But I was hoping to at least sit down and talk to her. Ask her what had happened and why things had changed. I liked Indy. I liked being with her—not just sexually—and I didn’t want to give her up without a fight.
I showed up early, fully expecting to be one of the first ones at the party. The employees in charge of putting the event together had rented a ballroom at a local event center, which was now covered in Halloween decor.
There was a cash bar, a table covered in food, tables and chairs, a DJ booth, and a dance floor. When my employees had talked about a costume contest, I should have guessed that they went all out for the event, but I was surprised.
I was also shocked at how many people were already there. I guessed there was no such thing as fashionably late for this group of people.
“Hi, Cal.” One of my older employees waved to me. “Nice costume.”
I waved back but didn’t stop to chat. I needed a drink first.
As I waited for the bartender to grab my beer, I looked around for Patrick. It was going to be harder to find him with everyone dressed up, but since I remembered that he and his wife had won the costume contest before, I ruled out any badly dressed people as Patrick.
I should have dressed in something with a mask, so people wouldn’t recognize me right away, and then I could have blended in better. Instead, I had decided to dress as a doctor. I’d already had the scrubs, surgical cap, and stethoscope from when I’d worn the getup one year in New York. I figured a new location was a good excuse to recycle an old costume.
The bartender handed me my bottle when I thought I spotted Patrick. He was dressed as a 1920s gangster, and the woman who I assumed was his wife had on a flapper outfit.
I didn’t think it was the most original couples costume, but I could see they had gone all out and put a lot of details into their outfits. Maybe that was why Patrick won every year. All that stuff cost money that most people didn’t want to waste on one night.
I was about to head over to Patrick when I saw Leslie—or at least, it looked like Leslie but with red hair—walk in. She had a very tall man with her, dressed as Aquaman, and I then recognized her as the water heroine in the movie. I couldn’t remember the name of the character, and I made a mental note to look it up on my phone before I went over to talk to her.
Leslie and Aquaman turned once they were inside the room, and I realized that they were probably waiting for Indy.
I held my breath as I stopped and waited too.
Indy walked in, wearing the naughtiest nurse costume I’d ever seen. I wasn’t sure it was even low enough to cover her ass. My dick got hard as she laughed at something.
Wanting to know what had made her smile like that, I tore my eyes away from her to the doorway. A guy came in on crutches with a bandaged foot. He wobbled as he tried to use them and dropped down to both feet.
Indy, Leslie, and Aquaman all laughed at him, and the guy smiled and shrugged. He held the crutches out to Indy, and she shook her head and waved her hands back and forth. He stepped closer with ease—his foot was obviously fine—and put the crutches in her hands. The tops of them were over her shoulders. But rather than adjust them, she handed them back.
The guy put an arm around Indy and hugged her.
I didn’t like it one bit.
The guy looked closer to her age than mine and was handsome. And if I had to guess, he was her date. It pissed me off. If this was the reason she’d been avoiding me all week, she could have just told me. We weren’t children, and I could have handled the news.
I wanted to march over there, pull her aside, and ask her what kind of game she was playing, but I ignored my baser instincts. I was nearing forty, and I was too tired for mind games anymore.
I headed over to Patrick—my original target.
“Hello, Patrick.”
He spun around and grinned. “Hello. You came.”
I took a long drink of my beer. “I couldn’t disappoint the employees,” I joked.
Patrick laughed at my bad joke and pulled the lady next to him forward. “Cal, this is my wife, Jeanie.”
She held out her hand, and I shook it.
“Hello, Jeanie. I’m Cal.”
She smiled at me. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Thank you. You two look like you went all out on your costumes tonight.”
Patrick even had a fake Tommy gun.
“I hope that thing’s not real.”
Patrick laughed again and shook it back and forth. “You never know.”
I wished it were real. Tommy guns were illegal. If he were arrested on a firearms charge, I wouldn’t have to worry about getting rid of him.
“Can I get you a drink?” I asked.
“You don’t need to do that.” He slapped Jeanie on the ass. “The old wife will get one for me, won’t you?”
“Of course, dear.”
Jeanie took off for the cash bar, and I searched my brain for something to say to Patrick.
“It figures Leslie would be dating someone like that.”
I looked up from my beer. “What? I’m sorry. I missed that.”
Patrick pointed to Leslie and Aquaman. “It figures she’d be dating someone like that. I always took her for … the adventurous type.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but his tone of voice told me it wasn’t something I would like.
I took a drink and acted dim. “Oh? I guess I don’t know since I haven’t worked with her much.”
“Leslie dates a lot,” Patrick said. He nudged me in the arm. “If you get my meaning.”
Yeah, I got it. When he said adventurous, he meant slutty. What a dick.
“You don’t say.” I shrugged. “I guess what people do in their own time is up to them. As long as they get their work done and do a good job, I’m not going to judge.”
“Oh, oh, me either,” Patrick was quick to reply.
Bullshit.
