by Krista Wolf
Another pause, this one longer than the others. Then: “Have you ever thought maybe you have to work twice as long, just to keep up with everyone else?”
My hand curled into a fist, the nails digging painfully into my palm. I clenched my jaw so hard, it felt like I might shatter my teeth.
“I’m hanging up now,” I growled, totally seething.
“Alright,” she said nonchalantly. “If that’s what you have to do.”
“It is.”
“Fine, just remember… when you’re behind next week, it’s all because you just had to take extra time for—”
“This is NOT extra time,” I said tersely.
My boss sighed in frustration. “Fine then, Lauren,” she practically spat. “I really hope you enjoy yourself. Goodbye.”
The arm I’d been using to hold the phone trembled visibly as I slid it back into my pocket. I wanted to scream at the sky. No, I wanted to quit!
The whole thing was just unfuckingbelievable.
It would’ve been one thing if she asked nicely. Hell, in the mood I was in earlier I might’ve just took her up on the offer. There was nothing for me here now anyway. My friends were gone. I’d had my fun…
And oh wow, did you ever have your fun!
Getting on a plane would’ve been easy. I’d pack up, grab some lunch, jump in a cab for the ten-minute ride to McCarran airport… then spend the six-hour flight home reliving the glory of last night in my head.
Now I’d ‘fought’ with her. That’s the way she’d see it, anyway. Now I looked like the asshole for not cutting my vacation short, and when I did get back to New York Lilith would hold it against me. She’d sulk like a five-year old for a few days, making tsk-tsk noises and pointing out how far behind those ‘extra’ few days had somehow put me.
Goddammit, Noelle.
The phone rang again, and I was ready for anything. This time though, it was a different number. One I again didn’t immediately recognize…
… but when I did, a whole flock of butterflies took flight in my stomach.
Sixteen
BRODY
It went against every one of our rules to call her the next day. We’d never called anyone afterward, especially not for reasons like this.
But I just had to do it.
“What’s up beautiful?”
I could feel her warmth and excitement through the phone. It was absolutely infectious. It made me smile for the first time all day.
“Well hello there stranger,” she purred.
“Stranger?” I laughed, switching the phone to my other ear. “Really? After last night?”
“Okay, maybe stranger is a little bit impersonal,” said Lauren. “More like… on friendly terms?”
I smiled again, marveling over how instantly she’d put me in a good mood. Even her voice was cute. I filed it into my memory, just on the off chance it was the last time I’d hear it.
Shit, even the thought of that made me sad.
“I probably shouldn’t be calling you,” I admitted hesitantly. “After all, it’s—”
“Against your rules?”
Damn, she was a smart one. Then again I knew that already.
“I just wanted you to know we had an amazing time last night,” I told her. “You gave us a run for our money,” I chuckled. “And… well…”
I’ve been thinking about you all day.
Could I really say that? Should I say that?
“You could’ve stayed for breakfast you know,” Lauren admonished me. “My asshole friends left the suite’s fridge fully stocked before they all flew home early.”
“Sorry honey.”
“I mean, I can’t eat this stuff by myself,” she said. “And who the fuck buys a four-pound jar of peanut butter while staying in a hotel room?”
“One of your asshole friends?” I offered.
“Exactly,” she said. “Hell if I know which one, though.”
I pictured her waking up alone, reaching for one or both of us on either side of the bed. Staying the night was a strict violation of the rules, though. Even as much as we wanted to.
“Why aren’t you supposed to call me, anyway?” Lauren asked.
“Because it’s intimidating,” I told her. “After what we did together, the three of us…”
“You guys figured a girl would need some space.”
“Bingo.”
There was a little pause at the other end of the line as she considered my words. “That makes sense I guess,” she said. “In a charming sort of way.”
“Good, because I wouldn’t want you to think we ditched you for any other reason. Especially not because we didn’t enjoy your company.”
“Well I have to admit I definitely enjoyed your… company,” she giggled again.
I thought about being shaken awake by Corey last night. About getting dressed in the darkness, and slipping out before dawn. Last night had been beyond the scope of wild, even by our admittedly-warped standards. Lauren was all we could talk about, all the way back to our apartment.
“So you broke the rules,” Lauren said, matter-o-factly. “Just to tell me you had an amazing time?”
“Yes,” I said.
And no, the little voice in my head told me.
“Well thanks,” she replied, a little more sheepishly. “You guys were… well, you were gentlemen. And you were very sweet. And you took every bit as good care of me as you said you would,” she added. “In every possible way.”
God, she was so adorable! So sexy and funny and totally cute. I wanted more than anything to ask her to lunch. To just say screw it, and tell her to meet me somewhere…
You can’t do it. Especially not without Corey.
I was in a bad mood because I was home, and I was only home because they’d dropped two of my shifts. It was the third time this month they’d switched things around. Ever since Eddie had taken over as manager, I’d always seemed to be on the receiving end of—
“Well thanks for breaking the rules to call me,” Lauren flirted. Her voice went lower and more confidential. “And thanks for… last night.”
