The Sunday Arrangement

by Lucy Smith

  “You seem awful chipper this morning,” I said.

  She blushed. “I guess I am. Not that you’d really care . . . I just . . . I don’t know, have you ever noticed how the curl at the front of his head always curls in a different direction than the rest of his curls?”

  I looked at her for a moment before I tried to pretend to work. Was she really doing this right now?

  She was silent, clearly waiting for me to answer her.

  “Um, I can’t say I have.”

  “I notice those things about him. He is such a smart, good-looking man. It’s inspiring to watch him work. Savvy businessmen are such a turn on for me, ya know?”

  I did know, but I wasn’t about to let on that I agreed with her. “I guess. I think it’s sexier when it’s the women kicking ass and taking names in the business.”

  She tugged at her hot pink sweater. “I try to. I mean, I am his assistant, after all. It’s my job to help him anyway I can.”

  Poor thing had a very obvious crush on him, though I didn’t really understand why she felt I should suddenly know about it. Her affection for Pierce was as evident as her bleached hair. And besides that, last time I checked, April and I weren’t exactly best friends. Jealously wasn’t the start of a rock-solid relationship. I almost wanted to tell her that I’d be screwing Pierce later, but I resisted the urge. Neither did I have the heart to inform her she was the eye candy he used to piss his father off.

  She continued to wax on and on about Pierce. It was as alarming as it was pathetic. I couldn’t shake the uneasiness I felt as she suddenly opened up to me like a new spring flower. It didn’t make any sense.

  Eventually, I couldn’t take her constant talking any longer and politely told her she could leave.

  “Oh that works out perfectly!” she squealed. She mumbled something about a club she wanted to go to as she put her laptop back in a polka-dot bag.

  “Here’s the thumb drive to my speech. I’ll tell Pierce tonight that—” I quickly stopped myself, realizing I was giving away too much. April didn’t know we were seeing each other, and she especially wasn’t aware of what we’d be doing. I intended to keep it that way. “Uh, you tell Pierce when you see him next that he needs to send me an e-mail with his portion so that I can review it. Once we’ve compiled it into one proposal, I’ll have you make copies for the meeting.”

  “Okay, I’ll get on that. For now, I need to go shopping. I’m in desperate need of the perfect outfit!”

  “See you Tuesday,” I mumbled after she exited the room. Her thinking out loud about outfits made me realize I hadn’t thought about my own outfit for tonight’s . . . show. What should I wear to Pierce’s tonight? What was the appropriate thing to wear for a porn video? God, I watched very little pornography. I hardly knew what the required dress code was for the beginning moments of a heated film. The first time we were together, we’d gone out for drinks. I had on a short black dress. The second time we screwed, he designated what he wanted me to wear. This fantasy night was different. I had to be intentional, especially because my outfit would forever be saved on tape. I wanted to look perfect. I got out my phone and called Kat.

  “Hello?” she answered.

  “Hey, it’s me. You busy?”

  “Nah. Just got done on set with a few models. I’m bartending for some people that work for this elite Japanese magazine that’s launching in December. Lots of cute Asian girls around here, but shocker—they’re all drinking Miller Lite. Guess they’re worried about their calorie intake.”

  I laughed. “Sounds like you’re in heaven then. Listen, I need some fashion advice.”

  “More maid outfits?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Well, I’m not quite sure I’m your gal for frilly questions, but shoot.”

  I looked around to make sure April was truly gone. I didn’t see her anywhere, which gave me the confidence to continue my conversation. I almost had the urge to giggle at how much my talks with Kat had changed since I arrived in Vegas, but pushed it down. “Today is my turn with Pierce,” I said, pausing for dramatic effect. “I’m having us make a little video.”

  “Whoa whoa whoa! Who are you? And what have you done with my best friend?”

  “I know, right? I’m like a full grown woman now with a video camera and everything.”

  “Hear you roar!” she shouted.

  “Exactly. So here’s the deal. What the hell am I supposed to wear to this shindig?”

  I could hear a pop of bubble gum over the line. “Well, it depends. Does this video have a theme? Caveman and cavewoman? Boss and secretary? Doctor and nurse? Zombies?”

