by Fiona Murphy
Then, Amelia is grabbing my hand trailing me after both of them. I’m taken to a dressing room area then pushed into a plush velvet chair. The women disappear together. It seems like they are gone for forever. When they come back, they’re carrying mounds of clothes. Tilly has jeans, blouses, and shirts. Amelia has light dresses, both short and long. One look from Amelia is all it takes to have me up and following them into a dressing room.
“I don’t even know where to start.” I whine.
“With the jeans, I got six different kinds, because they don’t all have the same cut. Then, when we find the jeans that fit, we’ll start with the blouses and tee shirts.” Six different pairs of jeans? Tilly closes the door behind her.
Fine. I push down my jeans and reach for the first pair. The first pair feels different than mine, a fine down, even though it says denim. They are way too tight though, I can barely do up the button. Huh, they say size fourteen. I toss them over the wall, “Too tight.”
“Yes, this designer runs small. Keep going.” The pants disappear as Amelia orders me.
Trying on the second pair, they aren’t as soft as the others. These are definitely denim, they still feel better than mine. They cling, but not uncomfortably. They are only an inch or so too long. If I found them in the fat store, I would buy them and hem them, or wear them with shoes that have a slight heel. “These work, I think.”
Amelia opens the door, she looks me over and nods. Of course, my muffin top is there but not uncomfortably so. “These are good, but still try on the other ones. Toss those to me.”
I try on the next pair, they are way too long, and they don’t fit right in crotch. “No way on these.” I say as I toss them over the top.
“These are a no.” Tilly repeats as she makes them disappear.
The fourth pair is perfect, they caress without clinging to me, and with shoes they will be perfect, no hemming needed. “I love these.” Amelia opens the door. She and Tilly raise my top. I shrug off any modesty I might have ever had. They both nod.
“Those are good. Okay, only two left.” Amelia says. I open my mouth to argue but her expression changes my mind.
I can barely get the fifth pair up over my ass. “Yeah, I can’t even get these up.” I toss them over the door.
Yay! Last pair and these don’t work either, again they feel weird in the crotch area. “Nope on these, too. So, two pairs, right?”
Tilly’s laugh is muffled. The door opens and Tilly hands me back what I think is jeans number four, they had a darker deep blue color to them. “Now start with the tee shirts, then we’ll do the blouses.”
It takes a half hour to get through the tops. Even though I like a lot of the tee shirts, I see Amelia’s frown at more than a few. There were about twelve tee shirts but I lose count at the tops. The tops are hard not to like, many of them fit perfectly, although a few are shorter and have a lower neckline than I’m used to. I’m almost overwhelmed by all the colors. Many of them are jewel colors: green, purple, red, and shockingly white. Even though several are too tight to fit past my hips, I’m a little worried Amelia doesn’t consider that a bad thing.
By the time we get to the dresses, I’m tired. “I don’t even wear dresses.” I complain. The door closes in my face.
The first clings, “I can’t reach the zip. I’m sure I wouldn’t want to, even if I could.”
Amelia opens the door and nods. “Yep, take it off and put this on. You’re wearing the wrong size bra.
She hands me a bra, then closes the door. Oh, my god. Can I please just die now? Is nothing sacred? Stomping my foot, I open my mouth to say just that.
“Just put the damned bra on, you big baby.” Amelia’s voice is stern.
Taking off the dress, I toss it over the door. I’m so embarrassed I can’t even look in the mirror as I take off my bra, then slowly put on the new bra I was handed. This bra is different, the catch is between my breasts. A few adjustments, and holy fucking shit, my breasts look different and I’m standing taller with my shoulders back.
I grab a dress I’m sure will fit. It’s loose, with the material giving and soft. Wow, the bra makes a huge difference. The deep blue dress I like and say so as I pass it over the door. I take off the bra and check it. Instead of the 36C I assumed I was, I’m actually a 40D. Also, the coverage over the cup is soft, silky and sheer. I love this bra. I want a dozen more like it.
