by Raquel Belle
My heart is racing in excitement at the thought of it, my competitive juices already flowing. “I hope you’re ready to lose every pitch you make,” I tell him jokingly.
“Yeah right! You’re going to find yourself wishing you and I were on the same team again once I start kicking your butt.”
“Okay you two, feel free to continue this flirty banter outside of my office,” Serena steps in, giving us a firm look. “I’ve got some work to do.”
“This is going to be fun,” I tell Jake as we exit Serena’s office.
“What’s going to be fun?” Amanda pops up. She’s clearly been waiting eagerly outside the closed door so that she can get the scoop as soon as possible. “What happened? Did you guys both get your jobs back? Is Sarah the VP of Social Media?”
“Way too many questions!” Jake starts laughing, clearly not yet used to Amanda’s rapid-fire pace in life.
“Yes,” I tell her. “Serena offered us both of our jobs back. And she formally made me the VP of Social Media. HR will send over the contract this afternoon.”
“That’s amazing!” Amanda gives me a huge hug. “Can we go out and celebrate tonight?”
“Definitely,” I tell her. “Just remind me not to drink any tequila.”
“But I love it when you drink tequila,” Jake says, grinning. “Remember the last time you had some, we — ”
“Yeah, yeah, we all remember,” I cut him off, giving him a playful poke.
“You need to show your new boss a little more respect now,” Amanda adds, smiling.
“Actually, I’m not his boss,” I tell her.
Jake fills her in, explaining about the LQX offer and his intention of taking it.
“Oh, so you two are going to be going head-to-head out in the field!” Amanda smiles knowingly. “This is going to be the most cutthroat competition the New York advertising scene has seen in years.”
“Maybe we should start a blog to track our wins and losses,” Jake muses.
I shoot him a look. “Not a bad idea, actually.”
“Sure, sometimes I come up with a good one.” He gives me a wink. I can’t help myself. I lean over and plant a big kiss on his mouth.
“Ugh, okay guys, not here please,” Amanda gives a mock cringe. “Anyway, before you get all lovey-dovey I have some news of my own to share.”
“What’s up?” I ask her, curious.
“Well, there’s some gossip going around about Lydia Bowers...” she pauses for dramatic effect. Clearly she’s got big news because her excitement is barely contained.
“Yes?” I prod her to keep talking.
“Apparently she’s being transferred…to Los Angeles.”
“SHIT!” I can’t keep the word from escaping my mouth. “Literally across the country? That is the second best piece of news I’ve had all day.”
“I thought you’d enjoy that,” Amanda grins.
“Do you know why?”
“Apparently Old Man Bowers was so annoyed by all the drama your HR controversy brought on, he decided it would be best to transition her to another office, at least temporarily. Everyone knows she’s the one who was stirring up trouble and nobody here will want to work with her now.”
“But in Los Angeles she can get a fresh start,” I finish Amanda’s thought.
“I’m sure she’ll love it out there,” Jake adds. “Vapid and materialistic… That’s exactly Lydia’s style.”
“True!” Amanda and I start giggling in unison.
I’m laughing but it’s not even because of Lydia’s well-deserved fate. I’m laughing simply because I’m so happy. I look at Amanda, my amazing bestie who never gave up and helped me get my job back, plus a promotion. I see Jake, my sexy boyfriend, the guy who has made it clear — not only through his words but also through his actions — that he has my back every step of the way. He’s not my enemy, he’s my hero. I can’t wait to start this new adventure with him.
Chapter 22
Jake
Six Months Later
Some people wake up and scroll through Instagram in bed on Monday mornings because they don’t want to start the week yet. My gorgeous girlfriend Sarah wakes up and checks her social media first thing not because she wants to put off work—but because it’s her job. And she loves it.
Waking up to my alarm clock on a warm April morning, I peek over at her and see that she’s already busily clicking away on her iPhone.
“Hey, what did I say about technology in the bedroom,” I mumble, nudging her with my foot.
