by Measha Stone
"So, how's the job going?" Kelly waved off Alex and grinned across the table at Alyssa. "And the apartment, when do we get to see the apartment?" She said while holding her wine glass to her lips.
"Kel, let the girl get settled before you invite us all over there." Jessica said from beside Alex.
"The job is going fine. The people have been awesome. Management has been a little cold this week, but I'm sure it's just because of the overabundance of work being done." Alyssa resettled herself in her seat with grin. She heard Alex let out a soft grunt and grinned even wider.
"The apartment is tiny so there will be no dinner parties there." She laughed. "I barely fit." Alex did turn his gaze to her then.
"Where did you say it was at?" The undercurrent of his tone held a firmness that both ignited and frightened her.
"I didn't." She sipped her water, keeping her eyes on Kelly. Kendrick dipped his menu down to look over at them. His left eyebrow was raised, and a question lurked behind his eyes.
"Kelly, how is summer break going?" Royce interjected from next to Kendrick. He had to lean forward a bit to see her.
"Where is the apartment you found?" Alex's question came softly, but directly to her ears as he had leaned over and whispered.
"Near my hotel. It's fine." She didn't look at him, but rather kept her gaze on Kelly who was talking about her month off of classes. "You teach?" Alyssa piped up when Alex opened his mouth to say something else to her.
"Yes. Chemistry at UIC."
"Ew, chemistry was not my best subject." Alyssa screwed her face at the idea of college chemistry. High school had been enough to turn her stomach at the mention of any science subject. She couldn't imagine teaching it every day.
"I'm with you there." Jessica said raising her wine glass in the air. "Science isn't my thing either."
Kelly went on to defend her profession while Jessica rolled her eyes and made several nerd jokes. Alyssa noticed Royce picking up Jessica's wine glass, moving it out of her reach and replacing it with his water glass. She envied their easy friendly banter, as though there were nothing they could say to the other that would hurt or ruin their relationship. She'd never had that before. Her mother's escapades weren't well hidden and what few friends she did make disappeared once their parents realized who her mother was. By the time she was in high school she'd learned not to expect anything from anyone and was too busy studying and working part time afterschool to try to keep up with a social life.
Alex reached under the table and placed his hand over hers, his fingertips touching her thigh. She worried that her expression might have caused him concern and quickly smiled up at him. He wasn't even looking at her. His thoughts appeared to be somewhere else. She decided to enjoy the moment of his touch. Just a moment.
"Oh! I forgot to tell you," Kelly turned her excitement on Alex. "We booked the City View Loft for the wedding, so you have to make sure you're free Halloween weekend."
Alex chuckled. "Of course you're getting married on Halloween," he said. "You'll probably be hitched before we can get darling Erin to set a date."
"It's going to be a costume ball, so you'll have to get a great costume." She nodded toward Alyssa.
"October is so many months away." Alyssa remarked, pushing her linguine around her plate. "Fall should make for a great wedding though."
"With this hair, summer was out of the question!" Kelly pointed at the large bun attempting to control the wavy strands of hair. Alyssa laughed. Her own hair was too thick to ever look nice in a bun, but she didn't have to worry about humidity frizz either.
"You know, we are going shopping next weekend for shoes. Kelly swears she has no sandals, and I need a pair of gym shoes." Jessica leaned forward, looking past Royce. "Why don't you come with us? It'll be fun."
"Oh, that sounds like fun, but I'm working next weekend." Alyssa shoveled a fork rolled with pasta into her mouth. Alex looked down at her with a wrinkled brow.
"No, during the day. We'll go to lunch. What time does your shift start?" Kelly added.
"I'm working part time at a diner near my apartment. Just a few shifts here and there." She felt Alex's eyes burning into her skin, his breath had slowed but she could hear the irritation with each breath.
"Oh, okay. Maybe some other time." Kelly let the matter drop, but only after looking at Alex's expression. Her worried glance to Jessica and then to Kendrick gave Alyssa the impression something was extremely wrong.
