No More Heartache: The MORE Duet

by Anders, Tarrah

  Max’s father introduces himself to me and resumes his part of the dinner preparation. Explaining as well as demonstrating the benefits of a kitchen slap chop with cooking. Max acts bored, but I’m enthralled. I would love to be able to cook, especially cook good food.

  “Max, will you be a dear and set the table please?” His mother requests. “Dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes. Davis and Katrina were unable to join us so it’s just the four of us. I understand that Davis works with you?”

  “Yes, strange as that is. I didn’t know Davis was Max’s brother when we, uh… met.”

  “It’s almost like a movie, serendipitous,” his mom gushes.

  “Could be, except a more updated version, perhaps a rated R version.” Max says from behind me.

  “Maximus!”

  “What, there was a lot of drinking involved the night we met to be fair, some nudity, and probably vulgar language.” Max smiles as he rests chin on my shoulder.

  “Attaboy.” His father mumbles over the plate he’s preparing.

  My face turns red and Max chuckles. “I don’t think we need give a play by play account of the night for your parents.”

  “They know, well the PG version.” He says.

  “Max here is very open with us. We know things we wish we didn’t. Both he and Davis have always been over sharers with us growing up, it continued through adulthood.” His mother explains.

  “So, the truth rule is no big change then?” I ask Max.

  “I’ve told my share of lies to my parents, as well as previous, um women. But I’ve learned over the years and especially lately that the truth is always best.” He says as he kisses my cheek.

  “So Tatum, do you want a girl or a boy?” Max’s mom changes the subject and I’m so thankful.

  * * *

  We toed off our shoes and collapsed on the couch in exhaustion.

  “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Max asks.

  “I think the banter between you and them made it all the more easier.” I admitted.

  “I’m glad. I know you were nervous, but seriously, how could they not love you. You’re perfect.” He says nuzzling into my neck leaving tiny bite marks down to my collarbone.

  “I am aren’t I?” I joke.

  “Cocky too.” He mumbles against my skin, his tongue darting and leaving a trail.

  “I learn from the best.” I sigh, feeling the heat pooling at my juncture where his hand is slowly moving to.

  30

  Max

  My fingers inch up Tatum’s thighs as they disappear under her dress. Thank heavens she wore this tonight, it makes my conquest so much easier. My fingertips trace the edge of her panties and I tease her lightly with brushing over her folds atop the fabric. I can feel the heat emanating from her center and my mouth begins to salivate. The fabric is already wet and I can tell by the increase of her breathing that she’s ready for me. My finger dips below the fabric as I brush over her. I enter in a digit and a light moan is released in her throat.

  I capture her lips in mine and with my tongue I stroke hers and suckle. I slowly draw my finger in and out of her silk sheath with my dick pressing hard against my jeans. I stop my movements and sit back pulling her on top of me so she’s straddling me. I lick the finger that I just had inside her and relish in her taste.

  “Off.” She demands grabbing at my jeans and removing herself from my lap. I swiftly pull both my pants and boxers off and she returns to sit astride. I can feel the heat just hovering over my straining dick as Tatum leans down and kisses me.

  She rubs herself along my length and I’m fighting the urge from plowing myself up into her. I’m grabbing her hips tightly as I slowly lift her up. I see a glistening along my shaft from her wetness and I feel myself getting even harder, which I didn’t think was possible. She grabs my dick and lines herself up with it as she gently lowers herself on it.

  We both let out a hiss at the same time. She always feels so exquisite, her body feels perfect against mine as if she was made perfectly for me. She determines the speed and the rhythm as she milks my dick so perfectly. I’m in pure heaven right now, suddenly the tingling at the base of my spine starts up and I don’t want to come so fast. I slow her rhythm down and clench my jaw.

  With my arm across her back and the other grasping on her perfect breast, I’m sure that I won’t be able to control myself. She’s making the smallest of noises with each stroke that I’m on the edge.

  “I’m going to come.” I grunt.

