by Ivy Jordan
“Quit making faces, not ladylike,” the Russian dressing room Nazi said.
I rolled my eyes.
“Just give me the dress,” I smiled as politely as possible.
It was royal blue, sequence covering the sheer material, and when the woman helped slide it over my head, it felt heavy, rich, and expensive against my skin. The neckline was low, so low that it nearly showed my belly button, and when I turned in the mirror, the back was just as low, with my ass crack actually showing as I turned. “No way,” I protested. “I want something sexy, not slutty. I love the color, but maybe something shorter, not so low of a neckline, and not backless,” I requested.
The woman with orange lips looked offended as she took the dress away. She quickly returned with another, the same color, made of silk with metallic embellishments on only the top; the dress was long but slit high on the leg to show off my long, lean sticks. Only one strap held it up, and the back was barely there, but at least didn’t go to my crack. I loved how I looked in it. I felt like a star ready to walk the red carpet. My dressing room attendant smiled, something I didn’t think she could do. I opened the door to show Beth, who immediately covered her mouth and let out a squeal. “That’s the one,” she screeched in delight.
It was perfect, but I was still concerned about the price. This dress, unlike the others, had no price tag, scaring the living hell out of me. “It’s too much,” I insisted.
“No, it’s the one. We’ll take it,” Beth announced loudly as she jumped up to hug me.
It was strange, watching her go from so cool and frosty to so warm and lovable. I enjoyed it, don’t get me wrong. I couldn’t remember what it was like to have a girlfriend, and according to Isaac, I really didn’t have any, at least not since college.
“Okay, but I’m paying him back every penny,” I insisted as the dressing room attendant was already removing my dress. Ugh! If this is how rich people live, I don’t want to be rich.
When the lady swiped Isaac’s credit card for the dress, and matching shoes, of course, at Beth’s insistence, I nearly croaked at the amount of zero’s in the total.
I managed to get her into a lower-end shop where I bought some cute panties, an anklet, and some fake jewelry that could pass for diamonds as long as no one showed up at the party with a jewelers glass.
By the time we got home, I was terrified to enter. “What if he kills me?” I whined. Beth laughed, pushing me inside.
Isaac sat on the couch reading a magazine and his eyes lifted as we entered. “You girls get everything you needed?” he asked, and then looked at the bags in my hand. “Did you leave anything at the store?” he teased.
My heart raced, both with excitement, and fear. I’d pushed him to go to this party. It wasn’t even something he wanted to do. And now, here I was, spending a fortune on a dress and shoes. He couldn’t be happy.
His warm smile soothed my worries, and his eyes looking into mine lovingly made me nearly melt. “I think it was too much. I can take it all back. We don’t even have to go. It’s a silly idea,” I rambled.
Isaac shot Beth a look, somewhat of a glare, and then grinned. Beth leaned in towards him, handing him the receipt. I watched his eyes widen, and I could see sweat beading up on his forehead. “Damn, you’ve created a monster,” he teased Beth, who didn’t seem bothered by it at all. I, on the other hand, was freaking out. I mean, totally freaking out.
“You’re worth every cent. I’m happy if you’re happy,” he smiled with his eyes still offering the same loving glance in my direction. Wow, he was truly amazing.
“I’m happy with the dress, just not the price,” I admitted.
“It’s just money. Having a beautiful woman on my arm in a dress that compliments her beauty and makes her feel confident, that’s priceless,” he smiled. “Can I see what you got?” he asked, lifting up from the couch.
I jerked the bags behind me, “No way,” I exclaimed.
His smile fell crooked on his face, and his eyes narrowed as he shook his head. He was already dressed, wearing a white tux shirt and pressed slacks, and a jacket was hanging over the back of the couch. His tie was untied, dangling around his neck, and the musky cologne he’d chosen was wafting through the room and driving me wild with desire. “I’ll go get dressed,” I announced and pulled Beth by the hand up the stairs.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Isaac
Beth walked down the stairs with her face glowing. I looked past her, waiting for Maddie, but she wasn’t anywhere to be found. I was dying to see her in the new dress.
