Manservant

by Shari J. Ryan

  “What about Chip?” I’ve wanted to ask her since the night she left to go home with Cleary, but I haven’t had the opportunity.

  “I told you. We’re done, Julia.” There’s a snappiness to her response, and while I’m aware of what she told me, I also know how much she loved . . . and probably still loves him. Cleary is fogging up her mind, and she’ll most likely go home more confused than she was when she came here.

  “Okay, okay,” I say, holding up my hands in defense. “I won’t ask again.”

  “So, changing the subject real quick, while we have a minute,” Jade says as a female caterer silently greets us with a tray filled with glasses of wine. Jade takes two, and I take one. We’re nannies, not party guests, but I don’t think Sam would bat an eyelash at me having a glass of wine. Two at one time might be a bit overkill, though.

  “Jade . . .” I scold her quietly.

  She points across the way at a woman doing shots of clear liquid by the fireplace. “That’s the girls’ mother, so it’s all good.”

  Oh God. The woman is taking shots with Sam. This should be an interesting night. “Got it,” I tell her.

  “Anyway, back to what I was trying to tell you . . .” she begins to say. While I’m focused on what Jade is saying, I feel a hand drape over my bare shoulder. “Sterling and Cleary, my two favorite brothers.” Jade exuberantly makes her way over to them, still double fisting the wine as she air kisses both of them on each cheek. Are we suddenly European, and mixed in with a Beverly Hills crowd? Plus, she’s sleeping with Cleary, so a cheek kiss is a bit odd, but it’s Jade, and who am I to question anything she does?

  The more important part is that Sterling is here, and my focus also just fell upon Liam, who’s dressed in a pair of perfectly creased Dockers and a white button-down shirt with the sleeves cuffed up to his tattoo-covered elbows. His hair is combed upward into a purposeful messy style that looks incredible on him, and he’s wearing leather bracelets that match his brown suede loafers.

  “Julia, you have drool . . .” Jade whispers into my ear, “and Sterling is standing right in front of you.”

  I do my best to readjust my gaze onto Sterling, but after seeing Liam in nothing but jeans, t-shirts, and board shorts over the past week, I can’t help the little bit of drool pooling at the corner of my mouth. “Guppy,” Sterling says with an abundance of cheeriness. “I had fun last night.” Was that last night? I’ve been in a sex coma for like twenty-four hours, and it feels like a year since I went out for pizza with Sterling.

  Jade elbows me in the side. “Last night, huh? What were you two crazy kids up to?”

  Sterling wraps his arm around my shoulders, and I feel uncomfortable knowing Liam is just across the way. Not that I’m committed to either of them, but Liam did lick my ass, and I feel like it’s sort of a claim on his territory. Surely, I owe him some sort of consideration.

  “Yeah, that pizza was so good,” I tell him. I’m aware that’s not the response he was probably going for, but he ignores my response and takes a swig of his beer.

  Feeling more uncomfortable by the moment, I keep my gaze set on Jade, whose earlobe is being tended to by Cleary’s tongue. I still don’t think I’ve heard him say more than two words. Granted, Jade does talk enough for the two of them, but still . . . it’s strange.

  “How was your day?” Sterling asks, making small talk.

  “Can’t complain.” I’m not trying to sound as short as I do, but I don’t exactly want to tell him the truth about my day. I don’t think he cares to hear that I’ve been fucked by Liam like ten ways from Sunday, had a finger up my ass, had a tongue up my ass, and had water sprayed up my ass. Wow. Impressive for one day.

  Sterling is sweet, and while I typically appreciate a patient guy who is a decent kisser, I’ve recently learned that occasionally a girl needs to be sexually pillaged too, just to remind her that she has what it takes to steal a man’s breath away. Not that I’ve given Sterling a chance to prove his worthiness in that department, but Liam beat him in this ass race, literally.

  While internally beating myself senseless, I somehow manage to polish off this glass of wine. Oh, and here is another waiting for me. Is this woman like watching me guzzle this shit down? She must want me to be drunk. Should I tip her? I mean, I would if I had any cash on me, but I don’t.

