by Sarah Tork
“Fuck you, Liam!” I cried quietly. “Fuck you!”
“You lied last night,” he stated softly, a far cry from his previously scorning tone.
“I don’t owe you anything; I don’t have to explain myself to you,” I sniffled.
Shit, I hate crying!
“Tell me the truth,” he whispered an inch away from my lips. “Tell me what he’s up to.”
“I’m not a hooker, Liam, honestly,” I told him. “I really went there last night to repay a debt to him.”
“And today?”
“I was here as a favour, but it turned into something else,” I explained, lifelessly.
“And what was that?”
“He left me to take care of Demetria.” I said.
He grimaced. “Demetria?”
“That crazy girl from last night. She’s Mrs. Williams’ daughter; you know, the one who’s smitten with Xander, just like your mother said,” I explained, looking deep into his eyes. His body melted a little closer to mine.
“She was here?” Liam asked, horrified, breaking eye contact and glancing up and down the hallway.
“She was, but I scared her and her mother off,” I explained, wiping the tears from my face.
“How?” he asked, then raised his hand to my cheek and wiped away my tears. His touch stirred something deep within me. I had to fight it. He just verbally attacked me.
“It’s messed up; trust me, you don’t want to know.” I looked away, jerking my face out of his reach.
“Maybe I do,” he whispered.
“Trust me, you don’t,” I said bitterly.
Liam caressed my face. “Marisa, now it’s your turn to trust me. Stay away from Xander. Things like today, they follow him around like the plague. He gets the people around him to do his dirty work, fixing his problems while he walks away smiling,”
I was lost in his blue eyes. “I know that now,”
He is so pretty. His touch feels amazing.
“Tell me, right now; promise me that you’ll never talk to him again; that you’ll never do anything else for him.”
“I’m done after today. I can’t handle his shit anymore.” I lean into his hand; the feeling on my face was driving my body crazy. I stared up at him. His entire body was now plastered against mine. I felt every hard edge as his mouth came within an inch of mine.
“Marisa,” he whispered as his eyes heated.
“I don’t remember telling you my name,” I breathed, looking at his lips.
His hand wrapped my neck, while the other circled my waist, pulling me as close as possible to his body. I leaned my head closer to his and his lush, plump lips planted softly on top of mine. He began kissing me slowly as my arms circled his neck, pulling my body even closer. All of a sudden, his soft kisses turned frantic. I felt his fingers make their way into my hair, massaging my scalp.
My body was buzzing with sexual energy.
It felt amazing.
I fucking needed this… badly.
He pulled back, breathing hard. “Bathroom?”
I nodded in agreement. With his hands holding me up and my legs around his waist, he took us inside the bathroom, shutting it with his foot. My back hits the back of the door as Liam continued to kiss me hard and wild. His tongue forced its way into my mouth as he grinded against me, making me feel things in places I hadn’t felt in a very long time.
I could explode just by doing this for a few minutes, but Liam had other plans. He lifted the skirt of my dress up and glided his fingers inside my panties. Just like in my fantasy last night, his fingers work me amazingly. I groaned loudly against his mouth.
“Liam…Liam, I can’t. It’s too much,” I panted against his pounding lips.
“Come for me,” he panted wildly, his fingers moving like the pros they were.
“Liam… I can’t hold it…please!”
He buried his face deep into my neck, licking and sucking my skin roughly.
“Liam!” I groaned one last time before everything went blank. My body shook violently, relishing in a long orgasm. “Oh my God.”
“That’s it… that’s it,” he breathed against my neck. “Enjoy it.”
As my orgasm wore off, I grabbed his face and pulled it close, kissing him with everything I had, making sure he knew I appreciated what he just gave me.
He pulled his face back and gazed at me bewildered. His hair was all over the place. Just as quickly though, something changed in his face and the moment escaped us. He sets me down slowly. I pulled my skirt down as he checked his reflection, fixing his hair. He turned back and faced me with a blank stare.
As we stood staring at one another, I said nothing. What was there to say? Thanks for the good finger fuck? He wasn’t my boyfriend. I wasn’t expecting a cuddle.
Without saying anything, he opened the door and left, closing the door behind him.
Goodbye, Liam.
A normal person would have felt screwed over, but I knew our moment was just two people enjoying their time together, making each other feel good. And the fact that he left without saying goodbye, it helped ease the dined-and-dashed feeling I was sort of feeling.
They really were brothers. Liam was kidding himself if he thought he was nothing like Xander. At least Xander wouldn’t have just left like that; he would have at least given me another orgasm and bid me a polite farewell.
Okay, I was lying.
I was affected.
He could have at least said goodbye.
There was no point in feeling bad; it’s over with and finished for good. I was finished with these brothers. It’s time to move on and forget any of this shit ever happened. I checked my reflection, fixed my hair and straightened out my dress. I checked the hallway and it was empty.
Thank God.
