winced, wishing that he would have never come outside. “Rosalie! Hey!” He finally caught up to her, because she didn’t want to embarrass herself by taking off like a bat out of hell. She took a deep breath and turned to him. “Hello, Eric. I’m sorry that I darkened your doorstep, but my soon to be ex best friend drove me to your front door and dumped me.” There. Now he knew that she hadn’t come on her own free will. A hurt look crossed his face, and she almost felt bad for what she’d said. It had been the truth, but the way she’d said it and the words she’d used could have been gentler. “What do you mean? I told Vanessa to bring you here. This is your birthday surprise.” Rosalie let out a breath that she hadn’t even known she was holding. Why was he being so nice to her when he was breaking up with her? None of this made any sense. “Your gift to me is to let me see you one last time while you break up with me? Thanks, but no thanks.” Rosalie started walking again. “What? Why would I break up with you?” Was he being serious? He was going to make her spell it out herself in front of him? Oh, he was such an ass. She gritted her teeth in anger. “You’ve been ignoring me and completely distant. That to me says that you’re in the process of dumping me. I haven’t heard from you, so that confirmed it for me. I didn’t know we were coming here, or I would have never gotten in the car. I can’t get over it if I have to see you. So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to start my walk back to my dorm.” There. She’d managed to get it all out without crying or screaming loud enough for everyone in the neighborhood to hear her. The stunned look of shock on his face was even worth it, and she almost smiled when she turned around to head back down the street. He caught her arm before she’d even taken a step. “Rosalie, you’re being silly. I’m not distant. You called when I was half asleep, and then I realized that I’d forgot to make plans for your birthday. I haven’t been talking much because I didn’t want to accidentally ruin the surprise for you.” Her heart started to race, but she didn’t want to let herself hope. Could he be telling the truth? Had she been making it up in her head all along? Or was this the trick now? “Really? You weren’t thinking about getting rid of me?” She held her breath and searched his eyes. There was nothing but truth in them, but she didn’t want to jump in with both feet again. This time she’d be careful. “Of course! I wouldn’t have proposed to you if I didn’t want you to be in my future.” “But you only proposed to shut your mom up! And I didn’t even say yes! How could I know that you were going to ask again? I gave you six months to decide if you still wanted to, remember?” He started to pull her gently back towards his house, and Rosalie grudgingly put one foot in front of the other, back towards where Vanessa had so unceremoniously dumped her on her ass. “The way I did it, right there in front of her, was to shut her up, yes, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t mean it.” A warmth spread through her, starting in her core, then spreading slowly towards her fingers and toes, before returning back to her core. If this was true, then they could go back to how things were. “Really? So you weren’t getting tired of me and wanting to break up?” Her voice was soft, almost like she was hanging on to every word he said to make sure that it didn’t crush her spirit. “Of course. I swear it.” There was honesty in his face, and he looked at her with such intensity, almost like he was trying to mentally make her believe him. A small smile crept across her face. It was tentative at first, but soon it was back to her usual one hundred watt smile. Eric pulled her into a hug, and she could feel her walls cracking and tumbling down. She’d hastily erected a wall around her heart, and she’d been working on bricking a heavier duty one, but now it looked like that wall wasn’t even necessary. “I’m sorry. I guess I was just overreacting.” By this time, they were back in front of Eric’s house, and he was holding her hand. “It’s ok. I wasn’t exactly being forthcoming about it, either. But we can put that all behind us. Come on.” He handed her up into the carriage, and Rosalie settled down on the plush cushion. Eric climbed in after her, and signaled to the driver that they were ready to go. The man

clucked to his horse, and the beautiful animal started to prance. Rosalie’s heart soared. She almost felt like Cinderella going to the ball. The two of them sat on opposite ends of the cushion, and Rosalie found herself wishing that Eric would hold her. As the carriage pulled out of the neighborhood, she spotted a rundown car with rust stains on it. She narrowed her eyes, recognizing it as Vanessa’s. The girl was looking out of the driver side window, waving enthusiastically and giving her the thumbs up sign. Rosalie grinned and winked at her friend, mouthing the word, ‘sorry’ to her friend. Vanessa just shrugged like it was no big deal, and then she was out of sight. Rosalie took a deep breath, gathering her courage. Eric was looking out the other side of the carriage, and she leaned up against him, nudging him subtly. He turned to look at her, and the smile he gave her melted her heart. This was why she loved him. The way that he could make her feel like she was on top of the world, even when she felt lost and unsure really meant the world to her. Eric put his arm around her, pulling her close. Something in her heart clicked. Like they were meant to be together, and she was home. He held her tight, and snaked his hand into hers. They leaned back, enjoying the ride. People turned to stare at the beautiful carriage that was coming by, and Eric started to wave to them like he was an ancient king in a parade. Everyone laughed and waved back to him. The horse took one last turn, then came to a stop with a snort. Rosalie had been looking out of Eric’s side, so she didn’t see where exactly they had stopped. Eric got to his feet, her hand still in his. “Well, my lady, this is where we get out. Let me help you.” She let him help her step down, then looked at where they were. A man in a tuxedo stood by the door, almost like one of those British soldiers that can’t move unless they have orders. As they neared the door, he sprang into action. Grabbing the handle, he swung the door open and bowed them in. Rosalie couldn’t suppress the giggle. It was almost like Eric was a king on his parade. He had deigned to eat here, so they bowed and scraped to let him in the door. Maybe his socially royal blood gave him some advantages that she didn’t know about. She wanted to comment on it, just to tease him, but her words were stolen by the scene in front of her. The floor was thick glass, and she could see fish swimming below them. Two of the walls were giant fish tanks, almost like you would see at an aquarium. The other two walls were beautiful mahogany, polished until it shone. The tables were small, in cozy little alcoves that promised privacy, and the lighting was low. It was meant for romantic rendezvous, that was for sure. Her heart began to flutter. This was very intimate in a way. A woman in an evening gown came to a silk covered podium. Eric gave her his name, and she went down the list she had. Checking him off, she had them follow her to one of the little alcoves. “Oh my goodness! This has to be the most expensive restaurant in the whole city!” Rosalie wasn’t sure he’d heard her at first, because the words had come out in no more than a whisper. She was still in shock over where they were. “Only the best for my girl.” A tear slid down her cheek and she quickly dashed it away, but not before Eric saw it. “Why are you crying?” Rosalie shook her head, as if she were saying she didn’t want to talk about it. “Thank you. For everything. There’s no way that I could every repay you for any of this.” Eric waved off her explanation. They sat together, enjoying the mood of the place. A man in a tux with a violin came over to their table and began to serenade them. Eric looked up at her and smiled, seeing the lights sparkle and dance in her eyes. The smile on her face was permanently placed, and nothing would take it off. That meant that he’d done what he had set out to do. He wanted to put her in a fantasy world where everything was perfect so he could propose to her again and give her the sweet and romantic proposal that she deserved. He still beat himself up about the way he’d blurted it out in front of his mom. Not because he’d asked Rosalie to marry him, but because he’d just blurted it out in anger. He’d wanted to make it more romantic and give her what he knew he should. The waitress arrived with the menus, and even though Rosalie dove in to look at the food, Eric was too busy staring at the beautiful woman in front of him.

Chapter 19 Rosalie was in awe. This place was wonderful. The way the place was laid out made her feel like she was a mermaid in the ocean, seeing the fish everywhere around her. It was a dream come true. She wanted to tell Eric that, but she was afraid he might laugh at her. Granted, a lot of girls had wished they were mermaids when they were younger, but she still wished it was true at her current age. This was as close as she was going to get, so she just reveled in it and planned to enjoy every minute of it. The man with the violin was a fairy tale touch. No one actually had this kind of thing happen to them. She was pretty sure that if she told Vanessa this little detail, she would laugh and say that Rosalie was making it up. This sort of romance only existed in teenage girls’ dreams and romantic movies that all women swooned over. She was making sure that she inventoried every single second to convert to long term memory later, and to record it in her journal. If it was written down, then maybe it wouldn’t feel like just a dream to her anymore. “Are you having a good time?” Eric’s voice jolted her out of her reverie. She snapped out of her dream world and back into reality. Her smile was blinding. “Is that even a question? This is the most amazing place I’ve ever been to! It’s just so beautiful! I feel like I’m in the ocean.” She bit her lip. She’d almost mentioned the mermaid part. She prayed that he wouldn’t pick up on that. He smiled at her, and she didn’t know if she was imagining it or if it was really happening, but he was looking at her in that way that all the men in romance movies look at the women they love. Her heart started to flutter, and it brought a little flush to her cheeks, making her eyes sparkle and her skin glow. Eric was blown away by how beautiful she was. The way that she looked at him like he was the only man in the world. That was something he’d never had before. Yes, girls had looked at him like he was the paycheck that would get them anything they wanted. He was used to that. It wasn’t what he’d wanted, though, and that was part of the reason why he’d never gotten close to the girls that his mother had paraded in front of him. “I wanted to do this for you. To make it right.” This was how the speech started, that much he knew, but he couldn’t remember the rest of it. Her beautiful eyes were looking at him in question now, and all the words he’d been rehearsing for the last week went right out of his head. He swallowed hard. His eyes met those of the waiter over Rosalie’s head. She was still looking at him askance. He gave a curt jerk of his head, that she would have never known was a signal, and the waiter disappeared. “What do you mean? There’s nothing to make right.” That was another thing about her. She was such an amazing person. Even if someone slighted her, she’d never bring it up. She’d forgive them wholeheartedly, and without question. Even though she’d thought he had abandoned her, had broken up with her by just stopping all communication, here she was, looking at him with such love in her eyes. He wanted that for the rest of his life. He’d known it before, but now it got to the point where he refused to live without it. He’d known that he loved her, and he’d wanted someone to look at him that way, at first it didn’t matter who. Now he knew he wanted her to look at him that way for the rest of his life. The waiter came by with two glasses of champagne. His eyes darted up at the tray, and he saw the sparkle of the ring in her glass. When they got their glasses, the waiter bowed and left, smirking a little at Eric and giving him an encouraging pat on the back. “I want you to know that I didn’t want to hurt you at all. I wasn’t breaking up with you, and I never want you to think that I would break up with you just by not speaking to you. I have enough honor in me that I would sit down with you face to face and talk about it.” Pain flashed across her face, and he realized that he was ripping open the wound that she was trying desperately to forget. He kicked himself mentally for doing that to her. “I’m sorry I ever thought that about you. I just hadn’t had a real relationship before, and I thought that maybe I had thrown myself into it too much and pushed you away.” The smile was gone from her face, and tears threatened. This was not working out the way he’d wanted it to at all. “Please don’t cry, Rosalie. There’s nothing that you’ve done wrong. Nothing at all.” She looked up at him, trying to force a smile. “Well, I think I made a mistake when I said you should wait for six months to decide if you really want to be with me.” Her gaze fell on the floor and her cheeks heated up. She was hinting that she wished that he wasn’t going to wait, and he could pick up on that. He grinned at her, but she didn’t see it. Well, that was something that they could be on the same page about. “Nonsense. I say we drink a toast to new beginnings.” He lifted his glass, and nudged hers closer to her. She picked it up without even looking in it. She raised the glass and took a sip, eyes going wide when the ring pressed up against her lips. He smiled as he watched her pull the glass away from her mouth. She looked at him, then at the ring, then back at him. Tears started to pour down her cheeks as he slid from his chair down onto a knee. He picked up her hand from where it lay in her lap. “Oh my god. This is really happening, isn’t it?” He was sure that the question was rhetorical, so he decided to launch right into the proposal. He didn’t know what to say, so there was no way that he could have practiced this, but he knew that he’d be able to speak right from the heart when the time came. “Rosalie. You’re different from any woman I’ve ever met. Even when I was playing the asshole and being as bad and horrible as I could be to you, you found good qualities in me that I never even knew were there. Or if I’d had an inkling, I’d buried it so no one else could see. Something about you drew out my secret, and when I blurted out the truth, I was sure that you would tell every person you knew. But you didn’t. You kept my secret, and if I’d asked you to, you would have taken it to your grave. That’s a kind of loyalty that I’ve never gotten from anyone in my life. You support me in anything I do, and again, that’s something I’ve never had. My own parents don’t even know my hopes and dreams like you do. I can’t talk to them the way I do with you. You’re there for me no matter what. You look at me like I’m the only man

in the world, and I want to be that for you. You look at me like I can do anything. It makes me feel like I’m a better person than I really am, and I want to be what you deserve. I promise you that I will spend the rest of my life proving that to you, if only you’ll let me. So, Rosalie, what I’m saying is, I love you. Will you marry me?” The soft trickle of tears now gave way to a real flood. He had to scramble to get her a napkin to wipe her face with before she could answer him. She was nodding her head, however, and that gave him hope. He didn’t realize that he’d been holding his breath. “Of course I will! I look at you like you’re the only man in the world because you’re the only man in my world.” That simple phrase warmed his heart, and he was pretty sure that he was going to start crying himself soon. He took the ring from the glass, which wasn’t easy since he was on one knee and fishing it out with a fork. He quickly rinsed it in a glass of water, using the hem of his jacket to dry it off before slipping it on her finger. He held her hand for a moment or two more, locking this into his memory before he got up, used her hand to pull her to her feet, then wrapped her in his arms, kissing her long and slow, hoping to steal her breath away. Her arms came up and wrapped around him, pulling him closer into her softness. His eyes closed, and for a moment, he could forget where they were. He could forget that there were other people around, because in that moment, they were the only two people in the world. He could have forgotten all that, if it had been up to him, but the rest of the patrons of the restaurant were hell bent on ruining that for him. They started to clap and whoop, and both of them turned bright red as they pulled apart. The waiter stood by them, smiling. He couldn’t clap because he had a tray in his hands, which he then set down at the table. “This is our famous dessert dish, and it’s on the house. Congratulations!” He looked like he might have had a tear in his eye, too, and that made Eric think that maybe his proposal had been ok. His biggest fear was that he would botch it up somehow. He was glad that it was over, and that she’d said yes. As they sat down again, their dinner dishes cleared away, they shared the dessert, smiling at each other like newlyweds. Rosalie couldn’t believe it. Of course it hadn’t been six months yet, and so she should have said no, but she couldn’t. If she’d said no this time, she had nothing to guarantee that he would ask again later. This was her chance, and she wasn’t going to let him slip out of her fingers. She loved him and she wasn’t going to do anything to risk not being with him. After they’d finished the food, he took her arm, escorting her out to the front door. The valet brought the car around, and he was the perfect gentleman. “Wait, aren’t we taking the carriage back?” She was confused. They’d come in the carriage, and it had been so romantic. She’d hoped that they would be able to go back in it. “No, the driver had an emergency and had to cancel.” That made sense. But how had the car gotten here? He saw the question in her eyes and smiled. “My sister and her friend brought it by. I told them that I’d need a ride for me and my new fiancé.” Rosalie smiled. At least his sister seemed to be on board with Eric’s plans for his life, but that still left his mother. And the father that she’d never met. Well, if she had Eric on her side, then she could do anything. She’d worry about all of that later, however, because right now she was with the man she loved, and he’d put a ring on her finger.

Chapter 20 Eric was floating on a cloud. She’d said yes. He’d hoped that she would, but he’d always had that doubt in the back of his mind that he didn’t deserve her. Now the ring sparkled on her finger, and it gave him a matching sparkle in his eyes. He walked her to the door of her dorm, leaned in to kiss her, and saw the love shining out of her eyes. It melted his heart. No one had ever looked at him like that before, and he knew instantly that he wasn’t going to be able to let that go. Up until now, they had never been more intimate than a few kisses and caresses, because Rosalie wanted to wait until marriage to give herself to the man she loved. Eric respected that, and he felt honored that he was going to be that man. He’d never even spent a night with her, and he was ok with that, too. He let her set the pace for everything. She bit her lip, and he could tell that she was nervous. “Um, would you like to come up?” Eric’s heart stopped. Was she going to break her own vow for him? He didn’t want to push her, but he might not say no if she did. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” He did his best to control his voice, keeping it neutral. He didn’t want to guilt her into anything by showing her that he was really excited by her offer. If she wanted to go back on it, that was up to her, and he would support whatever decision she made. Rosalie bit her lip again, then gave one curt nod. He took her arm and started to walk her up to her room. They paused at her bedroom door while she fished out the key and unlocked it. Eric took a deep breath. Rosalie was nervous about what she was doing, but she was still sticking to her guns. She hadn’t invited him up for a tryst, just to spend the night with her, sharing a bed for the first time. Once they were in her room, she was stuck. She needed to get changed, but she didn’t want to kick him out of her room. She also wasn’t going to change in front of him, not yet anyways. “Um, would you mind standing there in the corner and face the wall while I change?” Now it was Eric’s turn to bite his lip. He had to so he wouldn’t chuckle at her modesty. He didn’t say anything, just followed her instructions. He listened while she went to the closet and started to undress. By her labored breathing, he was guessing that she was trying to hurry up and do it much quicker than usual. He got confirmation of that thought a second or two later, when he heard a bang and a curse. She must have tripped or fallen into something. “Are you alright?” He had no intention of turning around to face her unless she said she wasn’t. “Fine! I’m fine! Just don’t turn around.” He couldn’t hold the chuckle in this time, and he did the best he could to cover it with a cough. Luckily, she was too busy trying to get herself covered up to notice. When she finally told him that it was safe, he turned to find her in a tasteful t-shirt and sleep pants outfit, with her hair up in a messy bun. It was the most beautiful that he’d ever seen her. He wordlessly held his arms out to her, and she went into them with a smile. She tilted her face up for him and he kissed her. Rosalie wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on to him for dear life. He understood that feeling completely. When she was in his arms he never wanted to let her go. She finally pulled back, taking his hand and shyly leading him to the bed. She sat down and crawled into one side of it, letting him take off his shoes and jacket. Eric took off the tie he was wearing and unbuttoned his top button, feeling much better already, now that he wasn’t trussed up like a Christmas goose. He slid in under the covers, and he pulled her close. Rosalie lay down on his arm, snuggling her head into the crook of his shoulder. She was asleep in minutes, but he stayed awake for almost an hour, just watching her, running his fingers over her cheek occasionally. When morning came, Rosalie woke up looking at Eric. He was so adorable with his head drooping from the hand he’d propped it up on. He’d taken pains not to crush her in an embrace so she wouldn’t feel trapped. She raised herself up slowly and kissed the tip of his nose. She was giggling by the time he opened his eyes. “Well, good morning, beautiful. How did you sleep?” Rosalie cuddled up to him and he put his arms around her loosely. “Absolutely wonderfully. I felt so safe and at peace with you here beside me.” The silence between them stretched on, but it was a comfortable one, with them holding each other. Rosalie’s eyes strayed to the watch he was wearing, and her eyes widened. “I’m going to be late!” Eric took the hint and gave her a soft kiss before scooting out of the bed and putting on his shoes. He grabbed his jacket and slung it over a shoulder on his way out. “Text me when you can. Have a good day, babe.” He blew her a kiss as he left, knowing that she needed him gone so she could get ready for class. Besides, he had an errand to run. One that he was not looking forward to in the least… The valet was waiting for him at the door of his house when he got home. Eric handed him the keys and clapped him on the back. He still looked a little disheveled, with his shirt untucked, no tie, and his pants wrinkled, but he didn’t care. He was probably going to give his mother a heart attack, walking in on her like this, but it couldn’t be helped. This was something that he had to do. She was in her morning sitting room with the latest tabloid in her hands and a tea tray on the table next to her. “Mother.” She didn’t look up until she’d finished her paragraph. “You look terrible. Where have you been? Daniel tells me you didn’t come home last night. Did you sleep in your clothes?” The disgust was evident in her voice, but Eric chose to ignore it. Eric called out at her “I need you to go to the living room. I’m calling a family meeting.” Alarm crossed her face, but before she could ask him a thousand questions about what was going on, he’d spun on his heel and left, heading towards his father’s study. His father worked from

home, because he was rich enough and in a position where he could do it. He usually holed up in his study when he clocked his work hours, and everyone in the family knew not to bother him there. Well, this was important, and he would just have to take a short break. He knocked once, not waiting for his father to tell him to come in, and barged through the door. His father looked up, shocked that anyone had dared to barge in on him like this. “Dad. I need you to take a coffee break and go to the living room. I’m calling a family meeting. I’m going to grab my sister, then I’ll be ready.” Just like his mother, he didn’t give his father a chance to say no. If he wanted to know what was going on, then he needed to follow directions. “I heard you loud and clear. You don’t need to find me. Let’s go.” Eric smiled at his younger sister, and he was rewarded with her mischievous smile that she only saved for him. He took her hand and led her to the living room, taking confidence from the squeeze she gave him. No one in his family understood him like she did, and he was lucky to have her. He hoped that maybe Rosalie would let her be the maid of honor in the wedding. He opened the doors to the living room, and with a sigh of relief, saw that both of his parents were standing there ready for him. “Thank you for coming right away. Please sit down. I have some news to share with you.” He waited until his sister took a seat on the couch with his parents before he went on. “I have proposed to Rosalie a second time. She told me to wait, if you recall, mother, and I did. Just not the six months she said I should take. She’s accepted, and I want to start plans for our wedding soon. This wedding will happen with or without you, so let me know which side of the line you stand on. If you want to disown me, do it now so I can prepare and know what kind of life I can promise her. I want you both to be there, but if you can’t accept her, then I will marry her without you being there.” He’d gotten the words out, now he stood and waited for them to sink in so he could weather the fallout. His sister waited barely a minute or two before she rose to her feet and embraced him. “I’m so happy for you! I honestly thought you’d never find another girl to put up with you besides me, so I’m glad to be rid of you.” She winked at him in a teasing manner and Eric grinned. Had he chosen Rosalie because she was like his sister? That was a thought that he’d never had before now, but if he pondered it, the two girls were a lot alike. He let that thought slip from his mind as he turned to face his still silent parents. Both of them were gaping at him like goldfish. His mother rose to her feet and promptly walked out of the living room. That wasn’t a good sign. It hurt him to know that she didn’t support his choice, but he couldn’t honestly say that this was unexpected. His father gained his feet and walked over to him with his hands in his pants pockets, looking like a college kid in trouble. “And she’s the one you want?” That was enough to tell him that his mother had run to his father with the first proposal story. And he gathered that his mother had made sure to mention that she didn’t approve. He held his breath, then nodded. “Then I suppose that I’ll be there to support you. How much is this going to cost me?” Even if his parents had cut him off from any and all money, he would have found a way to give Rosalie the wedding she deserved. He was happy, however, that his father was going to let him continue the life he’d grown accustomed to. He’d worried that this was going to be the worst thing about the day, and looking back at it, this really hadn’t gone that badly. Only his mother had been non cooperative. “I’m not sure yet. It probably won’t be much, though. She’s happy with the simpler things in life.” Eric had to bite back the jab at his father that his intended wife was better in his eyes than his fathers’. His father, on the other hand, just let it go and went back to his study to work. Eric let out a heavy sigh of relief. He even allowed himself to smile. When Rosalie got out of class, he had the best news in the world to give her.

Chapter 21 Rosalie was surprised when she left her classroom to find Eric waiting for her with a wrapped present in his hands. His grin was so infectious that she found herself smiling back at him before she even knew what made him so happy. She barely got close to him before he grabbed her bag from her and shoved the present into her hands. “What’s this?” The gift wrapping had books and characters from fairy tales all over it, and that immediately told her it was from Barnes and Noble. That made her heart race. It was her favorite store, so she was pretty sure that whatever was inside, she would instantly love. “Open it.” He refused to say anything to tip her off, but it was easy to see that he was bursting at the seams for her to do it. Keeping the secret was killing him. She tore into the paper and froze. It was a wedding planner. A book to help her step by step organize her ideas and come up with what she wanted for her day to be as special as possible. She looked up at him, shocked. She didn’t know what to say. “You can plan whatever you want and spare no expense. My parents are on board with our wedding, and so is my sister. She couldn’t be happier for us. You can have the day that you deserve, the day that you’ve dreamed of since you were a little girl. I want to give you more than you deserve, and this is just the start.” Tears filled Rosalie’s eyes. “You mean your family likes me?” Eric bit his lip. No. Of course it wouldn’t be that simple. Not after the way that his mother had looked at her at breakfast that day when Eric had proposed to her for the first time. “Well, my father is on my side as long as I’m happy, which I am. My sister likes you, but I know you two haven’t really gotten to know each other that well. I was hoping that you girls would end up getting to know each other better.” Rosalie waited for him to mention his mother. He didn’t. She took his hand and squeezed gently. “And your mom?” Eric looked down at the ground before straightening his shoulders and squeezing back. “She just walked out of the room when I made the announcement. I told her that the wedding would take place with or without her, so it didn’t matter whether or not she was on board. I haven’t spoken to her since, so I think it’s safe to say she won’t be there.” He was doing his best to hide it, but she knew that it was hurting him, deep down inside. His mother was still his mother, and no matter how different they were, he loved her. She wished that there was something that she could do for him. “I’m so sorry. Do you want to put it off as long as possible in case she comes around?” There was a little hope in her voice, and she hated herself for it. She knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Eric, but she was afraid of how that would go. If he wanted to put the wedding off for a little while, she was ok with it. “No. I know that I want to be your husband, and I don’t want to put it off. I don’t want you to change your mind.” He playfully tugged her ponytail to make her smile. She blushed. “I’ve got to get going, I have a class in twenty minutes, but I wanted to tell you that before you got home.” He leaned forward and kissed her quickly, and she had to say that she liked it. She watched him disappear down the hallway, solidifying her thoughts as she walked in the opposite direction. Rosalie had a plan. Granted, she didn’t know how it would work out, but she was going to do everything she could to make Eric happy. Vanessa answered her door with hair tousled, mascara running down the side of her cheek, and a yawn wide enough to swallow an apple whole. Rosalie was ready for her. Before she’d even considered the possibility of getting her friend out of bed, she’d dropped her books off in her room, grabbed her purse, and bought a large latte at the little coffee shop down in the commons. The scent of the vanilla chai latte hit Vanessa’s nose, and Rosalie laughed when she saw life come into her friend’s face. “Good morning, sunshine. I have a favor to ask you, and I promise to pay you with coffee and gossip.” Vanessa grinned and was instantly awake. She disappeared into the depths of her room and came back seven minutes later, dressed, with fresh makeup on, and her hair in a ponytail. The coffee cup was still in her hand, and Rosalie wondered for a second if she’d managed to do everything without putting it down. “Ok, where are we going, and what happened?” Rosalie grinned at her friend and gave her a sweeping bow that said, ‘after you’. Vanessa took her coat and keys and headed out the door. “I’m out of my room and I still have no gossip. What’s going on?” Rosalie laughed. “It’s kind of a super secret thing, so I’m waiting till we get in the car.” “Well, why didn’t you say so? Let’s go!” Vanessa put on a burst of speed that Rosalie found hard to keep up with, but she managed. The second the door of the car was shut behind her, Vanessa pounced. “I’m not starting this car until you start yappin!” Rosalie took a deep breath as she put her seat belt on. “Ok, I need you to take me to Eric’s house, please, and I’ll tell you why.” Vanessa had opened her mouth to protest again, but shut it with a snap when Rosalie finished her sentence. “Eric proposed to me.” Vanessa’s head whipped around and she stared at Rosalie with her mouth wide open. “Red light.” Rosalie pointed ahead of them, not meeting Vanessa’s gaze. She was already nervous about what she was going to do, and she couldn’t let herself feel more cowed and embarrassed than she already was. Vanessa jerked her head around again, slamming on the breaks. “His mom isn’t on board, because she doesn’t like me. His dad I guess is fine with it so long as Eric is happy, and his sister likes me as far as he knows. She doesn’t know me that well, but from what she knows, she likes. What I need your help with, is trying to convince his mom to be in the wedding. I know she hates me, but I want him to be happy, and I know she’ll regret not being there later on in life when she comes to her senses, so I just have to try.” Vanessa was silent. Rosalie let out the breath that she’d been holding. She’d been afraid that her

friend was going to try to talk her out of it, or make her feel stupid for what she was planning on doing, but when she snuck a peek over to Vanessa’s face, her friend’s eyes were wet. “Are you ok?” Vanessa cleared her throat before she answered. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” There was a little bit of harshness to her voice, and Rosalie decided not to press the issue farther. If Vanessa wanted to talk about it, then she would. “I just think it’s really great of you to do that. No one else that I know would try to make someone else happy as hard as you do. I just hope one day, I can be half as wonderful as you.” That made Rosalie tear up. She wanted to hug Vanessa for her kind words, but she knew it wasn’t safe while they were driving. She’d wait till they got to Eric’s house. “Thanks. That really makes me feel more confident in myself. Would you wait for me while I go in?” “Of course! If the bitch still says no, you tell me and I’ll take care of it.” There was no doubt in Rosalie’s mind that her friend would stomp in there and bully Eric’s mom into being in the wedding. They pulled up, and Rosalie took a deep breath before getting out and walking up to the door. When she rang the bell, a butler answered, looking down his nose at her when she asked if the lady of the house was home. He stepped back without a word, holding the door open. She assumed that that meant to follow him. She did, and he led her through the house into a little room covered in hanging flowers. Eric’s mom was sitting on a little chaise lounge, reading a fashion magazine. The butler had mysteriously disappeared, leaving her on her own. Rosalie’s heart started to pound with nervousness as she walked in and cleared her throat. She never even looked up. “Ah, Daniel. I would like some more coffee.” She held out a cup, fully expecting it to be taken from her hand. “Excuse me, ma’am.” The woman looked up, shocked, then disgust was written on her face, plain as day. “How did you get in here? If you’re looking for my son, he’s at school. Go cast your net in another pool of rich men.” She went back to her magazine, but she put her cup down. Rosalie didn’t like being dismissed like that, and she’d come here to help Eric. Even if he didn’t know it. She cleared her throat again. Not for attention, because she was going to get her attention, but to make sure that her nerves were out of her throat. “Your butler let me in. Now you’re going to listen to me.” Her voice had a hardness in it that she’d never heard come out of her mouth before. “Eric may have told you that he would marry me with or without you, but if you’re not there, it’s going to hurt him. You’re his mother and he loves you, no matter what you might think. I’ve come here to convince you to be in the wedding.” Shock registered on her face, and she stared at Rosalie like she was an avenging angel come down from the very gates of Heaven. “Why would you want me in the wedding? You must know that I don’t think you’re good enough to be in this family.” His mother had composed herself, and the scathing comeback was the first thing that came into her mind. It stung, but Rosalie shook it off. She could hurt later, when no one was watching. “I personally wish that you wouldn’t come because I think you’ll ruin the whole day with your attitude. But that doesn’t matter. Eric loves you and he wants you to be there, even if he won’t come out and say it. I love him and I want him happy. If that means having you there with him, then I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get you there, and even be on a truce to stay the hell away from you all night because I know that you don’t like me one little bit.” She practically spat the words out at the woman, watching as her emotions moved across her face like clouds over the sky. She swallowed hard and looked at the ground. “It takes a lot of guts to come here and to talk to me at all, much less like that. I can’t say that I like you, or ever will, but I can understand loving someone and wanting them to be happy.” Rosalie doubted that, but she kept her mouth shut. “If you promise to stay away from me except for the family pictures that are always taken, I will go.”

Chapter 22 When Rosalie turned towards the door, the butler had magically appeared. It startled her a little, because she didn’t know if he’d heard what she’d said to the lady of the house, or if he’d just appeared. It made her blush and suddenly feel shy again. She really didn’t have many moments in her life where she had outbursts like this, but when she was heated or passionate about something, then all bets were off. She kept her eyes on the floor as he led her back through the maze of rooms to the front door. He was reaching for the handle to open it when a voice rang out, echoing down the empty hall. “Wait!” The butler’s face never changed, but it certainly startled Rosalie badly enough that she jumped. When she turned towards the voice, she saw that it was Eric’s sister. Remembering that she was on Rosalie’s side, Rosalie gave her a smile. “I’m sorry. I just need to talk to you for a minute if that’s ok?” She was jogging down the lengthy hallway. When she arrived, she was panting a little, but not enough to keep her from talking. “Daniel, you can go. I can let her out.” The man looked like he was put out a little, but he did as he was told. Rosalie let her catch her breath. “Thank you. For being on our side. I know that it means a lot to Eric that you support us.” Roasalie’s voice was gentle, and she hoped that the girl knew exactly what that meant to both of them. “You’re welcome. I know my brother is happy with you, and I know that we don’t know each other that well, but I’d like to change that. I’d like to help you plan the wedding in any way I can. I heard what you said to my mother, and I want to say thank you. You’re right. It does mean a lot to my brother to have her there, even if she’s a little on the rude side. She deserved to hear what you said. Maybe it will help her get her head out of her ass.” Both girls laughed, and Rosalie stuck her hand out for a handshake. “Thank you. I could certainly use the help. I’ve never planned anything before, and even though Eric bought me a planning book, I think I’ll still need some help.” The girl checked her watch and swore. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to get going. I’ve got a tennis lesson and I’m going to be late. I wanted to hear what you said though.” She blushed like a little kid caught listening at the door. Rosalie smiled and shooed her off. Standing there at the door alone, Rosalie considered the trip to be a success. She went outside and almost got bum rushed by Vanessa. “How’d it go? What did you say? What did she say?” Rosalie threw her hands up in surrender. “Whoa! Can I get in the car first?” Vanessa almost ripped the door off its hinges in her hurry to get Rosalie into the car. She ran around the front end and dove into the driver’s seat, turning to stare at her friend. “She’s going to come to the wedding.” Vanessa let out a whoop. The girls were chatting and singing along to the radio on the way back when Rosalie decided it was time to ask her friend an important question. “Um, Vanessa? Can I ask you something?” “Yeah, what’s up? Who I gotta kill?” Rosalie laughed. “It’s nothing that serious. Well, ok, it is serious, but not in that sense. Would you be my maid of honor?” Vanessa slammed on the brakes. Luckily, there was no one behind her. She looked over at Rosalie with a bit of mist in her eyes. “Of course! That’s not even a question! I just didn’t know if you’d want me to be. I have to warn you, though, I know nothing about planning weddings.” “That’s ok. I got an offer of help from Eric’s sister, and I was thinking I would do most of the planning with her anyway so that we can get a chance to get to know each other better. I just didn’t want to hurt your feelings if I asked you to be the maid of honor, then didn’t let you help.” “No! That’s no problem at all! That’s actually a good plan. Just keep me in the loop and everything will be fine.” Rosalie could hardly believe her luck. *** Eric was just finishing his class when his phone went off. It was a text from his sister. She usually sent short messages, so when he saw the book she’d written him, he stepped to the side of the door and read it. He was in shock. This couldn’t be true, could it? Rosalie had marched to his house and badgered his mother into being in the wedding. He was numb. He couldn’t believe that, but here was his sister telling him that, and she wouldn’t lie. Maybe he should ask his mother. There was just something about confronting her that made him smile. Then she asked for Rosalie’s number. He found that odd, but he had no problem giving it to her. It looked like everything was working out just fine for their wedding. He might not have to do anything as far as planning went. Not that he didn’t want to, but he just didn’t feel like he was good at all that. He’d have to talk to Rosalie about when she’d feel comfortable getting married. As far as he was concerned, it could happen today and he’d be happy. ***

Months went by, and the wedding planning was coming along great. Rosalie had almost everything done thanks to the help she was getting. Eric had a tux fitting coming up, and she was going to go shopping this weekend with Vanessa for a dress. It was strange for her to have Eric’s father foot the bill for everything, but he insisted. His father had even called her a few times with ideas. It was something that she had to admit that she liked. Part of her thought that his mother should be playing this role, but per the agreement they had, they were staying away from each other until absolutely necessary. Eric’s father had let slip, however, that she had been the one to suggest the caterer, so Rosalie began to think that his mother was telling her ideas to either her husband or daughter, and was helping in that way. It warmed her heart, because she thought that maybe they would be able to get along one day. Even if she didn’t like her, she wanted to get along or at least tolerate the woman for Eric’s sake. She didn’t want to make him have to choose between his wife and his mother. Breaking up a family was not something that she wanted to do. Eric was happy to do what he was told, or pick up anything she asked, so long that he didn’t have to come up with creative ideas. It was actually kind of cute at how terrified he was at having to participate in anything girly or frilly. He would start stammering and find someplace else to be, and all three girls would just laugh. Rosalie spent quite a bit of time with his sister, and had made her a bridesmaid. Vanessa was along for the ride, even if she did leave most of the ideas to the two of them. She was always quick to offer support. Except for on the dress shopping issue. That was something that she insisted she and Rosalie do alone. It meant a lot to her that Vanessa had taken such a stand, and she was glad that it was Vanessa going with her. She knew that her friend was blunt and honest, and if for some reason it didn’t flatter her, Vanessa had no issues letting Rosalie know. That made her both excited and nervous to go dress shopping, but she’d put it off long enough and now it had to be done so the alterations would be done in time. She was getting married in three months! Every time she thought that, a thrill of joy went through her. She’d already sent out the invitations to everyone, even though it was only going to be a small affair, and she’d gotten an RSVP from everyone. Her parents were insistent on trying to pay for things, but she’d let them know about Eric’s dad wanting to take the reins, and she knew that they were secretly glad because they had fallen on some hard times. She was hoping that at some point, she’d be able to send money to them once she finished school and started working as a doctor. Only a few more short years, and she’d be able to make sure they never needed anything again. It made her tear up. It was the least she could do to pay them back for the life they had given her. In the meantime, she’d managed to make the Dean’s List, which made everyone in her life proud, and had even helped in the way of getting her a scholarship. Granted it was a partial one, but every little bit of money helped because she didn’t want to rely on Eric and his family’s money. She had pride, and she was going to go as far as she could before she looked for help. That’s how she’d always been, and knowing that she was safe now that she was going to be part of a socially royal family wasn’t going to change that… no matter what his mother thought. She wasn’t in it for the money. She was just finishing her first year as a med student, now she was getting married, and it felt like her life was falling into place. She sent up a quick thank you to whoever was listening, strengthening her faith that good things come to those who wait, and who aren’t afraid to work hard. It was something that she was glad to know, that her ideals and morals that she’d had when she was younger, stayed with her and proved her right. It strengthened her and reinforced her belief that she didn’t have to change to be what she wanted to be. Now she only had three more years before she could start giving back to the people that helped her achieve her dreams. That was a feeling that she was dying to feel. She eagerly counted down the time, almost as eagerly as the days to her wedding. With the two girls at her back supporting her, and both of Eric’s parents hiding in the wings, even if one was trying to hide, she knew that her wedding day would be perfect. Even if everything went wrong from the ceremony to the reception and after, she was still going to be marrying the man that she loved, and with him, she could get through anything the world threw at her. Life was looking up, and she was going to make sure it stayed that way. When Vanessa banged on the door at eight the next morning, Rosalie could only smile. They were going dress shopping. “Up and at’em, Sleeping Beauty! We gotta get a dress for the princess and a little something hot for the wedding night!” The smile was instantly gone from Rosalie’s face. She’d been so focused on the wedding that she hadn’t even thought about the wedding night. Fear flooded her like ice in her veins, the color drained from her face, and she started to shake. Was she really ready for that? She’d heard stories, both good and bad, about sex, but now it was going to happen to her for the first time, and she couldn’t stop the fear going through her.

Chapter 23 “Um, we can just skip the lingerie. The dress is much more important.” Rosalie was beyond nervous now, and she regretted taking Vanessa with her at all. She knew that Vanessa would make her get something for the wedding night and wouldn’t take no for an answer. She’d be damned if she tried on anything to show her friend. She probably wouldn’t be able to see herself in the mirror as it was. “What? Are you kidding? NO! It’s tradition, and Eric will be expecting it. You can’t disappoint him, now, can you?” Damn Vanessa! She knew exactly which buttons to push to get Rosalie to dance along to whatever beat she was playing. “I don’t feel comfortable shopping for something like that!” she hissed, feeling her cheeks heating up. Vanessa just waved off her objections, as if to say, they would see about that when they got to the store. Rosalie decided to change the topic. “Where are we going?” “David’s Bridal is right down the street. I figured we could start there, and if you don’t find the perfect dress that makes you feel like a princess, then we’ll find a few more stores until we do.” That was one thing that Rosalie did love about Vanessa. She was persistent. Unfortunately, that also made her stubborn when she wanted Rosalie to do something that Rosalie didn’t want to…like buy sexy outfits. She shook her head, trying to forget about that detail of the day and shooed Vanessa out while she got dressed. When she was ready, she came out into the living room to see that Vanessa was done and impatiently waiting. She was holding a polaroid camera in one hand and idly spinning her keys on her finger with the other. “I thought you were going to take hours. Let’s go!” Rosalie waited until Vanessa wasn’t looking to roll her eyes. Granted, the enthusiasm was contagious, so as they walked down the stairs to the parking lot, Rosalie’s heart started to pound with it, too. The drive felt like it took hours, but in reality wasn’t more than ten minutes. Vanessa was so into the task at hand, that she cut off another car and took the first available spot, closest to the door. A mother and her daughter glared at them as they got out and walked to the front door. Rosalie and Vanessa dissolved into giggles, and couldn’t stop until the sales lady had cleared her throat three times to get their attention. “Good morning, ladies, and welcome to David’s Bridal. Do you have an appointment?” Both of them sobered up. Did they need an appointment in order to shop? They didn’t know that, so they hadn’t made one. This day would quickly go from good to bad if they couldn’t look at dresses. “Um, no, ma’am, we don’t. We didn’t know that we needed one.” Rosalie’s heart was in her throat as she waited for the woman to say something. “It’s not required, but sometimes we get so busy that you can only get in by appointment. Luckily, today isn’t one of those days. I can take you over here to Daisy, and she’ll help you right away.” Rosalie let out the breath that she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. The woman led them over to a slender woman with beautiful, almond shaped eyes. She smiled at them as she led the girls to a section of dressing rooms. Vanessa dive bombed into a pouf that was clearly positioned for the people waiting to see the dresses, earning a reproachful look from Daisy. “Hello, I’m Daisy. What sort of a dress are you looking for? We have about a dozen different main designs, then we can narrow down the particulars.” Rosalie felt blindsided. She had no idea about fashion or anything. Her eyes went wide, and sort of glazed over. Vanessa blew a bubble with her gum, then popped it. “She’s looking for either an A-line, mermaid, or princess. No feathers, lace is ok, so long as it’s not dominating the dress, and strapless is alright if she can get a jacket to go with it.” Daisy looked Vanessa up and down critically before nodding and disappearing between the racks that held hundreds and hundreds of dresses. Rosalie mouthed a quick thank you to Vanessa, who just winked at her and resumed blowing bubbles, making sure to snap her gum particularly loudly any time Daisy was close. Rosalie was handed a gown and ushered into the dressing room. She did her best to get into the first gown, then ended up calling for help. Daisy went in, tugged and poked, prodded and yanked, then led Rosalie out to stand on a little pedestal that was surrounded by mirrors. It was a beautiful dress, but it didn’t call out to her. In the movies, the mom or whoever was with the bride always started crying when it was the perfect dress, and Vanessa was just looking bored, giving the dress a fake yawn and a roll of her eyes. Rosalie had gone through about ten dresses, and the day was wearing on. At this point she was afraid she wouldn’t find a dress that she liked at all. There was one left on her rack to try before Daisy disappeared back down the racks. Crestfallen, she picked the last one up off the hanger without even looking at it and stepped in. When she called Daisy in to finish fitting it to her, her head was hung low. She didn’t even look at Vanessa when she came out, she just stared at the floor. Usually, Vanessa had a comment to make. Rosalie stood there, waiting. When the silence stretched on, she finally looked up. Vanessa had a softness to her face, and a glow, looking up at Rosalie with a tear leaking out of her eye, and beginning to trail down her cheek. This was the reaction she’d wanted. Was this the dress? She slowly turned around to look at herself in the mirror. The dress was stunning on her. It was an A-line with little cap sleeves, that fell to the floor with ruffles trimmed in lace. It had a sash around the waist with roses embroidered on it in pink satin thread. Overall, it was a simple dress, but she loved it. “That’s the one. That’s the dress, Rosalie. Tell them to start fitting it and I’ll tell Eric to have his dad come pay for it.” Vanessa had gotten herself composed again, and was busy typing away on her phone to cover up her momentary lapse in composure. Rosalie loved the dress, and she felt like a princess in it. “Would you like to add a veil to it?” Rosalie nodded eagerly. Daisy disappeared and came back with a floor length veil, a veil that only covered her face, and one that fell just past her shoulders. Rosalie chose the one that fell just past her shoulders and Daisy added it to her hair with a little headband covered in crystals. Rosalie’s eyes were shining. This was the most beautiful that she’d ever looked in her life. The typing had stopped at one point, and when it resumed with feverish strokes, Rosalie took a minute to look at her friend. Vanessa’s makeup was smudged

and she was trying to covertly wipe another tear from her face. This was definitely it then. “Would you lay it aside for me please and start the alterations?” Rosalie couldn’t believe her own voice was saying these things. Daisy took her back into the dressing room and undid whatever it was that she’d done to get her into the dress, then left her alone to change. When she came out, she was feeling light and almost like she was floating across the ground. “It should take a few weeks for the alterations, but it will definitely be finished by the time you said you needed it.” Daisy disappeared through a back door with the dress and the veil draped over her arms, and Vanessa shot to her feet. “Time for sexy clothes!” She grabbed Rosalie’s hand and almost pushed her out of the store. “And where exactly are we going to go for this?” Vanessa opened her mouth to say something but the devious look in her eyes made Rosalie throw her hand up to stop her friend. “If this is going to happen, I refuse to go to an adult store. I want somewhere conservative where I can feel a little less embarrassed about it.” Vanessa’s face fell and she started to chew her lip. “Fine. I guess that limits us a little. Maybe we can try Macy’s,” Vanessa grumbled. Rosalie pumped her fist in the air in victory. If she was going to be subjected to embarrassment, then she was going to do it her own way. Smiling, she got back into the car, feeling like she’d achieved a victory. At Macy’s, Vanessa was instructed to find conservative outfits that wouldn’t embarrass Rosalie, then had to swear, on pain of death, not to enter the dressing room at any time. Vanessa was put out about it, but that was what Rosalie wanted, so she had to go with it. A half an hour later, Rosalie came back out of the dressing room, fully clothed, with a red lacy something bundled up in her hand as small as possible, so no one else could see what it was. Vanessa grinned at her and wiggled her eyebrows, insinuating lewdness, which only earned her a smack on the shoulder as Rosalie walked to the checkout, trying her best to hide what was in her hand. The checkout lady looked at them askance, and Vanessa eagerly told her it was for a wedding night, leaving both Vanessa and the cashier giggling while Rosalie shoved the money at the girl, grabbed the bag, and stalked out to the parking lot with her face as red as the lace. “It’ll be fun, I promise. Sometimes it hurts a little the first time, but you’ll be ok. You should probably make an appointment for birth control pills though if you want to finish school before you have kids.” They were in the car now, talking casually on the way home. Rosalie’s face had gone from beet red to puke gray in the span of two minutes. She’d never even thought of that. She’d had no need for birth control before, because she was still a virgin. She scrambled for her phone, scrolling through her address book to call her doctor for an appointment. “Thanks. I hadn’t even thought of that. Man, I guess I’m a bit more naïve than I thought.” Vanessa laughed. “You’re good, honey. What are friends for? This is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, and I’m going to help you make sure that it is.” “Thanks, Vanessa. It means a lot to me that you’re here with me every step of the way. I’ve never had a friend like you before.” For the second time, Vanessa teared up, but this time Rosalie pretended to ignore it, because she was as well. Things would be different in her life after she married Eric, but she hoped that no matter what happened, or where they went, she hoped that Vanessa would always be a part of her life. She’d been the first real friend Rosalie had ever had, and she didn’t want to lose her. When they got back to the dorm, Rosalie ran up the stairs with her bag, unlocked the door to her bedroom, ripped open the closet door, and shoved the bag with the lingerie as far into the back of her closet’s corner as she could. It made her feel a little better now that it was out of her line of sight. When she came back out, pink cheeked, she found Vanessa doubled over on the couch, crying from laughter. Rosalie stuck her tongue out and promptly slammed the door.

Chapter 24 The weeks were dwindling, and the date was looming closer and closer. Rosalie was starting to realize that she was afraid. What if Eric changed his mind at the last minute? What if something went wrong and the things she’d ordered for the reception didn’t come through? She was thinking that that wouldn’t be a big issue, because she didn’t really have that much. All she’d really had was the food and flowers, and a little bit of decorations. Well, plus the dress and the cake. She wasn’t sure about the tux for Eric, because he was taking care of that himself. He felt it was his responsibility to do that. It was cute, in a way, that he was insisting on that part himself, but Rosalie was thinking that he probably wanted to have control over what he wore himself, so she couldn’t put him in anything too embarrassing. She would never do that, of course, but it was understandable for him to think. She took a leaf out of his book and let both his sister and Vanessa choose their own dresses, too. She’d given them the color scheme, pink and cream, and they would work around that to find dresses that they liked. Both had assured her that they had already found their dresses, and that they were already fitted for them. Rosalie tried to turn her mind away from the fear of the looming wedding by throwing herself into extra work for her classes that were coming up a few days after the wedding. She wanted to make sure that she got some of the work done ahead of time, in case they decided to take a little vacation for their honeymoon. Eric had laughed when she’d told him, saying that he was sure a little slip for the first few days of class would be fine, but Rosalie wouldn’t hear of it. She even turned to asking him what he’d be doing if he fell behind for those few days. He flat out told her that he wasn’t worried about it, because he had the rest of the semester to make up whatever points he lost in the first week. That had a logical ring to it, but Rosalie just couldn’t do it. Schoolwork had always come first in her life, and it was a sense of calm for her to lose herself in an assignment. It was strange, but that was who she was. Vanessa had the same attitude as Eric, so that left Rosalie alone most nights, trying to study and read ahead in the textbooks that she’d just bought. Her writing jobs had taken off after she’d turned the first one around, and even though she’d been able to buy all of her books herself, she’d only come up with three quarters of the tuition money. Eric had given her the rest, and her cheeks had been burning when she accepted it, swearing that she would pay him back every penny of it. He’d tried to wave it off, but Rosalie had insisted. So he’d finally thrown his hands up in defeat and accepted the handwritten IOU that she’d given him. It hurt him that she wouldn’t let him do anything for her financially, except the wedding. He’d insisted, and if she’d wanted the wedding her way, then she had no way of turning him down. Other than that one thing, she refused to let him do anything financially for her. At first, he’d thought it was basically to throw in his mother’s face that she hadn’t been with him for the money, but the more he dealt with it, the more he realized it was something else. She had a pride and a code in her that he’d never seen before. She wanted to do things for herself, and if she did need help every now and then, she repaid that debt as soon as she was able. He was a little worried about that for later on in life, because he had intended to support her through school with his own trust fund. Now he was going to have to sit back and watch her scrimp and save, wearing herself out by not only doing the heavy workload that she had from her chosen program, as well as the hours of working on her computer to come up with the writing jobs she was being hired for, and he was afraid that it would eat up all her time and energy, draining her. He wanted to step back and let her do what she felt she needed to, but he was worried about her. Maybe he could find a way around helping her out without her noticing. Rosalie needed to pick up her dress, and she wanted Vanessa to go with her. After all, she’d been there on the day they’d picked the dress out, so she should be there on the last day of fitting. It was something that they’d done together, and it was also closing the door on a chapter of how things had been between them. Rosalie had already seen her doctor and acquired the pills she would need to keep from getting pregnant, so not too much would change, but the girls wouldn’t be living together in the same room, able to come to each other at any time of day or night with a problem, knowing that the other one was right there. Now it would have to be through text messages and phone calls, or visits. Their Saturday vegging and movie night would be nonexistent, and both of them were a little torn up about it. Rosalie’s mother used to tell her that nothing in life ever lasted forever, and it was sad but true. The worst thing about that statement was that the great things didn’t stay around forever, but the flip side of that coin was that the bad things didn’t last that long, either. It made the world bittersweet. Rosalie froze outside the door of David’s Bridal. This was it. The last thing to fall into place. The food had been confirmed, she’d seen the decorations for the reception, the ceremony would be performed right outside, and the flowers had already been confirmed. This was the last piece. This made it seem so real, and it scared her. It was the biggest step she was going to take in her life, and she’d never done anything close to it before. “Come on, honey, this is it.” Vanessa’s voice was a little sad, and she knew what this signified. It would warp their friendship into something different, but it would still be a friendship. They walked in together. When Daisy met them for their appointment, Rosalie had made an appointment for every other meeting after that first day, she put the dress on, looked at herself in the mirror, and broke down crying. She looked beautiful, and she was going to start the rest of her life soon. It was overwhelming for her, but she was glad that Vanessa was there with her. She did her best to wipe her eyes and look normal for when she walked out for the last once over. Daisy poked and prodded, tugged and yanked, and finally gave them a big smile and a thumbs up. “That’s it! It’s perfect!” Once Rosalie had changed, Daisy had taken the dress and wrapped it up for her, letting her know it would be at the front when she was ready. The girls sat there in silence on the poofs, not really knowing what to say. After a while, they got to their feet and took the dress, Vanessa driving them back to their dorm. Rosalie hung the dress on the front of her closet door. The weight of importance that it represented crushed her, and she made a break for the living room. Vanessa stood there with a selection of romantic comedy movies and a big tub of popcorn.