  “Zombie-themed sex tapes? Is that a thing?”

  “If it’s not, it totally should be. I’d watch it.”

  I shook my head vigorously back and forth. “Ahhh, the mental images in my head right now . . .”

  “Okay, okay. So no real theme. It’s basically just the two of you getting it on like the horny toads you are?”

  I felt my cheeks blush. “Pretty much. There certainly won’t be any gaping wounds or pale faces.”

  “Well hell, girl. It doesn’t really matter then what you wear because you won’t be wearing it for long! You can get away with anything.”

  “Ya think?”

  “Of course!” she said. “Besides, the video is hopefully for your eyes only. Pick out something that makes you feel sexy, or go in your birthday suit. And you and I both know that no wrong can be found there.”

  “Okay, well, I guess that sort of helped. Thanks, friend.”

  “Anytime. So, how is Pierce doing? Is he treating you okay?”

  I hesitated. I wanted to get her input about my father’s warnings but decided against it. Before I shared that information with her, I wanted to make sure it was actually worth talking about. There was no point if Pierce continued with his usual, unsuspecting behavior. “Yeah, I guess. I mean, it’s just sex. He hasn’t hurt me or anything, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  Another pop sounded from her gum. “It’s never just sex, Lo. Surely you know that by now. Perhaps if it only happened once, then it could fall under that category. After two times, it will never be just sex again. It’s impossible. You become hooked on the other person. Then feelings get involved, no matter how unwelcome they are.”

  “I suppose so.”

  “Don’t you watch romance movies anymore? It’s like a recurring theme this year.”

  I started packing up my laptop and my purse. So much for getting any real work done today. The mall would be closing early since it was Sunday, and I needed to hit the lingerie department at Victoria’s Secret just in case anything piqued my interest. “I don’t have time for movies, Kat. I’m either working or planning to fuck my crazy sexy co-worker. I’ve got no time for movies with titles like Wanderlust or This Means War.”

  “I think you should probably study up then. Get your facts straight before you go naively gallivanting into Pierce’s arms. Feelings always get involved, Lo. Always.”

  I stood up from the conference table, bags in hand, and started to make my way to the empty parking lot. “Pierce would never fall in love with me. He’s too into himself. So even if I develop feelings, I know he won’t.” I secretly wondered to myself if, in fact, I already had started liking the mysterious, well-endowed Maverick man.

  “Don’t count on that, hon. I’m getting hungry, so I’m going to let you go.”

  “All right. Thanks for the help!”

  “Have fun shopping. Bye.”

  I couldn’t help but feel that Kat was somehow annoyed with me, and I didn’t even know what I did to piss her off. Shaking the feeling from my mind, I hopped into my black Jaguar. I decided to go look around Fashion Show mall, even though I had only a vague idea of what I was looking for. Something simple. Something sexy. Something that would blow Pierce’s mind.

  After an hour or so of trying on anything and everything, I finally found something that was absolutely perfect. Now I was s
ure that I’d feel sexy in my film debut with Pierce. I hoped he would agree.

  Chapter Twelve

  I wore the simple red cocktail dress I picked up earlier in the day and my black and red high heels. My hair was down in curly waves. I sprayed my favorite vanilla perfume on my wrists and near my ears. After one final glance in the mirror, I was ready to leave. I felt sexy; I felt prepared, and most important, I was horny.

  I left my apartment complex and hailed a nearby cab. The sun was just setting over the tall buildings of downtown Vegas, lighting the sky in beautiful hues of purple and pink. I wrapped my arms around myself. It was a cool evening, and I hadn’t bothered to put on a sweater over my strapless dress. With Pierce, the less clothing in the way, the quicker our bodies could meet. I smiled to myself as I entered the taxi. My evening was sure to heat up very soon.

  Pierce’s condo wasn’t far from mine. As the cab driver took me to him, nerves jumbled in my stomach. It felt odd that after all this time in Vegas, I still hadn’t seen his apartment. I wondered if that was going to change our dynamic between the sheets. I certainly hoped not. Our dynamic needed no changes, no fine-tuning. There was still the issue that I had royally pissed him off the last time we really talked, the night he hired Lucas at the casino. He seemed normal over the phone, so I hoped it wouldn’t be an issue. Tonight, I wanted to think about nothing other than the pleasure he was sure to give me. Not the office. Not April. And certainly not my paranoid father.