I left the bathroom and headed out of the mansion. The party was officially over for me. The SUV was waiting out front. Upon seeing me, Daniels quickly jumped out of the driver’s side and opened my door for me.
“Hello, Ms. Gellys,” Daniels said.
“Hello, Daniels,” I replied, exhausted.
“I trust everything went well this afternoon,” he smiled.
I nodded, sliding into the car. “It did.”
“Very good.”
After shutting my door, Daniels slid back inside the SUV and drove us away from the mansion.
“Ms. Gellys, Mr. Barns wanted me to give you this,” Daniels said, handing me a thick yellow envelope. I took it from him and opened it. Bringing me back to life, my jaw dropped as the contents. There’s a stack of hundred dollar bills inside.
Five thousand dollars?
“Ms. Gellys, Mr. Barns also instructed me to take you to the train station, and to buy a business class ticket back to Toronto for the next available train. Is that all right?” Daniels asked, his eyes never leaving the road.
Placing the envelope on my lap, I leaned into my seat and sighed. “Yes, that’s fine,”
“Very good,” Daniels said, driving us toward the train station.
What a weekend.
I was going home.
*~*~*
I changed into regular clothes at the train station. Daniels bought me a business class ticket back to Toronto for 5pm. After Daniels said his goodbye, I sat in the half-filled waiting area with my luggage and carry-on stowed between my legs.
The events of the weekend simmered on the back burner in my brain. I knew once I began going through each of those memories, I’d be struggling.
I have five-thousand dollars in my bag right now! I thought for the thousandth time.
Xander had given me five-thousand dollars because I scared away his love-sick stalker, risking my own life in the process.
But it’s not like he cared about that anyway. He must have had faith in me that I could get the job done without a scratch. At least, I hoped he did. But knowing Xander, my safety probably never even crossed his mind.
It was so messed up. I cradled my head in my hands, breathing i
n and out slowly to stop myself from hyperventilating.
It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay. I chanted slowly for the next twenty minutes until the gate to my train is opened.
I ushered my large luggage and carry-on onto the train tarmac, and made my way to my seat. It’s much different than the seat I sat in coming to Ottawa.
Bigger.
More comfortable.
Better quality.
I relaxed in my expensive seat. The entire car was practically empty with no one sitting beside me. It’s nicely quiet and very peaceful; for the first time since this trip started, I could finally breathe. As the train moved, I pulled out my phone.
Dad: I’m glad you gave me your phone number; now I can call you and text you anytime I want. Guess what? Cameron and I are going to Canadian Tire tomorrow and we’re going to spend your gift certificate on a fancy drill. I can’t wait. Please give me a call or text when you get home so I know you arrived safely.
Dad.
I smiled, at least someone was happy from events of the past weekend.
I texted Dad back, telling him I was happy that he was happy and that I’d text more later. I placed my phone back in my pocket, wanting to nap and shut off my brain, and pretend for at least an hour everything in my life was boring. As my eyes close, my phone beeped. After pulling out my phone, I cringed, it was that fucking guy again.
Xander: You should be on your way back to Toronto now, but I’ve been thinking.
Maybe this thing we had…or could have, it doesn’t have to end with this weekend.
X.
Marisa: What do you mean, ‘doesn’t have to end’?
Xander: I mean, I want you to come and work for me as my personal assistant. We could do great things together, Marisa. I could really use someone like you.
I seem to get myself into peculiar situations, and you did such an amazing job with handling the one today. It just makes sense that you come and work for me.
X.
Marisa: Yeah…okay…I don’t believe you.
Xander: I’m serious! Anyway, take some time to think about it. Think of it as an amazing, life-changing opportunity. It’s a game changer. Think about that when you work your next shift at the ice cream place.
Did I mention the pay?
It’s quite handsome…just like yours truly.
X.
Amazing, life-changing opportunity?
He was offering me a job?
Really? I pondered for a moment, as if it could actually be real.
No way.
There’s no way.
He wasn’t a serious person, and his promises were all bullshit.
Instead of texting him back, I switched my phone to silent and tucked it back inside my pocket. Setting all things Xander aside, including this fucked-up weekend, it’s time to get back to the real world. That meant going back to work tomorrow night.
My plain, low-paying job.
Lovely.
*~*~*
Monday April 22nd 2013
I was closing tonight, alone.
Things that didn’t bother me before were painfully bothering me, like waiting on customers while they chose what flavours of ice cream they wanted, then cleaning up spilled ice cream across tables.
All for minimum wage?
The constant reminder that I worked for minimum wage killed me as the hours dragged by. As I closed the store on my own, cleaning took longer than usual.
I really was going no where in life.
If Mom, Gwen, and Ben could see me right now, they would have been proud.
I was proving them right.
Arriving home after locking up, the bass from Sheila’s room blasted on high. Her door was vibrating. I shook my head in disgust and unlocked my door. Sheila being a maybe prostitute didn’t bother me before. Now it maybe, kind of, did.
I lived next door to a hooker.