The dresses only take about twenty minutes. Finally finished, Amelia hands me the jeans I really liked and an emerald colored short sleeved blouse that shimmers along the neckline. Telling me to keep the bra on, she tells me to come to the front when I’m dressed.
Dressed, I follow Amelia out. I’m surprised by the lack of the clothes I tried on. They are nowhere to be seen. “Come along, we have shoes left to get.”
“Amelia, no, the clothes are more than enough. A few pairs of jeans and tops I’m okay with, but no on the shoes.”
Amelia’s hand goes to her hip. “How many pairs of shoes do you have?”
“Enough.”
“How many pairs of shoes do you have?”
Fuck. “Four, okay, I own four.”
“If you don’t come with me, then I’ll pick them out myself. I already know you’re a size seven.”
I’m no longer surprised by Amelia’s lack of a man in her life, as she’s moaned about in the past. “Fine.”
In the shoe section, I have and take a little more control. I don’t do heels, I just don’t. I pick out two pairs of pumps, four pairs of different flats, and two new pairs of sneakers. Amelia is obviously annoyed, except I refuse to give in. The chosen shoes are being carried around by a new sales person. When I’m done, I hand over my credit card. “I promised clothes, not shoes. Thank you for the clothes. I appreciate them. I really do.”
Amelia sighs. “If you say so. Let’s go get your clothes, now. They should be ready to go.”
Going down the escalator, we are met by Tilly and another person. Holy shit, there are six bags filled to the brim. “Amelia!”
“Already paid for, nothing you can do about it. Now, be a good girl and take two bags. I’ll take the others.”
I want to argue but she has already taken her four bags and walks out the door. Giving in, I take the two bags, adding them to the three bags of shoes I’m already carrying. Stowing the bags in the trunk, I get in beside Amelia, then give the driver my address.
The minute I give my address, I begin praying my roommate isn’t home, no such luck. Before we even get down the hall, I can hear my roommate. Then I hear the moans of not one but two men. I stop at the front door, not even pulling out my keys. “You can go. I’ll take it from here. I’m sorry. I don’t want you to see what my roommate is doing in the living room. She has... issues.”
“Are you serious? She’s doing two guys in the living room?”
“Yeah, I think she’s some sort of sex addict. This is a daily thing for her. I have been looking for a new roommate for a while. Now with the better pay I’m going to save up and get a studio instead.”
“How long have you lived here?”
“Three months.” I admit.
“That’s crazy. Okay, I’ll let you take everything in.” Amelia backs away.
I’m burning in shame at Amelia hearing everything. I take out my keys and unlock the door. The group barely pauses as I take my bags in, needing three trips. Locking the door of my room, I begin taking out the clothes. Holy crap, she bought five pairs each of the two different jeans that fit well. She gave in and bought six tee shirts with various screen-printing that made them unique. The number of blouses she bought stuns me, twelve in all. I’m shocked she had purchased the same amount of dresses, even though some of them were different colors than I had tried on. Then there is a box at the bottom of one of the sacks, within the box are six other bras like the one I’m wearing, wrapped in tissue paper in a rainbow of colors.
This time my tears are of joy.
Chapter Eight
I pour
myself a scotch neat. Any day now it will end, is what I’m telling myself when it comes my attraction to Holly Messina. It has to. I’m beginning to wonder if I’m in my right mind. I’ve never gone out of my way to be cruel to a woman. Yet, I am to Holly, for no other reason than I resented the fuck out of my attraction to her. An attraction she knew nothing about and wasn’t trying to entice. At this point, I’m pretty sure if I came near her she’d answer me with violence, which is what I fucking deserve. None of what I’m putting her through is her fault. I need to get my shit together and stop. Hurting her isn’t just wrong, it’s having a crazy fucking effect on me and I don’t like it.