When the bill arrived, Alyssa reached for her purse only to find it in Alex's lap. "It's Royce's turn to pick up the tab." He shook his head and handed her the bag. The whole tab? What would she do when it became her turn? She had had to pick up the breakfast shift at the diner that morning in order to get the tips to pay for the linguine.
"I don't mind." She unzipped the faux leather.
His breath scorched her ear when he leaned in to say, "Put the fucking money away." She swallowed hard and retracted to get a better look at his face. His eyes were dark, his nostrils flared just enough to tell her that she had really pissed him off. But how? She'd been aloof, but friendly. The exact opposite of what she wanted to be with him. She hadn't been rude, or condescending. She'd even managed to put a lid on her brattiness.
"Royce, it's yours. We are going to have to call it a night." Alex stood from the table so abruptly his chair flew back into the table behind him. He mumbled an apology to the couple dining there, and shoved the chair under his own table. "Alyssa." He nodded to her with a very clear message in his expression that told her to get moving.
"Alex, what's wrong?" Jessica asked starting to stand. Royce put his hand on her shoulder to keep her where she was. "What is it?"
"It's nothing, Jess. Just need to get going is all. I'll talk to you later." Alex gave the group a wide grin as he reached behind him to grab Alyssa's hand. She tried not to wince at the strength of his grip as he pulled her from the table.
She managed only a quick wave before he dragged her out of the restaurant and toward the first cab he saw.
Chapter Twelve
"Give him your address." Alex slammed the door once he was in the cab, effectively trapping her from escaping to the curb.
"Alex."
"Now." He pointed at the cab driver, who watched with obvious amusement in his eyes. Alex worried the man might have thought he was kidnapping Alyssa with the way he tossed the door open and practically threw her in the back seat, but the merriment showing in the rearview mirror relaxed him.
Alyssa glared at Alex as she gave the address then leaned back against the seat of the cab with her arms folded over her chest. Alex didn't trust himself to speak to her yet anyway, so he was glad for the quiet. She'd taken a second job. As far as he knew she'd worked well over her 40 hours at the club and now she was waitressing at a diner, too? His father had asked him over a week ago to check out her place, to be sure it was in a safe area, but he'd been too irritated with the friend zone issue to approach her. He'd been sure anything he said to her would have only driven her further from him.
The cab pulled up to a six-floor apartment building. Other than the deadbolt lock on the front door, there was no other security to be seen. Anyone who could pick a lock could get in. The area wasn't too bad, not as bad as he'd worried. He stood beside her as she pulled her keys from her purse, grateful that she wasn't giving him a hard time about going up with her.
The door squeaked when she opened it, and the carpeting in the main lobby, if the five-foot square that held the mailboxes could be called that, had a thick wetness to it as he walked through toward the elevator. Neither of them spoke on the way up to her apartment, but there was no silence either. He found himself gripping the railing of the car, and readying himself to catch her in case the cable broke, and they found themselves in a free fall.
He'd smelled rancid places before, having been a boy that was up for any adventure anywhere, even the city dump, but nothing could have prepared him for the stench that assaulted him as the doors opened.
"Breathe through your mouth," she mumbled as they stepped into the hallway. She walked to the last apartment at the end of the short hallway and shoved her readied key into the lock. Once the door was open she hopped inside allowing him to follow. He took a deep breath and was more than happy to find that whatever had died in the hallway had not resurrected in her apartment. "Sorry. The guy at the end of the hall likes to experiment with curry and other spices. That actually wasn't the worst of it." She gave a half smile and tossed her keys and purse on the tiny end table near the front door.
He nodded and looked around. Anyone calling this an apartment was using a very loose definition. "Where's the bedroom?" He asked, not seeing any hallway except for the one where they stood. A doorway was to his right, which led to a kitchen fit for one, and another door directly beside it that he guessed was the washroom. No other doors or halls appeared to be in the place.
