by Amy Brent
“Always working hard. Take a break have fun old man.”
He sat up quickly, taking notice of Lydia in the doorway.
“You seem to have enough fun for the both of us dear.” He arched an eyebrow in her way, obviously making reference to her outfit.
“Ha ha so funny. I have a party, that’s true but I am free after that. Maybe I’ll come by and we can make each other feel better.”
He didn’t say no, but then he didn’t say yes either he just shooed her out, pressing his fingertips against his eyes. He knew the paperwork would keep him there all night if he let it, so he settled in for a long night. A few hours later he found himself dialing her number, something he had yet to do. As it went to voicemail he left a message.
Hey its Reed. I’m worried about you. Just let me know you’re ok… please Temp
He hung up, tossing his phone on the desk in front of him. She would say something, at least he hoped so. All he could do now was wait. Another hour went by and he stood, finally ready to go home. Grabbing his jacket, he set off for the door when he saw her there.
It was almost like she was a ghost the way her frame filled up the doorway and her face was so alive.
“Tempest, hey are you ok?” He didn’t hesitate, instead he pulled her in close to hug him.
She smiled back up at him. “I am good, great actually. I have quite a few things to tell you. I know I have been distant and quiet lately, I lost my phone the last time I was here. I decided to take a break from life for a little while.”
She glanced down at the floor, and then back up to his desk no doubt remembering…
“I get it, believe me. You back for good now?” He leaned forward, hoping to appear as eager as he felt.
“Yes, and no. I am here for now but I will be going on leave in a few months. Some family matters have come up I need to address.”
“I see.” He didn’t, why couldn’t they figure it out themselves? “I need a drink; can I get you something?”
“Water, please.”
He went into the kitchen and paused, doing his best to decide what to say to her, how to express himself. Everything he had done had always been easy for him but dealing with this…emotion he felt for her was too much. He loved her, there was no other way to describe it. He had spent hours and hours with her and she had brought out the best in him.
He took a long drink from his glass and then refilled it. Whatever he decided to tell her he would need some encouragement.
Tempest
He would ask her why she was only drinking water. She had planned it just like this. When he came back he would ask her that and that’s when she would tell him that she was pregnant. It seemed to be the only way of breaking the news to him. He had told her on more than one occasion he didn’t want kids, and yet here she was, ready to tell him everything.
She loved him, being away had been like losing a part of herself in the process. But the time she spent with her mother had been priceless, and then realizing that she was pregnant had given her a new fresh perspective on life. She had so much to do, to plan for now. She had thought about never saying a word, but she cared too much for him to do that. No, he would know the truth and she would raise the child herself if need be. She waited, patiently waiting for him to arrive.
She heard the door turn and as the person came through she was surprised to see Lydia. She was in a negligee of pink silk, barely covering her body and hugging her natural assets. It was clear now that not only had she come at a bad time, she had clearly disrupted something.
“Oh my goodness, what are you doing here lady?” Lydia did her best to cover up.
“Excuse me?” Tempest had a threshold and this woman was sorely testing it.
“Where is Reed, he is expecting me. Maybe you should reschedule honey, he has plans that are a little more exciting.” She snickered at Tempest, and the burn of humiliation was there, like a gut punch.
She stood to go, but not before she turned to face Lydia.
“You know honey, if he really wanted you. All of this.” She pointed at her outfit. “Wouldn’t even be necessary, if he really and truly wanted you he would just sit you up on his desk fully clothed and take what he wants. Trust me sweetheart, I’d know.” With that she tossed her head around and walked out of his office and into the elevator.
It wasn’t until she was safely in her car that she allowed herself to feel hurt. She had come to tell him she loved him, that she missed him and that she was pregnant and instead of feeling anything at all for her, he had simply stayed late for a rendezvous with an old flame.
The real pain stemmed from the idea that he must had moved on casually and quickly after she’d gone. There was nothing left for her to do now but to go pack and move out of the main part of town and to a smaller place near her mom. There was no one else around to help and it was all she had left now.
Reed
He took one last drink and made his way back into office with water in hand. He knew what to say, and all he had to do was put it out there. He pushed open the door and turned to face her once more.
“Lydia!? What the hell are you doing here?” He glanced frantically around the room once more.
She stood their hands on hip scowling. “Me what am I doing here what the hell was Miss Piggy doing here? That woman had some nerve, she eluded to having sex with you on your desk can you imagine?!”
“Lydia, I have known you for a very long time and so I am not going to fire you for your mouth, or the way you talk about Tempest. I will, however tell you that this is your one and only warning about how you talk to people. Don’t ever, and I mean ever let me hear you say another cross word about her is that clear?”
She paled and stuttered slightly.” Ye..yes Reed I got it. I’m sorry ok.?”
“As for my sex life that is none of your business, not anymore. We are done Lydia, no more. If you said or did anything to run her off I swear Lydia, you will be on the unemployment line by Monday morning.” He grabbed his jacket and made his way out of the office and into the garage to get his car. I she could run off for weeks and not say a word, surely she could go away again, but there was no way he was letting her go not this time.
