Extra Extra (Working Girl Series Book 1)

by CY Jones

  “Brooklyn meet Daniel Johnson, Daniel this is my sugar buns, Brooklyn.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he says, taking my hand and leaving a light kiss over my knuckles. His eyes never leave mine and I shiver from the seductiveness he gives off like his natural pheromones.

  “So, what have you been up to, Danny boy? Charm any women into bed lately? Don’t let the good looks fool you, sugar buns, Danny here is a big manwhore.”

  “Don’t listen to him. Lately, his bed has seen far more partners than mine ever has.”

  I laugh because it’s not like I don’t already know Chaz is a playboy as well as a big flirt. With his looks alone, he can charm the pants off both men and women, but it’s his charisma that really hooks you. He may be rich, but he’s down-to-earth and so much fun to be around. “There’s no need to warn me. I already know how popular my friend is,” I tell them and they both chuckle.

  “And you? What’s your story? What kind of fun are you looking for tonight?” I have to be blind to miss the interested look he gives me. One word, he’ll take me to the back to show me a good time.

  “Right now, I want a drink and then I’ll see where the night takes me,” I answer instead.

  “Ooh mysterious,” he purrs and I wink.

  Like a gentleman, he signals for the bartender who rushes right over and orders both Chaz and I a Blue Lagoon. Moving closer, he speaks softly in my ear. “Hopefully I’ll get a chance to see you later. I have a private setup upstairs for special guests.” Before I can give a reply, the bartender pushes our drinks forward and he turns his attention back to Chaz. As tempting as his offer is, I’m doubtful I’ll take him up on it. Yeah, tonight is all about forgetting my problems, but not by sleeping with someone else. I already made a promise to myself, no one night stands. “Speak for yourself,” Shelly murmurs. “That man is divine.”

  Before leaving to greet some other friends of his, Daniel lets the bartender know our drinks are on the house for the rest of the night and I shamelessly watch his ass with rapt interest as he walks away.

  “Trust me, sugar buns, that’s one ball of trouble you don’t want to bounce.”

  “Have you ever been with him? You guys seem close,” I ask curious.

  “Danny is mostly straight. I’ve known him since high school, and no, he’s more of a too hot to trot friend you have a good time with than a fuck buddy.”

  “So he’s bi,” I prod.

  “He was, but that was when he was in his teens during the experimental stage. Now, he only fucks women and, girl, that bed upstairs has seen more action than a theater. If all you’re looking for is an escape tonight, then I’d tell you to have at it. He’s sexy and a veteran when it comes to all things in the bedroom, but I know that’s not what you really want.”

  I down my drink and order another as I think over Chaz’s words. He’s right, of course. No matter how hot Daniel is, I’m not looking for a one night stand, but a compatible drinking buddy is right up my ally. The second drink goes as fast as the first and quickly after, a third. Before I know it, Chaz and I are racing each other through a line of vodka shots until we’re both completely plastered. When “Prisoner” by Miley Cryrus comes on, Chaz squeals, grabs my hand, and pulls me out to the dance floor. Moving our body to the rhythm, we dance circles around each other. It’s been so long since I let loose. I haven’t been this free since my college days. My poor broken heart feels light, filling up with the copious amount of alcohol we consumed.

  One song blurs to another until our bodies are dripping in sweat. Going back to the bar, we do more shots, laughing our asses off and falling over one another. Both men and women cut in on our good time, but like magnets, we find each other, continuing our good time.

  It’s always when you drop your guard when the unexpected happens, then boom, like a clap of lightning life finds a way to remind you you can’t run from your problems for long.

  Justin

  “What’s up, man? I haven’t seen you in a while. What’s been going on?” Daniel greets me at the door, giving me a brief man hug.

  “Nothing much. I’ve been working a lot and you know… rehab.” Only my closest friends know about my addiction. Nodding in understanding, he walks me in where I’m immediately hit with a wall of heat.

  “Well, you picked quite the night to come by. We’re packed like sardines tonight,” he says, giving me a proud smile.

