by Calinda B
It could be me, but the tension between us gets worse with each day. Her teasing is making my imagination run wild. Everything about Harlow is calling to me, she’s sexy, an absolute doll. However, Cassie’s party is tonight and it’s time to get ready. Patience will reward me in the end. Harlow said so.
Shower first, and then to find that red bow tie Cassie wants me to wear. Since our little argument, and the flowers I sent, she sent me a couple of text messages which I replied to. She did thank me, so I’m assuming she appreciated the thought, but I’ve not spoken about the party with her. I’m giving her space to prepare her for the break up. I’m such an asshole. This kind of pretending isn’t who I am, and after tonight, I’m done.
I stay in the shower double the usual time. My disruptive thoughts make it difficult to let go of my nerves, and the stress is making my blood run cold. One thing keeps me centered. After tonight, this whole thing will be over and I’ll be able to go back to my real life. Working, catching up with my clients, reaching new ones, and enjoying time with my girl without stressing over that damn diamond.
We’ll deal with our different lives as issues come up. Ramsey said she could move back in as soon as he’s better and can protect her again, but I can’t imagine living here without her anymore. My life has meaning with Harlow sharing my space. Closing my eyes as I turn off the water, I murmur, “Let’s not think about that yet. Just shake that feeling off.”
After ensuring my body is free of water droplets, I pull on my boxer briefs, apply deodorant, and head back to my bedroom.
“Look at you, uh? You kept it.” She’s sitting on my bed, two dresses laid out beside her on the comforter.
“I did. Maybe tonight’s your lucky night.”
“Maybe. Tell me, I need your advice. Which one should I wear?”
There’s a red one, which looks nice and is super sexy, and there’s a black lacy one. Knowing Cassie will probably go for red, I think the black one is the safer option. “The black lace.”
“Thank you. That was my number one, too.” She gets off the bed and takes the dress with her. “I’ll see you in twenty minutes.”
“That’s a long time without seeing you.”
She doesn’t say anything, but as I watch her leave my room her hips swing and she snickers, telling me all I need to know. Her teasing is maddening, driving my levels of want ever higher. How am I going to survive the party if I can’t touch her in that dress? Here’s hoping the party ends fast.
The last time I saw my bowtie, it was somewhere in my sock drawer… or was it with my underwear? Shit, I don’t know. All I can think about is Harlow in that dress.
“Aha, there you are.”
From my closet I get my black suit, a white shirt, and my black shoes. Without losing any more time, I get dressed. A suit is part of my business attire, so I’m used to this. I button up my shirt, fix my red bowtie, and then check the time. Ten minutes have passed since Harlow left me. I can’t wait to see her again. In my bathroom, I fix my hair with a small amount of gel then spray some cologne on my neck. I’m all set.
Beyond ready to end this fake relationship with Cassie, then start my journey with Harlow.
Outside my bedroom, in the hall, I hear Harlow singing in her bathroom while the scent of her fragrance lingers in the air surrounding the room. It smells better than chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven. Trust me.
I get some water in the kitchen while waiting for her to get ready. A small thing like drinking water is something to keep busy, to try and tamper the growing excitement in me. Tonight is the night I have been waiting for.
Minutes go by. I’ve stopped counting how many, but when I see a silhouette walking toward me, I have to rub my eyes to make sure I don’t miss anything. Long, lacy sleeves, with a deep V cut down the front that doesn’t leave enough to my imagination. Her red lips are calling mine not so subtly. Fuck, I’m a dead man. And Cassie isn’t even anywhere near me yet.
Harlow blushes at my gawking then offers me a three-hundred and sixty degree view with a quick spin of her black heels. This must be my punishment for playing behind Cassie’s back. Everything I see right now is driving me insane. Her back is bare, the cut of the dress so low I can see the small curve right over her bottom. She’s braless, too, of course. Fuck.
“I have no idea how I’m going to resist you tonight,” I say walking closer to her. Grasping her waist, I pull her flush against me.