“Is she ready?” I asked Beth, who just nodded.
The sound of heels on the hardwood floor brought my eyes to the top of the stairs. Maddie appeared, her hair curled and loosely done up on her head. Tiny blonde ringlets dangled at her cheeks, and a side bang swooped across her forehead. Her lips were a beautiful shade of burgundy, like a fine wine, and her lashes so long I could see them batting nervously from the top step.
I was stunned by her beauty as she took the first step down the stairs with such grace and elegance. The slit in the gorgeous gown went all the way her thigh. Oh my! I couldn’t take my attention from her, and I was certain my mouth was hanging wide open. I didn’t deserve her. She was too much. She was perfect.
“You are stunning,” I gasped, extending my hand to her as she took the last step. The metallic embellishments on the dress made it pop, and every time light hit it, it sparkled. “I’ll be the envy of the event,” I smiled, leaning in to kiss her softly on the lips. I didn’t want to smudge her perfect application; that was for later. Later, there’d be no rules, no nice guy. I’d smear that lipstick and rip that dress right from her. I didn’t care what it cost.
“You look so handsome,” she spoke softly, her blue eyes sparkling in the light.
Beth patted me on the back. “Why she loves you, I’ll never know,” she teased.
I smiled, but I couldn’t take my eyes from Maddie. She was so beautiful, so elegant.
Beth rushed us out of the door and into the car, complaining that if we didn’t go now, we’d end up on the living room floor, and all that money and work would be for nothing. She wasn’t wrong. My cock was already paying full attention to the beauty in its presence, and as soon as it could find a way to steal the rest of the blood it needed from my brain to take over, that dress was getting ripped off.
The valet took my keys as we pulled up the large banquet center. It was a tall building, designed to look like a castle. As Maddie slipped her hand through my arm, I felt like royalty entering the palace. Every head turned, and I knew all the men were drooling over the beauty on my arm.
Relief fell over me as I scanned the hall for anyone I might know. Elijah was my main concern. He was the one who talked me into this charity event years ago, and my complaining so badly about the boredom caused him to quit asking me to return. So, I had no way of knowing if he still attended. I could only hope he’d finally grown bored of the stuffy event as well.
“Would you like a drink?” I asked, grinning like a kid in a candy store as I turned to Maddie.
“Yes, please,” she replied so elegantly.
I left her by the main room, where she could be noticed by everyone who entered. She didn’t seem to mind the attention; in fact, that dress had given her a confidence I don’t think I’d seen on her since grade school.
At the bar, I ordered a white wine and a whiskey and was ready to make my way back to Maddie when someone slapped me hard on the back. “Fancy seeing you here again; thought it was a bore,” Elijah grumbled in my ear.
“Yeah, I thought I’d give it another try,” I smiled.
“Who’s the broad?” he smacked his lips as he talked.
I followed his eyes to Maddie and felt panic fall over me. “That’s Maddie,” I answered.
“The Maddie, the one you’ve pined over all these years?” he cheered.
I nodded but motioned for him to lower his voice. “There’s something I have to t
ell you,” I whispered.
“Okay, well, first I want to meet this lovely lady,” Elijah insisted, taking the white wine from my hand, and moving towards the spot where Maddie stood.
“Play along, and I’ll explain later,” I insisted as he gave me a strange look.
“You must be Maddie. Man, I’ve heard so much about you,” Elijah said, handing her the drink.
“Yes, and you are?” she asked, her eyes lingering on mine with confusion filling them.
“Elijah, only Isaac’s best friend, SEAL teammate, and mentor,” he boasted.
Maddie smiled, but her lips were stretched so thin, it was obvious she was frustrated. “Wow, look at that ring,” he roared, taking her hand in his.
“Yes, you helped me pick it out,” I laughed. “I think Elijah got here a little early and started off at the bar too fast,” I excused his behavior. “Can you excuse us for a moment while I help him find a coffee?” I pleaded, hoping she wouldn’t be too upset about me leaving her alone yet again.
