Frozen Over

by Tarrah Anders

  “Mommy dearest drunk again?” Beth asks siding next to me at the counter. She’s been around my mother long enough to know when she spits her venom that it’s only words and not heart. Especially since the lady lacks one.

  “Incredibly so.” I say, my eyes not leaving Allison’s dear in headlights.

  “Don’t pay attention to the old lady. She’s bitter and hates everyone, including her sons.” Beth says and I nod my head in acknowledgment.

  “She just called us whores.” Allison whispers, like she can’t believe those words exist.

  “She calls any female a whore. She’s classy like that.” Jacob says walking back into the kitchen stands closely beside Beth, who seems flustered at the proximity.

  “I’m sure she drank her weight in champagne, she will likely not even remember the conversation in the morning. Come here?” I say opening my arms to her.

  “So, you’re the girl?” Jacob asks. “I’m Jake, this assholes brother.” He hitches his thumb in my direction.

  “Nice to meet you.” Allison says shaking his hand.

  “Really, don’t pay any attention to the old bat, she’s just mad because she’s old and you’re hot and young. She thinks everyone under 30 is a hussy and that all men think with their dicks. Although, that last one could be true.” Jacob winks, elbowing Beth who just rolls her eyes.

  “Great event if I do say so myself!” Beth brushes her shoulder changing subjects.

  “Thanks for putting it together. You should plan events instead of being my assistant.”

  “And not get the chance to have catty run ins with your mother, no thank you! Jake, can you be a pal and give me a ride home tonight?” Beth asks as he straightens and smiles then nods while putting his drink down.

  “We’ll see ourselves out; the images of you Allison are fantastic. I’m glad you’re a part of the team.” Jacob smiles.

  “The clean-up crew will do whatever you tell them to do. They’re quick too, so you two have a good rest of your night.” Beth winks as Jacob leads her out of the room.

  I turn to Allison and smile.

  “Let me give instructions to them and then we can make ourselves scarce. Don’t move, unless it’s to get naked.”

  “Seriously? Again Mr. Maddox!” She fakes exasperation while fanning herself.

  “Never question my stamina when it comes to being in your pussy baby, never.” I tease her as I walk away.

  I walk away from her confidently and am silently cursing at the behavior of my mother.

  As I exit the kitchen, I pull out my phone and call her.

  “Tyson Darling?” She answers.

  “Mother, I would greatly appreciate it if you were to refrain from speaking about or to anyone that I spend time with again. The words that come out of your mouth are hurtful and uncalled for. You have no room to speak on such business as it does not pertain to you.”

  “Is she not just a fuck toy for you to pass your time with?”

  “No, she is not mother, and that’s precisely why you will never discuss my personal life with anyone. For the valid reason as it’s my personal life and not yours. You can stay the fuck away from it all.”

  “I’m your mother, why would I do such a thing.” She asks.

  “Because you haven’t been a mother since dad passed and I moved out of the house.” I say hanging up.

  I’m not sure what I was expecting to accomplish with the phone call, but I was angry at how my mother took to openly discussing my personal life in my kitchen.

  I gave instructions to the cleanup crew and returned to the kitchen to find Lincoln and Allison talking over a bag of chips.

  “Since when do I have Doritos in the house?” I asked approaching and sitting beside her.

  “I asked Allison the last time when she was over here what she usually ate, Doritos was the first thing she rattled off. So I made sure to add a few bags to the shopping list. Just because you eat like a heath fanatic, doesn’t mean she has to.” Lincoln smiles.

  She smiles. With the powdered cheese from the chip coating her upper lip, I lean in and lick it off and then take a bite out of the chip still in her hand.

  I moan as I chew with my eyes closed. “I haven’t had one of these in years.”