“If you don’t, Cassie might find it a good enough excuse to break up with you.” She’s dead serious.
“Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure she’ll be throwing a fit when she sees us arrive together. I may not even be allowed inside the house.”
“It’ll be okay. Trust me.”
For some reason, I do. She has this under control—way more than I do. “We’ll be okay as long as we get that rock.”
She smiles. “We’ll be okay. I’m going to get my hands on it sooner rather than later.”
“Okay. Okay…” I breathe her in and envelop her into my arms. This moment needs to keep me going for the next couples of hours.
17
Harlow enters Cassie’s house first, with me right behind her. My chest is tight as hell. This must go as planned, or else I’ve done all this—the lying, the deception—for nothing.
Standing tall with the height of her heels, Harlow turns her head to wink at me. My line of sight stalls on her lips. If only I could kiss her one more time, it would make me feel better. Without a single sound from her mouth, I know exactly what she’s said to me with that wink: “Tonight.”
I smile big because, fuck, I can wait for it. I will wait for it. It’d be nice if we could fast-forward through the mess I’m about to put us all through, however.
The house is alive with loud music and more people than I think Cassie knows. That’s what happens in New York with word of mouth. You never know who’s going to show up to a party. A derisive snort escapes me at the thought that this was supposed to be a simple get together with ‘a few of her close friends’.
It doesn’t take long for us to be welcomed inside, and we just about have time to close the door behind us before Cassie’s clique of girls come after Harlow. Their blatant studying and complimenting my girl on her dress is making her uncomfortable, and it irritates me that I can’t comfort her.
“Who did your hair and makeup?” Stacy asks.
Unlike the clique, she didn’t have it done by a professional. These girls are synonyms of wealth, it runs in their blood. Harlow’s not, which I fucking love. Simplicity wins over the obsession of perfection.
“Well, um…” Frowning, Harlow hesitates.
“You must be Harlow.” Cassie approaches and gives her a kiss on each cheek. She not only looks nervous, but scared, too. “I’ve seen you before, haven’t I?”
Harlow nods with a sad smile.
It doesn’t take any more for Cassie to cover her mouth in horror. “You can’t talk about it, okay?” she murmurs, but I hear her.
“Hey, what happened at the strip club stays there, right?” Harlow tilts her head in my direction in a subtle movement. “Does he know?”
Cassie shakes her head after taking a quick look at me. “He doesn’t, and he can’t. Not tonight, anyway.” Her voice is pushed to the breaking point.
Seems I’m missing something right now, and from the little I’ve heard, I would love an explanation. “What’s going on, girls? Is this a high school reunion or what?” I’m old enough to keep my cool, but something doesn’t smell good.
“Hey, babe.” Harlow steps away from Cassie who goes straight for my lips, kissing me the way she would in private. Not how she would in front of friends.
Something is up. Her actions are hiding something I may not be ready to know. When I catch sight of Harlow, she wears a smile like she’s trying to hold back laughter. What the hell is going on?
“Is everything okay, Cass?”
“Yeah, of course.” She tries to smile but she can’
t hide the distress in her face. “Do you want something to drink?”
A change of subject. I can smell her game from a mile away.
“Yeah, sure. Do you want anything, Harlow?” Emphasis goes on Harlow’s name.
“I’ll have the same thing as you. Thanks.”
I nod at Harlow then hurry in the direction Cassie went. “What’s wrong, Cassie? You seem to be panicking.”
Hiding her trembling fingers behind her back, she takes too much time to answer. “No, no… I’m all good. It’s just that I wasn’t sure if you were going to come, and then you show up with her. She’s not the girl next door type, TJ. She’s model material.”
Shit. Okay… “Don’t be like this. You asked us to dress up, and we did. So she looks great, so what?”
Her eyes are on mine, and I can feel the wariness rising within her. While my first impulse is to touch her in a comforting way, I don’t. This has to be the end. Tonight. My face stays emotionless and I break the moment. “I didn’t bring her here to make you feel like this, or to have her embarrassed.”
