Mended-Hearts

by Gordon, M. E.

  I stepped off the conveyer and made my way to an empty seat. “How fast is this happening?”

  “Bradshaw put an offer in but the owner supposedly knew your father and wants you to come check it out ASAP. His words not mine, ‘I’d rather sell it to a Monroe. They have more integrity in their pinky finger than Bradshaw does in his whole body.’”

  I laughed aloud again but, this time, no one gave me a second glance. “All right, I’ll go down and check it out tomorrow.”

  “Umm--” Kelly said with a nervous tone.

  “Umm, what?” I countered.

  “Paul, Jim, and Veronica are on their way now and they want you to meet them. I have a car waiting for you outside the airport,” she squeaked.

  “You’re killing me, Kelly.” I rubbed my tired eyes and got back on the conveyer belt that was my life. “Tell them I’m on my way.”

  “Great! I’ll call them now!”

  I hung up with Kelly and continued on my way out the airport. There, waiting for me was an SUV and a man holding a piece of paper with my name on it. I’d been gone a week and, during that week, I’d barely had a full night’s rest, so adding on the time difference, I was a few hours away from being the walking dead. I got in, laid my head back on the head rest, closed my eyes, and fell asleep.

  I awoke when the car came to a stop. I could hear the pounding base of music seeping from the building we were parked in front of. I didn’t know how long we’d been driving but it was light when we left and now it was pitch black. I checked my watch for the time--nine-thirty. I approached the bar noting that the parking lot needed to be repaved, and the roof looked like it needed repairing, but other than that it seemed to be a solid building, a packed solid building, and it was only a Wednesday night.

  I swung the door open and was hit with music. Not bad music but catchy, rhythmic music that just made you nod along and pay attention. Inside was your typical bar, but the stage they had was legit, and the band that was playing was really good. I’d like to say that I was current with music but I wasn’t. That was Chuck’s job, mine was more book keeping. I spotted my team at a table and made my way over to them.

  “Guys, this couldn’t wait?” I asked as I approached.

  Jim slurred and stuck his hand up for a high five. “Hey! The boss man’s here!”

  Veronica grabbed the hand Jim had in the air and pulled it back to the table. “Sorry, it was happy hour then this band started playing and, well, one drink led to another,” she said, apologizing for them.

  Paul flagged down a waitress. “Can we get another round and add one more on.”

  He smiled at the beautiful girl. She nodded and turned to the bar before I could tell her I wasn’t drinking anything.

  I pulled out the empty chair and sat. “I guess we’re not talking business tonight?” My three best exchanged a look before giggling. “I expect you all to be on time tomorrow morning. We do have to work. It’s only Wednesday.”

  Veronicas face sobered up quick. “Of--of course Teddy, we know.”

  The waitress came back to the table with four beers and four shots of lord-only-knew-what. “Here ya go!”

  I made eye contact and smiled at her since the rest of the table was busy signing and laughing. “Thank you.”

  “All right, everyone get your drink.” Veronica spoke.

  I sat back from the table, “I’m good. Someone can have mine.”

  Jim leaned across the table. “Boss man,” he pleaded. “You’ve had a hell of a week. Take the drink and let’s celebrate the fact that your sister’s doing great, your brother is--well, he’s Chuck, we’ll just drink to his good health--and, lastly, and this is the most important, let’s drink to getting you laid.”

  I wasn’t offended. These guys were not only my most trusted employees but since moving out to LA, they’d become the closest thing to best friends that I’d ever had. I grabbed my shot and thought, Fuck it, what do I have to lose. “To loosening up.”

  “That’s the spirit!” Jim hollered.

  The next time I looked down at my watch it was midnight. It was refreshing to sit back with them. Our waitress had brought round after round, and I quickly lost count. Not being a drinker, it went straight to my head. I’d gotten up to stretch my legs and, as I surveyed the bar, I saw it had no signs of slowing down. If anything, it seemed as though there were more people milling about.

  I was making my way to the bar when the crowd parted and there, standing at the end, was a woman the likes of which I’d never seen before. She was in a tight, short, black dress with boots that went up over her knees and a heel so tall it had to add a good six inches to her height. She was fair-skinned, but had tattoos covering most of her arms and chest. Her dark, jet black hair fell down around her bare arms. I had to blink to keep my eyes seeing straight. She was exotic and for some reason I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was talking to someone but as, they walked away leaving her standing at the bar alone, she turned and reached over the counter. Her dress rose, giving the slightest peek of what was underneath.

  I was being drawn to her and, before I knew it, I was standing behind her. It was like my legs walked me over there without my head’s knowledge. Once my head caught up with my legs, it was too late to pull back or turn around. She whipped around. Her hair hit me in the face, and then her hand hit me.

  “Ew! Back up, drunky,” she snapped.

  I stammered back a step, not from her slapping me but from her beauty. “I--I’m--I didn’t mean to--” I couldn’t talk.

  The exotic woman stared at me with her icy blue eyes, bright red lips, and fair skin. Her expression wasn’t one that any man wanted to see. She looked irritated and disgusted but then her icy eyes widened and she covered her mouth. “Oh fuck!” she said beneath her hand.

  I took a step back, apologizing as I did before turning around. “Sorry.”

  “No! Wait!”