  I look around for Dylan because I’m supposed to be watching him rather than focusing on how fast I can drink a glass of wine. I quickly find him, still in the same spot, except now he’s talking to Leelee with a huge cheeseball grin. That’s so cute.

  “How’s Pops?” Jade asks.

  “I assume you heard?” I respond.

  “Heard what?”

  “Your dad said he couldn’t crash, I guess. I’m sure he had reasons for it, though. Don’t worry. We’ll figure something out.”

  “Ugh,” Jade groans. “I know exactly why.”

  “Why?”

  “He doesn’t like to clean, but he gets embarrassed about a messy house. He’s weird.”

  I’m not sure that fully explains it. I suppose I can understand not wanting a roommate at his age, but Dad is about to be out on his butt tomorrow, and here I am drinking expensive wine on a porch overlooking the ocean.

  “What’s he going to do?” Sterling asks, entering the conversation.

  “I’m not sure. I offered to come home a bunch of times, but he made me promise I wouldn’t. I just feel helpless and guilty, plus I’m worried about him.”

  “Your dad doesn’t give up, Jules. He’ll figure something out,” Jade says.

  A loud slapping noise interrupts the conversation. I snap my head around to see where the sound is coming from, finding Liam’s hand on Sterling’s shoulder.

  “How’s it hangin’, man?” Liam’s cheeks are red, but he looks so good up close that I’m not paying attention to the tension rising in the small space around us.

  “Good, good. We missed you this morning. What happened to ya, eh?” Sterling asks Liam.

  “I was with a chick,” he says with a wink and a nudge.

  “Awww, yeah,” Sterling replies with a hand raised for Liam to slap. “Anyone I know?”

  Please don’t, Liam. Not here. Not now.

  “Nah, I don’t think so,” Liam thankfully says.

  “I wish I had been so lucky last night,” Sterling says, gritting his teeth through a smile, squeezing my shoulder a little tighter.

  I slip out from under his arm and grab Jade by the hand. “Bathroom?”

  “I don’t have to go,” she says, regretfully releasing Cleary’s hand.

  “Jade. Now.”

  “Ugh, this is like the sexcapades on lover’s island,” Jade mutters as I drag her away.

  I’ve locked Jade and myself into the downstairs bathroom, pinned her against the back of the door, and I’m now staring into her concerned eyes. “I think I’m getting myself into trouble,” I tell her.

  “What? What could you have possibly done in a week?”

  “Oh, please, coming from a person playing fuck-buddies with a guy who doesn’t talk, just weeks after coming out of an engagement with the man you intended to spend the rest of your life with.”

  “Harsh, Jules, geez.”

  “Seriously, though.”

  “Okay, I’m going to ignore your rudeness to Cleary and chalk it up to the two glasses of wine you just downed, but what is going on?”

  “Sterling is sweet, good-looking, and he’s made it clear he’s into me, but—” Butt is totally the problem here.

  “But? It’s been a week, what more could you want?” she asks, completely confused by where I’m going with this.

  “Liam . . .”

  “He’s good in bed, right?” She jests with a wink.

  “He’s not just good in bed, Jade.”

  “Ohhh, so like, does he have a steel penis?” This conversation is far too serious sounding as we discuss Liam’s penis.

  I hold my hands about three-quarters of a foot apart from
each other and then cup my hands together to show the girth. “Like . . . unreal.”

  “Holy shit . . . and ouch . . . at the same time.”

  “No, not ouch. He’s like a magician. One second you see it, the next it’s inside of me . . .” I tell her.

  “Okay, how are you drunk after two glasses of wine?” she asks.

  “He licked my . . .”

  “Pussy?” she asks as if I’m strange for not finishing my sentence.

  “No . . .”

  She thinks for a second before her eyes widen with understanding. “He licked your bumhole?”

  I nod my head, feeling my cheeks redden. “It was . . .”

  Her mouth is hanging open. “It was, what?”

  I admit it. “It was amazing. He had my wrists bound and . . .”

  “Holy Fifty Shades.”

  “Is it weird that I like it?” I ask her.

  “Nah, I always had a feeling you were a freak in the bedroom. It’s always the cute, innocent-looking ones who surprise the hell out of you.” Isn’t that what Sam said about Liam this morning.