“Wanna watch a movie?” Rosalie grinned and threw her arms around her friend. She knew just what to do in this situation. “Yeah. I don’t know if things will be the same after the wedding, but I don’t want to ever lose you as my best friend. I’ve never had a friend like you before, and I’m not going to lose the one thing that’s been stable for me since I got here. Thanks for being there.” “Oh, stop it! I’m not that special, and you’re just going to make me cry. Go pick out a movie and get it started. I’ll get the butter.” The next few hours, Rosalie spent blissfully ignoring the dress and the nerves that came from thinking about her upcoming nuptials. *** Eric was a little nervous, too. He didn’t want anyone to know that he was scared of how things would be once he was married, but he was. Men weren’t supposed to let on when they were nervous, and it wasn’t that he wanted to get cold feet or anything, he was just nervous about the unknown. He’d never been married before, and this was all new to him. He wasn’t quite sure yet where they would go to live, but he knew that he wanted out of his parents’ house. He’d been covertly looking for a place without her knowing, because it was going to be his wedding present to her. Granted, he was going to take her shopping for whatever furniture and decorations or accessories that she wanted for it, but the initial home was going to be from him. He wanted to ease her mind a little. He knew that she was worried as to what they would do, and how they would move on once they were a couple. He could at least help in that respect. He’d also talked to his dad about getting a part time job in his company, just so he could help her out with her own tuition. If they were married, the money he earned would be hers as well. He had a trust fund, and his father had still said he would take care of everything while his son was in school, but she wouldn’t want to touch his money for any of her own bills or let his father help. He respected that, and decided that he would do the same. He would do what it took so they would be self-sufficient, and only accept help when absolutely necessary. After he’d come to that conclusion, he’d realized the changes that he’d gone through for her. They were good changes, and he was shaping himself into the kind of man he’d always wanted to be without even realizing it. Smiling to himself, Eric put on his coat. He was on his way to an open house right now, and he’d had a feeling from looking at the pictures online that this one was going to be the one. He whistled as he walked out the front door of his house, smiling and nodding to the valet who brought him his car, and cheerfully waving to his mother who was out on her balcony, tending to the flowers. Maybe everything was going to work out in his favor after all. His mother and his fiancé getting along was at the top of his wish list, and he knew that Rosalie would do whatever she could to give him the world. If his mother could only see that and let that rub off on her, his life would be perfect. Oh well, all in good time. Right now, he was just taking baby steps and letting things happen as they would. Things would work out or they wouldn’t. He wasn’t going to stress over it because he had no control over them. If he could just get Rosalie to have the same attitude, then she would have a lot less stress in her life. Right now, the sun was shining, he was getting married, and he was going to look at a house to bring his new bride home to. Life was great.

Chapter 25 The day of the wedding dawned bright and clear, and Rosalie was doing her best to keep her nerves and jitters under control. Vanessa had barged in first thing in the morning with a little tray of breakfast, saying that this was their last day together as single women. It had cheered her up that Vanessa cared so much, but the fact that she was going to change her life drastically today sobered her. The wedding was in three hours, and as far as Vanessa was concerned, that wasn’t enough time. “Come on out into the living room and don’t freak out, ok?” That started her heart pounding, and Rosalie got a little nervous. She got up and dressed in a zip up hoodie and some sweatpants, making sure she was comfortable until she put her dress on, and went into the living room. Blaze stood behind the couch, a wide assortment of hair accessories and tools spread out on the coffee table. The look on her face could have curdled milk, but the fact that she was there had to mean something. “Get over here and sit down, I don’t have all day.” The bossy tone in her voice was just to hide the pain of losing the man she fancied herself in love with, but Rosalie couldn’t spare much time to think about that. “Thank you for coming to do my hair. I really appreciate it.” Rosalie’s attempt at civility was met with a grunt as Blaze pushed hard on her shoulders to get her to sit down. Rosalie obeyed and sat in silence while Blaze went to work. Vanessa was bustling around, making sure that they had everything for when they went over to the church. Both Rosalie’s and Vanessa’s dresses were hanging in bags from the top of the door so they wouldn’t drag on the ground. There was a duffle bag with the folded veil and both of their shoes, plus an assortment of things to use to fix minor problems that Vanessa had lovingly dubbed the ‘oh shit kit’. Blaze was yanking and pulling on her hair, but Rosalie understood that she was trying to work with a sense of purpose, but she could understand and appreciate that. It took forty-five minutes to get done, and Vanessa was bundling her up and shoving her out the door as quickly as possible. Rosalie thanked her as she was pushed out, then went to the little mirror on the back of her bedroom door. Her mouth fell open. Blaze had combed and curled all of her hair, leaving it in cascades of shining waves. It looked so beautiful. She’d even pulled a few strands together around the crown of her head, leaving it painfully obvious as to where the headband and veil should go. She teared up a little, but Vanessa rushed her out the door before she could really break down. The whole trip to the church, Vanessa was cussing up a storm at anyone who got in the way. Rosalie couldn’t help it, she giggled. She was caught up in a fit of giggles, and nothing she did could make her stop. When they arrived, Vanessa put the dresses in the women’s powder room, then the two of them went out the back door to check on everything. Chairs had been brought outside, the flowers made the aisle, and a beautiful archway was covered in them to the point that it looked like it had grown there naturally, completely made of flowers. Everything looked perfect. She went outside to check on the cake and the food, and saw the pavilion that they had erected for the reception. It was beautifully set up, the food was set to be coming out of the hot racks as soon as the wedding let out, and everything looked great. Now it was just time for them to get changed and do the ceremony. Rosalie suddenly found her feet not able to move. Vanessa had to grab her arm and pull her back into the church, none too gently. In the powder room, Eric’s sister was waiting for them, and so was her mother. What caught Rosalie off guard, was that her own mom was in there, tears flowing down her cheeks “Mom!” Rosalie ran to her, and the two embraced. They spent about a half hour talking, before both of the other two girls pulled Rosalie away to get changed. They were ready, and all they needed was the bride. Rosalie got changed, everyone made sure they were perfect, and then Eric’s mom came to talk to her. “Rosalie.” Everyone in the dressing room froze, because they all knew the tension between the two. “I want to thank you for coming to talk to me that day. If I had missed this because of my stubborn attitude, then I would have ruined the day for the both of you. I’m sorry. Maybe we can work on getting closer. What do you say?” Rosalie had tears in her eyes, and she had to dab a tissue at them to make sure she didn’t ruin her makeup. “I’d like that very much. I’m sure he would, too.” She strode forward, taking a chance, and opened her arms. The other woman hesitated for a moment, then went into them. “I’m glad that you two are making up, but the wedding march is starting! We’ve got to go!” Rosalie cleaned her face one last time and walked out to find her father waiting for her. He took her arm and they turned to face the door. They were opened by ushers, and everyone surged to their feet as they started to walk down the aisle. Rosalie’s eyes were fixed on Eric, waiting for her at the end. He was to take her the las few feet to the outdoor trellis, covered in flowers, while everyone followed behind. Her father handed her off to Eric, and she dared to look up into his eyes. As the outdoor sunlight hit them, they gleamed and sparkled at her in a way that she’d never seen before. It melted her heart. All around her, she could hear people coming out of the church and finding their seats, ready for the actual ceremony to start. To Rosalie, no one else existed. The words she’d memorized were said at the right time, but the ceremony went by in a blur. The reception had started before she could even think of how, and now she had a ring on her finger, Eric was sitting next to her, and the food was being served. She focused on her eating, then did her part for the first dance. She couldn’t help it, but she felt like she was having an out of body experience. Part of her enjoyed herself, but another part of her still couldn’t believe that it was happening. Ever since she’d looked into Eric’s eyes, she’d been floating along, outside of her body, in the ethereal space between worlds that existed between the specks of green in his blue eyes. Toasts started, and she managed to smile as they were given wishes for long and happy lives together. It was all over before she realized it was, and Eric had her tucked in under his shoulder, waving goodbye to all of the guests. “Well, I have a surprise for my beautiful wife, and I hope that you’ll like it.” Those words brought her back to her senses. It was over, and now they were husband and wife. It snapped her back to reality in a way nothing about the ceremony or reception had.

“You do? Can’t we just go to a hotel and sleep?” Eric shook his head and laughed, helping her into the passenger side of his car. “Now why would I want to spend my wedding night with my amazing new wife in some flea bitten motel?” She wanted to ask where else they would go, because she didn’t really feel comfortable having their wedding night in his parents’ house, but she decided to trust him and let him do what he had intended on doing. He drove for a little while, then pulled up in front of a house. The lights were on, and it looked like someone lived there already. She bit her lip, not really looking forward to seeing anyone else tonight. “Come on, baby.” He opened the door for her and took her little overnight bag for her. She grabbed her dress and started to walk, but he came up behind her and scooped her up into his arms. She squealed with delight, grabbing on to his neck and hugging him close. He opened the door and she looked over her shoulder. Her mouth gaped open. The house was empty. There were no people, and more importantly, no furniture. He kicked the door closed behind them, and turned down a hallway. She saw that the door at the end was open, and when she looked into the room, she saw that there was an air mattress laid out, with rose petals all over it and the floor. Candles were lit and placed around the air mattress, which was fully made up to look like a bed, and she smiled. It was adorable that he had done this for them. “I love it! It’s so cute that you did this for us.” He set her down and handed her the bag she’d brought. She took it and immediately ducked into the bathroom that was just off the corner of the room. “I’m glad you do. How do you feel about the house?” She was taking off the wedding dress and putting it back in its protective covering when his voice floated through the door. “It’s a beautiful house, just a little bare,” she joked. “Well, we can change that. This is our house now, and you can shop and get whatever furniture you want for it.” She dropped the bag. She was changing into the red lingerie that Vanessa had made her buy, and she felt self-conscious about it. She opened the door a crack, just enough to let her face peek out. “What do you mean? This is really our house? We can shop for furniture together?” Eric grinned at her, already in his pajama pants and t-shirt. He looked so comfortable, and not like he was expecting anything from her but sleep. That gave her the confidence in herself that she needed. “Yup. We can go tomorrow if you want.” He opened his mouth to say something else, but that was when Rosalie opened the door all the way and walked out in the little lacy nightie. His mouth hung open and she found that she loved that he looked at her in that way. “Wow. Maybe like late afternoon tomorrow.” She giggled at his implications and walked over to the air mattress. He pulled the blanket back for her to crawl in, then propped himself up on one arm while she lay down. He looked her over, and there was such love in his eyes that it made a lot of her fear dissipate. “You look so beautiful.” She leaned up and kissed him, pulling his head down with her as she lay back down. His hand went to her cheek, and he softly started to slide it down her neck. “I love you, Eric. I want to give you everything you’ve always dreamed of and more. I’m going to spend the rest of my life, doing everything I can to make you happy.” “I love you, too, Rosalie, and I’m going to make sure that I deserve your love, and show you just how important you are to me, each and every day from now on until forever.” He slid his hand lower and she didn’t stop him. That told him she was finally ready. “I’ll be as gentle as I can.” “That’s all I can ask.”



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Money Eyes A Thriller Romance Novel By Amber Heart

Chapter 1 Cassandra “I can’t believe you’re actually getting married and we’re standing here having shots at your bachelorette party!” I stood on the bench along with my shot glass to make a toast to my best friend, Avery. “Having been chosen to be your maid of honor, it is my right to embarrass you tonight, tomorrow and the day after,” I grinned as Avery glared at me from the middle of the club that we had hired for our private party tonight. “So,” I raised my glass in the air. “This is to all those drinks that we shared, all those hotties we eyed up, and all those drunk secrets we swapped! And we can’t forget about all those vibrators we gave you, just in case your Quinn fails to…” I left the sentence incomplete and gave a small booty shake and everybody laughed. Avery blushed. God she was so cute and Quinn was just her type. They fit so well together. As much as I was surprised at her decision to marry so soon, I was still happy for her. She deserved the best and Quinn was her definition of the best. “Everyone raise those glasses into the air for my smokin’ hot girl, Avery! Here’s to a long and happy life with your Prince Charming. Cheers!” I swallowed the sharp liquor in one swift gulp, letting it burn my throat. Oh yes! We presented our gifts to Avery which she opened one after another and called us bitches for giving her such horrifying presents. Well, that’s what a bachelorette party is for, isn’t it? She placed all the sexy lingerie and other toys back into the boxes and turned to us. “Okay that’s enough. You girls made your point. Now can we head back, please?” she said to everyone but her eyes stopped at mine pointedly knowing that I was the one in charge here. But boy what fun would that be? “Not so quick, Avery baby, we have got something else for you,” I grinned at her mischievously and then called for the bartender who was on service tonight. He presented a set of shots at the bar. “You’re not going to make me drink all these are you?” Avery asked me, already turning green. “Oh yes, I am,” I said and the girls cheered. “Cass,” she warned me. “Oh don’t Cass me right now. Because you are doing this or we’ll have strippers called,” I threatened her. On the mention of strippers, she glared at me and reached for the first glass and gulped it down. “Yes, that’s my girl!” Lily called from behind and I high fived her. If only Avery knew what we had planned next. “That’s it. I can’t drink anymore. I’ll be a dead beat tomorrow with this hangover,” Avery said on the third glass. “That you will be, no matter what, so you better enjoy it while it lasts. And you won’t be able to do it again anyway, babe, because in two days you won’t be in the singles club and you won’t be doing all these shots and checking out the hot talent! You’ll have to sit prim and proper next to your hubby, looking at us and thinking why the hell you married so early,” Gina stated and the rest of the girls giggled. Avery frowned and then took the fourth glass and emptied it down. “That’s our Avery!” Gina, Lily and all others went to the dance floor and I stayed back with Avery as she tried to get her head straight after all those shots. I asked Sandy, the bartender, for a pitcher of cold water and then poured Avery a large glass of it. “Drink it. You’ll feel better,” I slid it towards her. “I won’t regret this, Cass,” she said to me. “For once, for the first time in my life, I feel like I have made the right decision. For the first time I know what I am doing and this is what I truly want. There will never be anyone else for me, Cass. It will always be Quinn,” she confided to me and my heart warmed at her love. “Anyone can see how much you both love each other. I do agree that this is way too early to get married. I mean you haven’t even finished college yet. I don’t understand the rush, but I do understand how you feel and I will always be here to support and stand by you with every decision you make,” I said to her sincerely. “No matter how immature that might be,” I teased her and we both laughed.

“Thank you, Cass, for being here with me. You don’t know how important it is for me to have you here by my side,” she said. “I know how hard it was for you to take time off from work but you still did and came all the way out here.” Her voice cracked. If only she knew what happened. But I didn’t let my personal problems ruin her time, so I masked everything with a smile. “Oh nothing could keep me from my best friend’s wedding and honestly, who would want to turn down a trip to the Bahamas?” I said to her with a wink and she laughed. “You know Quinn is really glad you came all the way out here,” she added. “Of course he is. Or else he would have to handle you and your wedding tantrums all on his own which would be a nightmare for him.” Avery smacked my arm and I laughed. “So where is he puking his guts out?” I asked. “Cass!” “What? Oh come on, Av, it’s a well-known fact that Quinn is a light drinker,” I chortled. “He just doesn’t like to drink much,” she defended. “Yeah. Yeah. If you say so, Ms. I-Just-Had-Eight-Shots.” I rolled my eyes playfully. “So where is he?” I asked, taking a sip from my own martini. “Oh he is having his bachelor party with his friends. It’s just a couple of halls down. He was upset that Aaron couldn’t make it here tonight. He even planned the party for tomorrow, but it’s the rehearsal dinner so that couldn’t be arranged,” Avery revealed the whole story. “Aaron?” “Yeah, he’s Quinn’s oldest friend and the best man for the wedding,” she said. “Oh I see,” I took another sip. “Yes, you’ll see. From what I have heard he is quite the catch.” She elbowed me. “And a man whore,” she winked at me. I twisted my mouth at her description. “And why are you keeping tabs on your fiancé’s best man?” I asked her with a quirked brow. “Oh haven’t you heard what they say about the maid of honor and the best man?” she asked playfully. I don’t think I want to know the answer to be honest. But she answered anyway. “They are meant to hook up after the wedding, Cass,” she was grinning at me. “So not happening.” “Oh it’s so happening. You need to get laid, Cass. And Aaron is just what you need. No strings,” my best friend was definitely up to no good. “Alright, I think you’ve had enough to drink. It’s time to do some dancing!” I said to her and then waved Gina over. We both took Avery to the dance floor where she finally gave into the beat and swayed her hips like Avery Bradford can. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Avery had said though, I mean the last thing I wanted was a man in my life right now, strings or no strings. I left the dance floor and pulled out my phone from my back pocket as I felt it vibrating. It was a text from the hotel manager that said the stripper was on his way. A wide grin spread across my face as I pictured Avery’s reaction. She would be furious, but tonight she deserved some fun before she gave herself to Quinn. I stowed the phone away and gave Lily a signal that it was time. She gave me a thumbs up. Taking my martini, I walked towards the door. Let’s see what the hotel concierge has sent for us. As I inched closer towards the exit and reached for the door knob, the damn door came towards me with a hard push and hit me straight in the face. “Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!” I jumped around as the pain rose in my head. I raised my hand up to rub it. “Are you fucking blind?” I shouted above the music and yelped in pain again. There was no response from the attacker. “What? Don’t you know how to apologize…?” I looked up to set my eyes on the man before me. Holy mother of wow! This man was ridiculously hot. Just the sight of him made my knees weak and my feminine parts jump to attention. Wow! He was some package! He was tall, like really tall with almost a foot towering over my five and a half frame. He wore a pinstriped jacket and black pants which gave away his muscular build. His long neck emerged out of his collar like a tower. Okay I might be exaggerating. His dark brown hair was tousled in a messy hairstyle. What made me breathless was his eyes, black as coal and sharp as an eagle. Boy! He was hotness on legs. A ten out of ten. I could see his lips pressed into a thin line that flexed his square jaw and his brows were pinched together in waves. “Isn’t this the bachelor party?” his throaty voice hit my ears and I snapped out of the trance. I had

already forgotten about the pain I was in. Wait, did he just ask about the party? Oh Gosh! He was the stripper. “You are here for the party?” I finally found my voice and asked. The sex god quirked his brows. Well, this will be interesting! A grin started to appear and I arched my back straight. It was play time! “Alright, Mr. Smoking Hot, let’s get the party on a roll!” I wiggled my hips and caught his tie in my hands. For a stripper, he did have a lot of clothing on him. I wondered how he would look with his clothes being pulled off. I flushed as the images began to appear in my head and I imagined him around a pole. “I hope you are good at what you do,” I said to him in a loud voice and tugged at his tie. His eyes widened in surprise, I wondered if that was because of what I said to him. But hey, I had a right to know if he knew what he was doing, didn’t I? “Ladies!” I called at the top of my lungs and everyone turned to face me. “Look who we have here. Our Stripper for the night!” I announced as I slipped his jacket off in one quick move. The girls applauded and cheered, oohs and aahs rose in the air. “What the fuck?” I heard a sharp growl behind me and I turned to see the sex god glaring at me. “Maybe our stripper is a little shy,” it was Avery’s cousin, Jenny who advanced to where we were standing and gave his butt a good squeeze. I couldn’t hold back the laughter that rolled out of me, though deep inside I wanted to touch this man in all the right places. “Everybody cheer for him. He needs some encouragement,” Gina yelled. “Where’s the bride? Call her so that we can show her our lovely gift,” Lily exclaimed and rushed to wrap a fur scarf around him. “Stop this right now,” a low thunder roared out of Mr. Hot Stripper Pants. “Hey, we paid you to entertain us, not growl at us,” Sandra, one of the other bridesmaids said in a slurry voice. It was clear that most of the girls were drunk now. Just then Avery emerged, stowing away her phone. “Girls, we need to …” she began to speak as we all spurred at the same time, “Surprise, surprise!” and gestured at the sexy stripper who was now wearing a load of fur shit and ribbons. Avery’s face turned pale and both her hands went to her mouth. “Come on, Avery!” Sandra encouraged her. “Oh my God! Aaron?” Avery said in a small voice. I looked to and fro between my best friend and the sexy as fuck man who struggled with all the ribbons around him. “Aaron, you are here,” Avery rushed to him. “Girls he is not a stripper. Step back,” she cried and then was next to me, helping him out. I signaled the bartender to turn down the music volume. “I am so sorry, Aaron. These girls thought you were the stripper,” Avery said to Mr. Hot Pants as he was back to himself with all the furs and ribbons and other stuff gone from him. “I figured that much out,” he said and his eyes stopped directly at me. “Girls, this is Aaron Maxfield, Quinn’s best friend and his best man for the wedding,” Avery made the introduction and my heart almost stopped beating. Oh holy shit, Aaron Maxfield, manwhore, best man, stripper, what have I done? “This is Cassandra Levant, my best friend and maid of honor,” Avery introduced me and he gazed at me with an unidentified expression. Why the hell was I feeling embarrassed? It was just a mere misunderstanding. I was expecting a stripper for the bachelorette party and if any other man would have entered the hall, I would have thought he was a stripper. “That was really embarrassing. I hope you don’t mind,” I placed my fake smile back and extended my hand for a shake. He peered at me intently and I began to feel like an idiot. Before I could pull my hand back, he took it in his larger one and squeezed it in a gentle shake. That famous jolt of current that I read in every damned book, ran through my own veins at his touch. Holy Smokes! They wrote it right. I pulled my hand away and ran it in my shoulder length hair, smoothing the knots. I guess that’s my nervous habit. “Does Quinn know that you are here?” Avery asked. Aaron finally took his fierce gaze off me and turned

to Avery to answer, “No, I was planning to surprise him.” He gave me another quick look. Yeah, that turned out to be some surprise. I thought. “Oh he will be so thrilled. He was really upset that you couldn’t make it here. He is just three doors down in the hall with all the others. Cass can show you,” Avery gestured at me and I gaped at her with wide eyes. She fluttered her eyes innocently. What was she thinking? He could strangle me in the middle of the corridor for all I know. “That will not be necessary. I’ll find it on my own,” he said in a curt tone. Giving Avery a small nod, he turned and left the room. What a first impression I gave to the man whom I was supposed to sit next to for the next two days. Holy cow! How will I last until the end of the wedding? And how was I supposed to keep my composure?

Chapter 2 Aaron I adjusted my pants before entering the hall where Quinn’s bachelor party was being held. I couldn’t take another series of events like that again. My attention was already stolen by that that platinum blonde, Cass Levant. She had the audacity to try and strip me in front of all those women. It was always, always the other way round. Women stripped for me. It was so weak and unmanly of me to let her tug at me like a puppy and show me off in front of a bunch of drunk ass girls. One of them even squeezed my butt! Real loser, motherfucker. I don’t know why I let her do all that. I could have stopped it before it even started. But inside I knew why I couldn’t stop her, because I was thinking with my dick instead of my head. Her little sexy dance with that stunning body. The combination had never appealed to me before but standing right there, looking at her, my only reaction was the straining of my manhood. Her perky ass and full tits that jumped out of that narrow strapped pink shirt made me want to drag her over to the nearest couch and have some fun with her. And how she dragged me by the tie, my need to have some fun with her sky rocketed when I imagined her in a leather corset with fuck-me heels on. And how she stripped off my jacket like some dumbstruck fool. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I gritted my teeth in rage and then pushed the door open. “Aaron! Shit, you are here!” it was Quinn’s voice. “Hey, man. Is the party still going?” I grinned at him as we gave each other a half armed hug and smacked each other on the back. Quinn is one of the only people I care about in this world. There are not many people that could get me to abandon work to attend a wedding at a fancy destination. My initial flight was scheduled for tomorrow evening, but I had planned to give him a surprise visit for his bachelor party. Only to end up at his fiancé’s bachelorette party first. “I’m glad you made it here early, man. The party is just getting started.” he said to me as we both sat at the bar and drank a beer. “Couldn’t have missed your party, buddy,” I raised my bottle at him. Quinn was a good man. He deserved the best and I sincerely hoped that Avery was the right girl for him. I had met her briefly, when Quinn had brought her to one of the company’s events. She was younger than him by a good amount but they looked good together. I hoped it went deeper than just looks – for the sake of my friend. Because I didn't believe in the words love and happily ever after. My rule was fuck ‘em and leave ‘em. It had worked miraculously well for me and I was pretty content with my life. And I was looking forward to pinning a few more points on my scoreboard during this short holiday. The most appealing thought right now was to drag that platinum blonde who was three doors away, up to my room and teach her a few basics before having my way with her. She will be the one doing the stripping, not me. ** I woke up from the irritating buzz of my phone that kept on going relentlessly. I thought of ignoring it, but then reached out to pick it up. “Better be something important,” I muttered sleepily. “Get your ass down here for the breakfast, Maxfield or I am sending someone up there to whip you before dragging you down,” it was Quinn’s mother, Aria. I chuckled at her crude tone. She was always like that. And I loved her for it. “Yeah, yeah. Send your best at me,” I challenged her. “Don’t challenge me, son. Get down here in five or you’ll be sorry,” she said and ended the call. I groaned and then got out of bed. My body ached from all the exhaustion of last night’s activity. Throwing my phone on the pillow, my gaze fell on a pink material that laid next to the night table. I picked it up. It was a thong with a piece of paper attached. Call us when you want to meet us again. XOXO Lucy and Lulu.

Scribbled down was a mobile number. What the fuck? I threw it away in a corner. I’d find someone else if I wanted another quick one. I rarely went with the same girl twice. The only rare cases were those who were outstanding and there had only been two women who were honored enough for that; Jasmine and Elsa. These Lulu and Lily or whatever their names were, they were one timers. I had picked them up from the hotel’s public bar after leaving Quinn’s party, brought them up to my room, fucked them senseless and then kicked them out. I wanted to get that platinum blonde, perky assed woman out of my mind and had succeeded with these two giggling girls at my service, willing to do anything and everything. Changing into a gray T-shirt and blue jeans, after a quick shower, I went downstairs to the tables where Quinn’s and Avery’s families were settled for breakfast. “Ah, here he is. Aaron, my boy,” Aria hugged me tightly and I returned it. She was a second Mum to me. I had spent more of my childhood in her backyard instead of mine. “How is my favorite Mrs. Robinson?” I asked her grinning from ear to ear. She swatted my back. “Get to your seat so we can start with the breakfast. I haven’t let them touch a thing,” she said to me and then turned to the rest of the members at the table. “My other son is here so you may as well begin the breakfast,” she announced and blew me a kiss. This woman was spectacular and I would do anything for her. The only chair that was empty was the one tagged with 'Best Man' printed on the back. I took the seat and that’s when I realized that next to me was the maid of honor, the platinum blonde, Cassandra Levant. Holy fuck was she hot! I had spent my night wasting on two girls just to get this woman out of my mind and here I was, seated to next to her first thing in the morning. “Good morning, Aaron,” she turned her face to me with a drop dead gorgeous smile. Her hair wasn't dead straight like last night. It was frizzy and soft, it looked natural and I wanted to take a whiff of it and touch it to know if it was actually soft or it just appeared so. “Morning.… it was Cassandra, right?” I deliberately sounded like I didn’t care what her name was. “Yes, but please call me Cass, everybody does,” she replied to me with narrowed eyes. “Cass,” I tested the word. “I think I prefer Cassandra,” I told her. Her mouth opened slightly in surprise at my words. As hard as it was to look away from those full lips, I dragged my eyes away and reached out to the pitcher of orange juice. I could feel her eyes following my moves. When I didn’t give her a second glance, she turned sharply to the other side and ignored me for the rest of the breakfast. “Hey, Aaron, Sandra just told us that they thought you were the Stripper last night. And Cass even stripped you. Fuck man, I wish I were there to witness that. The biggest man whore of Seattle, Aaron Maxfield being stripped by a bunch of drunk girls,” Logan, Quinn’s cousin said as I was just about to get away from the table to make a few calls for work. Laughter roared out from the audience and everybody’s eyes turned to me. I heard Cassandra gasp beside me and I wanted to punch that dorks face. He was trying to humiliate me. But hey, who has given him the chance to do that? It was me. No it was Cassandra Levant. It was her who had given them an opportunity to laugh at me. “I may have been made a fool of, but how are you feeling after last nights fiasco? I saw that Mexican waitress hitting you down to your knees last night when you almost spilled your guts and begged her to spend the night with you.” There. Take that asshole. He shut his mouth and flushed with embarrassment. I had seen that waitress raising her knee to his groin when I had gone to pick up someone to warm my bed with last night. It looked like I had gotten his story just right. The chair beside me pulled back. “Excuse me, please,” Cassandra said and then left the table. I admit, my comment was a tad inappropriate, especially for a nice breakfast in front of friends. But I will not be the butt of someone else’s joke. You can say I lack a sense of humor, but I refuse to look weak in front of these people. ** “Man, did you really? I mean … seriously?” Quinn asked me when it was just the two of us in the

lounge and everybody else was in the pool. “Cut it, Quinn.” I never give details and I won’t do so now. I was forced into that situation because of her. I looked around but she was nowhere in sight. Those two girls last night meant nothing, they were just a distraction. “Come on, boys, jump in!” Avery was waving at us from the pool. “I have a few calls to make,” I said to Quinn who was already stripping out of his shirt and getting ready to jump into the pool. “Come on, dude. Don’t be a spoil sport. You are off from work.” “Like you give a rat’s ass about it,” I raised my eyes and he grinned. Of course he thought of nobody when he was around Avery. Love turned men into stupid mindless fools. I shook my head as he splashed into the pool. “Have Troy scan and email it to me, ASAP. I’ll sign it and send it back to you. And also put Lena Malfoy on video call with me. I’ll let you know the time I am available. It will be late noon probably,” I spoke to my assistant as I walked towards the lobby. I had to catch up with a few bits of important paperwork and needed to use my laptop. “Also see that by Monday we have everything ready for the pitch. Tell Rick to send me the initial layouts of the creative designs and do not proceed until I approve.” I turned towards the corridor and a soft feminine body bumped right into me, taking me by surprise and knocking me off guard. “What the fuck? Can't you see where you are walking?” I growled angrily as my phone hit hard on the floor first, followed by myself and then her on top of me. “I am so very sorry,” the voice came from behind the curtains of that platinum blonde hair. The same woman who has been giving me a hard time since I stepped on this damn Island. Please don’t let it be her. I silently begged. And then the face came into view and of course … it was Cassandra, sprawled all over me, with her breasts hitting right above my pelvic bone and her mouth just above my stomach. “You can’t seem to leave me alone, can you?” I said sternly because I hated the way my body was reacting to her. If she didn’t get off me in next five seconds, she would be witnessing something I wasn’t sure she’d approve of. Registering the fact that she had knocked me down, brought that expression on her face that said she was horrified. Better be that. “I am sorry, Aaron,” she said, getting off me and standing up. I too got up and found out that my phone was no longer in a shape to be used again. The fuckers were useless when it came to durability. “Fuck,” anger rolled inside me. How was I supposed to keep in touch with work now? Damn it! “I am really sorry,” she began to say. “Say that word again and I’ll show you how sorry you can be,” I snapped at her. I had this pitch on Monday and here I was, phoneless. This woman, in less than twelve hours, had managed to make me a stripper, let a piece of shit humiliate me, ruin my peace of mind and now broke my phone because she can’t fucking walk straight. “I need you to keep mailing me the updates. I broke my bloody phone and I can’t stay by this damned laptop every minute of the day,” I growled as my assistant logged into Skype and I gave her instructions. “It’s alright, Aaron. Give yourself a break. We can handle it all here without you hovering over everyone’s head twenty-four seven. Enjoy it while you are there. We’ll take care of everything here. Kelly will send you the minutes of the meetings and other stuff by tonight. You can sit back and sip martinis until then. Not all of us are lucky enough to be in the Bahamas with broken phones,” it was Mark who had joined the conference call now. “Mark,” I greeted him, toning my voice down. He was the one man I respected without a shred of doubt. He had been the one to put his trust in me when nobody else had. He had given me wings to fly whichever direction I had wanted to fly. I had joined his advertising firm when I had graduated from university with a marketing degree in hand that held my

barely acceptable grades and a gazillion ideas in my pocket. No one, until Mark, had given a shit about what I was in brains. He had offered me the job without looking at my transcript. And three months later I was handling his campaigns. As of today I hold fifty percent of the agency’s share with him. If anyone had been able to silence me in a room, it was Mark and when he said that I didn’t have to worry about work, then it meant I did not have to worry about work. So I let it all go, stowed my laptop away, changed into my swim trunks and headed straight towards the pool. Some long laps were due.

Chapter 3 Cassandra What does Mr. Sexy Pants think of himself? A pretty face and a sexy voice doesn’t give him any right to speak to me like that. I admit our meetings haven't been very appealing, but that doesn’t mean he can snap at me whenever he likes. As if I ran into him deliberately and broke his phone. I mean, come on, he is Aaron Maxfield, the rich asshole, he can buy himself a new phone. He is so arrogant and big headed, didn’t even have the manners or courtesy to accept my apology. ‘Say that word again and I’ll show you how sorry you can be.’ I mimicked him and walked back towards the pool side. “What took you so long?” Avery asked me as I sat on the lounger next to her. “What else can happen today?” I took the cocktail from the passing waiter and closed my eyes briefly after taking a generous sip from the drink. Damn, it felt good to get away from reality, even if it was just for four days. “Why are you girls out and dry?” Quinn called and grabbed Avery and threw her in the pool. She squealed and splashed water at him. Smiling at them, I returned to my drink, too late to realize that Logan was trying to pick me up from the lounger. “Let’s get you wet, Cass. The pool is boring without you.” He was going to throw me in the water. Fear hit me and I clutched my nails in his bare shoulder blades. “Put me down this minute, Logan,” I said loudly. My eyes froze over the water and my heart began pumping furiously. It was inching closer. “I said put me down!” I was yelling now and struggling hard in his grip. No water, please. I clawed tightly to him and he yelped in pain. “Jesus Christ, Cass!” Logan pulled his head back and thankfully stopped midway. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he put my feet down and I immediately took several steps away from the water, covering my chest in protection. “Don’t ever do that to me again! Ever!” I said to him and turned around to leave. A set of black eyes met my gaze. Aaron was standing right there, staring at me as if I had grown two horns on my head. Of course he had to be there whenever I got humiliated or embarrassed. I stormed away and went straight to my room that I shared with Gina. It was a good thing that she wasn’t there. I didn’t have any tolerance for anyone right now. My blood was still full of adrenaline, it felt like my veins were going to burst any minute. I needed some physical activity to put it back to normal. Shrugging out of my shirt, I bent down on the floor and forced myself to do a quick forty pushups and did a few stretches. Yoga has really helped me out in the past, I am so glad I picked it up. I blamed the events that have happened in the last twenty-four hours for the cause of my stress. I had lost my job and my apartment before boarding the plane to the Bahamas. What’s more, reaching here I encountered Aaron. Since his arrival I have been immensely aware of the effect he has on me. My body’s reaction when he sat next to me at breakfast, the way his knees had accidentally brushed against mine, his closeness when I had fallen on him and then his outburst. It all wasn’t enough that Quinn’s jackass cousin, Logan had to get overly friendly with me. The fear of being thrown in the water was too much and provoked so many memories which I wanted to remain in the past. And now every part of my body was in knots. I had to get my shit together. And for that I needed control of my mind and my body. I was here to attend my best friend’s wedding and after that I had to get my real life back on track. I had no time to waste on Aaron or anyone else. And I couldn’t let their thoughts rule my mind. That was the first rule of control. Yes, control. I can do it. That was something I had mastered over the years. After an hour of exercise, followed by a long shower, I was feeling like myself. “Hey, thought you were

never coming out,” Gina said as I stepped out of the shower. She must have crept in while I was in the shower “You kinda freaked out there. Are you alright?” she asked and my hands stopped momentarily whilst drying my hair. I looked at her through the mirror. “Yeah, I am fine. Just not a big fan of pools,” I smirked, trying to let the topic go. “That Logan is really pushing himself. I think he’ll be getting another kick in the balls and this time it will be from Aaron. He looked at Logan as if he was going to eat him alive” Gina took her own change of clothes and towel as she spoke. “What do you mean?” I couldn’t help but ask. “Oh you know, with his comment at breakfast and then that stunt with you, Aaron was quite pissed,” Gina shrugged. Aaron was pissed? “Hey whose jacket is this?” I looked around to see what she was talking about. It was Aaron’s jacket in her hands. A blush crept to my face as I remembered what had happened. “It’s Aaron’s.” “Oh shit, you actually started stripping him, didn’t you?” “I don’t need a reminder, Gina,” I turned back but now she was laughing hard. “Damn, I wish he was the stripper. He is super hot. Had I not been so hooked up on Brad, I’d have totally gone for him,” she said and I put her and Aaron together in my mind. They’d have made a remarkable couple. Gina was a total babe. Exactly what he’d want. An alien feeling crawled along me of jealousy and possessiveness. The thought of Aaron with Gina, or any other girl didn’t settle well in my throat. Jesus, Cass! What possessiveness and what claim? He is not yours! “Ah that Aaron’s bad,” I tried to make a joke to cover my own awkwardness. “Bet he is,” she winked at me and then headed towards the bathroom. “You know you can totally hit on him. And from what I’ve seen, you may not have to try hard. He looks like he's already taken a liking to you,” she said and then closed the door on my astonished face. He likes me? My ass! The first few minutes since we met have been nothing but disaster. He would rather knock me down than take a liking to me. I shook my head at the absurdness of Gina’s observation and laid out my dress for the rehearsal dinner. My eyes landed on the jacket that Gina was looking at earlier. I picked it up and took a closer look. I had brought it with me last night when he had left it there after the big scene. Involuntarily I brought it up to my nose and sniffed it. It smelled of spicy body wash and … of Aaron. The smell alone made my head dizzy. Boy! I had to get over it. Putting it away, I busied myself in other chores. I had to return it to him. Make sure you return all those other thoughts along with it too. The rational Cassandra Levant told me and I agreed. * “The music will begin and Aaron and Cass will walk through the aisle first, followed by Gina and Flynn, Sandra and Louis and then Lily and Jack. After that, Avery will enter. Following?” Jacqueline, the wedding planner asked as she demonstrated the whole timeline to us. “Let’s do it once.” She clapped her hands and signaled us to get into our positions. I stood at the end of the aisle and the rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen formed a queue behind me. One person was missing - my partner. “Where is the groom’s best man?” Jacqueline’s sharp voice echoed in the hall and everybody looked around for Aaron Maxfield. “Where is Aaron?” her voice rose again. Jacqueline wasn’t a patient lady. That much I had gathered in my short time of knowing her. I fidgeted in my place awkwardly. She began to say something again but then her voice stuck in her throat. I looked up at her, she was staring ahead. I followed her gaze and my own wind pipe dried and jaw dropped on the floor. Aaron Maxfield was making an entrance. A sigh escaped my lips at the sight of him. Dressed up in a charcoal gray sports jacket with black shirt and jeans, his hair was gelled neatly in a sleek mafia hairstyle. His face was grave and

brows slightly quirked up from one end. And his eyes were as black as the night and fixed on … me. He walked with confident strides in my direction and then stopped right next to me. His musky cologne along with his body wash and his own scent, my nostrils took in a whiff and I was tempted to close my eyes and savor it a little. No. Don’t even think of going there, Levant. I scolded myself. But, drag me to hell and back, how was I supposed to stand steadily on my feet when this mouthwatering deliciously sexy man was standing next to me? I ran my tongue to remove the dryness that had covered my lips. Compose yourself! Jacqueline was back to barking orders. “Maid of honor and the best man, your cue is the violin,” she said. I prayed silently to make it out of here without adding any more embarrassments to my book. The violin began and Aaron presented his arm to me. I placed my hand in his crook and we both stepped ahead. My breasts brushed with his elbow and my nipples hardened instantly. A gasp escaped mine just as a curse was muttered from Aaron’s lips. I took a peek at him and he was looking down at me. Holy shit! If there was a thing called eye fucking, it just happened to me. His gaze was … hot. I was hot in all the right places. My grip tightened on his arm automatically as I tried to stay steady on my feet. We walked up and then parted at the foot of the altar. Aaron walked to stand beside Quinn and I walked on the other side. My eyes traveled up to him and he was staring right back at me. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and a frown played on his forehead as his eyes dug into me. I blushed at the intensity of his looks. This man was disarming me. And I hated that how much he was capable of affecting me, making me lose my control, making me want things that weren’t on my radar at the given time. I tried looking away, but Aaron was like the opposite pole of a magnet that I couldn’t get away from. “Oh no, no, no. Your seat is right next to the groom’s best man,” after the rehearsal when I began to sit next to Lily for dinner, Jacqueline was right behind me, ushering me towards the other end of the table. “Aaron, you sit on left, next to the groom and Cass you sit beside him. This has to be the order of sitting tomorrow.” God I wanted to strangle that woman. If only she knew what danger she was inviting. Given my experience, I was bound to sabotage the event with my mind that was beginning to go crazy whenever I was near Aaron. “C.O.N.T.R.O.L” this was my mantra. Never let your emotions and desires rule you; was my golden principle of life. Aaron held out the chair for me and looked at me expectantly. “Thank you,” I muttered, taking my place and then he sat next to me. It was impossible to stay unaware of his presence. “Have you found a new phone?” it was Quinn who asked Aaron in a low voice. I flushed. “I’ll get one when I am back in Seattle,” his rough throaty voice vibrated my body. Holy peeps, his voice just ruined Johnny Cash for me. “Oh who made it possible to keep you away from work for so long? That man deserves an award,” Quinn exclaimed and I shrunk lower in my seat. Hello there, I am the one, not looking for any credit. I wondered if Aaron would tell everybody that I was the queen of clumsyville that had broken his phone. “Cassandra, can you please pass me the shaker?” his lips came down to my level. His voice went through me like a wave. “Sure,” I cleared my throat with an internal shake to gain composure and straightened to reach for the salt and pepper tray. “Thank you.” His fingers brushed against mine and all my composure evaporated at his touch. I snapped my head up to see his face. He was staring back at me with his eyes narrowed and his lips parted by just a fraction. I felt bare before his eyes. I was the first to look away. Damn him and damn his eyes. Aaron Maxfield was bad news and my body needed to understand that. I dove into my food and tried not to appear affected by the man seated beside

me. Just when I was about to take a sip of my chardonnay, his hand brushed along my arm and the next I knew I had spilled my entire drink on him. “What the …” he cursed and stood up. Everyone at the table silenced. “I am so sorry. I … I don’t know what,” I began mumbling and tried to dry off his shirt using my napkin, rubbing it on his chest and then lower. Aaron’s hand gripped my wrist and pushed it away from his body, only then I knew where I was drying him off. I flushed crimson. “I’m sorry …” before I could end my apology, he stepped back and walked away. Say that word again and I’ll show you how sorry you can be. His words came back to me. Oh shit. I went after him. The corridors were empty. I walked straight towards the end, the door to the gallery was open. I stepped in and a cool pleasant breeze hit me. The light out was dim and there was no sign of anyone there. I was turning to leave when I saw a shadow standing by the railing. It was Aaron. My heart weighed a thousand kilograms in that moment. What was I going to say? I crept closer quietly. “Aaron?” I called in a small voice. Damn. Why was I such a walking and talking disaster? He didn’t turn. I inched further near, until I was in a zone where I could reach out to him. “Aaron, I …” my words stopped in the air as he turned to look at me. There was a ghostly expression on his face and not the one that would scare me, the one that would set me on fire. I swallowed as the air between us heated and the awareness of each other increased. I needed to fill in the silence and break the spell that was so strong. I opened my mouth to say something but before I could even form the words, his face came closer and my lips were captured by his mouth. He was kissing me. This was wrong. Wrong on so many levels. But damn, he felt good, the best. His tongue caressed sensuously along the contours of my lips and shock radiated down my spine. His mouth was hot on mine, as if I was kissing a hearth. I want this beautiful man to take me. And then his hand gripped the nape of my neck and he pushed me against the cold grill. The contrast of hot versus cold made my knees melt in the building pleasure, and I tried to resist in his arms. His touch was too hard to resist and the lust finally took over me, subsiding all my control and resistance. I opened up to him and kissed him back. I moaned as he branded me. He tasted of chardonnay and something else, something rich and intense. Our mouths melted against each other and I clutched his jacket’s lapels tightly, bringing him closer than he was. I moaned, wanting more of him, his touch. But then he pulled away. I waited for his lips to come back to me, but they didn’t. I opened my eyes to see him staring at me. His face hard as stone, and then he left me to stand on my own, turning his back, he walked away from me. What did I just do? Realization and humiliation hit me simultaneously and I held back to the cold rod for support. As horrified as I was at my own actions and desire, there was a small part in my heart that was disappointed. Aaron Maxfield was a known man whore, yet he left me hanging in the cold when I was all too willing to surrender. God, I was pathetic!

Chapter 4 Aaron “By the power vested in me as the Minister of the Church of Christ, I now declare Quinn Robinson and Avery Bradford, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride,” the Minister concluded Quinn and Avery’s marriage. As they both kissed, I looked past them towards the other side to see Cassandra standing with the other bridesmaids. She was wearing that beautiful, tight red dress that made me wonder if she could even breathe in it. But who was I kidding? I counted every time that dress had expanded and relaxed. And every time I looked at her, I remembered how she was in my arms last night, moaning and melting against me. I remembered all too well. Breaking away from her and then walking out of there was the most strenuous thing I've ever had to do. And the worst part? I don’t know why I did it. I wasn’t a person who’d refuse a good lay. Everyone knew I was a womanizer; it was common knowledge for crying out loud. I couldn’t figure out exactly what happened. I wanted her, there was no question about it. I wanted her so that I could get over her and finally empty my mind of her. In the past thirty hours I’ve had nothing to do except think of her. And last night when she had spilled her drink all over me and then tried to dry me, if only she knew what she was actually doing. I was hard. Rock hard. Her touch was incredible and I wanted to savor the moment, but I couldn’t. I had to get away from her before she took control over me, but of course she had to follow me. With her in such close proximity, how could I resist her? Feeling her sensual touch on my lips left me in shock. I wanted more of her. I wanted her to be mine. I wanted all three courses this time. And that red dress wasn’t helping. It made her look like a Christmas present just waiting to be unwrapped and enjoyed. My imagination was running wild with how she’d look on my bed, naked, with her platinum blonde hair sprawled out on the pillow. Knowing full well that she’d cry my name when I’d take her to the pinnacle of pleasure. After the official first dance of Quinn and Avery, it was the Best Man's and Maid of Honor’s turn, namely it was me and Cassandra next. I advanced towards her and extended my hand. “May I?” I asked. She stared at me as if I was asking her to exchange vows with me. A wave of emotions crossed her eyes and then they went back to brown, hard and mysterious. She was masking her real self behind the hard shell and I wanted to know the real deal. She placed her hand in mine. The contact erupted the blood in my veins like a volcano and my desire for her intensified. I led her to the dance floor and began swaying her along to the beats of soft music. The silence hung between us like crazy, neither of us wanted to bring up the episode of last night. Her movement around me was stiff and possessed. There was no sign of that softness or desire that I had seen last night. “Cassandra, last night…” I begin to speak and her face shot up. “What about it, Aaron?” she asked me and I saw a flicker of accusation. Her defensive tone wasn’t something I was expecting. “I thought …” I tried once more but she was quick to cut me off again. “You thought I would be all swooning over that thing we had on the terrace?” she asked incoherently and then threw her head back and laughed. “You weren’t thinking that, were you? It was just a mere kiss, Aaron. And trust me, I am not hung up on you. I have had better,” she said with a grin and then rose on her toes and pressed a peck on my cheek. “Thank you for the dance,” she left my side and walked away. Fuck! How could she walk away from me like this? She has had better? My fucking ass! I wanted to strangle her and drag her to my bed and show her what exactly I was thinking. My mind was getting fogged up by the hurricane that Cassandra Levant was generating around me. She was inviting that primitive side of me which was better tucked away. I wasn’t sure how long I could handle being a nice

man. And when I’d lose it, she would be the one suffering. Walking up to the bar, I ordered myself a brandy. I needed something hard to clear my mind of the little minx who was proving to be one challenging woman. I gulped down the third glass of the hard liquor as my eyes stayed on Cassandra, she was on the dance floor with Louis. I watched her place her arms on his shoulders and then he bent down to whisper something in her ear which made her blush. I clutched the glass tightly in my grip as anger boiled inside me. What did he say to her? Was he flirting with her? Were they going to hook up? I wanted her to be in my bed and no one else’s. Right then, she laughed at whatever he was saying to her and my cock jumped to attention, ready for action. That was it. I couldn’t handle it anymore. I have had enough of it, now I was going to claim her and this time, it won’t be just her mouth. “Do you mind if I cut in?” I asked, reaching next to them. It wasn’t actually a question because I wasn’t looking for an answer. I was claiming. Cassandra turned to look at me and her smile vanished. “Uh, we are still in the middle of the song,” she stuttered and I gave her a glare that said don’t even think of starting this now. “I am sure Louis can find another charming partner,” I said, cutting my gaze off from Cassandra to Louis who squirmed uncomfortably and then raised his hands in surrender. “She’s all yours, Maxfield.” He stepped back. Wise man. “Why are you doing this?” Cassandra asked as I snaked my arms around her and pulled her closer, not caring if my arousal hit her stomach. She damn well knows that I was up to no good and that was all her fault. “I was trying to be nice with you, Cassandra. But you obviously like to be challenged, don’t you?” I asked her with a growl as I swirled around in a quick circle and then pulled her back to my front. She gasped. “I … I don’t know what you are talking about,” she said and I pulled her against me as I swayed her towards the end of the dance floor. Her breath hitched when I deliberately pressed my lower half to her. “Yes, you know exactly what I am talking about,” I said to her in a low husky whisper and then stepped down from the floor. Taking her hand, I walked out and towards the elevator. “Aaron, what are you doing?” she tried to free her hand as she tried to keep up with me, her heels clinking on the marble floor. My luck, the lift was on the same floor and it was empty. I ushered her in and then pressed for my floor. “Aaron, we need…” she opened her mouth to protest but I gave her no chance to complete her sentence. Pinning her against the mirror, I claimed her lips. She said she's had better kisses than what we shared last night. I was going to make her forget every other kiss she ever had. She groaned and tried to fight me back but I didn’t let go of her wrists and kept her in place with my hips pressed along her as my mouth fought another battle with her lips. I tried forcing my tongue to open up her tightly sealed lips but she didn’t allow it. I tried sucking the corners. I grazed my teeth lightly on her outline and that made her gasp. I wasted no time and immediately put my tongue into action to invade her mouth completely. And then her fight transformed into submission. She was kissing me back. I let go of her wrists and grabbed her thigh to pull her closer and my other hand slid into her strands to keep her face steady. With a loud ping, the elevator opened on my floor. Cassandra tried to break off the kiss, but I knew if I let her go, she’d start rationalizing and run away. I didn’t want to give her that chance. I did break the kiss, but not the contact. Trailing kisses along her neck, I carried her out of the elevator with her legs wrapped around me. Reaching for my card, I let her stand on her feet. I expected her to be all awkward and try to run away, but instead, she began working on my tux. Impatient to have her, I unlocked the door and tugged her in. “I

want you, Cassandra,” I whispered, looking into her eyes and all I found was raw sexual energy and desire. My own body was burning with hot testosterone. “I want you too, Aaron. I want you so fucking much,” she whispered back in a need filled, husky voice which alone almost made me combust. I groaned at her lust. I had never heard something so sexy. “You have me, baby,” I growled and claimed her mouth once again. I grabbed her by the hips, pulling her up, I walked towards the king sized bed. She shrugged my jacket down from my shoulders as I let her stand. And then her mouth was on the nape of my neck as she opened the first three buttons of my shirt. She struggled with rest of them but then just gripped the lapels and pulled them apart. The remaining buttons flew in all directions. “Sorry, they were taking too long,” she said as I stared at her in surprise. Holy fuck. She just made me harder than I have ever been in my life. The wildness, the hunger, the roughness, I fucking loved it. Her nails scraped my bare back and her tongue played with my hard chest as I helped her out of that fantastic red dress that has been driving me crazy all holiday. She had been stark naked under that dress. “Fuck, Cassandra, you are beautiful,” I admired her beauty as my eyes took her in from top to bottom. None of my fantasies had done justice to her. She was beyond the description of words. “Enough ogling. Are you just going to sit there staring at me or are we going to fuck? Or am I going to have to please myself?” she challenged me. I looked at her and grinned. “You don’t know what you just asked for.” Though the thought of her bringing herself pleasure was capable of making my balls explode in no time. I laid her back on the satin sheet and began to give my undivided attention to every inch of her delectable body, she moaned and squirmed and fisted my hair with a fierce grip when I tugged her hard as rock nipples and teased them with my experienced tongue. While my mouth worked on her erect nipples, my hands kneaded her plush breasts. “I need you, Aaron,” she begged me and arched up into my already achingly hard body. As much as I wanted to lose myself in her, I had a few other plans. Don’t blame me, it was her fault. She should have known better than to challenge me. I put all my focus on her too glorious to be real breasts that filled my palm perfectly. She was screaming and writhing, begging me to claim her. I finally let my fingers crawl down to her folds and found her dripping wet. It took me less than 30 seconds before she climaxed right on my fingers. “Was that better than staring?” I asked her as she got down. “You are such a bastard,” she glared at me and I chuckled. “Baby, I have just started with you,” I invaded her mouth with a long, rough kiss that earned me a scratch on the back and shoulders. She was a wild cat that I was just beginning to discover. I broke away from her mouth and traveled down her body to her navel and then further to her wet folds. “No, Aaron, don’t. Please,” she pleaded, gathering my intentions. “No one has ever done that to me. I don’t like it,” she said, as if I was going to listen. Though there was this immense feel of victory that I was the only one to do this to her. Her loud cry echoed the room as my tongue lapped across her labia. I increased the speed as her cries turned into moans and then she was begging me for more. I let her build and build until she was begging for release. And then I tentatively sucked her bundle of nerves and she exploded with climax after climax. “Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck. How the hell was I missing this for all these years,” she said with a laugh and the thought of some other man doing this to her didn’t sound remotely funny to me. “Your body belongs to me, Cassandra.” I growled at her. I don’t know why I said that to her. It was absurd thing to say but imagining her with someone else, crying out someone else's name like she was crying mine, it made me homicidal, it made me see bloody red. “You hear me?” I asked and then stepped out of my own pants and reached to the foil packet from the bedside. Rolling the rubber onto my achingly hard and large manhood, I finally slid into her hot and wet channel and closed my eyes at the intensity. We both moaned together as I conquered her and marked my territory. She was tight and so damn hot that I

was already on the edge of losing it. “This is going to be hard and fast, babe. Not sure how long I'll be able to control myself” I gritted my teeth as I looked at her. What she said next, put me off the guard. “I don’t want you to control yourself, Aaron. Let go.” There was a fog of passion in her eyes that made me forgot everything and all I remembered was her, me and the way our bodies connected in search of mutual pleasure. I let it go. My famous control vanished and I gave in to the needs and desires of my body. And I’d swear on my life and the entire world, Cassandra Levant was the woman I wanted in my bed forever. She ruined me for every other girl. I was circumscribed by her. * I woke up with the delicious memories of last night, a wide satisfied smile crept to my lips as I thought of it. I had only one word to describe the experience; incredible. And I want a repeat, followed by more of it. I wanted more of Cassandra. I never spent the whole night with anyone. Once we'd finished, I asked them to leave, even with Jasmine and Elsa. It was very rare when I let them sleepover. But with Cassandra in my arms all night, it felt like the most natural thing and nothing about it appeared alien. We had been insatiable last night and now I was craving her again. I reached out for her but the other side of the bed was empty and cold. Opening my eyes with a jolt, I sat straight. There was no sign of her. I got out of bed and looked around. “Cassandra?” I knocked the bathroom door and called. No answer. Her clothes from last night were gone. How could she leave without waking me up? Not after what we shared. I looked at my watch, it said nine twenty. I had a flight in two hours and I had to look for her. I had no idea what time her flight was but I needed to hurry. Get her contact number at least. I changed into my jeans and a shirt and rushed out. I was about to knock Quinn and Avery’s suite when Gina, one of the bridesmaids appeared from the other end of the corridor. “Aaron? I was just heading to your room,” she called. “Here,” she extended the jacket in her hand towards me. It was mine, from the other night, when Cassandra had stripped it off me. I took it from her hands, frowning. “Cass asked me to give it to you and say thank you.” “Thank me?” I didn’t get it. “I don’t know. She said you’ll understand.” Realization hit me and fury began to take over. How could she do this? “Where is Cassandra?” I asked in a tight voice. “Oh she left early this morning,” Gina smiled at me and turned to walk away. I stared at the jacket. She had used me and then left without saying a word. That was my own rule smacking me back in face.