  ***

  With the party happening on a Thursday evening, and the following day not having to be in the office, it was a long weekend. I spent the majority of the weekend in between Allison’s legs worshipping her body with the utmost care, trying to erase any negative thoughts that my mother had put in her head. We ventured outside the house to dine in the evenings, but the majority of the time was spent in my bedroom, in my bed or in my office with her spread across my desk.

  I don’t know how she was doing it, but she had my life upside down. I didn’t want to take her home on Sunday, but when she insisted she had to do things at home, it wasn’t beneath me to beg. Instead, she talked me into driving her home, but invited me over to stay the night, which I took her up on the opportunity.

  “So, I ventured into the wolves den and had your mother spitting all over me, which was fun.” She smiles as she turned on the lights in her space, recounting the past several days together. This is the first we’ve spoken of the episode in the kitchen with my mother.

  “My mother doesn’t know how to interact with the general public.” I take off my jacket and place it over the chair.

  “Your mother is certifiable. No offence.” She smiles.

  “None taken, I wasn’t really raised by her, we had a nanny.” I say as I toe off my shoes and leave them by the door.

  She retreats to her bedroom and moments later returns wearing her short sleep shorts and a fitted t-shirt.

  I walk over to her and place my arms around her. “Can I tell you one of my secrets?”

  She smiles and nods. “I like you, I like you a lot.” I rub my nose against hers and kiss her lips gently.

  “I don’t think that’s a secret any longer Mr. Maddox.” She sighs in my embrace. “You did tell off your mother in my honor.”

  “I’m losing my edge. It’s out of my comfort zone and I seem to be acting like a different person around you.” I say as my thigh moves between hers.

  “Can I tell you something too? A secret?” She whispers as she kisses my neck.

  “Anything.” I plead angling my neck so she can continue.

  “I like you too.” She whispers, her mouth never leaving my skin.

  “I already knew that, give me another?”

  “You first.” She whispers switching sides of my neck and planting kisses down to my collarbone.

  “I haven’t had a relationship since college, but strangely I want one now.” I admit.

  “Why?” She continues her pursuit, un-tucking my dress shirt from my pants.

  “Why haven’t I had a relationship or why do I want one now?” Do I really want to go there?

  “Both. Or either one, whichever you want to share.”

  “I think I want one now, because you un-do me. I can’t stop thinking about you, even when you’re beside me. You have barreled through my defenses knocking them down so easily.” I decide to not get into my reasoning for the past 7 years of not being in any relationships. Not just yet.

  She pulls back and stares at me, slightly shocked it would seem. The air in the room abruptly changing.

  What the fuck am I doing?

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  ALLISON

  Did he just say what I think he said? The confident and cocky Tyson Maddox, who when we first met said he didn’t do relationships or feelings and now a few weeks later, he changes his tone? Do I have voodoo pussy magic or something? Is it my amazing sense of humor or my witty conversationalist skills that changed his mind? I’m so confused.

  Yes, I want more, deep down, I didn’t think it was in the cards for us. But now that he’s presented the fact that he wants more, what do I do? Do I cave in like the excited version of me inside jumping for joy like she’s a freaking cheerlead
er on speed, or do I play it cool like Danny Zucko did in Grease with Sandra Dee?

  Why am I even questioning this? He’s been completely honest with me since we met. He fucks like a god, and looks like one too. I would be stupid to let him go through my fingers when he’s eager to be in them. Or at least have his inside me. I push that thought down, naughty girl, now is the time for seriousness not sexy-time.

  He’s looking at me expecting me to say something. The confidence in his eyes wavering with my silence as I battle with myself. I’ve broken him. That’s it, I’ve broken Tyson Maddox, sexy as fuck CEO of Mad Designs. I fucking broke him, and he’s mine. Well, he wants to be mine. And boy do I ever want to be his.

  “Okay.” I finally say. Seriously, that’s all you can give him after all of that inner turmoil? Okay?! I clear my throat to continue, allowing my brain to catch up with me. “So what does that mean?”

  He takes a breath, as if he’s been holding it the entire time.

