“Oh whatever. Well the rental is $14K, but after seeing this place, I am in love with it. I love the character, charm, and it just has that homey feeling. I think I am going to put in an offer to buy it. So if you want to, how about $5000 a month and we half the utilities and any other expenses. That is still less than your place so you can easily afford it.”
“You, my dear, have a deal. Okay, I have got to get off to work. I will see you tonight at seven. At least put some effort into what you wear even if it isn't a date.”
“Bitch, anytime I step out it is nothing short of fabulous, even if I am sporting sweatpants and a tank. Now go. I know how to dress myself. I will see you tonight and thank you.” I smile as she leaves.
I am exhausted from the flight. All I want is to lay down on the couch. I grab a blanket and curl up on the oversized sofa. I don't realize that I have fallen asleep until my phone begins to ring incessantly. I stretch and yawn as I reach for the phone. Holy shit. It is Michelle and I see that the clock displays six p.m. I have slept the entire day away. I decide not to answer the phone and opt to hop in the shower instead.
By the time the doorbell rings, I am putting on the final touches of lipstick and feel satisfied in the red maxi dress and heels I opted to wear. The look was sexy without being slutty.
“Damn girl! You look fucking hot!” Michelle whistles as I slide into the seat beside her.
“Well, of course. I am Summer Montgomery after all, and I have an image to uphold. So don't go getting the idea this is all for some random guy. You can lock that shit in your think tank and leave it there.”
***
When we arrive at the restaurant I am taken aback by the two gentlemen waiting at the table for us. Sam is exactly like every other guy Michelle has dated. The same dark hair, chiseled jaw and pure sexy business man. Dave is a nice looking guy. He is the type of guy that you picture in a Tommy Hilfiger ad campaign because he is wearing slacks and a polo top. A crew style haircut that accents his high cheekbones and two perfectly placed dimples give him that stereotypical boy next door look. So maybe tonight wouldn't be that hard to get through.
The conversation seems to flow easily and immediately Dave and I begin to talk like old friends who haven't seen one another in a long time. His smile is warm and his manners are refined. Throughout the night, he remains the perfect gentleman and I find that he is even more attractive because of his down to earth personality and charm. Originally from the South, we both are able to find some common ground to rotate the conversation around.
As the night comes to a close, Dave escorts me out to the car and places a single soft kiss on my cheek before giving me his phone number. The chances that I will actually call him are slim. He lacks that self-entitlement trait, common with men in the city, which definitely makes him different than most of the men I know but I am not quite ready to get into the dating scene. It also seems a catch twenty-two to try to date someone long distance. Those relationships never work anyway. I head home and get myself to bed early to prepare for a photo shoot in the morning.
***
Over the next month, I am able to adjust to being back to the fast-paced modeling life again. I race to photo shoots, make time to have girl's night out with my friends, and I work on finding myself. I make it through the days, but at night, when I am all alone, he still manages to creep back into my thoughts.
Once all of the lights are out, I lay in bed and think about Damien. I can't help but wonder what he is doing at this hour. Knowing him, he probably has some floozy lined up and waiting to head to his place for a few hours of fun.
There is a part of me that can't resist the urge to wonder if he stills thinks about our time together. The sex was intense. The air crackled with sparks that heated our passion to levels I had never experienced with anyone other than Damien. I can still feel his mouth on my skin melting me at my core. My body has an intense reaction to the vivid images that linger. I can feel my clit begin to throb. The need to feel Damien inside of me is an ache that I can't seem to get rid of.
If I weren't too tired, I would probably at least get myself off, but I know even that is only a few seconds of relief before it returns. It is like his hold on me is rooted so deep, no matter what I do, I will never be set free.
I finally manage to fall asleep a little after two in the morning. The alarm sounds shortly after five. I pull myself together and kick my ass into high gear for one of the greatest opportunities that has presented itself since I have been back.