Chapter 5 Cassandra I looked around in my tiny new apartment. It was so small that four long strides could take you from one side to the other. It had ugly walls, peeling paint and a low roof. It looked more like an abandoned storeroom than a place to live. A small area on the right was turned into a kitchen with a counter, stove and a small fridge. The right side had a wall that separated the tiny bedroom from everything else. Remaining in the middle was the living room. I placed my duffel bag on the floor and set my hands on my hips. “Alright, this is what it is. Accept it and move on,” I said to myself and started off with fixing whatever could be fixed. It was time to get my life back on the road. I had the apartment and a few interviews scheduled in the upcoming week. I had already closed the doors of the past and was looking forward to the future. I had worked for a PR agency for the past six months and it had been a dream job. I absolutely loved it. Generous allowances and employees’ facilities were of course additional perks. I was given an apartment in the building near to the office along with transport. I was proud of what I had landed in such short time. And then it had all blown up like a bad dream when Kenneth James, my boss asked me to get into the role of seductress and help him land an important client whose account could bring the agency to a very high level. I refused, of course, and was asked to choose between my job and my self-dignity. I packed my stuff from the table and left, only to find a seal on my apartment’s door with my stuff thrown out. I had left my stranded luggage at Mrs. Bowles, a kind lady who lived two floors down. I was on good talking terms with her so I called in for a favor and then boarded the plane to the Bahamas for Avery’s wedding. Cleaning the best I could, I arranged my clothes in the small built-in wardrobe and changed the sheets of the bed that creaked every time I applied a small amount of pressure on it. Done, I fell on the bed and closed my eyes. I finally let my mind wander back to the morning I had woken up in Aaron’s arms. The night we had shared was filled with passion, desires and so much more. I had let go of my control and had embraced the opportunity to lose myself completely into the expert hands of the infamous manwhore, Aaron Maxfield. Little did I know he would awaken an entirely undiscovered part of me that was, wildness? The night that I had agreed upon was supposed to be a one night stand and forgotten the next day. But I was damned because every detail of it was written in in clear bold letters in my mind. I couldn’t forget it. When the hangover of Aaron’s touch faded, I had realized what a mess I had gotten into because I wanted him again and again and so much more from him. But Aaron didn’t do repeats. Hurt and disappointment had gotten over me. I had left his bed, planning to leave a note that would save us from the morning-awkwardness. While searching for a pen and paper what I had found was a pink thong with a note and number from his previous two lovers whom he had likely screwed previously, at the same time. Anger had flooded inside me at the conclusion that he treated every woman the same way and I was just one of his playthings along the way. I had known what I was getting myself into before I was in his bed, but looking at the souvenir of his scores, I was encountered with this unnamed feeling. But that was my decision and there was no reason to regret it. So I had left his room without leaving a single thing that would speak of my presence there. And then I had asked Gina to return his jacket along with my thanks. I wanted him to feel that it was me who had used him, not the other way around. I was trying hard to put all of it behind me. Men and relationships weren’t on my radar. I got tempted for a night but that was it. I wasn’t going to let it rule my mind. And it wasn’t like I was ever going to see him again. Aaron Maxfield and that night was now like a dream I had encountered, enjoyed and then opened my eyes to a new day with new choices.

* It was the fourth interview I had been to and I had no hope of getting a call back from it. Each of them demanded why I left my previous job, and given I had received no recommendation from my jackass exboss, all four of them weren’t willing to give me a chance. I had seen uncertainty in their eyes. Let it be then. I wasn’t going to publicize why I was fired from the job. I was beginning to lose it. My only ray of hope was getting the call from LeoField Ad Group. It was the most prestigious advertisement agency in Seattle with big accounts on their board. I had heard highly of the two men who ran the agency. I had met Mark Leonard briefly at one of the events I was covering a few months back and the guy was a legend in the industry. But everybody knew that it was the other partner who actually made the decisions and managed the entire group. If only I could secure the interview. All I needed was that one chance and then I’d prove what I was capable of if they took me on board. On the morning of the twentieth day, I was standing in the elevator of LeoField Ad Group, heading for my interview. “You have to get this, Levant, there is no other option.” I was determined and high spirited as the door opened to the executive floor and I stepped out with my chin high and steps confident. “Cassandra Levant, I am here for the Assistant Account Associate interview,” I said to the strawberry blonde in mid-thirties on the reception desk. She looked up at me with a curt professional nod and talked into her phone. “You’ll be seen shortly. Please have a seat,” she gestured towards the waiting area. I sat on the green leather couch and looked around. Being an ad agency, it wasn’t all that conventional. The interior wasn't special, everything was in white, black or grey. It was a creative blend, yet soothing to the eyes. Minutes passed and I kept looking at the people rushing in and out of rooms. I glanced at the large clock on the wall as ten minutes turned into fifteen and then twenty. I wasn’t approached yet. Just when I was about to get up and ask the receptionist, an extremely pretty brunette stormed out of the elevator and walked straight towards the door on the right. “Miss. Marek, please wait. You can’t go in there,” the blonde receptionist, called after her but the woman was long gone. She quickly reached for her phone and spoke into it, “Sir, Miss. Marek is on her way to your room.” Her face paled and she muttered after a few seconds, "I am sorry, Mr. …” her words were probably met by a dead line. Ten minutes later the same brunette was leaving from where she had vanished, this time her face was red, from anger maybe. “Ms. Levant, please make your way in. Take the second door on left,” the receptionist called me five minutes after the brunette’s departure. She gestured at the same right door and gave me further directions. I thanked her and walked in. I knocked on the door and opened it. The room was still. The chair on the other side of the desk was rotated so I didn’t know who was seated there. But there was something familiar in the air. Something I had gotten addicted to in the Bahamas. Don’t go there. I told myself and then knocked on the door again and asked in a clear voice, “May I?” No answer came and I felt stupid. After a few long, drawn out seconds, a low throaty voice spoke, “You may, Ms. Levant.” A voice I knew all too well. And then the chair swirled and I met those pitch black eyes that were embossed in the back of my mind like a sharpie. Aaron Maxfield was sitting before me, looking at me like he was ready to strike and sheer me. Air left my lungs and I tried hard to resume by breathing. Just when I had thought I’d never see him in my life again, he had to sit in the place which held my entire future. I tried to walk as confidently as I could to the desk and then took the seat. Placing my folder on the table and bag down to my feet, I straightened my skirt and then ran my fingers through my hair. When everything was in place, I finally looked up. Holy earth to hell and back, his eyes was stripping me and I felt all the longing that I had tried to suppress in the past twenty days, taking back over me. I was instantly wet

between my legs. Be a chess player. Nobody needs to know what you feel inside or think. Yes, that was what I was going to do. I cleared my throat and said, “Well, isn’t this a coincidence.” I said in a light tone, which came out as a hoarse whisper. Aaron leaned back in his chair and his thumb and index finger reached his chin which he scratched softly. The image of what these fingers had done to me came flying back and I flushed. “Yes, it is. Maybe that’s because a few things were left unfinished the last time we parted. Don’t you think?” he said in a tight tone and his eyes bored into me like daggers. That’s when I gathered; he was pissed – royally pissed. And a big part of my brain wagered that I was the reason.

Chapter 6 Aaron Cassandra Levant was sitting a desk’s distance away from me and all I wanted to do was put her on the table and fuck her senseless. Fuck her until all she remembered was my name. I wanted to take it out on her how twisted she's had me in these last few weeks. I was like an injured tiger that was restless and in search of something he couldn’t get his hands on. I had tried so hard to get her out of my mind and body but she was like a stupid drug that got you addicted with one little taste. Cassandra was a drug to me. And now that she was sitting before me in that white shirt and beige skirt with her hair all straightened giving out a completely professional look, I knew what she was hiding beneath. And god, how I wanted to unleash it again. You will have her, Maxfield, all in good time. I told myself. Because I had big plans for my new account associate. She doesn't know what she has gotten into. After reaching Seattle and spending two weeks trying to get over that one night stand, I had tried getting in contact with Avery to get Cassandra’s contact details. Unfortunately, Avery and Quinn were on their honeymoon with the absurd plan of not using their phones. I was waiting for their return on Sunday but then her resume had crossed my eyes when I was sitting with Mark yesterday. I had asked him to leave the interviews to me for the position. I only intended to hire her. It was payback time. I had deliberately made her wait before the interview and just when I was about to call her in, Elsa had stormed into my office unannounced and uninvited. I wasn’t entertaining her calls so she planned to give me a surprise, midday booty call and had tried to suck me off, and the real surprise? I wasn’t able to get excited and had asked her to leave. And now minutes later with Cassandra in the same room, I was rock hard. “Aaron … Mr. Maxfield, I don’t think it is appropriate to talk about personal things of the past here. I am here for the job interview,” she said in a clear voice, trying to act all business. But then that blush appeared on her face and gave away her exact thoughts. Yes, I wanted her to remember everything just as crystal clear as I remembered. “I am well aware why you are here, Ms. Levant,” I said to her. “Previous matters need to be laid at rest first and then things should be proceeded further. That’s what my approach is.” She fidgeted in her chair, uncomfortably. I was enjoying her reactions. “Mr. Maxfield, we are both adults and can put our past behind us and work on professional terms. This is my approach,” she straightened her back and looked me square in eyes. Ah, there that was, her cold, hard mask, covering her real self. “I see, Ms. Levant, you are desperate for professionalism.” “I am,” she looked at me with narrowed eyes. “Alright then, Ms. Levant. You can start your new job tomorrow,” I said to her and saw her eyes widen. “That’s it? You are not going to ask me anything?” “Do I need to know something, Ms. Levant? Something you want to tell me?” How about why you left without saying a word? Why you made me feel used and discarded? I would love to hear the answers but now was not the time, nor the place. “No, but…” she began to speak and I cut her off before she could finish. “You’ll be working with me on an account we have just taken over. Melinda will give you the details. I expect you to be well prepared when we next meet.” “What if I don’t accept the job?” she asked. “Then don’t.” I shrugged as if her answer mattered nothing. I opened the top drawer and pulled out a manila envelope and slid it in front of her. “This is your job letter along with the contract details. Make your decision,” I said to her and then turned my head to the Mac screen, dismissing her. She sat there, opening her mouth to say something and then thinking otherwise. “I’ll let you know about my answer,” she said and got up. “Thank you, Mr. Maxfield. Good day,” she turned and walked towards

the door. I watched her narrow hips sway in that tight skirt she was wearing. I suppressed a groan when my body protested. This time when I’d have her, she would be begging me. And I had a whole plan structured to make sure that happens. Now all she had to do was take the job. She was insisting on professionalism now, she’d be hating the word by the end of her first week at work. That was my solemn promise to my injured ego and myself. * “Good afternoon, Mr. Maxfield.” I nodded at the greetings as I passed through all the desks on the main floor. I stopped at my favorite desk that I had been frequenting for the past two days. The sight that welcomed me was Cassandra’s face close to the desktop with her forehead squeezed together in a tight frown and the back of the pencil was clenched between her lips. She sensed my arrival and her face turned to me. “Are you done?” I asked her, keeping my voice flat and cold. “Yes, Mr. Maxfield. I was just revising it,” she said and pressed print key. “Here,” she gave me the paper. I took it and looked at her, she had that beaming expression with her brown eyes illuminating. She was probably proud of her piece. I glanced at the paper. “Do it again,” I handed it back to her and turned. “But I have done it again, twice before,” she protested. I tilted my head and quirked my brow. She opened her mouth to defend again and then sighed. “You have rejected my proposal three times. Can you at least tell me what the mistake in it is?” she asked. “It is just a proposal, Ms. Levant. I am sure you know how to write a decent one. Try harder.” “I have done this all my life, of course I know how to write a goddamn proposal,” she said in frustration. “Watch your language, Ms. Levant, your professionalism is the primary requirement here,” I reminded her and she gritted her teeth. “I apologize, Mr. Maxfield,” she muttered. “Fix this,” I eyed the paper and walked away. A victorious smile came on my lips. I had brought out her first outburst – level one accomplished. I stood by the floor length window of my office and stared out at the gray weather of Seattle as the clouds took over the better part of the sky. Hmm, it was going to start drizzling any time. I checked my now replaced and updated iPhone, it said five fifteen. It was almost the end of the day and I was expecting Cassandra to step in any minute. Just then my phone buzzed and I checked the caller ID. It said Jasmine. I sighed and then picked it up. “Maxfield.” Just then there was a knock on the door and Cassandra poked her head in. “Aaron, how are you doing, lover? I haven’t heard from you for a long time,” Jasmine said in her strong Greek accented voice which alone was able to make me hard. But that was old news now, the reason for my cock jumping to attention was because of the platinum blonde I was obsessed with. I waved her to come in. “I have been occupied at work, Jasmine,” I said into the phone and watched Cassandra shifting from one foot to another, tapping her fingertips on the paper. Was she impatient to get away from me? I decided to push her. “You are always working so hard, Max. You deserve a good time,” Jasmine said. “I can certainly think of a few things to do right now, and trust me when I say they do not involve office work,” I said keeping my eyes fixed on Cassandra. She wasn’t looking at me, but of course she was hearing and I noticed her jaw tightening. Yes. “Promises, promises. Be a man of your words, Max, have the grace to keep them when you promise,” Jasmine teased and I smiled. She was always stroking my ego – until the other woman in the room injured it. “I always keep my promises, Mia Bella, you should know this by now. I apologize I have been

inattentive to you. But I assure you I will make it up to you. How about we meet tonight? You can give me a list of my misdemeanors and you can take it out on me in your usual creative ways,” every word that slipped my tongue was hitting Cassandra like a swing of a hammer. Her tapping had stopped and now her fingers were clutched into a tight fist. “Aren’t you in good mood today, Max. You sound nothing like your usual self,” Jasmine laughed. If only she knew. “Oh do I? It didn’t occur to me,” I said and right then Cassandra snapped her head up and glared at me. “Mr. Maxfield, may I have a minute, please?” she said. I raised my hand in the air for her to hold on. She almost bared her teeth and I barely kept the laugh that was just on the edge of erupting out. “Let’s meet tonight. I've missed you, lover,” Jasmine said. “Sure. I’ll make reservations and let you know. See you soon, Jasmine,” I said and then disconnected the call. I’ll ring to cancel later, I have no interest in Jasmine “Yes, Ms. Levant, how can I help you? What is it so important that couldn’t wait until I finished my phone call?” I stowed my phone and asked the one woman I wanted all along. She looked at me and I knew there were so many words rolling on her tongue, wanting to spill out, and none of them were professional nor decent. ‘Come on, Levant, fight for your control,’ I urged her mentally as I rested my back against my desk and folded my arms across my chest, waiting for her to explode. She clenched and unclenched her fist and then thumped the print out in her hand next to me. “Your proposal, Mr. Maxfield,” she said. I picked it up and read. She had written every piece marvelously and this one was the worst compared to the other three she had previously written. “Now this is better,” I said and she looked at me as if she was going to dig her teeth into my neck and suck my blood dry. She knew what she had written. “Am I excused for the day, Mr. Maxfield?” she asked me. I looked at the clock on the wall. Five thirty. “You are,” I said and turned to take my seat and logged into the system. “Do you need something else, Ms. Levant?” I asked looking up at her. She was staring at me and if she stood there like that for another minute, I was going to drag her to the couch and christen it right then. “No, thank you, Mr. Maxfield. I don’t mean to take any more of your precious time,” she said with a sour smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she turned around and left. “You’ll see me all right, Cassandra.” I was enjoying this game way too much.

Chapter 7 Cassandra Damn. Damn. Damn. I was so losing it. I was frustrated beyond description. Aaron is an asshole. A professional jackass asshole! He was challenging my control, my patience and my tolerance. I was losing all three of them. He was pushing my buttons and I couldn’t even protest because he was just being my boss. It was my seventh day at LeoField Ad Group and it already felt like I was being bullied by Aaron. He made me work ruthlessly, and then rejected it and then made me do it all over again. He kept a continuous check on me by visiting me at my desk, looking at my work himself. And when he’d bend down close to my face, his arm almost brushing mine, I’d go all still. I was too damn aware of his body heat, or over all heat around me. He treated me just like an employee. He was professional, just like I wanted it to be, yet it frustrated me. Because he was all distant but still close. My mind fizzed around him. As much I loved the nature of work in the agency, I hated the effect my boss had on me. If it wasn’t for him, this job would be perfect. I just hoped that I’d get over my stupid reactions around him. Because Aaron, for sure had moved on from our night together. Hell, I had heard him talk to that Jasmine or whatever her name was, the other day. God, I wanted to scratch both their faces off. I was furious and … dare I say jealous? But I was being absurd. He was Aaron Maxfield. I knew of his reputation before our night, but I still got myself tangled in his web. My colleagues have filled me in with the colorful details of his nature with women. “Can you please type me a letter, Ms. Levant? I’ll give you a dictation,” Aaron said to me as I copied down the presentation he had asked me to place into his system. He himself was lounging on the sofa, with his feet propped up on the table and had a couple of pages sprawled on his lap. I looked at my wrist watch, it was already five forty in the evening. Will I get paid for working over time? I wondered. Oh who was I kidding? It was a universal rule; taking a job in media field meant you entered into working unpaid overtime hours. I opened a blank document and waited for him to tell me what to write. His eyes were glued on the paper before him and his index finger was caressing his lower lip as he concentrated on the matter of the paper. That simple movement of his finger was giving me such lewd thoughts that I shifted in my chair. This sexual frustration was getting out of control. I had to do something about it and soon or else I don’t know what I was going to do because being around Aaron was – hard. He started speaking and I began to type. We fell into a comfortable sync. Until I brought the Mac Book to him for a review and sat next to him. He straightened to lean his face near to the screen to read and I sucked in a breath. His musky cologne, his spicy body wash and his natural scent all filled my nostrils. The closeness generated a spark inside me and I was suddenly on fire. I feared my breathes were changing into low panting. God, this man made me desperate. “Can you shift this clause above the second one?” he raised his hand to point out and his elbow brushed against my arm. The friction caused an immediate effect on my nipples and they tightened under my suit jacket. “Also add the media budget of the previous campaign so they know what leaps we are taking. Just mention it right after the mediums.” His voice vibrated into my ears and I briefly closed my eyes to let the odd feeling of wanting him sink in. “Ms. Levant, are you alright?” his hoarse whisper came from right behind me. I jerked straight. And turned my head, only to find his mouth so near to me. Those luscious lips were a couple of inches away

from me. I itched to taste them, to feel them. Knowing what they were capable of doing, I shuddered in utter anticipation. “You look flustered, Ms. Levant. Is something wrong?” he asked and I looked into his eyes. They were dark, filled with lust, desire, want. “Uh …” my throat was dry. I ran my tongue over my lips to wet them a little. Aaron gasped as he took in my little action. The air between us was as thick as fog with sexual tension. His finger caressed the length of my neck with a feather touch, barely touching yet making sure I was feeling it. “Your neck is pulsing, Ms. Levant,” he stressed over ‘Ms. Levant’. I wanted to lean into his touch. “I wonder why,” I whispered. He looked into my eyes. His own sparkled with lust. “I can think of a few reasons.” His thumb was now tracing my jaw line and damned if I wasn’t soaking wet down there. I wanted him and I wanted him right here. “It’s pulsing because of what’s going on inside this.” He tapped my temples slowly and I wanted to moan. “You are thinking of how I pleased you the other night.” His other hand was now moving against the outline of my arm. “You are remembering how I kissed you. Every inch of you. Leaving not a spot behind.” His thumb brushed my lips and then trailed across my jackets front, easing his way inside and softly tracing my puckered nipples. I gasped. “Ringing any bells, Ms. Levant?” he slipped the top button of my blouse open. And then the next two. “You remember how I made you cum just by teasing these?” he pinched my nipples and I arched up and moaned. Oh hell yes. He leaned further in and gave my lips a small kiss, breaking away all too soon. “Aaron,” I whispered, closing my eyes as desire took over me and I grabbed his shoulders. He eased me down on the couch. His hand reached the hem of my skirt. “Are you wet, Ms. Levant?” Will he stop calling me that? His fingers found their way to the inside of my thigh and I moaned. He lowered his mouth to my breast and caught my hard erect nipple through my blouse while his fingers found the seams of my wet panties and he rubbed my swollen clit. “Yes,” I clutched his hair in fierce grip, wanting more and more of him. His other hand kneaded my aching breast as he gave equal attention to both my nipples. His fingers brushed my wet folds through the wet lace and then he ripped them in a single snap and inserted his finger into my channel. “God, yes!” I hissed as the climax began to build around my walls. He pushed another finger into me and his thumb found my bundle of nerves. His tongue and fingers worked magnificently on me. I was close to exploding. Just one more… The loud ring of phone broke the spell. I jerked out of the sexual bubble that was surrounding us. Holy shit! What was I doing? He was my boss and we were in the office. “Aaron, stop!” I cried. “We can’t do this. This is inappropriate.” I tried to shove him away. His phone was still ringing. He broke away from me and stood up. The sudden loss of contact was like stepping over ice from burning coal. I tried to gather my breathing back to normal. “You are right. I apologize, Ms. Levant.” Aaron straightened his own jacket and buttoned up, providing me a glimpse of his bulge. I too got up and buttoned back my blouse and straightened my skirt. His phone started to ring again. He pulled it out but made no attempt to pick it up. He was staring at me. “Uh, yes. Accepted. I’ll leave,” I ran fingers in my hair nervously and then took two steps ahead to leave and ran straight into him. He caught me by arms. “Steady there. Are you okay?” he asked me in a wry tone. “Of course, good day, Mr. Maxfield.” I walked past him and hit my leg into the table. “Ouch!” I winced. “Are you sure you are alright, Ms. Levant? I can help you, if you want,” he was smirking at me. Asshole! “I am fine. And answer your damn phone!” I couldn’t help but snap in irritation. I heard him chuckle as I stepped out of his room. Damn him! He always knows how to get to me. And damn my traitor body and my needs that refuse to resist him. I had to do something that would make me less of a girl with horny urges around him. God,

what must he be thinking of me? But then I remembered his grin. Jackass. He knew what he was doing. I just needed to find a way to avoid him. * If only I could have found a way to avoid Aaron, if only he would have given me a reason to avoid him. He's kept me working late the past two days. I was thankful it was Friday today and I would have a blissful weekend to relax and come up with a game plan for the coming week to keep my distance from him. But since he was the partner of the agency, it was considered to be my privilege that he was having me work alongside him. I had to give the man his credit, he was good at what he did. Avery called me just before I was getting the minutes of the earlier meeting printed out. “Cass!! God, I missed you bad, girl! Don’t think I’ll forget to kick your ass for packing me all that stuff,” she exclaimed and I laughed. “You totally loved it, Av. Admit it,” I said. We had added a few yummy lingerie and not– for–kids toys in her suitcase before she had left for her honeymoon. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll let you go. Quinn thought it was my idea,” I could totally imagine her blushing. “Yeah, yeah, take the credit for my creativity. I gotta go or my boss will kick my ass. I’ll catch up with you later, Av. I missed you too,” I said to her and hung up the phone before rushing to Aaron’s cabin. The day was young and the office was full of activity. I straightened my hair, took a deep breath and then turned the knob of the door to enter. “I have the minutes of the conference, Mr. Max…” my voice dried as I encountered the scene before me. Aaron was sitting on the couch with a woman, the same brunette from my interview day, on her knees, between his legs. Both of them snapped their faces towards me. Aaron’s face turned hard whereas the other woman’s filled with irritation. Shit. “I am sorry. I’ll leave.” I looked away and turned my back. “Cassandra wait,” Aaron called from behind. His voice was tight and cold. He was pissed. I didn’t wait and left his room, closing the door firmly behind me. Hurt began to take over me. I didn’t know why I cared? It wasn’t like we were together or something. Hell, he was my boss. So why did I care who he screwed? And why the hell did I want to scratch both their damn faces off? I needed a minute to get myself back together. Rushing to the restroom, I locked myself into one of the cubicles and sat on the seat. “Deep breaths, Cass.” Inhale. Exhale. Repeat. I clenched my eyes shut and pressed fingers on my temples, hard. “No need to get upset. He isn’t yours,” I told myself. “He’s a man whore. You were just a flavor of the night, a one night stand. Nothing less, nothing more.” But damned if that image budged an inch from my mind. It refused to go. All I could see was him with that brunette. And the way he had seen me enter, he was furious. He was pissed that I interrupted his mid-day fuck. I took several calming breaths. It was none of my concern whom Aaron Maxfield called and whom he screwed. I had been a welcome distraction at the Bahamas, but now I was like any other employee. And whatever that was about to happen the other evening, it was a slip of passion. I was here to do my job and that was exactly what I was going to concentrate on. The rest could kiss my ass. I put my power panties on and stepped out of the cubicle and ran cold water on my face. I needed to come back here again to redo my make-up but there was no way I was going out to face everyone with a flustered expression. No one needed to see it. I opened the door of the restroom and stepped out. “Cassandra.” Aaron was right there next to my desk. God, no please. I silently begged and then walked straight past him. “Cassandra, listen to me,” he began. “I apologize for my improper interruption, Mr. Maxfield.” I clicked print key on my computer and

then handed him the document which I was supposed to give him. “Here are the first few minutes of the conference for your record. I’ll get back to you with the review presentation,” I said pulling back my chair. He caught me by elbow. “Listen to me, dammit! That wasn’t what you are thinking. I can explain, alright. Just hear me out,” he said in a sharp voice and my own temper burst. “Whatever you do, Mr. Maxfield is none of my concern. Who you fuck, or who you don’t, I don’t give a shit about it and I don't fucking care. I am here to work and you are my boss. You don’t need to give me any justifications. Now just leave me the hell alone,” I hissed back at him. “Don’t use that tone with me, Cassandra,” he warned. I uncurled his fingers from my elbow and glared at him. “Nobody tells me what I do. I work for you and that doesn’t give you a right to tell me what tone I speak in or how I react to things which do not relate to work. Leave me alone and go back to whatever you were in middle of doing.” People were now beginning to watch. “It wasn't what it looked like. She means nothing to me” He snarled. “And I do?” I scoffed acidly. This conversation was going nowhere. I just wanted him gone. I brought my face near to him so that no one else could hear what I was going to say to him. “You are pissed because I interrupted before she finished you off? Let’s call it even, Mr. Maxfield,” I looked him straight in the eyes and then turned to sit on my seat and focused blindly on the screen before me. Aaron kept standing beside me. I could feel his eyes holing my back but I’d be damned if I moved an inch. A few stretched seconds later he walked away and I let go of my breath that I was holding for a long time. I was in serious trouble.

Chapter 8 Aaron I can't believe what just happened. It was just a misunderstanding, but I couldn't explain it to her in the middle of that damn office! That woman is driving me crazy. Since that evening when I almost had her on my office couch, I was in state of lust. Her thoughts ruled my mind and I was on edge of going mad. I had planned on making things difficult for her to resist me, but here I was losing my sanity. You are pissed because I interrupted before she finished you off? Elsa was nothing to me. Cassandra doesn't even know what happened in there. I had been putting off Elsa since I returned from the Bahamas, thanks to Cassandra ruining me for any other woman. But Elsa wasn’t good at taking no for an answer and that was beginning to piss me off and I had refused to take her calls. So she had chosen to give me a surprise visit – again. She fought first, asking me who I was seeing. She was angry that my other distraction had been affecting our relationship “I don’t do relationships, Elsa, and you know this well. I am done with you acting like my girlfriend. We both know what this was about. I don’t need anything else,” I had said to her. “The point of the whole thing is, Aaron, that you are not giving me what we are in this for,” she had snapped back. I had tried to calm her down. “I don’t think this will be work between us anymore. Let’s give it a break, Elsa.” I had hoped she’d get the message and leave, but no, instead she had kissed me. “It’s working perfect, baby, you just need more attention from me, I know,” she said, while she sucked my lips. I hated it. All I could think of was Cassandra, and her lips on me. I pushed Elsa off me and she slid to the floor. “Maybe I'll just have to play with my favorite toy then?” she said as she tried to undo my belt. Just when I was about to shove her away, Cassandra had entered. Fuck my luck, she had assumed the worst and left. I have never felt the need to explain to anyone more than I have right right now. I had to tell her that I wasn’t interested in Elsa and I certainly wasn’t fucking her on the same couch where I had Cassandra almost climax on my hand a few evenings before. And when I had tried to follow her, Elsa had gotten in my way. “Leave her, Aaron. We have more exciting things to do.” she had pushed her breasts into my chest. “I won’t tell you again, Elsa, this is done between us. Leave right now and don’t come back,” I know I had been rude, but damned if I thought about anything except for the woman who had left thinking the worst of me. When I tried to explain to her, she snapped at me. Who you fuck, or who you don’t, I don’t give a shit about it and I don't fucking care. As much I wanted to kiss her to shut her up, I understood why she was upset. But I couldn't explain with all these people here in the office. And now I was pissed about her professionalism, I was her boss, she can't speak to me like that in front of everyone. This foreplay was backfiring on me. She wanted to work here, I’d given her work. I picked up the phone and called my assistant. “Melinda, ask Ms. Levant to join the creative team at the shoot and tell her I need a detailed report of it by today along with the presentation she’s currently working on.” Before Melinda could ask anything, I slammed the phone shut. This would tell her what work is. Hours ticked by and it was five thirty. She hadn’t shown her face. Isn’t she back yet? I wondered. Filming was to end by four thirty. I decided to pay Mark a visit. He was back from Manhattan. “Aren’t you done yet, Cass?” I heard Mark’s voice as I stepped out of the office. “No, Mr. Leonard. It’ll take me some time. I just returned from the shoot,” her voice echoed. “I am sure you can take that back home and send it in later,” Mark offered. “I need it today, Ms. Levant and I am staying here until I get that handout and presentation,” I said to her and then turned to my partner and greeted him, “Mark.” He was looking

back and forth from me to Cassandra and then smirked. “Aaron, good to see you.” “Can we talk? I need to run down a couple of things with you,” I said to him and he gave me a nod before heading to his room. I looked at Cassandra who was now back on her computer. The rest of the office was almost empty. I followed Mark into his office. Two hours later I was still in my office, working, and Cassandra was out there, pushing to finish off her task. I walked out to get myself another cup of coffee and also to get a glimpse of her. God, I really did that, didn’t I? I must have grown a vagina too if I was walking out just to get a look at a woman. There she was, her chin resting on her palms as she scrolled down the screen, her lips bulged in a small sexy pout. I had a sudden urge to go and give her a kiss. She looked appealing and too inviting. I walked past her in quiet steps. “Oh Jesus!” she jumped up from her seat as she heard me and turned around with her hands on her chest. “Aaron, you scared me.” Her breath was hitched. I appeared not to notice. “How much is left?” I asked, looking down at her screen. “It’s done, almost.” “I want you back on filming tomorrow and Sunday. Coordinate with David and also send me the reports of both days,” I said. “But it’s the weekend,” she said hastily and I looked at her in a so–what–do–I–do expression. “I’ll see to it,” she backed down. “Good,” I said and then turned to go back into the office. Forty five minutes later she had slammed the report on my desk. Her eyes gave me murderous looks but that was what she asked for. As she was about to leave I called her name “Cassandra. Let me explain about earlier.” She completely blanked me, as she slammed the door without looking back.

Chapter 9 Cassandra My legs hurt like a bitch and my head throbbed like someone was smashing it with a hammer. I finally stepped back into my apartment after a long tiring day filming. My crappy apartment hasn’t looked this welcoming since I first settled in after all the drama that happened at my old job. Falling onto the old couch I had bought from the second hand furniture shop, I closed my eyes. All I wanted to do was to get a good ten hours sleep. Spending the day on set was exciting and I loved every second of it. It would have been perfect if they let me have a break every now and then. David, the creative director of LeoField Ad Group was a dream to work with. He was so professional and polite. He made things look so easy, but only those who worked with him knew how detailed his work was. No wonder I was exhausted beyond description. But my work for the day hadn’t ended. I still needed to write that report and send it to Aaron. I kept myself distracted so that the thoughts won’t wander to him like they loved to do. He kept trying to explain himself but I didn't want to hear his pathetic excuses. I showed weakness that I won't show again. I did not need him. I fixed myself a strong cup of coffee and set to work. I hadn’t been able to get anything to eat all day and right now, I wanted to get rid of the work and then get a bite to eat. By the end of the report, the only energy I could muster up was spent mailing the damn thing to Aaron and then stowing the laptop on the coffee table. That was it, I passed out on the couch right there in the next two minutes. The loud radio alarm woke me up with a jolt. I looked at my phone to see it was seven thirty. “Shit!” I was late for the shoot. Today was the final sequence take and I had to reach the set by eight thirty. I called for the taxi and rushed into the washroom for a quick shower. I had no time for breakfast. “Melinda, hi. This is Cass Levant,” I called Aaron’s assistant as I locked my apartment and climbed the stairs down to the taxi. “Good morning, Cass,” she sounded as if she was accustomed to waking up at six every Sunday morning. “I need to know where the shoots location is for today. David told me yesterday but it slipped my mind.” I couldn’t help the apologetic tone as I got into the taxi. “Oh it’s on Aaron’s yacht. You’ll need to come to Union Lake Park.” Yacht? Panic begin to raise inside me and I gulped. “Where to Miss?” The taxi driver asked in an irritated tone. “Are you there, Cass?” Melinda said through the speaker. “Uh yes. Thanks, Melinda.” I dropped the call and turned to the driver. “Union Lake Park Bridge, please,” I said to him, my voice barely louder than a whisper. I could see a moderate sized yacht on the dock as I stepped out of the taxi and paid the impatient driver his fare. “Cass! Right here!” I heard Adrian, one of the creative department guy's waving at me enthusiastically from the deck of the yacht. I felt sick already. My head was spinning and my stomach was giving me ugly signals. Given I hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday morning. I boarded the yacht which was filled with people I had never met before. “You look sick,” Adrian commented as I joined him. “I‘m not a fan of water” I said looking at the water and he laughed at me. “Boy, you are so chicken. We’re perfectly safe on here.” David called to order and the shoot started. I stood at one corner end and observed everything, occasionally making notes on my iPad. Just then I felt the air around me change – more intense. I turned around to see Aaron walking towards my direction. My throat dried at the sight of him. He was wearing a gray T-Shirt and khaki shorts paired with wayfarers. His usual gelled hair was now all tousled and messy, making me remember the night when we

were together. Before I could ogle him any further, that brunette appeared from behind him, Elsa. Jealousy poured inside me and I looked away from that brooding man and his latest flavor whom he obviously didn’t count on his list of one timers. They walked past me and Aaron didn't even glance at me. I tried not to care, not to look at him but if only my body and mind could be on the same page. I looked at him through the corner of my eye, he was looking straight ahead and the brunette was on the chair next to him. That was it. I couldn’t take it anymore. “I need to use the restroom,” I told the girl standing next to me and walked away. I didn’t know which direction I was walking in but I just kept going along the railing. The spinning in my head intensified and my eyes began to close. My knees threatened to stop working. I pushed and pushed but then darkness came before my eyes and everything spun around and next I knew my iPad slipped from my hand and I was hitting the low railing and then falling across it – into the water. Aaron “Take the hint, Elsa.” “Come on, Aaron, you promised to give me today. You are already breaking my heart. This is the least you can do for me,” she shifted on her chair and I wanted to groan in frustration. Getting involved with Elsa was the biggest mistake of my life and I had only realized it now. After the scene on Friday, she had spent all Saturday pleading to come on the yacht then she’d back off. I’d agreed just because I was irritated with her and later I had remembered that Cassandra would be there too. But it was too late. And now I had to not only tolerate Elsa but also see that expression on Cassandra’s face. I know she was getting punished by this but I wanted her to be the first to come and tell me. I wanted her to come back to me and say that she wanted me. As much as I ached for her, I didn’t want to back down first. She had left me in the first place and I wanted it to be her to make the decision of returning. My ego would only be healed then. I looked past Elsa towards where Cassandra was standing. Where’d she go? I gazed around. She was nowhere. I got up, ignoring Elsa’s protest and walked straight to where Cassandra was previously. “Where’s Cassandra?” I asked Hannah. “She left for the restroom. I don't think she was feeling well.” Wasn’t feeling well? I turned to walk towards the restroom and that’s when I caught a glimpse of her – falling off the railing and into the water. ”Cassandra!” My heart flinched at the sight and I, along with others, rushed to the deck. There was no movement in the water. I was shocked still for a moment. Everybody was talking behind me, telling her to swim, telling her that the water wasn’t deep, throwing life jackets, shouting for a lifeguard. And then I remembered that day before Quinn’s wedding when Logan was about to throw her in the water. Her face was filled with fear. She was afraid of the pool – of water. She didn’t know how to swim. Holy Christ! I instantly pulled off my shoes and stripped out of my shirt and jumped into the water. She was sinking down like a motionless body. Fear struck deep inside me. I couldn’t lose her. I swam to her and caught her by the wrist. She made no effort to hold me back. I tried not to think of the worst case scenario and swam back to the shore. Let her be okay. Please, let her be okay. No more gameplay. I was blaming myself for all this. I had pushed her for too long. I laid Cassandra's back on the dry ground. She was pale and all white and lifeless. The rest of the crew was probably getting off the yacht but all I could see was Cassandra. I pumped her chest and excess water spilled from her mouth. “Cassandra, wake up,” the pleading in my voice was raw. I checked her pulse, it was barely there. “God, no. Please,” I placed my finger under her

nose and there was no sign of breathing. “Breath, damn it!” I cried and started CPR. My hands trembled as I pumped to bring her back to life. Thirty compressions after diving into that freezing water was so difficult, I wasn’t going to let life take her from me yet. I took a lungful of air and lowered my mouth to her purple lips and covered them with mine, pinching her nose closed. Come back to me, baby. I said to her silently and then gave five breaths and then started with the compressions again. “911’s on way,” I heard someone calling from behind and another person started rubbing her foot to resume the blood flow. On the second cycle of chest compressions and rescue breathes, she finally jerked up and spat water from her mouth and coughed. Relief flooded inside me and I cradled her head in my hands. “Cassandra,” I whispered her name. Her eyes opened briefly and then closed again. But now she was breathing. I reached for her pulse, it was steadier than before but her body was now shivering. A few minutes later the siren of the ambulance rose in the air. They wrapped her in a large blanket and checked her vitals. “She needs to be shifted to the hospital. Can you please provide the necessary details?” one of the guys asked me but my eyes were frozen on the woman before me. She opened her eyelids and looked up at me. She was scared. Her usual strong headed and composed persona was all gone. She was vulnerable and weak in that moment. A fierce protectiveness rose inside me and in that moment I knew I could break legs and sprain necks for this woman. I would go to any length to keep her safe and sound by my side. I would conquer the world for her. I couldn’t let her go. Not anymore. I didn’t care if I had to back down first. I followed them to the ER and stayed outside the room while the medical officer examined her. “How is Cassandra?” I asked as soon as the Doctor left her room. “She is fine. It was dizziness that made her faint and then her phobia of water that drove her to shock. But she is alright now. She needs someone to look over her for a couple of days to make sure she takes in proper meals and stays rested.” I thanked him and entered into the room. She was lying on the bed looking out of the window. I admired the sight for a few seconds. She was alive and alright. “Hey.” I walked up to her. She turned her face to look at me. Her lips were back to rosy pink and her skin was gaining its color back. “You scared me to death there for a second.” She tried to get up. “Don’t move. What do you want? I’ll get it for you,” I caught her shoulders and made her lay back again. “I am fine. Thank you, Mr. Maxfield. I was told you saved my life,” she said and I frowned at her tone. “You do not have to thank me, Cassandra.” I sat on the stool beside her bed and reached for her hand. She fisted her hand and looked at me intently. “I am sorry, I ruined your shoot.” What was she doing? “Cassandra, you…” “You should join them. I mean they need you. You don’t have to sit here. I am fine,” she said and I got it. She was pushing me away. “I am not going anywhere and they can wrap things up without me.” I was not going to let her put distance between us. Not anymore. “I don’t want to keep you from your work or other things you are busy with.” Her tone had that hint of jealousy. By other things she meant Elsa. “Cassandra, that day you saw me and Elsa you have it all wrong. She tried to kiss me, but I forced her away.” “Then why was she between your legs?” “I pushed her away from me and she fell onto the floor, you walked in at the worst possible time, I promise.” “I couldn’t care less about anything right now, Cassandra. I am here because I want to be with you,” I said in a soft tone and an emotion flickered on her face. Hope? But then she turned her face away. “I appreciate the thought, Mr. Maxfield. But it’s unnecessary. I’ll be leaving for home in a bit anyway.” Her resistance and that stupid staying professional attitude was pissing me off. “You are coming with me.” She snapped her face in my direction with disbelief and panic. “No, I am

not.” “Yes, you are. I’ll go check with the papers and see if we can leave now.” I gave her a hard stare, challenging her to refuse my offer. “I am telling you, Mr. Maxfield, I am going nowhere with you. You can leave right now,” she sat up. Her expression surprised me. It was more of panic and fear rather than anger. What was she afraid of? I sat on the bed, facing her and cupped her cheek. “I’ll take care of you, babe, I don’t want you to be on your own. Not after this. Why don’t you trust me to look after you?” She looked away and pulled from my touch. “I don’t want anybody to take care of me. I can do that on my own. I don’t want you. You are my boss and this is highly unprofessional,” she said and I decided to end this professional charade right now. “To hell with the professionalism, Cassandra! Stop fighting the attraction that’s between us. We both know that we want each other. Why do you keep bringing this boss employee thing between us? Why are you pushing me away when I want to take care of you? What are you afraid of? Why aren’t you willing to give me a chance?” I burst out. She looked at me, stunned. Her eyes were filled with raw emotions. But then she looked away, hiding herself, her soul from me. “I cannot do this,” she said. I had already made my decision. “Give me one good reason why you can’t and I’ll back off. And I am your boss is not one of them.” I waited for her to answer but nothing came out. “We are having it my way until you provide me with a reasonable answer. You are coming with me now. Either you willingly walk on your own or I’ll be more than happy to pick you up on my shoulder.” I didn’t allow her to think of an answer and left the room.

Chapter 10 Cassandra His words scared me. My feelings scared me. All of this was scaring the shit out of me. The way he looked at me when he entered the hospital room; it was as if he had found his purpose in life. Then he released his stubbornness over bringing me to his place to take care of me. I was losing it. I wanted to run away and protect myself. I have never been taken care of, not in a long time and I had grown to be fiercely independent. But Aaron was taking that away from me. Now I was sat in his living room, wearing his shirt, wrapped in a blanket with a steaming hot bowl of soup in my hands. He was right there in front of me working in the kitchen fixing me a healthy dinner for later. When was the last time anyone did that for me? I honestly can’t even remember, it’s been that long. Why is he doing all this? He’s just going leave me stranded like I did to him. There is no way this is real, it’s Aaron. He isn’t this caring. He’s a bad boy lady killer who doesn’t have time for the same girl twice. Can I really trust him? Shall I wait and find out? Or do I leave now with some dignity still intact? I stepped out of the blanket and walked to the kitchen counter. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Aaron immediately turned to me and asked. Oh, how I wanted to curl my arms around him and hug him, ask him to take me under his wings and protect me. But I had to stay strong, for myself. “Cassandra?” his soft whisper of my name left his lips. Oh God. I closed my eyes briefly and cleared my throat. “I need to go back home, please. Thank you for your hospitality. But I think I should head back now.” He didn’t say a word. “I am sure you are feeling crowded and I don’t want to invade your privacy anymore.” Why wasn’t he saying anything? “I really am okay and can take care of myself. Thank you for … everything. That was very kind of you,” I was mumbling and he was just staring at me from the other side of the counter. “Cass?” Aaron calling me by my shortened name was strange. “Yes?” “Shut up.” His face was straight and eyes pointing. “Oh, okay,” I haltered a bit. “But I don’t want to burden you with my presence. You must have a hundred things to do,” I said. He glared at me and then in a blink of an eye he had captured my face in both of his hands and was kissing me. Oh god, I missed this so much. I should have fought him but instead I kissed him back with equal force of longing and passion and desire. Just one kiss and I’ll leave. I said to myself and poured everything I had into that kiss. He groaned and then his arms snaked to my torso and he pulled me across the counter so I was sitting on the cold marble. He stood there between my legs. I clutched his hair in my hand and caressed his hard jaw with the other. All in attempt to prolong that kiss. Just a minute more. He broke away from my mouth and started pressing small kisses on my chin and jaw. “You are right,” he said between the kisses. That’s it. My time was up. Sadness and disappointment filled inside me. “I do have a hundred things to do right now,” he murmured as he got closer to my ear. He was asking me to leave. I loosened my grip on his head. “Starting with losing myself in you,” he said into my ear and then bit the lobe making me moan in pleasure. “Aaron, we can’t,” I said. “Yes, we can. I don’t remember you giving me any reason not to yet. So until then, I am not letting you go. I have waited long enough.” He picked me up from the counter and started walking, without tearing his mouth away from me. When I tried to protest he silenced me with his kiss. He laid me on his bed and then stripped out of his shirt, his eyes remained on me. They were dilated with such desire and passion that I could feel it in the air. My eyes followed his perfectly inclined broad chest, structured beautifully with masculine abs with a trail of hair disappearing into his pants which entertained a huge bulge; stating his arousal. My mouth watered at the sight. When my eyes went back up, he was smirking at me. “Like what you see, baby?” And then he climbed beside me and helped me out of

my shirt and trousers. I was numbed by his features that were all too clear from our last encounter. “Stop thinking too much, Cassandra. Let everything go for today. Let me make you feel good. Let it go, baby,” he said in a feather light voice and then lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me. It was soft and sensual, it faded every other thought from my mind and all that was left was him, me and our connection. His hands traveled all over my body in light touches, teasing me and building anticipation. “Aaron,” I moaned his name as he lowered down his mouth to my shoulders and then to my breasts which ached for his attention. “Do not fight me, Cassandra. I want you so much,” he said to me looking into my eyes. There was no hardness in them, no stubbornness to get the upper hand. Just desire, pure desire – for me. My heart flipped because I knew nothing would be the same after this. I caressed his cheek and said, “I want you too, Aaron. Only you.” His face lowered as he kissed me again. “Look what you do to me” he said between the kiss and then reached for his own pants. He pressed his forehead against mine. “I have never met anyone like you, ever. You complete me, Cassandra.” And then he pushed inside me, making me his. I was so his. Body and soul. I was in love with Aaron. With every thrust I said to myself how perfect this was. “Look at me, Cass.” He ordered me softly. I looked into his eyes. “I want to see you when you cum for me, baby, only me,” His fingers found my clit and I exploded around him in an intense orgasm crying out his name. He mirrored me and I felt his cock pulsating inside of me, the rubber catching his load. I lay on his chest with his arms wrapped around me and his chin above my head. We lay like this for a few minutes. It was absolute heaven. I never wanted this day to end. * As we cuddled up together in bed “Why are you so afraid of water?” he asked me and I stiffened. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I am sorry if I made you remember something bad.” He pressed a kiss on my head and tightened his arms around me. For the first time I wanted to share my secrets. “I was seven and we were on my Dad’s boat,” I began. He circled his thumb on my bare arm and he listened closely. “Rick, my brother and I, we never got along well back then. We’re fine now though. He was twelve and we were always fighting. That day he kept threatening to push me into the water,” I shuddered as the memory of that day returned. “I dared him and called him a coward. Then he actually picked me up and dropped me into the water. I knew how to swim, but I wasn’t confident in the water at all. I cried for him to help but he stood on the deck and laughed. All the fight and energy left my body and I was so close to the propeller, it was almost hitting me before my Dad finally brought me back just in time. The fear has never left my mind since then. I feel suffocated in water. I never go swimming.” When I finished, Aaron pushed me on my back. His face was impassive. Obviously my childish story wasn’t to his taste. Embarrassment took over me and I turned my face away but he caught it my jaw and made me see him again. “I am sorry I sent you to that shoot,” his face was now earnest. “I am sorry I kept you working late and exhausted you. I am sorry I wasn’t there to save you sooner.” My heart melted at his apology. He was apologizing for what wasn’t his fault. “That’s not your fault, Aaron.” “Even then, Cassandra. I was an arrogant asshole to you,” he said seriously and I couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, you were,” I confirmed and he looked at me quizzically and then smiled himself. “Where’s Rick now?” he asked. “In DC. He joined the FBI.” “Good thing he isn’t near,” he said with a frown and my heart warmed. He was willing to

stand before my brother for something I went through ages ago. “Yes, but I am and let’s do something about it,” I said to him and then climbed on top of him and whispered into his ear, “Round two, babe.” And then lowered myself on his already hard length. “You are going to be the death of me,” Aaron groaned and then took my mouth for another kiss that cried protection and possession. I was willing to surrender. * We sat in comfortable silence and ate the delicious pasta he’d fixed earlier. His phone buzzed and he looked down at the caller ID. His face turned hard and he silenced the phone, ignoring the call. Moments later it started buzzing again. “Pick it up. It may be something important,” I said between chewing. He looked up at me and gave me a small smile, “Nothing is more important than this.” He brought his face closer and gave me a chaste kiss. God, he was a born romantic. His phone kept buzzing relentlessly. “Give me a second. I’ll get rid of this,” he said to me apologetically and picked up his phone and walked towards the foyer, out of my hearing range. Curiosity burned inside me. And I put my plate away and walked a few steps closer to the foyer. He was on the phone. “It was stupid of me to listen to you, Elsa. This isn’t ever going to happen. I told you earlier and I am telling you now, it’s over. I don’t want you around.” He was talking to that brunette? Jealousy enveloped me. “Say one word about her and I’ll make you regret it. I am damn serious, Elsa. Stay the fuck out of my life.” I heard him growling. I quickly came back to the counter and stood against it. He walked in moments later, his face filled with rage. “All good with the call?” I asked him trying to sound casual. He looked at me in a fierce gaze and I cringed back. He advanced towards me like a tiger stalking its prey and kissed me passionately. My knees began to go weak and I grabbed him for support. “Now everything is good.” He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against mine. “Cassandra, I have done things in my life that I am not proud of. I have objectified women for a long time.” His confession scared me. Where was he going? “But with you, I want to try everything. I can only hope that you’ll be there with me to test the waters.” Was he saying he wanted more between us? God. What should I say to him? “You don’t have to say anything. I don’t want your answer now. Take all the time you need but always remember, Cassandra, if you run away from me, I’ll chase you down to the ends of the earth. Always.” If this wasn’t a declaration, then I don’t know what else was. I was royally fallen under the spell casted by Aaron Maxfield and I wasn’t complaining.