"This is it." She pointed at the couch. He gave her a side-glance and walked past her into the room. A mirrored wall separated the room from the hall, which he guessed was her closet as there were no clothes strewn about the room and no dresser. A small round patio set stood in the corner of the room near the windows, three windows all in a row that looked out at the street below. A television set that looked similar to the one he'd had as a child in his bedroom sat perched on a wooden TV stand. Two night tables sat on either side of the couch with lamps and a stack of magazines on one and books on the other. His father would have a fit if he saw this place.
"I know it's not as roomy as your place, but…"
"Roomy?" he laughed. He couldn't help the bubble that formed in his chest. Roomy would be how he described his bathroom. Her place could have fit into his bathroom. He'd never considered himself a snob, but the way she seemed to be stuffed into this place didn't feel right to him.
"Don't be rude." She chastised him with a stern look of her own, her arms folded across her chest.
"I'm sorry, you're right." He looked around the room again. "You like this place?" he asked with what he hoped was sincerity and not a trace of sarcasm. He'd had more room in his dorm room in college.
She nodded, but her eyes told him something different. She was embarrassed. He'd made her feel ashamed. Asshole.
"Well, give me the tour." He tried to sound upbeat, but her shoulders slumped.
"This is the bedroom/living room. There's the kitchen and next to it is the bathroom." He wanted to kick his own ass at hearing the low pitch of her voice.
"Were you afraid you wouldn't have a job when you rented this place?" He asked, sitting on the couch. Comfortable. At least it looked new, unlike the television and end tables.
"No, I mean, I wasn't sure how much I'd be making. I'm saving up for a larger place." She shrugged. "I know this must seem like a cardboard box compared to your place." She wrapped her arms around her stomach and again he wanted to kick the crap out of himself.
"No. It does not. I mean, I won't lie. I don't like the idea of you living here. The building needs a lot of repairs, and that elevator isn't safe." He jerked a thumb toward the front door. "But it's your home and not a cardboard box. But now that you have the job at the club, you can afford something that won't make me fear for your safety every time I drop you off at home."
"And the job at the diner." She smiled. "There's just one favor I need from you." She stepped toward him, a mischievous grin replacing her proud smile.
"What?" he asked cautiously. Nothing good was about to come out of her mouth.
"You can't tell Paul about this place. He thinks I live in a one-bedroom apartment with a full kitchen and all that. He'd die if he knew I lived here."
"You want me to lie to my father?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the couch.
"Not lie. Omit." She shrugged and kicked her sandals off, flinging them to the corner of the room.
"Just so we are clear, omission is lying." He pushed himself off the couch and stood at full height, their toes touching. The tip of her head reaching his lips. "Look at me," he said in a strangled voice. He hadn't touched her yet, and he wouldn't until she gave the okay, but damn, if she didn't hurry up, he'd have to douse himself in the shower.
Slowly she tipped her head back and his eyes found hers. He raised his hand and ran the back of his fingers along her jaw up to her ear, then gripped the back of her head. "I want to kiss you. Dammit, Alyssa, I've wanted to kiss you since you stormed out of my apartment."
She responded by closing her eyes and parting her lips. He needed no further encouragement. Her hands settled on his hips, hooking her fingers into the belt loops of his jeans, holding him to her. As though he were going to pull away at any moment.
When he did break the kiss, pulling away only slightly, she groaned uncomfortably.
"Why did you wait so damn long?" she chastised him, her eyelids heavy as they opened. He laughed hand kissed her again, a chaste kiss to her lips before stepping away. Her hands fell to her sides, and she looked completely unsatisfied. Good.
"For two weeks you've toyed with me." He rested his hands on his belt buckle, the movement not lost on her. "You've stared at me, you've winked at me, you've smiled at me, you've been a complete brat with me." He stared at her; she didn't move.
"Are you a brat usually?" he asked as an afterthought. He knew a few doms that liked their subs to be bratty, to give a reason to spank them for fun. Alex was not one of them. He'd rather have a straight on conversation. If his partner wanted a spanking, she needed only to ask, he was always happy to oblige.