  “Hence, Cleary . . .” I figure.

  She looks down between us and fidgets with the bulky ring on her forefinger. “We haven’t had sex, Jules.”

  “What?” I figured they were screwing each other’s brains out every day.

  She glances up at me with a thin sheen of tears in her eyes. “I can’t do it.”

  I take her hands and hold them up to my heart. “You love Chip, Jade. That’s why.”

  “I know I do. I’m just scared.”

  “You’re twenty-two. You’re thinking about the rest of your life. Of course you’re scared. I’m not going to tell you what to do, but you can have your cake and eat it too . . .”

  “Obviously, I’m taking this advice from the master of eating cake,” she replies, annoyed.

  “Oh . . . I know how to eat cake and lick that frosting like you wouldn’t believe.” I wink and give her a tight hug.

  “You’re gross. I was seriously talking about cake,” she tells me, before shaking herself out of my grip. “Okay, so what are you going to do about Sterling?”

  “I think I need to be honest with him. I don’t want to give him false hope when I’m having the best sex of my life.”

  “But . . . is there more to Liam than sex?” she asks. “Like, what if Sterling is just as good in bed, but there’s more to him, and not so with Liam?”

  “Are you trying to help me or confuse me?” I’m trying to help you, girly, but you need to focus on the here and now. Plus, you need to make the right choice, and to do that you have to look at the big picture.”

  “I have feelings for Liam . . . a lot of feelings for him.”

  “But are they only sexual?” I’m usually the one giving the relationship advice, but I guess it’s me who needs it this time.

  I’m going through the thoughts lingering in my head of every encounter I’ve had with Liam. While most of them are of pranks or sexual escapades, he was truly sweet when I was upset about Dad yesterday. Plus, watching him with Dylan . . . it kind of makes my ovaries hurt a little. “I don’t think so.”

  “Well, it’s been a week. I think you have time to make up your mind,” she says.

  “You’re right.” She is. I have time. I have the whole summer. Then I go back home, which won’t work out for either situation, so I’m not sure what I’m worried about here.

  I take a deep breath, push every dizzying thought out of my head, and glance into the mirror to fluff my hair a little. “Ready?” Jade asks.

  I open the door, and she walks out first. “So, you’re just like casually fooling around with Cleary all of the time?”

  “Yeah, it’s kind of fun . . . harmless, you know?”

  “I gotcha.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders, and we head back outside to a scene I’ve been fearful of.

  Liam and Sterling are in a heated conversation in the middle of a circle of people who are watching with excitement in their eyes. Oh no.

  I step in between the two of them. “Stop, what are you doing?”

  “Julia, this has nothing to do with you,” Liam says, nudging me away.

  “Don’t touch her like that,” Sterling snaps at him. “You did not go through that backdoor the other day. What’s with you and making up stories, eh?”

  “Dude, you weren’t there, and why are you getting all pissy about this? Oh, I know, it’s because of the Chinese Wax Job, right? It messed up your day yesterday.” Chinese wax job? What the hell? It’s just a Brazilian. Chinese? What kind of wax job is that? Why are they even arguing about my lady bits?

  “Um, excuse me! I’m right here,” I try to interrupt them again.

  “Julia, not now,” Sterling holds a hand up to me.

  “Don’t talk to her like that,” Liam grunts at him.

  Oh my God. Just stop, I mutter to myself.

  “Look I know you caught a good one yesterday, but those conditions were like chowder,” Liam tells Sterling.

  Chowder? I showered. I’m mortified. I think I need to leave here and never come back again. I’m backing away, hoping they don’t notice, but Liam does. “Hold up.” He grabs my wrist, keeping me beside him. But why? So he can embarrass me some more by telling everyone how I smell like chowder down there?

  “You’re the one eating it every day,” Sterling retorts.

  “I’m good at pumping, what can I say?” Liam argues.

  “Yeah until you rail bang.” Um, what? What is Sterling suggesting?

  “Liam, what is Sterling talking about?”

  “Coming from a paddlepuss, really?” Liam laughs.