“I was just sneaking in some work while you were still sleeping,” she gives me a sly grin. “It’s not my fault you’re a lazy-bones.”
“Lazy-bones, huh? Okay, just for that I’m setting the dogs on you.”
“No, they’re going to hop all over the bed,” she starts protesting but it’s too late. I’m already up and walking to the bedroom door. I only have to open it a crack before a black snout pushes its way through.
My black lab, Pepper, bounds into the room, making a beeline for the bed and jumping energetically all over Sarah. He’s followed by a young yellow lab with just as much energy. It’s Sarah’s new dog—and Pepper’s new best friend—Salt.
“Salt! Pepper! Ugh, they’re impossible to control,” Sarah is helpless with laughter as the two dogs happily lick her face and yap loudly, excited to start the day. “I take it back! You aren’t… a… lazy… bones.” She gets the words out between gasps of hilarity.
“Okay, now that we’ve got that settled, I guess I can get these guys off of you.” I grin as I wrestle Salt and Pepper, still bouncing happily around, off the bed.
Sarah sits up in bed, red-faced. “I guess we should get moving and take them for their morning walk.”
“Hey, I’m already out of bed. I don’t know what you’re still doing rolling around under the covers,” I smile and shrug my shoulders. “Looks like you’re the lazy-bones now, huh?”
She gets out of bed and gives me a playful swat before reaching for her workout clothes.
“Damn, you look good in those yoga pants,” I tell her as she slips them on.
“I know,” she says, giving me a kiss.
“Pretty full of yourself, huh?” I ask her.
“Just confident. Isn’t that one of the reasons you love me?”
I smile. This is our new routine. Sarah’s lease was up at the end of last year, so in January she moved in with me and Pepper. She was reluctant to shack up with me at first, pointing out that we hadn’t been together (for the second time) for that long. But while we had only been reunited for a couple months, we had history going much further back.
Eventually I managed to convince her. When she moved in, she also brought along her new pal, Salt. Now Pepper has company during the day and I don’t have to feel guilty about leaving him home alone.
Every morning we start our day together by taking the dogs for a walk, getting in a little exercise ourselves in the process. Today we take Salt and Pepper to the nearby dog park. While they run around together, we get some interval training in — crunches, planks, push-ups, the works.
“Is that all you have in you?” Sarah teases as I collapse after our third round of push-ups. “I thought the army had you in better shape than this.”
“Hey, I weigh more than you and have more mass to lift here,” I tell her. “Also, do you have to make everything we do into a competition?”
“Of course,” she says. “I need to keep you on your toes.”
“You’re doing a good job of it.”
As we head back to the apartment, we grab our morning coffees from Starbucks. Back home, it’s a whirlwind of feeding the dogs, packing lunches, and preparing for whatever work meetings the day holds.
Today is a big day for both of us. Adidas has invited select ad agencies to pitch them for a new campaign. I’m pitching for LQX and Sarah is pitching for P&B. She’s been working on her presentation for weeks but refuses to share a single detail with me, carefully keeping her pl
ans top secret. She’s as cutthroat as ever.
“Shall we take a quick pic for the Instagram?” She asks, sipping the green smoothie she’s just whipped up for herself.
“Definitely.” We take a selfie and I watch as she posts it along with a caption: “Pitching today against the enemy.”
“When are you up?” I ask her. “My appointment with Adidas is at 2:30.”
“Mine is at 2:00.” She grins gleefully. “Good luck following my stellar performance.”
“Oh, I don’t need luck,” I tell her. “I’ve got all the talent I need.”
“We’ll see about that.”
I take a peek at our Instagram account. People are liking the photo we’ve just posted. There’s no more @LuxeOnLexe or @Jake_And_Pepper. After the competition, we shut those accounts down — but not before creating our new joint account: @WorkingWithTheEnemy. Most of our followers from the old accounts migrated to this new Instagram, which also has a corresponding blog.
