Love's Illusion

by Priya Grey

  “Oh, I’m ready,” replies Cat with a smirk.

  Cat leads Nash through the house. He spots a ton of artwork and sculptures.

  “Your house has a lot of… art,” says Nash. Although he feels the word ‘art’ doesn’t appropriately describe the garish display before him.

  “My husband’s a collector. I don’t really care much for art,” Cat remarks. She then turns and looks at Nash with a glint in her eye. “Other things turn me on.”

  Nash doesn’t know how to respond, so he says nothing. They walk through the house and step into the backyard. They pass the pool and enter a large bungalow located nearby.

  Nash scans the equipment on display in the home gym. The room is fitted with top of the line machines and gear.

  “Good. It looks like you have everything we’ll need.”

  “I hope so,” Cat purrs. Once again, she scans Nash from head to toe.

  Nash is picking up some weird energy. Is this cougar hitting on him at seven in the morning? He decides to keep things professional. “Rodrigo didn’t get a chance to tell me what kind of workout regimen you two were doing? Is there a particular area you want me to focus on?”

  Cat nods. “Do you mind if I get changed first? I’m still wearing my robe.”

  “Of course. I’m sorry.”

  “Oh, please, don’t apologize, Nash. I’ll be right back. There’s a changing room and shower right here.”

  She points to a sectioned off area of the bungalow.

  “Take your time,” says Nash.

  “I won’t. But I hope you do,” replies Cat with that seductive look again. She retreats to the changing room.

  Nash stares at the floor and shakes his head. He wasn’t expecting this kind of vibe so early in the morning. He’s still in a weird frame of mind from the events of the other night… his dinner with his father… his subsequent suicide attempt. He can’t believe he let himself go to such a dark place. Something in him just snapped. But he’s grateful he was able to step back from the abyss.

  “I’m ready for you.”

  Nash, whose been lost in his own thoughts, looks up and sees Cat standing naked before him. His mouth drops open. Those tits are definitely fake.

  “You’re not wearing any clothes.”

  “That’s usually how Rodrigo and I start,” says Cat with a shrug.

  “Really?”

  Cat nods. Then she points around the gym. “Rodrigo likes to start fucking me on the yoga mat, and then we move onto the medicine ball. And sometimes, depending on my mood, I like to blow him while he bench presses.”

  “Is that so?”

  Nash really wishes Rodrigo had given him a heads up about this. But if he had, Nash would have never shown up.

  “How long have you and Rodrigo been training?”

  “Three months. He really likes to give me a good, hard work out. I hope you can do the same, Nash.”

  Cat takes a few slow, provocative steps forward.

  “I think there’s been a little misunderstanding,” Nash says, as she gets closer. The last thing he wants to deal with is some rich, horny wife who enjoys cheating on her husband with the hired help. Nash needs to figure a way out of this scenario – without pissing Cat off, and ruining Rodrigo’s relationship with his client. But then Cat drapes her arms around his neck.

  “I hope there hasn’t been a misunderstanding,” says Cat softly. “Because your hot, Nash. You’re actually much more my type.”

  Then she whispers into Nash’s ear, “Don’t tell Rodrigo, but his dick isn’t as big as I would like.” Cat reaches down and grabs Nash’s crotch. “For some reason, I don’t think you’ll disappoint me in that department,” she purrs.

  Nash unravels her arms from around his neck. He takes her hands in his.

  “I’m not here for that Mrs.?”

  “Carter.”

  “Mrs. Carter,” Nash repeats with a nod. He looks her in the eyes. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to fulfill whatever arrangement you and Rodrigo have.”

  “Is it because you don’t find me attractive?” she asks defensively.

  Nash shakes his head. Although the truth is, he doesn’t find her attractive at all. She’s too plastic for him. Nash likes a real woman, with real curves.

  “I think you’re very attractive,” he lies.

  “Are you gay?” Cat asks, that defensive tone still lingering in her voice.

  “No.”

  “So, then why won’t you fuck me? I’ll double what I pay Rodrigo.”

