by JA Low
“It been nice. I wouldn’t mind doing this again.” Stirling looks down at me, his green eyes shimmering in the light.
“Dinner?” I’m trying to work out what he means.
“Yes.” He cups my face and my stomach flutters uncontrollably.
“A girl needs to eat.” I smirk up at him. His green eyes flare with something akin to desire before a frown forms on his face. Did I say something wrong?
“I have this function thing for work I have to attend next week. Would you like to come with me?” He seems cautious asking me.
“Did your date bail?” Joking with him.
“No. For some reason I like your company.” His thumb runs across my cheek. Damn him. He knows all the right things to say. Before he leans over and kisses me ever so gently.
“Okay,” I answer almost breathlessly.
“I’ll be in touch.” He hails a cab for me and sends me home.
24
Audrey
“You look nice, sweetheart, where are you going tonight?” Mom steps out into the foyer and gives me the once over. I was kind of hoping she wouldn’t notice as tonight is usually when she and Patrice, our personal chef, watch some telenovela they are both obsessed with and when it’s on, nothing can disturb them. Stirling said it was a cocktail attire so I’d chosen one of the dresses he bought me last week during our little hook up. Not that he would know as he never saw any of them. I wanted to wear something sexy yet understated as it’s a work function. It’s a gorgeous teal velvet strapless dress that fits to my body tightly, showing off my curves and the hem end at my calf but the sexy part of it is the slit at the side. I’ve worn my blonde hair in a slicked back ponytail with a side part. I’m wearing the silver cuff I bought at the market last week and a matching necklace with it.
“Stirling invited me to this business thing. He thought I could stand in for Rhys.” That’s a little white lie but seems more believable than Stirling and I are friends with benefits.
“Aw, that’s nice of him sweetheart. I bet he’s missing your brother. He’s usually his partner in crime for these things.” Mom smiles, as she leans against the doorway. I nod my head in agreement. Just then the bell to the elevator dings meaning Stirling is here. Crap. I don’t want mom to see us together because then she’s going to know something is up between us. It’s too late now as the elevator doors open and Stirling steps out looking like a model on a catwalk. He’s dressed in a navy suit that is cut to his body perfectly. A crisp white shirt, and no tie sits underneath the suit. His brown hair is slicked back and he’s wearing my favorite cologne of his that makes him smell like the ocean. He doesn’t realize mom is standing there so he doesn’t hide his reaction well when he sees me. Green eyes rake over my body appreciatively.
“Stirling, it’s good to see you, sweetheart. You’re looking as handsome as ever.” Stirling practically jumps out of his skin when he hears my mother’s voice from the corridor.
“Marjorie. It’s so good to see you. You’re looking as gorgeous as ever.” He walks toward my mother and gives her a kiss on the cheek.
“But how beautiful does Audrey look? That color on her is divine. She looks like a vision.” My mother carries on embarrassing me.
“She does look exceptionally beautiful tonight.” Stirling leans over and places a kiss on my cheek, cool as a cucumber under my mother’s scrutiny.
“Have fun, you two.” Mom waves us goodbye as we step into the elevator, and I know as soon as I get home, she is going to have a million and one questions.
“That went well.” Stirling looks over at me and we both burst out laughing. “If I haven’t said it already, I’ll say it again, you look beautiful tonight.” Stirling leans over and places a chaste kiss on my lips which causes butterflies to take flight in my stomach.
“I’m going to the bathroom.” I excuse myself from the dinner table. The event is a little boring, and I can see why he invited me to the event. He would have fallen asleep into his soup if I hadn’t been there. I make my way into the bathrooms and walk into an empty stall and take a seat. What I wasn’t expecting was for someone to walk in and start talking about me.
“Do you think she’s dating him?” a woman murmurs.