Could it get any worse?
I was no different than a cockroach, slumming it in an abandoned building with a bunch of junkies getting high.
Entering my room and locking the door, I still heard the bass from Sheila’s room. I had to fucking live with that shit, because there was no way I was knocking on Sheila’s door right now, interrupting whatever business transaction she had going on. I slide the leather bag Xander gave me off my shoulder and placed it on my desk. I stared sadly at it for a second.
I could have never afforded something like this prior to this weekend. I would have had to work sixty hours to pay for it.
The thought depressed me. I bet if Xander worked for sixty hours, he’d have a lot more money to buy more than just a leather bag. We’re probably talking tens of thousands of dollars. I had a brief glimpse of his lifestyle this past weekend, and that took big money.
Money I wasn’t well acquainted with.
Geez, even Dad’s birthday gift knocked me back a few.
My bank account balance was the least of my worries thanks to the money Xander gave me. Five thousand dollars could last me up to year, maybe less with the way things were going. And with my savings dwindling down, something had to change or else I might need to get a second job.
Or would I? I stared at my phone. I opened Xander’s texts from this past weekend, settling on his last few messages. I stared at them, hypnotized.
Xander carried trouble with him, but he also carried something else, something life changing. And that was a job that paid a lot.
But what about Liam?
I promised him I’d stay away from Xander.
Yeah, well he also finger fucked me in the bathroom, then ditched me without another word. So it was safe to say that I didn’t owe him shit.
What other options did I have?
I had no university degree, no trade skills. I could become a manager at 4Scoops, but that would take years. Living in downtown was expensive; my savings were dwindling down as each month passed.
It could be life changing. And it wouldn’t have to be forever, just until I saved enough to get me by without having to work shitty jobs. Just until I found out what I really wanted to do with my life, which I still had no idea of. If I became Xander’s personal assistant, the life I had now would change forever.
There will be no going back. I pondered for a few seconds before opening and typing a new text.
Marisa: I accept.
I hesitated before pressing send. This was it, the moment that would change everything.
Could I handle it? I mean, how bad could it be?
Taking a giant breath, I pressed send.
Here goes nothing!
CHAPTER 26
Here goes nothing!
Forty seconds later….
My brain went into high alert, making my body shiver so uncontrollably I had to grab my desk to keep still.
Wait – what! – NO!
My eyes widened, horrified at what I just did. Had I lost my mind? I needed to fix this, before it was too late. Frantically, my fingers trembled as they quickly texted him back.
Marisa: Ha – ha – ha! Just kidding!
Shit!
That was a close one. I sighed in relief, sagging into my used leather chair.
I almost made the worst mistake of my life, and I’d already made some pretty big ones in my life so far. This one would have been catastrophic. That guy was a loose cannon. His mind was permanently in another dimension. He was too sketchy and I’d never be able to read his mind.
Mentally flushing his proposal down the toilet, I happily declined my admission to Xander land.
When I sighed again, my phone vibrated and chimed loudly, making me jump. The screen lit up, displaying his name.
And here we go again.
Xander: That’s too bad…. we could have had some fun together, by the way how much does that ice cream place pay you per hour again?
Damn him!
Where was one of those teleportation devices from Star Trek when you needed one? What I wouldn’t give for his pervert ass to
be standing here, right in front of me, so I could take a swing at his smug face, wiping it off with great pleasure.
Was he trying to make a point?
I knew I got paid shit, but still, I wasn’t going to work for him. I had things I still wanted to do in my life, and knowing him, I probably wouldn’t make it to my next birthday with the shit he planned on making me do.
Fucked up shit
Marisa: It’s minimum wage if you have to know. The job is only temporary and it’s easy, two things I probably couldn’t say about working for you.
After sending the text, I waited anxiously for his reply. When he didn’t reply in the same timely manner as his previous texts, it made me think I hurt his feelings. That bastard wasn’t used to hearing the words ‘No thank you’.
I pressed the power button on my laptop and the screen popped up with my Hotmail account in the window, just the way I left it this afternoon before leaving for work. Getting off the bus at my stop earlier, my phone had chimed loudly. I had two incoming emails.
The first one was from Darcy and the second one was from…
Ben?
What the hell did he want? I thought we hashed out whatever was left between us last Saturday.
Whatever!
I opened Darcy’s email first.
Marisa!
I’ve been asked to grade eight prom! OMG! OMG! His name is Wesley and he’s on the soccer team with Cameron. He’s taller than Cameron. He has blue eyes and blonde hair. He’s so cute. I’ve liked him for a while! I said yes!!!! You have to help my pick out a dress! The formal is in one month! Look for dresses online and send the links to me please, this is the biggest moment in my life, I need it to be perfect! Email me back big sis!
Ummm – excuse me?
Awhile?
How come this was the first time I was hearing about this? Wasn’t it mandatory for little sisters to always tell their older sisters whenever they had a crush on somebody? Especially when it was really cute guy?