  “That’s two thousand dollars,” Nash replies, astounded.

  Cat nods. “That’s right. Rodrigo’s been coming here twice a week – to fuck my brains out – while my husband’s away on business in Asia. Since Rodrigo’s not here, I need someone to fuck me. So, if you won’t fuck me, I’m going to have to find somebody who will.”

  “Then maybe you – ”

  But before Nash can tell her he’s really not interested, Cat’s shoulders slump and she begins to whine. “Listen, I really don’t feel like waiting. How about I triple my offer, and we just get to it? Two thousand dollars times three is six thousand dollars, right?”

  “Your calculations are correct,” replies Nash, still shocked by the kind of money being discussed. He can’t believe Rodrigo’s been fucking this woman twice a week for a thousand dollars a pop.

  “So… what do you say, Nash?” asks Cat, now starting to sound impatient. “Will you fuck me for six thousand dollars? But I got to warn you: For that kind of money, you better make me come, at least twice.”

  Nash considers the overdue car payments on his Porsche. Even though he turned down his father’s money the other night, he desperately could have used it. And plus, maybe a good hard screw is just what he needs to snap his mind out of its funk. Maybe fucking Mrs. Carter will make him feel like a man again, instead of some bum whose been kicked to the curb, his dreams crushed. Maybe a meaningless fuck is what he needs to feel alive. Although he’s not really attracted to her, Nash agrees to the offer.

  “You’ve got a deal, Mrs. Carter.”

  Cat smiles. “Great. So where do you want to start? Exercise ball or yoga mat?” she asks, now very excited.

  Nash shrugs. “I’m fine either way.”

  Cat brings her finger to her lips, like she’s thinking about something. “Do you mind if I check out the goods first?”

  “The goods?” Nash repeats, a little confused. Then he realizes what Cat is referring to. With a shrug, he slips down his sweatpants and grabs a hold of his manhood. Cat eagerly licks her lips at the size of his formidable cock.

  “I think you should tell Rodrigo, that after today, I will no longer be in need of his services.” She steps forward and grabs a hold of Nash’s dick. “With a cock like this, Nash, one session with you might keep me satisfied for a month.”

  Before Nash can respond, Cat reaches for his head and drags his lips toward her mouth. Nash is forced to kiss her.

  After fucking Mrs. Carter from behind on the yoga mat, then missionary style on the exercise ball, Cat ordered Nash to lie back on the bench press so she could ride him. As stipulated in their negotiation, Nash couldn’t stop fucking Mrs. Carter until she reached her second orgasm.

  Unfortunately, meaningless sex with Mrs. Carter – although lucrative – did nothing to abate the shitty, empty feeling Nash carried inside him.

  After he’s completely satisfied Mrs. Carter, Nash leaves the mansion. As he drives back to the gym where he works as a trainer, he turns on the radio. The same Drake and Rihanna song that played while he was driving Flo to work is on. As he listens to the song, his mind returns to its state of worry. What’s he going to do with his life now that his dreams of playing for the NFL are over? One things for sure: he doesn’t want to spend his days pleasuring rich, married women – no matter how much they’ll pay him for it.

  Chapter 12

  Because Nash dropped me off at work, I arrive earlier than usual. I notice a few people at their cubicles. I
n about two hours the office will be packed. People in this industry are more likely to work late hours than show up early to work. As I walk toward the game testing section of the building, I pass the CEO’s office. I see Zach behind his desk, staring at his computer screen. I debate, once again, if I should hand him my game demo. I take some hesitant steps toward his office and stop just outside his open door. I’m frozen, unable to speak.

  Then Zach looks up from his computer and notices me.

  He smiles.

  “Good morning. Can I help you?”

  “Um… uh… Hi, I’m Flo. I just wanted to introduce myself.”

  Zach leans back in his chair. “Flo. I like the name.”

  I look down at the floor timidly. “Thank you, it’s short for Florence. But everybody calls me Flo.” I don’t know why I’m telling him any of this.

  “Then, Flo it is,” says Zach with another grin. “What department do you work in, Flo?”