  “It means, you’re mine. No one else’s.” He says confidently his arms tightening around me.

  “Tyson, we’ve been over this before, I’m not a possession.” I pull out of his grasp and put my hands on my hips.

  “No one else can have you, intimately. You’d be my…”

  “Girlfriend?” I interject as he appeared to having problems saying that word out loud.

  “Yeah, that.” He says quickly, looking anywhere but at me.

  “So we would be exclusively seeing each other?” I say stepping back into him.

  “Yes, no fucking anyone else.”

  “Um, okay.” I say. Does the night job count as fucking someone else, even though I’m playing a role, a part and I’m not receiving any satisfaction in return? Shit, do I tell him about this part of my life yet? I wasn’t planning to at least not right away since we declared we weren’t actually in a relationship, yet we have been acting like we are. I’m so confused. I need to talk this out with someone, maybe Beth can guide me. She seems to be a good resource for everything Tyson Maddox. But would he bad mad at me for talking to her about something personal and not talking to him first. Oh my goodness, I’m going to give myself an aneurysm. I make a mental note to talk to her as soon as possible.

  “Wait, are you fucking someone else? Am I not the only guy you’ve been sleeping with?” He asks, taking a step back as if he’s protecting himself.

  “No. Not at all. How can you think of me?” I ask, getting defensive.

  “You never know what someone else is really doing, not all the time.” He says quietly as if he was talking to himself. Man, someone did a number on him.

  I step closer to him and put my hands on his arms. I wait for him to look me in the eyes and I see a whole different person there. Gone is the confident Tyson, here in front of me is the vulnerable version of the man I am falling for. Wait, falling for? Who the hell am I right now?

  “Tyson Maddox, will you be my boyfriend? Check the box, yes or no?” I ask.

  He doesn’t answer me. Instead his arms circle me and he pulls me to his chest and inhales.

  I’m conflicted as to whether or not I should mention the Phone Sex Operator side job, is now a good time? Or would later be better? Either way, it won’t look good. I decide to wait and let us enjoy the right now, as a newly formed official couple.

  ***

  His alarm on his phone in the morning goes off too early for my tastes. He doesn’t wake up right away to the annoying chiming either, which means that I lift myself off laying on his chest and reach over for him to shut the horrible noise with only one of my eyes open. As I lean back down, his hand on my back tightens and his other hand fondles my exposed breast.

  “I like waking up to this.” He mumbles while his finger tips roll the peak of my nipple between each other. I’m not one of those females who get off on nipple play, but he sure seems to enjoy fondling me, so I let him go to town.

  We didn’t leave the confines of my bedroom last night, we spent the evening the same way we did our long weekend, wrapped up in each other. I did manage to text Beth last night by sneaky espionage skills of getting her number from Tyson’s phone while he used the restroom and we set up a lunch date this afternoon.

  “I’m not ready to officially start my day yet, I need to be inside you first.” Tyson mumbles as he rolls me over. “Fuck, this is the perfect way to start the day.” He says as he enters me slowly. His breath comes out as a hiss as he languidly pumps into me. Pulling back just the right amount and at the right angle to rub his shaft expertly against my clit, slowly building me up for release. He kisses me slowly in time with his thrusts and soon, I’m silently begging him to increase his speed. My hands find their way to his sides and my nails dig in. With that, he starts his assault and his movements increase speed and soon he’s asking me to come and as if my body is at his every command, I see stars and my toes curl. He pumps twice more and stills in me, panting as his hands are on each side of me holding himself up, just barely.

  “I can definitely get used to this.” He says into my hair.

  He pulls back, still on shaky arms and kisses my forehead as he pulls out with a groan. Naked, he walks away. I admire his perfect ass, with those adorable dimples at his lower back as he disappears out of my bedroom. I roll over and lay my arm over my eyes and sigh.

  He returns to the bed, offers to clean me up and lays down on his stomach with his head perching on mine.