Chapter 11 Aaron I was smiling like an idiot all morning and the entire office knew something was up. Waking up next to Cassandra was the best damn sight I had ever seen. She was a pure goddess lying naked across me with her platinum blonde hair fanned on my pillow with her hands draped on me possessively. Yeah, she possessed me. And as strange as it sounded, I wanted her to be possessive of me. A trait I formerly despised but now it swelled my heart when that came from Cassandra. I had opened my heart up to her yesterday and I hoped that she had taken it seriously. Because now the ball was in her court. I had left her at my home to rest for the day despite her insistence on coming in to work. I had to write her an official allowed absence letter before she agreed to take the day off. But now I was missing her terribly. Hell, I had it bad for her. The phone in my pocket buzzed and I pulled it out. It was a text from Cassandra. Reason # 12: You are stubborn, arrogant and you have the evilest smile that makes me want to slap you. I grinned at her words. She was sending me the reasons I had previously asked for in the hospital room when she was refusing to come home with me. Every reason was lousy. Just like her resistance to my touch. I typed back. Try again, baby. I know you love my smile and slapping me is the last thing on your mind. ;) Her reply came just as quickly. Definitely arrogant! Arrogant face, arrogant mouth and arrogant you. I chuckled and faces turned to my direction in surprise. I ignored them and walked to my room, typing. I definitely like what my arrogant mouth does to you. I’d love to put my mouth back to use right now. Damn, she had a tendency to work me up through texts. I wanted her right now. I sat on my desk and logged into the computer. Her text came in again. You are insatiable. I wrote back; I don’t remember you complaining. I remembered her asking for more. She replied; Because you never allowed me to speak? I grinned at the memory. Yeah I was definitely addicted to her delectable mouth. Blame your luscious lips for that. Now I am missing the taste of them. I waited for her to reply but minutes passed and my phone remained silent. I text her again asking if she ran out of reasons. Still no reply. I decided to give her a few minutes. Ten minutes later I hadn’t received anything. I tapped her number into my phone and hovered my thumb over the call key, wondering if I

should give her a call or not. Just then Melinda knocked on the door and informed me of a client’s arrival. An hour and a half later, I still hadn’t heard anything from Cassandra. I called her number. It rang three times and then went to her voice mail. “Hey, it’s me, Aaron. Uh… Just wanted to check on you. Is everything okay? Call me.” God I was acting like such a pussy. But was I to blame? Given her flight nature, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d ran away from me. But heck if I was going to let her slip away from me again. Not after what happened yesterday. Everything had changed now. I called the land line of my apartment but that too was left unanswered. Now my worry was getting to me big time. What if something had happened to her? All sorts of assumptions fogged my mind and I just wanted to see her for myself. I wanted to check on her, I couldn’t resist. “Mr. Maxfield, your eleven o’clock is here,” Melinda called but I waved at her in dismissal. “I’ll check in later. I have to go somewhere. Tell Mark.” I didn’t wait to hear her answer. I drove past the speed limit to my apartment. What if she wasn’t there? What if she had decided to run away? It was stupid of me to leave her like that in the morning. So damn stupid. I rushed towards the elevator, ignoring the doorman who was saying something to me. I just had to go up and see her. For the second time in twenty-four hours, Cassandra Levant had made me desperate enough to give up everything. She was capable of making me do anything. Let’s not forget she made me a stripper in our first encounter. It seemed like ages ago. I stepped out of the elevator onto my floor and went to my apartment’s door. I rang the bell. Once. Twice. And then reached for my own set of keys. But the door wasn’t locked. She left the door open? I frowned and then entered. It was dead silent and cold inside. “Cassandra?” There was no one in the living room. I checked my bedroom. Empty. “Cassandra, are you in here?” She had left. She had run away. Again. I was beginning to get upset. I pulled my phone out to dial her number again as I walked back towards the kitchen. My gaze fell on a paper note that was laid straight on the counter. I reached out to it. It was a note; I had an amazing time, Aaron, but I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be with you. So I am ending this now and leaving you for good. I will send my resignation to you soon. Cassandra “Fuck!” I growled and crumpled the paper in my fist and thumped hard on the counter. Damn her! She didn’t have the decency to say that to me in person? My blood began to boil in rage. She was a coward and she was resigning. Like hell I would allow her to get away with it this easily. I called her again and stormed towards the living area. She didn’t pick up. I tried again. That’s when I heard a phone buzzing somewhere. I turned around to see a phone lying on the couch, vibrating. I went to it. It was Cassandra’s. What the hell? She left her phone here? Why on earth did she do it? I unlocked the screen. She didn’t have a password, thankfully. The screen opened to the texts from earlier. There was a half written message; And I am missing yours. I love What is all this? I am losing my mind. She left me a note that said she didn’t want me but left her phone behind with a half written text that clearly showed her interest in me. Either she was playing with me or something was wrong. I went to my bedroom and looked around. That’s when I found her clothes from earlier. Even her wallet was right there. This was something ugly. Fear began to envelop me. I needed to find her. I took the elevator back to the ground floor. “I need to know where Cassandra is. She was in my apartment this morning. But she left abruptly. I need

to know if she called a cab or something.” The doorman looked at me like I was a maniac. Hell if I cared at that moment about myself. “I was calling you earlier to tell you that your guest left.” “Where did she go? Did she say something?” I held my breath, waiting for him to answer. “No, but your other lady friend was with her.” “My other lady friend?” “Yeah, she came here earlier as well. She asked about you but she didn’t go up or let me call you. She said she’d come back later. Then she came a couple of hours later and made me call up to your guest.” This was crazy. Who could have come here? Cassandra knew none of my associates. Hell I didn’t even have a lady friend who’d visit me at my home on a Monday morning. Except… “What did she look like? The other one. Who took Cassandra, what did she look like?” “She was pretty. A brunette.” I pulled out my phone and showed him a picture. “Was it her?” The doorman smiled widely. “Yes, yes. She’s the one.” I gritted my teeth and rushed towards my car. Elsa had stepped over every line today. Did she take her? Was this a kidnapping? Am I being absolutely crazy? Is this just a harmless day out between two girls? But why would they leave the door open and why would she leave her phone? So many questions and worries were flying through my head. I have no idea how serious this is! If anything happens to Cassandra, I will be a broken man. Part of me is assuming the absolute worst and I think that’s fair considering how much of a psycho Elsa is. Cassandra “I don’t know what he finds attractive about you. We need to do something about it.” I was in the hands of Aaron’s psycho ex. I should have been alarmed and put my guard up when I was first called by Aaron’s doorman and he had told me that Elsa Marek wanted to meet me. But damn my curiosity, I wanted to know why she was here to see me. Aaron’s conversation with her earlier was in the back of my mind and I wondered what she had to say to me. After all, they both must have had a history together and I wanted to find out what that history was exactly. So I gave her permission to come up. Big mistake. Now I was bound to a chair in god knows where. She forced me to come with her, at gun point. I don’t know why this psycho had a gun or if it was even real. But I was not willing to find out. The best thing I can do is just play along with her game. My thoughts shifted to Aaron. What would he think when he’d find that note Elsa had made me leave for him? He must think that I ran away. It wasn’t like I had given him any impression to think otherwise. But after yesterday, I did want to take a leap with him. I did want to test the waters with him. His words from earlier came back to me. But with you, I want to try everything. I can only hope that you’ll be there with me to test the waters. And after that, he had given me the most priceless gift; time. Take all the time you need but always remember, Cassandra, if you run away from me, I’ll chase you down to the ends of earth. Would he come after me now? Even when he’d find out that I hadn’t had the decency to say goodbye to him in person. Probably not. And that thought made me want to cry. For the first time in years, I wanted to cry. Elsa was back and she had something in her hands. “Where should we start from?” She raised a pair of scissors. “No, Elsa. Please don’t do this. We can sit and talk about all this. There is no need to do this.” I jerked my head away but she caught a lock of my hair and pulled. I yelped in pain. “Talk about what, Cass? That how he left me for you? Or how he dismissed me from his life because of you?” She was going hysteric. “I love him. I was content in giving him what he wanted from me. I was even okay when he went after that other bitch, Jasmine. Or his other one night stands with bimbos. It was alright. Because he

always came back to me. But then you came out of nowhere and he stopped seeing me.” For a minute I thought she was going to cry. But then she glared at me. “But not anymore. I’ll make you so ugly that he won’t even recognize you.” And then she snapped the scissors and strands of my hair fell down. Oh God, this was really happening. I closed my eyes shut and called that one name I could think of. Aaron. “He even jumped in that water to save you. I wished you would have died. It would have made things easier for me. And then when I tried to talk to him, he said he was done with me. And that is all because of you!” She threw away the scissors and looked around as if searching for something better. I dared not to think of the plans she had for me. I’ve gotten off easy so far, a bit of hair will grow back… But then she stopped and looked at me intently. “Water. Yes. He saved you yesterday, but you’ll suffer today. I’m going to watch you drown in my own pool. Nice and easy, eh?” An evil smile appeared on Elsa’s face and I looked at her in horror. “No, please. Elsa, listen to me. Let me talk to Aaron and we’ll sort this out. I am sure he is not that into me like you are thinking.” I tried to settle her down. But this woman was totally nuts. “Since he returned from that wedding, he is avoiding me and that is exactly when you two hooked up, wasn’t it?” I gaped at her in surprise. How did she know? She laughed at my expression. “Yeah, surprised, huh? I keep a close eye on my man. I love him that much.” “That is stalking. Not love.” The words came out of my mouth and her hand hit my face. “Bitch!” I was stunned by the sudden action. But then I didn’t care. “You are a crazy, dumb-headed bitch who doesn’t know the difference between obsession and love. Love is what he feels for me and I for him. He saved me because he loves me. He called you out because he didn’t want to sleep around with anyone except me because we share something special. That’s love. What you are talking about is stalking and obsession. You fucking psycho!” My words silenced her for a bit. “You are right, Cass. I am obsessive. And you should know what obsession makes a person do.” She pulled out the gun from the back of her jeans’ waistband. “You are the thing that stands between me and Aaron. So I am going to keep him for myself and kill you right here. Story ends.” She loaded the gun and I closed my eyes. “What, not gonna see your death coming?” she laughed loudly and I whispered, “I love you, Aaron.” “No!” someone yelled and then there was a loud shot followed by shrieks and things falling and crashing. I waited for the pain to take over. But nothing hit me. I dared to open my eyes and found Aaron disarming Elsa. Aaron was here. Relief flooded inside me. He was here. My love. He had chased me. He had found me. Tears welled in my eyes and I didn’t fight them. They were long due. “I did this for you, Aaron. I love you so much. She doesn’t deserve you,” Elsa was pleading as Aaron shoved her aside and rushed towards me. “Cassandra, baby, are you alright?” he cupped my cheeks, his voice was hoarse. I leaned into his touch and nodded, unable to speak. He started to undo my ropes. “Aaron, please,” Elsa tried again but this time Aaron pointed the gun at her. “Stay the fuck there Elsa or I swear to God, I’ll shoot you!” She backed away. Aaron freed me from the restraints and then crushed me to his chest. This was home. Before I could even savor his touch there was a siren outside. It was the cops. Aaron must have called them on the way over here. “I thought I’d never see you again,” I whispered into his neck. “I’ll chase after you, Cass, every time.” He looked down at me and then lowered his mouth to take mine in a kiss. The kiss was as soft as a feather, but it was still possessive. “I love you, Cassandra.” He pressed his forehead against mine as he confessed. “I love you too, Aaron, and I want to take every leap and test every water with you,” I said to

him through tears. He kissed away the wetness on my cheeks and then playfully smiled down at me. “I was looking forward to a little more cat and mouse. I like the chase.” “Aaron!” I smacked his chest and he laughed and hugged me again. Oh yeah, I was one lucky maid of honor to hitch the best man.

Chapter 12 Five months later Cassandra I stepped out of the elevator and stopped in my tracks. The office floor was pitch black. What the hell? I checked my phone. It was nine in the morning. Where was everybody? I was expecting to see quite some activity everywhere, given that Aaron has been crazy busy the past two days. I’m not going to lie it has been secretly annoying me. It meant I didn’t get to spend as much time with him as I’d like, but I knew I was being silly. He had some new client that I didn’t know about and he wasn’t even telling me who it was. He had stayed out late last night and then left quite early this morning saying he had a conference. But now there wasn’t even a single hint of activity. The past five months with Aaron have been… heaven. I had never dreamed of finding a man who’d make me feel this alive, this happy. I love him with all my heart and I know that he feels the same for me because he shows it to me every single day. But this hiding and sneaking around wasn’t giving me a good feeling. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him. I trusted him with my life, but I just wish he’d tell me what was going on. I walked over to the switch board and turned on all the lights. And ta da… there were roses everywhere. My hand went to my mouth as I gasped. Just then a soft violin began playing Richard Marx’s tune of I will be right here waiting for you. That was my favorite song. “Cassandra, you flipped my life upside down the moment I set my eyes on you.” It was Aaron’s voice. I turned around to see him but he was nowhere in sight. “You made me believe that I was capable of carrying a relationship – a monogamous one. Yeah, I am surprised too.” He chuckled. “You made me a better person, not that I wasn’t a good one before, but of course you think otherwise. I want my day to begin with you and end with you for the rest of my life. I want the sun to rise and set with you by my side every day. I love you, Cassandra, and I want to share your life with you. Laugh with you and cry with you. Alright that came out cheesy, didn’t it?” Tears began to fall down my cheek. “Will you just come and kiss me?” I said and there he stepped out from behind the wall to the left with a grin on his face. “You went over the board.” I gestured at the roses and all the decorations. “I’m not finished yet, babe.” He stepped closer and then went down on his knee and grabbed my hand. “Be mine, Cassandra. Will you please marry me?” His eyes shimmered with love, desire and possessiveness. There would never be any other man in my life other than Aaron Maxfield. “I am yours, Aaron. Always and forever. Yes, I will marry you.” Aaron grinned at me and popped a velvet box out of his pocket and slipped a delicate princess cut diamond ring onto my finger and pressed a kiss on my knuckles. The air filled with people cheering and sobbing as the rest of the office people appeared from wherever they were hiding. Aaron stood up and took me into his arms and kissed me. “I love you.” With tears in my eyes I had to hear it one more time “Say that again.” “I love you.”

Chapter 13 Kenneth James Wait, she’s getting married? How can she be getting married? It’s been six fucking months, that bitch was supposed to be mine! After everything I did for her she does this to return the favor? I gave her a wage. I gave her a car. I gave her a fucking apartment. And I have to find out she’s getting married over fucking Facebook? It’s a good job her profile isn’t set to private otherwise I’d never see what this bitch is up to. Why hasn’t she uploaded any pictures of the asshole she’s marrying? She could have at least posted his name. He’s probably made up so she can feel better about her pathetic little life now that I’m not in the picture. I will never forget that night she stood me up. I had planned it all out meticulously. She walks upstairs to do her duty as an excellent employee and sleep with an excellent business prospect. Then surprise! It’s me. Her boss who has given her the life she has. She owed it to me. But she never turned up, did she? The fucking bitch. Why would she do this to me? Without hesitation I fired her ass the next day and took everything away from her. She deserved it. I need to know who the hell she is marrying! I need to show him who’s boss and put him in his place. He needs to know that she is mine and nobody can take her away from me. I took her into my company when she was nothing. I made her what she is today. She is my property and I will get her back. I need more information. It looks like she’s working at the LeoField Ad Agency. Perfect. Mark is an old acquaintance of mine. I’ll pretend I’m looking to collaborate business with him and then do some snooping around to find out as much information as I can. I haven’t seen Mark in years and I know he’s not an imbecile. I’ll have to be careful around him. I’d heard rumors about him partnering up with some one as well. It doesn’t sound like Mark’s character at all. He must really respect this guy to share half his business with him.

Chapter 14 Aaron I lay awake next to my gorgeous fiancée who was fast asleep. The last few months with Cass have been the best of my life. Proposing to her last week was the best thing I’ve ever done with my life. I know I will never regret this decision. She is my world and she is my everything. We have decided to host the wedding relatively soon. We don’t want a long engagement, we both just want to get on with it. Funny how similar we are, we can’t be doing with lying about waiting. You’ve got to live your life to the fullest every day because you never know when it will all blow up in your face. I am going to savor every moment with this beautiful goddess. I rolled over and faced my princess. The way her hair landed and her face relaxed when she slept was adorable. If I died right now I would be happy if this was my last memory. The last five months have been filled with work and Cass. I couldn’t be happier. We’ve got a routine down that fits us perfect. She’s always the first up and she gets the coffee running. The aroma drags me out of bed and I whip up breakfast while we share our plans for the day or lounge around and watch TV. I think we’ll have pancakes and fruit tomorrow. I know she loves that combo. I went out of my way yesterday to snatch up some fresh blueberries because I know they’re her favorite. After breakfast she’ll take the first shower or we’ll both take the first shower depending on how we’re feeling. She always leaves a cute message on the mirror, all the soppy sayings you can think of. I love it. Cass has her own car now so if she needs to shoot off to a separate location for work she can do. Most days we share my car when we know we’re going to be in the office all day. We play games in the car to speed up the journey and sing a long to our favorite songs on full blast with no care in the world. Cass is an incredible worker, hiring her was one of the best things I could have done for this company. She’s worked her way up the ranks quickly and runs the media department and is head of the team. Mark and I still have the final say and handle everything else. We’ve turned into quite a trio, kicking butt and taking names. Being the boss has its perks, I can drag Cass off to dinners and outings whenever I like and I can just blame it on business. People probably bitch about it behind our backs, but fuck them. We’re happy and we do what we want. We are living the dream and no one can take that away from us. After work we usually hit the gym. I stick to the weights while Cass jumps between workouts. She likes to swap it up all the time so she doesn’t get bored. I on the other hand like to see the progression. I like seeing my numbers go up and that only comes with consistency. When we get home we don't really stick to a routine. Some times we go out together, some times one of us goes out while the other stays in. It depends on the day and how we're both feeling. It's nice having the freedom to do what I want. If I'm not in the mood to hang out she can keep herself busy without clawing at me for attention. I respect that. She can bring herself happiness and doesn't rely on me for it. The bedroom is where the real action happens. We've started to experiment with all sorts of fun activities, nothing is off the table. We'll try anything once and decide if we like it or dislike it. This has lead to some... interesting nights, but they've all been fun and we've grown as individuals and as a couple. This past five months we have connected on a deep emotional level. We're still finding little intricacies

out about each other and we will do for a few years. You can't fully know some one in less than six month, but every time we learn something new our love for each other grows. This helps me sleep like a baby. I still have loads more to look forward to with this amazing goddess. It's getting late, I should probably go to bed soon. I love when Cass subconsciously reaches out for me when she's asleep for a cuddle. It puts me to sleep faster than anything knowing I get to protect her. Her feeling safe around me is the greatest gift I could ever ask for. I snuggle up to her and put my arms around her, pulling her tightly into me. As I close my eyes all I can look forward to is waking up tomorrow and eating breakfast with my angel. Cassandra The next morning The sun shining in through the window woke me up earlier than usual today. The one tiny gap in the curtain had to beam the sun directly over my eyes. Typical! My life is just full of tragedy, I'm kidding of course. I rolled over and saw my love laying there. His messy hair and his chiseled face caught my attention first. God, he's gorgeous. How am I this lucky? It's too early to get up and make coffee, but I can't fall back to sleep once I'm up. I've always been cursed with that. If I get woken up I have to distract myself a bit before I can even think about going back to sleep otherwise I'll be up all night staring at the ceiling. Nights where I can't sleep aren't too bad any more though, whenever they happen I just stare at Aaron all night. Picturing our future, what we're going to get up to and where we're going to be. I could be a little naughty? That sounds good right now, I'm sure Aaron will be more than happy to get a little frisky. I place my hand on his chest but he doesn't stir or move. I slowly move my hand down his glorious six pack and tease the band of his boxers. He thrusts upwards out of habit but he doesn't fully wake up. Seeing how excited he gets over my touch turns me on so much. I can hardly contain myself. I move my hand lower and place it directly on his morning glory. That was the trick. His eyes instantly opened and a wicked smile came across his face. He knew what I wanted and he was going to give it to me. I used my other hand to play with myself and I grabbed his cock over his boxers and gave it a firm squeeze. This always sends him wild and I love it. He can't control himself around me. I keep playing with pussy, getting wetter by the second. As I give his cock a playful stroke he instinctively thrusts upwards again and his eyes roll to the back of his head. I climb on top of him and kiss him passionately on the lips. I slowly grind on his cock and he lets out a powerful moan. I love teasing him. Some times he can't take it any more and just forces it inside me. I fucking love it when he loses control and does what he wants. As I reach down to pull my panties to the side, he releases his thick cock from the restraint of his boxers and he slides it into my pussy with ease. My mind flooded with pleasure, I love feeling it going in for the first time. It's not a struggle to get it in at all, it slides in perfectly. I can feel my lips wrap around him and every little nerve explodes with happiness. I start of slow, moving my hips up and down. Each movement I get faster and faster. We both kiss and claw at each other like animals, letting out moans and growls. He wraps his arms around my lower back and squeezes me tight. I know he’s ready to explode when he does this. He holds me up slightly and props his legs up so he can go as hard and as fast as he wants. I love it when he pounds away at me. He knows I won’t break and that turns me on so much! He lets out his

animal side and fucks me raw. The faster and stronger movements rub against my walls perfectly and I can feel an orgasm creeping up. Our breaths get faster and our moans get louder. I can feel his cock getting harder and harder, it’s ready to burst. I grab his face and make him stare at me and whisper “Cum in me. Right. Now.” I know how much that turns him on and he instantly loses it. The sensation of his pulsating cock tips me over the edge and my body is rocked by a fierce orgasm. I can hardly stop my legs from shaking. I scream out in pleasure and he breathes heavily slowly bringing his thrusts to a stop. We lay there for a minute, out of breathe and we enjoy the moment. I sit back up with a smile on my face and say “Good morning” and give him a peck on the cheek. He laughs and says “That was a nice wake up call.” I jump off him catching the mess and jump in the shower. He usually gives me a few minutes to myself to clean up before joining me. Last month we upgraded our shower. There was nothing wrong with the old one, we just needed something with a bit more space. We had a few mishaps getting into positions and falling on our backsides. This new one is brilliant! It even has a random waist height water jet for when he’s away with business all weekend. If you know what I mean… I shout out “The water is perfect!”. Moments later he opens the door with a grin on his face. He’s so adorable. He jumps in with me and starts lathering me up with body wash. When he’s finished having his fun I turn around and shampoo his hair. He loves getting his head massaged, I mean who doesn’t? It’s not hair day for me today otherwise I’d get him to give me a turn as well! I get out first and dry myself off. I always steal the fluffier towel, I know he secretly cares but he never bothers mentioning it. I flick the coffee machine on and sit at the kitchen table with my phone. I have my daily to do list lay out in front of me and plan my day out before Aaron gets out of the shower. As he’s walking into the kitchen he says “I picked up your favorite yesterday, do you want pancakes and blueberries?”. God he’s so perfect. I reply back “Silly question, you know I do”. He makes the best pancakes in the world and I don’t know how he always manages to find the sweetest fruit. I finish up making the coffee as he’s making the pancake mix. “Aaron, babe, we need to sort out the location. Where shall we get married?” He replies “I’m not sure, do you have anywhere in mind?” Avery’s wedding was truly beautiful and it definitely opened my eyes. I always thought I’d want a local wedding but now I’m having second guesses. “Do you want to go abroad or shall we stay local?” I ask him. He slid a fresh pancake onto my plate “I really enjoyed Quinn’s wedding abroad. It felt nice to get away from everything. Surround myself in something completely different. I really don’t mind though. If you have your heart set on the perfect place we will go there. I could marry you in a car park and I’d still be the happiest man ever.” I took a handful of the ripe blueberries and scattered them over my pancakes “How can you be this cute first thing in the morning? Abroad sounds good, somewhere sunny but not too hot. I don’t want to be sweating all day”. With a mouth full of pancake “Oh! We can’t forget about family and friends. We need somewhere that’s easy to get to and not too expensive. We can sub the people that are struggling”

Aaron took a big sip of his coffee “I’ve always liked the Caribbean. What about Jamaica or one of those Islands?” I got all excited “Oooh! We could have it on a beach! With the sea in the background! Lets go there. It will be perfect. I can just picture the beautiful sea now. I can’t wait!” Aaron looked at his watch “It’s quite close too, plus we can go all inclusive. Anyway, finish up. We’re going to be late for work. Mark and I have got a meeting with the head of a PR company. He wants to discuss a special business opportunity or something. He’s an old friend of Mark’s so I can’t be late. I’ve never met him so I don’t want to give a bad first impression!”

Chapter 15 Kenneth I have my driver drop me off early outside the agency. The building is quite extraordinary, had I actually cared about working with these fools I’m sure they would bring a lot to the table. I grab a seat at the local coffee shop situated opposite the agency. The young waitress makes her way over with a smile on her face “Hey, what can I get you today?” I look at her with a blank expression “Large coffee, hurry up and don’t dawdle.” She looks at me disapprovingly and walks away to fetch my drink like a good worker bee. She looks much better from behind I’ll give her that. I keep my eyes peeled on the agency across the street, waiting for Cassandra to show her pathetic little face. I bet she has to walk to work after I took that precious car from her. Good. She could use the exercise, she needed to tone up more. I love fantasizing about how difficult her life must have been when I took it all away from her. The waitress interrupts my daydream and puts the coffee down next to me. As she’s walking away I notice the saucer has a drop of coffee on it. I click my fingers twice “Oi! Come back here.” She begrudgingly made her way over with a fake smile “How can I help?” I point at my saucer and raise my voice “Do you think this is acceptable?” She leans in and notices the splash of coffee “I’m terribly sorry, I’ll go grab a napkin.” I raise my voice even more “No! You will bring me a fresh coffee with no disgusting spillages this time. Do you understand?” I could see she was beginning to go bright red, whether it was anger or embarrassment, I didn’t care. I don’t put up with incompetence. The waitress reaches over and collects the coffee “I’m sorry about that, I’ll bring over a new one.” I continued to watch the building hoping to spot Cassandra, she must have been running late. She usually arrived early when she was working for me. I bet she she’s too busy caking herself in makeup and playing around with her hair. Typical woman. The waitress made her way back over and there was no sign of a smile on her face anymore. She put the coffee down next to me and walked away without saying a word. She didn’t even shoot me a glance, I must have touched a nerve. Probably on her period or something. Ten minutes passed and half way through a sip of my delightful coffee I saw a magnificent black car pull up to the side of building and park in one of the spaces. Guess who happened to step out? That fucking bitch, Cassandra. She was on the passenger side though, who was she with? She still doesn’t own her own car so she has to carpool. Absolutely pathetic. She is nothing without me. Shows how feeble her new fiancé is if he can’t even afford to get her a car. I stared at Cassandra as she began to walk around the back of the car. The driver side then opened and out stepped a tall, well-built man. He was wearing a luxurious fitted suit and he stood tall with pride. I can judge a character pretty quickly and I can tell he’s a hard worker. I might try and poach him for my company. I’ll have to find out which department he works in. Instead of walking to the entrance, Cassandra made her way over to the guy getting out of the car. They wrapped their arms around each other and gave each other a quick kiss. What the fuck! She’s marrying that guy? Why the hell doesn’t she have her own car if he can afford a car and a suit like that? I continue to gawk at them while they babble as they walk to the entrance of the building. He’s even walking her to the front door, Jesus! What an overbearing dick, she can walk on her own you know! Don’t worry Cassandra, I will save you from this tyrant. You need a humble and courteous man, like myself. I sat there, glued to what was unfolding in front of me. They both made it to the front door and he opened it for her with a grin on his face. I bet he thinks he’s a real gentleman, doesn’t he? Piece of shit. When she entered the building he followed her in. What was he doing? Why did he follow her in? Does she need

help getting up the stairs as well? Wait. Nice car, nice suit. Holy shit! Does he work here? How did I not suspect that! I am such an imbecile. Today is just full of surprises, what more can it throw at me? The meeting wasn’t for another thirty minutes yet. I’ll give them another ten minutes and then I’ll arrive early so I can put them on the spot. I don’t want them to be prepared. I’ll catch them off guard and work my magic. After all, I can’t ruin my reputation just because of some little girl. I need to handle this meeting with tact and play my cards right. Aaron Mark and I sat alone in his office on two separate white leather couches facing each other. Behind Mark is a giant pane glass window that looks out into the city. There’s a pure glass coffee table in the center with both our laptops resting on it. At the end of the couch is a single white leather chair. I put on my black fitted suit today. Whenever I meet a new potential client I need to feel powerful and respectable. Mark and I have the perfect balance for these meetings. I play bad cop he plays good cop. I leant back on the couch “Who is this guy, Mark? What’s this meeting about?” Mark was much more relaxed, he had a blazer on with no tie and his top button was undone “Honestly Aaron, I’m not one hundred percent sure. He’s an old friend from college. I haven’t seen the guy in years, but he wants to discuss business. I don’t usually give in to friends but he runs Ali Ross PR. It’s a big time PR agency and he can shove a boat load of work our way if we play nice.” Mark’s assistant opens the door to the office “Mr Leonard, Mr James has arrived and he is waiting in the lobby, shall I send him in?” Mark gives Aaron a nod and looks back at his assistant “Give us two minutes Amelia, then send him in. Thank you.” I look over to Mark and lean forward “He’s earlier than expected. Trying to catch us unprepared is he? Oldest trick in the book. How do you want to play this? Shall I go easy on him considering he’s your friend or are we staying firm?” Mark smirks “Business is business, but be careful. Don’t underestimate him. He must be a hell of a negotiator to have made it this far.” I wasn’t worried about this guy, all these meetings are the same. We talk sports for a few minutes, get down to business, I high ball him, he low balls me, we meet in the middle and it’s done. Piece of cake. I’ll wrap this proposal up and then sneak off to pester Cass for a coffee break. We’ve got a wedding coming up after all. The only thing we’ve decided on is the location, we were gossiping in the car and we like the sound of Jamaica the best. The culture is amazing, and the sea and beaches are phenomenal. Plus there’s the added bonus of experimenting with some herbal refreshments, if you know what I mean. We’ve both enjoyed it in our younger days and would like to experience it again together now that our lives are infinitely better. It will be a blast! Kenneth The assistant made her way out of the office and closed the door behind her “Mr Leonard and Mr Maxfield will be ready shortly. Would you like anything to drink while you wait, tea, coffee, water?” I locked eyes with her “Cut the formalities, I know Mark, he’s an old friend. What is his partners name? I’ve never met him before.” The assistant hesitated before saying “Mr Maxfield’s first name is Aaron.” I like that, it’s a strong name. Let’s hope he puts up a bit of a fight in this meeting. I looked the assistant up and down and focused mostly on her perky tits “And what’s your name? A pretty thing like you must have a sweet name to go with it.” I could see she was uncomfortable and she looked at me awkwardly. After an awkward pause she managed to break out of her shell “My name is Amelia and I would appreciate it if you kept this exchange professional, Mr James.”

Oh, she’s feisty! I love it! I can see why Mark hired her. There’s nothing like a great pair of tits that can stand up for themselves. I looked her up and down one last time and let out a cheeky wink with a devilish smile. “As you wish, Amelia.” I waited for her to sit back down at her desk and get comfy “Actually, Amelia. If it’s all the same to you, could I get that drink now? I’d like a fresh glass of orange juice, if you have it.” I could see I was getting on her nerves, seeing her squirm was fantastic. She stood up again “Certainly, pulp or no pulp?” I pretended I was giving it some thought, but it was just so I could get a longer look at her tight body “I’ll take the pulp please.” She wandered off and thirty seconds later she came back with the orange juice and handed it to me with a napkin. I stared at her ass as she made her way back over to her seat. As she sat down and got comfy again I took a sip “I changed my mind.” Amelia back to me and I could tell she was starting to get frustrated “Could I trouble you for a glass of orange juice with no pulp instead? Thanks.” Amelia got up out of the chair and walked over to me and took the glass without saying a word. She left the room and after another thirty seconds she came back in with a fresh glass. As she handed me the glass I shot her a wicked grin “You’re a star.” I didn’t even bother taking a sip this time, I wanted the pulp one. I was just passing time. I let her sit down and readjust herself so she was comfortable. “You know what, Amelia? I think I had it right the first ti--” she cut me off mid sentence without even looking at me “I didn’t bother changing it, Mr James. That is still the pulp one. I know what kind of game you are playing and I am very busy. Please entertain yourself without including me.” Damn! She caught me off guard. She’s much smarter than she looks. I let out a small laugh and guzzled down my drink. That passed a minute, what else can I do? As I was about to wind Amelia up a bit more, she interrupted my train of thought “Mr Leonard and Mr James are ready for you now. Please make your way in.” I leapt up and shuffled over to the office door. As I opened the door I glanced at Amelia one last time “Nice meeting you, Amelia.” I closed the door behind me and took in my surroundings. I saw Mark sat down on a white leather couch with a giant glass window behind him. The room was beautifully lit and it had an excellent view. I could only see the back of Aaron’s head, as he was sat on the opposite couch. Mark was the first to notice my presence and he stood up. Aaron followed suit and stood up with him, then he turned around. No. Fucking. Way. Are you serious right now? I feel like I’m part of a fucking prank show. What is this bullshit? It’s the fucking guy who walked Cassandra in and drove her here. She’s fucking HIM?! She’s getting married to this fucking loser? Jesus Christ, what the hell does he have that I don’t? What a fucking joke. I need to stay calm, I can’t let my emotions get the better of me. I still need to keep cool and get down to business. There’s no way I’m going easy on this prick. I’m walking out of here with the best deal and I am getting myself an invite to that shit wedding. I took a few deep breathes and cleared my head. They both made their way over to me and Mark was the first to speak “Hello Kenneth, long time no see! How long has it been now, 30 years?” He extends his hand out for a handshake. I reach out and match him “Too long, so this is what you’ve been up to? You’ve built quite an empire. I like the atmosphere of this place, hard workers every where.” Mark released his grip “Yeah, we’ve built up quite a team here. We only hire the best.” Mark then gestured over to Aaron “Have you met Aaron? He runs the agency with me and he’s part of the reason we’re doing so well.” Aaron reaches his hand out for a handshake and I lock with him “Nice to meet you, Kenneth.” He has a firm grip and I can tell he is eying up his competition. I’m the first to break the silence “Strong handshake you have there, compensating for something?” We unlock hands and he countered me faster than I expected “Sorry, I need to watch my strength around the elderly.

I’m working on it.” The elderly?! Who the fuck is this guy calling old? I’m only in my fifties. He has a fucking mouth on him and I am about to slap him down a peg. Before I could reply, Mark stepped in “Can we at least talk business before you carry on with this dick measuring contest?” I’ve always respected Mark, he’s a no bullshit kind of guy. “Certainly.” I looked over at Aaron “Behave yourself, Aaron.” I could see Aaron tense up and he wanted to blurt something out. He looked over at Mark and held his tongue. He obviously values Mark’s words. I should use that to my advantage to get an invite to the wedding. Mark turned around and made his way over to the couch. Aaron and I both followed, they both sat on the opposite couches and I sat on the lone chair. Mark starts the conversation “So what would you like to discuss, Kenneth? There must be a reason you’ve got in touch after all these years. What are you after?” I looked over to Mark “I’d like to collaborate, we’ve just picked up a new client and this brand is big. They’ve hit millions almost over night. Needless to say they’re going to be getting interviews left, right, and center. Social media is exploding and all that jazz. We can handle the PR, but they have no advertising agency backing them.” Aaron’s ears stood up like an excited dog “Why did you come to us? What do you have to do with advertising, shouldn’t this new client be finding an agency themselves?” I switched my glance over to Aaron “Well, I figured I could let them run off and sort themselves out, or I could partner up with an advertising agency and earn a hefty referral bonus for bringing them such a prosperous client.” Aaron’s face took a more serious tone “How hefty are you thinking?” I glanced over at Mark and glanced back to Aaron “Fifty percent.” Aaron shot to his feet full of energy “Fifty percent! Are you insane? You want fifty percent just for bringing the client to us while we do all the leg work? Forget it! Absolutely ridiculous.” A huge grin came across my face and I kept silent. Aaron sat back down and Mark took over “How well-off is this client, Kenneth? Cut to the chase. You know we’re never going to accept an offer like that unless you have the numbers to prove it.” I reached down and opened up my briefcase. I grabbed the clients files and tossed them over onto the coffee table. Mark snatched them up and gave them a quick read. He remained silent for a few moments and looked up to Aaron “It’s legit, a campaign with this client alone would triple our profits for this quarter. Who knows how much work they could throw our way if they continue to flourish like this.” Mark passed the files over to Aaron. He opened them up and gazed into them for much longer than Mark. I could see his tiny little brain crunching the numbers and finding the catch. Aaron dropped the files on the table and locked eyes with me “We’ll do it if your cut drops down to twenty percent.” I stood my ground “Fifty percent or I walk.” I looked over to Mark and he didn’t seem worried, was this a trick? What are they trying to pull? Aaron piped up again “Then walk. We’re the best advertising firm in the city. Even if you go to one of our competitors and take fifty percent, you’ll still earn less than if you take twenty percent with us. What are you going to choose, your ego or your greed?” This kid has his head screwed on, I’ll give him that. I don’t give a shit about the money, but he doesn’t have to know that. “I’ll tell you what. Call it twenty-five percent and send me an invite to this fancy wedding you have planned. I love a good party. I’m sure a guy like you won’t hold back, free bar I assume?” I could see by Aaron’s expression that I’d caught him off guard. He hadn’t prepared for this. “How do you know about the wedding? I haven’t mentioned it at all.” I reached over and grabbed the clients file from the coffee table “I overheard some gossip on my way in, you know what girls are like.” God damn I’m smooth. Toying with lesser minds is always fun. I could see that Aaron was contemplating the deal, he looked over to Mark and Mark just shrugged his shoulders. The ball is in your court Aaron, what are you

going to do? I guess this falls back down to ego or greed, funny how things turn out. Aaron stood up again “We have a deal, Kenneth.” I mirrored him and stood up as well, we shook hands to finalize the deal. “Perfect. Have the contract sent to my office so we can get it all in writing, I need to dash.” I turned around and shot for the door, Aaron and Mark followed me to escort me out. As I left they both said there good byes to me. I closed the door behind me and made my way over the the stairs. As I passed by Amelia I couldn’t resist myself “Good bye, darling. It was a pleasure meeting you.” She completely blanked me but I could see her tense up. What a wonderful day! Aaron After walking that asshole out, Mark and I sat back down on the couches. Mark let out a large sigh of relief “That was ballsy, I didn’t think he would go for that deal. You played that perfectly, our profits are going to sky rocket with this client… Did he give off a ‘weird’ vibe to you? Maybe it’s just his business strategy but I couldn’t settle around him.” I nodded in agreement with what Mark was saying “He was feisty, I’ll give him that. The guy was at my throat instantly, it usually takes some one ten minutes to build up to that.” We both laughed and we could relax again now. “I don’t know why he wanted to attend the wedding so bad, now I have to tell Cass we need to squeeze an extra person in. Ah well, it was worth it. Even if he kept fifty percent we’d still be better off. An extra twenty-five percent and all I have to do is put up with him at my wedding? Easy choice really.” Mark smiled “Taking one for the team! People are going to be over the moon when they see their bonuses at the end of this quarter.” Mark has always split the pot with the whole agency, he doesn’t keep it to himself and now that we’re partners, nothing has changed. We all get a nice bonus, spirits are kept high and everyone tries their best because they know it’s fair. Happy people, happy life, happy business. I stood up and checked my watch “Perfect opportunity to go for a coffee and break the news to Cass that a complete stranger is now attending our wedding. Wish me luck!” Mark chuckled and I heard him shout as I left the office “Good luck, she’ll understand!”

Chapter 16 Later that evening Aaron I grabbed both our plates and tucked a wine bottle under my arm. Tonight we were having sirloin steak fried in garlic butter, with a hefty side of roasted asparagus, and a handful of chunky home-made fries. We’ll wash it down with a delicious bottle of red wine and then we have the whole evening to plan out the wedding. I need to remember to tell her about Kenneth as well. When I went for a coffee earlier today she was hosting a meeting so I couldn’t steal her away. "Aaron, you have out done yourself tonight babe. This food is amazing." I smiled at Cassandra and raised my glass "We've got the whole evening to sort the wedding out. We'll down this bottle of wine, blast some music and then get to work. When we're finished, you can be dessert." I caught Cass off guard "Aaron!" I grinned at her and after a moment of silence she looked at me seductively "What makes you think you can handle this?" I love it when she fights back "What do you think the bottle of wine is for?" We both laughed and carried on finishing our meals. After polishing off our food, I grabbed the bottle of wine and we made our way over to the couch. We put a best of Queen album on to set the mood. "Oh babe, I forgot to tell you. We have to waste an invite on that business partner Mark and I had a meeting with earlier today. I don't know why he was so keen on coming, but he gave up a huge percentage of his share just for an invite. Every one will be thrilled with the bonus they're getting this year, put it that way." Cass looked over at me "We'll make do, what's he like?" I sunk into the couch and scratched the back of my head "I'm not going to lie, babe. He's a bit of a dick. Mark will keep him in check, don't worry." Cass cuddled up to me and put her head on my chest "As long as I'm married to you by the end of the day I don't care what happens." I put my arm around her and pulled her in tight. She looked up at me "What's his name? I'm going to have to send out a proper invite." "We'll post it to his office along with the final contract. He's called Kenneth James." Cass went quiet. I looked down at her and she was pale, like she'd seen a ghost. "Cass, what's wrong?" Cassandra Kenneth James. Kenneth fucking James. That arrogant, self-absorbed, sexist, disgusting, vile human being. My heart beat shot up and my blood started to boil. Who the hell does he think he is? Worming his way into my wedding and barging back into my amazing life. He is a nasty virus the ruins everything he goes near. He sacrificed money just to get an invite? That doesn't seem like him at all. Greedy little shit would trade his own Mother for a free meal. Why does he want to be at our wedding? He treated me like shit the whole time I worked for him at his company and he had the audacity to expect me to sleep with a client, like some cheap slut. Fuck him and fuck his company. I bravely lifted my head and connected eyes with Aaron "Remember when we first met, in the Bahamas at Avery's wedding?

Aaron giggled "How could I forget? I'm a stripper at heart, you know!" I smiled sheepishly back at him "Well, a few days before that I was fired from my job." Aaron looked at me with a worried face. I paused for a moment, I don't know why I was embarrassed, it's not like I could prevent it "Kevin James was my old boss. The reason he fired me was because I refused to have sex with one of his clients. That disgusting monster booked a hotel room before even speaking to me. He just assumed I would be okay whoring myself out in order to expand his client base. Over night I lost my apartment, my car, and my job. But I still kept my dignity. A few days later I had to fly out to the Bahamas and pretend everything was okay. When I came home I got my life sorted and found that crap apartment you helped me move out of. I attended multiple interviews and never heard from them. Then I bumped into you again. I guess he just brings back bad memories. Tears had formed in my eyes at this point and I could see Aaron turning bright red "Please say something, Aaron." He stayed silent for a moment, it felt like an eternity "Babe, I had no idea. I am so sorry for what he did and I hate myself for how I treated you during that first month. To know that you were going through this and I was treating you like that breaks my heart. First thing tomorrow I am canceling the contract and paying him a visit. I will not let an old miserable fucker like that make my princess feel like this. I will ruin him. I'll make some phone calls and get the other agencies to black list him. If that sleazy cunt thinks he's coming to our wedding now, he's got another thing coming. And to think that arrogant asshole knew all this while staring me in the eyes the whole time. How fucking stupid can he get? Did he not think I would mention it to you?" Aaron unclenched his fist and began to calm down, I looked at him in awe. To think this wonderful man would do all that just for me made my heart explode with love. "It's okay, Aaron. Forget about that first month, you had no idea. I love you and I know you love me, all is forgiven. I don't want to ruin everyone's bonus, let the prick come. I want to show him how happy I am with you and I want to rub it in his face. You make me the happiest woman in the world, Aaron." Aaron immediately pounced on me and grabbed me in a bear hug. He squeezed me tight and kissed me on the forehead "Whatever you say baby, I will support it. If you ever change your mind I will not hesitate to ruin him. Just say the word. I love you, Cass." I snuggled up close to Aaron and closed my eyes. After a few minutes of cuddling I broke the silence "That was a bit intense, wasn't it! Shall we get on with the wedding planning?" He released me from his grasp and we both sat up. "Sure Cass, so we're settled on Jamaica, right?" I nodded my head "I want to be right next to the beach so we have a perfect view of the sea." Aaron agreed "We need to stay in a beach hotel as well. I want to wake up and be two minutes from a morning swim." I clapped my hands excitedly "This is going to be so perfect! What shall we do for food?" Aaron paused for a moment "I wouldn't mind trying what the hotel has to offer. We can find one with a good catering service, that way they can organize it all and we can enjoy it." I licked my lips "As long as we get to try some jerk chicken I don't care. I'm sure there's a catering service that serves our style of food and traditional Jamaican food." Aaron tapped away at the calculator on his phone "How many people are we inviting? If we go for a hundred guests we can afford an open bar, sound good?" I leant over onto Aaron's chest "I only need about forty invites, if you can fill up sixty more slots go for it."

Aaron rested his head on mine "I can pull fifty, tops, ninety it is then." I stood up and made my way over to the stereo "So, what type of music shall we have?" Aaron stood up and walked over to me, he reached over to the stereo and put something on "Just wait." A few moments later Three Little Birds by Bob Marley started playing, Aaron burst out laughing and I slapped him softly on the arm "That's for the dancing after wards!"Aaron grabbed a hold of my hand and started to dance "We’ll play whatever you want to walk down the aisle too. If you want a band, we'll hire a band. If you want a harp, we'll hire a professional. If you want the traditional music, we’ll get that." I started to get into the rhythm and danced with him "I'll have to think about it, get back to me." Aaron twirled me around and smiled "We're making good progress here, what's left?" I replied back "Aww, baby. We're not even quarter of the way through! We've got to talk about: decorations, flowers, dresses, suits, the wedding party, the after party, transport, and most importantly, my dress!" Aaron's face lost all of its color "I'll get another glass of wine then!." I shouted out to him as he went into the kitchen "You might as well bring another bottle! It's going to be a long night..." Aaron came back into the room with a fresh bottle, I took it off him and placed it on the table “Babe, can we have a serious moment about the bachelor and the bachelorrete parties?” Aaron stared at me and replied almost instantly “Don’t worry, babe. The stripper will be for the lads, not for me. Why would I want a stripper dancing all over me when I already have the perfect girl right here?” I pounced on him “You know me too well, baby. Looking is allowed but no touching for either of us!” Aaron gave me a quick kiss “I’ve already told Mark and Quinn, there’s nothing to worry about. Now lets get planning!”

Chapter 17 Cassandra I awoke suddenly by a pile of scruffy clothes landing on top of me. "Wakey wakey, rise and shine! Get up, Cass. We're going paint balling! We need some stress relief from all this wedding planning. Lets go and have some fun." My eyes were still dazed from just waking up "Five more minutes..." I tried to drift off back to sleep but the cover was torn away from me and I felt the disappointing cold air cover me from head to toe. I kicked my legs and had a mini tantrum "Baby! It's so cold." Aaron giggled "Go and have a shower while I pack us a lunch and spare clothes, it's a forty-five minute drive so you can snooze in the car." I dragged myself out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. My eyes still hadn't adjusted to the sudden awakening. I tied my hair back and stepped into the shower. I wish Aaron was in here with me, we get up to so much trouble. Ah well, we'll definitely have some fun later. Although if he shoots me with a paint ball gun I wont go easy on him tonight. He'll be sore tomorrow morning! I finished my shower and stood out into the freezing cold air. I went into the bedroom and put on the scruffiest clothes I could find. As I made my way downstairs, I caught a glimpse of Aaron in the kitchen finishing up our lunches. "Morning babe, what made you come up with this idea?" Aaron turned around and smiled "I wanted to cover you in a different kind of fluid today." My eyes widened "Aaron! It’s too early for you to be sassing me like this." Aaron burst out laughing "I knew that would wind you up! But yeah, we could use the stress relief. When we get there, if you shoot me you won't hear the end of it." A devilish smile came across my face "Oh no babe, I would do no such thing! We're a team after all." He pulled his face and threw a breakfast bar at me "Yeah yeah, eat your breakfast and lets get a move on." We threw all of our things in the back of the car and scrambled in. Aaron got in the drivers side "Have a nap if you want babe." Without hesitation I closed my eyes and before I knew it we were there. "Boo!" I shook awake and pulled a grumpy face at him. That adorable smile is impossible to stay mad at though. We made our way into the main area and got kitted out in: coveralls, a face mask, armored gloves, and a paint ball gun. The referee took us to the first course and gave us a brief introduction "Hello everyone! First things first, you here a long drawn out whistle you stop immediately. Three sharp whistles indicates the game has started and three sharp whistles indicates the game has stopped. Firing when the game isn't in play will result in a one game ban. When you are tagged by paint ball it has to pop and leave paint. If it bounces off you, you're safe. Play fair guys and have fun. Is everyone ready?" The crowd erupted "YEAH!" "Okay, we'll split you off into teams and then we'll mix them up again half way through." He counted us out, Aaron and I ended up on the same team. I think we're both secretly hoping that changes later today. "Team one down that end, team two down that end. The first course we're on is a team death match, all you have to do is eliminate the other team." We all made our way down to the respective ends of the course "Thumbs up if you're ready!" Everyone raise their hands into the air, shortly after that there was three sharp whistles. Aaron grabbed me by the hand and we ran forward to the first line of barricades. This is so exciting! "Babe, shoot them!" I looked at Aaron "Who? I can't see anyone!" Paint balls immediately started hitting the barricade we were hiding behind. "Cass, I'm gonna run over there to that barrier, you see it? When I'm

running I want you to peek out and shoot at them. Ready? Three, two, one. Go!" Aaron bolted out and made a run for it. I peaked my gun out and started firing at whatever was moving. This is so exhilarating! Aaron made it and waved at me to run over to him. He made a hand signal and counted down with his fingers. When he closed his fist I made a break for it! I could hear the paint balls whizzing past me and bouncing off the barricades near me. I made it! I screamed and couldn't stand still "Baby we did it!" Aaron laughed and scouted out the area ahead of us "We still need to shoot them! Can you see anyone?" I peaked out to see if anyone was hiding. I could see faint movements behind the barricades ahead of us, we must have been on the front line. One by one our team was tagged until it was just me and Aaron left behind one barricade. I looked over at Aaron "We're the last two left! I can see the enemies moving around to the side to get us." Aaron looked over at me "It's the same on my side, what do we do?" I turned to face Aaron dramatically. I put on my best war voice "Lets go out fighting, partner. On the count of three, we run out guns blazing. Take as many down as you can!" Aaron burst out laughing "I love it, you ready?" I giggled back at Aaron "Baby, I was born ready. Three, two, one. Go! I ran out of the left side and Aaron ran out of the right side. We both put out our best war face on and started firing at everything that moved. Aaron immediately got tagged in his right leg and fell to the ground. I turned around a looked at him. He dramatically put his hand out and acted like he was dying "Go on without me!" I took his hand "I will avenge you!" I turned around and started running at the barricades firing. "You'll never take me alive!" One of my random shots actually tagged someone in the arm, he shouted "Out!" and put his arms in the air. I jumped in the air on the spot "Oh my god I got some one!" I turned around excitedly to face Aaron "Did you see?" As the words left my mouth I was pelted from behind by what felt like hundreds of paint balls. I let out a loud scream "I'm out! I'm out!" Aaron couldn't contain his laughter, he was rolling around on the floor. I ran over to him and started hitting him softly "It's not funny!" Three sharp whistles filled the air signaling the end of the game. The referee gathered us up "Team two excellent start, team one that was shocking! Can we get a round of applause for the battle blonde over there." He pointed over at me and I sunk my face into Aaron's chest. My face turned bright red. I was loving this. "Next time when you hit someone don't jump about in the middle of a field where everyone can shoot you!" We all burst out laughing, I shouted out at the other team "Next time I'm taking two of you with me!" The teams were both starting to get into it and we all playfully teased the opposing team. The referee interrupted us "Alright alright, break it up. Save it for the match! Go and have your lunch and we'll get started with the second half." Aaron and I walked over to the car and grabbed our lunch. We sat on the grass to save the car from all the paint and mud. Aaron took a bite out of his sandwich "I think this is a well deserved break after our war efforts." I ripped a chunk out of my apple “It’s a lot more fun than I expected. I’m getting well into it. I’m gonna ask the ref to make sure we’re on opposite teams so I can shoot you in the butt.” Aaron smirked “Bring it on, girl!” We finished our lunch and kitted ourselves out again. I did some stretches to warm myself up for the upcoming war. The referee made his way over “Okay guys, we’re going to switch the teams up.” I positioned myself away from Aaron to make sure I didn’t get caught in his team. The referee gestured over to us “We’ll do this half against this half.” Yes! I am going to stalk Aaron down and make him my bitch!

The referee got the ball rolling “Alright, lets make our way to the second course. A bit different this time, guys. We’re going to be playing capture the flag. Each team gets a flag, the opposing team has to steal the other teams flag and bring it back to their flag. Any questions?” Every one stayed silent and the air started to get tense. It was game time! The course had a barricaded base for each team and in the center was a neutral wooden fort that any body could own. Obviously the team that owned it had the advantage. I didn’t care about winning, I just wanted to make sure I got Aaron. I know how he thinks, he’s going to go straight for our flag. That’s when I’ll strike! Three whistles sounded the start of the game, most of my team shot off to the sides and a few aimed for the wooden fortress in the middle. There was only me and two guys who stayed to defend the flag. We could hear people shouting in the distance and we could hear people firing. It was only a matter of time before a few began to trickle into our base. Suddenly, a guy came sprinting out of the bushes from the side. He was heading straight for our flag. The two guys I was defending with sprayed him into oblivion. A few seconds later my teammates were pelted from behind. The other guy must have been a distraction. Before I could even process what was happening, I started to hear screaming coming from the other side of the course. It was hard to tell, but it sounded like “We’ve got the flag!” over and over again. All I have to do is hold these guys off and we’ll win! I didn’t fire at the lone runner, so I should be safe wedged under this bush. Moments later I saw someone scrambling their way to the flag. It wasn’t Aaron, I could tell by the way he was moving. Without hesitation I lit him up, covering him in paint. He stood up and put his hands in the air. I got another one! Two tags I can’t believe it. A few seconds passed and then it happened. “I knew you’d be hiding in here!” I froze on the spot. That voice was way too familiar. Aaron slapped me on the butt “Found you!” I waited for the inevitable paint shot but he didn’t fire. I could hear him giggling under his mask “Give me a five second head start and try not to shoot me in the butt!” Before I could take in what he just said, he bolted out of the bushes intercepting our flag carrier. Aaron put two paint balls into the flag carriers chest and the flag fell to the ground. This was it, this was my moment of glory. Aaron ran straight to our flag and I jumped out of the bushes to get the enemy teams flag. As I picked it up I fired two shots at Aaron. One missed him by miles and the other tagged him perfectly on his right butt cheek. He fell to the ground and pretended to scream in pain “My ass! The agony! You shot me!” Paint balls started to fly at me from behind a tree, I ran and dived behind a tipped over barrel. I could hear the paint balls smashing into the metal barrel, making a loud echo right in my ear. I could still hear fighting going on over at the wooden fortress, so I knew others could be around. It was a risk I was willing to take. I stood up and ran as fast as I could to a tree for better cover. I was spraying at the guy behind the tree and one of my shots managed to tag him on the shoulder. I did it! All I have to do is take the flag to our flag and we win. I set off as fast as I could, Aaron was crawling about next to the flag screaming in ‘pain’. When I reached the flag, I started to walk dramatically. I looked over at Aaron who proceeded to move onto his knees, he screamed out “Please, have mercy!” I could hardly contain my laughter, it was so funny the way he said it. Without hesitation I looked him in the eyes “See you in hell, Aaron Maxfield!” Immediately after I fired a finishing shot into his chest and he flopped lifelessly to the ground. Then I ran over to our flag and wrapped the enemy teams flag around it.

