by J. S. Cooper
“That was fucking amazing.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t so bad.” I laughed and yawned as I reached up and touched the side of his face.
“Not so bad, huh?” His eyes narrowed and he grinned as he looked down at my naked body. “Maybe you need a round two.”
“Maybe.” I giggled and watched as he pulled off the condom. He stretched and I was about to say something about the tattoo on his arm when his phone started ringing. It was the same rap song from before. “Hold on, it’s Justin.”
“Okay.” I nodded.
“Hey Justin, is everything okay?” He answered the phone and then frowned. “Oh no. I can come and get you. I’ll be right there. No worries.” He sighed as he got off of the phone. “Hey,” he smiled at me. “I need to go and get Justin. He’s at a store and having some issues.”
“Oh no, is he okay?” I sat up. “Shall I come with you?”
“No, stay here.” He smiled. “Make yourself at home.”
“I can leave...” I started to get off of the bed.
“No,” He licked his lips. “I want you to be here when I get back.”
“Are you sure?”
“More than sure.” He grinned. “The Cock King still has many things to show you.”
“Promise?” I lay back and stretched and smiled as he took a deep intake of breath. He stared at my naked body and growled.
“I want you again already.” He shook his head and then leaned down and sucked on a nipple. “Do not leave. That’s an order.”
“Yes, sir.” I laughed as I watched him pulling on his clothes. I couldn’t believe that I’d gotten his character so wrong. Finn Winchester was amazing in every single way. And I for one couldn’t wait for him to get back so we could spend the rest of the night fucking.
Twenty-Seven
The front door opening roused me from my sleep. I sat up in the bed eagerly; excited to see Finn. I was starting to feel hungry and was hoping he wanted to order some food.
“Darling, I’m here.” A sultry voice called out and I frowned. Had a woman entered the apartment? “I’m feeling hot and horny.” The voice came closer to the bedroom now and I could feel my face warming. Who the hell was here? “I’m taking off my coat like you asked.” A high-pitched giggle sounded and I froze. The bedroom door flew open and a naked lady walked inside wearing nothing but a pair red heels. My jaw dropped as she shimmied back and forth, her red hair swaying back and forth. And then I recognized her. I could feel my body stiffening.
“Abigail?” I said, my voice cracking as the lady stopped moving back and forth. She stared at me in shock. It was her, the lady from the Hilton. What the fuck was going on here?
“You.” She pointed at me and made a face. “What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” I said in response as I stared at her. She didn’t even bother trying to cover her body up.
“I’m here to fuck.” The words tripped off of her tongue. “Where is he?”
“He’s not here.” I could barely get the words out. How the hell was she here? They’d acted like they’d never met before. Had they been pretending? Why would he have pretended to never have met her before? Or had that been their first time meeting and he’d already invited her over? Was he just a smooth operator? Was he just a player? Maybe that was his game? He said whatever he thought you wanted to hear so he could get you into bed?
“Why are you here?” She frowned. “Wait, are you going after every guy I’m interested in?”
“No.” I shook my head. My head was starting to feel heavy and I knew that I was close to crying. I couldn’t believe I’d let my guard down and fallen for another player. When would I learn?
“Well, I’m out of here.” She looked disgusted. “Tell him I’ll be at the next game.”
“Sorry what?” I frowned at her.
“The next baseball game.” She rolled her eyes. “Tell him I’ll be there and I’ll be expecting him to make it up to me.”
My jaw dropped at her request. I couldn’t believe that she had the gall to ask me to pass on a message to Finn. She didn’t wait for me to respond and I watched as she left the room. As soon as she exited, I jumped out of the bed and hurriedly put on my clothes. I wasn’t about to wait for Finn to come back now. I’d made a mistake sleeping with him. A huge, huge mistake. I heard the front door slamming and paused, but then realized it was just Abigail leaving. I grabbed my bag and hurried out of the bedroom. I was going to forget that the last 24 hours had even happened. As far as I was concerned Finn Winchester was dead to me as a man. I couldn’t afford to walk out of the job, but I could afford to walk out of his apartment and never look back.
“I frigging hate men.” I said for the millionth time as I sat on the couch watching Too Hot to Handle on Netflix. “These guys are dogs; like really you can’t go without sex for 1 day?” I grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it in my mouth. I watched as Susie, Shantal, and Lilian all exchanged looks. “What?” I glared at all of them.
“You don’t have to be mad at the world.” Susie said softly. “I know you are hurting because of Finn, but—.”
“I couldn’t care less about Finn Winchester.” I shook my head. “He’s dead to me.”
“Really?” Shantal raised an eyebrow. “He’s called you like twenty times in three days right?”
“I’m not counting.” I pressed my lips together, but I knew the number was actually fifteen. He had called fifteen times, left three voicemails and sent ten text messages. I hadn’t responded to his calls or his texts and had also called in sick to work. I knew I had to go back on Monday and face the music if I wanted to collect my first paycheck, but I wasn’t looking forward to it.