I jerked Elijah’s arm towards the main room. “I tried to tell you I needed to talk to you before you just bounced over there,” I snarled.
“Okay, what is going on?” he asked, his expression serious. “Does this have to do with what was bothering you at breakfast?” he added.
“Yes,” I sighed.
I didn’t want to do it, but there was no other way now: I had to tell him the truth. I started from the beginning, how Maddie came here to hide from her abusive ex that wouldn’t leave her alone and didn’t stop until I got to the part where I had to take her to Portland after Christmas as promised, and she’d find out the truth and leave me for good.
“What am I gonna do?” I pleaded with him for some advice.
“You have to come clean. If she finds out on her own, that’s even worse,” he advised.
I knew he was right, but I didn’t really see the benefit of telling her on my own now. Too much time had passed. Enough time that I’d had ample opportunity to tell her the truth, or even parts of it, but I didn’t. It was too late. I’d have to let her find out on her own, and she could walk away from me forever if that’s what she felt she needed to do. I could only pray that the love we’d formed for one another over all these years and over the last weeks would be strong enough to bring her back to me.
“You really got yourself in a pickle this time,” Elijah sighed.
“I know,” I agreed.
“It doesn’t matter what I do now, or how I do it; she’s gonna hate me. I just want more time with her, as much as I can get. Please just go along with it,” I pleaded.
Elijah patted me on the back. “I’ve always got your back,” he boasted, just as Maddie walked up.
“You two okay?” she asked, her eyes filled with confusion.
“Yes. He was just messing around; he’s not drunk,” I laughed nervously.
Elijah extended his hand to Maddie. “You look stunning,” he smiled and lifted her hand to his lips for a kiss.
“I’m planning a Christmas dinner. I’m sure Isaac would love it if you joined us, I know I would,” Maddie proposed so sweetly, the devil himself couldn’t have refused the offer.
Elijah’s smile widened, and he got that damn look in his eyes that I hated. “Of course, I wouldn’t miss it,” he replied.
Yeah, he didn’t want to miss watching me fumble all over myself to keep up this lie. He knew I was the world’s worst liar, or at least I used to be. The motive to protect Maddie, and then to keep her in my life, somehow made lying come easily to me lately.
“Is your wife here?” Maddie asked, scanning the room.
“Not married. I can’t find a woman as beautiful as you,” he charmed.
He was a charmer, always was. The ladies loved him, and by the looks of Maddie’s blushing cheeks, she loved him too. Shit!
“I’ll leave you two to mingle. I’ve got to talk business with a couple of the bigwigs in here,” Elijah excused himself gracefully. I was relieved.
I’d have to call him after this and give him more details. I only had time to give him the basics, and I know it didn’t put me in the best light. That’s what I was afraid of with Maddie: she’d only see the bad decisions I made in this situation, not the reasons why, not the reasons that mattered.
“We’re having a Christmas dinner?” I asked Maddie once we were alone. I hadn’t heard about that, not once had she mentioned a Christmas dinner.
“Yes. I’ve been working on my cooking skills, and I wanted to surprise you. I just thought it would be nice if you had your friend there, and I invited Beth too,” she announced.
That was probably my last day as Maddie’s lover; why would I want anyone else there? I wanted her all to myself.
“That’s a great idea,” I fibbed to avoid hurting her feelings. The look in her eyes told me she was excited, and her happiness was all that mattered to me. We’d have that evening together, as long as they didn’t stay late. I’d make sure they left early.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Maddie
I tightened my apron strings and stood proudly in the kitchen. My meal was planned out, already prepped, and I was confident that it would be cooked to perfection. I wanted so badly to make Isaac happy today. I didn’t have money for a gift, so I spent all my free time watching cooking shows like he’d suggested, and planned out this meal we’d share together, and with friends.