The three whistles sounded and the game ended. We did it! Our team won! The referee comes running over “Team one are the victors. Battle blondie and her chap put on a hell of a show and fought till the end. It was full of drama! I hope you all had fun guys, take of your gear and hand it in where you found it. See you next time!” Aaron takes his mask off and I do the same “What do you think you’re doing? You shot me in cold blood! Murderer!” I jumped into his arms and we both burst out laughing “I think I got a little too into character!” He put me down and we made our way to the car. “That was so fun, we have to do that again.” Aaron smirked “I knew you would love it. We needed a break from all the wedding stuff.” We stuffed ourselves into the car and headed home. What a bizarre day!

Chapter 18 Four Weeks Later Cassandra Jamaica is beautiful. The sea is everything we imagined, the palm trees are phenomenal, and the beach! Don’t get me started, I could go on for hours. This place is truly heaven, we picked the perfect location for the wedding. Speaking of which, it’s only a few days away. Aaron and I flew out here early so we could enjoy some peace and quiet before everyone arrives. Today is the day though. Friends and family from all over the place meeting in one spot to celebrate us. Can you think of anything better? It’s going to be the first time our families meet as well! Aaron has met my family and they hit it off great. There was a bit of tension between Aaron and my brother, Rick at first. It was mostly Aaron sticking up for me about the water incident back when we were kids. I can’t believe Aaron would go that far to defend me. I know I’m safe with him, it’s perfect. They’re both cool with each other now. When I met Aaron’s family it seemed to go well. He says they love me and I really hope they do. I’m sure our families will get on together, at least for our sake. Hopefully they’ll be too busy partying and having a good time to get on each others nerves! Tonight I have my bachelorette party and Aaron has his bachelor party. I am so excited! All the girlies are coming from Avery’s wedding. I haven’t seen them in ages. It’s going to be so much fun! I know I don’t have to worry about Aaron all night. I trust him one hundred percent. I hope Quinn and Mark have organized a fabulous night for him. No doubt we’re both going to be drinking, dancing, and having the time of our lives. I can’t wait and neither can Aaron! Aaron and I are going to head on over to the hotel restaurant and have a delicious lunch, then we’ll get ready to greet every one. After wards we’ll get ready for the best parties of our lives! I’m going to try the jerk chicken today. I’ll make Aaron try it as well, he’s a bit of a girl when it comes to spice but I’m sure he’ll be able to handle it. I forgot to mention, the resort is all inclusive as well. Whenever we fancy a real drink, all we have to do is go to one of the twenty bars and ask for one. Simple as that… This is going to get messy! Kenneth I boarded the plane and took a seat. First class, of course. I wouldn’t be caught dead with those apes in the other sections of the plane. Still the people in first class aren’t much better. Bunch of pompous simpletons. I’m so glad I function on such a higher level than these fools. I’m already pissed that I’ve got to fly all the way out to fucking Jamaica. Why do these idiots insist on getting married here? Do they have to be different and special? Just get married in Seattle like every body else. Still though, it gives me a few hours to iron out all the details of my plan. I am going to ruin both their nights and break them up. Manipulating these morons will be a walk in the park. They don’t have a brain between them. The key is Aaron. Men that think on a lesser level, such as Aaron, are very easy to figure out. I’ll hire a proper escort, unlike that dumb bitch Cassandra, and shove a few drinks down him. He’ll cheat, Cassandra will cry, I’ll step in and be the shoulder to cry on. Bing bang boom, she’ll be mine in the hotel

room. It’s actually unfair how smart I am. She should count herself lucky. When she realizes my greatness she’ll be over the moon with the way every thing turned out. Cassandra Aaron and I finished getting ready. We both put our smartest looking holiday outfits on. I am wearing a beautiful orange dress that hugs my figure perfectly. Aaron is wearing a smart dress shirt with some shorts and pumps. We are in Jamaica after all, we can’t be sweating all over the place! Everyone will be arriving shortly. We make our way over to the entrance to greet them all. Most of them should be on the same flight, it’s just a case of getting here from the airport. I hope no one gets lost, that would be a disaster! Ah, who cares. I’m not going to worry. I refuse to be the devil bride who freaks out over everything. Stuff happens! Aaron went over to the bar and I took a seat in the lobby area. He made his way over with two cocktails, fruit decorations and tiny umbrellas included! He put them both down on the table and sunk into the seat next to me “Two sex on the beaches! Hint hint.” He nudged me playfully on the arm and a grin came across his face. I slapped him softly on the arm “Those are for me, did you not get yourself a drink?” He pulled a funny face and mimicked me. God I love him. He’s only ever silly around me. I love that side of him. I love that I am the only one that gets to experience it. Twenty minutes later, the first group arrives. It’s Aaron’s family. We both walk over to help them with their bags. Aaron is an only child, his parents are really lovely. David and Pauline, the devilish duo! Aaron rushes in for a hug with his Dad, and his Mum attacks me with a loving hug. Pauline is the first to speak “My babies are getting married! I can’t believe it. Are we the first here?” Aaron switched over and gave his Mum a big hug. David opened up his arms for me and I got a big hug as well “Yeah, no one has arrived yet. Cass and I have been enjoying the quiet while it lasted! Now that you two are here I don’t think we’ll have a moment of peace all week!” David let out a hearty belly chuckle “We’ll be on our best behavior! We can’t wait to meet your family, Cassandra. Have you heard from them yet?” I looked over at David “They sent me a text saying they landed safe, god knows how long it will take them to get here. My dad is too stubborn to ask for directions!” We all laughed and made our way over the bar. Another car pulled in “Mum, Dad, we’ll trust you with free reign at the bar while we go greet the next group. Don’t get into trouble!” Aaron has such a good relationship with his parents. I have a good relationship with mine too, don’t get me wrong. I just feel like I have to behave around mine, you know? Next up was my family. It took me ages to convince Aaron to call my parents by their first names, Steve and Lorraine. He insisted on being polite and proper. My Mum was the first to run over giddily, followed by my Dad, then my brother, Rick. As soon as my Mum had me in her grasp, she burst into tears “My angel is all grown up! I’m so happy for you.” As my Mum was smothering me to death, Rick and my Dad shook hands with Aaron and gave him a quick pat on the back. They’re too manly to go in for a hug, pfft. My Mum released me from her bear hug and jumped over to Aaron “Hello, son-in-law! Looking as good as ever.” Aaron hugged her back and played along “Same to you, second Mum!” My Dad opened his arms for a big hug and I went straight in there “Hello darling, only a few days to go!” I squeaked with excitement “I know! I’m so glad you’re all here.” I swapped over to give Rick a hug “I haven’t seen you in forever! Mr big shot FBI agent.” Rick laughed “I know it has been too long, work has kept me on my toes. I’m here all week though!”

We guided my family over to the bar where Aaron’s parents were standing. Aaron was the first to introduce them “Mum and Dad. Let me introduce you to Cass’ family. We have Rick, Steve, and the lovely Lorraine.” Aaron’s parents were not shy, they got stuck in straight away. David was the first to speak “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you all!” Pauline followed shortly after “Do you all like drinking and boogying?” My Mum bursted out first “Ofcourse!”. Rick and my Dad laughed and nodded. Pauline lifted her drink into the air and David lifted his up as well “Then we’ll get on perfect. Here’s to our wonderful children!” David turned to face my family “So what’s your poison? I’m buying!” Aaron burst out laughing “You’re only buying because it’s free!” David shrugged and pulled a funny face, I can see where Aaron gets his silliness from. A horde of minivans pulled up and we could already hear the carnage they were creating "It looks like trouble has arrived, we'll give you chance to get to know each other. Try not to get too drunk!" Aaron and I strolled over to the party animals, every one was in high spirits and in a party mood. Avery and Quinn were the first to scramble out. Avery went straight for me screeching with excitement "Look who it is! What did I say, eh? I'm a fortune teller me, Cass. How did I know you two would get freaky!" I gasped at Avery shouting that loud "Ave, our parents are over there! Shut up you loud mouth." Avery was having none of it "Oh give over! Your parents know you two are at it like rabbits and we do as well!" I blushed "You haven't changed a bit!" Avery screeched again "Besties!". Quinn shot straight for Aaron with open arms. They shared a quick a quick hug and gave each other a pat on the back. "Is that Bad Boy Maxfield? You are looking well, my friend. How does it feel to finally be settling down?" Aaron looked over at me and smiled "I couldn't be happier, mate. I just needed the right girl to come along and I found her." Now that the semi-serious introductions were out of the way, it was time to go wild. Aaron shouted to the group "Everyone, before you go crazy, the parties start at eight. They're being held near the lobbies, just follow the music later on. In the mean time, have fun and get settled in." Kenneth It looks like I arrived later than every body else. I suppose that's what I get for waiting for a real car instead of some cheap taxi. No one is here to greet me either, typical. Still, at least the hotel looks pleasant enough. I whistle and point at a worker who was wheeling a trolley. "You. Come here and get my things. I'm staying in room 108, make sure my luggage is there before I am." The silly worker limped on over and handled my luggage without saying a word. Thank god I'm not slaving away like this loser. I walk over to reception "I'm part of Aaron and Cassandra's wedding party. I've arrived a bit late, which rooms are the parties in for tonight?" The receptionist looked up at me and pointed across the lobby "They'll be hosted down that corridor in one of the rooms. The parties are starting at eight, just follow the music." I looked her up and down, she had a banging body but that face could use some work "Splendid, my name is Kenneth James. Where is my key?" She looked me up on her system and then handed me the key "Enjoy your stay, Mr. James." I snatched the key from her "I'll try, I've stayed in nicer hotels though. This place is a bit tacky." I turned around and made my way to the elevator. The same boring elevator music filled my ears. When it arrived at my floor, the doors opened. I saw one of my suitcases laying idle by my door. I brought two, where on Earth is my other one? Before I could walk over to my room I heard puffing and panting. It was the worker in charge of my bags coming up the stairs. I shouted out to him "Couldn't you have brought them both up at the same time? What's wrong with

you?" The worker looked at me, dropped my suitcase on the floor and stood up straight. "I had shoulder surgery a few weeks ago." I snatched my suitcase away from him "What are you telling me for, I don't care. Go away and work." I opened my door and had a look around. Basic, but it will do. Now all I need to do is make a few calls and get ready for the party.

Chapter 19 Cassandra Tonight is going to be so much fun! Aaron and I dolled ourselves up, did our hair and put on some nice clothes. The parties are going to start soon, but we have some time to kill "You looking forward to tonight, babe?" Aaron was applying his finishing touches in the mirror "Yeah, it should be fun. I'm looking forward to having some time with the fellas. I've not seen them in ages." Aaron walked over to me "I'm looking forward to meeting you in the hotel room after wards more though." My face turned red, he always has this affect on me "Don't get too drunk, I'm looking forward to some rough, messy sex. Don't go whiskey dick on me!" Aaron laughed "I'll keep myself in check! Lets go find Avery and Quinn and head to the parties." We left the room and I knocked on their door "Hurry up you two, stop fucking for a second and lets go party!" Avery opened the door, her dress was beautiful and she had a smile all the way across her face. "We're not fucking anymore, that was twenty minutes ago!" I could see Quinn in the background shrugging his shoulders. Avery and I ran off to my party and we left Aaron and Quinn to do their own thing. Tonight I was going to let loose and just forget about the wedding. Time to have some fun! Aaron I'm glad Cass is having a good time, she has been so stressed from planning every thing. I trust Avery. She'll show Cass a good time. Quinn was just finishing up his hair "So what have you got planned tonight?" A smirk came across Quinn's face "You'll have to wait and see, mate." I leant against the door frame "Just a heads up, I don't care if you get strippers. But I'm not getting a lap dance, I'm not comfortable with that. They'll be for the lads, not me." He stood up and put his wallet in his pocket "Yeah, no worries man. I hear you. I'm the same. We've found our girls, we don't need a stripper rubbing all over us. They're for the fellas. Now lets go get drunk!" We made our way down and just followed the sound of music. Cassandra's party was only a few rooms away from mine. The room was done up nice, a lot fancier than I was expecting. It opens up onto a giant outdoor area which looks perfect for chilling out in after wards. Quinn dragged me to the bar "Six shots of Vodka please, pal." The bartender poured them "Three for me, three for you. Lets get a buzz going!" As we were downing the shots, all the fellas began to stumble in. A few of them were already tipsy from the free bars scattered all over the place. The DJ knew how to get a crowd going and every one was starting to get in the mood. Quinn ordered some more drinks and while he was waiting he looked over at me "You know, you and Cassandra are really special. Avery and I had a gut feeling about you two. The way you both looked at each other at our wedding, we could just tell something was stirring and look where you both are now! In all honesty mate, I'm glad you found each other. You're perfect with each other and after all the drama you've been through with that crazy chick, you deserve happiness. I hope you love a long and happy life with her." I was speechless, a few seconds went by "Caught me off guard that mate, warn me before we get soppy! I'm glad you feel like that because you described how I feel perfectly. I couldn't be happier right now, life is perfect." I reached over and gave him a proper bear hug. We were both insanely proud of each other. Our friendship is really something.

Half an hour passed, the party is booming. People are cheering and dancing, drinks are getting hammered back. Quinn excused himself, gee I wonder where he was going. Mark staggered over and traded places with him "Aaron! How are you?" I laughed "I'm doing good, you're a bit wobbly. Having a good time?" Mark let out an audible hiccup "I'm having a brilliant time! The party is great and this hotel is something else!" Mark took another big swig of his drink "Look Aaron, what you and Cass have right now is something special. Don't ever throw it away or lose it. I hope you both live a wonderful life. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Don't think I don't notice the ridiculous hours you both work. Take as much honeymoon time as you need. You've bloody earned it!" People are really tugging on my heart strings tonight, aren't they! "Thank you for the kind words Mark and thank you for giving me the opportunity all them years ago to work for you. Without you, god knows where I'd be. You changed my life and put me on a real path. Thank you for that." Mark reached over for a proper hug, as we let each other go, the DJ stopped the music and spoke into the microphone "Howdy gents, we've got a special surprise for you tonight!" As he said it, the doors swung open and in came a horde of strippers. All the lads roared and cheered. Mark made his way back over "That'll keep them busy for a few hours." Kenneth Look at them all, like a bunch of bloody animals. They see some dressed up slut with her tits out and they lose all respect for themselves. Pathetic. Still at least my girl was in the middle of that crowd. All I have to do is funnel drinks into Aaron and let her do the rest. I make my way over to the bar and order two rum and cokes. This bartender is so painfully slow, how hard is it to pour liquid into a glass?I take both drinks and head over to the table Aaron is sat at "Aaron, have a drink with me to celebrate our future business together and your wonderful marriage with Cassandra." I acknowledge Mark and Quinn as well "Hell of a party you've thrown together guys. Looks like everyone is having a lot of fun." Mark put his hands in the air "It was all Quinn. I had nothing to do with it. I'm having a blast!" Aaron put his hand up to block me handing him the drink "I'm not getting too drunk tonight, I'll stick with the one I've got." Typical. I bet Cassandra has got a chain round his neck. Aaron's face is different than last time. He couldn't even fake a smile for me, perhaps I'm on his bad side? If only I cared. "Ah well, more for me. I'll be at the bar." I turned around and walked away. Looks like I'll have to change to plan B. Aaron Mark looked at me funny "I know, I was rude. It's a long story but he is dick. In fact, he's worse than a dick, he doesn't have a good bone in his body. Disgusting and vile human being. Cass didn't want me to tell you because she didn't want to cause a fuss, she said it doesn't bother her anymore but I can tell it does. That shit stain over there at the bar tried to get my Cass to sleep with a client. When she refused, he fired her. The only reason we are tolerating that sick fuck is because of the ridiculous amount of money the agency is going to get. Everyone's bonus will be worth it" The color of Mark's face had disappeared "Aaron, I had no idea. I swear. I didn’t think he was capable of something like that." I interrupted Mark "You've nothing to worry about Mark. I know you wouldn't have let him have his word if you knew what he was like." Mark perked up a bit "He was a bit odd when we met, but I didn't think he could be that evil and manipulative. Still, let's squeeze as much money out of

him as we can." Quinn finished his drink "Do you not think it's a bit strange that he's here? He mentioned future business. Are you working together?" I met Quinn's eyes "The profit boost we get by being friends with him is worth it." Quinn stood up "Has he only come and offered to work with your agency recently?" I nodded my head, where was he going with this? "It seems a bit too convenient that he brings you work while Cassandra is working for you, given the history. All I'm saying is keep your eye on him, he doesn't sit right with me." Quinn went outside for a smoke. What he said made sense. I'm going to stay on my toes near him. Kenneth Now is my chance, that random guy sat with Mark and Aaron is gone. Mark is well passed tipsy and Aaron is an idiot. This will be a piece of cake. I walk back over to the table and point behind them “That stripper over there has had her eye on you all night, Aaron.” Mark and Aaron turn around to look where I was pointing, while they were distracted I slip some Rohypnol into Aaron’s drink. The confusion and drowsiness from the drug will let my girl sweep in and dance all over him. All I have to do now is get Cassandra to catch him in the act. Aaron turns to face me “Someone else can have fun with her, Cass is the only girl I need.” Arrogant little shit, just you wait. A few minutes from now you’ll be drooling all over the place. I looked over at Mark “How about you big man?” Mark laughed and backed away from the table “I’m far too old for her. I’m off to the little boys room” I made eye contact with the escort I had hired and gave her a nod signaling that she needs to make her move in a few minutes. It’s a good job dumb whores like this will do anything for money. I move over to the bar to get a fresh drink before all the drama unfolds. This is going to be good. Cassandra This is the best party ever! Avery knows how to spoil me, everything is so perfect. The music is loud, everyone is dancing and having a great time. The strippers will be here any minute and the girls will absolutely love it! Shivers ran down my spine, in the corner of my eye I saw him. That disgusting old pervert. Fuck you Kenneth James, how dare you show your face here, at my my party. I watched him like a hawk as he scanned the room, then his eyes met mine and he stared at me. He made his way over to me and I froze on the spot. My heart started beating and I wanted to kick his ugly ass. “Cassandra, I think there’s something you need to see. It’s Aaron.” My heart dropped “What has happened to Aaron, is he okay? Is he hurt?” Kenneth shook his head “Please, just come down the hall to the other party.” I was hesitant, but I was worried about Aaron. Kenneth and I walked down the hall and made our way into the hall where the party was being held. That’s when I saw it. Some half naked slut dancing all over my Aaron. How could he do this to me? Especially after our agreement as well. My heart was pumping so fast and I just wanted to burst into tears. Then my brain started to kick in. I know Aaron, he wouldn’t do this. He adores me and I adore him. What we have is special. I had a flash back to the last misunderstanding like this where I caught that crazy bitch trying to rip his pants off. I stormed over towards Aaron and screamed “What the fuck is this?” The

stripper turned around immediately, but Aaron didn’t even move. I took a closer look and his eyes were half open. He looked completely out of it, how much has he had to drink? The stripper climbed off him and disappeared into the crowd of people. I crouched down to Aaron’s level and shook him “Baby? Can you hear me? Aaron!” There was still no answer, what the hell is going on? He said he wasn’t going to drink too much! I’ve never even seen him this bad. The music was so loud, I tried getting the DJs attention but he wasn’t looking my way. Quinn stumbled through the crowd and was shocked to see me “Hey Cass, what’s up?” I was starting to get really worked up now “What is up with him? How much has he had to drink?” Quinn’s posture changed, I could tell he was worried “What do you mean?” Quinn shook Aaron’s shoulder “Buddy?” Quinn looked at me dumbfounded “He was fine a few minutes ago, he has nursed a few drinks all night. He has had no more than usual. I went out for a smoke and left him with Mark.” Quinn turned around “Speak of the devil.” Mark was far from sober and said jokingly “Cassandra! Don’t you know it’s boys only?” I gave him an evil stare and he immediately sobered up “What’s up with Aaron?” I was really getting worked up now, tears were starting to form in my eyes. “I don’t know, Quinn said you were the last person with him. Did you do any shots?” Mark looked at me bewilderedly “God no, he has been behaving all night. Something more sinister is going on here.” I could barely get my words out “Mark, cut the music. Quinn, call an ambulance.” My heart was going to explode. Why is this happening? Why can’t we just enjoy our parties? I dragged Aaron off the chair and lay him on the ground. The music cut off and the lights came back on. People were starting to realize something was wrong. A crowd made its way over to me, all worried for Aaron. Quinn came running over “Back off, back off. He needs air, don’t crowd him. Take the party outside and do your own thing. We’ll take care of it.” I could hear rumbles and whispers as every one made their way out of the room. Please be okay baby, I can’t live without you. It felt like an eternity, but an ambulance finally arrived. The paramedics checked him over, they said he was going to be okay and they let me sit in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Please be okay. Kenneth Well then. That got a bit out of hand, didn’t it? I don’t know why they called an ambulance, it was nowhere near a lethal dose. He’ll be fine in the morning, just a bit hazy and won’t remember much. I can’t account for the stupidity of these morons when I’m creating my plans. All Cassandra had to do was see my escort dancing all over Aaron, then she had to storm out of the room in disgust and then the relationship would fall apart as he tried to make amends. But no. She had to go storming over there, didn’t she? Fucked my plans right up. So not only are they still together, I have to clean my tracks and come up with another plan to break them up. How exhausting.

Chapter 20 The Morning After Aaron I opened my eyes slowly, trying my best to avoid the bright light of the room. As my eyes adjusted, I started to figure out where I was. I sat up in a hospital bed with an IV stuck in my arm. Why the hell am I here? The last thing I remember is talking to Quinn and Mark around the table. I barely drank anything so I could spend the night with Cass… Where is Cass? A moment of panic takes over me and I catch a glimpse of a person next to me. It’s Cass snuggled up under a blanket asleep. It was light outside, how long have I been here? Moving about must have awoken Cass “Aaron?” Her eyes lit up and she burst into tears. She jumped onto my bed and gave me a heart-warming hug. “Baby, I was so scared. How do you feel?” I scratched the back of my head “I feel exhausted… What happened, why am I here?” Cass held my hand tightly “Someone spiked your drink with Rohypnol, we don’t know who and we don’t know why. But you’re safe. The doctors will let you out today and they say it will take a day or two to feel normal again.” So many thoughts were flying through my mind. I was drugged? Who the hell would drug me? How did they drug me? I need answers. I gave Cass another big hug “I’m okay, babe. It’s going to take more than that to get rid of me.” I felt her arms tighten around me “We can’t let this distract us from the wedding. Lets get out of here!” Cass broke the hug and gave me a kiss on the lips “Quinn, Avery, and your parents have gone to grab some breakfast. They’re bringing us something back. We’ll finish our food and show everyone you’re okay and then we’ll head back to the hotel.” Cassandra paused for a moment “We haven’t seen Mark in a while. He was here earlier to check up on you, but he’s disappeared.” I leant back into the bed and tried to process everything. I won’t let this ruin the wedding or the holiday. Tomorrow is another day and the wedding is only a few days away. Kenneth After that debacle last night, I needed a nice rest. I brought that cheap escort back to the hotel room so I could get my moneys worth out of her. I kicked her out the second the deed was done. I can’t be having her lingering. I paid her enough to keep her mouth shut. I think I got away with it. Aaron won’t remember a thing, Quinn wasn’t there and Mark was too drunk to notice anything odd. He probably doesn’t even remember me going over to the table. I’m going to keep my head down and stay out of everyone’s way so I can fly under the radar. I don’t want to raise anyone’s suspicion. I’m not done yet though, it’s time for the grand finale. I spent all of last night planning and plotting. This plan is going to work and then Cassandra is mine. Why can’t she just see how good I am for her? On the day of the wedding day I am going to ruin everything! I was interrupted by a loud knock on the door, I shout out “Who is it? I’m busy. Go away.” The follow up knock was even louder. I stormed over to the door, as I opened it I screamed “I said I’m busy!” Before I could process what was happening a fist connected with my jaw and I slammed into the ground. What

the hell just happened? I tried to turn over to look at who was attacking me and I felt a swift kick to my side. That’s going to be a broken rib for sure. I screamed out “What do you want? I can pay. Just please stop!” The beating stopped and I heard laughter… I know that laugh. Mark’s voice made my ears ring “You know why I’m here you pathetic little fuck!” Another kick to my side took the air straight out of my lungs. I curled up trying to defend myself from the onslaught “Please, have mercy! Why are you attacking me?” Mark dragged me to my feet and sat me down on a chair. He sat on the edge of the bed “You know why I’m beating your ass you slimy little shit.” He stood up again and took a full swing at my face, connecting with my nose. Blood exploded everywhere and I cried out in pain. “You think you’re real clever, don’t you? Well it wasn’t hard to add all the pieces together you dumb fuck!” Mark sat back down on the bed again “I did some digging, last night was a bit too dramatic for my tastes. You destroyed an incredible evening for two amazing people because of jealousy and pettiness. Grow the fuck up you man child.” I tried to fight my case “I have no idea what you’re talking abo—” Mark swung furiously and hit me under the jaw sending a tooth flying across the room. “Don’t talk.” He sat on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath “I thought it was strange that you came out of the blue with an amazing business proposal. I didn’t look too hard into it because it was a really attractive offer. I was blinded and didn’t see your sick, ulterior motives.” Mark scratched the back of his head “Before you poisoned my business partner, my friend. He told us about your little stunt with Cassandra.” Mark stood up again, I could tell he was furious. “In what fucked up world, do you think it’s okay to fire a magnificent young lady, just because she won’t play along with your sick, manipulative games?” He paused for a moment “The funny thing is, I had my assistant do some digging to track down the series of events that lead you here today. Do you remember Amelia? She is very fond of you, in fact she jumped at the opportunity after your disgusting performance in my office. If she told me the way you behaved on that day, I would have dragged you back into the building and beat you senseless there and then.” Mark rubbed his knuckles, they were bruised for sure. I could tell they were stinging because my face sure was. “Amelia rang your office to try and chase down this mysterious client. Out of interest, she asked your assistant what your schedule looked like for that day. Wouldn’t you know it, the room was booked in your name. That’s a bit strange, isn’t it? I’m starting to think something more sinister is going on here… It’s funny how easy it is to get information about you from people that despise you. Which seems to be every one I’ve spoken to.” Mark grabbed some ice from the cooler and applied it to his knuckles “When she didn’t turn up, did it hurt? Good. You don’t deserve an ounce of respect or happiness.” Mark took a deep breathe “So what does big ol’ Kenneth James do now after he’s be abandoned in a hotel room? He fires that poor girl, takes her car, takes her home, and doesn’t give her any time to find a new job or even a recommendation.” Another punch connected with my face and I felt a hard blow to the stomach, making me gasp for air again. Mark ran his fingers through his hair “You’d think after everything you’d done to that poor girl, you’d leave her alone. But no. You are that petty, that pathetic, that you had to come and ruin her happiness once again. The really sad thing is you put a lot of time and effort into all this. Did you think you would get away with it?” Mark tipped my chair over and I slammed into the ground.

“How convenient that you turn up with this amazing business proposal, just when she gets engaged to Aaron. And the way you wormed your way into getting an invite to the wedding by taking such a big cut? So pathetic. Look at you. How do you even live with yourself?” Mark spat on my face “Then we land in Jamaica. Everyone is having a wonderful time, the parties are incredible. Then you go and fuck all that up! What the fuck is wrong with you? You need to be locked up you fucking psycho.” Mark walked over to the bed and sat down again “I had a look at the agency Quinn used to hire the strippers. Strangely enough, that girl you just so happened to point out wasn’t even a stripper. She works for a local escort service, doesn’t she? I guess the money you paid her wasn’t enough to keep her mouth shut. She spilled the beans on everything.” Mark kicked me again in the back “What did you think would happen? You drug Aaron and get an escort to dance all over him. Then you run off to fetch Cassandra like a pathetic little weasel. Even if they fell for your stupid plan, she wouldn’t go near you. Why would she waste her time with some psychotic, manipulative asshole like you? What is going on in that fucking head of yours?” He walked over to my desk and saw my journal. He picked it up and read the last pages. Fuck. “You’re going to jail you sick fuck. What the fuck is all this? You were planning on kidnapping her? Then what? You’re a real piece of work. The police will love this little piece of evidence. Speaking of which, they should be here in a few minutes. I rang them before I came in here and beat you senseless. You’re going away for a long time after all this.” He walked over to me and dragged me to my feet by my hair. Then he threw me onto the bed. I watched as he walked out the door and stood in the hall way. I can’t move, what do I do? I don’t think I’m getting out of this one… I could hear shouting down the hall way. I see Mark point into the room in the corner of my eye, he speaks out “He’s in here.” Mark handed them my journal, my life is in there. I am so fucked. All my plans are out in the open. Officers storm into the room and cuff my hands behind my back. They take me down the stairs and drag me through the lobby like some sort of clown. Everyone is watching me, this is so humiliating. They stuff me into the car and start to drive. One of the officers turns around and smirks at me without saying anything. Aaron Cass’ phone started to ring and Mark’s name popped up, she answered without hesitating “Hey Mark, Aaron’s fine. He’s right here.” Cass passed the phone over to me “Aaron, is that you?” I replied “Yeah, I’m okay. Do you know what the hell happened to me?” There was a brief pause “It’s a long story, is it just you and Cass there? I cleared my throat “Yeah, just us two. Fill me in.” Mark took a big breath “Put me on speaker so Cass can here as well.” Mark proceeded to fill us both in. He explained in detail what Kenneth had been doing and what he had planned. Then he told us about the police dragging his dirty ass through the lobby whilst he was coughing blood all over the place. Mark finished the story and there were a few seconds of silence between all of us “Thank you, Mark. I truly cannot thank you enough. I don’t think we could handle going through something like that again.” Cass had started to tear up and I knew she wanted to cry. Mark replied “You’d do the same for me, I’ll leave you two alone. It’s a lot to process. Just know that we’re all here. No doubt this news is going to spread quick. See you later.”

The phone cut off and I grabbed Cass’ hand and dragged her onto the bed bringing her in for a cuddle. “Nothing will ever keep us apart. He’s gone. Nobody can hurt us anymore” She burst into tears “I am so glad you’re okay. I love you so much, Aaron.” I kissed her on the forehead “I love you too, Cass. It’s all over. Don’t let this ruin our getaway. We’re getting married in a few days!” Cass snuggled in closer and fell asleep. I copied her and dozed off.

Chapter 21 The Day of the Wedding Cassandra I woke up early because I was far too excited to sleep. Today is the day! I’m going to be a princess and get married to my fabulous Prince Charming. Aaron made a full recovery and we’ve let it go. Shit happens, why let it ruin the rest of our getaway? He’s locked up and nobody will remember him. He’s a banned topic for the whole holiday now. Everyone knows not to mention him. I jump in the shower and enjoy it. I’m not in a rush today, I have everything all planned out. I refuse to be a crazy bride! I left Aaron in bed, he doesn’t have to start getting ready for a few hours yet. Men are so lucky! Shave your face and then put on a suit, boom instant ten. I can’t wait to see him later! I finish with my shower and have a quick bite to eat. No doubt this will be the last meal I have until late in the afternoon. I don’t want to pass out later, so I chow down on a hearty bowl of oatmeal and some fresh brown toast. After polishing off my meal, I send Avery a text asking if she’s ready. She replies almost instantly “Hell yeah girl! It’s the big day! Lets go get you dolled up :)” God I love her, she is the best. Avery and I made our way down to a beautiful dressing room that the hotel provided. The room is big enough to squeeze everyone in and there are mirrors everywhere. This is perfect! First things first, lets get hair and makeup out of the way. I made sure the stylists brought an assistant with them to speed the process up a bit. All the girls had their dresses to hand and they were eager to get dolled up. Avery and my Mum were the first to get going. The stylists wanted to leave me till last so I could look the freshest for the photograph. It took about an hour and a half to do all the bridesmaids’ hair and makeup. The hairstylist finished first so he started on me early. Everyone looked so wonderful. I will treasure this moment forever. The makeup will take a bit longer than the hair, I budgeted an hour and the photographer should get here in the next forty-five minutes. We’ll be able to get a perfect picture of us adding all the finishing touches. All the girls were finished and looked beautiful. They all crowded around me while the last finishing touches were added. Everyone was trying their best not to well up so they didn’t ruin their makeup. The genuine smiles of all of them warms my heart. The makeup stylist takes a step back “We’re done. Stand up and face the mirror, darling.” I stand up and turn around slowly. Oh my god! It was amazing, they’ve done a phenomenal job. It’s all too perfect. All the girls were clapping and dancing with excitement. The photographer knocked on the door “I’m here for Aaron and Cassandra. Have I found the right room?” I turn around to face him “You have, lets grab a group picture of us getting ready!” The girls formed around me and we captured our first moment! Today is going to be so much fun. I spoke out to the photographer again “Do your own thing today, you know how to capture the moment more than I do. Try and document the process and get some cute shots.” He smiled “Don’t worry about a thing, it’s all under control. I’ll get you some amazing shots!”. Now it’s time to put on our dresses! I asked the hairstylist to stay for a while just to fix my hair in case the veil messed it up a little bit. The dress we picked out for the girls was a beautiful cyan blue to match the theme of the Caribbean sea in the background of the ceremony. One by one they all came out of the dressing room and did their own cat walk for us. They all looked so pretty and confident! Now it was my turn.

I still remember picking out the dress like it was yesterday. I wanted a bit of peace and quiet, so I only took Avery and my Mum to go pick the dress. I must have tried on six or seven before I found the perfect one. We all agreed on the one I chose and I couldn’t be happier with the one I went with. Now I get to wear it looking as beautiful as this. I took Avery into the room with me to help me put it on. I left the other girls out there. Avery got straight to the point “Come on, strip down. It’s not like I’ve not seen it all before!” We both laughed, we were far too comfortable around each other. I started with the sexy white lingerie first. It was tiny and skin tight so you couldn’t see the outline through the dress. I am going to blow Aaron’s mind tonight. I slipped on my dress and Avery started to do the laces on the back. The fit was perfect. I put on my cutest high heels and Avery went outside to grab the hairstylist. As the hairstylist entered the room her face lit up “Wow! Cassandra you look incredible! Lets get that veil on so we can show you off to the girls.” She attached the veil and fixed my hair again. This was it. This will be the first time the girls have seen me in my dress. I’m so nervous and excited! Avery makes her way out of the room “Wait a few seconds so I can get a good view. I’ll make sure the girls are ready.” I took a deep breathe and made my way over to the door. I opened it and walked out confidently. Silence filled the air. They were completely and utterly speechless. My mum started to fan her eyes to try and fight back the tears. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. Half the girls put their hands on their chest and tried to fight back the tears as well. I turned to face one of the giant mirrors. My hair is perfect. A flower packed braid that connected at the back into a beautiful and stylish bun. The veil sits nicely on the back of my head and flows down the back of my dress. My eyebrows are level and and they’re filled in immaculately. The fake lashes compliment my glittery gold eye shadow and the blush on my cheeks light up my face brilliantly. The ear rings I selected are superb, the diamonds glisten in the light from the window. My lipstick was subtle but it made my lips looks so plump and kissable. I can’t wait to feel Aaron’s lips on mine. I’m looking forward to seeing his reaction! My gorgeous dress hugged my figure and accentuated my curves. I went with a tight corset with gems around the breast line that connected down the middle. It was done up nicely at the back with laces and my lower half was covered by a princess gown. Avery was the first to speak “Aaron is one lucky guy.” The group exploded with excitement and I caught a glimpse of the photographer capturing the moment. My mum came over and gave me a careful hug. This is the happiest day of my life and we’re only just getting started! It’s time to go outside and take photos with everyone… I wonder how Aaron is getting on? Aaron The groomsmen and I arrived an hour early at the ceremony so we could sort any problems out if they came up. Cassandra and the bridesmaids should be here in the next fifteen minutes, they’re going to sneak into one of the rooms to make sure nobody gets an early peek at her gown. The ceremony is going to be amazing. The huge white gazebo in the center of the field will be where we stand. Behind the gazebo, the beautiful green grass merges into the warm sand. In the background, we’ll have the bright blue sea glistening in the sun. Surrounding the area of grass we will be getting married on is a beautiful outdoor area. We hired this whole area out for the day! When the ceremony is done and we get to partying, everyone will have access to the cocktail bars, dance floors, pool tables, and the sun beds.

The ceremony is going to be short, we don’t want to be out here for too long otherwise we’ll pass out from the heat of the sun. The speakers are setup and the music is ready to play for when my angel walks down the isle. The flowers that have been arranged are phenomenal. The tropical colors brighten up the whole place even more. Outside where the service is going to be held, people will sit on styled wooden chairs which match the color scheme of the whole place. Quinn put his arm on my shoulder “You feeling alright, man?” I looked at him “I’m not going to lie, this is the most nervous I’ve ever felt in my life.” He lets out a light chuckle “That’s normal. I felt like that as well. It all fades away when you see your girl walking towards you down that isle.” Quinn’s words actually managed to calm me down, he knows how to get through to me. I give him a pat on the back “There’s a reason you’re my best mate.” Quinn looked at his watch “People should be arriving soon, that means Cass should have already snuck in by now.” A few minutes later both our families found their seats. All of them had big smiles across their face and kept giving me the thumbs up gesture. Slowly, more and more began to trickle in. Before I knew it the place was packed and it was time to get started. The traditional music we selected started playing, signaling the start of the ceremony. I immediately tensed up and held my breath. Everyone stood up and turned around to face the entrance. A few seconds went by which felt like an eternity. That’s when I saw her. The most beautiful person I’ve ever laid my eyes on. She looks like absolute perfection. She began to walk down the isle and I tried my best to fight back a tear, but I let one fall out. This is without a doubt the best moment of my life. No one has ever made me this happy. With each step she took my heart started to beat faster and faster. The closer she got, the more I could see. She must have put so much work in to look this amazing. Her dress makes her look like a princess and her hair is truly amazing. I’ve never seen it look this nice. Her makeup is gorgeous as well, it isn’t too overpowering. I could still see my lovely Cassandra under it all while it accentuated her wonderful facial features. She entered the gazebo and we turned to face each other. I whispered over to her with a huge smile on my face “You look stunning.” She blushed and winked at me. The officiant got started straight away, he knew we didn’t want a long ceremony. He started with a brief introduction and got started. “Now we’ll move onto the vows that Aaron and Cassandra have prepared for each other.” We both wrote them together, so we’ll be saying the same set. Cassandra was first “On this day, I give you my heart and my life, My promise, That I will walk with you and cherish you, Hand in hand and step by step, Wherever our journey leads us, Living, learning, loving, Together, Forever.” Another tear ran down my face and I could see Cassandra wanted to cry too. Now it was my turn “On this day, I give you my heart and my life, My promise, That I will walk with you and cherish you, Hand in hand and step by step, Wherever our journey leads us, Living, learning, loving, Together, Forever.” She couldn’t stop smiling. I wanted this feeling to last forever. The officiant moved the ceremony along, it was time for the rings. This time it was my turn to go first. I pick up the ring “I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day. This ring is a token of my love. I marry you with this ring, with all that I have and all that I am.” I slid the ring onto her finger and she almost burst into tears. She took a deep breath and looked me in the eyes “I will forever wear this ring as a sign of my commitment to you and our life.”

Cass picked up the other ring “I give you this ring as a visible and constant symbol of my promise to be with you as long as I live.” She slid the ring onto my finger and squeezed my hand tight. Her eyes are so beautiful “I will forever wear this ring as a sign of my commitment to you and our life.” The officiant let us share that moment before moving onto the next part of the ceremony. “Throughout this ceremony, Cassandra and Aaron have vowed, in our presence, to be loyal and loving towards each other. They have formalized the existence of the bond between them with words spoken and with the giving and receiving of rings. Therefore, it is my pleasure to now pronounce them husband and wife…You may now kiss your bride!” We both lean into the kiss and it is the most passionate and loving kiss we have ever shared together. If time froze and we were stuck in this moment, I’d be the happiest man alive. After savoring the moment, we turned to face our family and friends. The officiant said his last words “Ladies and gentleman, let me please present to you Mr and Mrs Maxfield.” Music began playing and we walked down the isle with interlocking arms and huge smiles across our face. Nothing could ruin this moment, we are in heaven. As we make it to the end of the isle, Cass turns to face me “I love you, Aaron Maxfield.” I cupped her face with both hands and gave her another passionate kiss “I love you too, Cassandra Maxfield.”

Epilogue Five Years Later Aaron, Cassandra, and Mark are still working with each other and the business is showing no signs of slowing down. Kenneth James got locked up and won’t be out for twenty-five years. When he went away, his business folded into the ground. Mark and Aaron took the majority of his clients and hired most of the team that worked for him. Cassandra doesn’t get to spend much time at the office anymore, she decided she wanted to stay at home and look after the children. Harvey, who is now three and Ruby, who is now two. They bought a nice house out of town, it was better for the kids. They also got a dog named Alfie who is an excellent, loving addition to the family. It’s a bit of a commute for Aaron to get into the office every day, but it’s worth it for the freedom and safety. Life couldn’t be more perfect. After all, they deserved it. They both went through a lot to make it this far. Quinn and Avery are still together, they meet up weekly with Aaron and Cassandra. They come round every weekend for a chat and dinner while their twins, James and Jack keep themselves busy. Next month they’re all going on a huge holiday cruise together. Aaron and Cassandra’s parents will be there as well as Quinn’s mother, Aria. Aaron and Cassandra are celebrating their five year wedding anniversary tonight. Aaron’s parents will be taking the kids, so they can have the night to the themselves. Aaron has it all planned out, the first place they’re heading is the fanciest restaurant in town. After that they’ll head home and flick through all the wedding photos whilst listening to the soppiest music they can find. Then for the finale, they’ll end the night in the bedroom getting up to mischief… For the past two months they’ve been trying for a third child. Perhaps tonight will be the night?



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Trust Fund Bad Boy A Bad Boy Romance By Amber Heart

Chapter One Opal Opal set aside yet another of one her delicious lunches, having barely had enough time to touch it. She was working through lunch for what felt like the millionth time in a row, and taking more than a few minutes to eat something seemed impossible. Wiping the crumbs from her desk, she frowned at the thought of that scrumptious quesadilla going to waste. But there would be plenty of time for relaxing lunches and more, once this big job was finished successfully. She peaked over to Judith, her work friend. "How are you doing on those concept sketches, Judith?" Judith came to attention "I knew you were going to ask me that, just like I knew you were going to skip out on lunch, again. Sweety, you really need to let yourself take a proper break. At least eat something substantial for once." Judith had such a graceful way about her, even when she was being bossy. Her peaceful, delicate features never matched up with any of her more forceful words. "Hey, I'll make you a deal," replied Opal with a slight smirk showing on her face, "We can go to an allyou-can-eat buffet and I'll shove down buckets of chicken wings and potato salad until you're satisfied. How does that sound to you?" "You really have a mouth on you," said Judith with a soft shake of her head. "It's a good thing you're my best friend, or I'd think you were being a smart ass." It didn't quite suite Judith when she swore, not by the look of her. She was so seemingly innocent, petite, straight brown hair, doll face. But she certainly had a wild streak in her. That barely ever showed while they were working though. Judith had started out as Opal's assistant, but had worked so impressively that Opal had pushed to have her as her lead illustrator at the marketing agency where they worked. Opal glanced over at Judith "You may have everyone else at the agency fooled, but I've seen your bad side. Don't make me share the pictures of last weekend." Judith chuckled "So, I had a few cocktails and danced like an idiot? Isn't a twenty-eight-year-old woman allowed to have a bit of harmless fun?" "There's nothing wrong with that at all. Still, I bet you wouldn't want anyone else you know seeing your funny dancing," said Opal with a chuckle. She was enjoying stirring up her friend, even if they were both frantically working as they exchanged the spirited banter. It was one of the few things that really kept their morale high, when they knew they had yet another terrible deadline looming over their heads. "We've got this, don't we?" Opal said to Judith after some quiet time at their respective desks, clicking and pressing away to try and get the workload done before the end of the day. "Hey, we're the best, right?" said Judith. She always had a way of motivating Opal, even when they were stressed to the limit. "Oh yeah!" shouted Opal. They both buried their attention completely in their work, working their computer drawing tablets, scrolling through pages of notes and images for the upcoming marketing campaign that needed to launch very soon. "Are you alright in here?" came a voice, and the two women noticed that their office door, usually shut

for privacy and focus, was slightly ajar. It opened farther and there stood their boss. "Oh, hi, Alfred," said Opal. Judith tucked her head down a little as soon as she heard Alfred's voice, never eager to speak with him. It wasn't that the guy was mean, or even rude, but Judith was shy around certain people, especially people with too much confidence and power. "I'm going to need to speak with you in private, Opal," he said with almost no tone to his voice. The guy was usually energetic and passionate, even if he did step on people's toes in the process sometimes. "What's wrong, Alfred? We're really swamped getting these sketches out in time. I mean, we were ahead before they shifted the deadline of the final demonstration forward a week and then—" "That's okay, Opal. We're going to get a freelancer to help finish it off. You won't have to worry about it. Judith, can I count on you to take over?" "Yes, Alfred. Don't keep her for too long though," she said with a smile. In her mind that was probably meant to be a joke, but she was not great with small talk or fake jokes. She was just too genuine of a person, an artist first and a business person second. In Alfred's luxurious office with multiple windows on three sides, Opal took a seat across from his desk. He sat down and leaned forward, hands on top of the expensive wooden surface. There wasn't much on his desk apart from a laptop, which was usually closed, and an intercom unit that went directly to his secretary. The guy didn't seem to get his hands dirty with too much real work, but was more of an observer and an office politics wizard. "So …" he said. "Look, if Grobble's Chicken wants to make another change to their logo design, I'm going to need more time," said Opal with some fire to her voice. "No, no, that's fine. You won't need to worry about any of that." The way he spoke was so final. "You don't need to bring in outside people, Alfred. This is our job." "It's not your job any more, but you probably knew this would come eventually. I have strong evidence that you've been 'misplacing' money from your department's funding accounts. Here are the print outs." He took some stapled pages from a desk drawer and floated them over the desk to Opal. "What? That's not true, you know that. I'm one of the most loyal people you have." "I thought so too. I'm sorry, Opal. Even if I didn't believe the evidence, it would still be out of my control." It was true though, someone had been skimming from her department's account, and only she had the authority to make those changes.

Chapter Two Boyd "That's right, finish it all up," said Boyd. He was taking another evening off, which he did very often. In fact, he had never really worked a day in his life, not since his father used to take him to the office to help out. But that was then, and he was a boy. This was now, and he is a grown man. "Shit, I don't think I can," said the young woman with fake red hair. "I think I need a break." She looked like she'd been up all night, probably because that's just what had happened. "What's the time anyway? You know you're still on the clock, right?" "I'm not as stupid as you look, so of course I know I'm still on the clock. Here," said Boyd, putting his hand on her red head and bringing her pink lips over his erect penis. Boyd was not wearing pants, so that was easily done. The woman was a hired sex worker, so she didn't hesitate. "I'll finish it up while you suck some more cum out of my dick. Bon appetite!" He leaned over and picked up a little mirror from the wooden bench they were both on. They'd stolen an ornate, silver thing from somewhere around the big church hall when they'd first come in. The door was still broken from the thorough kicking Boyd had inflicted upon its mature and irreplaceable wood. Boyd held her head and pumped it up and down, while she leaned over from beside him, slobbering on his thick shaft and licking hungrily around his fat head. He looked over at the chubby blond woman who was slumped on a chair against the wall. His dick pulsed even more as he looked over at her enormous tits, each as big as his head, and the round ass that was molded into the wood seating. "Hey!" he yelled at her. They were right up near the front of the church, and the sound bounced straight back at them from the raised dais at the front of the building, where all the most treasured things were stored. "Huh? Oh, sorry, baby. Did I fall asleep?" Boyd stood up, pushing back the red head of the woman who was rapidly fellating him. She fell off the bench and onto her knees. "Watch it, buddy," she said, wiping the saliva and pre-cum from the edges of her pretty lips. "Do you want your dick sucked or not?" Her eyes were bright white, but somehow kind of red at the same time. That was the many lines of white powder her current client had been handing out to her since he'd picked her up earlier that night. The other woman, the blonde who had been sleeping, was still on the clock from early in the evening, when Boyd had first felt the need to empty his balls. "Hey, Grace," he said to the blond. "Wait, what's your name?" "My name's Yolanda, you prick," she said "You're gonna have to take me home unless you got more money. I'm fuckin' spent." "You've been sleeping the past twenty minutes. Am I paying you to sleep?" "Shit, alright I'll give you some extra. You better still pay me," said Yolanda with her unnaturally blond hair covering her face. It was a good thing too, because she was looking pretty angry, and tired. "Gimme another bump first." "Great!" said Boyd. "Then, I'm going to need you to go down on your friend here while I fuck you. That should make it up."

"What? I'm not a lesbian," said the red head. "So? I'm pretty sure Grace isn't either." "My name's Yolanda!" "And my name's Ta—" "Those are stupid names," said Boyd. He was rifling around in his shirt pocket, and pulled out a few hundred dollar bills. He shoved some of them in Yolanda's mouth just as she was about to keep telling him off. Her full breasts jiggled as she turned away from him. When she realized it was money—a lot of money for the average person—she stopped complaining. "What about me?" said the red head, still on the floor. She opened her mouth with a smile, and Boyd put the rest of the crisp bills in her mouth. Oh, he had a lot more in his wallet, which was safely in his shirt pocket; the only piece of clothing he was still wearing. He was a strong guy who worked out almost religiously, and tall too. Even without all his money, he would have been able to get hot women. But he liked the type that did what he said without argument. They also didn't tend to talk about what he'd been getting up to, unlike some of his previous fuck buddies. Boyd picked up the red head, her b-cups shining in the low light of the church, from the saliva she'd gotten on her while giving Boyd sloppy, drug-addled head. He carried her over to the altar at the front of the church, both of them laughing. After he sat her down on it, facing the back of the hall, he went and took Yolanda by the hand, then lead her over and knelt her in front of the petite red head whose name he never bothered to learn. "Tongue fuck her ass while I fuck your ass with my cock, and you'll both get plenty of money. Just don't mess this up for me, okay? I plan to cum hard and plenty." Boyd had only gotten his dick halfway up the plump woman's tight butthole when there was a pounding at the broken door. "Oh, shit," he said. "Don't you fucking move, I am not leaving until I finish." "Put your hands up in the air!" said one of the police officers as they came in through the broken, woodens door. Boyd did as told, but he continued to fuck Yolanda's jiggling ass just long enough to orgasm hard and pump her full of hot jizz.

Chapter Three "I can't believe this has happened," Opal said. "Honey, stop pouting," said her fiancé, Dwayne. He was a slightly husky guy, but his clean and attractive looks meant that he was desirable to many women. He was doing a fairly cheesy baby voice for Opal, but it only elicited an unimpressed look from her. "Please, don't do that right now. It's only going to make me upset, when you condescend to me." She turned her head out the restaurant window. "I probably should have just stayed at home instead of bringing everyone around me down with my bad mood." "Don't worry, you're so pretty that you improve the atmosphere of a room, even if you are being a sad sack." Dwayne took a drink of his diet lemonade and gestured to the passing waiter that he was ready for the check. This action was incredibly well rehearsed, and carried off with the kind of snobbery that only someone raised with wealth and stature could achieve. The waiter was such a professional, that he managed to keep from giving Dwayne daggers, although it was easy enough to guess what the lowly paid service worker might be thinking. It wasn't even a fancy place. Opal continued to stare out of the window with distaste. She'd hardly touched her food for the second meal that day, and had a rumbling in her belly. That's what I deserve for letting myself get royally screwed over, she told herself. "Here's your check, sir," said the waiter. "If there's anything else at all sir would like, it would be my honor." The guy walked away looking satisfied with his sarcastic comment. "What a rude waiter," said Dwayne. "I was just using some etiquette." "You don't have to act so proper. Not everyone knows all the right signs and gestures for eating out. Really, this isn't even that kind of place." There was some venom to her words, but that only made her fiancé pander to her more. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I won't do it, if it bothers you that much. So, what would you like to do now? There must be a way we can cheer you up." "Yeah, you can help me find out who stole from my work and then managed to pin it on me." She brought down her fist on the table so hard that it did hurt a touch, but she wouldn’t' have admitted that to anyone if her life depended on it. "Dwayne, my man, how are you?" came a familiar voice. Opal could barely force herself to turn her head, as she really didn't want to talk to anyone, especially someone from the office. "Hey, how's it going?" said Dwayne to Owen. "Great, great. Hi, Opal." "Hello, Owen. I guess you heard about what happened to me today at work?" she asked. Owen looked around like he was on some secret mission, making an effort to shake his head and put on a mournful expression. He pulled up a chair from an adjacent table that was vacant.

"I was shocked when I heard what happened. You should have told me you were desperate for money. I can't think of any other reason—" "I didn't steal anything," Opal interrupted, starting to feel the fire brewing inside her. "And if I was going to, I wouldn't be stupid enough to take it from an account only I had access to." "Hey, I believe you," he said. Then he looked at Dwayne, who was busy trying to act cool about a topic that was clearly an embarrassment for him. "I really do believe it," Owen said, sounding about as real as the fake dog poo novelty stores sell for two dollars. "We don't have money troubles," Dwayne said. "Opal's been set up by someone, that's the only possible explanation." "You sound so convinced," Opal said. "But that's correct, Owen—I was set up, and I'm going to find out who's to blame, then they're going to prison." "No one said anything about prison," Owen said. "But I heard how Alfred refused to let any charges be made against you. You gotta be happy about that, right?" "I'm ecstatic," said Opal. She peeled back her lips and exposed a grin that would have impressed an alligator. "I'll be waiting out the front." "You're not smoking again are you?" said Owen. "No, she gave that up," said Dwayne. The two of them started talking about the dangers of smoke, all while blowing the stuff up each other's asses with their pretentious and artificial talk. Opal hated being around the both of them at the same time. She wished that Dwayne wasn't friends with Owen, but then again, that's how she ended up landing her job in the first place. Owen had stuck his neck out for her, but now it had all fallen to pieces anyway. She went out the front to wait for a taxi to go by, figuring that by the time her Dwayne was done trying to impress Owen, they would have a ride home. As soon as they got through the door of Dwayne's condo, something hit Opal. "Let's have sex," she said, unwilling to spend time on the lengthy back and forth they usually went through before finally getting to the deed. "Sure, how about we get some bubbles going in the tub and I'll let a nice bottle of wine breathe?" "That would be nice, sure, but I think you should just kiss me." She leaned in and started to make out with Dwayne. He wasn't the greatest kisser, but he adapted quickly to her sloppier than usual techniques. Opal undressed herself and got down on her knees. Dwayne didn't make much noise while she pleasured him. "Is that nice, baby?" she asked after a few minutes. "Yes, thank you." "Pull my hair," Opal said, "Let's get wild. I've had a shit day and I want to do something exciting and different." "What?" Opal stood up and bent over the bed. "I want you to fuck me hard, and spank me."