This is where we keep everyone updated about our lives—two high-level ad execs (and their dogs) working and playing in New York City. We always post updates about our ongoing competitions and our followers have been anticipating the outcome of the Adidas pitch for weeks. By the end of today, we’ll know who has come out on top.
“Okay, I’m hopping in the shower,” Sarah announces.
“Me too,” I grin, trailing after her as she walks to the bathroom. She sheds her workout clothes as she goes. The yoga pants end up on the kitchen floor while her sports bra lands in the front hall.
“Are you trying to distract me from today’s pitch?” She asks as I climb into the shower after her and start massaging her soapy shoulders.
“Of course not,” I reply. “You know this is just my style — getting dirty while getting clean.”
“Ugh,” she groans, “do you have to make that joke every time we get frisky in the shower?”
“You love it,” I tell her, giving her a kiss.
“I hate that joke. But I love you,” she answers, her arms around my neck. The warm water of the shower runs over us as we make out.
“We didn’t even set the stakes for the Adidas competition yet,” I tell her, barely getting the words out in between kisses.
“Hmm… Well, how about the loser has to serve the winner breakfast in bed this coming Saturday?” She suggests. “Blueberry pancakes, of course.”
“Sounds good to me. But I think the pancakes should come with a little side of something sexy.”
“Yeah? Like what?” She asks as she trails her hands over my shoulders, chest, stomach — working her way steadily downwards.
“Uh…” My ability to think and talk coherently goes out the window as she continues to touch me gently. She pauses and turns from me to grab the bar of soap, gently pressing her butt against me teasingly as she lathers up her hands. Then she turns back around and firmly takes my cock in her soapy hands, working them slowly but firmly up and down.
“Remember that first weekend we spent together after we got back together?” She murmurs in my ear, massaging me gently. I can feel myself throbbing under her touch and she’s clearly intent on driving me completely wild with her insistent movements.
“Yes,” I manage to croak out. I still think about that morning in the shower. Is she asking for a repeat? It takes all my willpower but I manage to reach down and pause her steady stroking. “Turn around,” I tell her. “I’m not the only one who deserves a morning treat.”
“I thought you’d never ask,” she grins as she turns slowly, bracing her feet on either side of the tub and placing her hands in front of her against the shower wall, just like she did that day.
I briefly rub my cock, lathering up my hands with the soapy suds she’s left on it and then bring my hands up to her shoulders. I firmly rub the soap over her back, massaging her soft skin gently. I slowly move my hands down to her waist and then, pressing right up against her from behind, so that she can feel how hard my cock is, I move one hand to her stomach. I rub in circles, making her stomach wet and slick with soapy water before moving my hand down her front to toy between her legs.
She lets out a sigh of pleasure and pushes herself harder against me. The warm water of the shower runs over both of our bodies as they press together. I nuzzle my face into the back of her neck, her wet hair tickling my nose. I slow the circular motion of my hand between her thighs.
“Hey…” she murmurs, peeking over her shoulder at me. “Don't stop now.”
“Don’t worry,” I assure her. “I’m just getting started.”
I put my hands over hers as I move them further up on the shower wall. Her light pink nail polish stands out against the dark blue tiles and I think how small and delicate her hands look under mine. With her hands firmly against the wall, I run my hands down her back, all the way to her ankles. I gently nudge her feet further apart, so that she’s stable, braced with each foot against the sides and her hands against the wall.
I take the removable showerhead in hand and hold it so that the water just streams over her back, then move it to her front, letting the water cascade off her breasts and down her front as she shivers in front of me. I bring the showerhead further down her front and watch with a smile as she moves her hips slightly so that the stream of water hits perfectly between her thighs.
“You’re driving me absolutely crazy,” she murmurs over her shoulder.
“Hey, I’m just taking a shower,” I whisper in her ear, bringing the shower head even closer against her front as I press myself against her from behind. “Now don’t move.”
With that, I take the showerhead back and put it back in place in the bracket behind my head. Now the water is pounding on my back but if I press against Sarah and lean over her, it runs from my body onto hers, drenching us both in warm moisture.
