by E. L. Todd
“Crazy is a better word.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “So, your father will give you the company if you have a man in your life? Does that mean he wants him to work for the company as well, to supervise you?”
She looked away. “Probably.”
I never felt worse for Aspen. She was doomed to disappoint her father no matter what she did.
We arrived at her apartment and she unlocked the door. “I get you until midnight, right?”
“Yep.”
“Well, I want the most bang for my buck. Come in.”
I walked inside then eyed the flowers I brought. They lightened up the room.
“Want to play Battleship?”
Did she just ask me that? “Battleship?”
“Yeah. You’ve never played it?” She picked up the box from the couch and looked at me.
Seeing a beautiful woman in a floor length gown that sparkled, along with elegantly curled hair and just the right amount of makeup, holding a child’s game was naturally disconcerting. It was the last thing I expected her to say. “I just wasn’t expecting you to ask.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Do you suck?”
“No,” I said defensively.
“Do you want to play then?” She sat on one end of the couch and pulled her station into her lap.
I sat on the opposite corner then got my pins ready. “Ladies first.”
“E1?”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Hit.”
She grinned then put the red pen in her station.
“A3.”
“Miss. E2?”
“Hit,” I said in irritation.
She put the pin in with a slight smirk on her lips.
“B9?” I asked.
“Miss.” She was clearly enjoying this. “E3?”
“You’ve sunk my battleship.” Aspen kicked my ass right from the beginning.
She flipped her hair over one shoulder. “And that’s how it’s done.”
I stared at her, watching her outline contrast against the sight of the city through the window. She was the perfect specimen to represent a real woman, one whose beauty outshined others without any effort. She had the smile of a model for a toothpaste commercial, and she had the legs of a swimsuit model. But her beauty underneath was more powerful than anything else. And now she was playing a game like a child, completely oblivious to all her charms.
I didn’t know what to make of it.
***
“Duuuuude.” Troy bellowed into the phone the instant I answered. “Party at Cato’s. Get your ass over here.”
“Hello to you too.”
“Don’t be a bitch and just get over here.” He hung up without waiting for a response.
It was hard to tell when Troy was drunk because he acted exactly the same sober or wasted. But if he was at a party, he was probably drunk.
I headed to Cato’s apartment on the east side with a pack of beer in my hand. When I walked up the stairs, I heard the deafening sound of the bass from his stereo. If I could hear it from here, then his neighbors weren’t going to get much sleep tonight.
The door was open so I walked inside and moved past the crowd. Ice chests littered the ground in the kitchen so I tossed the beers in the first one I could find. I popped the lid on one and downed it like water.
“Duuuuude!”
I turned at the sound of Troy’s voice. “When did you start calling me dude all the time?”
“Dude, shut up and talk to me.” He wore a gray t-shirt with jeans that hung low on his hips.
“Which one do you want me to do?” I asked. “Shut up or talk to you?”
“Well, you just talked so I’m going to go with the second one.”
I grinned. “Asshole.”
He laughed then clapped my arm. “So many hot chicks here.”
“I just walked in.”
“Well, they’re everywhere so just keep your eyes peeled.”
I took another drink of my beer.
“Hey, how’d it go with Laura? Are her tits real?” Troy always spoke his mind, to anyone.
“It didn’t work out.”
“I could tell she was snooty. If she leaned her head back any further, her nostrils would act as teacups.”
“We had a great time but when she found out I was an escort, she walked out without saying a word to me.”
“Seriously?” He looked thunderstruck. “She’s hot but not that hot.”
I shrugged and drank my beer.
“Whatever. Her tits weren’t even that nice anyway.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“I can tell.” He waved his fingers in front of his eyes. “I got x-ray, bro.”
A blonde in heels walked past us to the refrigerator.
Troy eyed her then turned to me. “She’s cute. Go for her.”
“I didn’t even see her face.”
“Who cares?” he said. “Her ass looks great. That’s all that matters.”
She walked by again and Troy did something I’ve never seen before.
He pulled his keys out of his pocket then threw them over his shoulder. They made a loud clank against the tile when they landed. It was heard over the music.
She stopped and turned around, noticing the sound.
“Did you drop these?” Troy asked as he picked them up.
She stared at them suspiciously. “No…”
“Good. Because they’re mine.” He positioned her in front of me then walked off.
I wasn’t mad because the sight was so humorous. “I’m sorry about that.”
She relaxed as she looked at my face, obviously liking what she saw. Her eyes took me in, and they settled on my shoulders for a long time before they returned to my face. “I’ve never seen you before.”
“I’m Rhett.” I extended my hand to shake hers.
She didn’t take it. Instead, she came closer to me, her chest almost touching mine. “Trixie.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said politely.
“Likewise.” She twisted a strand of hair in her fingers while she batted her eyelashes at me.
“So, what music do you—”
“Are we going to make out or what?”