Patrick leaned closer. “It’s just … she doesn’t look like she makes the best choices.”
I looked Patrick in the eye. “You mean, because her boyfriend’s black?”
He tried to look offended, but it was all fake. “I would never think that about anyone. I was merely pointing out the fact that he’s tall and muscular.”
What his height and body shape had to do with best choices, I didn’t know, but I decided not to ask. If I spent more time with Patrick, I’d have to go and take a shower. Plus, he was smart enough to not say anything more offensive out loud. Any lawyer could argue that he meant something else.
“I’d better go make the rounds,” I said and walked away. “Tell your wife bye.” And give her my sympathies.
Wanting to get away, I didn’t pay much attention to what was in front of me until I ran into someone.
Twenty-Four
Indy
I looked up to see Cal standing over me. Even though I had heels on, he was taller than me.
He was dressed as a doctor, and he made scrubs look good. It was just my luck that his costume went with mine better than my own date’s.
I hate you, universe.
“Hey,” I said lamely.
“Hi.” His jaw was clenched tight.
“Everything okay?”
“Hey, you two are dressed as a doctor and a nurse,” someone said, walking by us.
I crossed my arms over my chest and laughed uncomfortably. “Maybe we should have discussed our costumes before we came tonight,” I joked.
“Yeah, maybe. But in order to have a discussion, two people need to be speaking to one another.” His words were sharp, and I knew that he knew I’d been avoiding him.
I dropped my hands to my sides. “I’m sorry, Cal.”
“If you’ll excuse me, it looks like someone is trying to get my attention.” He looked behind me, and I turned to look. “Why don’t you go back to your date?”
I gasped and swung back around, but he was already gone.
Leslie skipped up to me while my mouth
was still hanging open.
“What happened?”
I told her the exchange I’d just had with Cal.
“Oh my God, he’s jealous.” She clapped her hands. “He’s jealous because he likes you.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. He’s probably just mad because I’ve been blowing him off.”
“He’s mad because you’ve been blowing him?” She put her hand to her ear. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.”
I laughed and playfully shoved her. “Shut up.”
“Kidding. Kidding. He might be mad that you’re blowing him off. But that’s because he likes you.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, he doesn’t.”
Leslie frowned. “Why are you fighting this so hard?”
Because I liked him, and I didn’t want to get my hopes up that he liked me. Because there was no way he could like me and go on a date with someone else.
But I still hadn’t told Leslie what I’d seen last weekend. It made me feel like a fool. And while my friend loved me dearly and would never think badly of me, I was still too embarrassed. I wanted to just forget it had ever happened.
“Let’s not argue about some guy,” I told her. “We’re here to have fun tonight.”
She smiled. “You’re right.” She put her arm in mine. “Come with me, so I can put my and Asher’s names down for the couples contest.”
“Lead the way.”
We walked over to the contest table. Everyone who wanted to enter had to put their names down. At some point in the night, the list would be cut off from anyone else entering, and that was when people would be allowed to vote. There were two clipboards—one for singles and one for couples—and two black boxes. Right now, they were covered, so no one could sneak extra votes into them.
Our work took this very seriously.
Leslie picked up the couples clipboard. “Are you sure you don’t want me to put your name down?”
“Yes, I’m positive.”
“What about the singles contest?”
“Nope. I’m all good.”
I wasn’t in the mood to compete with anyone tonight.
Leslie scribbled away and set the clipboard back down. She had a cunning smile on her face, and I knew she was up to something. I turned to look but was yanked away as she grabbed my hand.
“Let’s go dance.” She pulled me behind her until we reached the edge of the dance floor.
I put my hands on my hips. “What did you do?”
She looked at me, confused. “What do you mean?”
“Back there. You looked like the cat who ate the canary. Did you cross off Patrick’s and his wife’s names?”
She looked genuinely surprised by my question. “No.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t do that. If—no, when—Asher and I win, it’s going to be because we played fair and beat last year’s winners. No cheating.”
She seemed sincere, so I believed her.
“I think you’ve got this in the bag. You and Asher look way better than Patrick and Jeanie.”
She smiled. “We do, don’t we?”
“Don’t get a big head now. No one will vote for you then.”
She laughed. “I won’t get a big head if you dance with me.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Deal.”
A new song started less than a minute later, and we walked out to join the small crowd already dancing. It was harder to dance in front of your coworkers than strangers, and it occurred to me that I should get a drink.
I was about to tell Leslie that I would go to the bar for the both of us when Asher and Marcus came dancing up, all four hands full.
Marcus handed me a glass.
“How did you know what I wanted?” I asked in his ear.
“It’s what you ordered the night we went to the club. I hope it’s okay.”
I took a long drink. “It’s perfect.” I looked around. “Where are your crutches?”
“I left them at a table. I thought it might be easier to dance without them.”
“Good call.” I drank the rest of my alcohol and set my glass down at the nearest table.