Throwing on a pair of jeans and a blouse, I grab some coffee in my travel mug and head over to The Factory. Today, I am working on a campaign for Givenchy along with numerous other models from various agencies. As soon as I walk in, I notice the little twit huddled up with a few of her friends.
She flashes daggers at me with her eyes before she cuts them back to the mousy looking blonde standing beside her. This bitch does not want to go there with me today. The little twit is going to work her way into a complete fucking face lift if she fucks with me one more time. She is making it seem like I give a shit about her ending up with Cameron. That was yesterday's trash that I left at the curb and I am glad he and his coke habit are no longer my problems to deal with.
The one thing that bothers me the most, is the embarrassment of the whole situation. The way that he completely disrespected me in front of everyone. He never gave a damn if I was in the room or not when he would chat up or make out with some bimbo just looking to get laid. It is one thing for me to hear about it and another thing for me to actually have to watch it.
As I head to the set, the twit casts me another glare. I kindly show her my middle finger as I mouth the words 'Fuck you twit. How's my pussy taste?' The look on her face was fucking priceless and gives me the shocked reaction that I am looking for before she huffs and turns her back to me.
After our shoot, we are all asked to wait around as they prepare to announce which model has been selected to actually walk in the Spring Fashion Show. Girls huddle in groups talking about which models they think are out of the running and which ones they feel are the strongest contenders.
A wave of nausea ripples its way through my stomach. I can't resist the urge and have to sprint to the bathroom. I manage to vomit about three times before the feeling passes.
My nerves must be getting the best of me. One of the major downsides to this business is the anxiety and competition. These bitches are catty and out for blood when it comes to getting booked for a show. I grab a water from the cooler and manage to make it back over to the group just as Riccardo Tisci himself walks in.
We watch patiently as he reviews the shoot photos with the photographer along with our portfolios. There are a few words exchanged before the designer vanishes out of the door just as quickly as he had come.
“Okay ladies, listen up. The model selected to walk in the Spring Fashion Show is....Summer Montgomery. The rest of you are free to leave. Summer, do you have a moment?” the shoot director calls me over to the side.
I stand and wait as the remaining models gather their belongings and make their way out.
“Okay. The show is coming up in three months and the designer is requesting you on one condition, you need to drop about fifteen pounds. You will need to have the weight off within the next two months for fitting. Can you pull it off?”
I shake my head yes. I expect this to come up because of my curves. I work more catalog than I do runway. My body has natural curves and I am not pure skin and bones unlike the typical runway models. However, this is not the first time I have been requested to drop a certain amount of weight for a show and I am sure it will not be the last.
“Yes, that's not a problem. Thank you.” I take the nod of his head as permission to excuse myself. All of my energy is zapped and I feel completely drained. Right now all I want to do is head home and take a nap. I will get up later and start to hit the gym.
***
When the phone rings, I stretch myself out awkwardly
across the couch and glance at the time. Shit! I have been asleep almost five hours and Michelle is calling. I was supposed to meet her at the gym over an hour ago.
“I am so sorry. I fell asleep but I am on my way,” I apologize as soon as I answer the phone. I jump up off of the evil couch. It is so comfortable it makes me lose all track of time because I always wind up falling asleep. I dart into the bedroom and quickly change into a workout outfit. I am heading out the door as I continue to listen to Michelle rant on the phone. She is offering up some lecture about the value of her time and how she made a point to meet me during a busy day for her.
“I can't hang around here and wait for you, Summer. I have to get back to the office and I am already late. What is going on with you? You are never late. Anyway, we will have to finish this chat later because I have to go.” The irritation in her voice rings loud and clear. I instantly feel like a shitty friend. It isn't as if I fell asleep on purpose. I honestly have no energy but I force myself to the gym determined to get these fifteen pounds off. The only thing driving me at this point is I did not want to risk that twit getting my gig if I drop the ball. I may have stood Michelle up, but I still have to get my workout in, so I make my way to the gym alone and still exhausted.