  She eagerly nods her head, as I bring my hand down and find her clit. I pinch and rub in circles, with her continuing her assault on my dick. She pushes my hand out of the way and takes over. I grip both of her hips as my hips move up to thrust into her harder. Her fingers are working her clit and my eyes are going back and forth between her face and where we are joined.

  This is single handedly the hottest thing ever.

  I think as I start to come. Her pussy clenches against my dick and as she milks me I release everything that I have into her.

  Fuck! “That… was…. Amazing!” I breathe out after we are still a few moments.

  “Yeah.” She breathes out, her forehead rests on my shoulder as she regains her even breathing.

  * * *

  I’ve stared at my computer screen for the past 5 hours straight. Talia, our receptionist brought me a lunch that I didn’t order and ordered me to eat. I have been hitting the refresh button for the past hour since one of my little birdies told me that announcements for bid awards were going to be today.

  I’m feeling like a slacked off employee, even though I’m one of the bosses. This past year I’ve been so unfocused on the company, and I haven’t showed any compassion towards this part of my life in so long. I’m grateful for Dane and Lukas for not trying to buy me out of my partnership. I feel like shit that they had to put up with me, but I’m trying to be better.

  I’ve randomly purchased lunch for the entire office, and I’ve gotten all the ladies in the office flowers weekly. While I know that would hardly atone for my asshole ways for the past year, I do hope that it’s a step in the right direction. At least people aren’t avoiding my doorway anymore. Which is evident as Lukas keeps walking back and forth in front of my office every 5 minutes.

  “Luk!” I yell at him as he passes by for the 10th time.

  He stops just past my door and walks backwards to stand in my doorway.

  “What’s with the wearing of the carpet?” I ask with a smirk.

  “Nothing, not work related.” He looks like he’s sweating bullets.

  “So?” I walk over to him.

  “Nah, it’s nothing.” He shakes his head.

  “Nothing? I call bullshit, you look like you are going to pass a kidney stone.”

  “I’m just waiting for someone to reply to a text I sent. Kinda like a ‘hey wanna hang out’ sort of text.” He explains.

  “A new someone?” I ask.

  “Not really. I’ve known her for a few years.” He says cryptically.

  “Ooo-kay. Well, I’m sure that if she’s smart, she’ll hang out or whatever.” I shrug. “I’m not in touch with my girly side, but I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.”

  Lukas nervously laughs and runs his hand over his jaw. “What are you doing? You’ve been holed up in here all day, you didn’t even come downstairs for that conference call.”

  “Shit, that was today? No, I’m waiting to see if we were awarded the strip mall bid that I put out a week ago. If we are, that brings up not just this strip mall, but the next three that they are projecting to add in locations all in East County.”

  “That could be huge. Are they already planning for leasing or are they just the structures without tenants in mind?”

  “The one I’m waiting on, has an idea as to the market they want to lease to, but I’m not sure on tenants waiting for the build.”

  “What’s the timeline?”

  “6 months. Start to finish, the location is right
off the freeway, currently a weeded out dirty lot the size of a baseball field. It’s right next to a mobile home park, by a huge ass church, a car dealer and a gas station. It’s prime picking. There is a current build of a fast food joint, but that wouldn’t be something that we would need to take over or oversee.”

  “Weird, the builders didn’t want to bid on the whole lot?” He asks.

  “Not at all, I think what happened was someone bought the land, wanted to put a restaurant on the space, but then backed out. That’s how it got on my radar. My buddy from Eastwood Build mentioned the space and that they were going to pass on the bid due to a scheduling conflict.”

  “Whatever happened to the office building up in Orange County?”

  “We lost it. A local based company won that one, they gunned in with a eco-friendly bid that used all recycled materials with even additional consulting. Something maybe we should consider but overall, we lost to them price-wise. Also, probably because of the cost of travel and lodging.”

  “Bummer, oh well. That would have been cool, but it would have been a pain in the ass with traveling back and forth.”