  “You’re always packed, what’s new about that?” I laugh.

  “True. Tonight must be the night to catch up. Chaz is here with one of the hottest chicks I’ve seen in awhile. I swear, for someone who’s into dudes, he always has the best of luck with the ladies.”

  “Chaz is here? I thought he was in New York.” Shit. What are the chances that he's here with Brooklyn? I mean, it’s possible. But if she’s here, what about her wedding? It has to be someone else. Quickly, I dash the spark of hope trying to flicker in my heart. She made her choice.

  “Dude, you look like you’re about to be sick.”

  “Nothing, it’s been a long day that’s all. I really need to unwind.”

  “Are you still thinking about expanding your business?” he asks as we walk over to the bar.

  “That’s the plan. I already signed on with a new partner. We’re working on the logistics.”

  “I’m happy for you, man. Maybe a change is just what you need.”

  I order a gin and tonic. With my drink in hand, I lean back against the bar on my elbows and watch the people on the dance floor. Immediately, some of the tension that’s been strangling the life out of me since I left New York melts away, and for the first time in a while, I take a deep breath that doesn’t feel like I’m drowning in misery. Daniel is right. There are a lot of people here, most are packed on the dance floor bumping and grinding against one another. When was the last time I let loose on the dance floor? I can’t really remember. I came out tonight to get away for a bit before the four walls of my empty house drives me crazier than I already am.

  Maybe it’s wrong for me to complain. Business is good, life would be better if I wasn’t nursing a broken heart. On the outside, I may look like I got it all together, but inside, I’m rotting alive. After Brooklyn’s last email, I knew something was wrong. I wanted to be there for her, prove that she could lean on me. Not once did I suspect she was back together with her ex while I was here building a life for us. I was such a fool. An idiot blinded by a pretty face.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Daniel asks with a look of concern on his face. The last thing I need right now is his pity.

  “Yeah, I’m good.” Downing my drink, my gaze shifts and my heart stops when they gaze upon a face in the crowd I was not ready to see this soon. Hell, if I’m being honest, I’ll never be ready. Everything is still too fresh, too raw. What the fuck is she doing here? Flashes of that horrid dinner attack me, taking over my brain, and my hand tightens around the crystal tumbler holding my drink.

  “Chaz, Brooklyn, over here," Daniel says, waving them over happily.

  Fuck. Please, no, don’t, but it’s not like I can voice my objections out loud.

  Like at that dinner, her eyes don’t waver from mine and we’re struck speechless. Two blazing comets on a collision course. Again, Chaz is caught in the middle and looks between us through his alcoholic haze. Apparently, the two of them have been hitting the bottle pretty hard before I got here. Are they celebrating her upcoming nuptials? I mean, why else would she be here?

  “Hey, Justin, fancy seeing you here,” Chaz says, waving his fingers.

  “Yeah, what are the odds?” I retort dryly. Brooklyn stays silent, content to let Chaz be the mouthpiece.

  “Lovely Brooklyn, how are you enjoying yourself?” Daniel asks, laying on the charm and I grind my teeth annoyed. I know that tone well. It’s his, ‘I want to get you upstairs in my bed tone’. Of course, he’s interested in her. She’s fucking gorgeous. Too bad, too sad, she’s harder to catch than a mystical unicorn.

>   “I... I,” she opens her mouth before turning on her high ass ruby red heels and bolts.

  “What did I just miss?” Daniel asks, confused.

  “Well, are you going to go after her, or am I?” Chaz questions, raising a perfectly arched brow.

  When I make no attempt to move, he gives me a disgusted look before chasing after her.

  “So are you going to tell me what the fuck that was about?” Danial asks.

  “Dude, trust me when I tell you, you don’t want to know." With that, I order another drink and drown my sorrows.