  “I’m a game tester. I just started.”

  “Well, I’m glad to have you on board.”

  “Me too.”

  I stand there anxiously, trying to muster the courage to ask Zach to look at my game. He stares at me curiously.

  “Is there anything else I can help you with, Flo?”

  I don’t know what to do or say…

  “No. I just wanted to say hi. Have a nice day.”

  “You too, Flo,” Zach says with a nod and another smile.

  He turns his focus back to his computer. Feeling like an idiot, I walk away. I’m such a chicken-shit, I mutter to myself. Such a chicken-shit. I just sounded like a fool talking to the CEO of the company. Soooo not the way to make a good first impression. My dad would be so disappointed in me.

  I take a seat at my workstation. Since I got here early, I’m the only person in the room so far. I begin testing the game.

  “You’re here bright and early. I like the initiative, Hill.”

  I turn and see Josh standing in the doorway, drinking a cup of coffee. I smile back at him. Then a thought crosses my mind. If I’m going to succeed in this business, I have to become more confident. I really need someone who works in the industry to provide feedback on my game. Even though I didn’t have the courage to show Zach my game demo, maybe Josh could give it a look and tell me what he thinks. As he’s about to walk away, I cry out, “Josh, can I ask you something?”

  “Shoot,” he says, turning around to face me.

  I get up from my chair and approach him.

  “I wanted your opinion on something.”

  “Good. I’m full of opinions.”

  “I’ve been working on a game of my own. I did all the design and coding. It’s a simple game. Nothing like what you guys do here, obviously, but…”

  “You think it’s awesome.”

  I sense Josh’s sarcasm and don’t know how to respond. But I decide to venture forward anyway. “I was wondering if you could take a look at it, and let me know what you think. Except for my mom and dad, no one else has seen it.”

  “And your mom and dad think it’s amazing. But they’re your mom and dad. They’re supposed to say that,” Josh says with a roll of his eyes.

  “Right,” I nod.

  Josh sighs then says, “I’m really busy, Florence. But I’ll take a look at it when I get a chance.” Then his expression becomes serious. “But I’ve got to warn you: I’m going to give you some real feedback and criticism. If your game is a piece of a shit, I’m going to tell you exactly that.”

  I nod nervously. “I can take criticism.”

  “You sure about that?” Josh eyes me carefully.

  I nod again.

  “Alright,” he says taking another sip of his coffee. “Send me your demo, and I’ll take a look at it when I get a chance.”

  I smile. “Thanks, Josh.”

  Josh smirks. “We’ll see if you still want to thank me when I give you my feedback. Now get to work. The design team just finished another level that needs testing. It’s loaded on the console.”

  “Got it.”

  Josh walks away, and I return to my station. I’m a nervous wreck and hope Josh really likes my game.

  Two hours later, people start wandering into the room. Ajax and Parker take a seat at their stations.

  “Trying to make the rest of us look bad by showing up early, Flo?” says Ajax jokingly.

  I shake my head. “No. I just… I just couldn’t sleep.”

  “So you show up to work early?” he says confused. He glances at Parker. “When I can’t sleep, I just rub one out. Right, Parker?”

  Parker nods. “That’s right, dude.”

  I cringe and try to ignore them as I get back to work.

  At the end of a long day of game testing, I take the bus back home. I notice the same homeless woman sitting across from me. I guess we keep the same commute schedule. Or maybe she just lives on the bus. I’m not sure. I do know one thing though: This homeless woman – with her long, dirty hair and piercing, grey eyes – can’t stop staring at me. She makes me feel uncomfortable.

  “He can’t be trusted,” she barks at me.

  I nervously nod and turn away from her. Once again, I have no idea what she’s talking about.

  When I finally get home, Selena is in the backyard, hovering near the barbecue. A thin girl with bright red hair sits by the pool. She waves at me.

  “Come join us,” she shouts.

  I step outside.

  “You must be Flo,” says the red head. “I’m Juliette.”

  I extend my hand to shake Juliette’s.