“You’re very welcome,” I smiled.
“Be sure to thank Corey too,” she said, a little more awkwardly. “He was… well…”
“Equally fantastic?”
“Yes,” Lauren laughed. “That.”
We hung up smiling, the both of us, a perfect phone call, ended on perfect terms. It didn’t matter that my day job was falling to pieces. My night job was still paying the bills, and enabling me to stow money away. Just not as fast as I would’ve liked.
Visions of Lauren floated back to mind. Her smile. Her scent. The wet, velvety feel of her, crushed beneath my weight as I drove all the way deep inside…
Lunch wouldn’t be so bad, would it?
It might. It might not.
Either way I put my phone away, before I got myself into trouble.
Seventeen
LAUREN
I stretched out cat-like on the bed, reveling in the feel of the softness beneath me. Stretching oxygen into my tired muscles, as I day-dreamed about last night…
Only it was no longer day. It was already well into the evening, and I’d done just about everything on the Vegas strip a girl could do, at least solo and tired. Everything I knew about, anyway.
I thought about my friends, who’d been home for days now. Heather and Victoria would be tucking their kids in. Noelle would be curling up on the couch with her husband, and Deanna, with her fiancé.
And then there was me… thousands of miles away, all alone in a Las Vegas hotel suite. Three empty beds, a fully-stocked bar, and enough food to feed a small army.
Are you really going to complain?
I guessed I really couldn’t.
I did my best taking lots of photos, and sending them off at the girls’ requests. Making it seem like I was having a great time, even alone. In truth, I’d had enough fun last night to last me a hundred weeks in Vegas. Only it was a secret fu
n that was destined to reside only in my mind. A twisted, forbidden fun I couldn’t share with them in a million years.
I figured maybe tonight I’d just stay in and rent a movie. Indulge in a little room service — maybe some french fries, or loaded nachos. I could wake up early tomorrow. Hit the hotel gym. Have breakfast outside, relax by the pool…
The more I thought about it, the better it sounded. I went ahead and rented the movie. I even ordered the nachos. But only an hour later, I was still restless. Still pacing the hotel suite in my most comfortable T-shirt and cutest pair of sweat-shorts, my movie unwatched, my food uneaten.
I passed the square of rich leather couches, where we’d gathered that first night and mapped out all the things we wanted to do. We hadn’t gotten through half of them. It was a little sad, thinking about missed opportunity. Realizing that the bonds we shared ten years ago weren’t as strong anymore, not because we didn’t want them to be, but because life just got in the way.
Then the girls faded from my vision… and I saw the guys instead.
I saw Corey, drilling me into the soft leather cushions where Deanna and Noelle had sat laughing. Bending me over the bar, right where Heather had been mixing spiced rum with some kind of tropical chaser. Wandering into Bella’s room I could still feel Brody, spreading my legs. Screwing me lazily beneath the blankets, while I clutched his warm, hard body against mine.
It was like two different vacations had happened in the same space. Pre-flyer, and post-flyer. First girls, and then boys.
I was on my third glass of wine when I thought about calling them. I’d checked my phone a half-dozen times already, but the only alerts I’d received were social media updates and a few stray texts of encouragement from the girls. Some of them felt bad about leaving me. Others…
Should I call them?
I certainly could. It’s not like they told me I couldn’t.
Wouldn’t it be weird, though?
Not for me, I chuckled. I couldn’t imagine it would be for them, either. Besides, Brody had called me earlier. It was only fair that I should—
“Hello Lauren.”
I stared down in astonishment, to where I’d apparently already dialed. I’d even pressed the SPEAKER button. Holy shit.
“Oh… heyyy!” I said, trying to sound happy and enthusiastic. But not too enthusiastic. But also not too unenthusiastic… “Brody?”
“Nope. Corey.”
I should’ve known the voice. A little higher, a little clearer. Then again, had I really talked to them enough to know the difference?
“Sorry,” I said for no reason. “I—I was talking to Brody earlier, I just figured this was his phone.”
“It’s our shared phone,” Corey replied. “Or rather, it’s the phone.”
The phone…
Just the thought of it made my mouth go dry. This was the phone — the one they shared together, to answer the ads. The phone number on the flyer. The one they used together, to talk to women like me who—
“Is everything okay Lauren?”
All of a sudden I was getting butterflies again. Losing control. I took another sip of wine, to calm my nerves.
“Yeah, everything’s fine,” I said. “Great actually. I just… I…”
My stomach rolled. I drew a blank.
“You what?”
C’mon, really? The little voice in the back of my mind was laughing at me. After everything you did last night, you’re not going to say it?
“I was wondering what you guys were doing tonight. If maybe… you were available?”
There. I’d said it. It was out there now, no going back.
Holy fucking shit.
“Are you asking for a second date, Lauren?”
For a moment, all I could do was nod helplessly. Then I swallowed hard, and regained some control.
“Yes,” I said, gripping the phone again. “I am.”
Silence. Dead silence.