“He even stopped by the reception area this morning.” Shantal continued. “He asked me if you were okay...”
“What did you say?”
“I said, you were still alive, but very sick.” Shantal made a face. “He didn’t really seem to buy it, but he didn’t push it.”
“He’s a dog. I can’t believe he had that bitch from Hilton at his apartment, naked.” I could feel myself growing heated again. “And let’s just say she’s not a real redhead.”
“Oh? How do you know?” Lilian asked as she sipped on her wine.
“The carpet didn’t match the drapes.” I rolled my eyes. “Skanky whore.”
“Marcia, that’s not very nice.” Susie said softly.
“I don’t care about being nice. She was horrible. The fact that he could even think about sleeping with her and me, well it just shows me that all he cares about is sex. He literally has no standards. Like zero.”
“Maybe she’s really funny?” Shantal suggested and I just stared at her.
“Trust me, she’s not.” I grabbed some jellybeans and chewed on them like they were vitamins. My phone started beeping and I looked down at the screen. “It’s that asshole again.”
“What’s he saying?” Lilian asked.
“Marcia, are you okay?” I read out loud. “Please call me.” I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, no thanks.”
“You should at least allow him the chance to explain.” Susie said. “Perhaps there is a reasonable explanation.”
“Yeah, he’s a manwhore.” I grunted. “With his sexy stares and poetry. I did tell you how he recited poetry when we made love, right?”
“A million times.” Lilian nodded. “I thought it sounded romantic.”
“It’s not romantic when he’s saying the same five lines to every Bimbo in Manhattan.”
“Are you calling yourself a bimbo?” Susie grinned. Her smile faltered as I glared at her. “You should talk to him before you go into work on Monday.”
“I have absolutely nothing to say to him.”
“Girl, write him an email and let it all out.” Susie gave me a look.
“It didn’t exactly help the last time.”
“I didn’t tell you to send that one.”
“Fine, I’ll write him an email and tell him exactly
what I think of him.” I got up off of the couch and headed to the front door.
“Uhm, Marcia, where are you going?” Shantal jumped up. “Are we going out?”
“No, I just need some space to think.” I sighed. “I’ll be back.” And before any of them could stop me, I exited the apartment. I could feel tears running down my cheek as I ran down the stairs. I was devastated over what had happened. I felt betrayed and I knew I shouldn’t be taking it this hard. It wasn’t as if Finn and I had been in an exclusive relationship. It wasn’t as if he had committed to me. But it still stung. I’d really liked him and I had started to believe that he had really liked me as well. But I’d been wrong and I’d made a fool of myself. I was done letting my guard down.
Twenty-Eight
Sometimes, I feel like I overanalyze everything in my life too much. Sometimes, I feel like the universe is full of questions that I know none of the answers to. There had been so many times in my life that I wished I'd been able to switch off my heart. So many times in my life when I wished I'd been able to stop the pain. I didn't understand why I felt so hurt. I didn't understand why I felt devastated.
Finn wasn't someone that had promised me anything. He wasn't someone that had said he loved me. He hadn't promised to be my one and only and, yet, I'd really fallen for him. Perhaps, it was because I'd seen the man he was inside. Perhaps, it was because I had seen the tender, caring part of him. But that tender, caring part hadn't been directed towards me. It had been directed towards Justin. Maybe, Finn was the sort of man that could care about others, but wasn't good in relationships. I didn't know what to think. As I walked down the busy Manhattan Street, I realized that I felt homesick. I pulled my phone out of my handbag and decided to call home.
It rang two times and then my father answered, "Marcia, my darling, is that you?"
"Hi, Daddy," I said, softly.
"What's wrong?" he said abruptly and I frowned into the phone.
"What are you talking about, Dad?"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. Why do you say that?"
"I can tell from the tone in your voice that something's wrong. Sweet pea, what is it? Are you homesick? Did someone hurt you? Did something happen?"
My heart melted for my father as I heard the concern in his voice. Before I was able to answer, my mother grabbed the phone.
"Marcia! Marcia, is that you? What's wrong, darling?"
"Nothing's wrong, Mom."
"I heard your dad saying something was wrong. What's wrong? Do you need us to come out there?"
"No, Mom," I said quickly, loving her for how much she loved me and for how overprotective they were. Sometimes, I didn't appreciate it, but, at this moment, I really did. "I just wanted to call you and Dad to see how you were doing."
"We're fine," she said suspiciously. "That's not like you."
"I just wanted to say hello."
"What's wrong?"
"Mom, I already told Dad nothing's wrong. I don't know why-"
"Marcia Lucas, we are your parents. We know you better than you know yourself. Tell me what's wrong."
"Fine," I said, whining into the phone. "It's a guy, okay? I guess I got hurt by a guy and-"
"Oh, my darling," my mother sighed. "He broke your heart?"
"No, I... I don't know," I said softly. "I didn't know him that well, but I thought we had something special, you know?"