“No way in the world. Stirling brought her as a pity date.” A woman chuckles as I hear the click clack of her shoes across the tiles. “Her boyfriend was caught screwing her best friend.” The other women gasp. I stand up and peer through the toilet door gap and see the three of them standing around the sinks chatting. “Please, did you see how hot he was. I would have screwed him too.” The girls all cackle together like a coven of witches. “I think she is trying to rebuild her image,” the nastiest of the women states. “She’s like some influencer or something.”
“Is that all she does?” another girl asks.
“She’s not pretty or skinny enough to be a model so I guess this is the next best thing.” The girls chuckle and I feel a tear fall from my cheek. I angrily brush it away.
“Are you going to try and hook up with Stirling again?” one of the girls asks the nasty one.
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that night. The man has skills.” She giggles and the other girls join in. I want to be sick. How could Stirling sleep with such a vile woman like she is? The women leave the bathroom and I suck in a deep breath trying to calm myself down. The last thing I want to do is go out there and cause a scene. It takes me a little while to gather myself before I can leave the bathroom.
“Hey, are you okay?” Stirling leans over and whispers to me when I get back to the table.
“Yeah. Sure,” I answer him distractedly, as I take a big gulp of my wine.
“You don’t look fine.” His green eyes narrow on me. “Did something happen? I look up into his face and he can tell straight away that something’s happened. Then I hear those women’s cackling laughs from behind me and I can’t take it anymore.
“Excuse me.” I get up out of my chair abruptly and get the hell out of that room.
“Audrey, wait,” Stirling calls from behind me. “Hey, wait up,” he calls again when I don’t respond. He reaches out, grabs my arm, and turns me to him. “Aud, what the hell happened?” Those green eyes pleading with to let him fix it.
“Here, listen to it.” Little did those girls know that I recorded them. Not sure why, but I did. Stirling looks a little dumbfounded by what he’s heard. “I want to go home, Stirling.” Tears run down my cheeks.
“I’ll take you home, Audrey.” He knows there’s nothing more to say. We get into the car, both of us quiet as it pulls off out into traffic. Stirling is playing on his phone for the entire way, and I’ve never felt more alone than I do in this moment. “Thanks for tonight,” I tell him as the car pulls up out the front of my mom’s apartment.
“Just so you know The Davenport Group will no longer be doing business with their company. Rhys and I were in the middle of renegotiating their contact. These are not the type of people we do business with.” There is steel to Stirling’s voice.
“You didn’t need to do that.” I’m a little stunned that he went to that extreme but deep down inside of me the petty part of me is high fiving the karma bus that hit them.
“I need you to know that I never slept with that woman. She tried, many, many times but I was never interested in her.” He gives me a small grin.
“I was hoping your taste wasn’t that bad,” I say, giving him a grin. Stirling reaches out and cups my face.
“Please, don’t listen to their words. Because to me you are one of the most beautiful women I’ll ever know.” My heart does a thud-thud in my chest. “I want to kiss you so much, Audrey but I don’t know if …” he doesn’t get to finish his words because my lips are on his and I kiss the ever-loving shit out of him.
“Come home with me?” Stirling asks his forehead pressed against mine.
“I can’t. Mom will know something is up if I don’t come home,” I remind him. He lets out a deep sigh.
/> “Tomorrow we start house hunting.” And with that he gives me another kiss and sends me on my way.
“Well, well, well.” My mother is onto me as soon as I enter the apartment.
“Oh my god, you scared the hell out of me, Mom.” I’m clutching my chest.
“Did you have fun tonight, sweetheart?” Her blue eyes narrow on me. “Yes. It was nice,” I reply as I take off my heels, now that feels better.
“So, you and Stirling are spending time together, alone?” I can hear the accusation in her tone.
“He’s a friend that’s all.”
“I don’t think friends look at each other the way he did when he walked in tonight.” Mom crosses her arms in front of her.
“We’re friends, Mom. That’s it.”
“Okay.” She holds up her hands. “I won’t push it anymore. I think Stirling is appreciating the beautiful woman you have turned into, that’s all.”
