by Tyla Walker
Damn. Is that some business ethics right there that I just whipped out? Hell yeah I know that shit!
I tend do do what I want to against my father’s behest most of the time, and about most things, but I remember everything he’s taught me about life and about business. Why do think I got so successful in the first place?
Whoah. Now I’m creating someone else other than myself? I’m getting goosebumps!
Anyway, I should tell you that the investors are going to be here at our house. They’ll be watching out every move. All the more reason for Charlene and I to speed the marriage along.
“So it’s settled then?” she tells me, “just like that?”
I wink at her in response.
“Fine,” she says and rolls her eyes at me. “I’m guessing it’s going to be a busy day today.”
I tip my imaginary hat off to her. We have to get her an engagement ring, above all else. That’s a must. Everything else is already planned and organized by my mom. And by everything, I mean the wedding. Get that. A wedding planned and organized in a day.
The two women who’re left ogling at us, at me, to be specific, pay for their purchase head out Charlene’s shop. My bestie and pack up and head to a nearby bistro to grab a bite to eat before going to war.
“I’m starving!” she exclaims and pinches my arm. I flinch and laugh at how adorable she can be.
Pasta Alfredo, chesse-stuffed garlic bread, and slices of New York-style cheesecake do the trick and we scarf them down in no time. I hand the waiter my card and before you know it, we’re off to Cartier for our private reservation to see what they’ve got in store for us.
Even this goes by very quickly. Charlene picks something simple. A few carats. I told her that she could go higher with it but she’s made up her mind. We get the engagement ring and head towards the dress shop.
None other than a Vera Wang for her beautiful figure. I mean, okay, Charlene’s a friend, but I’ve got eyes. She’s got an awesome body, I have to say.
Whoah, buddy. Careful. You’re about to cross a line. My conscience (yes, I have one) warns me.
I know my limits. We’re friends that’s it.
The dress had already been pre-picked for her by my mom. And as Charlene steps out of the changing room, you can hear the shop manager and her assistants give out sighs and gasps. The good kind. Charlene is beautiful in white.
I have to close my gaping mouth.
“You clean up pretty well, dear fiancé,” I tell her with a slight tease to the name.
She wrinkles her nose. Though I can see it on her expression that she loves the dress, too. After all, it’s god damn Vera Wang.
We get back in the car and towards where our wedding ceremony is going to be held. More goosebumps as I say things like this throughout the day.
“Hey,” Charlene tells me with a serious look. “No touching, no kissing, no nothing. And definitely no sex.”
She didn’t have to remind me of course.
“I already know that, dork,” I reply mockingly and pinch her cheek.
“I’m serious!” she says. “This is purely for show? Not unless… not unless you really have to”
I give out a curt laugh before saying “it’ll be fine, don’t worry.”
Though as I say that, I suddenly feel a slight chill down my spine. I play it off coolly. Now’s not the time to show her that I’m nervous, too.
“Everything will work out fine.”
I really hope I’m right.
Four
Charlene
“I’ll have Brian pick you and Brittany up by 5 ‘o clock later.” John states as he stops the car in the driveway of our house.
“Do I have a choice?” I raise a brow as I look over to the driver’s seat.
“Of course you don’t.” John teases me as he smirks at his remark.
“Ha – ha. You really are something John, you know that?” I shoot back as I take off my seatbelt and open the door of the car.
“I do. Actually, everyone does.” I shake my head at his response and step out of the vehicle and walk over to the backseat to get Brittany.
“Come on, Brit. We have to get ready.” I start to remove the seatbelt from the car seat as John looks back at us.
“I’ll see you later, Brit.” John gives her a wide smile.
“Alright, Uncle Johnny. Make sure your pool is clean before we get there, okay?” Brittany instructs as she waves.
“Yes, ma’am.” John chuckles while I completely retrieve Brittany from the car.
“We’ll see you later, John.” He nods as he watches us walk towards the front door.