  I stilled as I felt her hand on my shoulder. I turned back and was greeted with a pleasant smile. “You wanna get out of here?” she asked as her lips curled and her icy eyes sparkled.

  I couldn’t remember the last time I’d done something like this, especially with a woman as extravagant as the one standing in front of me. Oh, right, I never do anything like this. I nodded my answer and followed her out the back door. She guided me to a large bus. With each step up the bus, I lost a little bit of the control freak in me. I was doing exactly what I’d always lectured Chuck about. I followed her as if she was a siren, beckoning me. She pulled me to the back of the bus. I watched as she closed the door behind her. Biting her red plump lip, she looked up at me through hooded eyes, and I couldn’t take it any longer. I needed a release from everything, and this woman was going to give it to me.

  I approached her. Toe to toe, we stood. The music coming from the bar made my head swerve as I let myself take her in. I smelled her neck and felt her breath as she sighed beneath my leisurely perusing of her. I was relaxed from the alcohol and crazed by the lust I was feeling.

  “Why don’t we move this to the bed?” The woman suggested. She tried to push me back, but I held us where we were and shook my head. “Come on,” she purred.

  I laid a single finger over her lips silencing her. She swallowed hard and turned her icy blue eyes on mine. I wasn’t sure if it was in her nature or not, but as I let my finger slide and smear the red on her lips, I knew I had won full control of the situation. I took my time drinking her in, feeling my way around her body. My hand ran up the back of her neck and my fingers raked through her jet black hair. Her eyes closed and she moaned as I kept on. I dragged my hand from her hair and found the zipper of her dress. I slid it down, letting my fingers dance across her shoulders before sending the fabric down over her chest. Again she moaned. Her chest had a bouquet of brightly colored flowers tracing the curves of her breasts.

  I traced them with a finger, and I watched as goose bumps appeared all over her body. I gripped the fabric and pulled it, freeing her completely. I we
nt to my knees and continued to pull the fabric with me. The dress fell to her feet as I released it. I looked up her lean, tone body, with nothing but a pair of lacey black underwear and knee high boots. I stood, feeling my way up her fair, soft skin. I took her face in my hands and pulled her to me. Kissing those red stained lips was the final thread of uptight Teddy. I let her rip at my clothes, and I finished ripping at hers.

  We fell to the bed and, within moments, I was over her, doing what I knew I needed but knowing deep down I wanted more than the lust I was feeling for this nameless girl. Her cry and my moans rang out over the pounding music from the bar. We found a rhythm and didn’t let it falter. We flipped over and I watched as she cried out on top of me, gripping my chest, while never missing a beat. I sat up, grabbing her by the neck and burying my face in her perky bouquet. I splayed my hands across her back and held her warm body against mine. As tight as I was holding her, she was holding on even tighter.

  Sobriety hit me a moment and I slowed our rhythm. I let my forehead rest upon hers “I don’t usually do this,” I breathed.

  She exhaled. “I don’t usually do this either.”

  It was then she caressed my face and kissed me tenderly. I held her down on me finding the rhythm again. Her head fell back and I kissed her chest as she found her release. Following her lead, I ground out my pleasure but never stopped holding her. We sat there a moment, me with my head on her chest and her with her arms around my neck and her head resting on mine. I listened to her heart race within her chest and felt the cool air as it chilled my damp skin.

  My moment of sobriety quickly vanished and the room started spinning. I pealed my head off her and lay back on the bed. She climbed off me and laid by my side pulling a cover up over both of us. My arms were over my head, I’d heard once from Chuck if you did that, the room wouldn’t spin as much, I was going to put that theory to the test. A dark head of hair found its way onto my chest and a hand wrapped around me along with the warmth of a body. “I don’t do this,” she stated again.

  I let one arm curl around her as she snuggled up against me. “I’m Teddy,” I said, hoping to put her at ease and also hoping that it would give her the idea to tell me her name.

  “Oh, I--I know who you are,” she stammered.

  I stilled the hand that was rubbing her back. The room was spinning faster, and I knew I was a few short words from passing out. “Do I at least get a name?” The words slurred off my lips. The only sound I could hear was the thumping of the music or, on second thought, that could have been my head pounding. Either way, she didn’t speak up. “Oookaayyy. It’s fine. You don’t have to--”

  I felt her squeeze me and snuggle farther into the crook of my arm. “Chloe, my name’s Chloe. Now pass out before I break any more of my rules.”

  “Chloe--” I repeated. “I like it,” I said before the darkness took over and I passed out.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  M. E. Gordon, was born and raised in Maryland, where she still resides with her husband. She is a stay at home mom to four children, three boys and one very, spoiled, little girl, all under the age of seven. Growing up Gordon was an avid journal writer. She wrote her first romance novel at the age of fourteen, and it was pretty bad, but over the years and through all the kids she honed her craft. When Gordon doesn't have her mom hat on, you can find her reading, working on her next story, or watching guilty pleasure television.

  GENRE: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE/WOMEN’S FICTION

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, businesses, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only. The publisher does not have any control over or assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their contents.

  MENDED HEARTS

  Copyright © 2017 by M. E. Gordon

  Cover Design by The Illustrated Author

  All cover art copyright © 2017

  All Rights Reserved

  EBOOK ISBN: 978-1-626946-24-8

  FIRST PUBLICATION: MARCH 4, 2017

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