He found her apartment complex easily enough. It wasn’t as run down as he had feared, but it was in a rough part of town. He saw her car and he internally sighed with relief. He still had time to make thigs right. He parked his car, jumping out and knocking on her door.
She opened it and after the look of shock came one of concern.
“Reed, what are you doing here?” She crossed her arms and he knew she was upset.
“Can I come in and talk Temp, please just for a few minutes. Then I’ll go if you want.”
He saw her thinking about it and after another moment she opened the screen for him and he went inside. It was small and quaint but meticulously neat. It was seeing that that helped him relax even more. He turned to face her.
“Listen Temp, Lydia and I …we are done there isn’t anything going on there… not anymore.”
“Why are you telling me this Reed, what you do in your personal time has nothing to do with me.”
“What if I want it to?” He waited for her to say something, anything.
“What do you mean?” It was a whisper but he heard it.
“Temp you left, and I didn’t even want to come to work anymore. I don’t know how you did it but I tried to play this game with you to get you in bed, and somehow you turned it on me making me fall head over heels in love with you.”
He waited, letting it sink in. She raised her head to look at him and he saw the tears in her eyes.
“Don’t tell me you don’t feel it Temp, you have to.”
“I don’t know what to say Reed. I came to see you to tell you somethings and when she showed up it just all seemed so clear somehow. Now, your standing here telling me you love me.” She threw her hands in the air, letting the tears fall.
“Why is that bad Temp?” He pulled h
er close to him, framing her face with his hands. “I never wanted to settled down until I met you. I don’t ever want you out of my life again.”
“Its bad because I don’t know if we want the same things Reed.” She looked up at him.
“I don’t know whether but that’s part of it, finding out more and more about the other person.”
“Reed it’s not that simple.” She pulled away and doing it was breaking them both.
“Why not, damn Tempest your killing me here.” He stood there his heart breaking.
“Because I am pregnant Reed, that’s why.” She stood there and he felt something move inside him.
“What?!” He was unsure he had heard her correctly, and he was afraid no matter what her response.
“I am pregnant Reed. I was coming to tell you tonight. I know you don’t want kids, you made that clear so I was coming to tell you I can do this on my own you don’t have to anything at all. I won’t ask you for anything and you don’t have to…”
She was cut off when his lips met hers. The kiss was hot and searing and full of love. He nipped at her mouth gently as he searched her face then slowly he pulled back, gently placing a hand on her stomach.
“I’m going to be a dad.” He said it incredulously.
“Yes.” She whispered.
“We are a family Temp, I want all of it, you baby and hell…three more for all I care.”
He lifted her in his arms and held her close, once more reveling in the feel of her body molded to his. There was nothing more perfect than they were in that moment.
“I love you Tempest, now let’s go home.”
“I love you too Reed.” He looked down into her eyes, glistening with unshed tears, albeit this time happy ones.
“Well it’s about time you said it back.” He grunted and she swatted at him playfully before he sealed their love with a kiss.
The Playboy’s Baby
I stand here in front of my closet looking at this waitress outfit and I know that I would rather see it burn in hell. I imagine what it would be like to pour gasoline on it, set it ablaze and dance around it in victory of finding my freedom. I hate the way that people look at me when I’m wearing it. They treat me like I’m the help, but then again why wouldn’t they when that was exactly what I was. I was smart, gorgeous in the right light and if you liked curves, then I was the perfect woman.
I just received a notice from the catering company that I do temporary work for. Normally, I would tell them that I was busy, but my rent was due. This was my only way to make ends meet for this month and I had no choice, but to bite the bullet. It wasn’t glamorous work and I certainly wasn’t going to make enough to retire, but at least I could continue to put a roof over my head.
My roommate Tracy was standing by the door in her customary red hot pants and looking every bit like a woman that knew how to garner the attention of the men. She has all the attributes including a gravity defying boob job. Here in Los Angeles, you can’t trip over a girl without realizing that they were all plastic. I came here under the delusion that I was going to be a star, but then I realized that I couldn’t play the politics. I couldn’t be that skid mark on a casting couch.
“I don’t know why you just don’t come with me down to the strip club. You have a perfectly natural body that is a sought after commodity by those that like that kind of thing. Bigger girls are becoming all the rage. I don’t get it myself, but this is how the trend is starting to go. They even have a particular night dedicated to girls like you.” I had seen over the years the preference of man getting to where the stick thin Barbie doll look was going out of style. I had a lot of guys staring at me, as I walked down the sidewalk or did some casual browsing in a store. I was never really comfortable with that kind of attention, but I had to admit that the idea of not being wallpaper anymore was appealing.
“I’m not one to judge, Tracy, but that kind of thing is just not for me. I would be too self-conscious about stripping down to my birthday suit in front of strangers. I need the money, but I don’t need it that badly.” I wasn’t going to tell her, but I did entertain the idea. It was only after I visited her one night without her knowledge that I saw how these people acted on a regular basis.