"Don't you think that's a bit demeaning?" "No, it's not. I'm asking you to do it, so what's wrong with it? I'll let you do anything you want." Dwayne leant in to kiss her again, and they made out for awhile. Opal eventually sighed and then grabbed one of Dwayne's ties from his clothes rack. "How about you tie me up?" "You're acting like a s—" "What?!" "Nothing …" Dwayne started putting his pants back on, his erection sinking quickly. "I'm acting like a slut, is that it? God, you're so stuck up and boring sometimes. And why the hell didn't you back me up when your little friend was talking crap about me being fired? You know I didn't do it; you could have said something to him." "I just don't see the point in making more trouble. They have evidence either way. I mean, we're getting married soon, right?" "What's that got to do with it?" Opal crossed her arms, covering her round C-cups. "Okay, I'm sorry. Hey, let's try something new then. I'm adventurous. His dick started to get hard again, and he dropped his pants on the luscious carpet. "No, thanks. Tell me why it doesn't matter that my whole career was just set on fire and burnt to the ground." "Well, you're going to be a married woman soon. You would have left anyway, right?"

Chapter Four Felicia slowly tapped her foot, up, down, up, down. It made a barely audible clacking sound against the tiles of the kitchen. "Well?" she said. "What?" Boyd was slumped over the kitchen island that was in the center of the big room. It was made of a nice, cool marble that eased his aching skin. "You're going to start lecturing me again, aren't you?" He was sitting on a raised stool, of which there were several. He rarely ever sat there, or even went into that room. There was hired help to do all of that boring stuff for him, so Boyd just let them do their jobs. He was more interested in other things, anyway. "Sermon? That's funny, given what the police caught you doing inside one of the most historic churches in New York. I wonder how many sexually transmitted diseases you picked up on that night alone, from those two whores you were busy sodomizing when they took you away." "Hey, if you won't fuck me, I have to find my lovin' somewhere. That's pretty fair, don't you think?" Boyd laughed to himself, despite the horrible glare Felicia was giving him. She was an older woman, in her forties. For how brilliant she was at being a lawyer, that was relatively young really. "I can't believe I've let you turn into such a wretched peace of shit, Boyd. If your mother was alive, I'd be mortified." "What about Dad? You always had a thing for him, didn't you? I wonder if the old man ever thought about sticking it up the new, young legal assistant, that old hoot, Barry, brought in. You always were a choice piece of ass, and you're still looking pretty good." Felicia did look very fine, even compared to women a decade younger. Her fiery hair was still bright red, and her figure had only filled out in the best places. There was a sense of wicked focus about her that beckoned men to do as she said, even when she was screwing them over in the court room. Of course, she didn't do a whole lot of that anymore; Boyd was the type of client who required plenty of under-the-table dealing, mostly to pay people off and secure their silence and complicity. Felicia was giving Boyd a particularly pissed off stare, but he was too hungover, and tired from sleeping in the holding cell at the local police department, to care. "Do you really wonder why Barry quit the second you turned eighteen? He didn't want to have a breakdown trying to deal with all of your crap. If I didn't think so highly of your mother and father, may they rest in peace, I would have been much better off quitting too. "Yet you're still here. I fucked some hookers in an old building. It was great! You took care of everything. No one found out or got any evidence to use in the papers. Why do you have to bitch so much?" "You really have a way with words don't you? It never stops amazing me how anyone can say so many stupid, selfish things, and still manage to drop the panties of every woman he propositions." "Well, not absolutely every woman," he said, raising his eyebrows and then quickly dropping them back down. It was a suggestive gesture that did not go unnoticed. "And you're not going to have your way with me, not while I'm still under the employment of your

mother and father." "Please, don't act like Mom and Dad are still around to judge us. You might be in a better mood if you just loosen up a bit, and show me how that sweet, sweet—" "That's quite enough, thank you!" Felicia put her hand up like a brick wall, final. "You're not going to start talking like that to me, not with any regularity. If you'd like to keep yourself from going broke, and more likely, ending up in prison, you can show me some god damned respect. Stop acting like a spoilt child who's living on his parent's dollar." Boyd pouted. "That's what I'm doing, isn't it? You think so; everyone thinks so. Ever since my parents died in that crash …" He thought about faking the water works, but didn't want to further hurt whatever chances he might have to get the older woman naked. And that possibility was always there, as far as Boyd Houston was concerned. "Anyway, if you're done pretending to give a shit about anyone but yourself, dead or alive, we can move along to the next order of business." "That being?" He got up and fished around below the counter for a whiskey glass. "If I'm going to sit through another one of your boring sermons, I'm going to need something stiffer than coffee." He grabbed a bottle of exceptionally expensive whiskey from the counter and filled the glass until it was practically overflowing. "Yes, sure, drink. That's not what got you into this mess in the first place after all," she said. "Cheers," Boyd said as he pointed the bottom of his glass to the ceiling, easily sinking the entire lot without even pausing. "Well, at least you have one talent for when you end up on the streets, or in a cell permanently." "That's not going to happen though, is it?" "While I'm on your side? There's not a chance. Just don't assume that I'll be here to bail you out forever. At this point I am doing it as much for the huge paycheck I get from your trust account, as I am for you. You really should thank your mother for making me promise to keep you from getting into trouble." "Oh, but I get into more trouble than anyone." "Yes, but what doesn't make it in front of the courts does not actually happen. I'll be in touch." She left the kitchen quickly. Boyd loved to watch her leave, her hips swaying briskly in the power suit and skirt.

Chapter Five Opal did not sleep at Dwayne's condo that night. In fact, she barely remained there more than a minute after his comment about her not needing a job any more. The moment she'd gotten home, and punched a pillow a few times while yelling obscenities, she did the only thing that she could think to do in a situation like that: Opal called Vanessa, her mother. "You know, that's the kind of thing that was expected when I was your age," her mother said. "Yeah Mom, but you know …" "Yes, I do. Things are different now. But Dwayne's a fairly traditional sort of guy. He probably just wants to take care of you and raise a family. And I am absolutely in agreement with having some grandchildren as soon as possible. "Well, with the sexual appetite your future son in law has, you might want to get ready for some more waiting." "Oh, honey, that's probably more than I need to know about my future son in law. You just make up, okay? He's a good guy and he's got plenty of money to go with that. You can't ruin a great relationship because you're getting bored in the bedroom. You'll find a way to liven things up." "It takes two people to do that though … Oh, sorry Mom, I have someone on the other line." "Maybe that's your boss calling to say it was all a big mistake." "I wish I could have your optimism. I'll talk to you soon, okay? Love you, bye." Opal hung up that call and answered the incoming message. "Hello?" she said. "Hey, it's Judith. How have you been?" "Oh, you know, crappy." Once Alfred was done talking to her that day, casually laying out her future on the table before her, and proceeding to stomp all over it, he'd gotten an important call from an overseas client. Opal had been told to pack her things, while the security guard watched over her to make sure she didn't take anything. That had been humiliating, but the slowly building shame had gotten to a point where it had become overshadowed by a hulking rage. She was doing her best to stifle it, enjoying talking to people who didn't think she was a criminal, or a crazy fiancée. "My Mom was hoping this was Alfred, telling me that it's all fine and I can come back to work. So positive after everything." Opal found her back up bottle of wine at the back of a cupboard, and started to pour herself a large glass. "Well, that would fix everything. And your mom's a damn tough lady. You or me would have fallen apart dealing with so many medical problems. Be nice to her." "I am. I don't know if I'd even want to go back to work now anyway, not after the way I was dropped like a sack of dirt."

"I get what you mean, but you wouldn't be able to work without me," said Judith. "No, but it looks like I don't have any choice either way." They were both silent for a while, an uncomfortable silence that wasn't usual among the two women. "What's wrong?" Judith sighed. "It's just, I found some printed pages when I was emptying the shredder." "I don't know why they have interns at that place, if they've got my head illustrator doing busy work." "Well, it was full, I needed to shred some client documents for this damn chicken job. Anyway, these pages, partial pieces of documents anyway: they look like they're from printouts of our accounts." "Oh—my-God. Did you call the FBI? I wonder if Mulder and Skully still do house calls." "Come on, Opal. If you weren't so jaded, you'd realize no one else should have access to those pages. They sure as hell shouldn't be putting them on hard copy and just shredding them in the printing room." Judith sounded serious, not just in a polite and cautious way like she often was when discussing business. "I haven't seen Alfred in that room in all the years I've been working at there. Maybe one of interns, or even the cleaner?" "Did what?" asked Judith. She obviously wanted to lead Opal to a conclusion, but it just wasn't reasonable. "No one should have access to them; that's why there's so much security around it all. If I found this, it means there must be more evidence out there somewhere. This wasn't just some system error. Someone inside the agency did this, someone with access to a lot of information." Opal spat out the word, "Owen." "Just because you don't like the guy, it doesn't mean he's a thief. You know how much money he's got, and you said it wasn't even that much that went missing." "It was only a few thousand. So what? He's a dirt bag, probably did it just to get me fired." "… You know what? That would make a lot more sense. But why?" "If I knew, I'd be down at that bastard's house, punching him right in the face." "Hold up there. Maybe we should try to get some evidence before you go around boxing people." "It wouldn't even surprise me if him and Alfred cooked this up, just to get me out of the way, so they can take control and outsource all the work to cheaper freelancers. This is bullshit!" "Calm down!" said Judith sternly. "You've been drinking, haven't you?" "Just one glass," she said, but Opal had almost finished the bottle while they'd been talking. "Look, Judith, promise me you're not going to snoop into this anymore, okay? I've already been fired, but I don't want you getting in trouble trying to help me. Promise?" "It's going to be hard to just sit here if there might be a way to prove your innocence. Okay, I promise." "Good. Hey, I'd better call my mom back and see if she's got any more doctor appointments this week. Thanks for the support, you're such a good girl." "Don't patronize me, Opal. You're not exactly a bad girl yourself." They laughed at themselves and said

goodnight.

Chapter Six "Well, that was bullshit," Boyd said to no one. He was actually hoping that Felicia was still in his penthouse apartment, maybe lurking around and checking up on what he's been doing there. He would have loved to see the look on her face to hear that last comment. It would have fired her up, but naturally the successful lawyer would have acted all cool, as though it didn't bother her. But she wouldn't bother sneaking around, he knew that. If she had something to say or ask, she would just come right out with it. Damn it, he wished that Felicia would just fuck him and get it over with. He knew she wanted to. That was because all women wanted to get on his dick. He knew it, they knew it. Everyone fucking knew it. Boyd had another drink and the bottle was empty. He threw it hard at the wall and it shattered into thousands of tiny pieces. It made him happy to think about the maid on her hands and knees, cleaning up after him. She'd stopped letting him have sex with her recently; something about getting married or some other bullshit. Whatever the reason was, he made a mental note to get Felicia to hire a new maid, one that was more free about giving it up. "That stupid maid and her fat ass." That was that, Boyd was going to go out and find some strange to put his dick in. Besides, he was out of the good whiskey. So, he headed out to a bar way on the other side of town. There was no plan in his mind, apart from swapping fluids with the sluttiest, sexiest woman he could find. He just had his driver leave his neighborhood, where there were far too many upstanding, or at least affluent, people. Those weren't the types of people he wanted to find. No, Boyd liked to go after chicks who thought money was out of their reach, and the ones who were willing to do anything in order to get their hands on some. "Poor bitches love rich dick," he said to the driver as they went by a bar called "Hot Sticks." The sign was painted in black with neon red lights to accent it. The whole front of the building was either black, or had artsy illustrations that suggested people having sex, without actually depicted the acts directly. "This looks like just the kind of place you like, sir," said the driver. "You know me too well, Jimmie." Say, why don't you go get yourself some lunch while I try to land a tasty treat for myself, or maybe two or three" He laughed jovially. It always put him in a great mood to be out looking for another set of wet holes to stick his dick in. Jimmie was a good sport about things too, never complaining or reporting any of the lude shit that went down in the limo. He handed Jimmie a bunch of money, saying, "Get yourself something nice, hey?" and then got out of the limo. Boyd was wearing a black suit, which he figured would probably pass for trendy in a place like that. It must have been the sort of joint all the wannabe intellectuals from the ghetto went to. They would get their asses kicked at the real bars or clubs, so the probably congregated there. As he went inside, his guess was more or less confirmed. The crowd was an array of posers, deadbeats, and generally people with too much metal and ink in their skin. The women looked great though, apart from the incredibly grotesque ones that Boyd wouldn't fuck with someone else's dick. There was a large woman—he thought it was a female anyway—sitting near the door at the bar. Boyd went in and walked up to order a drink. "Hey there," said the woman. Yes, it was a woman after all. "You looking for someone to love you?"

"I'm looking for a good fuck, but I think I'd rather go for something a little, fresher." He made a disgusted face as the bartender approached. "Isn't everyone?" said the woman who was tending bar. "How about a drink on me?" She grabbed an unlabeled bottle of clear liquid from behind the bar and poured it into a big shot glass. "This'll get you going." "Thanks," said Boyd. As he smelled the stuff, he noticed that the bartender was smoking hot. She had a tight, almost petite body. Her breasts were nice though, even though they couldn't have been any bigger than B-cups. She was gorgeous, and dolled up like a stripper on Halloween. All black clothing, tattoos of skulls and the like, and a pierced septum. She looked at him with fuck-me eyes, and he could tell she definitely partook in some sort of illegal, recreational substances. Boyd downed the shot without any more hesitation. He was looking to impress and get this slut into his bed. All women were sluts, as far as he figured. A lot of them just weren't worth thinking of that way, so he mostly ignored them. Like the sweaty, fat one sitting near him. She was taking in this whole interaction as though she was a part of it. "You city boys like to come out here and slum it. What, were you afraid to go to one of the normie places? They'd probably kick the shit out of you, rich boy," she said without giving Boyd a chance to respond before she'd finished saying her piece. "Sorry, sir, I don't swing that way. Is this bitch a friend of yours?" he said to the hot goth behind the bar. "Fuck no. Trish, I told you to stop messing with every customer who comes in. Here, have a beer and please go bother someone else." Trish took the beer and slowly walked to another part of the poorly lit bar. "You wanna fuck or what?" Boyd said to the bartender. "My shift is over in an hour. Maybe you'll be worth my time. You got any pills or something?" "I'll have some by the time you're off, then you can get me off in my limo."

Chapter Seven Dwayne showed up at Opal's door the next day. He had a big bunch of roses and a card with a generic poem, which was in there when he bought it. "At least you signed your name yourself," Opal said after she skimmed over the cheesy poem. "That's how I really feel about you, dear. You have to know that. I'm sorry if you think I'm boring, or that our relationship isn't enough for you. Please, give me a chance to make things up to you." "That's it, Dwayne, you didn't really do anything wrong. You don't have to make it up to me. I just wish I could get you to understand, y'know?" "I know what? If I didn't do anything wrong, what's the problem? Can I come inside?" They went into Opal's living area and sat on her sofa. Dwayne always had a hard time getting comfortable on it, since he was used to placing his well-to-do butt on something much more expensive. Maybe it was just that he didn't like being at her place at all. The building was quite nice, by most people's standards. It wasn't too far away from the city, and even in a quiet, safe area. Still, it wasn't as good as what Dwayne had been used to his whole life. "Why do you think I need to change?" he finally asked her after shifting about for some time on the sofa. "Are you uncomfortable?" "No, it's fine. I just don't know why you chose this particular sofa. It's not exactly great." Opal sighed. "See, you are uncomfortable. If you have a problem with something, why don't you just say so? I know you're a nice guy, and I love that about you." She took his hands and looked into his big, caring eyes. "Sometimes a woman just needs a guy to be more controlling and take what he needs. You can appreciate that, right?" "Of course. But if you wanted that sort of guy, why the hell did you end up with me? I'm not going to start acting like a jerk just because you're bored with our sex life." "I love our sex life, I really do. You're more than adequate, you know, down there." She motioned toward Dwayne's crotch with her eyes and smiled. Wishing that they'd ended up having sex the previous night instead of starting this whole stupid argument, Opal considered giving it another go. This time, however, she would be less random about her approach. "Do you really want to take care of me while I live a life of luxury?" she asked. "That's what I want for you. You don't have to put up with that boss of yours, or do anything you don't enjoy. I think it's a nice thing. Besides, if you want a guy who's in control, why did the idea of being a house wife upset you so much?" "I don't want someone to dictate my whole life for me, sweetie. But there are certain times when I need you to tell me what to do. It's fun to roleplay, after all." "I'm glad you're not mad about losing your job any more then." "Oh, I didn't tell you—I think I might have some evidence that someone else at the agency was messing

with my accounts. They were at least looking at it" "Alfred printed them out so he could show you, to be fair and transparent." "What? I didn't tell you that. Have you been talking to Owen or something?" "No, I mean, well I did speak to him yesterday while you were outside." He sat up straight and looked ahead, not making eye contact. "You talked about that? You're lying. I can tell when you lie because your eye twitches. Like it is now, there." She leaned over and pointed at Dwayne's minutely twitching eye. "If you know anything and you're hiding it, I will fucking leave you, I swear." "Okay, okay, Owen knew about a problem with money missing from some accounts weeks ago. He was talking about it anyway, I overheard him while he was on a call. So, what does it matter?" "Those accounts weren't even funded then. What the hell?! You have to talk to him and find out what's going on." "I can't," was all Dwayne said to that. "You what?" Opal stood up and started to pace around on the carpet in front of the sofa. "You don't want to upset your little buddy, Owen, is that right? Shit, Dwayne!" "Please stop using such trashy language. And no, I don't think it's worth making any more trouble. You said that you want to be a homemaker anyway, so I didn't think it would matter what the circumstances were when you left your job, dear." "Except I didn't leave my job, dear. They fired me for something I had nothing to do with. Now I find out Owen knew about what was going to happen before it could have possibly happened? Oh no, he's going down. You can either help me, or you can get the hell out of my apartment. I know how much you hate being here anyway." "I never said that, Opal. You're being completely unreasonable! It's not like I sat back and let them do anything to harm you. I had some information that I didn't think meant anything, and I didn't tell you. What difference would it have made?" "I understand that. But right now I'm asking you to help me, and you won't. You care more about staying in Owen's good books than helping me clear my name. Even if I ended up leaving to have kids and be a housewife, it doesn't mean I need to have my reputation ruined over something I didn't do! Will you help me or not? Please …" "I, I, I just can't! I'm sorry but you're really asking me to do a lot of harm to all the social circles that I've been working so hard to build up since high school. It would put a lot of pressure on my future, Opal, our future." "My future's fucked if I can't clear my name, as far as I'm concerned. You need to go now. I think we should take a break. Oh, and Owen talks shit about you behind your back; I just never had the heart to say."

Chapter Eight Boyd had cum already, but that never stopped him from continuing the fun. He was only in his late twenties, and full of testosterone from all the working out he did. "Are you ready for another go?" he said to the goth chick he'd brought home. "Where the fuck did you get those pills from? They're great!" "Hey, when you don't live in that rat's nest area you call home, it's pretty easy to get all the best things in life." Boyd smirked and looked down his nose at Brandy. He even remembered her name, which was quite an honor as far as he was concerned. "Isn't that right, Brandy. What kind of goth name is that anyway? Shouldn't you be called Raven or Darkness?" "You're a dickhead. And why the fuck did you have to come to that rat's nest to find a good lay? Because all you rich people are stuck up, and your women wouldn't know what to do with a dick if it hit them over the head." "Is that what you're into? Okay!" He jumped up on the bed and started slapping Brandy on top of the head, using his thick dick as a humorous weapon. "Maybe this is a better way to get you ghetto bitches to come home with me, just club you all over the head with my huge piece and drag you to my limo." Brandy sighed. "Say, since you're so eager to act like a little bitch, how about you let me break out my toy?" "You're not fucking me in the ass with a strap on, I'll tell you that right now. This is purely an out box." "Yeah, that's what I used to say when I was a preteen." "Well, you're a whore. Your ass is for fucking, which I'd like to give another go in a while," said Boyd. He was really feeling the effects of the ecstasy they'd taken earlier that day before heading to his place. He didn't even think people still did that stuff, but then again, they weren't exactly the trendiest people out where Brandy lived. "Shut up and bend over," she said. Brandy pulled a paddle out of her handbag. "You take that thing with you everywhere?" "Like you said, I'm a whore. But I also like to fuck whores, men and women. Yes, that means you. There's nothing going on in your head, and you think money rules everything. You're more of a whore than my mother used to be when she was putting me and my brother through college." "You went to college? What, did they have a course on bartending and sucking a mean cock?" "Bartending, yes, at community college. Sucking dick? Well, I just got a lot of practice, honey. You're welcome." She smiled warmly. "You're an asshole but you are fun, I'll give you that. Boyd's a stupid name though. Now, who needs a spanking?!" "What the shit?!" said Felicia after she burst in through Boyd's bedroom door. "Oh, please excuse me," she added when she realized just what she had so rudely interrupted. Trying to stop herself from openly laughing, Felicia backed out of the room and closed the door on herself. Through the door, she yelled,

"Sorry! I'm sorry, but this is urgent. Seriously urgent. Can you, uh, finish up whatever you're doing and meet me in the kitchen?" "Sure thing," called Boyd, still on his hands and knees with his butt cheeks bright red from his paddling. "Hey, why don't you make us something to eat?" he called out. Then, quietly saying to Brandy, "Are you hungry?" Brandy just laughed and shook her head. "I didn't realize you lived with your mother." "Watch it!" called Felicia from outside the closed door. "I mean, you're a very hot mother, don't get me wrong. I just didn't think that … I think I should go. Thanks for the drugs and the sex, Boyd. You take a good spanking." Once they had dressed and Brandy was in a taxi on the way home, Boyd found Felicia sitting in the spacious living area. That was another area Boyd didn't go very often. He had sex there occasionally, but all of his lube and other paraphernalia were in the bedroom, along with the plastic sheets and emperor sized bed. "I thought you were going to wait in the kitchen," she said. "Yes, well, to be honest," Felicia mumbled through a crooked smile, "I needed a cushion to laugh into. That poor girl must have been embarrassed." "Poor girl? Well, she doesn't have much money. She honestly didn't care about you seeing her. I get the feeling being naked in a room with just two people is a quiet day for that one. Fucking tight pussy though." "And so, did you enjoy your spanking? You have been bad, after all." Felicia started openly laughing at Boyd. "You're never going to be able to live that down." "Like it's the worst thing I've done." Boyd sat down next to her. He still stank like sex and alcohol, but that was nothing new. "Oh, right. You could have let me enjoy myself for a few minutes more. I'd almost forgotten about the trouble you've gotten yourself into this time." "She was legal; we came straight here alone. How could I have gotten into any more trouble since yesterday? You did clear that up, right?" Boyd was genuinely concerned. "I've found out about a little regulation that someone clearly didn't want me to know about. The board that manages your trust fund, require you to prove that you have in fact been good." "Well, I'm screwed then …" "Now, they can't morally judge you in any objective way, not in a legal sense. But you need to have a clean police record." "Oh, well that's fine. You've kept it cleaner than that vagina you neglect so much." "I wouldn't be making crude jokes if I were in your shoes. I get paid either way. If you lose your trust fund, I have no choice but to find a new job. Even if I did keep helping you, there's not much I can do without money to grease all those wheels you stick up in shit so regularly. Not to mention all the people who could testify against you. What do you think would happen if someone came back asking for another pay out to keep quiet, and you didn't have all those millions at your disposal?"

"Okay, I'll be good. Promise." And he meant it. "You'd better watch out for that uncle of yours too. He's been snooping around, trying to butter up the trust board members, especially the ones who'll be making the final judgment." "Carl … that old asshole."

Chapter Nine "This is hopeless," Opal said to no one. A week had gone by and it was terrifying to see how quickly the savings in her bank were dwindling already. There just wasn't any way to sustain herself with all the overdue payments that were accumulating. She'd sat down to a nice, cheap meal and a cup of coffee at the diner near her house. It wasn't her first choice of places to grab some lunch, but when money was tight, there was not much else to do. Stirring her cup of energizing caffeine, she wondered how much she could save if she just stopped eating altogether. If anyone were to look in her refrigerator and pantry at the apartment, they would have assumed as much anyway. So, she took a big gulp of the hot liquid and closed her eyes to really enjoy it. Out on the table in front of her were listings for job vacancies that she'd printed out at home. It helped her to think when things were on real paper, unplugged and on a surface before her. That's how they always come up with initial sketches and ideas for company logos and illustrations. "How's the job hunt going, sweetheart?" said the older waitress as she approached to clear Opal's plate. That day, she had eaten every last crumb, not wanting to waste any money by throwing food out. How things change… "Oh?" said Opal, startled out of her deep contemplation and rising depression. "You know how it is, all the good jobs are going to people who weren't just framed for stealing from their ex-employer. On top of that, I broke it off with my fiancé and I don't think I'll be going back to him; the usual." "Christ, that's awful. Here, I'll tell you what: you let me know when you're done with that cup, and I'll top you up for free, okay?" "You're very kind, thanks. I don't want to get you in trouble though." "Hey, my husband and I own the place. That's him out back doing the cooking. You're not gonna get anyone in trouble. In fact, I'll tell you what. If you find yourself starving because you can't find any way to make money, you come here okay?" "I don’t suppose you’re looking for someone to wait tables?" Opal didn't like the idea of going from a high paying creative job, to clearing up people's half eaten food and taking orders. But she couldn't be too picky, and this woman seemed like she'd be a great employer." "Oh, no honey. I'm sorry to get your hopes up. I meant you can get yourself a sandwich and a nice cup of brew, if you're desperate." The woman smiled but it was clear that she felt bad for disappointing Opal. "Thank you," she replied to the offer. "You're very kind." Her smile was genuine, and a kind of warm and fuzzy feeling came over her. "Really, thank you." She almost had to work to hold back a tear. "Not a problem. Good luck with finding a job. Pretty young thing like you with good manners, well dressed too. I'm sure you'll have no problem." The women walked back behind the counter and went about her work. After Opal went back home to mope and lick her wounds from an unsuccessful day looking for work, she found several upsetting letters in her mailbox. She stood in the lobby, mouth open and shaking her

head in disbelief. There was a letter about her university payments, which she'd never thought twice about. After all, she'd gotten a good job after leaving and always had plenty of money to take care of this type of thing. Then, there was something that made her heart race. "Ooh, that looks particularly bad, might I say," said the man checking his own mail nearby. "Yeah, tell me about it," she replied. It was a letter from her mother's care and medical home. Vanessa had someone come around and help her out with tasks that were too tiring, and there was also a medical facility inside the grounds. It was basically like any other fancy condo block, but with care for people with ongoing medical problems. "You have a relative who's sick? Gee, that is not a payment you want to miss. My name's Gus. Pleasure to meet you …" "Hi, Gus. I've seen you around the building but no one seems to talk to each other much here. To be honest, I kind of like that about living here." "Yeah, well it's a pretty expensive place to live. I can't image you being able to keep your joint if you can't take care of your poor mother." The way he spoke was as common as muck. He kept looking Opal up and down. It wasn't as if he planned to hit on her, and there was something a little too focused about his look to indicate that he was just perving. He had the look of a successful criminal, maybe a drug dealer or a pimp even." "Sorry, I really should be going." "Say, if you're ever short on money, you can give dancing a try." "That's a good one. I've never been the best dancer, and I don't think anyone would—wait, are you talking about stripping?" "Yeah, sure. You've probably seen my place a few blocks over. Here, take one of my cards and you be sure to let me know if you'd like to keep a roof over your head, not to mention making sure that sick mother of yours doesn't end up on the streets too." He walked off, slinked off really. It was surprising that he didn't leave a trail of grease behind him, like the stuff that was holding back his thick, dark hair. Opal shuddered, but she was intrigued by the thought of having lots of money. "I'm not taking my clothes off in public!" she called out. An older lady with perfectly coifed hair and an expensive gold handbag, tacky as hell, looked at her with utter shock. "Wait, no, that's not what I meant. Damn it …" She went to run off after the guy just to give him a piece of her mind. He turned around and called back to her instead, "Tell you what. You're pretty enough to bring guys in with your clothes on." Opal walked over to him. "Can you please stop shouting about this in the lobby? Shit … I'm not dancing for fat old perverts, clothes on or not." "No, but maybe you'd prefer to get behind the bar and serve those perverts some drinks. Tips are better than most salaries, plus you'll get your guaranteed weekly paycheck on top of that. It's not rocket science." "Let me think about it. I'll call you, okay?" "Sure, sweetheart. Laters." He left the lobby. Opal felt dirty having simply talked to the guy, but desperate times did call for her to do what it took to keep her head above water. Falling any further behind with her payments was not an option, especially where her mother's care was concerned. She

could handle losing her apartment, maybe even winding up with nothing to eat. Letting her mom go into a public home, that could end very badly for a lady with so many medical issues that needed constant care. If Opal had to work behind the bar at a strip club, then that's just what she was going to do. Still, it didn't make it any easier, no matter how noble of a sacrifice it would be.

Chapter Ten It was evening, but still around seven or so. Boyd was only slightly drunk and looking to find something to take his mind off things. Despite what people thought of him, the guy wasn't stupid by any stretch of the imagination. Up until that point in his adult life, there had been little to prevent him from doing just what he wanted to do. This whole thing about "staying clean" had gotten into his brain and was laying its eggs of doubt and anxiety; two emotions that he simply wasn't used to sharing his thoughts with. "This is bullshit," he kept saying to Jimmie. "All I want is some fun! But no, they have to make everything illegal. And every dick head has a camera right in their pocket these days. Can you imagine how easy it would have been to be rich and fuck prostitutes back in the day? Shit, those guys had it all." "I know how you feel. My wife won't let me have any mother fucking fun anymore. It's like being locked up in a prison sometimes. Still, at least she's still keeping herself in good shape." "Yeah, that is important, Jimmie. If you're not getting great sex, what's the fucking point of living? Yeah, I can still have fun. I just have to keep things nice and legal, right?" "You're not meant to be talking to me about any of this. In fact, please stop giving me more details about whatever this interview thing is. I don't feel like losing my job. Why don't you just pick up another woman and take her back to your place?" "Hey, it's fine. You're not losing anything while I'm in charge," replied Boyd. That was met with nothing but silence from the anxious driver. "What? I am still in charge. Look, how about we go have some good, wholesome, legal fun?" Jimmie refused to come inside with him, preferring to stay with the expensive limo. Boyd went inside the strip club. The transition from the night outside to the artificial glow of the strip club was strangely unsettling. It was not brighter inside, but for some reason it took the eyes a minute or two to adjust. "Hey, gimme a beer and shot of scotch," he said to the guy behind the bar. He was a very big dude, with muscles that could have probably popped Boyd's arms from their sockets without too much effort. It made sense to hire such a scary guy to work the bar, with all the low lives who frequented strip clubs. "You got the money?" said the burly bartender. Boyd just laughed at that. "Are you shitting me? Here," he said as he threw down several hundreds, which he always had on him. "Keep the drinks coming. I'll need a lap dance soon too. Ooh, does she do dances?" "Who? You mean the new girl? The reason she's behind the bar, and not out there with her tits out, is because she's working the bar. I don't know though, seems pretty naive. Maybe you can convince her." The bartender left the shot and beer, then walked off to take another order down the other end of the long bar that took up much of the wall. There were actually quite a few guys in there, and several girls up on stage dancing. The main show was yet to start yet, and that's when the place tended to get crowded. It wasn't long before Boyd needed another drink. He did the shot right away and then consistently swigged at the beer until it was empty. The whole time, he was eyeing the gorgeous woman behind the bar. She was maybe the same age as him, give or take a year or two either way. The way she went about her work in such a professional way, easily dodging the awkward lines and bullshit stories the customers threw at her, while still remaining graceful and alluring … it was magical to watch. Best of all, it seemed

like she had no idea how much of a draw she had on these guys. Sure, she had eyes and hence knew she was a stunner. But there was something else there that might have been untapped as of yet. Or, maybe Boyd just thought she had a sexy body and a great face, and he wanted to score. It was all very philosophical from his point of view, but he had been drinking already that night. "Hey," he finally called out to her when he'd finished his beer. She finished giving some change to a fat guy with a shocking comb over, and headed down the bar toward Boyd. Her self-conscious sway made him think of all the ways she would allow herself to submit to him. Shit, maybe she was secretly a tiger in the sack, and he'd be the one giving in to her. He realized that he'd been sitting in a strip club for a good half hour, and it was the kind that fiscally encouraged the girls to go totally crazy. In that time, he'd barely even looked over at the porn-quality tits and ass that were freely on display. And these women were good dancers, even from an artistic perspective. No, he was mesmerized by the way this fresh, shy bartender carried herself. It was a whole new world for her, that much was painfully clear. And yet, she didn't seem intimidated. He needed to peel back at least one or two of those surface layers to find out what kind of complex beast was lurking underneath. Boyd needed that, but he also needed to nut soon before he started to get frustrated. "So, what are you doing later?" "I'm working until pretty late. This is a strip club. They're open until after later. Did you want a drink?" "How about I come by and pick you up in my limo when you finish? I'll give you a ride. Here's my number." Pure confidence was dangerous with this type of woman, but Boyd didn't know any other way. "You're kidding me, right?" She laughed and shook her head, walking off. But in the midst of serving someone else their drink, she looked over at Boyd and smiled. That, and then she looked away shyly. It was a hard look to read, but Boyd always liked his odds when it came to women. Boyd shouted out “Can I at least get a name?” Without hesitation, the smoking hot bartender locked eyes with Boyd “Opal.” Yes, he would find a way into those particular panties, and she'd be begging for more by the time he was done. He spent the rest of the night nursing a hard on, and watching the strippers shake their tits and asses around; checking out this Opal chick's lovely figure while she worked the rest of the time. And he continued to get nicely loaded on top of that. Things were looking pretty good, as far as keeping it legal was concerned. "I guess you don't have to break the law to have fun." "Excuse me?" said a guy who was standing around near the bar, scotch and cola in one hand, staring off mindlessly at the nude talent on display, up on stage. "What? Oh, just talking to myself," Boyd said. "Yeah, I do that a lot as well," said the other guy, before walking off to grab an empty seat up closer to the strippers.

Chapter Eleven "Was that guy a problem for you?" said the big bartender named Rupert. He was actually a sweet guy, despite how intimidating he looked. That was all part of his love for body building though. They were starting to clean up the bar, wiping down the surfaces and getting things washed for the next day. There were still a few hangers-on, guys who had no one to go home to mostly, and a few small groups of barely legal young men who were still going strong. Apart from them, and the two strippers still on duty, the place was empty. "Not really. He was nicer than most of these sleazy old bastards," replied Opal. "You'll get used to those guys. It's the ones who actually want to get to know you I'd watch out for." "You get a lot of guys hitting on you in here?" she said, stacking up dirty glasses on a rack, ready for the dish washing machine. "Wait, do you get any gay guys coming in here?" "We do have ladies’ night, which is always my favorite time of the week," said Rupert. "I'll bet. With all those drooling women looking for some action. You must have your pick of any one of them." "Actually, I'm much more interested in the strippers." "Really? Oh, oh, wow. So you bat for the other team, huh?" "I sure do. Don't tell me, you've always wanted a gay friend, right?" "Doesn't every woman?" she replied. Rupert just sighed with a smile and went to take a drink order from a guy who was waving his money around like an ass. There was a squat guy with an out of fashion hat walking toward her. He had not been present in the club moments earlier, but it was a bit strange to have someone coming in so late. "Are you here to pick someone up, sir?" asked Opal. The guy took his hat off, put it on the bar, and sat down right in front of her. "Actually, I was looking to offer you a job. Your name's Opal, right?" "Sure. I'm not interested in stripping though, or anything else like that." "My name's Carl. I heard that you caught the eye of a young man who was in here earlier, made quite and impression without even trying." Carl looked her over, not in a creepy way really. It was more like he was trying to figure her out. "I can see why you might catch my nephew's eye. You seem nice enough, and that is surely a rarity among the women he frequently defiles." "You make him sound just lovely. Look, I still have work to get done before I can get out of here for the night. Did you want a drink, Carl?" "Sure, I'll have some top shelf bourbon, on the rocks. I don't plan to take up your time if I'm not a paying customer." Opal went to get the drink for him, and brought it back. "This is twenty-one years, but it's expensive, I'm afraid."

Carl tasted it and shrugged. "Not too bad I guess. It'll do." He put down his credit card and Opal made the charge at the cash register. "So," he continued, "are you interested in making far more than you could hope to earn here, even more than these young ladies with no shame up on the stage?" "What do you want me to do for that kind of pay?" "I just want you to get to know my nephew enough to get some good dirt on him. You probably guessed that he hasn't done a lot of good in his short life. Well, he needs to be brought to justice. I need some evidence that he has not been living a good life. The problem is, he has the best damn lawyer around, and she doesn't mind buying people off. I can't prove any of this, as you might imagine. Boyd's one weakness is women, but a woman who is too good for him? She might be just the one to infiltrate all his bullshit and lies." Opal was taken aback. She picked up her bottom lip and moved her tongue around to add moisture back to her dry mouth. "So, what, you want me to date him or something?" "Just pretend you're interested in him. Find some solid evidence of law breaking, hookers, drugs, drink driving, I don't care. I know he's been doing it all. That bitch, Felicia, has just covered everything up to well for even my guys to find out. Look, I'm not telling you any more, sorry. Do you want to make an easy ten grand or not?" "I want that much, whether I find anything or not." "You're joking. I'll find someone else." "Yeah, sure, I'll bet he always leaves his secret documents lying around in front of the loose women he brings home from bars." Opal walked off, leaving Carl with his expensive bourbon and melting ice cubes. He just sat there and drank it, not trying to talk to her. He made a few phone calls too, keeping his voice low. A guy came in and spoke to him, a tall man in a black coat. They discussed something for about ten minutes, and then the man left. Opal noticed that he'd been standing outside the whole time, near the entrance to the strip club. "Can I talk to you again, young lady?" Carl said when Opal was near him, wiping some broken peanuts off the end of the bar that she'd missed earlier. "Do you need another drink, sir?" "Forget the sir crap. Call me Carl. Are we in business or what?" "That depends. How much are you offering for such a morally corrupt act? I wouldn't even be talking to you if I wasn't desperate, so make it good." "You're not the best negotiator, are you? Let me guess, you're an artist? If you're desperate for money, you'll take ten grand." "I was until recently a very highly paid artist. I plan to go back to that level of financial comfort, at least until I can get back on my feet. I want twenty-five thousand dollars or you can leave. And I need five of that up front." "Twenty and you get it all once you're done." "Rupert, this guy's bothering me," she called over half-heartedly. Rupert looked but didn't seem worried

by Carl. "Fine, twenty-five. Give me your bank details. The initial money will be there by the morning. I'm not stupid, and I don't trust you much. I do think you're smart enough to know, if you screw me over, you won't be happy." "Good. Do you think I'll really be able to find what you're looking for?" "If you're not a total ditz, and I sincerely doubt that even though you work in a shit hole--you'll be able to get something to prove that Boyd's a no good punk. The amount of shit that kid gets up to, a brick wall could convince him to break the law. Just make sure that you don't get found out, and you don't lead any attention back over to me. Got that? Here, write down the details." He pushed a little notepad and a golden fountain pen toward her on the bar. Opal wrote out her account details, sure that it was a waste of time. "Yeah, yeah, sure thing, Carl. Would you please excuse me though? I really need to get back to work. This has been a productive discussion after all." "Sure, get cute. See how far that'll get you in life, girlie." Carl got up and left. Opal wasn't quite sure what to make of this new development, but she would be amazed if there was any money in her bank the next morning. She'd been very wrong. There was a nice chunk of change right in her bank account when she woke up and checked online. It seemed like every Christmas morning mashed up into that one moment. And life had been so crappy lately! She could pay all those bills, and guarantee that things would keep going well for herself, and her mother, at least for another month or so. It looked like the old guy wasn't totally full of shit. Of course, now she needs to make good on her part of the deal and see if she can convince this Boyd guy to fall for some bad acting. And it was going to take a lot of acting to pretend she didn't find him disgusting … although he did have a certain rough charm about him that she hated herself for liking.

Chapter Twelve Boyd came back to the strip club the next night as well. He told his driver that there was a stripper with double-G melons that he was trying to bang. "Yeah, she said if I came back tonight, she'd be happy to give me a private ride out back," he told Jimmie with successfully faked enthusiasm. "Man, you really do have it made, don't you! Lucky bastard." "Hey, do you want me to pay a stripper to suck your dick while you're driving? That's a pretty easy thing to do; they don't exactly have the highest morals, you know." "Yeah, my wife wouldn't cut my dick off with a kitchen knife if she found out about that, I'm sure. You go and have a good time. I'll be ready to pick you up whenever you call." "Sure, if I do pick up anyone to bring home though, can we keep all this talk to ourselves?" "What, are you planning to marry a stripper?" "Fuck no. I think this one's going to need a little bit of white lying to convince." After he'd gotten out of the limo and headed inside, there was that familiar smell of alcohol, stale cigarettes, and what might have been sweat or bodily fluids. Naturally the whole lot of it was white washed with an offensive amount of antibacterial cleaner. It stank like a retirement center for sex addicts. "You're back then," said Opal when she saw Boyd. And the pretty thing didn't seem entirely upset about seeing him either. "Have you been waiting for me?" he said. To that, she made a funny face, like he'd just caught her doing something naughty. "Wait, you have been, haven't you? I knew it! I tend to have that effect on women, whether they're good girls or the very worst." "Are you trying to impress me by telling me how many bad girls you've been with? That's not really the best way to start, I'll tell you that for free." "Can I please get a beer then?" he said with a pathetically polite voice. He knew it, but didn't care. She was going to fall for him no matter what. If he had to play nice to get that, he'd at least meet her half way. It was already too late to fool her into thinking that he was totally clean, however. And his bad boy image might also work in his favor. After all, she was working in a strip club; she'd already fallen pretty far below her usually sparkling life, that was obvious. "Thanks," he said, handing her a fifty. "Keep the change as your tip, and keep 'em coming please." If he was going to try and stay clean, it would be a good start to stay off the hard liquor at least. Of course, after he'd finished ten of them, it was becoming more difficult to keep himself out of trouble. "Tell me how you wound up working here," he said to Opal. "You know how it is. Some asshole screwed me over and I took the blame for something I didn't do." She put another beer down and took yet another fifty-dollar note from him. "Thanks for these tips, by the way. You have no idea how much I need the money right now." "I think a girl like you working in a place that smells this bad must be pretty desperate for cash. I'd love

to take you out for a meal some time, on me. Think about how much you would save, and you'd only need to put up with me for a few hours to do so." "You're not nearly as belligerent when you're drinking the softer stuff. I like this version of you a lot more than the dickhead who was in here last night." "Thanks for that. I'll take it as a compliment, I guess. Do you ever wonder how many fights you'd get into if you were a guy, saying shit like that to people?" "Are you saying you want to fight me?" "Only if you secretly have a penis, you're doing a good job of tucking it away with that cute skirt you're wearing." "You like it? I didn't know what the hell to wear. You know, last night was my first shift here. But don't you think it's a bit sexist that you'd only fight me if I were secretly a dude, or if I'd had a penis added to my body?" "I don't know how to respond to that. I was just making a joke." He choked up, like a nervous kid or something. That kind of thing didn't happen to Boyd Houston, no way. He was the biggest ladies’ man New York City had ever seen! "I mean, what I was saying is--" "Hey, Opal, can I get some help over here?" Rupert was dealing with a group of guys who all wanted their drinks served at the exact same time. It was like they had blinders on, but they were just blind-drunk more likely. Boyd was glad for the distraction, because she was looking at him like he was a complete idiot after seeing that crack in his armor of coolness. "I'd better get over there before I get myself fired on my second shift." Boyd went over and sat at a table by himself, watching the show. He found it beyond relaxing to see the girls work their stuff on the stage. There was a sort of Zen-like experience to the whole thing. Sex and nudity was his Mecca, some might say. That didn't stop him from looking over to see if Opal was watching him; or just trying to see if she'd come out from the behind the bar to take care of some random cleaning, and he could sneak a peek at her amazing body. The main show that night featured three women, who licked chocolate sauce off each other's nipples and practically made out on stage. Yeah, they always held back just enough to keep the guys in the audience howling for more. It was still one hell of a show, that gave Boyd a raging hard on. He felt it rubbing against the inside of his pants through his boxers. Time to finalize this, he told himself. "So, how about that dinner?" he said to Opal. There were less people at the bar. Everyone was probably nursing their own trouser tents and not eager to get up just yet to grab another drink. But Boyd didn't give a shit about that. He wanted his new target to look at the gift he'd been born with. "I'm sorry … I just can't do this," she said. "It's not your fault. I have to go, my shift has just finished." She left through the back and he didn't see her again that night. Figuring she must have been married or something, Boyd thought about finding out which of the strippers was willing to expand their professional reach into prostitution. He resisted though, and left in the limo with Jimmie driving. It didn't have anything to do with the bartender, Opal, he told himself. He just didn't feel like spending money when he could get good sex for free any night of the week.

But he didn't go to another place that had more female clientele. He didn't try to find another lay. Instead, Boyd called it a night and just went home alone. He tried to remember the last time he'd gone home without getting his dick wet first, but couldn't.

Chapter Thirteen Opal was starting to get into the groove of working an entry level job. Sure, she was never given the chance to use her creative energy. There was a lot to do though, and the men who came in often gave her large tips just for being pretty and handing them a drink. It was almost criminal how much she walked away with some nights. In fact, she began to wear low cut tops and tighter skirts that showed off her body; a body that she had started to work on more than usual. Her exercise routine consisted of jogging and strength training. It helped her to get rid of all that frustration that came with having lost her job. There was also the sex, of which she'd been going without. Dwayne had not called her for some time, and she decided it was best to just leave things ended. They'd talked not too long ago, over the phone. It hadn't gone well then and left very little hope for a reunion. Opal didn't much want to be with a man who thought so little of her personal happiness, when given the choice to at least try and stand up for her honor and her rights. "I'm sorry," she said to him on the phone. "If you were interested in keeping things together, you would have tried more. But that's beside the point; you're not the caring, protective man I thought you were. On the outside you're a nice guy, but that's all bullshit. Goodbye, Dwayne." "If that's how you really want to leave things, after all this time, fine. Good luck working as a stripper, or whatever the hell you're doing now. I guess I dodged a bullet not marrying you." He hung up on her, as though he were doing the breaking up. That hurt, but not as much as those final cutting words. Opal had just finished her early evening shift, and was about to go home. For some stupid reason she'd decided to call Dwayne and set things straight. It wasn't until he answered that she decided it was time to officially end things, instead of just being on a break. "You headed home then?" said Rupert. He was still on duty, having just started about an hour earlier. "Yeah, I'm not going to hang around here, am I? I know my life's pretty pathetic right now, but I'm not going to stick around work just to avoid being alone in the apartment I can barely afford now." Rupert sucked in the corner of his mouth and shrugged a little, with clear empathy. "That's rough, babe. But you do realize that it's lady's night tonight, right? Starts in about fifteen minutes. Why do you think I'm here? I always make sure I'm scheduled to work during the beefcake display. You gotta get your name down next week, okay?" "Hmm, maybe I should stick around and unwind then?" "Sounds like you need it. Here, I'll make sure you have plenty to drink." He fixed her a vodka and orange juice. "Take a seat at the bar so you won't feel lonely. Just watch out for the stampede. Opal enjoyed her drink, and then another one. The guys came out onto the stage finally, but not before there was a surge of mostly middle aged women, with some bachelorettes and hen parties mixed into the crowd. They were much louder than the guys ever were. Instead of patiently waiting for attention from the strippers, whatever they were deemed worthy of receiving—these women yelled and hollered for what they wanted. "Show us your dick!" was far too common a request. The guys weren't allowed to get completely naked though, which really pissed Opal off.

"They let women take it all off. I don't get it," Opal yelled over the roaring ladies in the crowd. The bar was packed as well, like the whole place. "Yeah but your junk is a little more, concealed, don't you think?" said Rupert over the cacophony. "Still, it's been some time since I've seen a nice cock. That was one thing my fiancé did have going for him, spineless weasel that he turned out to be. Why are all the real men such assholes? Is it a confidence thing? Does knowing that women want you just instantly turn you into a total cunt?" "Wow, I didn't think you even knew that word," said Rupert. "Not exactly lady like. Here, have a shot of tequila." "Lady like my ass," said Opal as she downed the semi-opaque liquid. "I'm tired of being treated like shit. Ladies night only went for two hours total. That was more than enough time for Gus’s strip club to rake in more than enough money. He was basically never there himself, which was a pleasant realization for Opal. It was bad enough that she had to see him around the lobby of her building sometimes, with his greasy smugness. After the studs were off the stage, the women left quickly and orderly. Slowly, the male patrons began to sift back in, until the area was much like it had been every other night Opal worked there. That was when she saw a face that really made her see red. "Hello, Opal," said Owen as he approached the bar. The guy had seen her from the entrance and started to smile to himself like someone had just told him a funny joke. "Were you here for this ladies’ night shit?" "I figured that's why you're here. Sorry but you missed the naked men. It's okay, they didn't get their dicks out anyway." "Wow … you've really let yourself go slumming since losing your job, haven't you? I always knew that Dwayne was too much of a pantie waist to handle you." "You got that right," she said. "Rupert, can I get another drink?" "And I'll have your best bourbon," he said. "Apparently it's not what the wealthy drink," said Opal. "You can probably make do with it though. Does your wife know you like to come to strip clubs?" "Who would believe your word on anything anymore? The circles I run in, they wouldn't even let you approach them long enough to tell your lies. Just accept it: I'm better than you, especially now you don't have Dwayne to make you look like you actually had an upbringing." "You're a real fucking piece of shit, but you know that. And I know something went on at work. I promise that I'll find out who framed me." "What are you going to do about it anyway? You can't do shit without a lawyer in this town, and you're working behind the bar at a whore house." "How do you know I work here? Oh, I see, I guess my shitty life is pretty tasty gossip at the country club. You came in just to see for yourself, didn't you? I'll see you later, dick head." That was that—she had to follow through with Carl's plan and get that money. A bartender's wages, even with great tips, wasn't enough for that kind of action.

Chapter Fourteen Boyd would not have said that he'd gotten used to living within the limits of the law. He did feel more relaxed about it though. In fact, he had actually spent the night watching old Kung Fu movies, drinking beer, and enjoying a tasty pizza that he'd had delivered. That kind of thing would have made him cringe not too long ago. Being forced to pretend to be good, even if it was just until the end of this stupid interview, had started to change him. His phone started to ring and he paused the movie to answer. "Hello?" he said through a partially chewed mouth full of cheesy pepperoni pizza. "Hello? Are you there?" It was a woman and her voice was familiar. "The connection's bad or something." Finishing what he was chewing, Boyd repeated, "Hello? Sorry, I was just having dinner. Might I ask who's calling?" The beers had given him a mellow buzz that made him feel generally pleasant. "This is Brandy, remember me from the other day?" "Oh, the goth chick who likes paddling people? How are you?" "I've been better. Always looking for more pills like the ones you hooked me up with. You think you could help me out? I'll make it very worth your while. I'll even let you paddle me this time." "That sounds more than tempting … ah, fuck. I can't, not now." "What? You turned into a bitch on me? Damn, and I thought you were cool. What if I let you paddle me and stick the handle up my ass? How many times a day do you get an offer like that? Get in that limo and come pick me up from work." "I'm not a bitch. It's just, there's this whole thing about me not breaking the law for awhile. I get caught and I'm screwed. Also, there's this girl who I think might want to go out with me." "Are you serious? Shit, that's pretty gay." "You're the one who hooks up with women, Brandy." "Yeah, so? I would be more than happy for you to join in too. But I can respect that, to be honest. Being a bad ass doesn't mean you're not allowed to be human." "Why does it feel so fucking soft then?" "Hey, I said I'm human. I didn't say I want to sit around listening to your whiny rich boy problems, princess. Just toughen up a bit, okay? You've got this. Bye." "Yeah. See ya." Boyd went back to his pizza, but the piece he was eating had gone mostly cold. It would be easy enough to grab a fresh slice from the closed box, or even order another one with all the cash he had. Instead he just ate the cold slice and thought about what his life was becoming. He unpaused the movie and went back to watching the shadow clan infiltrate the good guys, getting ready for the final showdown.

Several hours and another six pack later, Boyd was wondering if he should just give in and call Brandy back. The only thing stopping him was the thought that he wanted the company more than the hot sex. "I am going soft," he muttered. There was a missed call on his phone, must have happened when he'd been on the phone to the goth slut. "Yes!" It was Opal. He didn't even remember that he'd given her his number, but he'd been pretty wasted the first time they met. The message read: Hey, it's Opal, the cute bartender from the other night. You gave me your number. He replied quickly but not without giving it a moment's thought. You just couldn't stay away? Did you want to take me up on a romantic evening? He waited for a good five minutes for an answer. How about we start with a simple dinner? Can you call me so we can talk? He wondered why she wanted him to call her. Suspicions started to crawl up around him. Maybe it was so she could set up a recording or something, get some evidence of what he'd been up to. No, that was stupid. It didn't make any sense. If anyone was going to try and trick Boyd, surely it would be one of the low life types, like that goth slut who was only interested in drugs and cheap sex. But he was also into that sort of thing. A person didn't change after just one night. That would be absolutely stupid to assume. With a racing heart, he pressed the call button.