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “Take a seat. Watch the sunset with me. Selena wants to barbecue…”

  “But I can’t figure out why this won’t turn on,” complains Selena as she keeps hitting the ignition on the barbecue.

  “Be careful,” warns Juliette. “You don’t want your hair to catch fire.”

  We all hear someone at the front door.

  “Nash! Is that you?” shouts Selena.

  Nash’s voice booms from inside the house, “Yeah.”

  “I need your help!” Selena cries.

  Nash steps into the backyard. His demeanor from this morning hasn’t changed. He still appears to be in a foul, unfriendly mood.

  “What’s up?” he mumbles.

  “You’re from Texas, right?” asks Selena.

  “Yeah.”

  “Home of the barbecue, right?”

  “Why?” asks Nash, suspiciously.

  “I can’t get this darn barbecue to work. Can you help me?” Selena pleads.

  Nash walks over to the barbecue. He tinkers with it and then checks the fuel line. He hits the ignition and the grill lights up.

  “What did you do?” Selena asks dumbfounded.

  “I turned on the gas. I guess you don’t grill much,” Nash replies flatly. He towers over Selena’s petite frame.

  Selena slaps her forehead and then looks up at him. “Listen. I’m normally not this stupid.”

  “She just smoked some pot with me,” interjects Juliette. “Speaking of which, want some?”

  Juliette holds her joint toward Nash. He shakes his head.

  “No, thanks.”

  He then glances at the plate of raw burger meat resting near the barbecue.

  “Have you seasoned these?” he asks Selena.

  Selena shrugs. “With some salt.”

  “That’s not barbecue,” scoffs Nash. He picks up the plate. “Let me take care of this.” Carrying the plate, he walks back into the house, toward the kitchen.

  “Thanks!” shouts Selena. Then she takes a seat. The three of us quietly observe the bright-red setting sun. The sky above is painted in a lush swirl of pink and purple.

  “This is so beautiful,” I eventually remark.

  “It’s even more impressive when you’re high. Want some?” asks Juliette, trying to hand me the joint.

  I shake my head. “No, thank you. I don’t smoke.”

  “You and Nash shoul
d get along just fine then,” Juliette smirks.

  I think to myself, I’m not so sure about that. He seems like he’s a bit of a dick. Although, he was kind enough to offer me a ride this morning. And nice enough to handle the barbecue for us.

  Juliette whispers to us, “He’s so hot. But so off-putting, at the same time. He attracts and repels me. He’s quite mysterious.”

  I love Juliette’s French accent. Everything she says sounds more sophisticated and sexy than if I were to say it.

  “Did you just come back from work?” asks Selena.

  I nod. “Yep.”

  “What do you do, Flo?” asks Juliette. “Isn’t that what you Americans always like to ask? What do you do? Like your job defines you. I hate that shit. But anyway, what do you do? Now, I’m curious.”

  “I work for a video game company.”

  “Oh, very interesting,” replies Juliette. “I don’t play video games. But my ex-boyfriend – the worthless piece of shit – used to play some combat game all the time. All day he’d be in front of the computer.” Juliette mimics shooting people. “Tat-tat-tat-tat. Shooting people all day. Very violent.”

  “Yeah, I play those kind of games,” I tell her. “But I really like games that take you into a different world, where you can be different people.”

  “And what kind of people do you like to be?” asks Juliette as she takes another drag from her joint.

  I don’t know what to respond. I don’t feel comfortable telling her about SexyMinx243. So I just shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know. Just different,” I mumble.

  Juliette hands Selena the joint, and she takes another toke.

  Juliette then eyes me curiously.

  “You have a very pretty face. I love your eyes and your lips,” she states. Her accent is awesome. It makes everything sound important or romantic, in some way.

  I feel myself blushing a little. “Thank you.”

  “What’s your lover like?” she then asks.

  I’m surprised by the question. Selena appears to be as well, because she bursts out laughing and coughs up some smoke.

  “What?” asks Juliette confused. “Did I say something wrong?”

  “You can’t just ask someone – point blank – what their lover is like,” says Selena. “What if she doesn’t have one?”