The word ambivalent doesn’t fit how I feel about Holly more. She cleans and cooks better than any other woman I’ve had in my home. She isn’t afraid to tell me to fuck off and has made her disdain of me more than a little obvious. Why it makes her appealing, I have no fucking idea. What I do know is she doesn’t deserve the shit I’ve said. If I don’t want to lose her as a housekeeper, and my sister’s respect, I need to check myself. Because, as crazy as she’s making me, my skin fucking tightens at the thought of her walking away.
I finish my scotch with a painful swallow. While I’m considering a repeat, the pounding on my door startles me. Amelia is calling my name, clearly distraught. I’m at the door in seconds. She nearly falls into my arms. “You have to help her! You have to, Ethan. Right now, go get her out of that horrible place. Please, whatever you want me to do I’ll do, if you just get her out of there.”
Picking her, up I take her back to sofa. I have no doubt who she is talking about. “Amelia, sweetheart, calm down. In plain English I need you tell me what the matter is, and how you expect me to fix it.”
“I took Holly shopping tonight, that’s where I was when you called me. Since there were more bags than she could handle herself, I took them up to her apartment and, oh, my god! I could hear two men and a woman having sex—all the way down the hall!
“Her roommate is some sort of sex addict who brings random people into their apartment and has sex with them everywhere. It’s clear she hates living there. Please, let her live here. You have an empty room. Don’t let her spend another night there.”
Fuck! I had been figuring out how to get out of it as I carried Amelia to the couch. Now I’m reaching for my phone to call Ricky, letting him know I need him back at my place. The idea of Holly living in a situation like that is stomach turning. There was a hint of sensuality to her that made me sure she was no virgin. Yet, she carried an innocence, almost ignorance, of her sexual appeal that also made it clear she didn’t have much experience. I do not doubt Holly is extremely uncomfortable with her living situation, not only that, but it wasn’t safe in the slightest.
Still, the idea of having her here, only twenty feet away from my bed has me worried. Except, my spare room is the only place to put her. Amelia lives in a one bedroom with a tiny study she uses as a library and reading spot. I can’t think of a good reason not to bring Holly home with me. My cock jumps happily at the idea of her close, the scent of her cherry skin filling my home.
“What’s the address?” When she gives it to me, I key it in and send it to Ricky. “Go air out the room. It hasn’t been used since you stayed last month.” Many of our Sundays are spent making popcorn, eating pizza, candy, and watching movie after movie until the early hours of the morning. Sometimes, Amelia slept in the guest room instead of going home.
My phone goes off, Ricky is downstairs.
****
Going down the hall, fucking hell, they are still fucking—over an hour later? It takes me pounding on the door twice before the door is answered by a tiny long-haired woman who it completely naked and covered in come over various parts of her body.
“Yeah?”
“Where is Holly’s room?” I’m grossed out by the young woman, unable to even look at her.
“Second door on the left.” Without another word she goes back to one of the men laying on the floor and begins fucking him.
Now I understand Amelia’s near hysteria. I pound on Holly’s door. “It’s Ethan. Get packed up, let’s go.”
Holly opens the door, in new jeans that cling, and a dark green emerald top showing her breasts off and making my cock ache. Her surprise is clear. “What?”
“Get packed, you’re coming home with me. You’ll be in the spare bedroom as long as you want.” She blinks wide. “Unless you want to spend another night here?”
The words get her moving. There isn’t much in the room, thank god. She opens her closet and there are five suitcases and two duffle bags. Opening the second largest suitcase, she opens a drawer filled with jeans and begins packing the suitcase. Then she moves to the second drawer containing tee shirts and fills the suitcase. With the suitcase full, she moves on to smallest suitcase. I pretend I don’t see the drawer is filled with her bras and panties and holy shit, is that a vibrator? No, it wasn’t, I tell myself. The third suitcase is opened and she goes to her closet again, and fills it with her hung clothes, brightly colored dresses and a few suits still on their hangers, then zips it closed. Unzipping the first duffel bag, she starts dumping all her personal items from a small bedside table and on top of the dresser, before closing it. The other duffel bag is unzipped and taken with her into the bathroom next to her room. I hear her tossing things into the bag.