“Is that… something you guys actually do?” I asked.
“Sometimes,” Corey answered.
More silence. More nothingness.
“Okayyy… I laughed. Annnnd?”
“We’ve had second dates before,” Corey went on, “but only a handful. And only with women we really had a good time with,” he added.
I started pacing again. Even faster than before.
“So I am—”
“Yes Lauren,” Corey chuckled warmly. “You definitely fall into that category.”
I sipped my wine again, this time with a little more confidence. “I should lead that fucking category,” I said proudly.
Corey’s chuckle turned into a laugh. “Well I can only speak for myself, but I’m thinking you might.”
I felt emboldened by a swell of pride. This wasn’t so bad. Maybe I knew what I was doing, after all.
“We have two little problems though,” said Corey, matter-of-factly.
Disappointment edged its way in, threatening my otherwise perfect evening. “Alright,” I said. “Let’s hear them.”
“Well for one, we’re not available tonight,” said Corey.
My heart sank all the way down to my feet.
Not available.
I pictured the two of them, out with another woman. Charming her. Laughing with her. Claiming her together, the way they had me…
“We have work tonight,” Corey said, and a wave of relief crashed over me. “In fact, Brody’s already in the shower.”
“Sh—Shower?” My brows knit together. “You guys live together too?”
“Yes, we share an apartment on the west side of town,” said Corey. He paused for a few seconds. “We share a lot of things,” he added smoothly. “As you already know.”
“Oh, I know,” I laughed flirtatiously, still relieved that I wasn’t being blown off for some other woman. Not that it was any of my business to begin with. “So what’s the second problem?”
I could feel a shift at the other end of the phone. Corey’s voice was a little lower, a little throatier when he spoke next.
“Well, the first date is always about the woman,” he said. “We fulfill fantasies, take care of needs. Like with you, for instance.”
My pulse was racing again, just thinking about the way they’d taken care of me last night. Even so, still I didn’t see what he was driving at.
“But the second date…”
He paused again, and I could tell it wasn’t just for dramatic effect. He was trying to figure out a way to put it. A way to word things, so I would best understand.
“Well, the second date is all about us.”
Eighteen
LAUREN
I sat at the other end of the phone, blinking unknowingly. My wine glass dangling from one limp hand.
“All about… you?”
“Yes,” said Corey. “If a girl wants to go out on a second date, we make sure she agrees to take care of our needs.”
“Didn’t I take care of your needs last night?” I laughed, maybe even a little wickedly. “I mean… if I seem to remember correctly—”
“Yes,” said Corey, “of course you did. And you were amazing. There’s no denying that.”
I was squinting in confusion again. “So what’s the issue?”
“Let me put it this way,” said Corey, his voice abruptly different again. All of a sudden he sounded a lot more sure of himself. “If you were to go out with us a second time, you’d have to let us call the shots. We’d be in total control.”
“Fine,” I said, feeling thrilled at the prospect. “Done.”
“Not so fast,” he went on. “On the second date, you’d have to do everything and anything we wanted. No questions asked.”
No. Questions. Asked.
I lost my breath at that part. Luckily, I found my voice again quickly.
“What do you mean by everything and anything?”
“Exactly that,” Corey replied simply. “During the first date, we were completely at your disposal. But during the second date�
�� you’re ours.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Ours?”
“Yes.”
I was feeling hot all of a sudden, warm all over. And it definitely wasn’t from the wine.
“If we took you out, you’d obey us,” said Corey. “You’d be our guest, but also our…”
“Toy?” I offered.
I heard him pause again, trying to consider his words. “Look, Lauren,” he said. “This isn’t for everyone. It’s not something I’d expect you to want, or even understand, or—”
“Then go on,” I said, trying not to choke on my own rising excitement. “Explain it to me.”
A few halting seconds passed. Long moments of absolute nothingness, as I stared down at my phone’s darkened screen.
Then he spoke… and he told me everything.
Everything.
“Oh.”
It was a dry, one-word response that eventually dropped from my lips. The only word I could even manage, by the time he was finished speaking.
“Do you understand now?” asked Corey.
I nodded mechanically, knowing he couldn’t see it. “Yes,” I said weakly. “I see.”
“You’re here one more evening after tonight, correct?” Corey asked.
“Yes,” I said at last. “Tomorrow’s my last night.”
“Well we’re off tomorrow night,” said Corey. “The both of us.”
Another stretch of silence passed, as I digested everything. My belly felt skin tight. My stomach was in knots.
“Look,” said Corey. “Take tonight and sleep on it. If you still want a second date, now knowing what it entails… we’d love to take you out tomorrow. And if not…” I sensed the slightest hint of a disappointed sigh, “well, that’s fine too. We part as friends who had a great time together. Everyone’s happy. No hard feelings.”
“No hard feelings…” I repeated numbly.
“Like I said,” he went on. “Our tastes aren’t for everyone. That’s probably why we’ve had so few second dates.”
I couldn’t speak. All I could think about is what he’d said. What he’d described.