Taking two shot glasses, I fill them with the first bottle of liquor I find. Cassie stands there speechless and motionless, and I let her be, marching off with the drinks.
“Here. Sorry if this isn’t what you wanted, but it’s what I found. I need at least five more.” I empty the shot, enjoying the strong liquor burning its way down my throat. “What was so funny back there?”
“I’m not sure I should tell you.” Right now isn’t the best moment for her to tease me, but this is Harlow. She shouldn’t be held responsible for my mood.
I frown. “Why not? Are we keeping secrets now?”
“Cassandra, that’s the name she used when she came to the club to audition. I’m not talking about the Diamond Club either.”
What? Cassie wanted to be a stripper. Is she a stripper now? “Did she..?” I ask not sure I want to know.
“She worked two nights if I remember correctly.”
Now this is fucked up. Images of Cassie working as a stripper pop into my mind. No, stop, I don’t want to go there.
“Sometimes women do crazy things in order to find out who they are, TJ. She didn’t fit in, and was clearly out of her element, which is good. It’s not an easy world, I know enough about it to justify.”
“I trust you, that’s not the issue. Something doesn’t add up, though. That isn’t who she is. Why would she do that?”
“That’s why she only tried twice.” Her fingers reach for my chin but stop mid-move when she realizes where we are. Still. “I’m not trying to dim her actions, but it’s a fucked-up world. Far away from the one she was born into.”
Harlow has a point, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that Cassie did something so out of character. If her parents ever find out, her inheritance is pretty much out the window. Her whole life could be jeopardized. Shaking my thoughts away as much as possible, now isn’t the time to worry about Cass’s search to find herself. Not in a house filled with so many people, only a few of whom I recognize. The diamond has to be my priority.
Focus, TJ, I tell myself and look back to find comfort in Harlow next to me, but she’s gone. Two arms slink around me, wrapping me from behind, and I know they aren’t Harlow’s.
“Don’t worry, babe. She’s getting another drink,” Cassie whispers in my ear. “I think she likes you.”
“Of course, she does. We’re good friends.” Though my opinion is that it’s more in the sense of love, rather than like.
She rolls her eyes at me attempting to make this look like a casual conversation, but fails. Jealousy drips from her pores. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
I take a deep breath, refusing to let annoyance get the better of me. “This isn’t the time to have this conversation, Cass. All your friends are here. Tonight is supposed to be a fun night. Your night.”
She sighs. “You’re slipping through my fingers, aren’t you? I’m losing you.”
Her words hit me hard. Unfortunately for her, they’re the truth. I just hadn’t expected to hear them from her lips. “I heard bits and pieces of your conversation with Harlow. Anything you want to tell me?”
“No. It’s no big deal. Girl stuff, you know?” She bites her lip and avoids my eyes.
Her lies make me sick. I know I’ve had my own lies lately, but this is different. Cass is standing inches from me and doesn’t have the guts to tell me the truth.
What has she done at the strip club? Gotten wasted and danced? I don’t know her anymore.
“Alright, if that’s how it goes.” She lets go of me and steps back, and I distance us a few more feet by moving to the bar area.
Drinking and talking to a couple of Cassie’s friend, Harlow looks calm. Unlike me. If it weren’t for still needing to get the diamond, I would be gone already.
Another three shots in, I change my order up for a Jim Beam on the rocks. Sitting on the couch, listening to snippets of the different conversations around me, I can feel Cassie’s gaze on me. However, all I see is Harlow—how beautiful she is. Her smile. Her eyes.
“Hey, TJ. I haven’t seen you in a while.”
The voice distracts me from my main point of focus. Turning my head, I see the boyfriend of one of Cassie’s friends “Hey, Luke.”
“How have you been? I mean, I’m sorry about your father. I heard what happened.”