The last thing I was expecting when I walked into the gym was to see Cameron there. Surprisingly, he looked good. Rumors around the city were that he had just returned back from rehab for a second time. He looked healthier than the last time I saw him. While he was occupied talking to some huge gym rat, I notice that he had put on about thirty pounds. His face is full and the weight he has gained is toned and muscled. He looks a hell of a lot better than he ever has. The hollowed cheekbones are now full and rounded.
Just as I start to head over to the women's locker room, he locks me in his sight. Fuck! The last time I saw this asshole, I was torching all of his shit. This shit could get awkward but I wasn't some weak ass female when it came to men. I could handle myself far better than most females. I think Cameron knows by now, I am not the bitch to fuck with.
“Summer. Hey. I heard you were back. How are you?” Cameron was still the typical chauvinistic ass he always was. The way he allowed his eyes to roam my body and lick his lips like he was a dog about to be treated with a nice fucking ribeye, proved my point. Some things never change. Well, except the fact that there is absolutely nothing appealing about this guy. As I stand there looking at him, I just kept wondering to myself what the fuck had I ever seen in this douchebag.
“Yep! Sorry, I gotta go,” I tried to excuse myself to the locker room but not before he grabbed my arm and spun me around.
“So, is that all you have to say after you fucking burned everything I owned? I think I at least deserve an apology. Or are you just an ice cold bitch with no remorse for doing what you did?” He wanted to go here. Let's do this asshole.
“An apology? You fucking dickhead! If anyone deserves an apology, it would be me. You should apologize for the fact you didn't know how to keep that pathetic excuse of a cock in your pants knowing that we were in a monogamous relationship. Then again, you are so fucking illiterate you probably do not even know what that word means. Let's be clear, it's not like I was hurt about the fact that I was finally free from having to fake a fucking orgasm with your limp fucking dick. You had absolutely no regard for the times that you played me and tried to embarrass me with your countless whores. So, fuck you, if you think that you will ever get an apology from me. You are a worthless, coked out asshole and if it weren't for the fact that you had a halfway decent mouthpiece on you, there would not be a single redeeming quality about you. Now, excuse me.” I feel like there are many more insults and snide comments that want to fly out of my mouth, but I figure I am already ahead in this war of words. That combined with the crowd that has focused all of their attention on us was enough for me to think better of it and let this go. Cameron is not worth my time.
“You stuck up cold-hearted bitch. I damn sure didn't hear you complaining about my dick the two years we were together, so obviously I was doing something right. Now, let's just be real and not try to show off because you have an audience.”
I lean in and look him dead in his eyes. “Yes, you did a couple of things right, Cameron. You managed to pass out each time we had sex, which lasted all of about two minutes. Thank you for that because I was able to get my toy out and get more satisfaction than you could ever give me. The second best thing you ever did, was fuck around on me because now that little twit is the one dealing with your shit and going to bed every night with a little boy who's cock hasn't fully reached puberty. At least I get to be fucked by a man that clearly knows how to make me cum. It sucks really, that you aren't even able to do that. So close, yet so far away. When your dick grows a little bigger than three inches, and you can actually last longer than the time it takes me to blink my eyes, then you might find that your balls are big enough to even call yourself a man. I don't have time for little boys in my life so do me a favor and fuck off.” I was feeling pretty empowered by the fact that I had not let him get the upper hand. I cast him one last look, that was sure to be the biggest assault on his ego, and I rolled my eyes and laughed in his face.
I was so caught up in my little triumph and couldn't get away from him fast enough. Before I could turn to walk away, he punched me dead in my face and knocked me on my ass, right there in the middle of the gym floor. My vision was going in and out as I tried to focus on the group of men that swarmed to tackle Cameron to the ground. I could faintly hear someone near me, lifting my head up off of the floor, asking me if I was okay. I refused to give into the darkness that threatened to claim me. I shook my head back and forth until my vision came back into focus. I felt the blood pooling from my mouth and nose. I tried to reach up to wipe it away but not before someone had a towel there, applying pressure to try to stop the bleed.