Cato knew the sluttiest girls. I wasn’t sure where he found them. Most of them were models, so I assumed they would have the confidence to play hardball. Sometimes it was nice to find an easy kill, a beautiful woman who would let me fuck her without having a single conversation about anything somewhat important, but I wasn’t in the mood tonight. And she was too skinny for my taste. “I actually need to be somewhere…” I moved around her.
“Dick,” she hissed.
I turned back to her. “If what you’re selling is always free, no one is going to want it.”
Her eyes narrowed in offense.
I kept walking and moved through the crowd. I really was a dick to her, but I wouldn’t be a nice guy to a bitch. If she wanted me to respect her, then she needed to respect me.
When I reached the living room, Cato was doing a kegstand.
Troy recorded it on his phone. “He’s not going to remember this tomorrow. I got to document it.”
I turned my head while I watched him. “Impressive.”
“You want to go next?”
“You think I want to suck on the same hose Cato is using?” I asked. “He probably has syphilis or something.”
He nodded. “Word.” He ended the recording then pocketed his phone. He eyed me for a moment. “Where’s that blonde I hooked you up with? Did you fuck her already?”
“Yeah…I was in and out of there in two minutes.”
He clapped my shoulder. “Aren’t there for the ladies, huh?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
Sometimes he didn’t get sarcasm.
“I wasn’t into her. She was too skinny and her breath reeked.”
“Like what?” he asked.
“Like beer and vomit mixed together.”
“Gross.” He cringed. “But you don
’t need to kiss her while you screw her.”
“Why don’t you screw her?” I demanded.
He shook his head. “I’m not going to screw a girl that smells like vomit.”
I stared at him incredulously. “Then what makes you think I want to?”
“Well, that date didn’t go well, right? Which means you didn’t get laid.”
“I can get laid whenever I want and you know that.” I drank my beer then watched Cato lay on the ground after he inhaled a trough of beer.
He looked around the room. “You have your pick of the crop.”
I glanced around and saw a lot of pretty girls. But I just wasn’t in the mood for any of them.
“How did work go the other night?”
“Good,” I said. “It was pretty fun, actually.”
“Fun?” he asked in surprise. “Did you just say that?”
“Yeah. We went to this fundraiser, and that was pretty lame, but then we got ice cream and played Battleship. She kicked my ass five times in a row.”
“Battleship?” He looked at me like I was crazy. “Did you go on a date with a twelve-year-old boy?”
I shook my head and released a quick laugh. “No, she was actually really hot.”
“Hot?” he asked. “Like, how hot?”
“I’d say a nine point five or a ten.”
He whistled. “Damn, you got any pictures?”
“No, sorry.”
“Damn,” he said. “Why did I get stuck with a girl with a psycho ex but you get a hot chick who likes Battleship?”
“The world works in mysterious ways…”
He shook his head then downed his beer. “I don’t get paid enough for this shit.”
“Half a million a year isn’t a salary to bitch about.”
He stared at me with an angry look. “The guy went straight for the money maker.” He pointed at his face.
“There are plenty of plastic surgeons in the city.”
“I’m all natural, bitch. Maybe you should get some fake tits.”
I laughed, loving how mad he was getting.
“Are you escorting this girl again?”
“Yeah. She’s trying to take over a company from her father but he wants her to have a serious boyfriend.”
He rubbed his chin. “That’s weird.”
I shrugged. “The guy was a total dick so it doesn’t surprise me.”
“Did he like you?”
“He showed me more love in twenty minutes than he showed his daughter her entire life.” It worked me up when I thought about it.
“So, she has daddy issues?” He smirked like he had a plan on his mind.
“We can’t date women we escort. You know that.”
“Well, if she’s that hot and cool, then that’s a different ball park. Secondly, I’m not escorting her. You are. So, she’s fair game.”
I knew he was joking so I didn’t rise. “You couldn’t get her.”
“You bet your ass I could.”
“She said she isn’t dating right now. I can tell she’s picky about the men she spends time with. There’s no way she’d pick you.”
“All I’d have to do is turn on the charm and she’d melt right in my hand.”
I shook my head. “She’s out of your league, man.”
“No one is out of my league, dude.”
“Well, this girl is.”
“Now I have to see this chick. Get me a picture.”
“No,” I snapped. “I’m not going to take a picture of her like a creeper.”
“Do it when she doesn’t know. Set up a camera in her apartment.”
I gave him a look I’d been giving him since we were kids. “You want me to break the law and get thrown in jail?”
“Hey, some girls are worth going to jail for.”
“I’m done talking to you.” I turned away.
“Wait.” He grabbed my arm. “Does she have a big mouth?”
I gave him a confused look. “Why?”
“Girls with big mouths give great head.”
I rolled my eyes but laughed at the same time. “You’re going to hell.”
“And you’re coming with me.”
Click to Purchase on Amazon