“It’s okay. Nothing we can do about it.” I try to act normal, although the last thing I want to think about tonight is my dad. I don’t want to disappoint him. “How have you been?”
“Busier than I thought I would be. Business is good.”
The small talk keeps me away from both girls and, I hope, lessens the chances for any jealousy or drama. For now anyway.
The alcohol begins catching up, hitting my brain and turning everything into a blur. This isn’t good. I need my head, all of it. Fuck. Excusing myself from the conversation, I seek out water. Two tall glasses.
Her perfume drowns me, alerting me to her presence without her speaking, and I murmur, “She knows, Harlow. About us.”
Her breath lands hot on my neck with her whispered words, “I don’t care that she does, and neither should you. Main bathroom. Check the last drawer on the right, under the towels. You’re welcome.” Only her lingering scent proves she was there.
For some reason, I find her businesslike attitude beyond hot, but have to let it go. Is she talking about the diamond? If so, what’s it doing downstairs, in the bathroom, when it should be upstairs, in the safe? There’s no way she’s had time to get up to the bedroom. No way.
Slipping outside for a quick break in the cold air of the mid-fall evening is perfect to gather my courage. I got this. I look up at the sky while images of my father flash through my mind. Sadness invades me. I miss him so much. “This is for you, Dad.” With the back of my hand, I wipe the tears from the corner of my eyes.
Before going back in, I wait for my mind to clear, trying hard to shake off the fuzzy feeling from the alcohol. Running my hands over my face, I realize how bad they are shaking. This isn’t normal, but then again, nothing is normal tonight.
Get the damn rock already and then leave this place without looking back. I might have come up with a fucked up plan, but I will honor it until the end.
Now. The end is now.
18
Back inside the overcrowded house, Harlow is nowhere to be seen. A quick scan of the room shows Cassie is busy talking to her closest girlfriends. Perfect time to get the diamond without being sidetracked.
On the way to the bathroom, I don’t look at anyone. I focus on the open white door like my entire life depends on it. And it does, in a way. My progress is halted when I’m pulled into the cigar room and then pushed against the closed door. Lips crush into mine as her perfume swirls around me in the dark. There aren’t two people in this world who can kiss me like this. Harlow.
“We shouldn’t.” But I want it.
“There are many
things we shouldn’t be doing tonight, and yet, here we are.”
“You…” Words fail me. I can’t put into words what I’m thinking or feeling. This is unknown territory to me.
“You,” she repeats and kisses me again, with more need this time.
It’s too dark in here to see her. It plays with my senses, the thrill enhanced by having to rely on the tips of my fingers or the feel of my lips on her skin.
“There’s something I have to tell you.” She pauses to kiss my neck. “I came here to get the diamond when you were last here with her. It’s still here for you to do the taking, but it’s somewhere I thought was safer, and easier for you, to get at. Forgive me for acting alone? Of course, considering how the night is going, you should be happy.”
So it’s not in the safe. “What do you mean? You… Harlow, you could have been caught. The last time I was with Cassie was during the day. Are you crazy?”
A quiet giggle sounds in the blackness. “I’d rather live a risky life than a boring life.” Her thumb drifts over my lips. “I’d do anything for you, TJ.”
“Don’t risk your life like that again, not for me.” The darkness makes it impossible to see her reaction. I have to know, to see it in her eyes, a hint of regret. Something. “Harlow, we have to get out of here.”
My hands cup her face, from her neck, up the sides, and then I push my lips against hers. She’s crazy, so deep into the Club’s life it scares me, but somehow, I trust her more than I’ve trusted anyone. Responding to the kiss like it’s our first, I press her against me, feeling all of her curves. It’s time to stop—but I can’t make myself.
She pats my behind before pushing me out the door. “Go now. I’ll meet you later.”
I’m giddy, with a grin tattooed on my face, one that isn’t going anywhere soon. Harlow makes me happy by taking away the dark cloud following me.
“TJ, babe?”
Cold shivers run across my entire body when I hear her.