  What seemed like ages later, the driver finally dropped me off in front of Pierce’s tall building. It was constructed of large gray stone and reached high into the purple sky. Magnificent arches and tall windows heralded the entrance. In such a modernized, neon city, this complex stood out like the Mona Lisa in a stack of children’s drawings. As I walked inside, I could see why Pierce had insisted on living in this extremely expensive part of Vegas. The marble floors led to an elegant staircase. On either side of the steps, a large glass tunnel led into the apartment stories. I could see the elevators moving up and down within them. I’d seen a lot of ritzy apartment complexes, but this was by far one of the nicest.

  I took the elevator up to the top floor, looking out over the rest of building through the glass as I went up. I grinned, thinking of my rendezvous with Pierce in the elevator. This one would definitely be a bit more . . . open. Mustering all my courage, I tried to hone in on my sexual self. This video was sure to be a disaster if I couldn’t summon the erotic animal Pierce had turned me into over the past two weeks. As the door opened, I eagerly walked out of the elevator. I bumped into a strong chest and stumbled back slightly. Two large hands reached out to steady me.

  “Easy there,” the voice said.

  I looked up to see Lucas, Pierce’s new personal chef. “Hi, sorry . . . um . . . for running into you,” I said, praying that I contained the surprise on my face.

  He gave me a warm smile. I caught him looking me over, and I suppressed a blush. This red dress was the right choice after all. “Don’t worry about it. How are you?”

  “Good, good. I’m just here . . . to drop something off and then I’m going to dinner with a friend.” The tiny clutch purse in my hand, which contained only some lip balm and several condoms, gave away my lie. There was nothing to “drop off.”

  His eyes darkened slightly. He didn’t believe me, and I wanted to squirm. I felt as if I had “I’m here to fuck” written across my forehead.

  “That’s interesting,” he said in a flat and unconvincing tone.

  I pushed a curl behind my ear. Maybe a change of subject would make this a little less awkward. “So how do you like working for Pierce so far?”

  “I love it, actually. I still get to cook, and I’m making three times the money I was before. I really can’t ask for anything better than that.”

  I sidestepped out of the elevator’s entrance, moving closer to Pierce’s apartment. “I’m glad to hear that. You have a gift, that’s for sure. I’m glad he found you.”

  He nodded, once again looking me up and down. “Well, that’s nice of you to say. Maybe I can cook for you sometime? I’ve got a great pasta dish up my sleeve.”

  I smiled and stared at my feet. “I bet you do.” Was Lucas really hitting on me? I wondered what Pierce would think of his new chef and me getting spicy in his stainless steel kitchen.

  “Let me know if you need anything, Ms. . . .”

  “Hart. Lauren Hart. But please, call me Lauren.”

  A smile curved on his thin lips. “Well, Lauren, I’ll be happy to help . . . with anything.” The way he emphasized the last two words made the hairs on my neck stand on end. I wasn’t sure what he was implying, but I didn’t think I hated it. Clearly this chef wanted to cook something up with me.

  Lucas stepped into the elevator and with a push of a button, the thick metal doors closed.

  Focus, Lauren. I knocked on Pierce’s door and waited. Quickly, the door swung open wide. I was met by a causal, yet still expensively dressed Pierce. He was wearing a loosely buttoned light blue shirt and black jeans. His dirty blond hair appeared to be still slightly damp from a shower. I felt a little overdressed, but the look in his eye, like Lucas’s, told me I had made an excellent choice. I hoped to be rewarded for it later when we were on camera.

  Pierce stood in the doorway and looked at me without a word.

  “You gonna let me in or what?” I asked.

  He shook himself out of whatever pensive state he was in and nodded. “Please come in,” he said as he stepped aside.

  I walked into his modern lit apartment. It was a bit smaller than mine and screamed “bachelor pad” from the floor to the vaulted ceiling. Tasteful and luxurious. Paintings and photographs of women hung on the walls. Leather sofas and chairs. A large cowhide rug lay in the middle of the hardwood floor. The biggest flat screen TV I had ever seen hung over his elegant white stone fireplace. I wondered if he’d purchased the condo furnished, or if he had supplied the colorless furniture and rugs.