Chapter Fifteen "Hello?" Opal said with what she hoped was an innocent and pleasantly anticipating voice. The very second she heard him speak, all thoughts of going through with this stupid plan went out the high window of her apartment and splattered on the bustling street below. "How are you, Opal?" came Boyd's voice. "What are you thinking about my offer now?" "Well, I'm interested. I wouldn't have called you otherwise." Crap, that was rude, she thought. "Uh, silly boy." "What kind of food are you into? We can go out for an all-out meal, five stars and more expensive touches than you could imagine. Something tells me you're not the kind of girl who goes in for that type of junk, though, are you?" The guy was talking pretty fast, like he was actually nervous or something. That didn't seem realistic though, not for someone who'd gotten in between more sets of legs than the average person had eaten hot meals. No, there was something odd about him, but that was in itself interesting. "I've had plenty of it since I met my fiancé. Would you mind if we did something a little more, I don't know, low key?" "Low key? That's funny; seems all I've been doing lately is keeping it quiet. Believe me, I've gotten pretty good at keeping my nose clean, very recently at least." He did not sound too pleased as he said that. Opal wondered if it had anything to do with this interview his uncle was talking about. A pang of guilt hit her, but the idea of her poor, always unwell, mother going without the important care she needed was enough to keep her strong. "Why's that?" she said coyly. Maybe he was actually buying her act. There wasn't any reason that he should suspect her of something to contrived and plane sneaky. Of course, the guy was probably used to people trying to dig up dirt on him for their own gains. It wasn't too late to back out, still. They hadn't even made plans yet. "What's changed suddenly? I thought you were a bad boy, Boyd." "Opal, you wouldn't believe me even if I could tell you. And I'm afraid it's a matter of business. You know how it is, being a millionaire and everything." "You're really that rich? Holy shit …" "Wait, you didn't know that? Most women, that's the main reason they're interested in me to begin with. Actually, I lie; they're first lured in by my amazingly good looks and the big bulge in my pants. The money then makes it a sure thing. I mean, well, I guess I tell a lot of bad jokes." Still talking too fast, uneasy, but sounding clearer than when they'd talked at the bar. It might have just been that he wasn't drunk. "Was that a tiny sliver of modesty there? You don't have to act around me. I like to think I can tell a lot about a guy by the way he holds himself at a strip club, when he's drunk and being a jackass." "Well then, the only reason you could possibly be interested in me is that you like that sort of thing. Opal, are you into bad boys? Let me guess, your fiancé—" "Ex-fiancé, if you have to know. I guess you do need to know … unless sleeping with women who are already taken isn't an issue?"

"Let's say that it is. So, newly single and damn sexy? I think we can find something fun to do. Shall I pick you up at seven?" "It's a date. Well, wait it's not a date yet. How about we see if you're a total ass within the first five minutes, and then we can decide if it's going to be a date or not." "Okay, we can still grab a meal if you hate me." "Sounds good. See ya at seven, Boyd. And how about we wait until the date starts before you get drunk." After she'd hung up, Opal felt a weird blend of numbed guilt and invigorating excitement. It was almost making her body tingly. If that's what it felt like to be on the other end of screwing someone over, she could kind of get why people might do it so regularly. There was a dirty sensation to the whole thing as well, which wasn't pleasant. "You really do have a limousine," Opal said as she stepped inside. "Thank you," she said to the man holding the door open for her, a stocky guy wearing the full outfit of a professional driver. The door was closed and she sat down across from Boyd. He was dressed in a similar way to when he went to the strip club. But that was nice, in the usual expensive labels that he probably always wore around. "So," he began after some silence. "How much longer did you say until you know if this is a date?" "I believe I said five minutes." Opal settled in on the soft yet supportive chair. Boyd was looking relaxed without slouching. He had a satisfied look on his face, but didn't seem smug for once. She could see the outline of his thing, pressed up against the inside of his snug pants. They must have been custom made for him, so that would indicate he actually asked for something that would show of the snake he was packing. "Should we just have Jimmie wait here until the five minutes are up? That would save him finding another place to park this thing outside your building." "You're in the loading zone, aren't you?" "And I don't expect you to want to leave anyway. Jimmie, can we please drive around and find something fun, classy fun, to do?" "Sure, thing, sir," said the limo driver. There was a little jest to his voice, meaning they were probably in on some personal joke that Opal wasn't being told about. She kept quiet, thinking about the stupid things Boyd might be planning. If she could get a picture of him doing something illegal right away, it would take away the pain of going through this all. "You like what you see?" "Yes, I do. This car is amazing. You don't own this thing, do you?" "I do own it actually. Well, technically it's in the trust's name. The trust is mine though. It's complicated." "It doesn't seem too complicated. Someone put a whole lot of money in a trust for you, probably when you were young, and that money is being kept by a board of people in suits, who also use that money to make more money. You probably get a huge paycheck out of it. Maybe the money will be entirely yours one day too?"

"I guess it's only complicated to someone without your brains. No, I wasn't talking about the car anyway." Boyd nodded his head down and looked at his own crotch. "Don't be embarrassed that I caught you staring." Seriously? Opal couldn't believe this guy, but she had been staring. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said with a smile. "You don't have to pretend you dislike me, Opal. It's okay, we're possibly on a first date; will be in," he checked his Rolex, "what, eighty-five seconds? That is, unless you decide you'd like to roll out of the car." "Oh, you'll let me out if I ask, or I'll …" "You'll what?" "I'll smash this bottle over your head," she said, grabbing a big champagne bottle from a cooler beside her seat. "Hey, this is for us? Shit, that's an expensive bottle. You are actually as rich as you say, aren't you?" "What will it take to convince you? Would you like to pop it? Just be sure not to let the cork hit any birds or children." "You want me to pop the cork, out of the window? That's crazy. Why don't you do it?" Trying to get him to do stupid things, however small, right away was a bad idea. Opal thought about it, and she was so very thirsty and needed something to calm her nerves. "What the hell." So, yes, Opal popped the bottle and laughed as the cork flew at the side of an old building. She'd earned a treat after the week she'd had, and no one in their right mind passed up a hundreds-of-dollars-bottle of the good stuff.

Chapter Sixteen Opal seemed like she was actually having a good time. The moment some of that sweet and luxurious liquid settled down inside her, the girl changed at least slightly. It wasn't the type of transformation Boyd had witnessed in people who had a dependency on booze, or the more outrageous dates he'd taken out in the limo. No, she just seemed to relax and stop trying to force some kind of stand-offish facade. "Do you drink very often?" he asked. "What, are you saying I'm an alcoholic? Not every person needs to get plastered to make it through the day." "Believe me, I don't think you drink. Especially for someone who works behind a bar of a strip club, you seem painfully straight-edge." He'd try to loosen her up with some playful banter, see if that wild side was for real, of if she was just acting for some reason. There was a reason no one had managed to get good dirt on Boyd yet, and it wasn't entirely thanks to Felicia's legal skills. Boyd motioned to the now open bottle "You liked popping that open," he added. "I thought you were going to hit that guy on his bicycle for a minute. Jimmie would not have been happy with you then." "Hey, I could have just blamed you, right? Isn't that what you're meant to do, take the wrap for me, as my date?" "Hey, you're right! It is well and truly our first date now! I'd say this calls for a celebration, but it looks like that's already begun!" Boyd reached over and took his own bottle of the same expensive liquid from a cooler beside his seat. He noticed the look of impressed disbelief on Opal's face. "Oh, yes, that's right. We're not going to run out of the good shit while I'm in charge of refreshments. Don't you worry your pretty little head about that, dearie." "Did you just channel a wealthy ancestor? Who're you calling dearie? I was expecting something more like, 'bitch' or 'ho'." She took another gulp of the champagne, completely aware that her sense of right and wrong would slowly ebb away with each additional mouthful she swallowed. That might lead her to do some things that would be regretted the following day, yes. But it would help with the task of screwing Boyd over and digging up some dirt on him. So, she drank. "If you'd prefer me to call you by one of those names, I would be happy to oblige, my bitch. You can take your top off if that'd make you more comfortable, really I don't mind." "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, pal. Just because I work at a strip club, it doesn't mean I like taking my clothes off in front of strangers." She looked away shyly, well aware that she was sexually attracted to Boyd. The problem was that he clearly knew it too. Why else would she have agreed to go out with him in the first place? "Will you tell me why you're working there in the first place? I know money is the main factor behind most people's choice of jobs. Surely you could have found something else though." "Actually, I'm a designer, graphics and illustration mostly. I used to do a lot more hands on stuff, but lately I've been heading my own team at this marketing agency." "Oh, really, what's the name of the place?"

"I'd rather not talk about it. They fired me for something I didn't do, had no idea about. Looks like no one else wants to hire the person who just got fired for being a white-collar thief." "Yeah, people with money really hate white-collar crimes. It's a wonder you're not doing more time than a murderer for that. How'd you manage to get off?" Boyd had leaned forward, setting down his bottle as the liquid inside swished around with the smooth motion of the limo. "My ex-boss wanted me to think that he was just being generous by not putting charges up against me. Personally, I think he had something to do with what really happened to the missing money. That, or he's covering for someone else." "You have any idea who he might be covering for?" "As a matter of fact, I do. But that's not really why I'm here, to talk about the things that lead me through a run of dismally rejected job applications, to wind up with such a shitty and demeaning job. I thought you wanted to party, Boyd. Or was that all just an act? Aren't you a bad boy?" "You want a bad boy? You've come to the right place. The only problem is, I think I'm done being bad, for now at least. That might come as a shock to you. I'm sorry if you were looking for something more exciting …" "Shit, don't get all deep on me. You can't bring out such an expensive drink and ruin it like that. Cheer up," said Opal. Her pretty face and pleasant smile were exactly the thing any guy needed when they were feeling down. The problem was, he wanted to do all those things that she had clearly been expecting: break the law, run amok, buy illegal substances, some harmless vandalism maybe. It wasn't worth getting his trust fund taken away from him though. "How about we see the sights? Jimmie's doing a night shift tonight, if that's what we want. I didn't want you to have to sit in a plain old taxi. "What if I were to take my top off? Would that encourage you to show me how bad you are? It turns me on, Boyd. I've been stuck with a guy who acted so nice and proper all the time. The only problem was— well, one of the problems at least—he wasn't such a nice guy. The fucker didn't even try to stand up for me, when I'm pretty sure it was his so-called friend who set me up at work." "I thought you didn't want to talk about that. Step back a second though. Tell me more about what turns you on." Boyd forgot all about his own troubles, inspecting Opal's subtle form beneath her semi-casual dress. "And you were about to take your top off, is that right? Did I hear you wrong?" "Wow, calm down there, stud. That was just to get your attention. Of course I'm not that kind of girl. But I have a feeling you wouldn't be giving me so much of your honest attention if I was like that. No, you like easy women, but you're bored of them, right? Well, maybe I'm in the mood to see what hanging out with a bad boy is like. Do you think we might be able to give each other what we each need?"

Chapter Seventeen It was Opal's plan to trick Boyd into doing something stupid, but that was still hard for her to do. She assumed that getting herself drunk would make it easy, bring out the bad side of her. The rest would surely fall into place. But Boyd wasn't so easily led, he had been around plenty of women who wanted to have their way or no way, apparently. The trick was to get him drunk, she realized. "You're a real lightweight," he said to her. "I can't believe you have a few hundred dollars worth of French champagne and you can't hang." Getting Boyd drunk was almost an automatic thing. As soon as he'd seen her gulping the stuff down, he'd followed suit. He must have been being polite at first, but clearly he was a thirsty person. "Isn't all champagne French? That's the definition of a sparkling wine from that region of the country, isn't it? I thought a rich boy like you would be more familiar with his snobby titles and anal bullshit." "If you want to talk anal, maybe we should head back to my place. I don't want to get caught for indecent exposure, not again." "Oh, is that so? Okay, sure, let's go back to your place." That was just the invitation that might lead Opal to some of that dirt Carl was so eager to get his wrinkled hands on. This was feeling like a secret mission now, and it was kind of fun. Boyd must have been sticking to beers lately, because he passed out after consuming half a bottle of rum. "Poor guy," Opal quietly said as she watched him breathing deeply in his slumber on the sofa. "You were trying so hard to be good, too. I'm sorry." "Huh?" he said, stirring. "It's not even my fault, Felicia. I didn't mean to do it." Clearly Boyd had some issues with his lawyer. That was the name Carl had given her, so she'd looked into the background there. Yeah, she knew a fair amount about Boyd. The only issue was that it was the type of thing the papers had been permitted to print. There must have been so much hidden beneath the surface of this young man's life, it would have been enough to fill a thick book. Intrigued by the idea of what might be lurking in Boyd's personal history, she started to look around. First, she stuck to the living area, which would have been more appropriately called the party room. Judging by the mood lighting and the pumping stereo system, it had been host to a lot of wild debauchery. The idea made her throb; that could have been plenty of fun, but her mission was more important right now. "I can't believe this," she said after a good two hours of searching. It was a large place, given that hundreds of people lived in the building as well. It took up the entire top story, but even the biggest penthouse wasn't particularly huge compared to a standalone house. There couldn't have been any more places to hide things. She'd even gone around and pulled, nudged, or prodded all of the paintings on the walls, pieces of showy art, and even the wall and ceiling fixtures. Opal had gone so far as to inspect the furniture for hidden compartments and stitches. If there was anything Boyd was hiding, it would have been there, surely. It must be digital, you idiot, she thought at last. That did make sense, in this day-and-age. On the other

hand, who would be stupid enough to keep incriminating evidence where it might be susceptible to hackers or server failures. And Carl was confident there would be something, somewhere. "Looking for the bathroom?" Boyd said behind her as she walked from the kitchen back out to the living area. It almost made her heart jump right out of her throat. He might have been onto her. "You scared the crap out of me, Boyd. I thought you were dead to the world. What time is it anyway? We fell asleep." Checking his fancy watch, he replied, "It's only about eleven. Are you ready to head home or something? I'm really sorry for falling asleep like that. I've been taking it easy on the hard stuff; can't handle it the same anymore. Pretty pathetic, right?" "What? I don't think it's pathetic that you'd feel sleepy after a big ass bottle of "French" champagne, and all that rum. Is that not a lot for you usually?" "As you might have guessed, I've spent a lot of time doing a lot of partying, for a very long time." "Come on, you're only a year younger than me. If you're implying I've been alive for a long time, I'm about to slap you." "Maybe you could slap me around? I might even like that. Some nice, legal fun right there." He took a step toward where she was standing at the entrance from the kitchen to the living area. "Did you need to use the bathroom first?" "I think I'll pass on slapping anyone around for now." Boyd showed her to the bathroom and she pretended that she didn't already know every inch of the place. Opal then pretended that she'd needed to use it. When she walked out, it was a little embarrassing to realize that Boyd was still standing outside the door. He wasn't very close to it, not in a creepy way. But he'd been waiting for here like he had something important to say. "Did you want to ask me something?" she said. "You look like you do." But he shook his head, walked forward, and kissed her. "Hang on," she said and he pulled away from her. "What was that?" "That's what we call a kiss where I come from. I think it's French," he said with a laugh. "Oh no, wait, this is how you do a French kiss." He moved forward again and Opal didn't try to stop him at all, moved into him instead. They shared a warm, close sort of kiss; not dirty or how she had imagined he'd kiss. "Sorry," he said. "I've been thinking about doing that since the first time I saw you. Thanks for letting me give it a try." "You're, uh, welcome?" Opal looked down, to the side, shifted slowly back to Boyd's eyes. They were inviting. She wanted him. There was no reason to fight that. "Fuck it," she said and rushed back to him. Their kissing took them to the bedroom, where she hoisted her dress off over her head. Boyd grinned and looked her up and down. "You're even more perfect than I thought. And I've seen a few naked women." "What do you do with those naked women once they're in your bedroom? Show me." Opal took off her bra and panties, because Boyd had been undressing himself at an alarming speed. His motions were well practiced and he was naked in a second. "Hey, hello there," she said when she saw that snake he'd been packing the whole time. "I knew you were hung."

"I usually expect to get my dick sucked by everyone woman who comes through those doors. Apart from my lawyer and this maid who won't put out any more." "You're so open when you think you've got a sure thing, aren't you?" Opal replied. Then again, she was naked and greeting the man's penis. "Are you asking me to suck that?" "No, I'm not." Boyd walked over to her and slipped his fingers between her thighs. The sensation was unexpected but welcome. It had been too long already since Opal had been touched by anyone but herself. "But you will." Opal did, lowering to her knees and trying to do the things she was sure all those sluts must have done. After licking it, then slowing sucking on the head, she tried to see if she could deep throat him. It didn't work out very well, and she coughed and spluttered over his groomed pubic hair and shaft. "I guess I'm not quite as pro as you're used to." "That's why I like you. Don't worry, there's plenty of time to teach you." He put his hand on her head, looking down and waiting to see if she was in agreement with the action. She nodded up at his from her knees, eyes wide, mouth opening. Opal managed to get down so far that Boyd's ball hairs tickled her moist lips. Then, she pulled herself back quickly. He let go of her head and smiled. "That's a girl!" "Okay, I have to give it a rest or I might make a mess on your carpet." "Let's go to the bed then. You'll notice my plastic sheets." He went and grabbed a bottle from his bedside drawer. There were a lot of interesting items in there, but Opal couldn't quite make out what they were. The bottle contained oil, which he splashed on the sheet a little. "Trust me, you're going to think this is fun. It's like a waterslide, almost. You're not a squirter are you? That really makes it into a waterslide, trust me." "What else do you have in there?" "Just the usual: cuffs, fake penises and butt plugs for the ladies, colored and flavored lubricants, ball gag, I think I have a leash too. Don't worry, I don't use this stuff most of the time." "Do you think we could just have sex for now? It's been awhile, but I'm not too sure about letting you take me for a walk, not just yet." "Maybe you'd prefer to lead me. No? Well, come sit on my face instead." He lied on his back, slipping around on the bed. Opal got on Boyd's face, taking hold of his hard dick at the same time. The moment he started to move his tongue, she squealed. "Wow! Keep doing that and you might convince me to do just about anything." It was a little awkward at first, the whole situation. After a few minutes of pleasure from Mr. Wonder Tongue, Opal was rubbing herself back and forth on his face, riding it like a mechanical bull. She used some oil from the bed cover and lubed up Boyd's dick and balls thoroughly, working it up and down while she enjoyed his face. "Shit, shit, shit! You're gonna make me cum if you keep that up. Let's fuck." Boyd just made a negative sound, refusing to stop. He started to go even faster, and grabbed Opal's hips so she wouldn't get off. Hey, she wasn't going to complain if the guy really wanted to keep going. Instead, she screamed out and let go of all her built up frustrations and inhibitions. "God, god, what the fuck?! Don't stop!" Finally, she finished with a huge scream, sure that no sound would travel to the neighbors in

that building. Then, she just sat on his face, unable or unwilling to move. He didn't seem to mind that one bit. Opal collected herself and leaned forward to suck that lovely dick that was in her hand. The oil was sweet, and made the act even more enjoyable. She grabbed his balls and kneaded the sack in one hand, while holding the slippery cock in position with her other hand, pointing it into her mouth. Boyd started to lick her pussy again, and the sheer thrill from that was almost a new orgasm with each tiny motion.

Chapter Eighteen Boyd was delighted. From where he was situated, he had the best view imaginable. On his back, slick with oil, with Opal on top of him and sucking his cock: heaven. He had his tongue inside her, and the scent of her pure womanhood was intoxicating. They were clearly the perfect match. He closed his eyes and took her in deeply, periodically looking out over the immaculate mounds that were her butt cheeks. He pulled back to breathe and said, "Let's fuck now." Opal crawled off him eagerly, and Boyd pushed her up against the back of his bed. It was a specially designed board that was great for sex. He reached behind it and pulled up some Velcro hand cuffs that were attached to plastic cording. "What are you going to do to me?" she asked with a lazy smile. "I don't see how you could top yourself after that effort." "You'll see how good I can get, or should I say, how bad." He pushed her face onto the slippery plastic, pulled her hands together and secured them with the restraints. "Now you're not going anywhere, bitch." "Such a bad boy. Are you going to fuck me or not? Show me what you can do with that anaconda?" Boyd slid it inside of her and threw his head back as the pleasure rushed over him like a wave. Such a welcome feeling, no matter how many women he put his dick inside of. "You're tight," he said with earnest surprise. Of course she would be; Boyd was used to the kind of woman who didn't bat an eyelid at taking a 12-inch dildo up her. He started to thrust, happy that the foreplay was well behind them. There was no need to start slowly with her, which he would have taken the time to do otherwise. "I'll bet you're in need of a hard fuck." "Yes, I am. Give it to me." Boyd pounded Opal nearly as hard as he could, without slipping on the oily bed. He almost wished he didn't bring out the lubricant so soon. That would have given him more traction. But Opal was still playing the part of the bad slut. She wasn't actually ready to take everything that he could throw at her. "You love that, don't you?" "Yes, thank you! Yes!" "You're a nasty girl deep down, aren't you?" "If you can be a bad boy for me, I'll be as fucking nasty as you like. Just show me what you've got." He did, and by the time he came inside her, Boyd was satisfied that Opal was becoming sore. "Oh shit," she said as they each flopped onto their backs beside one another. "What the fuck have I been doing with my sex life?" "Sounds like you've been wasting it on a guy who never appreciated what a sexy woman he was sleeping beside." "You don't know the half of it. I guess I didn't either, until just now. Hey, Boyd …" She rolled onto her side. The bright lights of the bedroom—perfect for taking in all the depraved sex and nudity—shimmered

across the delicate ins and outs of her body. It was like a sunset that could never quite be enjoyed enough to do it justice, even after a thousand summers. "What's up?" Boyd said, trying to appreciate the strange feelings he had looking over at Opal. "What the fuck do you do to clean all this off?" They laughed together, and for a moment their hands touched. They almost grasped them together, but one of them pulled away. Boyd liked to think that he pulled away first, but that wasn't quite certain. "We have a relaxing bubble bath, that's how." Boyd jumped to his feet and practically dragged Opal into his bathroom, just like a jaguar drags away its kill. Opal’s eyes widened in disbelief “Wow. That’s not a bath, it’s a fucking swimming pool!” Boyd burst out laughing “Trust me, it gets better. Much better.” Boyd reached out and twisted the silver handle, releasing a torrent of water at the perfect temperature. “You know, you’re the first woman I’ve ever had in here. You should feel honored.” Opal made a seductive pose “I didn’t know I was that special, you can call me Princess from now on.” Boyd humored her “Would m’lady enjoy the rose scented bubble bath or the lavender?” Opal made an attempt at her best posh accent “The rose scented one would be splendid, Jeeves.” “Excellent choice, m’lady. Perhaps I could tempt you with some candles, to set the mood” “That sounds like a fantastic idea, maybe some music will add to this magical evening as well.” Boyd grabbed a remote from the counter and hit the play button. Slow, classical music began to erupt from the speakers scattered around the room. “Is everything to your satisfaction, m’lady?” “It is, thank you for being so accommodating. Now let me get in!” Opal stepped into the heavenly bath and used Boyd to support herself. She slowly sank down until the water enveloped her, leaving only her head out in the open. After letting Opal enjoy the relaxing bath for a few moments, a wild grin came across his face. “You’re about to find out why I paid so much for this bath.” He pressed one of the buttons next to the tap and held it in until it locked in place. Opal’s eyes immediately shot open, like she was pleasantly surprised. “Whatever this is, never turn it off.” Her eyes rolled to the the back of her head and she sank further into the bath. A jet of warm water was being aimed directly at her pussy. “I knew you’d like it, it has more options as well. Faster, slower, harder, warmer, colder, it even has a pulsating option. Play around with it, find what you like.” Opal’s eyes were barely open, she seemed to be in a Zen-like state of pleasure. “Get in this bath now so

I can play with your cock. I need something to hold on to.” Boyd slid into the bath next to Opal. His cock was already rock hard and it conveniently rested right next to Opal’s skilled hand. Opal grabbed his cock and started to work it up and down, the motion was regularly interrupted as the pleasure from the jet caused her to jerk and tense her body. Seeing Opal at the peek of pleasure turned Boyd on so much that he was ready to cum already. Judging by the way Opal was moving, she wasn’t that far off either. Moments later, Opal let out a loud moan and began to shake, which in turn made Boyd lose it. He grunted with pleasure and blew his load all over his abs and chest. Opal and Boyd lay there, motionless and panting, enjoying every second of their orgasm. The warm water surrounding them only added to the experience. Opal slowly but surely came back to her senses, she reached over to turn the water jet off and settled back down onto Boyd’s shoulder. “Well that was incredible! I think I’m ready for bed.” The next morning, Boyd was alone when he woke up. He'd sobered up enough by the time they'd gone to sleep, to know for sure that Opal stayed the night. At least, she had been there when he fell asleep, acting as the little spoon to his big spoon. It was nice, almost like having someone who cared about him, but without missing out on all that great sex that people lost when they committed to just one person. There was a text on his phone, which he did not here come in due to his thoroughly drained post-sex slumbering. It was from Opal, and read, Sorry I had to run. Thank you for a great night though ;) I have a job interview, wish me luck! His heart skipped and jumped for a moment, but Boyd wasn't sure what that was about. It could have been that he was glad she didn't slip out due to shame, or because she'd stolen his wallet or something. Yeah, that had happened to him more times than he'd like to admit, the shame thing as well as the wallet thing.

Chapter Nineteen It was true that Opal had an appointment, but it was not a job interview. There didn't seem much point continuing that depressing search, not now that she was selling her soul to make some big money. While she did feel like she was giving up her good moral integrity by tricking Boyd, she didn't feel at all like she'd given away her body as part of that. Last night had been unplanned, unexpected, but definitely not unwanted. No, Opal had been yearning for that kind of release for some time now. It had taken a different sort of man to help her get there. While she'd been having regular orgasms since she was a teenager, Opal was not used to such raw and passionate pleasure. It didn't feel dirty like she thought it would. She actually liked it, a lot; even the thing with the hand tying and all that oil. Boyd might get some more sessions with her, before being completely screwed over by his own uncle's diabolical plan. That was more than a lot of people got, and others were given the short end of the stick without deserving it. She had to keep telling herself that Boyd was a pig, and he'd broken the law and hurt innocent people in the process. She didn't know the extent of what he'd done, or she would already have the evidence that was so sorely lacking in this plan. But she just could not let herself believe he'd done anything truly bad, not actually harmed people or ruined lives. On the other hand, for women everywhere, Opal was feeling a bit like a hero. She was giving this man a taste of his own medicine, even while letting him have her in whatever way he liked. It was empowering as it was naughty. There was no reason to feel guilty, not really, right? Those were the things that Opal kept telling herself on the taxi ride over to meet up with Carl. She had promised to meet with him after her first date with Boyd, so that's what she was doing. The guy's office was in a warehouse down in an industrial part of the city. It didn't much look like the sort of place a wealthy older man would have as his headquarters. Then again, this guy was apparently "old school", or maybe not quite right in the head, for all Opal knew. Doing business where his workers did their thing, instead of in an office building, that could just be part of a hands-on leadership strategy. The secretary was short with her, on the verge of being outright rude. "Yes? Can I help you?" the short brunette said with a sour face, and no time to say hello. "I'm looking for Carl." "Do you have an appointment? He's very busy today, very busy every day." She went back to typing, as though she had already assumed that Opal was going to say no. "Actually, he asked me to meet him here at nine." "Oh, alright then," answered the rude woman. She looked flustered about that, and added, "Well, you're five minutes late. Please be on time if you're asked to come for another appointment." "I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Or I could just leave if you think you know best who your boss wants to meet with?" "No, no, take a seat. I'll tell him that you're here." The secretary glared through squinted eyes, then shifted her focus back to her computer and picked up the phone on her desk. "You're nine o'clock is here, sir. She's running a little late, sorry." She glared back at Opal as she said the word "late", to add emphasis

to it without doing so vocally. Placing the phone back down, she said to Opal, "You can go in. And again, be on time next time." "You didn't even know he had an appointment with me. Thanks all the same," Opal said. After her wild night of living free, she sure didn't feel like taking crap from an entry level worker who must have not had enough coffee yet. "Hello, Opal. Please come in," said Carl as she opened his office door, which was clearly marked with his name: Carl Houston. That's when it occurred to Opal that she hadn't looked into his background. Yeah, she'd checked up on Boyd enough to make sure that he was really the guy she needed to go after, and maybe to see what type of person he was. But she didn't do her due diligence in making sure that this Carl person was actually Boyd's uncle. The shared surname was a relief to see. The next time she agreed to take part in ruining someone's life for financial gain, she would try to remember to do her homework first. Still, no harm had been done, not yet anyway. "Hello, Carl. Well, you asked me to show up, and here I am. Your secretary out there seemed pretty annoyed that I was a few minutes late. I think the fact that I walked in the building at all ruined her day." "Oh, don't worry about her. She's probably just having her—" He stopped and looked like he had just dodged a bullet or something. "Uh, a bad day." It sure seemed like he was about to say that his employee was 'just having her period'. What a pig, Opal thought. But at least he was smart enough to catch himself before saying something to the wrong person. She would need to be cautious of this man; something else that had not really occurred to her; too many mistakes lately. "Do you have any good news for me?" he said without missing another beat. Straight to business, not waiting to waste time with pleasantries. Opal didn't answer him. Instead, she was trying to think of the best way to sugar coat being completely unable to find any damning evidence against Boyd. "Let me guess, you couldn't find anything? Not even when you went to his spoilt-brat playhouse?" "No, sorry. I searched his entire place for hours. Wait, how did you know I went there? Oh, never mind. I forgot you had your hired goon." "That's goon-s, multiple. And you shouldn't forget it." He guessed what she was thinking. "Don't worry," he said with a sultry smile that could turn a gal's stomach, "They don't tell me every little detail." "If your guys keep tabs on what your nephew does, why are you wasting your money on me? Just have them spy on him." "Believe me, I would much rather use someone I can trust—no offence. But Boyd is a slippery little bastard, no offence to my dead brother and sister-in-law, may they rest in peace. He's smart, but he gets really dumb fast when he's infatuated with a woman. Problem is, he doesn't let them get close enough to use that against him. That, or he just goes for the type that he would never care for on a personal level. Anyway, enough of the touchy-feely bullshit. We've both got business to take care of. You're going to need to encourage him to do something stupid, Opal. If you can get him to like you, maybe even trust you, believe that you're a good girl who just wants to play at being bad, that might be a way in. He could trust you then. I know he would." "Look, Carl, sneaking around like a criminal was bad enough, and I did try to get him to do something illegal, to a degree. What you're talking about is on a whole other level. I'm not sure I'm comfortable manipulating someone like that."

"I don't believe you. I think you enjoyed it. Why else would you have left his building this morning wearing the same clothes you had on last night? Boyd is a terrible person. Any self-respecting woman should be proud to have a hand in taking him down. If you only knew the way he used women for his own pleasure, and how he uses his parents' money to walk all over everyone he meets. He's a bad guy, Opal. You'd be doing a noble thing … even if your methods are not quite noble." He nearly sneered at that, like he was getting his jollies thinking about Opal getting fucked for his little plan. Shit, he almost definitely was. "Also, there is the whole matter of your mother. I could take care of her expenses, take a little pressure off you financially." "I want you to pay up all her expenses for the next six months, as well as my rent and utilities. That's in addition to our agreed price. This is some serious shit you're asking for, and I'm not helping another day unless you make good on what I want." "You're not as spineless as I might have assumed, Ms. Wright. It's a deal."

Chapter Twenty "You're really making these meetings a regular thing lately," said Boyd to Felicia a few hours after he'd woken up. He wasn't hungover for a change, since the relatively large amount he'd had to drink was way less than his body routinely had to endure on any other given day and night. There was something else going on that made him feel good too, although he hadn't quite had the time to think about it. "It's always been regular. You're usually just a lot less sober, and a lot happier to see me. What's the big change suddenly?" said Felicia. They were in Boyd's kitchen as usual. "Don't you enjoy my company anymore?" "You're like a mother to me. I know I've never admitted that, but I guess I didn't think about it before. I haven't done much thinking lately." "Wow, what's gotten into you, Boyd? Oh, I know, it's your new bedroom partner. Does it really take so little to make you give up your whole way of life? I mean, you met her what, a day ago?" "It's been more than just a day … last night was our first date, that's all. So what? You're the one who's always on my case to change my ways and stop screwing around all the time." "No, I'm on your case to stop getting yourself into legal trouble. There's a big difference here, and I'm sure you'll realize that pretty soon. I just hope you do before you let this Opal girl get under your skin. Do you know that your uncle supposedly has someone working specifically to find dirt on you?" "So, he's been doing that since I turned eighteen. Obviously not his strongest skill, or he would have already found out something by now." "Yes, it's not as though you've given him a shortage of leads to follow. You have been quite the asshole, if you don't mind me saying." "I don't mind you saying. It's the truth anyway. But there are a lot of people who work either for me in some way, or with the trust in their daily business. What do you think, Opal's been sent to trick me and ruin my chances at this interview?" It didn't actually sound that stupid when he said it out loud. He'd been thinking it, at least in the back of his mind, ever since Felicia brought the topic up. "I can tell you haven't considered that until just now. I know you, Boyd, better than you know yourself in many ways. Unfortunately, I was lumped with being your surrogate mother-figure after the accident. I know it's been mostly on a professional level, but you hardly gave me a break from taking care of the legal shit you get yourself in to; how was I ever meant to help you excel when you wouldn't stop hitting bottom every week?" "Hey, that's a bit heavy for a breakfast discussion." He had already finished his toast and was working on drinking the coffee from his ten-thousand-dollar espresso machine. "Did I offer you something to eat?" "No, you didn't. That's fine though, I already ate. Boyd, I'm just trying to tell you that, despite the way I'm forced to treat you like a burdensome client—I do actually care about what happens to you. And I don't want you letting this girl get too close, not so close that she could do any damage. I mean, Christ, just keep her at arm's length until this trust fund interview ordeal is over."

"You never told me when that would be, Felicia." "Don't you think I would have, if I knew? They either haven't set a specific date, or someone is doing a very good job keeping that part secret. They're not required to tell you about the interview at all, and I'm sure there's at least one person on the board who is pissed off that you found out. If I can find out when it is, don't worry, I'll tell you." "What you're telling me, is I might just have to keep on keeping a low profile, indefinitely?" "No, you have choices just like anyone else. The only thing is that you've been able to soar above the law up until now, where the average person wouldn't have the money to save them. Boyd, please don't start to think that you're being unfairly treated. You're just being put under the same scrutiny as everyone else. Welcome to the real world." "Gee, thanks." He downed the rest of the coffee and let the surge of warm energy flow through him. "However, other people don't have the best damn lawyer in the country on their side, do they? Don't worry, we're going to get through this. Wait, are you drinking plain coffee?" She took Boyd's cup from his hand and sniffed at it, swirling the liquid around under the light above. "This doesn't have scotch or bourbon in it? Not even a liquor or something?" "It's just coffee, water, and milk," Boyd said. He wondered what the problem was. Felicia stepped closer and smelled the air around him, like a mother checking their baby's diaper. She took him by the chin and moved his head left to right, taking in the light's reflection in his eyes. "You're sober, aren't you? Are you even hungover?" "I guess I can't blame you for being surprised. I'm not 'on the wagon' if that's what you're getting at. Don't sign me up for those bullshit AA meetings just yet, thanks. But no, I'm not drinking this morning. I feel pretty good actually." "Does this Opal girl have anything to do with that?" she asked. Boyd nodded slowly. "I think she might. I didn't really think about it. Just didn't feel like getting drunk so early in the day today. We fell asleep early last night as well." "Wait, was she alone in your apartment? Have you checked the safe?" "You think anyone would ever figure out there's a safe under the floor boards, under the carpet? I forget how to get at it half the time." "Well, good, you don't need to open it. Leave that to me." "I don't see why we can't just burn those documents. If anyone got their hands on those, the papers would have a field day." "Trust me, you're better off knowing exactly what's on them, in case other copies did emerge." "Whatever. So, is Opal a good influence or a bad one? Make up your mind." "If she winds up helping you clean your act up, I suppose I can tolerate her presence for now. I don't trust her though. And it looks like Carl's watching her too."

"My cunt of an uncle?" "Watch that word, thank you. Yes, your uncle. It looks like he's been watching her, at least since she met you from what I can find out. Of course, that's not unusual for him to do. Just be doubly careful, Boyd." "I promise I'm not going to mess things up this time, Felicia, okay?" "I'll hold you to that, Boyd. Enjoy your coffee. Good boy."

Chapter Twenty-One Opal didn't contact Boyd that day. She didn't want to seem eager, even the whole new relationship, if that's what someone might call it, was total bullshit. The best thing to do was keep playing hard to get, to add to the realism. It was interesting to think that women would jump into bed with a guy on the first date and then try to play hard to get. Apparently they did that sort of thing all the time, judging from the forums and social media discussions Opal looked into while researching. Even when being a bad girl and trying to ruin a man's life, Opal was ever the bookworm. She reflected on how similar her current situation was to the average college girl, laughing to herself at her computer desk. Her mobile started vibrating on the desk beside her laptop. "Hey there, good looking. How are you feeling today?" said Boyd. "Hi. You sound chirpy for someone who drank so much last night." She knew that she should have felt bad, found it hard to engage in small talk with the guy. It just seemed to flow so easily though, natural. "What? I just got through having a discussion about how much better I feel, and how I'm 'sober'. One day and already I'm making big life changes apparently. "Who was saying that?" There was some definite jealously in her, hoping that it wasn't another woman, or even a female friend. "It was just the other woman I had over after you left. Yeah, the sex isn't as amazing, but that's the price you pay for convenience, isn't it?" "You're a dickhead." "Thank you. It was my lawyer, if you must know." Opal's heart started to sink. "Really? Is something wrong?" "Oh, no. She's been kind of like a mother to me ever since my own mother, well, you probably know the story. Everyone seems to learn all about it easily enough." "Well, I had to do some research when you told me who you were. Sorry …" "It's not your fault. Anyway, nothing to worry about. Just talking to a family friend who tried to fill in for my parents, mostly in a legal sense." "Have you given her a lot to worry about, in a legal sense?" "I think you might already have guessed what the answer to that question is. Enough about my past though. What do you say to another date? My friend would love to see you again." "What, who's your friend? Oh, I see. You're making a bad joke about your penis. That's very witty, Boyd. I wish I'd known about your sharp sense of humor sooner. I would have dropped my panties the second we met." "Then I wouldn't have been as desperate to get to know you, Opal. I'm glad you weren't like that. But I'm

also glad you didn't make me work too hard to get to know you." "You don't know me yet, believe me. I'm not as special as you might think." More guilt, knowing she was a terrible person, a liar. Snap out of it. You need to pull this off. Stop getting cold feet, she told herself. "So, a date, huh? How about you take me out more a day of fun tomorrow? Say, come and get me at eleven?" "That can be arranged. I look forward to it. Bye." "Bye." Opal checked the time: just past five. She was assuming that he'd want to meet up with her that night. It was all too much to handle; that's why she wanted to put it off until the next day. Maybe she would have time to sort her head out by then, or back out if that's what she was going to do in the end anyway. At least then she could avoid dragging this poor guy any further into her evil web of deceit. Opal called Judith and asked if they could meet up. She got the machine. "Hey, gorgeous. I know you're swamped filling my shoes at work. But I really miss you. I'll show you to your favorite dessert bar." She tried to sound as pathetic and sickly-sweet as possible, hoping the promise of free sweets would tempt Judith. It did, and they met up at Harry's Sweet Treats on the corner of the block where Judith's apartment was, a thirty-minute taxi ride from Opal's place. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist this offer," Opal said once they'd taken a seat at the dessert bar. The tables were the sparkling kind of metal that some beachside ice cream bars had. There were pictures of all sorts of crazy desserts on the walls, as well as happy, yet stuffed, people who'd won the various eating challenges that were on offer. "Well, I guess I can put up with your company if there's free fudge." "I've missed you, hon." "I've missed you too, Opal. You should see how stressed out I've been without you at work. That, and it's taking up all my time for socializing. I'm sorry I haven't been around the past week." "That's not your fault. I would have been too ashamed of my new job anyway." Opal looked at the menu she had in her hands. She'd been clutching the thing like it was a safety charm or something. "What are you going to order? Remember that I'm paying." "That depends. What kind of money are you making at the strip club?" "Shh! Don't tell everyone in the place. I'm not exactly proud of what I do. I know I'm just working bar, but what women wants to work at a place like that?" "Strippers? Women who like women? People who don't give a shit what others think of them?" Judith had a sparkle in her eyes that often meant she was ticked off. "They’re really over working you, aren’t they? I thought they were going to bring in outside workers to pick up the slack. At least, that's what Alfred told me when he fired me." "He has, but it's impossible to bring them up to speed. They're not there every day either, just part time. I'm on my own the rest of the time. I tell you, I'm this close to quitting, I don't give a shit what happens. Hey, maybe you can get me a job too. I used to take a few bar shifts in college."

"And I'm sure you'd get great tips, little cutey like you. But I need you on the inside so I can bring Owen down." "Yeah, about that … he threatened to 'bring me down' if I did any more snooping. How he knew, I don't know. I'm just lucky he only has his suspicions to go on there. You know, he told me that I shouldn't even associate with you." "Is that why I haven't seen you since I left?" Opal felt a great wash of sadness overcome her. "You know me better than that. If anything, it's made me more determined that he's the guy behind you getting fired. I've just been too busy, I promise. Would you mind if I backed off looking for evidence at the office for now?" "Do you what you gotta do, Judith. I don't want to cause any trouble. So, have you decided what you're ordering yet? That double choc fudge supreme looks mighty tempting."

Chapter Twenty-Two Boyd was getting pretty tired of his uncle treating him like a squished patch of dog shit that he'd found on the bottom of his expensive shoe. It took plenty of thinking about it, but he finally resolved to confront the old fucker. He decided to go give the old guy a piece of his mind, then thought it would be best for everyone if he just left it alone. That went on, back and forth, anger and turning the other cheek, for a good hour. In the end, it was thinking about what Felicia had said about Carl keeping tabs on Opal, even though they'd only just met, which made up his mind for sure. That's what lead him to the busy warehouse owned by Carl. "I need to see him," he told the grumpy little woman behind the front desk. "And don't give me any of that crap about him not being here, or him being too busy. I don't give a fuck, you hear me?" He was trying to sound as pissed off as he felt, without losing his sense of control. "Do you have an appointment to see your uncle, Boyd?" That was right, she remembered him. "Or are you here to see me?" "What? Why the fuck would I be here to see you? Now, tell me, is he in that office or not? I'll just go see for myself, shall I? Might give the greedy cunt a heart attack to see me unexpected. "Are you serious? You're kidding me, right?" "What, you think I wouldn't enter a room without permission? I'm not eight years old, sweetheart." "Yeah, that's what you called me on our so-called date. I think that was when your uncle still hadn't figured out what kind of a person you really are." That face, those lips, such pretty eyes even full of resentment, that chest, those hips. Boyd remembered why he should have recognized her. "Oh, boy. You're probably wondering why I didn't call you back, right? Look, I was just barely over being a kid then." "Yeah, and I still had some hope in men before then too. Don't worry, you're not the first guy who's messed me around. You probably won't be the last either, as much as I hate to admit that. Tell you what, just go through and talk your lies to your uncle, okay? I don't have the time and I don't get paid enough to deal with this right now. Excuse me." She got up and headed for a door that was marked as the employee's bathroom. "Bravo," said Carl from the door that was slightly ajar. "That was quite a show. So, you and Tabitha hey? You were a dog even back then. My, how your mother would be proud of you. Get in here before you cost me a lawsuit." Boyd followed Carl into the office, and his uncle locked the door behind them. "I don't want any more of my female employees throwing a tantrum because you had your way with them and tossed them aside. God damn it, Boyd, don't you know what prostitutes are for? I thought I had a better influence than that. Lord knows I tried to fill in after my brother and your mother passed away. And look at you. You're a disgrace to the Houston family name, for fucksakes!" He went and sat behind his enormous desk, picked up a half smoked cigar from a green glass ashtray that was on top of it. "You still smoke? Oh, that's right, you moved on to much harder stuff than tobacco, didn't you? But you still drink whiskey, if I'm not mistaken."

"It's good to know you're keeping tabs on me. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to have a relative who cares." Boyd had lost a lot of his steam after being put on the spot like that. Yeah, Carl had a way of doing that to people. He'd work an angle they weren't expecting, making things more personal than they were comfortable with. That's when he'd shift things to be in his own favor; one of the things Boyd used to admire, but now something he hated about the man. "I didn't come here to deal with your underhanded shit, Carl. Don't pretend you're any better than me. You've just had longer to learn how to avoid getting caught." "Yes, exactly. I don't go around throwing money at every tight skirt and set of fake tits I see. I don't waste my mind on drugs and cheap bars. You were given an advantage so you could have the best. People like us don't have run-ins with the law. We don't wind up in lock up for drinking and vandalism." "That's what I came to say, mostly. Well, first, I came to tell you to stay the fuck away from my new girl. I know you started watching her. She's not into anything illegal so you might as well give up right away. If you give a shit about our family name so much, just let me have this." "Is that so?" Carl's smile made Boyd sick to his stomach. There was too much spiteful pleasure in it. "And what's the other thing you came to tell me all about?" "You don't need to worry about me ruining your 'good' name any more. I've decided to stop making trouble." "Oh, why's that? You're not worried about losing all that money you didn't earn, are you?" "We both know the deal, so cut the shit, Carl. I'll pass that interview, because I'm smarter than you, and I've got a better lawyer than you, despite your efforts to get her to change sides through the years." "You got the part about having a good lawyer right at least. But I've been at this game for much longer than you, Boyd. That's one loyal bitch though, I'll give her that." "Don't call Felicia a bitch." "Oh, why? Because she cleans up your messes, you think she gives a damn about what happens to you? Once your money's gone, and hopefully once you're in prison for a long time, you're not going to see her face again as long as you live." Boyd kicked an antique looking wooden chair so hard it almost fell over. The thing was heavy as five regular chairs as well, but he was strong and trying to manage his bubbling emotions; mostly anger. "Why are you doing this to me?" "Because you're a fucking punk, Boyd. You used to be one of my favorite people, right up until you became a man. But that man turned out to be the kind of scumbag I really hate. You've got no honor, no self-respect, and you waste money that you didn't earn. I'm sorry, I truly am, but you're a piece of shit in my mind. "Wow, what a nice way to speak to your only nephew, your only living relative." "I don't have a nephew. There's just this punk my brother gave birth to one day, and he's been nothing but trouble ever since. The worst part is, no one else ever realized it but me. Me and all the poor schmucks you screwed over. Well, you're the one getting screwed over this time--you have no idea. You're going to lose that money, be sure of that."

"Yeah, we'll see. Just be sure your secretary lets me know when you finally keel over. I wouldn't want to miss that funeral." He stormed out of there, avoiding eye contact with Tabitha, who'd returned to her station behind the desk.

Chapter Twenty-Three The next morning, Boyd was ready to leave his penthouse well before eleven. He'd gotten up at around six, after going to bed nice and early the previous night. There was no way he wanted to look like shit to take Opal out. That had not been a problem, since it was honestly as boring as shit spending the night alone, without any cocaine, cheap sluts, or even expensive sluts, to make things more interesting. The main problem was that Boyd had never been forced to face his own mind without some kind of barrier. Carl was right, there was no denying that. Boyd was a total shit head, and had been for some time now. The process of making amends, undoing all the harm that he'd caused to people? Well, that seemed straight up impossible. For starters, he could not even remember the names and faces of a lot of those people. Hell, he didn't even get the names of many of the women he fucked and then fucked over. But he wasn't about to start apologizing for paying women for an honest job, even if it was a blowjob, or a good old fuck session. No, they had the right to sell whatever was theirs, if they chose, as far as Boyd was concerned. But he had gone overboard a lot of the time, and taken things too far, been more of an asshole than he needed to be. After all, there was no need to be an asshole at all. He didn't even want to start remembering all the vandalism, theft, and chaotic mayhem that he'd caused throughout his young adult years, right up until that point in time. Instead, he tried to focus his thoughts on what he was going to do to prove to Opal that a bad boy could still make a viable partner for a special woman. If he could just get her to become a regular part of his life, he might be able to use her positive energy to stay on the right path. Boyd took Opal to a carnival, at the risk of doing something incredibly cheesy. "I hope this isn't what you were expecting," he said as they sat on the Ferris wheel and looked out across all the other rides, games, and food stands. "You certainly got what you were aiming for then, Boyd," said Opal. She'd been having a good time, as far as he could tell. Still, there was the nagging suspicion that she was hiding something. He was annoyed that both Felicia and Carl had gotten into his head, and were trying to ruin something that he wanted so badly. But why did he want it so badly? That much was obvious to him, as soon as he got to spend more time with her. "I just didn't think you were interested in something that only money could buy. This is fun that everyone could enjoy, on every level. I don't know, common ground I guess." "And maybe you just couldn't think of what to do on our second date?" "So, we're officially dating. I'll write that in my journal before bed tonight." "What makes you think you'll have time to do that before bed?" Opal asked. She winked at him and then leaned in for another kiss. They hadn't kissed or been intimate in any other way that day, apart from an awkward hug when he picked her up in his limo. "I knew the carnival was a good idea. Bitches love carnivals." That was funnier in his head, although it didn't seem to offend her, which was a good point.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure plenty of high school kids have gotten their first hummer after taking their date on the roller coaster and showing how brave they are." "Don't you think we're a bit old for the roller coaster?" "What, are you scared or something? Besides, if you're going to look at it that way, we shouldn't be here in the first place. It's okay, I don't feel like bringing up my breakfast anyway. I was never really the type of girl to go on the big rides." "Not much of a risk taker then?" The Ferris wheel brought them up to the very top of the ride, and they could look around at everything. The city expanded out forever it seemed, leaving little room for anything but busy people and hard structures that housed them through work, rest, and play. "I don't think you know me well enough to make sweeping assumptions like that, Boyd." "We were getting pretty personal the other night. You're right though, I don't know you that well. There's just something about you, Opal. I'm not sure what it is yet." He looked at her studiously, hoping that if she was up to something, it would be unnerving and lead her to give herself away; anything, some tell, like a twitch at the corner of her eye, or breaking eye contact in a suspicious way. But there was no such thing, as far as he could tell. Either she was honestly interested in him, or she was just a great actress. "Please, you don't know me yet. Hey, have you ever wondered if you could get away with having sex on one of these rides?" "You can. Whoops …" "Ah, of course, the well-traveled gentleman who's put his dick inside half of the city. Do I need to get myself checked out or something?" "No, you don't, I get tested regularly." That was probably not something he should have shared. Things might not last very long if she learned too much about him. "So, what does a nice girl like you want to hang around a scumbag like me for?" "Maybe I've been living a boring life that needs to be shaken up? Or, maybe I think that the whole bad boy thing is at least somewhat of an act, and you're not such horrible person after all. You think I care if you've had sex before? Who hasn't? Just because I was engaged until recently, it doesn't mean that I'm a nun or something." "I kind of wish this ride would break down like in those shitty movies, so we would be stuck up here all by ourselves." He detected a cheeky smile on her lips. The ride was coming to a stop, nearing the bottom. "What would you do if we were stuck up here all alone?" "The least I'd do is grab your tits," Boyd said, then he did just that. The ride operator, a middle aged woman with some kind of lady mullet and shoulders like a linebacker, saw them. She smirked a bit and shook her head. "You two wanna keep that shit off my ride? Thanks," she said with a weird drawl. "Sorry, ma'am," said Boyd. They ran off together like teens who'd just been busted making out under the bleachers.