“Bye, Uncle Johnny!” Brittany waves as I carry her to the house.
I put her down on the front porch as I search for the keys in my purse. Swinging the door open, I sigh as I shut it and head towards the living room. I lift my hand to check the time on my watch, and see that it’s already 3 ‘o clock in the afternoon.
Great, I only have two hours until John’s driver picks us up. How much stuff should I bring though? Ugh, I can’t even think straight right now.
“Come on. Mom! Let’s pack our stuff already. I can’t wait to stay at Uncle Johnny’s house. I’m going to have to wear my bathing suit, so I can jump in the pool as soon as we get there.” I smile as I see Brittany’s eyes beaming from excitement as she imagines the pool at John’s house.
Thank god, there’s always someone who can watch her play in the pool. That means, I have one less chore to do and worry about.
My smile slowly fades as this whole ordeal finds its way back in my head. I sigh as I think about the show that we have to put on in front of the potential buyers. I’m most definitely not looking forward to this charade, since I don’t really care for deceitfulness and all that crap.
It’s just not sitting well in my brain, and I don’t know if I should go through with this. But then, I can’t help but think about Mr. Jackson and all the things that he’s done for me. I guess this can be my way of giving back him.
I shake away from my thoughts and start to go up to the room, to pack our stuff. Brittany follows me as I walk up the stairs. At least one of us is going to enjoy this.
After about an hour and a half of packing, I see my phone light up on top of my dresser. I walk over and pick up my phone to see who it is. I slide my thumb across the screen and see that it’s John.
Brian’s near the house. It read. Before I could reply he follows up another text message.
I’ll see you later, soon-to-be Mrs. Jackson. I can’t help but smile and shake my head as I read my screen.
I take a deep breath before putting my phone back down and finish up packing. I look around the room to make sure I don’t forget anything, and right after I check, I hear a car park in the driveway.
“Perfect, you got here before Dad and the potential buyers.” John greets us at the door as Brittany lets go of my hand to run over to him.
“Uncle Johnny, look! I told Mom to let me wear my bathing suit already. I really want to jump in the pool so bad!” Brittany exclaims as John lifter her into his arms.
“Wow, that sounds fun Brit, but let’s get you settled in first, okay?” John tells her.
“Oh fine, but after we’ll jump in the pool together.” John chuckles at her declaration.
A few of their house helpers start taking our stuff and bringing them up the room. John tells me that Brittany will have her own room.
“And you’ll be staying in mine.” I glare at him as he gives me a naughty look. “I’m just playing, but you really are going to be staying in my room.”
“Behave yourself if you know what’s good for you.” I tell him as I follow the helpers upstairs.
An hour later, Mr. Jackson arrives with the lawyers representing the potential buyers. We all gather in the living room, right after dinner to be further acquainted with everyone.
“Listen up gentlemen. I’d like to formally introduce my son’s fiancée, Charlene.” Mr. Jackson gestu
res towards me.
“Good evening and it’s nice to meet you all.” I reach out to give them each a handshake.
“Who would have thought that the resident playboy would actually settle down? Your son’s reputation is quite famous.” One of them announces. “But regardless, it’s a pleasure to meet the woman who’s finally able to tie this young man down.”
“Well enough about us.” John chimes in. “How’s the family Mr. Ross?” He continues to make conversation. Thank god John is changing the topic. I’m starting to feel uncomfortable just speaking to these men.
We sit down at the living room, and I just listen to all of them exchange stories and friendly banter. I just want this night to end already. I snap out of my thoughts when Mr. Ross, the same man from earlier, turns his attention back to me.
“So how long how have you and John been together? Do you know his history with women? Why haven’t we heard about you?” He isn’t shy with his questions, is he?
“Well you know Mister, my Mom and Uncle Johnny have been together forever. So they’re finally getting married.” Before I could answer, Brittany suddenly appears from who knows where and starts to answer for me. She rolls her eyes and everyone starts laughing.