"No." She shook her head and averted her eyes. "But, it was fun to tease you." She looked up at him then. "I knew you couldn't or wouldn't do anything about it. It was weird. The more I teased you and the more you did nothing, the more I wanted to tease you, to push you." She took a deep breath. "I've never done that before with a guy."
"What about Thomas?" He asked in a low voice. He hadn't meant to bring him up, but before his brain could catch up to the conversation it was out.
Her eyes narrowed as she answered. "Bradley really has a big mouth."
"That he does." Alex agreed. "Now about Thomas."
"Thomas is an ex. I'm sure you have quite a few of them." She stepped around him and plopped down on the couch.
"Yes, but he's not just an ex, is he?"
"Alex, he was my first dominant. He was the guy that showed me what being submissive means. He helped me figure out what I needed and wanted." Alyssa looked up at him as she spoke.
"And what is that? Because I'm going to be honest, Alyssa. I can't get you out of my head. I won't do the friend thing with you. I just won't." He shook his head. "And I won't do the vanilla thing either. I tried that once, had a serious relationship and it all went to hell. I hated it, she hated it, and I won't try it again." He crouched onto his haunches in front of her. "I see you at the club, and I want to devour you. The friend thing won't work."
Her eyes swept over his face several times, and she exhaled loudly. "I want you," she finally said and he began to breathe again. "I've hated the past few weeks, seeing you and not being able to talk to you the way I wanted to talk to you. As soon as I walked into a room, I'd find you instinctively. It was really starting to piss me off." She grinned. "I don't do vanilla well either. I end up being a bitch to see how far I can push the guy until he pushes back."
"Like you've been doing with me." He nodded.
"Yeah." She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them they were filled with tears. "I'm really bad at asking for what I need," she whispered. "You were just so, so, there." She wiped her eye with the inside of her palm before the tear could fall. "I think it just frightened me. I mean I didn't expect to meet anyone especially not anyone within the first day of being in the city. Your dad never told me how freaking hot you are." She laughed, the sound made him grin up at her.
"I'm not your boss at work. Kerri is and Bradley is. I'm the finance and marketing guy." He rested his hands on her knees, her skin
felt warm beneath his hands. Soft. "But here, outside of the job, I'm all boss." He winked and grinned up at her.
"I'm not that good at it." She whispered sadly. When he pushed her she replied, "I mean, Thomas and I didn't work because he was all about it, twenty-four/seven and I needed my independence. I needed to live my life on my own terms, no rules or boundaries from him. I don't want vanilla, but I'm not good at a full time thing either."
"Maybe Thomas and you didn't have the right rules, the right boundaries. I have no desire to micromanage your life. I don't want to tell you where to go and when, or how to dress, or when to sleep. You're a grown woman and can do all that on our own. But I do want to have a say in how you behave, how you work towards your goals. I want to encourage and guide, not drag and demand."
"This shouldn't be so damn complicated." She growled and pushed her way off the couch, nearly knocking him over in the process. He moved over to the couch and watched her pace the room. The spaghetti strap of her dress had slid down her shoulder, and the cotton swayed as she paced bare-footed in front of him. He wanted to swoop her up in his arms and kiss her, then take her back to his apartment, to his bed.
"It's not complicated." He finally said after giving her a few moments to work off some of her steam. "I'm not asking you to move in with me or to follow a long set of rules and regulations. I'm asking you to go on a date. Spend time with me. Yes, during that time I do want you to remain in the submissive role. And by that I mean if I say we are going to have Italian for dinner, then we are going to have Italian for dinner. You won't stomp your feet, roll your eyes, or any other disrespectful things people do when they don't get their way."
"Sex?" She asked, swinging her body around to face him. He wanted to laugh at the sincerity in her voice when she asked her question, but he managed to keep controlled. The other strap slid down her arm, and he really wanted to nuzzle her neck.