  17

  Labels

  Brooklyn

  Cracking my crusty eyes open the next morning, I wake to a pounding headache. It’s been a while since I had a good hangover and this is a doozy. I feel like shit. Like I slammed my head repeatedly against the wall. My mouth is drier than a desert, my tongue rough like sandpaper. I badly need a drink of water. I try to sit up but I’m weighed down by another body. I turn my head to see Chaz lying on his stomach with his arm draped tightly around my waist. I take a moment to admire the planes of his sculpted back before using more force to sit up.

  I try to remember what happened last night, but I’m drawing blanks. My dress and heels are lying carelessly on the floor near the side of the bed, my bra hanging off the bedpost, and I’m wearing a soft vintage Flintstones T-shirt inside out with my panties. I’m positive Chaz and I didn’t have sex last night. For one, he’s fantastically gay and I don’t feel the sensation of the good kind of ache between my thighs. In fact, the only thing I am feeling is a terrible hangover.

  Beside me, Chaz groans and his hand blindly searches for me, flopping across the sheet like a fish washed out on shore. Finding what he’s looking for, he latches onto my arm with a surprisingly firm grip and pulls me down beside him. “Go back to sleep. It’s too early to be up,” he grumbles.

  I chuckle then groan as my head starts to spin. Too much movement, too soon. “It’s two in the afternoon according to the clock on your nightstand.”

  “Yep, early,” he says, pulling me closer until he can wrap his leg around my body like an octopus. He’s nice and warm and I snuggle deeper into his body. This is nice. Lying with a man who does not expect sex is oddly comforting. He doesn’t even have a hard-on, which I thought all guys get in the morning.

  “Did you undress me last night? I don’t even remember getting back.”

  “I was too plastered to drive so I called an Uber, and yes. As fabulous as that dress was, I didn’t think you’d enjoy sleeping in it. You’re lucky I was coordinated enough to get it off. It took way too many attempts to unhook your bra.”

  “Huh, undressed by Chaz Vanderbilt and I don’t even remember it,” I tease.

  “Shut up,” he grins. “You’re such a brat,” he murmurs into my skin.

  “Was Justin really at the club last night?” I ask softly. Bits and pieces are coming back to me. I don’t know how I could ever forget that gorgeous face or the pain reflecting in his sad eyes when they locked on me. Justin was whole. I had put him back together just to break him all over again.

  After a beat of silence, he finally answers, “You don’t need me to answer that, you know he was. If it makes you feel better, he looked as miserable as you. Neither one of you is taking the breakup well.”

  “Is it really a breakup? It’s not like we put a label to what we had.”

  “Sugar buns, label or not, you two were together. Long distance relationships are harsh. There’s a reason they never work out. I should know.”

  “What happened with you and your ex, if you don’t mind me asking?” Chaz is great. He’s the total package. Hot, loyal, he has his shit together, and is charismatic as fuck. He has this crazy knack of making you feel good about yourself and is so easy to be comfortable around. If he weren’t gay, I’d date him.

  Silent with his body held taut, I didn’t think he was going to answer, but then he takes a deep breath relaxing against me. “The distance contributed, but it wasn’t what broke us up. Michael and I were high school sweethearts. After coming out, he was the one who stood by me when my own parents disowned me. I guess you can say if it weren’t for him, I’d still be living a lie. When he first left for college I was fine dealing with his busy work schedule. I was determined to make it work, so I bought the townhouse and spent a great deal of time in New York, but once he started medical school, I knew something was up.

  "I was busy with my shop, but I still made time to call him until I realized I was the only one making the effort. I was the one going out my way to make shit work. I’m the one who wanted this relationship. It didn’t really surprise me when he called to tell me he wanted to break up. I was already expecting it, but it didn’t make the pain hurt any less.”

  “Oh, Chaz, I’m so damn sorry,” I tell him, pulling him closer so I can hug him tight. “Your ex sounds like a real jerk.”

  “People grow apart. Yes, distance contributed to the breakup, but over time, Michael's goals changed, and unfortunately, I was no longer one of them.”

  “Did you see him when you were in New York?”

  “That’s enough about my ex. What are you going to do about Justin? It’s obvious he still cares for you,” he says, changing the subject.