They walked through a long lane of different games, with the noise and commotion from each one being operated, and all the people walking around having fun, almost drowning out their conversation. "I can't believe you got to first base right there on the Ferris wheel. Wait until the guys hear about it after baseball practice," said Opal loudly. She had to lean over to Boyd's ear or he might not have heard her at all. "I was always more of a football player in school. Isn't that obvious from my ripped muscles?" "Football? No, I don't want to play," she replied, screwing up her face. "What?" Then, Boyd saw a game where people had to try and throw a miniature football through a ring and knock over some bottles on the other side, to win a prize. "Oh, no, I meant I played football. That's why I'm so hot!" He looked beside him and saw a group of school children who were on a field trip with their teacher. They all started to giggle at him as they made their way by. "Oh great, of course they have the hearing of a, well something that has great fucking hearing!" Opal laughed openly at him, which made the children laugh even more. She took his hand and led him away from the noisy games. They went down where there were some sheds and some areas blocked off by fences and locked gates. She led him behind the corner of a building that was sticking out into the makeshift alley way and pushed him against the wall. It was warm from the sun, and her body matched that warmth on his front. Boyd's dick jerked up and memories of their night together came flooding back like hot lube all over plastic sheets. She kissed him before he had the chance to do just that. It was insanely hot, and all the people around didn't mean much. Shit, it's not like he hadn't had sex in public before. But if they were caught, and it got out, he'd be screwed. For some reason he was starting to doubt how far Felicia would go to protect him, if he broke his promise to stay good. Then, Opal reached into his pants, not breaking eye contact, and pulled out his firm cock. She got down and was sucking it immediately. She moved it in and out of her mouth, quickly working over just the head until it was nice and wet. Boyd stood back against the wall and looked down at her without a care for who might happen upon them being bad. He lifted his dick so the end pointed up, and Opal knew just what to do. She took his nicely groomed sack in her mouth and massaged them with her tongue, just firmly enough to maximize the sensation, without being too much to ruin the feeling on his balls. Again and again, he throbbed with pleasure, thoughts of what might be to come. When Opal grabbed him and started to ghost her silky fingers up and down his cock, the sheer thrill of it made him feel like he wanted to cum already. "Let me fuck you," he said. "Are you asking if you can fuck me?" Opal said with a mockingly raised eyebrow. "I thought you were a bad boy." "Why do I feel like you're pushing me to prove myself?" "I just want you to show me a very nice, bad time, Boyd. I've been good for too long and it's been slowly killing me. I never realized until I met you." She licked at his balls some more and rubbed beneath his head so softly, so sweetly, it was almost like she was playing a classical instrument with breath taking virtuosity. He tried to show some conviction though. "I don't want to keep being bad, Opal, and I'm pretty sure it

has something to do with my meeting you." "Well, that's the tricky part, isn't it? What do you do now?" She stood up and looked like she was about to walk away, but instead turned and leaned up against the wall herself, facing toward it. Wriggling those generous hips, she hiked up her skirt with one hand, while the other remained against the wall like an arrestee. "My tight, wet pussy isn't going to fuck itself. Are you scared that someone might come down here and see you fucking me in public, in broad daylight? Wouldn't that be so naughty, Boyd?" "Oh, you're good. I should have known it when I first met you." He grabbed his cock and squeezed, reveling in the pleasure it caused him, and then walked up behind Opal to stick it in her from behind. "That might be the very reason you liked me in the first place. Maybe I'm not so good, deep, deep down." "Well, I'll have to go deeper to find out." He did, and no one interrupted them, which he was secretly very relieved about. Enjoying all this sober, that was something that Boyd had not done for a long time. He hadn't had sex without being fucked up since he was a kid, and there'd never been anything even nearly as wild or passionate for him to enjoy back in those days. No, this was a unique experience as far as he was concerned, better than anything. After they finished having their fun, they decided to have some cleaner, more family friendly fun. Boyd noticed that Opal couldn’t keep her eyes off the giant Labrador teddy, which dangled from the ceiling of one of the stalls. It was one of those stacked bottle games, where you try to knock the pile over using a ball. “I’m going to get you that giant dog teddy, let’s go.” Boyd grabbed Opal by the arm and guided her over to the stand. “Are you serious? How am I going to get that home?” Boyd laughed “We’ll figure it out.” The fellow in charge of the stand was incredibly bubbly and cheerful “Fancy a game, sir? Win your lucky lady a cute, fluffy toy!” Boyd shot Opal a quick smile “Count me in, how do I win the giant dog?” “Oh, you’re going for the big one!” He motioned over to Opal “You’re one lucky lady!” Opal blushed and tried to bury her face in Boyd’s chest. “Knock half the bottles down, you walk away with a small teddy. Knock all of the bottles down, you go home with a regular teddy. But if you knock all of the bottles down, and manage to knock them off the shelf, you get to walk home with,” He paused for a dramatic effect “Mr. Fluffy!” He shook the giant dog teddy and smiled. Boyd slammed some money onto the counter and the friendly man handed him three balls. Boyd took the first ball and held it tight, he reached out to Opal “Can I get a good luck kiss?” Opal laughed and planted a kiss on his closed hand. Boyd charged up a shot and threw it as hard as he could, missing the pile of bottles by a good seven inches. Opal burst out laughing and almost collapsed onto Boyd. “What was that! I can throw it better than that!” “So much for your good luck kiss! That’s the last time you’re kissing me.” They both knew that was a

lie. Five minutes alone and they’re all over each other. “I told you I was more of a football player than a baseball player.” “Yeah, yeah. Do you want me to hold your purse while you throw the next one?” said Opal, with a cheeky grin plastered across her face. Boyd grabbed a hold of the second ball and tried less power, more accuracy this time. The ball smashed through the middle of the stack and bottles flew all over the place. All that was left was one, lone bottle on the shelf. Opal cheered “That was much better! Here, you can have your purse back.” “That bad luck kiss must have worn off. The pressure is on now!” Boyd picked up the last ball, the tension in the air was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. He had a fierce look of determination on his face. He was going to get this giant dog if it killed him. He lined himself up and hurled the ball at the lonely bottle. The ball just clipped the very top, causing the bottle to tip off the shelf. The guy behind the stand rang the bell three times and screamed out “Winner! Winner! Winner!” He plucked the giant dog teddy from the ceiling and handed it to Opal. “Enjoy, miss!” She thanked him and gave the teddy a big hug. They both walked off, Boyd with a giant, victorious smile on his face, and Opal with the look of complete bliss on hers. “Yeah … this was cute and all, but he’s heavy as fuck! You’re going to have to carry him, Mr. Muscles.” Boyd laughed and snatched the dog from Opal, he made it look effortless. The working out has really paid off for him. Opal gave his bicep a quick squeeze jokingly. Even though she secretly couldn’t help herself. “What do you want to do now?” said Boyd, whilst being smothered to death by the giant teddy. Opal had a mischievous look in her eye “You ever had a threesome with a girl and a giant stuffed animal?” Boyd played along “You know, that has been on my bucket list for so long. Want to go cross it off?”

Chapter Twenty-Four "You have no idea how great it was," Opal said to Judith over the phone. "He's not at all like I thought when I first met him." It had just gotten dark, which meant that the average person had already finished work for the day, and was about to sit down to their dinner, watch some TV or read a book, and relax for the rest of the evening. Working at a strip club meant doing things ass backward, just like the girls up on stage earned a lot of their money with their asses, back, toward the crowd. Earlier that day, as she thought about the dreaded start of her night shift, Opal thought of that and imagined herself telling the joke to someone. It had seemed funny at first, but only took about five seconds for her to realize it was incredibly lame. On top of that, it didn't really make sense. So, when she'd finally had the chance to talk to someone, she decided to leave the joke alone, forever. Judith was that person. "I don't know how you keep yourself busy during the day. It must suck having time off when everyone else is at work." "Luckily I never took the time to make that many friends outside of Dwayne and my circles. They're all taking his side, I guess. Makes sense … I met everyone through him. Even you, technically." "No, you met Owen through him. I came with the job. No one can ever tear us apart, baby." "Please, no faux-lesbian crap. I have to watch enough of that shit at work. A stripper puts her heart and soul into perfecting the most seductive, sexy dance routine you'll ever see in your life? Even with a perfect body, completely naked with it all out there for the whole room to see? She'll make some damn good tips, you can bet your ass. But you get a girl with no experience, no talent for the stage, and not even anything particularly special to look at—and get her making out with another girl of equal talents and appeal? Bam, they make a fucking mint in five minutes." "Wow. You have given this way too much thought," said Judith. "What can I say? My job doesn't require much of my mental resources. I have time to think about a lot of shit. Like how I've decided, I don't think I care about Owen any more. Yeah, I'd like to clear my name, but it's not about revenge anymore." "Luckily, clearing your name might tie in with getting revenge, if he did have anything to do with it. Tell me more about your new man though. Just how rich is he? Are all the rumors I've heard true?" "Hey, no one's got proof about any of those things." "I also hear that he's got the best lawyer in the state though, one of the best in the whole country. Does that have anything to do with his squeaky clean record?" "I can tell you that he's the best fuck I've ever had." "What? Even better than Dwayne?! You don't say!" Judith was particularly amused with herself, and didn't stop with her cute laugh for nearly a minute. "You're hilarious. Oh, damn, look at the time. I have to get to my shift at the naked lady bar, where I

serve overpriced drinks to perverted old men and barely legal virgins. Thank you for the confidence booster though." "Please, don't act offended with me. At least you've got someone in your life." "You're just too picky, and busy, and too good for everyone. I don't blame you though, you are pretty great." "Well, thank you," said Judith earnestly. "You're welcome. But I really do need to get to work." That night was pretty uneventful. Opal had slid into the routine, albeit without much grace, and was now just doing things by muscle memory. She had even garnered a collection of witty come backs to the many pickup lines and lame jokes the customers liked to use on the female employees. Rupert was always great to work with, and he was there during most of her shifts. It was cheaper than hiring a bouncer as well as another bartender, since Rupert could fill both roles when he was on duty. "Do they even pay you extra for playing security while you work the bar?" "Of course. I get an extra five on my usual salary, so I'm happy with that." Just then, Gus, the owner, came walking through the door. It was odd to see him there at all, especially during the night shift. He was usually out doing who-knew-what with all his greasy money. The guy honestly made Opal sick, along with most of the other female bar staff and the strippers. Still, that didn't stop half of them from guzzling his modestly sized dick so they could get more shifts, or drugs. "Hey, Opal, how's it goin'? You're looking good. Fittin' in well?" His eyes were all hazy, focused but blurry, if that was possible. "Hi, Gus … yeah, I'm settling in nicely. Rupert's been a great teacher." Rupert nodded at Gus and then seemed thankful when someone came up to the other end of the bar to order a drink. He went to serve them. "Yeah, that guy's good value to have around. Don't let that tough guy routine fool you though. I'll bet he could teach most chicks a thing or two about how to take a dick right, you know what I mean?" "No, I don't think I do. So, what's up? Did you need me to take an extra shift this week, or?" Gus smiled and leaned up against the bar. His teeth were jittery, just slightly. He smelled like a mixture of industrial alcohol and some kind of organic substance that no one had ever heard of. "You could put it that way I guess. No, actually, you can get extra shifts if that's what you need. I know you need the money. But you could make some extra money too, yeah, sure." He started laughing and then stopped as suddenly as he'd started. "How do you feel about doing some little 'extra duties'? You're smart, you know what I need." "What? No!" "Don't worry, I'm not asking for nothin' for free. I pay you, you tickle my goods with that pretty mouth. You take a ride on my stick shift. You get it? Everyone's happy. Don't worry, I got the same deal going on with a lot of the girls here." "You mean you pay them for sex?"

"What? No, you go it wrong. I just help them out, and they help me out. See?" He grabbed his crotch on the word "me", making Opal cringe. "No one's forcing anyone into this. These girls love sex, right, or why else would they be working here in the first place?" "Maybe they're just trying to make an honest living. Or maybe they like dancing, even being naked. And so what if some women enjoy sex and don't see anything wrong with doing it for money?" "Exactly. Great, I'm glad we've settled this then." "But I know plenty of girls hate doing things like that, especially just to get paid." Gus spat on the floor and slapped his hand down on the bar in front of Opal. He slowly turned his head back toward her. There was spit still on the outer of his lips. "You're not giving me much choice, y'know? Okay, how about this? You come to the dressing room right now and show me what you're made of. What, you expect me to believe you work here and you're too good to touch me?" Opal didn't think about what happened next, what she did. Truthfully, her hand just moved on its own and she slapped Gus as hard as possible in the face. Some of the residual saliva from when he'd spat came off on her hand. She wiped it on the bar like she was washing away acid or lava. "You're sick! And you're a fucking loser. I'm not touching your little, wrinkly cock, Gus." "Get the hell out of here, bitch! No fucking bitch hits me like that! Not you, not your fairy friend over there with his pussy muscles." "What does that even mean, moron?" she asked as she collected her bag and coat. Rupert had come over the moment he heard that powerful slap. "What's your problem, Gus? She's not into you, and you can't buy her." He was a hulking figure that would frighten anyone when he turned angry. Gus was lucky he wasn't even mad yet. "You keep the hell out of this, fruitcake." "What, are you from the fifties? Who the fuck says 'fruitcake' anymore?" said Opal. "It's okay, Rupert, please don't get yourself in trouble for me. I don't need this job anymore, so this works out great." "What are you gonna do for money then, huh? You'll end up sucking off worse guys than me, I can tell you that" said Gus. He was smiling now, but that quickly changed when Rupert hopped over the bar like it was nothing. "Wait, wait, let's calm down for a second, okay? I don't want to have to mess you up. Do you know who you're messing with?" "Fuck off, Gus. You're the fairy. Let's get out of here Opal. I'll drive you home." Once they were driving through the busy city traffic in Rupert's hatchback, he turned to her slowly. They were stopped at some lights about five minutes from the strip club. "I can't believe you did that. I'll bet you didn't think you had it in you." Opal coughed out a dry laugh. She hadn't spoken since they'd left Gus standing there at the bar, his jaw slack and a crazy-scared look over his drug addled, stupid face. "Yeah, well … no one's ever said anything like that to me. Even the customers weren't that bad." "He's not the best of guys. I was getting pretty fed up with his comments anyway. Probably best I move on to an employer who appreciates me."

"Are you going to be able to find another job? I don't want you to end up on the street because of me." She sunk her head down and looked at her knees. "Oh, don't worry about me; I've got savings. After a few days off, I'll find another job, no problem. I get offers, but I was afraid to leave because I was comfortable I guess." "Okay, well that's good." "What about you? Didn't you take this job because you're desperate? Do you need a personal loan or something?" He looked over and the lights had changed. The car started moving forward, traffic ahead and behind making the going slow. He looked back at Opal quickly and said, "Or just a little cash gift for doing what I couldn't do," then looked back at the road. He was smiling. "That's so nice of you, but I think I'll actually be good for money. I have my own things going on, y'know." She also managed to smile, thinking of all that money Carl would give her, then she remembered the horrible thing she had to do to get it. Despite the fact that she was still planning to ruin his life, Opal was starting to feel close to Boyd.

Chapter Twenty-Five Boyd wasn't doing much that night, which had become a recurring thing lately. His phone rang and he practically jumped across the room to answer it. It was Opal! "Please tell me you want to do something together," he said. "Hi, what's wrong?" "I'm just going absolutely stir-crazy living the straight life. You have no idea what it's like." "Oh, don't I? Pretty sure that's what I've been doing my whole life. And you're in luck. I really need to take my mind off some stuff. I'll tell you all about it if I can come over," she said. Boyd almost said yes right away, and then he thought about what Felicia had told him. He wasn't sure why, but he decided that maybe he shouldn't be letting anyone into his apartment, not too often. Once he was a bit more stable, and he could keep an eye out for snooping, sure. Until then? "How about I come and check out your place? I haven't seen it yet, and you say you live in a pretty nice building." "What? Sure, yeah, okay. That makes sense, right? We are technically dating." "I love technicalities. Have you had dinner yet?" "I had something before I started my shift, which wasn't all that long ago. If you would like to bring some ice cream, I would be forever in your debt." Boyd knew that ice cream was a universal coping mechanism, but Opal wouldn't tell him what had happened, not over the phone. Jimmie wasn't on duty, although he was on call, but it didn't seem necessary to bother him. Boyd did something that he hadn't done since he could remember; he called for a regular, common taxi. The driver knew a little convenience store that had a great selection of ice cream. "My wife loves the Toppers Cookies and Cream, trust me. Your girlfriend is going to be satisfied with that choice," said the driver. He was in his twenties, with very short hair and a warming smiler. "Okay, I'll take your word for it," said Boyd as he got out of the car and headed inside. He grabbed that one, and an assortment of other flavors too. "You can't be too careful," he told the driver, who laughed when he saw the two shopping bags full of various tubs of ice cream. "I guess you must be right," the man replied. When Opal opened the door, she looked like there had recently been tears in her eyes. They were a little red and her eye liner had smudged and been partially wiped away. "Hi," she said quietly. "Oh, what?!" When she noticed the two plump bags of ice cream, her mood improved almost instantly, at least on the outside. "I figured this way I couldn't get the wrong flavor." Boyd stepped inside and Opal grabbed both bags, then emptied them onto the table. "Hello to you too." "Yes, I'm happy to see you. I just, wow, look at this! Oh, I love cookies and cream, and this is my

favorite brand. Yes! Wow, and you got the mint swirl with raspberry. Is that caramel? Holy shit, this is best night of my life." She grabbed two spoons and sat down at the table, eyes wide and full of the deliciousness to come. "Here, grab a spoon. I don't want to look like a pig." "You could never look like a pig, Opal. You're too beautiful." He sat down and picked up a spoon, not really feeling like anything sweet, at least not food. "So, what's going on? I can tell you're upset." He wanted to hold her, kiss her, do something that a boyfriend might do. But their relationship hadn't been upgraded to partners yet. It was all very new and strange. Boyd felt himself wanting something to drink. Instead, he decided to dig into the brightly colored ice cream Opal had started to eat. After swallowing a large mouthful, Opal stopped to take a breath. "This is amazing. Thank you. I got fired tonight, not that long ago." She continued to eat. "What? That's bad, right? I know you hated that job, but you needed it." The whole comforting thing was beyond his expertise. Boyd wasn't sure if he should put his arms around her or something, maybe just give her space instead. Everything seemed to be so complicated suddenly and he wanted to get out of there. "Do you want some money?" That was the wrong thing to say, as evidenced by the way she put her spoon down in the tub and looked at him like he'd just farted at a funeral. "You can't just pay to fix this up. Aren't you even going to ask what happened?" So, Boyd asked and she told him everything in detail. He felt rightfully pissed off by the time she got through with the story. "That guy is even worse than a—well, he's worse than me." "You're not such a bad guy, especially when there are people like Gus walking around wasting everyone else's oxygen. It's really not a problem for me though. I'm glad I did that and stood up for myself. That place was changing me in a way that I didn't like." "Are you referring to what we did at the carnival? To be honest, I wasn't expecting anything like that from you." "I've been under a lot of pressure lately, let's just say. But I did enjoy that, too much even." She licked her lips and started to eat the ice cream again, slowly this time, using her tongue to savor it instead of digging in like she had been moments earlier. "You don't have to try so hard to be the nice guy, Boyd. I get it, you haven't done this whole thing before. Do you want me to be honest with you?" she asked. That was when Boyd thought Opal was going to come clean, tell him that she was only after him for his millions, or maybe to try and work some other scheme at his expense. But she didn't. Instead, saying, "I don't want to be with you for a nice guy. You treat me just fine, better than most of my previous boyfriends actually. On top of that, you've got balls, and you make me feel like a real fucking woman for a change. Please, don't try to change yourself just to suit what you think I want, okay?" "Shit, that's the biggest relief of my life. I'll admit that I was getting pretty uncomfortable trying to play the part of the caring guy. I mean, I do care, but what am I meant to do to cheer you up?" "Are you kidding me? Look at all this ice cream? You do think about me. Who else would take their date to a cheesy carnival just because it would be fun? I don't think you give yourself enough credit, despite being a total womanizer and probably a petty criminal in the past." "There's really no evidence for any of that," he said. It wasn't smart to lower his guard, even if Opal did seem to sincerely like him. "So, I'm your boyfriend am I? That's what you just said."

"You don't have any evidence for that, do you?" Opal said with ice cream still in her mouth. The color was showing through her teeth as she smiled. "Do you think I should get my teeth fixed? They seem a bit off color to me lately." "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?" Boyd picked up another mouthful of ice cream and joined in the fun, making a stupid face as he chomped down, pretending to bite the metal of the spoon. "Boy, you're going to break your teeth if you don't start eating sensible. Sit up as well, no one likes a sloucher!" Once they'd finished playing around, and had more than enough ice cream to last anyone a week or two, Boyd brought up something he'd been thinking about. "Hey, Opal, I could help you find a job if you want; hire an agency, or even find out who set you up." "I just might take you up on that offer. Let's just head to the bedroom for now, huh?"

Chapter Twenty-Six Weeks went by and Opal had found a new job, thanks to the help of Boyd's lawyer, who worked her magic with a magazine publication that was in need of an entry level illustrator. It wasn't the same high level stuff she was used to, but it wasn't as bad as working at that strip club as far as she was concerned. "I know I'm not exactly doing big things," she was telling Judith over a hot cup of coffee at a diner. "This is certainly better than the other jobs I've been applying for." "I thought Owen was going to make sure you never got another design job again." "Well, I guess his reach isn't as good as Felicia's. You know, Boyd offered to have her take on Owen and get to the bottom of this. Could you imagine the look on Alfred's face when he finds out I had a better lawyer than him?" "You should totally do that! It would be amazing." Judith got so excited that she dribbled a tiny stream of coffee down her chin. "Excuse me," she said, wiping it away with a napkin with small, delicate motions. "That would cause so much mayhem. Maybe he'd just rehire you instead of trying to take you on." "But I can't let him do that. I can't imagine what she charges per hour for appearing in court, not to mention all the extra time she'd probably need to prepare a case." Judith shrugged. "What's the point in having a rich boyfriend if you won't let him buy you expensive gifts? Yes, I know that legal fees aren't the same as diamonds, but you deserve to finally have someone who could give you a voice about all this." "You're right, but I feel so guilty when I think about accepting. I just can't." Opal wanted to tell her best friend that she was working Boyd over, and that's why she felt bad about accepting too much from him. She so desperately wanted to share this guilt-ridden burden with someone who might be able to give her advice, absolve her of all the bad feelings that were swirling around inside her all the time lately. "Don't see what you've got to feel guilty about. You're not the type to ask for things you don't need, or that you haven't earned. You have been performing a lot of, duties, for him lately." "Hey, that's enough of that talk, young lady. What I tell you about our sex life isn't to be used against me." Opal mock scolded Judith, waggling her finger at her in a ludicrous caricature of an angry teacher. "I can't talk. It sounds like taking a walk on the wild side was the best idea you've ever had. And you've even managed to tame the untamable, you vixen. Opal, you give women everywhere high hopes. Does he have any rich friends who need a nice girl to teach them how to behave? I wouldn't mind accepting a few expensive gifts, even if you're all guilty about it for some reason." "It's not gifts that make me feel guilty …" she replied quietly. "What do you mean?" Judith was puzzled by that. "Is there something you're not telling me? Are things going alright between you guys? You seem so happy when you talk about him." "What? I don't know why I said that. I just don't want to take what I don't earn. And I don't know if services rendered in the bedroom qualifies as taxable wage, not when you're in a relationship with the

guy." "Well, I guess that depends on what else you've been letting him do that you're keeping secret from me. I can tell you're becoming one of those, those 'bad' girls, Opal. Oh, my!" "You're so very funny, Judith!"

Chapter Twenty-Seven Boyd was feeling like the millions of dollars his trust fund held for him. The only thing that was lacking in his life, it seemed, was some closure about how the interview would go before the board members. Despite his dubious past, there didn't seem to be much that would stand in his way in that regard. Opal was at work, and he was looking for something to buy her as a gift. It was coming up to their one-month anniversary. As lame as it was to celebrate something like that, he'd always thought, Boyd knew this was a momentous occasion. Opal was his first real girlfriend. Their relationship wasn't based just around sex, drugs, booze, money, and all the other things that ensured someone ended up being hurt. And she wasn't just a fuck buddy who he enjoyed talking to after sex. This felt more real than anything, since his parents died in that terrible accident at least. He tried to keep that from his mind, but being sober most of the time, and never getting truly wasted any more, made that increasingly difficult. That's why Boyd did not know how to respond when he came across a man who looked very unhappy to see him. They were outside of Boyd's building. He'd just picked up a dainty, silver bracelet with a cute love heart on it. Maybe it wasn't the ideal gift, but he'd spent a long time choosing, and didn't just go for something that cost a lot. "I need to talk to you, Boyd Houston," said the man. He looked familiar and it was certain that he recognized Boyd. "You're a thief." "What? Who are you? Did my uncle put you up to this shit? Well, I'm not in the mood!" He pushed by the guy and nodded to the door man to not let him in. "Where do you think you're going, asshole? I need to talk to you." The guy might have been a bit drunk, or maybe he'd just been up really late. He didn't smell like booze, or look like the sort of person who tended to over indulge in that sort of thing. "You really caught me at the wrong time, pal. Just get out of my way or you're going to wish you stayed in bed this morning." "I haven't been to bed yet. I can't sleep without her. But you've gone and ruined any chance I had of getting Opal back, haven't you!" He shoved Boyd with fairly strong muscles. "Your name Dwayne? Are you her ex-fiancé?" "That's fucking right, you spoilt brat. And I know all about you. I found out plenty. What do you think Opal will say when she finds out you've been lying to her?" Boyd started to sweat a little, a cold and heart breaking sweat. What could this guy possibly have dug up? "Is it money you're after, Dwayne? We both know there's no chance in hell that Opal's going to take you back after the way you threw her under the bus. And for what? To impress your little butt buddy, Owen? You're not even a real man." It was too late to become friends with him, so Boyd figured he might as well have his say. "Now I'm definitely going to tell her. I've got her new number now, you know. I left a message on her

machine. She'll call me back, and I'll talk to her and say what you've been up to." "You look like shit. Just go home and get some sleep. There must be plenty of boring girls for you to do the missionary position with before crying to them about being picked last for tennis at the country club." "Look who's talking. Rich brat who's been using women like jizz rags for his whole life." The words were twisted, like Dwayne's mouth was only barely capable of actually letting them pass through. "That's probably a really naughty thing to say where you're from. Tell you what though: Opal knows all about that stuff, and has known since the first time we met. You think I'm scared of a poser like you? You wish you came from real money, just like you wish you were as fucking awesome as me. That's what Opal wants, a guy who's actually got a pair. She doesn't give a fuck about money and fancy distractions. She's better than you, and better than me too by far." "Then why don't you just let her go? What do you want with a girl who doesn't have sex for money anyway?" He looked like he wanted to punch Boyd, but seemed unsure of himself. "You had your chance, and you're not such a nice guy after all, isn't that right? In fact, Dwayne, you ended up being a real jerk. While she's better than you and me, I'm still way better than you. Fuck off." He walked by and caught a fist to the back of the head. It was a hard hit, clearly from someone who worked out. But the actual motion was sloppy and unpracticed. He turned around. "I'm going to ignore that because you hit like a little kid. I also don't think you've ever been in a fight in your life, so it wouldn't be fair to beat the shit out of you. And unlike you, I have things worth living for. I don't need the trouble. Like I told you already, fuck—off—loser." He walked inside and went to his penthouse apartment, feeling even better than he had before that altercation.

Chapter Twenty-Eight Opal went to visit her mother, which she tried to do at least once a week. Lately, however, it had been a little more difficult to get out there. At first, she'd been busy because of getting fired, looking for work, getting the job at the strip club; all the things that had been going on in her crazy life. After that, she'd become a little too infatuated with the man she was conning out of his inheritance. The guilt was making her feel like not such a great person, and she knew that was going to be hard to hide from her mother in person. "You don't have to explain why you haven't visited me," said her mom. "Things have been tough, and you work damn hard to make sure I'm taken care of. What more could I want from my daughter?" "Thanks, Mom. I still should have come to see you sooner." "I wouldn't have complained if you did, but I understand. I'm so sorry you lost another job. Do you want to tell me about what happened? You weren't stealing again where you?" She had a cheeky smile on her face, as parents do when they tell bad jokes to their children. "I guess without Dad around, you had to learn how to tell the bad jokes for him. No, Mom, I didn't get fired for apparently stealing again. This was a whole other thing. My boss was being a sleaze bag and I slapped him and told him off. But don't worry, I have a new job as a junior illustrator." "Ooh, that sounds exciting. I might have liked to see you do that. Did you hit him very hard?" "It made a very satisfying sound. Left a red mark on his cheek too, and a look of shock on his stupid, smug face." She made a little growling sound, like a frustrated plush raptor might make. "Are you alright? Need some water to drink?" "No, thanks. Can we talk about something serious though? I'm glad you're amused about me getting fired again, but—" "Awe, honey. I think it's terrible, but you need to keep your sense of humor pretty high when you're in and out of doctor's offices and hospital rooms as much as I've been in my life. I think it's the one thing that's really kept me above the line. Tell me about this new job. Junior illustrator, did you say? But Opal, I remember when you started out doing that. The pay wasn't great. Are you going to make enough to get by?" Opal sighed and smiled. "I know, Mom. I know … you don't have to worry about money though, is all I wanted to say. There's not a chance that I would ever let them take away your spot at this facility. You deserve such a nice place to live, with the on-staff care that you need." It was a nice, one-bedroom place, attached to a specialized medical care facility. There were carers, cleaners, and other residents who were in similar situations as Vanessa was. The cost was very high, but Opal never regretted the decision to send her mother there, not even for a second. "Thank you, Opal. I don't expect it, but it makes me so happy to know that you'll take care of me." "Well, you did kind of raise me by yourself after Dad was gone." "He'd be proud to see what a great young woman you've become. I wish he could see." Vanessa looked

over at the framed photograph of her deceased husband, holding the baby Opal all those years ago before he died of cancer. "At least he doesn't have to watch me getting all these constant tests and damned operations. "Is there any news in that department? I'm sorry, I should have asked." Opal felt guilt, even more than she already did. Here was her mother, always unwell with too many seemingly random issues to keep track of, but no one big thing, and she was worried about her own personal life as though it really mattered. This is who you're doing the plan for, Opal. Boyd would understand, she reminded herself. "Don't worry, you'd be the first to know. So long as I stick to the doctor's orders, it looks like you should be stuck with me for a lot longer. "But, honey, where are you going to get your money from if you're not working at the restaurant anymore?" Opal had almost forgotten the lie she'd told to cover up the fact that she was working at a strip club. It was only a white lie really. She'd said she was working behind the bar at a restaurant … and they did serve wings at Gus’s shitty club. "I might have been dating a guy." "Oh, really? Did he help you get the job?" "Not exactly. He's kind of rich. So don't worry, because he cares about me too much to let my mother lose her home." "What? You're not just seeing him for money are you?" Opal put on her best shocked face. She technically did start to see Boyd for money, even if that money was to come from Carl, but acting fake had become a secondary thing to her lately. "Mother, do you really think that of me?" "Of course not. Okay, I'm sorry. Tell me all about this new man of yours. Is he handsome?" "That's an understatement!"

Chapter Twenty-Nine Boyd got a call from Vanessa the next day. He'd just said goodbye to Opal after they spent the night together. It was only around eight in the morning, but he figured that older ladies like to get up early; especially if they had medical problems that made it uncomfortable to sleep in most of the time. "Hi, Vanessa," he said with nervous energy. "You're Opal's mother?" "Yes, I did say that, Boyd." "Yes, sorry … I, what can I do for you?" "I just thought that I should have a conversation with the man who's been dating my only daughter. You're lucky it's not too easy for me to hop on a bus, or I would have come for a visit." Boyd wasn't sure what to say. "Ahh … that would have been, fine." "I'm kidding," said with humor. "I have to admit I'm having some fun at your expense. Opal didn't tell you about my superb sense of humor, did she?" "She might have mentioned something." But he wasn't laughing. "Did you want to arrange to have lunch with me and Opal, I mean Opal and I, sorry." "My, how proper you are. That must be the good breeding. I'm just a little worried, and I wanted to talk to you about something. Opal says that you're helping her out financially, now that she's lost her job at the restaurant." "The restaurant? Ah, yes. She was so tired after waiting tables, and her feet had blisters." He knew he could lie with the best of them, so doing a little improvising was not an issue. "I thought she was working behind the bar. You do talk about that sort of thing with her don't you? I guess what I need to know is, well, this might not sound too polite but you must understand, she's my only daughter. I'm her only living relative as well." "You're worried that your daughter is just dating someone for money, and you want to know if I truly care for her? Can I tell you something that I haven't actually told her yet? Haven't told anyone, now that I think of it." "Okay, fire away." "I love your daughter. I've never felt this way about anyone in my life. You've raised the most amazing person, Mrs. Wright." "You can call me Vanessa, Boyd. And if what you're saying is true, I'm sorry I thought worse of you. I'd like to believe that you're telling me the truth too. If you're lying, I'll be disappointed. I won't feel bad for trusting you though. Being a cynic is no way to go through life, especially when you're stuck with my problems." "That's a nice way to look at things, Vanessa. Thank you. Thanks for looking out for Opal too. I'm glad

she has such a caring mother. It makes me miss my own parents …" "Tell you what, Boyd: if you turn out to be a good egg like you say, I'll be happy to let you call me 'Mom' one day. Do you think you can do me a favor first? I don't want Opal to know that I was worried about her. Do you think we could keep this little conversation to ourselves? At least the part about money." "I don't see how that could hurt. Sure," said Boyd. After hanging up, Boyd wondered if he should tell Opal about the phone call. Vanessa did say it was okay, as long as Opal didn't find out about the money questions. He decided to tell her that they'd spoken, just to say hello and chat for a minute or two. Boyd would not mention the question about money. He wondered how Opal was paying for things. If she had savings, it didn't make sense that she'd lie to her mother and say that Boyd was paying for things. That wasn't the kind of thing people were proud of, so why make it up? No, something was going on here. The problem was, Boyd was too afraid to ruin this new relationship, to actually say anything about it to Opal. And he always had Felicia do his snooping, but asking her to look into it would only make the feisty lawyer more suspicious of Opal than she already was. Doing nothing seemed like it would come back to bite him in the ass, but there was not much else to be done. Boyd decided to let things be, and hope that nothing bad would happen. He just wanted to be with Opal, and try to keep up this new life he was carving with her. He whipped out his phone and sent Opal a text: Did you give your mother my number? The reply didn't come for half an hour, but he knew Opal was at work and probably busy. She sent back, Yes sorry, she wanted it in case of an emergency. Why? She called me, just to say hello, she's nice :) I think so too :) <3 He sent back a little heart emoticon, which was something the Boyd of the past would have laughed at. It didn't matter, because he was starting to realize that being a strong man wasn't all about being careless toward others. Bad boys were often just weak and scared, so they acted out and ran from their emotions. Boyd was starting to get the hang of this whole 'adulting' thing, it seemed, and he liked it.

Chapter Thirty Opal was caught in a perpetual boxing match with her conscious lately. There was hardly an hour that went be where she didn't stop and think, what am I doing? Digging up some dirt on a stranger who deserved it anyway, that was one thing. And even then, it was a pretty shitty act. But she had feelings for Boyd now, maybe more than she'd ever had for Dwayne. She did her best to hide how strongly she felt when they were together. It was obvious that they were in a closer relationship, which she just could not prevent from growing each time they were together; there was no escaping it. But Opal was not going to let herself use the "L" word, not when it was all set up to come crashing down around Boyd's head in the near future. And now her mother was wanting to get to know him? Why that was, Opal didn't know. She was never the type of parent to meddle in her adult daughter's life, and it was completely out of character. She'd probably have Boyd calling her "Mom" before long, which would make this deal with Carl even more painful to go through with. It was making less and less sense to actually go through with the deal though. Opal threw herself around her apartment, the one that she could only keep because of the improved job that Boyd had helped her to get, thanks to his expensive lawyer. She wondered if Boyd and her mother had talked about where the extra money was coming from. She couldn't take it anymore! That was that: she decided to go and tell Carl that she wanted out. She would just have to pay him back what he'd already been giving her to pay the bills. This wasn't going to work anymore. She headed down to the big warehouse and stormed by the snooty secretary. "You can't go in there!" the woman called, but Opal was already by her and not in the mood for any shit. "Carl, I need to talk to you about something," she said as she burst into his office. "Jesus, don't you knock? Some of us have respectable business to take care of, not working at some whore house for dimes." Carl had his shirt unbuttoned at the top. His face was bright red and he was breathing heavily, like he was having some kind of attack. "Hey, are you okay, Carl? Do you need me to call your secretary?” "Believe me, I've barked up that tree. She's not into it, no matter how much I pay her." "What?" She walked toward the desk to get a better look at him, see if she should call an ambulance. "Gross!" she called out. There was someone's head down in his lap, facing him. It was a woman giving him head under the desk. "I'll talk to you when you're done you sick old pervert!" "Hey," he called out as Opal ran out of the office. "Just gimme a minute, I'm just about to finish!" "I don't need to know!" She waited out in the front room, her face as red as Carl's had been in the midst of getting his wiener sucked on. The secretary just grinned at her and kept shaking her head, saying to herself, "Told you not to go in there, sweetheart." A woman with breasts larger than her head came out a few minutes later. She was pretty, but still made

up to the nth, wearing a long coat that couldn't contain her chest. "Sorry about that," she said to Opal as she left. Back in Carl's office, he said to Opal, "So, what the hell did you want to interrupt my appointment for? You like old man dicks or something?" "I'm not going through with the deal. I've made up my mind." "I knew you'd do this eventually. Who the fuck told you to fall for that no good punk? Stupid, stupid girl. If you don't go through with this, I'll personally tell Boyd what you've been up to. Either way, this isn't gonna be a 'happily ever after' like the movies. Go and get me what I need, and don't coming barging into my office during my weekly blowjob, okay?"

Chapter Thirty-One Their relationship was truly amazing. Boyd had been getting along with Opal so well, and it seemed like nothing could ruin that now. To celebrate, he convinced her to let him treat her to an expensive date. "I know you don't want me throwing my money around, and you don't take things you haven't earned. But I'm glad you agreed to this date, baby." He kissed her and squeezed her into him as they walked into the five-star restaurant, Hermine’s. It was beyond exclusive, and most people could only ever dream of actually getting a reservation, more than once a decade anyway. "I'll admit that I have been more and more tempted to let you spoil me. Besides, I've been earning it lately, don't you think?" She was talking about the wild sex they both shared. "Say, what time is our reservation here?" "We're a little early actually. Why's that?" They walked into the lobby, which was fancier than a lot of people's entire homes, and probably larger too. "Come with me," Opal said. She took Boyd's hand, looking around carefully to make sure no one was watching them. There were no staff members in the lobby, since the true entrance to the restaurant was through another doorway. "Quick, I have a fun idea." They went into the bathroom, the women's bathroom too, and Boyd wasn't comfortable about the whole idea. "I really don't think I want to get caught in here, Opal. You know what that could do for my interview, right?" "Is that interview the only reason you started to ease up on being bad? I know you really like it. I like it too now. Besides, if we get caught, I'll cover for you." She took him into a cubicle and sat him down on the toilet seat. "Take off your pants." She hiked her dress up as Boyd undid his pants. Opal straddled him, taking his already erect cock and slipping it into her wet pussy. "You're such a bad influence," he said with a pleasurable groan. "Alright then, I'm convinced this was a good idea,' he added. Opal continued to make him think so, as she expertly worked her hips, moving herself up and down around his immense shaft. "You have a magical way about your movements, dear." "And you have a magical cock. Fuck, I just want it inside me deeper than you could imagine." She threw her head back and leaned against the closed cubicle door. Riding him faster and faster with smooth acceleration, Opal eventually had herself making the sounds of a woman near climax. "Pull my hair," she said. Boyd didn't need to be asked twice. "You like that?" He yanked at it and sucked on her exposed neck hard. "God, you taste so sweet." He came hard as she moaned with her own pleasure, also finishing. Boyd spoke first “Fuck me, you’re too good at that.” Opal climbed off Boyd’s firm cock and adjusted her dress. “I’ll treat you to some more later. I want you to tie me up and use me as a sex toy.” A grin came across Boyd’s face. “You really have a way with words, don’t you?” “What can I say, you’ve unleashed something in me. I can’t get enough!” Opal left the stall to go and fix herself up in the mirror.

"The coast is clear, let’s go eat!" Opal said. They left the bathroom quietly, with no one seeing them. That is, until they went to go into the actual dining area. "What were you doing in there?" said the host, a younger man. "Where you just," he looked around then whispered, "having sex in the bathroom?" "Excuse me?" said Opal with a somewhat loud voice. "Are you asking me about my sex life?" she said much louder. "What? No, of course not," said the host with a face growing a darker shade of red each second now. This was it, Boyd figured, this was when Opal finally had something to prove. Why else would she be making a scene? Another employee, and older woman, was approaching. "Is there something wrong here?" she said. "Ma'am, do you have something you need to say, with all this inappropriate yelling?" "Actually …" she said. This was it, the moment she'd been looking for. She'd tricked Boyd into doing something stupid and they'd gotten caught this time. All that being good just to get busted being bad in a restaurant restroom, how sad. "No," Opal said finally. "There's no problem, is there, sir?" She looked at the host, who seemed most embarrassed of all. He shook his head with eagerness. "No, nothing at all. Please, let me show you to your seat. I assume you have a reservation?"

Chapter Thirty-Two They ate their tiny but delicious entrees, and then enjoyed a moderate helping of luxurious red wine. "This is so good, and those little starters you ordered. I can't pronounce what they were. I just know I want them every day," said Opal. She was more excited about that night than she'd been letting on. And the whole sex in the bathroom thing, that was nothing but pure instinct. Doing crazy things with Boyd had become natural, and the sex was so good that she couldn't help herself. But she'd also inadvertently set him up to look very bad in public, indecent exposure, probably some health code violations that the restaurant would want to pin in them. Yeah, it would have landed her in hot water, but it's not like Opal had millions of dollars at stake. It would just be a slap on the wrist for her. As they enjoyed the wine, talking about how lovely the atmosphere in that romantic setting was, Opal thought about why she'd chosen to cover it up. And that was obvious—she was in love with Boyd. There wasn't a chance that she was going to hurt the guy now, even if that meant Carl would spill the beans and possibly break them up anyway. She'd rather that happen, than to really twist the dagger in Boyd's back by taking away the money his parents left him. "Is something on your mind," Boyd finally asked. He'd been staring at her for some time, as she thought about all of those things and stared off into the silky liquid in her wine glass. It was giving her the most pleasant buzz too, making it easy to just mellow and reflect on her life. "Hey, Opal. What's wrong?" "Nothing, really. I think everything is going to be okay, no matter what happens. Right?" She looked up at him, baring her soul through her look, despite the lack of words to make things clear. "I'm glad you think so, and I know you've been enjoying the time we've spent together. You're the thing that made me want to change my life, Opal. In the end, there was nothing else that could show me that it's time to grow up, stop being a boy." "I didn't realize I had such powers," she said vaguely. "Please, will you do something for me, Opal?" He wasn't fishing around for a ring, so she was safe there. She couldn't imagine what she would do if he popped the question, right when she'd still been thinking about betraying him. Instead, he did the next worst thing. "Will you move in with me, and turn my lonely pad into a real home? Opal, I love you." "What? Boyd, that's so sweet." Her eyes began to grow watery. "You deserve better than this, although some people might not agree. I didn't used to agree, but I do now. You're a good person, you just have a history that wasn't so good. I'd love to move in with you, but can I just go to the bathroom quickly?" Opal did some soul searching while she fixed up her eyes and checked her makeup. With deep breaths, she went back to the table. "Boyd, I need to tell you something." And then Boyd's phone started ringing. "That's my emergency ringtone. I had it on silent, I swear. That's the only number that can get through. Can I take this?" he said, pressing answer as he spoke. Opal nodded. "Hello?" he said. "What? You know where I am. It's not easy to get a table and—really? Okay, okay, okay." He hung up. Felicia has something really big, I mean could fuck things up forever big, judging from

what she said. "How long will you be gone?" Opal asked with a weak voice. She would actually be happy to get some time alone to compose herself. "Just give me twenty minutes, okay? Felicia's office isn't far from here so that works out well." He kissed her with warmth and care, directing his love from one soul to the next. It hurt so badly that Opal wanted to scream. She sat alone, poured the rest of Boyd's wine into her own glass and drank the lot. Surely Felicia had finally found out what Carl's plan really was. It was only a matter of time, anyway. This was just a stupid dream, or a nightmare maybe, filled with selfish acts and no planning for the future.

Chapter Thirty-Three Felicia had told Boyd over the phone that the news was about who Opal really was. It had cut him deep to hear that, but he was pretty sure he'd kept a straight face despite the shock. Jimmie was waiting for them outside still, so he got a ride over to the office Felicia kept in nearby. She was barely ever there, being on retainer for Boyd still. They both knew that one day she would need to go back to her other clients on a full time basis. And having the window front with her professional name on it, in such an upscale part of the city, that was worth more than any advertising could pay for. "You feeling okay?" asked Jimmie. "Seem kind of quiet. You were happy as a pig in shit when you took Opal inside." "I'm okay. There's just some things me and Felicia have to deal with, more legal crap as usual." "If that's what you say, Boyd." Boyd went up to Felicia's office, it was locked. The front light was on, always on to help display the window sign. But it didn't look like anyone was inside. He knocked, waited, knocked again, waited, tried to call her but didn't get through. Instead, he left a message for her. "Hey, it's Boyd. Remember the urgent news that I left my date alone to hear? Oh, the news that's about her and could ruin my whole life?! Where are you, Felicia?" He punched the wall of the office and then slumped up against it. That reminded him of the time at the carnival, when Opal has first shown that she had a wild side all of her own, just waiting to burst out and take him by surprise. Since then, they'd shared so many good feelings together, with and without their clothes on. It certainly wasn't just about sex. There was a mutual understanding that most people were destined to go their whole lives without ever finding. That was sad, but Boyd felt pretty damn sad just then too. Jimmie had parked around the corner, so Boyd took some time alone. He stood outside the block of store fronts, looking out at the trees in the miniature park across the street. The night was actually sort of clear, and he could see some of the stars despite the ambient lighting of the ever glowing city that engulfed him. Boyd was not stupid. A little part of him had known all along that Opal was probably interested in more than just his company. He refused to believe there wasn't something else there, something that had grown despite those initial intentions. And he'd already resolved to let their relationship have the best chance it could get. He wasn't upset that Opal had been convinced to try and betray him, because it was clear that she'd changed her mind weeks earlier. A smart woman like that could have easily found the evidence she needed. No, Boyd was worried that Opal didn't really have any feelings for him. He'd known some terrific liars in his days. You didn't hang around a bunch of whores and junkies, and whores who were also junkies, without getting to be around some particularly despicable people. Time was up though, and he needed to get back to the restaurant. He wasn't about to ruin what might be the last date he'd ever get to take Opal on. Even if she secretly thought he was a no good loser, an easy

mark to play, he wanted to enjoy the illusion of her loving him for a little longer. "Back to the restaurant, please, Jimmie." He slumped into the limo seat and they drove off. He got a text message from Felicia that read, False alarm. She's a good girl.

Chapter Thirty-Four Opal had only been waiting a few minutes when she looked up and saw Felicia walk into the dining room. She slipped something into the young host's hand and walked right over to the table where Opal was staring at her now empty wine glass, wishing she had a whole bottle or two. She wasn't about to order more on Boyd's dollar and add insult to injury. "Hi, Felicia. I guess I know why you're here." Sitting down in the vacant chair, Felicia nodded and said, "That's right. I found out at last why a girl like you would go for someone with as much baggage as Boyd. Carl, digging up dirt, I know about it all. But you didn't go through with it. Why?" "Did you want me to go through with it?" "Of course not. Boyd's like a son to me, a petulant son, but a son nevertheless. And he's not stupid, Opal." She shifted in her seat, uneasy. "I never thought he was stupid." "Then you must think you're an award worthy actor." Felicia crossed her arms over her chest and just waited for a response. Opal couldn't get herself to speak. It was all too surreal. "Are you saying he knows? What's all this then? Why bring me here. He told me he loved me … asked me to move in with him." "If you think he doesn't know something's up, you're the stupid one. Tell me, Opal, do you love him?" "I really do, I swear. I tried to get out of the deal with Carl, even though he threatened me. "I wouldn't worry about that boorish old prick. He can't do any real harm to you, not if you've got a good lawyer." "I don't." "Would you really have lost out on Carl's offer? Your mother might have lost her residency and been forced into public health care. You surely would have ended up losing that nice apartment of yours." "I would have; I know that sounds bad. But I couldn't do it, I couldn't! Please, you have to believe me." Opal started to cry and put her head in her hands, leaning over the table. "Come now, Opal. You're not that kind of girl, are you? I know you're stronger than that. That's why I like you." "Wait, you do? I thought you were trying to break us up and get rid of me." Opal wiped away the tears and knew that she'd ruined her makeup again. That did not seem to matter though. "But either way, he must hate me. I wish I could work out what the hell we're doing here if that's the case." "He's got a past that would make most people blush just to talk about. You already know that though. And you saw through all the garbage to the caring and direct young man that was underneath. It takes a lot

of strength of character to be able to forgive people for their flaws, Opal. I like to think I have a similar ability, that's why I put up with so much crap from Boyd. I could have easily gone on and found easier clients years ago." "You really think he'll come clean in the end?" asked Opal with wide, blurry eyes. "You already know the answer to that, or you would have screwed him over weeks ago. It's not exactly hard to find evidence to prove that Boyd is a bad boy." She chuckled. "How I wish that weren't true. I guess that's who he is though, deep down. But having a wild streak doesn't have to mean going around hurting everyone you meet. Thank you for being able to show that to him, darling. How about you dry those eyes and get ready for him? He should be on his way soon, with questions of his own." As Felicia left, she was on her phone sending a message. She looked pretty happy about something, which was a good sign. Opal was still unsure whether this whole thing was just some cruel trick, to make sure she suffered for taking part in Carl's stupid plan in the first place. If that were the case, she deserved whatever happened to her.

Chapter Thirty-Five Boyd practically ran from the limo toward the front door of the restaurant. Just as he was about to go back to his seat, there was Felicia occupying it. He ducked back out and hung out in the bathroom for awhile; the male bathroom this time. Five minutes later, he decided to risk taking another look. Felicia was gone now, and didn't seem to be anywhere in site. He went over to the table, where Opal was looking quite happy now. "Hello, beautiful," he said to her. "I'm so sorry I left you waiting by yourself. Did you order yourself another drink? Oh, I see you had mine." "Yeah, sorry about that. I had some things on my mind that have been bothering me lately. Needed the wine to take the edge off. Otherwise, I've been totally fine sitting here. This is such a nice place. It was a surprise that she was so relaxed. Boyd wondered if Opal knew, that he knew, about Felicia having been there. "So …" he said, hoping that she was going to volunteer the information; let him know what had been going on. "So …" was what she said instead, with a similar inflection. "I, I think that wine might have sort of filled me up." "That's okay, I don't think I feel much like eating. We can just enjoy each other's company for a bit longer, can't we? Please just let me have that." "What do you mean? Oh, God, you know don't you? Of course you do." She started to get more and more upset with each word, breathing heavily, then struggling to find her breath at all. "Just let me say what I need to say then, before you make any rash decisions. I don't want this to have to end badly. Just let me explain." "Wait, what are you going to say?" "I really do love you, Boyd! Living at your place with you, waking up beside you every day, enjoying the amazing—and I do mean amazing—sex that we have … I would be heartbroken for the rest of my life if I lost out on that. And the worst part is, you wanted me from the start, and I didn’t even give you chance. Carl put me up to it all! There, I said it. That's how it started, but I didn't mean to—" "Hold on a second," Boyd said. "Calm down, please. Don't tell me you didn't mean to do this, though, Opal. You did mean to. We're both adults and you were working an angle, just like I usually am. And you're allowed to change your mind if you find yourself in a situation that you don't want to live with. But just tell me something, is that what's going on? Did you really fall for me?" Opal nodded emphatically and lunged out of her chair toward him. Boyd put his arms out and caught her in his lap. The table setting rattled loudly as they bumped into it. "That hurt," she said when her hip hit the table's edge. "But I don't care. It's nothing compared to what I deserve for being such a manipulative, shitty person." "Please, Opal. You're a saint compared to me. We both know that. I'm sure that's the only reason you

were able to convince yourself to even attempt to work me over. I'm almost impressed, to be honest." "I've been having the worst anxiety and guilt; I couldn't live with myself. The only thing keeping me going was the thought of my mother being kicked out of the facility. I can't lose her, I can't." "I know what it's like to lose a mother. I understand. I know you wouldn't hurt me, Opal, not now, not on purpose." He pulled his face back from her chest, where he was squished up against her awkward embrace. They locked eyes. "Opal, I really do love you. I want to leave my past behind if I can. Doesn't it make sense that you should get a do over too?" "I'd like that," she said through a cracked smile. "I love you."

Chapter Thirty-Six The interview had been secretly booked for the end of May the following year. By then, Opal and Boyd had been together for months, living in the penthouse apartment. He'd offered to get a different place, and said he'd understand if Opal didn't want to live among the memories of his past life as a dirt bag. But she said that despite the way he'd changed, and how he'd let that part of his life go, it was still what made him such an amazing person. "If you bury your past too deeply, you might become one of those boring people who doesn't know how to have any fun," she'd added. "You might be the smartet person I know, baby. I can't believe how much I love you." So, the interview went as smoothly as they'd been expecting. Felicia wasn't worried in the slightest. She knew the board members didn't have a spot of solid evidence that might sway their opinion against leaving Boyd his trust fund. And since he'd passed that interview, there was another little secret that no one seemed to have known about. Kristy Obrien was the chair leader of the board. She was a plump and happy older lady, with wrinkles that seemed to add to her charm. She stood up and gave the final outcome of the interview, which was utterly in Boyd's favor, just as everyone had figured. Then, she unleashed a secret clause that only she had been privy to all these years. "Now that you've proven, to your mother and father's standards, as stipulated in their last testament, that you are indeed worthy to have such power—Boyd, you are now a man in control of your own inheritance. The trust will now be absolved, and the proceeds are yours to do with as you please. It brings me great joy to give you this news, and I know you'll do your family name proud, Boyd. Good luck." "Are you kidding me?! That's the most amazing news I've heard in my entire life!" Boyd literally ran out of the board room. That surprised everyone in the audience, especially Opal, who'd been sitting right beside him the whole time. She got up and rushed out to find where he'd gone. "Thank you, miss!" she said to the board as she went. Carl was sitting at the back of the room, a horrible scowl on his face. Opal winked at him and smiled as she made eye contact with him. When she got outside, Boyd was standing on the steps outside the historic building where the members had held their meetings since he'd been a teenager. He was a couple of steps from the top, so he and Opal were at about eye level when she strolled up to him. "You certainly are excited, aren't you, dear? Well, I don't blame you. You're a freaking millionaire!" "We are freaking millionaires, you mean." He kissed her and walked up the steps, then knelt down in front of her. "That is, if you will please say yes to this question: Opal Wright, you've done nothing but good for me since the first moment I met you. Even though you were working in a strip club, and I was totally wasted, it was pretty clear our futures would be forever united, like a blaze of glory in the night sky." He brought a little black box from his pocket. "What are you talking about, crazy man? Ask me the damn question already. People are starting to stare."

"Isn't that what you want?" "I guess, sort of." Opal blushed but felt special with everyone around looking at her and Boyd. "Will you do me the honor of being my wife, Opal, for the rest of our lives?" He opened the box and just about blew her head off with the brilliance of the rock on that engagement ring. "Yes! Of course I will!" "And after the honeymoon, will you help me take on your ex-boss for unfair dismissal, and that Owen guy for theft, framing, the works?" said a woman behind her. She turned and saw Felicia standing there, wearing a lovely formal dress. Her hair was down and flowing in a wonderful way. Opal's mother was beside her, dressed just as nicely, and Judith was there too. "I'm so happy for you," said Vanessa. "I can't believe you're going to marry a millionaire!" cried out Judith. "Your birthday presents had better improve dramatically, is all I can say." "And I expect at least three grandchildren," added Vanessa. "You guys are always hilarious," said Opal. She rushed over and planted big kisses on all three of them. "This is the best day of my life! I think I need to pass out, but I don't want to risk waking up from such a perfect dream." "Thank you all for meeting us here and making this even more special for this gorgeous woman," said Boyd. "If you'll excuse me though, could I just have a moment to kiss my new fiancé? I love you, Opal." "Boyd, I love you too!" They kissed then, and it was just the first of countless kisses they'd share as an engaged couple, and eventually as a married couple. Their life wasn't perfect after that, but nothing ever was. A few million dollars always helped make things easier. And they did live very happily ever after, for the rest of their days.



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