  “Are you hungry at all? I had Lucas fix some dessert trays before he left for the night,” he said. He gestured toward the granite island in the middle of his stainless steel kitchen. “They’re in the fridge now, if you’d like something.”

  Food would cut my nerves about performing on camera, and I was eager to see what Lucas had concocted. “Yes,” I said. I decided as I followed him into his kitchen not to tell him I had met his chef in the hallway. He took a few platters out of his wood-encased fridge. There were white-chocolate-covered strawberries, small jam tarts, and mini chocolate cakes with cherry filling. Everything looked delicious. I chose a strawberry.

  Turning to look at Pierce, I took a bite of the luscious strawberry. Silently, he watched me. I could almost see him gravitate toward me a little. I licked strawberry juice from my lips. “So what was the thing you wanted to add?” I asked. I wasn’t sure what else to say. We never really talked before we headed to the bedroom, and it felt weird to try and force it now.

  His eyes followed my tongue before he slowly took my hand. “Come with me, and I’ll show you.”

  I left the green stem on the counter and allowed him to lead me back to his room. As soon as I walked in, it became resoundingly obvious what he had added: not one, but two more cameras. The three cameras were positioned on the sides and at the end of the bed. Optimum viewing.

  “So we are making a full-on porno?” I asked with a smirk.

  “An amateur one, if you want to call it that. I’ve dabbled with video editing, so it will be our own private movie. This way we won’t miss anything.”

  “As long as we make sure this doesn’t get leaked, I’m game.”

  “Why are you so paranoid all the time? You need to loosen up.”

  Oh, I don’t know. Because my father thinks you’re screwing me and the company over?

  “My reputation is on the line here. That’s part of the reason I wanted to do this for my fantasy. There’s something very exciting and scary about the possibilities o
f the dangers of this little tape.”

  Pierce smiled. “My reputation is on the line, too, so you don’t need to worry about that. Now get on the bed. I’m going to turn on the cameras.”

  Having sex with Pierce hadn’t really made me nervous before, but this was different. What if I looked terrible in the video? What if Pierce didn’t want to sleep with me anymore after seeing it?

  He leaned over and kissed my forehead. “Stop that worrying now,” he said as though reading my very thoughts. I crawled onto the bed and watched as he turned on all three cameras. He adjusted their angles before hitting record. A wave of adrenaline washed over me. It was as if someone had breathed new life into my lungs, and now I was ready. I leaned back into the plush pillows on his bed and crossed my legs at the ankles, bracing myself for my first on-camera fuck.

  He got onto the bed, crawled on top of me, and stared longingly at my body. I practically melted under his gorgeous eyes. “You’re wearing too much,” I said. I ran my index finger up and over the buttons of his shirt.

  “I could say the same for you.”

  Grabbing my hand, he sweetly kissed my fingers one at a time. And then my wrist. And then my forearm. All the way up my arm he left a trail of wet, wonderful kisses until he reached my shoulder. My body tensed as his warm lips grazed my neck and then my ear. He stared at my mouth before overtaking me. His hands cradled my body as he leaned into our passionate kiss. The swift maneuverings of his tongue inside my mouth aroused me. I wrapped my arms around his sculpted back, never wanting to move. Kissing him felt like what I was born to do. Primal and heated and perfect.

  I opened the middle buttons of his shirt as we continued kissing. My fingers found his warm, toned chest. I pushed my hands against his hard pecs and used my legs to flip us over. He grunted slightly as my body shifted on top of him, but he grinned. I knew he liked it when I was on top.

  His hands automatically went to my hips. I reached behind me and seductively unzipped my strapless dress. It fell forward off my chest, revealing my buoyant breasts. Almost impulsively, I grabbed one of his hands and brought it to my chest. He massaged my breast with soft squeezes, making my nipple hard with desire. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the small sense of pleasure that went through my chest and rippled throughout my body. I rocked my ass against his erection and glanced at the camera on the right, suddenly remembering it was there. My arousal skyrocketed as I stared seductively into the video camera.