  A chime came from my desk, it was my email. Without hesitation, I turned from Lukas and peered at my screen. I clicked open my email and read the email which came through.

  “Fuck yes.” I say with a smile.

  “Yeah?” Lukas places his hands on his hips in front of my desk.

  “Yes.” I press the buzzer for Dane’s office.

  “What's up?” He answers.

  “We need to call a meeting with our department heads for sometime within the next week. We’ve got the strip mall bid and this is one job we need to stay on deadline for.”

  “Shut up? We got it?” Dane walks into my office. I wasn’t aware that he disconnected.

  “Yeah, I was just telling Luk that there’s a strong possibility of them tacking on a few more, that’s why we need to make sure deadline for this is numero uno.”

  Dane walks around to my computer and sits himself in my chair. He pulls up the calendar on our server and immediately looks at this week’s schedule. He opens up a window and starts typing.

  “Tomorrow morning, breakfast meeting. I’ll call in one of the lead contractors that we worked with on the East Village project and see if he wants in.”

  And just like that, my week got even busier. While I would have previously wanted to celebrate with drinks, I stayed at work for the rest of the day and focused on my notes, working together a plan. I was back and forth between my office and Dane’s that I’m sure it would have counted as a work out.

  I’m at my desk with my feet up and I’m on my phone stalking Tatum on Facebook when texts comes through in rapid succession.

  Nikki: Hey buddy. Passed all my finals, its officially summer, hang soon?

  Nikki: As friends, duh.

  Nikki: Baby mama too.

  Nikki: Or you know, if she shares??

  I roll my eyes and try to think of a reply that doesn’t sound completely pussy whipped.

  Me: No sharing. Can’t hang tonight, work stuff.

  That should suffice, it’s legit.

  Nikki: Excuses Excuses. Now that you’ve got yourself a girl, you have no more time for the little people. L

  Me: Not at all. I haven’t left the confines of my office all day, nor my office chair.

  Nikki: I get it.

  Have I really blown off people since this whole thing with Tatum and I started?

  I press the buzzer. “In here.” I request.

  A moment later Dane comes into my office. “You realize you can come to my office too, asswipe.” He says plopping down on the chair in front of my desk.

  “Yeah. Hey, since Tatum, have I become inaccessible?” I question.

  “Nah, you’ve become more accessible.” He immediately says.

  “Elaborate?” I’m confused.

  “Okay, so for a while there, you were a dick. No one wanted to be around you, or talk to you. Now, you seem to care. Now, you are personable again, almost… almost like before. Rehab helped, but Tatum is the main reason, I think.”

  “Did you grow a vagina?” I ask, that was a lot.

  “What brought this on?”

  “Nikki wants to hang, I’m not sure hanging with her, you know one on one is smart and she called me out on it sorta.”

  “Nikki, as in your old hook up Nikki, the college student?”

  I nod.

  “Does Tatum know about Nikki?”

  “She met her, Nikki was over one afternoon and Tatum came over. She doesn’t know about anything other than we’re friends. Because that’s what we are now. Nikki knows that.”

  “I know she was the only girl, aside from Tatum now that you would actually speak to outside of when you guys would do what you did, but could she be holding a candle for you?”

  “Um, what?”

  “You know, like no one can compare to you, she holds a torch for you, she likes you likes you… that sort of thing.” Dane replies.

  “Put your vagina back in your pants, you’re getting my chair wet. No, it’s not like that.” I defend myself, or Nikki or Tatum, I defend whoever.

  “So then how is it? You’re not still hooking up with Nikki, are you?”

  “No, not since I found out about the baby. She came over one day and she needed a little reliever or something and we started making out a bit, but I couldn’t go past that. Like my body said ‘no’ and then shortly after that is when Tatum came over and told me she was moving in.” I rub the back of my neck.

  “Wait, you were making out and then you stopped it?” Dane asks.

