ROMANCE: Mr. Mystery: (New Adult Bad Boy Romance) (Contemporary Mystery Short Stories)

by Viva Fox

  So here she sat, in a mom and pop diner, waiting for Mike to meet her. She had always felt like Mike had a soft spot for her and maybe she would finally be able to get some use out of it for once. He was James’ best friend and she never felt comfortable messing with emotions before, but she was a woman on a mission.

  Just as she thought this Mike entered the diner and looked around. She waved at him seductively, but didn’t even get a smile out of him in return. He took his sunglasses off and walked across the room, sitting down across from her.

  “I’m doing really well, thank you. You’re right, it has been too long. Work is good, keeping me busy, I’m a youth minister now.” Teresa sat there, confused. The waitress made her way to the table and Mike picked up the menu. “I’ll just have water for now, thank you.” The waitress looked at Teresa as she stammered out a response.

  “I’ll have the same I guess.” The waitress smiled and walked away, quickly bringing back the two glasses of water. As she walked away, Teresa shook her head and looked at Mike. “What was-”

  “So, you wanna know about James, right?” He looked up from the menu and locked eyes with Teresa.

  “What? No, I mean, we haven’t talked in a while, I figured we could catch up.” She nervously flipped through the menu, not able to concentrate on any of the options, her mind raced between all the questions she had about James.

  “Really? I’m naive, but I’m not stupid. You don’t talk to me, return my calls or emails, nothing for two years but suddenly now that James moves back you want to ‘catch up?’ Yeah right.” He took a sip from the glass of water, the condensation leaving a water stain on the table.

  “Well, I mean...I do want to know how you’ve been too.” She looked as she said that, a concerned look falling on Mike’s face.

  “Listen, that was a bit rash to come in like that, that’s not me, I mentioned I was grabbing lunch with you and that was what my friends thought I should do.” He put the menu down just as the waitress came back. “Hey, give us a minute or two, please.” The waitress nodded and walked away as Mike reached across the table and took Teresa’s hand.

  “Look, he would kill me if I told you this, but-” Mike leaned in a bit closer, “when he moved away he got involved with this other girl and apparently it ended pretty badly. It’s why he moved back. He doesn’t really talk about it much.” Mike let go of Teresa’s hand and opened his menu again, carefully avoiding Teresa’s gaze. Teresa sat back in her seat and sighed.

  “He uh, was with somebody else?” Mike looked up from the menu looking concerned.

  “Well, I mean it’s been a few years. You can’t imagine he would have just been sitting around waiting for you to call him.” He closed the menu again, “I mean, you’ve been with people. I’ve seen you out on dates.” His voice trailed off as he looked at her.

  “He told me he would never love again though.” Tears welled up behind her eyes and Mike frantically looked around the room as if trying to find some help.

  “Listen, I don’t know any of the details,” tears began to fall, “but, but, if I can find out-” Mike floundered to find words as Teresa continued to cry. “Okay, listen, we’re having a party this weekend, why don’t you and Liz come along?” As he said this, Teresa stopped crying and opened her menu.

  “I’ll have to see if we’re available, but we’ll try to be there.” Mike sat back in his seat and opened the menu again, completely confused at what just happened.

  ****

  Teresa stood naked in her closet, her bare back facing Liz who sat on the end of Teresa’s bed, eyes glued to her phone, thumbs scrolling across the screen.

  “So, I’m thinking that I should pick something that is pretty easy access, you know?” Teresa said as she held dresses up in front of the mirror, gauging the apparent sluttiness of each compared to the others. “I don’t want to come off *too* slutty so that just any guy will think they have a chance. I’ve gotta play this right.”

  Liz agreed absentmindedly from the bed as she scrolled through her phone. Teresa turned around and saw she wasn’t paying attention so she threw a hanger across the room, knocking the phone out of Liz’s hand. “Come on, help me out here” Teresa shouted. Liz glared for a moment, but stood up and walked across the room. She collected a few of the scattered clothes that were around the room on her way towards the closet.

  “Well, if you go with a dress you need something cute underneath,” Liz glanced at the dirty clothes piled in the corner, “and I’ll assume that you don’t have anything right now.” Teresa shrugged and continued to search through the clothes hanging in the closet. “So, why not leggings?” Liz reached down into a pile of clothes and pulled out a pair of tight, black leggings.

  “Yeah, alright,” Teresa took the leggings and pulled them on. She looked around quickly and pulled out an oversized sweater. “And this sweater. He loved this sweater.” As Liz walked back across the room to pick her phone up off the bed, Teresa turned around and held it up for her. “He got this for me as a gift.” Liz glanced at it and resumed scrolling through her Twitter feed.

  “Yeah, if he remembers maybe it’ll be some kind of clue to him or something. But, he’s a guy, so he won’t remember.” Liz laid down on the bed and sighed.

  ****

  It had been their three year anniversary when Teresa sat at the kitchen table, hands covering her eyes. She could hear the wrapping paper of her gift crinkling as it was placed on the table. She felt the smile creep across her face as James’ voice washed over her. James hated wrapping presents, so this was a big deal for him.