Looking up, I see that her hands are tensed up against the blue tiles; she’s ready for me. I grab her hips for support and pull her against me as I enter her. With her wetness and the wetness of the shower combined, I feel like I’m fucking her underwater. She starts to move her hips against mine but one of her feet slips momentarily and I catch her around the waist, steadying her.
“Easy,” I tell her. “You just hang on. Let me do the work.”
She does as she’s told, staying stock-still and bracing herself. I can tell that she’s dying to move in rhythm with me but after almost slipping, is afraid to try. I give her a small kiss on the back of her neck, telling her she’s safe and secure. She can count on me. And then I brace one hand against the wall and keep the other on her hips as I start to move more quickly, until we’re both groaning so loudly you can barely even hear the water running in the shower.
Just as I’m about to explode into her she looks back over her shoulder. It’s just for a second. We lock eyes, the shower pounding down onto us, and finish together, our bodies shivering under the warm water. Without a word, she turns and comes into my arms and I hold her like that for just a moment before turning the water off. I reach for the towel hanging next to the shower and drape it over her shoulders, hugging her to me as she snuggles into my chest. After a minute, she puts her face up towards mine and gives me a gentle kiss.
“So you were thinking something in that vein for the sexy side to accompany the blueberry pancakes?” She asks me with a smile.
“Yep,” I nod, grinning.
“I guess we can negotiate that—but for now, get out of my way.” She gives me a little push, and struts out of the bathroom in just her towel. “I have a presentation to prepare for.”
“I was hoping for a second round of something sexy,” I call after her.
“Sorry! Work first, play later.” She calls out from the bedroom where she’s hurriedly getting dressed.
“Ugh, how can you be such a tease,” I groan. She still knows how to keep me guessing, anticipating, waiting, and wanting more. And that’s one of the reasons I love her. One of the many reasons.
She heads out the door first,
giving me one last long kiss and a saucy wave goodbye. She still has to catch the L train to the P&B offices—not that she minds the commute. She’s been happier than ever in her new role at the company.
Meanwhile, I’m settling in perfectly at LQX. The brand is way more laidback and much more my style. I’m working with smart, creative people and it feels great. Best of all: Their offices are in Brooklyn, just a 15-minute walk away. No more L train for me.
After she leaves, I make sure that Salt and Pepper are settled before packing my bag for work. Laptop, wallet, keys, presentation notes… I go through the mental checklist. At the very bottom of my bag is a tiny box that isn’t on any checklist. I’ve been hiding it there for weeks — well out of sight from Sarah’s curious eyes. My workbag is one place she’d never lay a finger, especially when we’re competing for a pitch. These days we always play fair.
I take the box out of the bag now and open it, taking a peek at the engagement ring inside. A two-carat diamond sparkles back at me. My heart starts racing in excitement at the sight of it. It’s set on a thin silver band, making it the perfect mix of glitz and understated elegance to suit Sarah’s tastes. At least, I hope so.
I didn’t trust myself to handle this mission alone. Her sister Celia and her bestie Amanda helped me pick it out. Both of them are sworn to secrecy, obviously. Other than that, nobody knows that I’m preparing to ask the woman of my dreams to marry me. Finally. It feels like it’s coming seven years later than it should have.
I shut the ring box and replace it in the bottom of my bag. I had been waiting for exactly the right moment to propose, thinking of all the different scenarios—romantic restaurants, swanky cocktails, lavish bouquets of flowers… When, where, and how should I do it? Now I know.
Sarah is sure to win the Adidas campaign. I won the last time we went head to head, but this time … whatever plan she’s cooking up, it must be a good one. I’ve never seen her so confident in a pitch. This coming Saturday, I’ll be serving her breakfast in bed, treating her like the queen she is. And when I bring in that tray, there will be more than blueberry pancakes on it. There will also be this little ring box, waiting to shine for her. I imagine her blue eyes dancing when she sees it. I can’t wait.