  “What else can I do? You’re the one who ran after me last night, not him. He’s drawn his proverbial line in the sand and made it clear I’m not standing on his side. I need to let him go.”

  “I still say you’re making a mistake, but it’s your life. Come on, let's get up so we can get something to eat. I’m starving.”

  Justin

  I’m starting to think I’ve traded one addiction for another. Thoughts of Brooklyn runs on repeat through my head and not even my third glass of beer can dull them. I loved that girl. More than I ever loved anyone, even Paige. Like a shooting star, she lit up the darkness around my heart only to disappear after I wished for more. I put myself out there only to be betrayed in the end. Karma's a bitch and she had my number for a while now.

  “I thought I’d find you here,” Paige says, taking a seat beside me at the bar.

  Speak of the devil. “What are you doing here?” I ask curious. Since meeting Harrison, it’s usually me who seeks her out, not the other way around. But that has been less and less lately. Since Brooklyn came into the picture, I have been able to move on from Paige.

  “What does it look like? Chaz told me Brooklyn was in town and I can only think of one reason why she’s back so soon and it ain’t her brother. I’m here to keep you from making the biggest mistake of your life.”

  “I did that already, remember. You know, when I gave into my addiction and set our marriage on fire.” Signaling the bartender, I order another beer, this time drinking it straight from the bottle.

  “Justin, come on, let’s be real here. You know as well as I do that we are better off as friends than lovers. If anything, you did us both a favor. Yeah, what you did hurt like hell. I felt betrayed and it took a year for me to snap myself out of my misery and move on, but I did it. With Harrison’s help, I gathered the pieces of my broken heart and pieced them back together again, stronger than they ever were before. Moving on wasn’t a walk in the park. Despite what you might think, I didn’t have it easy. Harrison and I went through our own tribulations, but he fought for me. Fought for us when I gave up. Now look at us. We couldn’t be happier.”

  I have looked at them. Watched her and grew an unhealthy obsession tinged in jealousy. It didn’t matter how Paige was in my life as long as she was in it, and yeah, maybe I held out hope that one day she would be mine again. But that was before she got married and I smacked head first into my destiny. Brooklyn pulled me out the hole I was content to bury myself in just to drop me in quicksand.

  “I have and I’m happy for you. I really am. But what you went through with Harrison is totally different than what I’m going through with Brooklyn. You and Harrison had a misunderstanding. You thought he was cheating on you with his sta
ger. Brooklyn is one hundred percent, without a doubt engaged to her shitbag ex and is marrying him on Christmas day. Where the fuck do I fit in? How can I fight for someone who isn’t mine?”

  “When has that ever stopped you?” she says, referring to herself. “Not everything is black and white. You taught me that. I know love, Justin. True love. Blinding love that you rather die than live without. A love so precious and elusive that if it happens for you, you know to hold on tight and never let it go. Without a doubt, you have that with Brooklyn. I’ve seen the way her face lights up when she’s thinking about you. Even when she thought I would be upset about you two hooking up. The question is, are you strong enough to see it through?”

  With that, she leaves me with my drink and saunters out the bar as quickly as she came. Her question bounces around in my head and really, I don’t have an answer for her or myself.

  Brooklyn

  “Want to take a guess of how many times my ex called me these last two weeks?” I ask Chaz. We’re at his shop and he’s standing behind his client, folding tin foil in her platinum hair. His client, a transgender named Roxy, is sitting back with headphones in her ear, watching a movie on Netflix on her iPad.

  “How many?” he replies back absentmindedly as his fingers weave expertly through her hair.

  “One hundred and fifty-three. I’m starting to think he has a problem.”

  “We both know he does, but I’m sure the insane amount of calls are due to the fact that you haven’t spoken to him since that disastrous dinner. I mean, you took ghosting to the next level when you quit your job and then disappeared off the face of the earth.”

  “I hardly call California disappearing off the face of the earth. I thought you were my friend. Who’s side are you on anyways?” I pout.