I came back to Marcus and wrapped my arms around his neck. He held a beer in his one hand, but the other went around my waist as he pulled me close. I smiled up at him.
I was glad I had asked him to come. I couldn’t see myself ever getting romantically involved with him, but I liked hanging out with him. He had made us all laugh as he attempted to use his crutches to get into the building. I had to give him credit for trying to stay in costume.
We danced for a few more songs, and I was beginning to get overheated.
“After this song, I’m going to go and get a drink.”
Fingers wrapped around my upper arm. “Why don’t you go and get that drink now?” Cal said.
Marcus frowned at Cal’s hand on me.
Cal dropped his arm. “We need to talk.”
“You okay?” Marcus asked, and Cal narrowed his eyes at my date.
I rolled my eyes. “He’s my boss. I’m fine.” I put my hand on Marcus’s chest even though warning sounds went off in my head. “You stay and dance or get some food. I’ll come and find you.”
Marcus nodded, but I could tell he was still worried.
“I’ll be fine. I promise.”
I didn’t look at Cal as I walked off the dance floor. I could feel him right behind me.
When we were a good distance away, I turned to Cal and crossed my arms over my chest. “Where do you want to talk?”
Twenty-Five
Cal
“Out in the hall,” I told Indy.
She huffed out a breath and headed for the double doors that led to the hallway.
Once outside the ballroom, it was quieter and brighter. Indy’s cheeks were flushed from dancing with her date, and jealousy raged through my body.
I looked away from her before I grabbed her and kissed her where anyone could see us. As my eyes wandered the hall, I noticed a room marked for storage and pointed. “In there?”
She wrinkled her nose and crossed her arms again.
I really wished she’d stop doing that. It pushed her already-revealed breasts up even further. I was worried her nipples were going to pop out.
And I didn’t want anyone seeing them but me. Especially that guy she’d brought with her tonight.
“Cal.”
“What?”
She moved her hands to her hips. “You didn’t even hear me.”
I grabbed one of her hands and pulled her toward the storage room. “What did you say?”
“I said, we’re not going in there.”
I opened the door and pushed her in before closing it. “Too late.”
“I can’t see anything.”
“You don’t need to see anything.” I backed her up against the wall. I held a hand out to make sure she didn’t bump her head or anything. But rather than run into any shelves, we ran into a counter. “Perfect.”
“What’s perfect?” she asked suspiciously.
I put a hand on her hip and quickly ran it up her side and around to her front. I found the zipper that held her naughty nurse outfit together and jerked it down.
She inhaled sharply as I picked her up and set her ass on the counter.
“What are you doing?” she hissed.
“Taking what’s mine.”
I cupped the back of her neck and tilted her head the way I wanted, so I could kiss her like I’d been dying to do all night.
She fought for two seconds before she moaned and opened her mouth for me. Her hands came up, and she fisted the front of my shirt. I was ready for her to push me away, but I mentally cheered when she pulled me closer.
The fact that she was so wild for me made me hotter. I wanted to take my time with her and taste her all over, but I knew we both couldn’t be gone forever before people started to notice. We had left the ballroom together.
I grabbed for the sides of her panties and pulled my mouth away. “I’m s
orry to do this again,” I said.
“Do what?” she asked breathlessly.
I snapped both sides of her underwear, breaking the thin material, and she gasped.
“You’re an asshole,” she said.
I yanked her ass to the edge. “I guess, tonight, I am.” I found the string holding my scrub pants and yanked.
“Why?”
I pulled her legs up over my hips and shoved inside her. I hadn’t even checked to see if she was ready. I dropped my forehead on hers. “Goddamn it. It’s like you bring out the barbaric side in me.”
I really was an asshole, but I sent a silent thank-you out in the world that she had already been wet for me.
“Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to fuck me?”
A grin split over my face, and I gradually withdrew from her body and then gently pushed back in.
Indy’s moan was music to my ears.
I slowly thrust into her a few more times before increasing my pace. I knew I could bring her to orgasm with just my cock, but I wanted to make her come now.
I pulled out and shoved my thumb in her pussy. The best lubricant was the natural female one if it was available. I dragged my thumb up to her clit and entered her again as I swirled my digit around her swollen nub.
“Fuck me,” she cried out.
“I am, baby. I already am.”
Her fingers were digging into my back. “Please don’t stop. If you stop, I’ll kill you.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”
I bent my knees and angled my cock upward for a few strokes, and Indy’s climax came barreling upon her like a car going a hundred miles per hour. Her whole body shook, and her vagina clenched down around my dick.
I let her ride the wave for a good thirty seconds before I began to thrust again.
She tried to swat at my hand. “I’m done.”
I kissed her and flicked her clit. “You’re not done yet.”
She whimpered, “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
The second time, it took me a little longer to make her come, but her orgasm was just as satisfying for me. I hoped it was for her too.
I would have loved to stay there all night, making her climax over and over, but my own body was tired of waiting. And like I said, we were pressed for time.
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