“Felicity, you even have the right name for stage work. You wouldn’t even have to change it and that naïve look in your eyes would have them practically throwing their hard earned dollars down on the stage for you.” I looked at myself in the mirror and I had to admit that I owned what God blessed me with. I may have been a little on the chunky side, but most of that was honed it into the kind a muscle that you would see in any gym. I had surprised a lot of people by how much I was weightlifting.
“Tracy, I’m sure that you have only the best intentions, but I really don’t think that this is the line of work for me.” She had that short blond hairdo that showed off her sensuous neck and those long legs that went to heaven and beyond. “I give you all the credit in the world for doing something that is way out of my comfort zone. I doff my hat to you and I bow down in front of you. I only wish that I had that kind of courage to be that open with my body.” My long black hair cascaded down to the small of my back. I was 5’10 and 175 pounds.
“You say that I have courage, but you’re of the one that gives me the strength. You’ve done some nasty jobs since I’ve known you and you’ve always done them with a smile on your face. You may not have liked them, but you learned early on that a smile goes a long way. A sour disposition only gets people trying to ignore you, but if you’re friendly and courteous, then you can make some very healthy tips.” She was that spitfire with a compact body and sensuality that had guys eating out of her hand.
“I appreciate you saying that, but I really don’t believe that myself. I would love to debate this further, but both of us have jobs to go to. You need to get down to the strip cub for an 8 hour shift and I need to hightail it over to a gala an hour away from here. I’m going to have to take the bus and wearing this outfit is only going to give me the kind attention that I don’t want.” The waitress outfit was revealing, but more provocative than naughty.
The white blouse was sheer, but if I wore a bra, then it would only elude to what I had. The skirt was a uniform black. It hugged my body. It was a little snug, but it was the only size that they had that was big enough to fit me.
“I can’t describe it to you, Felicity. The only way to come close is to say that I might have an exhibitionist streak. I like the way that they look at me. I know that they can’t touch. They can pay for the honor of seeing all of it, or they can contend with only seeing what they would probably see on a beach. It takes all kinds. It doesn’t matter if they are young or old. I shake my ass in their face and they are drooling from the moment that I stand on stage. I’m not like the others and I really put on a show that is worth the price of admission.” I’d seen her hanging upside down and shimmying down that pole. It took some real skill to put on a show that was that intricate and choreographed.
It was no wonder that she was the star attraction. She was making some good bucks and I had to say that when I heard of what they were paying her, I almost fell out of my chair.
“I know that you don’t do this for strictly the money. You actually have fun and isn’t that half the battle when you are working your ass off literally and figuratively?” She winked at me, before grabbing onto her short black leather jacket and carrying the necessities for being that naughty policewoman onstage. She even had a pair of handcuffs that she used on an unsuspecting victim to draw them into her show.
“I’m not saying that the money isn’t good. Sometimes I forget all about that and I just have fun on the stage. It’s possible that I have daddy issues, but that’s for my therapist to find out.” She came over and undid the first couple of buttons on my blouse. She even turned down the collar to give me a chance at getting the kind of tips that would help me not to do this for quite some time.
My parents actually thought that I was in schoo
l, but what they didn’t know didn’t hurt them. I was happy living with Tracy. She was the only girl I knew that could take me by the hand and make me stay up, until the wee hours of the morning dancing. She had this funny way of playing with my curves. She would run her hands down over my body and have the whole dance floor with their eyes on us. It was the only time that I felt free to do what I wanted and not have to deal with the consequences.
“Felicity, you should really let me alter that outfit. I could work my magic and have them eye balling the merchandise.” What she didn’t know was that they were already looking in my direction. I looked at my watch and I knew that time was getting away from me. I could feel her hot breath on my neck and had I swung in that direction, I would have gladly let her take me for a test drive. I knew what was driving that sentiment and I hadn’t had a relationship in quite some time. Getting laid would only cause more problems than it was worth.
“I don’t suppose that I could take you out of your way to drop me off.” She came over to my computer and I showed her the address and she didn’t even hesitate. We left there together on entirely different paths with different outcomes.
I was mingling amongst the crowd feeling slightly claustrophobic with all of these people crammed in together in one place. I was pulling at my collar and every time that I bent down, I would look up to see some young man staring at my cleavage.
In the corner was Jason Wells. He was that charismatic baseball player that knew how to round the bases in his career and his personal life. He was not shy about his affections and I thought for a moment that he had looked at me.
I was picking up a tray of champagne, when I felt a presence behind me. A pair hands grabbed my hips and a long hard cylinder object of manly persuasion was pressed up against me. “You should really let me take you away from all of this. I could take you to paradise in between my sheets. I’ve noticed you watching me. I know what you’re thinking and believe me I’m thinking the exact same thing. I have this desire and curiosity to lift up your skirt and see if you’re wearing any panties.” I had never heard anybody speak to me with such candor.