“Mom.” Feeling my cheeks turn bright red as I walk past her and head back to my room. I fall onto my bed and scream into my pillow. My phone beeps and I roll over and grab it.
Stirling: Did you survive the Spanish Inquisition?
Audrey: Barely. She’s watching you like a hawk now. So, stop checking me out.
Stirling: Stop looking so hot and I will.
Audrey: *Flame emoji*
Stirling: Don’t forget tomorrow we start house hunting.
Audrey: Night, Stirling
Stirling: Night, Aud.
25
Stirling
The past month Audrey and I have been hanging out all the time, especially since Nell left for Paris and Rainn left to go travel through southeast Asia for the summer with friends, which kind of only left me to pick up the slack her friends used to like movie night, Sunday cruising the farmer’s markets buying fresh produce to cook for ourselves, needing plus ones for an event and even down to house hunting. I’ve taken Audrey to who knows how many luxury apartments around the city and none quite fit. I think she’s still a little anxious about leaving her mother behind even though I know Marjorie is fine because she’s told me when I’ve popped over for dinner once a week. Who can say no to Patrice’s food? Not me.
Audrey and I are still sleeping together. I know it’s not a good idea, but we’ve got into this weird routine that kind of feels normal. We did agree that once Rhys comes back that we would stop sleeping together. Let’s be serious, Rhys is not going to understand our friendship when he comes back and then things will probably get weird and hurt what we have built between us. We both agreed we wouldn’t give our friendship up. That yes, the sex is good, we do enjoy each other’s company and I truly believe we can stay friends even when the physical side fizzle’s out.
My phone buzzes on the coffee table where we are sitting watching a movie and Rhys’s name flashes across the screen. We know the routine when he calls.
“Hey man, how ya doing?” I answer naturally.
“Good. Guess what? I’m coming home.” My stomach sinks hearing Rhys’s words. I knew he would eventually come home, that he wouldn’t permanently be staying in London, I thought we had more time. Audrey looks over at me and I can see she’s heard what her brother has said.
“You still there?” Rhys calls down the phone.
“Yeah. Still here. That’s fantastic news. When are you thinking of coming home?” My mind is travelling at a million miles a minute.
“Next couple of days.”
“Next couple of days?” Not meaning for my voice to raise so high.
“My lawyer’s been in touch. Madison is looking to maybe settle. She’s stopped her social media campaign against me as she’s got a new sucker on her line. So, fingers crossed this divorce will be all done and dusted very soon.” I can hear the hope in his voice that finally he will have Madison out of his life. That woman had put him through hell and back and here I’m angry that my best friend wants to come home to get his life back on track and I’m worried that’s going to put a dampener on my sex life. Wow. I’m a real asshole.
“Will be good to have you home again.” Because it will be. I’ve missed him being so far away. Plus, will be nice to have him back in the office again.
“Thanks, man. Can’t wait to come home to family and start fresh.” I can hear the excitement in his voice. “I’ll let you know the exact details once they are confirmed. See ya soon, buddy.” And with that he was gone.
“I’m guessing you heard all that?” Turning to where Audrey is sitting looking a little shell shocked.
“Yep.” She rests her head on my shoulder and snuggles into me.
“Will be good to have Rhys home though.” Wrapping my arm around her.
“Of course, it will. He deserves to come home and get his life back on track.” We both sit there soaking up what little time we have together. “It’s been fun though what we’ve had.” Audrey rests her hand on my chest and I’m sure she can feel my heart thumping against it.
“It certainly has.”
“It’s probably for the best. Rhys would never approve of us being flirty friends.” Not that Rhys gets a say in who I date but this is his sister and I do have to respect his feelings in the matter. “We knew there was an expiration to whatever this was.” She lets out a sigh.
“It’s not over yet.” Cupping her chin and kissing her. “I still have you for one more night before I have to take you home.”