Mr. Ross leans back on the couch and chuckles even more as Brittany continues to talk. It seems that she’s winning them over with her attempt to join the adult conversation. I lift my hand to cover my mouth for a quick second as I try to stop myself from showing any signs of laughter.
A few minutes later, everyone decides to call it a night. It’s a little over ten o’ clock in the evening, and all of us just want to rest.
“Mom, can you promise to finally let me swim tomorrow?” Brittany pouts as her hopes of jumping in the pull with John earlier is put on hold when Mr. Jackson and the potential buyers arrived.
“Of course, Brit. I promise.” I tell her as I tuck her in bed.
“Okay mom, and Uncle Johnny, you’re still going to jump in that pool with me.” John laughs as Brittany points to the pool’s direction.
John and I head to our own room, so that we can finally hit the sheets. I take a quick shower and put on an oversized long t-shirt and panties, just like I always do when I go to bed. I go out of the bathroom.
“I might have a hard time keeping my hands to myself if you’re going to wear that to bed.” John teases as he puts on a pair of silk pajama bottoms.
“Very funny, John.” I roll my eyes and walk over to my side of the bed. “Remember, if you don’t keep your hands to yourself, you’re going to find them in the trash tomorrow morning.”
“Well, aren’t you just a ray of sunshine.” John shoots back before lying down on his side. “Besides, I like my hands attached to the rest of my body, so you don’t have to worry about me trying anything funny.” He assures me as he lays down on his side of the bed.
My eyes suddenly open in the middle of the night, and I see that John’s are is wrapped around me and our bodies our closer to each other. I take a deep breath, and realize that I actually like the way he smells.
Has he always smelled this good? Why didn’t I notice it before? Ugh, his arms feel so warm, and I think that I actually like this. It honestly feels good.
I allow myself to stay in the same position and close my eyes to try to sleep again. He’s not going to know that I’m aware of this, anyway.
Five
John
I slightly open my eyes as the sun hits my face, and I start to feel like there’s pressure on my arm. I look over to my left and see that Charlene is curled up against me, and my arm is around her.
I can’t help but smile as I look at her. This actually feels really nice. I don’t even remember the last time that I held a woman like this, and not to mention, there’s no sexual activity.
But my smile slowly disappears as I remember her words from last night. She’s probably going to kill me for breaking the no touching rule on the very first night. But I didn’t do it on purpose, so maybe she’ll give me a free pass.
I gingerly move my arm away from her and try my best to get out of the bed without waking her up. I slowly stand up, and sigh in relief as I salute myself thinking that I’m actually getting away with it.
“You aren’t really than sneaky, you know?” I stop in my tracks and slowly turn around scrunching my face slightly right when I hear Charlene’s raspy voice.
She sits up and slightly yawns as she rubs her eyes before turning her attention back to me. She teases me with that sarcastic smile that’s slowly forming on her face. Damn it, I didn’t know that she’s already awake.
“Well, you can at least give me a gold star for trying.” I raise my hand in defeat as I shrug at her, and laughing a bit.
“Just promise that you’ll try harder next time.” We both laugh at our back and forth.
“Listen Charlene, I’m sorry for breaking the rules last night, I didn’t – ” I try to explain.
“Don’t worry about it.” She smiles. “I kind of liked it, honestly” Did I hear her right or am I just hearing things? “Sorry?”
“I said don’t worry about it, ‘cause I kind of liked it.” A wide smile creeps on my face as she repeats her answer.
“Um, I liked it too.” I confess.
My mind starts floating and wondering what else could happen? If in just the first night I put an arm around her, what else can I do for the rest of the month? I’m not sure if I’ll be able to stop myself, especially if Charlene will keep on wearing that ensemble of hers to bed every single night.