  “Alright, open your eyes, babe.” Teresa threw her hands off and eyes open to see a large preset sitting in front of her. It was crudely wrapped, with crinkled paper, but it was wrapped. “Go on, open it, don’t study it.” She could hear the smile on his face, his voice always gave away his emotions.

  She tore into the paper, tiny bits fluttered onto the floor. She opened the box and pulled out a large, oversized, knit sweater. She held it up to smell it and was almost overwhelmed by the smell of sheep. She giggled and put it back into the box. Teresa spun around and stood up, throwing her arms around James’ neck. She buried her face into his chest and could feel him laughing. “You’ve gotta try it on, you goof.”

  She turned back around and pulled it back out of the box, throwing it on over her black tank top and athletic shorts. The sweater fell to the middle of her thighs, effectively making it look like she wasn’t wearing pants. Teresa looked up at James for approval.

  “Looks good doesn’t it?” She twirled around a few times, laughing to herself slightly at the ludicrousness of the sweater. “How much did you pay to ship this from Ireland, anyway? I thought we agreed on not spending too much money.” As she finished up her twirl James grabbed her and picked her up. He tossed her slightly until she was being carried under his arm.

  “What are you doing,” Teresa exclaimed through laughter. “Don’t you want your gift?” James made his way through his small apartment and into his bedroom where he dropped her onto the bed.

  “I thought you were my present.”

  James pulled his white henley off over his head, his curly hair flopped slightly and he took a minute to straighten and correct his beard. He climbed onto the bed next to her, hands slipped up inside the sweater and grabbed her sides playfully, pulling her body close to his.

  Their lips interlocked, their breath in sync as their tongues passionately lapped at the other. His hands had made their way inside her shirt, his hands cupping her breasts, his thumbs flicking her erect nipples. As they rubbed over her tits, she moaned quietly, his lips breaking away to find her neck.

  He licked his lips before kissing her pale neck, slight bites left red marks that would remind her of this later when she would look in the mirror. Her fingernails scratched at his back in pleasure creating a mosaic. James raised up onto his knees slowly, and mounted her. He pulled off her sweater and tank top and laid back on top of her. His hands, lips, and
tongue began the slow descent down her body. The soft kisses and flicks of the tongue drew out louder moans, Teresa's head rocked back as she managed to mutter his name out under her breath.

  James rose up again, unfastening his belt and jeans as Teresa managed to slide out of her shorts and panties. James fell back into her neck, one hand firmly grasping the nape of her neck, his chest hair felt soft against her exposed breasts. The other hand slowly walked down her stomach, ticking her as it went. The index and ring finger gently opened her pussy, his middle finger rubbing her clit. He leaned down, leaving her to moan as his face and lips passed over her body, kissing every inch.

  Finally, as he reached her vagina, his tongue began to lap at her clit, his finger now inside her. Moaning, she began to contort and crumpled into the bed. He spit on her pussy and raised up slightly, taking his cock in his free hand. With another quick spit and rub, he slowly inserted his dick inside her.

  Immediately she began to moan loudly, his name barely finding its way off her tongue, her mind completely engrossed in the feeling of his dick. Reaching up with both hands, he grabbed her behind the neck, locking eyes with her as his body rhythmically thrusted his pelvis into hers.

  Their naked bodies seemed to fit together like puzzle pieces, after three years they had fallen into such a tight sync that without saying a word James stood up and flipped Teresa over onto her hands and knees. He took up a handful of her hair in one hand, and he slide inside her again, his bare thighs slapping into her perky, porcelain ass.

  Her moans were replaced with screams of delight as every few thrusts he would pause to spank her firmly. Each time he would do it, Teresa would let out a small yelp of pleasure. Leaning down onto her, his chest matching the curve of her back, kissing the back of her neck, he reached around, grabbing her bouncing tits, his fingers pinching and squeezing her nipples as he thrusted deeper.

  Her screams quickly began coming faster and faster, with each thrust the orgasm building up. James released one tit and reached between her thighs and began to tease her clit. Teresa went limp in the bed as her body shook uncontrollably, pleasure rolling over her body like tidal waves.

  James didn’t let up though, his hard dick continuing to pound. Her hands clutched at the sheets on the bed as he slowed down, the thrusts began to have more meaning, each one brought her close to cuming. As he pumped one last time she let out a long moan, feeling all the pressure in her body release. James pulled out and rolled her over into his arms and he laid down onto his back.

  “My god, I thought I was just getting that sweater,” Teresa said between labored breaths. She pushed her hair out of her face and looked at James as he laid, sweating and panting beside her. He smiled and turned to look at her, kissing her on the forehead. “I don’t know if I got enough now.”

  “Yeah, you don’t even need to get me anything at this point if you didn’t want to,” James laughed as his free hand played with her hair.

  “Oh, well good because I actually didn’t get you anything for the anniversary. So, I’m really glad you said that.” Teresa held her breath to see how James would react. He slowly turned his head and looked away from her.