"These men, I know," my mother said, sighing. “They will break your heart and then they will break it again. But, when you meet the right man, he will not. Your father, he's never broken my heart."
"I am glad to hear that, Mom."
"So, who is this man? Do I know him?"
"No, Mom. How would you know him? You haven't been to New York yet."
"Well, I want to come and visit you. Me and your father, we can catch a plane tomorrow, if you want?"
"No, Mom. It's okay."
"Hmm," she said. "So, you're not going to see him again, right?"
"Well, um..."
"Marcia, if he breaks your heart, don't see him again. Trust me. You've not learned this from your past relationships? Don't give losers the time of day."
"Mom, I kind of don't have a choice. I have to see him again."
"What do you mean you have to see him again? He lives in your apartment?"
"No, thank God."
"So then?"
"He works with me."
"Oh, I tell you don't get involved with people at work. You don't shit where you eat, Marcia. Ay yai yai. So now, this boy, he's in the same office as you, eh? You competitors?"
"No, we're not competitors."
"Ah, you're his boss."
I started laughing then. My mom was totally in lala land.
"No, Mom, I'm not his boss. You know I'm just a temp at the company."
"Yes. Yes. I looked up the company, Winchester Enterprises. You could go very far. You make a good living there."
"I don't know how far I'll go," I said.
"And why not?"
I debated telling my mom about who had broken my heart. I knew, if I was smart, I most probably wouldn't tell her, but in that moment, all I needed was sympathy.
"Because he's my boss, Mom."
"He's your boss? Oh, no. Ay, Dios mio," she sighed. "Your father needs to talk to you. Marcia, did we not teach you better than this?"
"Yes, Mom. It wasn't like I planned it."
"Ay yai yai. So now you sleep with your boss. What? Do you have to go to HR and you file sexual harassment?"
"No, Mom, it wasn't sexual harassment, and I'm not going to go to HR about him. I don't even think that would matter."
"What do you mean it does not matter? If your boss tries to sleep with you, you go to HR. You tell them. That way the higher ups in the company know."
"Um, there is no one higher up in the company, Mom."
"What do you mean there's no one higher up in the company, eh? He is a manager? He what? Who is he?"
"He's the CEO of the company, Mom. He owns the company."
"Oh, my God. Ay, Dios mio. You slept with Winchester himself?"
"Mom, I never said I slept with him and-"
"Oh, my gosh. You need to talk to your father. You sleep with an old man. Oh, Marcia! I did not teach you better than... How do you sleep with an old man?"
"Mom, no! No," I started laughing. She was even more dramatic than I remembered. "You've got it wrong, Mom."
"Okay, so you don't sleep with the owner of the company?"
"I never said I slept with him, Mom. I just said he broke my heart."
"Eh. How he break your heart if you not sleep with him, eh? He tell you he think you ugly. Eh, you know that's not true. You're a beautiful girl."
"I know, Mom. And no, he didn't tell me he thought I was ugly."
"So then, how he break your heart, eh? You in third grade? What happened?"
"Okay, so maybe we did kind of kiss and stuff."
"You kind of kiss and stuff, what stuff?
"Okay, so we kind of did stuff, Mom." I groaned. "This is not really what I want to talk to you about."
"Okay, so then, you did sleep with an old man?"
"No, mom! Ugh! Finn Winchester's not old, okay? You must be thinking of his grandfather. His grandfather's no longer the CEO."
"Okay, so the man you sleep with is young."
"Yes, he's young and he's handsome, and I didn't even realize who he was when I first met him, and..." I sighed. "It doesn't matter now. It's just complicated, but he's a dog."
"Oh, so what does he do? He is not good in bed or he say you are not good in bed?"
"Mom! Really?"
"I'm just trying to understand what happened!"
"Mom, he's a player."
"Okay, like how? How is he playing?”
"Mom, I was at his apartment and another woman turned up."
"Oh, so he has multiple girlfriends. Eh, he's rich. That's okay, okay?"
"No, mom, that's not okay! I don't c
are how rich he is and I wasn't his girlfriend."
"So, you're not his girlfriend, then why are you upset?"
"Mommy, you're not understanding."
"I understand very well, but, Marcia, you know, real life is not books. Real life is not movies, eh? Real life is not reality TV. You watch too much of that. I always said to you, 'Marcia, stop watching so much TV, because you know you going to have false expectations.'"
"Mom, I didn't have false expectations."
"You have false expectations, because you think this man is no good because he has multiple girlfriends, but you are not even his girlfriend."
"Mom, I don't have to be his girlfriend for him not to be sleeping around!"
"Did you have a conversation about this? Eh? You know, men, it takes them long time to fall in love. It take them long time to commit. If you really want to be with him, you give him second chance."
"Mom! Really?"
"What? I'm just saying."
"So, you think I should give him a second chance?"
"Well, he's rich, no?"
"Yeah, I guess he's a billionaire, but what-"
"If he's poor, I say, 'No, kick him to the curb.' But he got money. He got money, you say whatever you want."