I lightly start to bite my lower lip as I imagine how her legs, and how it would feel if I stroke it. Better yet, how would it feel if I bring my hand all the way up to her – Jesus John, why are you getting ahead of yourself? I shake the thoughts away before they become really dirty.
I start to feel my cock get hard from thinking about Charlene, so I immediately turn away from her and start to head to the bathroom, hoping that she didn’t notice it. But you can’t really blame me though, after all, Charlene’s fucking hot and not bad on the eyes too. She’s one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met, quite frankly.
I walk out of the bathroom and see that Charlene is already in a less revealing outfit. We head out of the room to check on Brittany, but it seems like she’s already downstairs since we could hear her all the way up here.
“Brit’s at it again.” Charlene chuckles as she and I start going down the stairs.
“She’s just getting started.” We continue to laugh as we walk towards the dining area, where we see Brittany making conversation with the cook.
“I’m starving, Mr. Bart!” She complains as she holds her stomach in a very adorable way.
There’s just something about Brittany that would instantly make you love her. In just a day, she has already been capturing the hearts of the people in this house, including Bart, the cook that she’s talking too. I check the wall clock and see that it’s eight o’clock in the morning, meaning breakfast is about to be served in a second.
“Well then, I’ll make you as many pancakes as you want. We wouldn’t want our Little Miss Brittany to get stay hungry, do we?”
“Oooh! I love pancakes!” Brittany smiles as she follows Bart to the kitchen. “I’m going with you to the kitchen so I can get my pancakes faster.”
Charlene and I can’t help but laugh at what we’re hearing as we stand behind her. She didn’t even notice us, because she’s too busy talking with the cook. Minutes later, everyone starts to show up in the kitchen as the servers start placing the breakfast food on the table.
Brittany emerges from the kitchen holding a plate with a huge stack of pancakes. I chuckle a bit as she heads towards us as she keeps her eyes on the pancakes. I’ve never seen anyone look at pancakes so lovingly before.
“Good morning, Mom and Uncle Johnny! Look at the pancakes that Bart made.” She states as she takes a seat next to Charlene. “And guess what, it’s all mine!” She declares as she starts digging in.
<
br /> In the middle of breakfast, I stand up and grab a mimosa and start clinking in lightly with a bread knife to get everyone around the table’s attention. I know it’s a bit overdramatic, but I have to be extra to make the buyers believe.
“Good morning to everyone around. I’m sorry to disturb you all, but I just want to make a quick announcement.” I take a quick glance at Charlene with a confused expression on her face, while I see Brittany’s too busy stuffing her face. “I just wanted you all to know that our wedding ceremony will be later this afternoon at three o’clock, and all of you are welcome to attend.”
“We’d love to go, don’t we all?” Mr. Ross accepts my invitation in behalf of everyone.
“That would be great.” I reply as I sit back down and continue eating.
“That was some good pancakes!” Brittany exclaims as she joins me and Charlene on the couch.
“It seems like it, since you barely lifted your face from the plate.” I tease her.
“Don’t be so jealous, Uncle Johnny. I’ll just ask Mr. Bart to give some to you next time.” She casually responds as she leans back further in the couch.
From my peripheral view, I can see that Mr. Ross and his son are watching the three of us. They’re probably observing Charlene and I for the most part.
I pretend that I don’t see them and turn to face Charlene. I gently grab her closer and start kissing her. At first, she seems a bit caught off guard, but she catches on and starts kissing me back.
I feel a shock of electricity shoot up my spine as our lips touch. Pushing my luck, I slowly dart my tongue inside her mouth to deepen the kiss even more, and thankfully Charlene accepts the gesture and I start feeling her tongue battling mine. Before I can’t stop myself, I gently pull back a few inches away from her face and smile while my hand is still on her face.
The smile that we’re giving each other has a different vibe to it. I’m starting to be amazed of how I’m feeling right now? I can’t quite point a finger on it just yet, but I know for a fact that I really like where this is going.