I pushed myself up off the ground and tossed the towel away. My face hurt. He hit me so hard I could almost swear I saw fucking stars. My mind was full of rage and when I saw him pinned there to the ground by those men, I lost my shit. I charged toward him and I kicked him as hard as I could in his fucking nuts. He screamed out for about a second before his face beaded up with sweat and he passed the fuck out. Fucking asshole. He should know by now I am not the bitch to fuck with.
Chapter Fourteen
Damien
“So, I heard that you were back at the shop. Did you get everything all worked out with you?” The concern in Marie's voice burned a whole in my half alive heart. After all that she has done for me, the fact that I put her through senseless worry, ate at me. She didn't deserve to have to take on someone who should have their shit together by now. She is the closest thing to a mother that I have and I could kick my own ass for disappointing her. I had let a lot of people down over the past couple of months.
“Yeah, I think for the first time in a very long time, I was finally able to dig my head out of my ass and get it together. I am so sorry Marie. You and Shavo took me in with no questions asked and you both always gave me more love than I deserved and every time I turn around I am letting you down. I feel like a piece of shit, but I promise you, I have it together and if it isn't too late, I would like a chance to show you. I am a different person and it just took one stubborn ass blonde to give me the swift kick I have always needed.” I laughed as the slight reference to Summer almost bowled me over. The thought of her and the fact that she was not with me where she belonged, felt like someone had sucker punched me.
“Look Damien, there is no need to apologize. We all have to find our way back from time to time. The only thing that we can ever really hope for is that we are able to do that before time runs out on the ones we love. They are waiting for us to come back to them, but they can't wait forever. Speaking of that, now that you have your shit together, I want to know where your head is at when it comes to my daughter?”
Marie did not waste any time getting straight to the point. I couldn't say that I bl
amed her. I am sure that Summer had already filled her in on almost everything that had gone down between us. I was prepared to be read the riot act when it came to her daughter and the fact that I couldn't find the balls to man up.
“Things are complicated with Summer. Nothing new there. I know she loves me. I love her too Marie. I was just too proud to admit that at the time. She makes me feel weak and I have gone my whole life determined not to feel vulnerable to a woman. I couldn't say all the things she needed me to say. Not because I do not feel the same, but honestly, because I was scared shitless by everything she forced me to feel. I do know that I can't imagine a day that I have to wake up without her. I don't want time to pass and my pride stand in the way of my one shot at happiness. I am so tired of running from love. I think it is time that I face those fears and I know that I don't want to do that with anyone other than Summer. She is the love of my life. She always has been but I was so hell bent on pushing that down and burying it that I am afraid it may be too late.”
There are a million things that I could say to convince Marie that I belonged with Summer. Yet somehow, it is like I am the last one to figure out what everyone has known for years. I am the one who is finally taking the blinders off and my only hope is that my chance has not passed me by to find the happiness that I always felt was out of reach.
“Damien, I believe that you love Summer and I know that she loves you more than anything in this world. When you go get her, all I ask is that you make sure that you are fully ready to receive all the love that she has to offer. The thing with love is this: No matter what scars we carry from our pasts, the demons that haunt us, the fears that cripple us, love can replace those things and it can heal the parts of your soul that may seem damaged beyond repair. You just have to get out of your own way to allow it to show you that you never have to be a hostage to those that hurt you before. Love makes you brand new and it is the one thing in this life that you can count on to fill the emptiness. Now, I dare you to take that chance. I dare you to allow yourself to find the courage you need to take a long look at your life and make a choice. Dare to be held hostage to who you think you are, or dare to be who you can be when your life is filled with a love that will finally make you whole. When you are ready, Summer is in New York. She left a little over a month ago and I need you to go get her and bring our girl home where she belongs.”
Dared (Boneyard Bad Boy #1) Page 14