  “Well, I mean, that’s fine I suppose.” Teresa laughed loudly and rolled over on top of him, mounting him as he had just done.

  “You want a present, you punk. I know you.” Teresa nuzzled into his neck, blowing raspberries, causing him to shirk away as he tried to push her off.

  ****

  The party was nothing special honestly. Teresa stood with Liz in the corner of the living room, each of them held a red solo cup full of some sort of mixed drink. Mike had worked at a Mexican restaurant for a few years and learned how to make some fantastic drinks. However, he only knew the measurements to make the drinks in gallons. There was nothing wrong with this, but it led to some interesting parties. Sadly, this did not appear to be one of them.

  Teresa and Liz silently sipped from the cups while Mike’s classic rock blared throughout the apartment. Small pockets of people had formed up, but Liz and Teresa did not necessarily fit in well with any of the circles of friends. Over the past few years Liz and Teresa had isolated themselves and burned a few bridges, something they didn’t think of until they arrived at the party.

  When they had arrived Mike had introduced both of them to his new work friends, which they didn’t mesh well with at all. Unable to hold a conversation about the things people do at church or children, the two had agreed to come up with a drinking game that would make the party more bearable until James got there.

  So, now they stood in silence in the corner, watching the room and listening to the small groups around them make small talk. For each mention of an engagement, promotion or raise at work, or a “remember when we were in college” story, they would take a drink. If, and when, someone would mention a pregnancy, they would finish their drinks.

  It had been about an hour and both Teresa and Liz were feeling light headed and had to brace themselves while they walked around the room to keep the conversations fresh. They had hit the jackpot early on with one group of accountants who couldn’t help but try and one up each other’s promotions. As they made their way across the room Liz nudged Teresa to tell her something.

  “So, one or two more hours and I’m out of here. I can’t be around these people too long. All this talk of babies is drying my vagina up.” She looked into her cup and made a beeline for the cooler. “And all this drinking can’t be good for me. I mean, why people can’t just be happy to be unemployed like me.”

  As Teresa and Liz reached the cooler the door opened and in walked James. He carried in a brown paper bag, the top of a bottle of liquor protruded from the top, the cap was nowhere to be seen. Mike jumped up from his seat and caught up to him as he began to walk into the room, tossing his keys into a bowl that sat on a table next to the door. Mike quietly whispered in his ear and James took a step back as if he was shoved.

  “And you’re only telling me now?” James started to look around the room, eyes landing on a few different girls until he met the gaze of Teresa. Without breaking eye contact he raised the brown bag to his lips and took a long pull of liquor. “Well, let the shit show begin.” He took another step back and stared intently at her outfit. Turning his head like a dog, trying to understand a noise. With a look of understanding he slowly shook his head and took another drink.

  James pushed past Mike towards a door in the back of the room leading to his bedroom. Liz had poured herself a new drink, but instead of saying anything took a few more sips. As the door closed and Teresa didn’t move, Liz leaned over to Teresa and drunkenly whispered:

  “Do you think he noticed the sweater?” Teresa didn’t say anything so Liz tipped the cup back, finishing her drink again. “Things can only get worse. I’ll need more booze.” Mike walked over to Teresa as Liz made her way back over to the cooler of alcoholic mystery.

  All of Teresa’s dreams and fantasies about seeing James again quickly were becoming nightmares. She had been prepared for something a little more...erotic.

  “Hey, listen, he had a tough day at work. You know how teaching can be. I mean, its high school so all those hormonal teens can wear just about anybody down.” Mike stood there and spoke with hopeful eyes trying to make Teresa feel better. Teresa placed her cup on the coffee table and motioned for Liz.

  “This was a stupid idea, guys. Thanks for the invite, Mike, but I realize how dumb I was being.” Liz walked over and placed her cup beside Teresa’s. Mike apologized on behalf of James and walked them to the door.

  As Mike went to open the door for the girls, James’ bedroom door slammed open. Out walked James in jean shorts, a black graphic tee shirt that had a bald eagle on it and the sleeves cut off, and a cowboy hat. He raised a bottle of whiskey in one hand and hollered.

  “Let’s get this shit started!”

  ****

  James and Teresa sat together on the couch, Mike and Liz stood together on the other side of the room, ready to
step in, just in case they started throwing punches. Where they had left off it was unclear of how this would go, but from across the room they could only see smiles and laughter.

  “No, I know it wasn’t our first date party, but these are the only clothes I still have that were from any of those parties. I thought it was a good tip off that I wasn’t too mad or anything.” James took a small pull from the bottle while Teresa sighed and sat back on the couch. Her drink balanced carefully in her lap.

  “Well, you clearly noticed the sweater then?” Teresa motioned at her sweater and James nodded.

  “Yeah, third anniversary. If I recall we had some pretty great sex after I gave you that. I think you gave me a map, right?” He reached over and tugged on the sweater a bit. “I always liked how it made you look like you weren’t wearing pants.” He laughed slightly under his breath. “Especially when I found out you weren’t wearing pants.” They both laughed and slumped into the couch.