He didn’t realize while I picked his brain about memories from our childhood that I was gathering info on his favorite holiday meals. A pecan pie made from scratch just like his grandmother’s, a roasted turkey with sage stuffing like his mom’s, and deviled eggs like his uncle Greg used to bring every year. I had Beth contact any family members he had to get the recipe, since I wasn’t sure if they even knew about me or not. He’d said I was a private person, the reason why there weren’t any pictures of us around, why he didn’t even have “in a relationship” as his status on Facebook, and why I didn’t even have a personal Facebook.
Until I got my memory fully back on track, I wasn’t going to upset anything in his world or mine. I just wanted to enjoy the moment, and the moment couldn’t be better.
“What are you doing up so early?” Isaac asked, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
“I’m making dinner, so shoo,” I pried his hands from my waist and ordered him from the kitchen.
He gripped my apron as he backed out of the room as ordered, and pulled me into him. “I’ll stay out, on one condition,” he persuaded.
“What’s that?” I asked, admiring his playful smirk.
“You come kiss me whenever you get a break,” he countered.
“Deal,” I agreed, immediately lifting up on my tippy toes to reach Isaac’s lips.
His hands roamed my body, tracing the curve of my hips. My breasts pushed against the silk of my bra, the friction filling me with arousal. “No, I’ve got work to do,” I slipped out of Isaac’s grip just as his hands squeezed my ass cheeks, pulling me into his half-hard erection.
“It’s only nine in the morning. What time’s dinner?” he scoffed, obviously disappointed by my rejection. It wasn’t easy to turn him down; my panties were already tacky against my warm flesh from his hug and kiss. This was more important. I’d worked hard to create his special meal.
“We’ve got the rest of our lives to make love,” I smirked, slapping him playfully on the ass as I shooed him back out of the kitchen.
I cleaned the turkey, gagging as I reached inside the carcass to remove the bag of giblets and gizzards, and, I believe, the heart. Oh my! Part of Isaac’s recipe required that I use these nasty parts, along with the neck to make the gravy, so I set it aside for later.
Isaac tried to peek inside the kitchen four times by the time I got the turkey prepped and stuffed. I washed my hands, rushed out into the living room, and jumped on his lap. Our lips melted together as his hands caressed my rear. The strength of his grip pulled at my ass cheeks, which in turn, pulled at my labia. He
was acting more attentive than usual, and the way he continued to beg and plead for a moment of my time, just for a kiss, seemed needier than normal. I brushed it off as it being Christmas. His grandparents had been gone for years, and his mother passed sometime after he graduated college, and his dad moved away, which, according to Isaac, they didn’t have a relationship. He was close to his Uncles, Aunts, and cousins though.
I knew there was a part of me that was missing something, but I wasn’t sure what, or couldn’t remember what, to be exact. I knew my family was gone and had been gone for some time, but there had to be holiday traditions I carried on. I wished desperately that I could remember what they were. But, today was about Isaac. I wanted to bring his warm family Christmas to his home. He deserved it.
“Can you put up the decorations?” I asked, pointing to a box on the floor.
“Where did that come from?” he asked.
“I found it in the garage,” I admitted to snooping while he was away.
He smirked and got up, lifting me from his lap. He opened the box to find a long strand of garland, a table cloth, napkins, holiday plates, and a few cute holiday figures to place around the dining room.
“If you insist,” he grinned.
“I do,” I winked.
“So, what are you making?” he asked, staring at me with a concerned look. “Spinach quiche, quinoa salad, bean sprout pie?” he teased.
“You’ll find out what I’m making when it’s done, and thanks for the ideas; I needed a few more sides,” I laughed and disappeared back into the kitchen.
I put together the pecan pie and popped it into the second oven built into the brick wall and then filled the deviled eggs, hiding them back in the fridge.
It was already eleven thirty, and I still had to make the sides. “What time are Elijah and Beth going to be here?” Isaac called from the other room.
“Three o’clock,” I yelled back.
I knew it was an odd time, but after talking to both Elijah and Beth, I found out that he had to enjoy dinner with some of his other friends at seven, and she had an early morning Christmas breakfast at her grandmother’s nursing home. Isaac and I didn’t have anything going on, so I was more than happy to customize our meal to allow them both to attend.