  “What’s happening with you today? Do you have anything?” He asks innocently. I know very well that he knows my school schedule like the back of his hand, but it’s still sweet that he’s asking.

  “I have an errand or two to run in the city, lunch with a girlfriend and then class this afternoon. You going to be making any amazing new designs this morning Mr. Maddox?”

  He smiles and shakes his head. “Afraid not, I have meetings until lunch and then my afternoon is open. What time are you going into the city?” He asks.

  “Around eleven or so.” I shrug.

  “How are you getting there?”

  “I was going to take the train up, leave my car here so I didn’t have to pay or battle with the parking gods.” I say as he gives me an are you kidding look.

  “No, I’ll send a car.” He says.

  “Not a chance buddy. I can take the train just as easily.”

  “My girlfriend, will not be taking any train to the city, when I can just as easily provide the transportation for her at no cost. I believe we’ve had a conversation along the same lines of this when we first met.”

  “It’s not a big deal Ty.” I say in protest.

  “Then accept my offer.”

  I sigh, realizing that this may be something that I’ll never win at. Its déjà vu of how we started, knowing that he won’t let up, I nod. He smiles like he’s won his victory and leans up on his elbows and kisses me quickly.

  “Or, you can drive up with me, we can fuck in my office before my meetings start and you can hang out with Beth?” He just provided me with the perfect situation, well the one about Beth and not the fucking. That’s just an added benefit.

  ***

  “So hell froze over?”

  “’Cuse me?” I say biting into my po’boy sandwich.

  “If you and Tyson are officially a couple, which was obviously going to happen since the moment he started rambling about you, then hell has frozen over!”

  “Okay, then yes. And it’s warm. Or at least as warm as San Francisco will allow.”

  “That’s awesome. You deserve some sort of medal. Outstanding Achievement goes to… drum roll please….. Allison… what’s your last name?”

  “Stafford.” I giggle.

  “The Outstanding Achievement goes to Allison Stafford for pinning down Tyson Maddox, the elusive bachelor!” She finishes, faking massive applause from a mysterious audience.

  “Yeah yeah, thanks. Listen, I have a problem though.” I start.

  “Ut oh. Seriously, you guys haven’t been a couple for over 24
hours and there’s already a problem?” She laughs swiping one of my chips.

  “Tyson seems to be jaded and has trust issues. So I’m not sure how to actually bring something up to him.”

  “Spill the jellybeans girl.” Beth says smiling.

  “I have a second job, one that I do sporadically through the week.”

  “That’s good, the bay area is extremely expensive, so what?”

  “It’s not the usual job that one would hold down, but it helps me pay the rest of my bills and maintain enough of a chill schedule that school allows and for modeling.”

  “So you’re not a coffee barista, or a waitress?” She asks.

  “I am a phone sex operator.” I lean in to her and whisper.

  She gasps, covers her mouth and sits back.

  “Well, I wasn’t exactly expecting that. That’s different.”

  “Yeah, so with Tyson’s trust issues, I should tell him like right away, right?”

  “Wait, Ty doesn’t know? Oh shit!”

  “Well, I hadn’t told him yet, because we weren’t serious, we were a casual relationship. But now that we’re an actual couple, I don’t think this should be a secret. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to like secrets.”

  “He’s not. Oh man, this is gonna be rough. Look, Tyson’s deal, is his deal to tell you, but his ex fucked him up, that’s all I will say. But you need to not lollygag on this and just tell him.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought I would need to do.” I sighed leaning back in my chair.

  “So tell me, what kind of crazy calls do you get?” Beth asks leaning in for the dishing of dirty secrets.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  TYSON

  My meetings at the office ran into my afternoon, I had unexpected items falling on my desk throughout the day, making it incredibly hard for me to relax. When I was getting my belongings together at the end of the day, a knock broke the silence and I looked up to see my mother standing in the doorway.