  “Tell you what, brochacho, you get down on one knee tomorrow before dumping, and I’ll take your word for it.” Uh, no. No!

  “You are not proposing to me tomorrow, Liam, I’m sorry. Sterling, what the hell?” I interrupt.

  They both jerk their heads back and turn toward me. “What? Why would Liam propose to you tomorrow?”

  “You just told him to get down on one knee?” Is this some kind of sick joke?

  “What did you think we were talking about, Julia?” Sterling asks.

  “Yeah, what the hell?” Liam asks. He’s pissed at whatever I’m assuming right now, but I’m more pissed at what I just heard.

  “Well, Sterling, Liam was just nice enough to tell you I smell like chowder down there after telling you I have some weird kind of wax job that I don’t. It’s Brazilian by the way, not Chinese. Who has a Chinese wax job? I’ve never even heard of that. And really, Liam, you think it’s appropriate to talk about going into my back door? Is nothing private with you? God.”

  “Uh, Julia,” Liam mutters under his breath.

  He should feel bad. Unbelievable.

  “No, you know what, I thought you were different. I did.” No I didn’t. I was just caught up in the sex and his fucking good looks. Asshole.

  “Julia,” he says again.

  “Whatever, Liam, or should I refer to you as . . . manservant. Shouldn’t you be cleaning something?” I try to laugh, but it comes out sounding like a dying animal. “There you go, you get your wish. I quit. I’m going back to Indiana just like you originally wanted.”

  Liam looks surprised, and he’s quiet. “How nice, coming from the failure of all Mary Poppinses here . . .” He’s looking at the few people still standing around us and then back at me.

  “Oh please . . . maybe I have no experience, but you’re the one with ulterior motives. I know your little secret. You don’t really clean houses, you’re just here to reconnect with your long-lost half-brother.”

  “Julia!” Liam shouts again. “First, you should know that Sterling and I were talking about the surf from the other day, not you or your ass.”

  “You were talking about wax jobs, backdoors, and chowder . . . and—”

  “Yeah, surfboards need wax. Backdoor means breaking into the peak of a wave from behind, and chowder just means there was a lot of seaweed and sh
it in the water.” He laughs . . . and doesn’t sound like a dying animal. He thinks this is all real funny. “You thought I was talking about you?”

  Okay, right now would be a good time for an earthquake so the ground could just rip apart and swallow me up. I have never been more embarrassed in my life. What was I thinking?

  “You two are screwing?” Sterling finally pipes in. “We just went out to dinner last night! What the fuck, Julia?” Everyone is quiet for a minute before the unsuspecting bomb drop. “Wow, well, congrats on the win, Liam. You finally won one of them.” Won?

  This is like one of those horrible stories where a woman walks in on the love of her life screwing their best friend, who happens to be a guy. I don’t think this could get any worse right now, and on top of everything else, I was just a game. It just makes all the sense in the world now. How could I have been so stupid?

  I swallow hard, or I try to, but I feel like I might throw up. I turn to run inside, enduring the last of the comments from Liam. “Oh, and thanks a lot for reading my certified letter, which you do know is illegal, right? Don’t start thinking you know a goddamn thing about me!”

  “I’m sorry, Liam, but really? I was a game? I should have known,” I croak out as I run inside, finding Sam in the kitchen. “I—um—”

  “Hey, what’s wrong? Did something happen? Oh shit, did Daniel freaking grab your ass?” What? Here I am, thinking this moment couldn’t get any worse.

  “No, no, why would you think that? He does that? No. Sam, I’m so so sorry, but I have to quit. I never wanted to do this to you, but I can’t stay here. My dad needs me, and Liam . . . ugh, that was such a big mistake. I can’t tell you how you badly I feel right now, but I think I know the reason why you’re losing nannies by the week.”

  Sam’s face contorts with a mess of confusion and sadness. “Wait, please, don’t go. You can’t go, actually. I was going to be talking to you later tonight about something, but—I hope I didn’t overstep my boundaries already.”

  “What are you talking about? Sam, I—”

  “Liam told me about your dad’s situation and asked if we could help somehow. God, Julia, we have more money than I know what to do with sometimes, and I try to help people out when I can.” Where is she going with this?