  “Well yeah, let’s just say Little Max didn’t announce that he was ready to play.”

  “Max…” Dane starts with a smile.

  “‘Sup?”

  “Put away your vagina.”

  31

  Tatum

  Whoever said pregnancy was a wonderful experience was an idiot. My stomach is itching like crazy and my hips are in some serious hurt. I sat on the couch, eating straight out of the ice cream carton, with the television off and my feet up on the couch. I dumped a can of pineapple chunks into the ice cream and kept having visions of my stomach growing but the skin was getting stretchy and the skin was separating. This didn’t stop me from eating more ice cream, but it sure did stop me from further itching my sides.

  Max had texted after leaving work that he was going to go to a meeting before coming home and that he would bring dinner with him. Max has been steadily going to two meetings a week, he’s been running almost every morning and he’s been the doting boyfriend whenever he is home. Davis even told me this afternoon that Max has requested a daily check up from him on me, which could seem creepy, but it’s sweet as well.

  Max and I have an unconventional relationship. We didn’t start out like other couples do, we hooked up and got pregnant first, then moved in together and now are in the beginning stages of dating. So far, it’s been going great. We’ve abided by all the rules that we set out and the sex is phenomenal. Granted, my hormones are working overdrive, I still think that if I wasn’t pregnant that I would still want sex all the time with him.

  My phone lights up and I see a text has come through.

  Davis: Hey, tomorrow night. Do you and Max wanna go bowling?

  Me: Do you and your brother even talk anymore? Why do you always ask me?

  Davis: I know how relationships go. The woman knows the couples schedules better than the man. It’s a little known fact that I’ve come to accept.

  Me: I’ll let you know tomorrow. Max has worked a few late nights.

  Sammie: Is Davis asking you about bowling? Tell him you will come, I miss hanging with you

  Me to Sammie: You see me every day you crazy woman!

  Me to Davis: Great, Sammie is texting too thanks to you, way to make me feel like I never see my friends.

  Davis: We see you every day at work!

  Me to Davis: THAT’S WHAT I SAID!

&nbs
p; Sammie: That doesn’t count, that falls under the lines of ‘only work friends’, only work friends don’t count when I’ve seen you topless.

  Me to Sammie: That was once and it was spring break!

  Sammie: Semantics.

  I snort as the front door closes and I hear Max’s footsteps.

  “Are you snorting? While eating ice cream? What the heck is happening here?” He asks fighting a smile.

  “Your brother and Sammie are ganging up on me.” I snort again.

  “And that causes snorting?” He puts his satchel down and comes to sit beside me. He kisses me gently and stands to remove his jacket.

  “Well, it went from bowling, which by the way I hope you can come with us, and then it went to Sammie and Davis ganging up on me to Sammie mentioning seeing my boobs making us more than work friends.” I’m sure as much as it may not sound silly to him, it is hysterical to me.

  “More than work friends eh? Wait, no one else at work has seen your... boobs, have they? Making them more than work friends too?” He asks, a little jealousy peeking through his normally chill demeanor.

  “Only Sammie.” I clarify with a smile.

  “So bowling?” He changes subjects.

  “Davis was asking if we can join them tomorrow night.”

  “Smart man, asking the woman. Sure babe, I can be home by 5.”

  I smile and pick my phone back up to send a group text to both Davis and Sammie.

  Max changes his clothes and suddenly the doorbell rings.

  “Pizza’s here,” he says walking to the front door.

  We settle in with our pizza and after I ate a little more ice cream and pineapple chunks, Max turns to me.

  “Are we in a bubble?” He looks hesitant.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, we don’t hang out with people other than each other, we work and then we’re here. Should we adventure out?”

  “Well, we’re going bowling tomorrow. And not to mention, we’ve had people over a few times. But we’re busy, both of us. You have craziness at work, I’m busy with school and then you’ve got your meetings. I don’t think we’re any different than any new couple. Except for the fact, I’m growing your spawn.” I smile, rubbing his arm.