by Brandy Ayers
“God damn, I love you.”
“Love you, too, my caveman.” After a moment of blissful snuggling, Charlotte glanced up at the clock across the room. “Shit. Bekah is going to kill me.”
Trey chuckled, reluctantly pulling his spent cock from her. They both gasped at the loss, but Charlotte didn’t linger any longer. Readjusting her underwear, she grabbed the dress she’d been ironing, threw it on and braided her hair as she ran for the door.
“Call you later. Be safe. Love you.” She called over her shoulder as she threw the door open.
“See you later, sugar.”
***
“Oh, come on. You aren’t really mad at me, are you?”
In a completely un-Bekah like move, her friend had been silently pouting in the passenger seat the whole ride to the airport.
“I wasn’t even that late. We’ll make it in plenty of time to check in, get through security and still have to wait a little while for your flight.” Okay, she’d been twenty minutes late, but traffic had been light for once on the highway, and that more than made up for the time. Charlotte didn’t want Bekah to go away for the next month mad at her. They’d grown so close over the last six months. They talked on the phone multiple times a week, had a regular girls night with both Mira and Kym, and had even worked together on a few special projects at the station. They were putting together a series of pieces on mental health. After the shit show with Mira’s stalker, and then everything that had happened with Trudy, they felt called to start a discussion in the community concerning mental health and the lack of services for the underprivileged.
“No, I’m not really mad. I mean I will have to skip the Starbucks cart, but I’m not mad. Just jealous. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I got laid? And you come to pick me up late and looking like you’ve had the hell fucked out of you. I need that.”
“I’m well aware it's been a while. Every time you get a glass of wine in you, it’s all we hear about.” That was no exaggeration, either. Bekah had no shame about making it common knowledge that her lady purse needed attention. “Maybe you’ll meet someone on the trip?”
Bekah glared at her from across the front seat. “Yeah. I’m totally going to meet some hot guy with a giant cock too hook up with while spending a month in one of the poorest countries on the planet.”
Charlotte pulled into the airport parking lot, making her way to the drop off zone.
“Well, when you get back, I’ll have Kym set you up with one of her clients from the Penguins. You like hockey players, right?”
“Ohhhhh, yeah. Their asses are like big bubbles of muscle. Okay. That and the vibrators I brought with will have to hold me over.” Bekah gathered her stuff from the back seat while Charlotte parked at the curb just outside the entrance. “Can you help me carry some of my bags in real quick?”
“Am I allowed to? I though I couldn’t leave the car unattended.”
With a dismissive wave of her hand, Bekah insisted it would be fine. And after flirting with one of the baggage handlers, it seemed it really would be. Together they lugged her four huge suitcases up to the counter, and Charlotte waited nearby while Bekah completed the check in process.
“Okay. Be safe. Call often. Tell Cory to enjoy the trip too.” Bekah’s photographer had flown down the week before to ensure all the necessary equipment arrived without issue, so Bekah would be meeting him when she arrived.
“Will do. Love you girl.”
“Love you too.” As Charlotte watched her friend make her way toward security, she realized she’d said those three words more in the last six months than she had in the entire rest of her life. Between Trey and her new-found group of gal pals, she said the words nearly everyday.
Bekah turned before getting in the line for the security. “By the way, your car is totally getting towed.”
Charlotte screeched and turned to run back outside, only to run straight into a big wall of delicious smelling muscle. “Oof, sorry sir…” But she recognized that scent of testosterone and lingering smoke. “Trey? What are you doing here?”
“Well, a little birdie informed me at the cook out the other day that you only take vacation time when forced to. Turns out you have over three months of time stored up. So, we’re using some.”
Completely confused, Charlotte could only stare at him with her jaw hanging down in what had to be a completely unattractive expression.
“I have it all worked out with Michelle. For the next week, we’re going to do nothing but sit on a beach, drink something frozen and fruity, and fuck. Oh, and you can pretty much count on me asking you to marry me at some point too.” Trey flung his arm around her shoulders, maneuvering her into place at the back of the international security line.
“But my car. And I haven’t packed. And I don't have my passport.”
“Chris is moving your car to the station parking lot as we speak. He dropped me off, too.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. Trey and Chris, Mira’s now fiancé, had formed a little bromance during the nights the girls abandoned their men. Mira and Charlotte often joked they would get left behind when their men decided to just date each other.
“I packed a bag for you. It's a small bag with small clothes inside.” He shot her a wink, and that old familiar blush crept up her cheeks “Your passport is in my pocket. There is nothing for you to worry about.”
“You’re going to propose?”
“Yup. Not now. And I’m not telling you when. But I am giving you warning because I want you to think up all those preposterous reasons why we shouldn’t get married yet, and I am going to shoot everyone of them down. Then when you are good and positive, with no doubts, I’m going to pop the question, and we are going to live happily ever after. Got it?”
Joy like she’d never known radiated out of her until she thought for sure the many TSA agents would insist on patting her down for nuclear materials. Truth was, she had no doubts. They been through hell together. They put in the work with therapy and long tense conversations. They were solid. And more than that, they were in love, completely and unshakably. But she didn’t tell Trey that yet. She’d wait until they were on some ultra romantic spot to tell him that she wanted to marry him every bit as much as he wanted to marry her.
His gesture was sweet though. Making sure she knew what he planned and not springing the proposal on her. The anxiety she’d given into most her life was still there inside her, but she no longer let it take the lead. Trey was giving her the opportunity to freak out now, so the actual proposal would be perfect.
Just like him.
The End
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Acknowledgments
For a decade, I worked in a local news station not totally unlike WQUZ News. While in that career I meet countless dedicated journalists who often put themselves in danger to bring stories to the community. They were on the scenes of shootings, fires, care accidents, and police incidents. I want to thank every single one of those reporters, photographers, anchors, and other journalists. It isn’t an easy job, and often it goes without any thanks from the public they serve. Even though I know leaving the world of news was the best move for my family and me, I miss the excitement and the people every day.
I also need to thank all the beta readers, reviews, and fellow writers that have helped me grow as a writer and constantly strive to write the best stories I can. Writing is something that I have loved my entire life, and I am so thankful I have found a community of romance writers that are supportive and just all around awesome.
And finally, as always, a big thanks to my family. I think everyone related to me has at some point watched my kids so I could some writing done, and it is appreciated beyond words can express. Especially my husband, no alpha male could come close to touching how awesome you ar
e and how much I love you. Thanks!
Also By Brandy Ayers
Stand Alones:
The Arrangement
Piece by Piece: A Modern Retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk
Wanted: No Strings
Taking Over
The O Doctor – Coming Soon!
Wanting My Brother’s Sister – Coming Thanksgiving 2018!
WQUZ News Series:
Standby
Breaking
In-Depth – Coming 2019
Exclusive – Coming 2019
Blue Line Series:
Reckless Conduct
Possession
Intoxication
Disturbing the Peace
Surprisingly Safe:
Only Us
Only You
Only Me – Coming Fall 2018
About Brandy
Brandy Ayers is a writer of erotic romance. Or romantic erotica, depending on how you look at it. She has been telling stories in one form or another since she was a child and decided her English / Irish heritage was boring. Instead, for a 4th grade class genealogy assignment, she weaved a tale of mystery and intrigue about her great, great grandpa chief of the Navajo tribe. No one bought it. Brandy lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, son, daughter, neurotic boxer, and Satan worshipping cat.
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BrandyAyers.com
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