When she comes back into the room, she looks around. “I’m done.”
“You don’t want your bedding and pillows?”
“God, no, I’m sure she’s been in here with who knows how many people. I’ll use the ones you have on the bed and buy new ones later. Can you please take the two largest suitcases?”
“Sure, what are they filled with?” Fuck, they’re heavy.
“Books.” She takes two rolling suitcases and sets the duffel bags on them as she rolls them out of the room, looking firmly ahead. I connect the third small suitcase to one of the large suitcases. I’m impressed, as I check my watch. It’s only been about twenty minutes since I left the car downstairs.
I follow her out, not looking toward the threesome. The elevator is opening as I come toward Holly. When the elevator opens, we get in and she leans back against wall, looking down. Watching her, I fight not to curse, she’s crying. “Thank you so much. I didn’t think I could take it anymore. I’m sorry you had to see that. I promise I won’t stay with you long.”
“Take as much time as you need. I have to admit, I thought Amelia was being overly dramatic, but she wasn’t. I can’t believe you put up with that for three months.”
“I did it by basically only going home to sleep. After work I’d go to the bookstore a few stops down, read until they closed, and then go to bed. She seemed normal when I first met her. For one, she was wearing clothes. I thought she was cool. She seemed really laid back about chores and cleaning up after ourselves. I’ve had roommates who freaked if a pan wasn’t cleaned before it even had a chance to cool down.
“The only thing that even hinted at what the place would become was when she told me she might bring a guy home from the bar from time to time, but that she was careful about who she brought home. I think she saw the distaste on my face. She assured me it was only every once in a while. She was a lying bitch. Every day, every single day, she brought home someone: man, woman, sometimes both. I’ve only stayed so long because the rent was low enough to actually afford to eat and pay bills without living on ramen only.”
Ricky is waiting outside the car as we walk out of the building. He takes a suitcase and we fill the trunk, the two duffel bags don’t fit, he puts them in the front seat. When Holly goes to open her door, Ricky is quick to get it for her. Checking my watch, I’m surprised to see it’s a little after midnight, it’s probably why the drive to my home is quick. Parking illegally in front of the building, Ricky grabs the two duffel bags then hurries to open the door for Holly. The trunk has already been popped by a button Ricky pressed. Ricky passes the duffel bags to Holly. “These are lighter
, take them. I’ll take the suitcases.”
She does as she’s told and the door is held open for her by Sean, the night doorman. “I’ll do what I can to keep you from getting a ticket, Mr. Bishop.”
“I appreciate it.” I slip Sean a one hundred dollar bill. Now I won’t be getting a ticket.
Amelia opens the door as soon as Holly knocks. “Oh, thank goodness. I knew Ethan would get you out of there. You aren’t mad at me are you, Holly? I just couldn’t stand you putting up with that awful scene I was imagining. I mean, gross.”
“I’m not mad. I appreciate it. I really do, Ethan.”
“Like I said, it’s no big deal. There’s an empty room, it’s yours until you don’t want it anymore.” Taking the suitcases down the hall, I leave them in the room. Ricky follows me and leaves them near the others. Holly follows and sets the duffel bags on the bed.
“I changed the sheets for you. These are nice and soft and smell yummy. This room also has its own heat control, right here. I love that about this room. To me, Ethan keeps this place too cool, but then again, he’s never here.”
Leaving Amelia to show Holly the small room and help her get settled, I walk Ricky out of the condo. I pull off three one hundred dollar bills. “Thanks for coming. I didn’t realize it was so late.”
“Hey, no problem, boss. I’m always happy to help.” As we wait for the elevator, Ricky rocks back on his heels. “She’s nice and sweet. It’s good she’s in a better, safe, place. Umm... she’s just your new housekeeper, right?”
Clenching my teeth, I fight the urge to punch him in the face. Ricky, my driver for seven years. A man I respected and liked. “Stay the fuck away from her.” Is all I grit out as I walk away.
Amelia is waiting for me at the closed door of my condo. “I knew she was perfect for you.”