“This is true.” Audrey grins. “So, Mr. Hartford, what are you going to do to me?”
“You happy to back on home soil?” I ask Rhys after he lands back in New York.
“Hell, yeah. I’ve missed the city.” He sounds happy yet exhausted to be home.
“Well, I’ve left a nice little welcome home package for you in your apartment when you get there. Hope you enjoy it.” Knowing how excited he is going to be when he sees the bottle of whiskey I have bought for him.
“Thanks, I think.” He chuckles before hanging up on me.
“He’s home.” I turn to Audrey who’s lying in bed with me. The other night was supposed to be the last time but we’re finding it hard to kick the habit.
“Well then let’s make it count.” Audrey grins as she straddles me, and I enter in one thrust. We’ve been together so much that we know what it takes to get the other off. She arches her back as I thrust inside of her, my thumb finding it’s home against her clit as she wildly bucks against me. We’ve been at it all day, soaking up every last drop of each other before we go cold turkey. We’ve agreed to creating some distance between us for a little bit so that Rhys can get used to the idea of us being close friends before we go back to hanging out like we use to. Rhys has enough on his plate I don’t want to add our relationship to it.
“Yes. Yes. Yes” Audrey screams throwing her head back as I find the perfect spot inside of her that I know sets me off. I’m going to miss this fantastic sex. I don’t think my hand is going to cut it because Audrey Davenport is dynamite. She collapses against me with a grin.
“That was …” she’s breathless as I roll her onto her back.
“Fantastic. Spectacular. Best you’ve ever had?” This makes her laugh.
“Yeah, pretty much all those things.” She runs her hand over my face as if committing it to memory. “I better get going.” Dread sinks in my stomach at having to let her go.
“Wanna join me one last time in the shower?” Hoping to prolong the inevitable.
“Tempting as that sounds. I think it’s best I go.” I roll off her and dispose of the condom. She kisses my cheek and jumps out of bed and moments later I hear the door to my apartment closing. And for the first time in a long time. I feel so alone.
A little while later my phone rings and it’s Rhys again.
“Hey, man, you fucked up yet?” I ask him. Because I could use a drinking buddy now.
“What do you mean?” He sounds confused.
“Don’t tell me the cleaner swiped my gift from your home?” Urgh. “The bottle of whiskey. Thought you�
�d need it coming home.” I thought I put it in plain sight on the kitchen counter.
“I need you to be honest with me right now.” Why does Rhys sound so freaked out? “Did you also leave a gorgeous brunette in my apartment as well?” What in the ever-loving fuck? What the hell is he talking about? Sure, he’s not drunk?
“Hang on. What did you say?” Because maybe I’m the one who’s drunk after that glass of bourbon I had when Audrey left me. “A brunette. As in a woman?” Why the hell would he think I sent him a woman? Rhys better not have got into drugs while he was in London. I need more alcohol for this conversation. I jump up and head over to my mini bar and pour myself another bourbon.
“Yes. A woman. Dressed in lingerie waiting for me,” Rhys explains to me. I take a big gulp of bourbon.
“Um…no. You sure you haven’t been drinking the whiskey and are drunk?”
“Fuck.” Rhys curses. “Then who the hell was she?”
Let’s count all the things that have gone wrong since Rhys has returned home.
Rhys prenup was never filed correctly and now the clerk is missing.
His gold-digging ex now thinks she’s entitled to half his business because said prenup has vanished.
Rhys randomly sleeps with a woman who he thought was a hooker but was in fact the online date of his bellman who has been using his apartment while he’s been away as his own private hook up joint.
Rhys can’t stop thinking about this girl. Then finds out she works for his father’s architect firm. The father that he despises. And brother Stanford is implying he may have hooked up with said mystery woman.
I haven’t seen or talked to Audrey in weeks. And it’s driving me crazy. I know she is busy helping to finalize everything to do with the Davenport Ball.