by Piper Rayne
Reaching between us, he frees his cock. There’s nothing between us now. “I don’t have a condom with me.”
“I don’t care,” I tell him. “I don’t care. I need you.”
And I show him just that, grabbing his shaft and fitting him against me, urging him in. And he obliges.
We crash together, mouths and hands and everything else. I wrap my legs around his waist and he fucks me like it’s the last time he’ll ever get to. It’s a revelation and a confirmation and a new beginning all at once.
Pleasure like falling stars slams into us together, so in sync that when we fall, we fall together, and my screams are lost in the sound of the wind.
But we’re not finished. There’s no way we can stop touching each other, and we make our way to the floor before coming together again, and a third time after Brandon consumes me so thoroughly that I’m not sure that I can see straight.
When the wind subsides we’re still on the floor, a tangled mess of limbs and breath, clinging to each other. I’m very glad that the door to the bar is locked.
“I know my last idea didn’t turn out that well, but I have another one. A way to fix all of this, with a bit of revenge as well.”
I raise an eyebrow. “No surprises this time?”
He smirks. “No surprises.”
“Then let me hear it.”
18
Brandon
Two days later, Granny’s is once again transformed into a film set. Bright lights point at the bar in a near identical set up to the one that I used with Chris. But this time, he’s nowhere near here. And if I ever see him again, I’m going to have a hard time containing myself.
But I will, for Ellie’s sake.
Right now I have other things to worry about, like the fact that Kira Harris just walked in the door. I met her briefly when she and Chris were together, and I’m lucky that she even took my call, given the fact she knew I was friends with him. But I explained that we were no longer acquaintances and asked that she come down. I may have also promised there was the possibility for some revenge on Chris.
Reluctantly, she agreed.
“Oh my god,” Ellie says quietly. “I can believe that I let you talk me into this.”
“It’s going to be fine,” I say. “I promise.”
From a brand perspective, Kira might be an even better option than Chris was. Everyone loved to see a beautiful woman get messy with barbecue sauce.
“Do you want to meet her now or later?” I ask Ellie, pulling her into my side.
“Later,” she breathes. “I don’t know if I can stomach doing it now and then having to wait through the whole shoot.”
“Later it is.” I kiss her forehead quickly and head across the room. “Hey, Kira.”
She smiles when she sees me, though it’s wary. “Hi Brandon. Good to see you.”
“Thanks so much for coming and doing this on such short notice.”
Kira laughs. “I’ll be honest, I’m here out of morbid curiosity. When does the revenge start?”
“After the shoot,” I say, holding a finger to my lips. “I think it will interest you, and if it doesn’t lead to revenge, at least it will be some resolution.”
One eyebrow raises. “Now I’m definitely curious.”
“Let’s do this then, and we can get to it.”
We start the shoot almost the exact same way, starting with just tasting the sauce. “Are you a barbecue girl, Kira?”
“You know I am. Born and raised down south, we know the good stuff when we taste it.” She licks it off the spoon. “And holy shit that’s good. Wait, am I allowed to say shit in this video?”
“You are more than welcome to say shit.”
“Then this is the shit,” she laughs as the ribs to taste are put in front of us. “Tell me about this sauce, Brandon. Everyone knows you’re the king of food, so what makes this special?”
I deliver the pitch as we taste the next thing on our menu. The fact that it’s a recipe honed by family legacy, and I was lucky enough that they’d agreed to partner with me to put it out into the world. And that it was just starting production. In fact, within a week, you’d be able to buy it. When we release the video, that will be the date.
“I’m glad it’s that soon,” she says with a laugh, “because I’m one-hundred percent going to have to buy it.”
The rest of the shoot goes perfectly, and out of the range of the lights I see Ellie smiling. The whole crew is smiling. They know it’s gone well.
The director calls a wrap, and the crew immediately moves to start breaking down the lights and the set. They’re a good crew, and the same one that was here with mark. They know what they need to do and how to do it quickly. Ellie fades away to the back room, and I turn to Kira.
“Do you have time to speak privately for a few minutes?” I ask.
Kira smiles, sharp interest in her eyes. “Of course.”
I lead her to the back room where Ellie is waiting, and Kira slows when she sees that we’re not alone. “Kira, this is Ellie Thompson, the owner of Granny’s bar.”
“Oh wow.” A smile lights up her sauce. “Not a word of what I said was a lie. That stuff is amazing, and I’m probably going to buy a whole case of it when it’s released.”
Ellie smiles, but I can tell she’s nervous. “That’s really nice of you.”
“Okay, Brandon,” Kira crosses her arms. “What are you going to tell me about my douchebag ex that I don’t already know?”
“Actually, it’s going to be Ellie that tells you. And hear her out in full before you make a judgement, please.”
She’s on her guard, but she nods.
Ellie takes a deep breath. “I’m the girl from the photos.”
“You’re what?”
“Please let me explain,” Ellie says quickly. “It’s not what they told you it was.”
She runs through everything that she told me, and hands Kira a folder full of proof. Photos of her and Chris together. Dated text messages that go back to the beginning of their relationship. Emails between Ellie and the super of Chris’s building making an appointment to get her on the lease.
At first, Kira looked shocked, and that quickly turns to sickness and anger. But she listens to Ellie through her whole story. “I wasn’t stalking him,” Ellie finishes. “And I had no idea that his relationship with you was anything more than a PR stunt. If I’d known…I’m so sorry.”
Quiet hangs in the air for a moment, and then Kira laughs. “All of this and you’re apologizing to me? I got off easy. I’m the one who should be apologizing. I dumped him because he was a cheater, but I had no idea he was this much of an asshole.”
“Tell me about it,” I mutter. “That was a punch in the face.”
Kira freezes. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.” She breezes out of the room, and I hear her voice calling for something from the other room, but I’m focused on Ellie. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she blows out a breath. “That went better than I expected, honestly.”
Pulling her into my arms, I feel her relax. As long as I live, I’ll always savor that feeling, knowing that she feels safe with me, in spite of everything.
Kira pushes open the door again. “I told the crew to stop breaking down.”
“Really? Why?”
“Because I want to help Ellie get her life back on track, and you mentioned revenge, so it’s been on my mind.” Then she looks at Ellie. “Ready to set the record straight?”
“I’m not allowed to say anything publicly,” Ellie says.
The smile on Kira’s face is sharper than a knife. “Maybe not, but I can. You can just happen to be in the same room in the chair next to me. You game?”
19
Ellie
Nerves are swimming in my gut. It’s not my first time on a film set, but it’s my first time going in front of the camera. But if I’m being honest with myself, it’s not the camera that’s making me nervous.
Kira’s idea
is to film a follow up video to her and Brandon’s, calling him out on his shit. And that’s terrifying, given his threats of further trying to ruin my life. But Kira isn’t letting me be afraid.
“Just let me do the talking,” she says. “Answer the questions that you can, and when you can’t, I’ll take it from there.”
The make-up artist in front of me finishes touching up my face, and I look at Brandon in the mirror. He’s standing directly behind me, a reassuring smile on his face. Leaning down, he puts his face next to mine. “I’m not sure I can do this,” I say quietly.
“Yes, you can.” His voice is quiet in my ear. “You don’t deserve to live your life in fear because some asshole made you the victim. You didn’t do anything wrong but fall in love and trust the person you were with.”
I close my eyes. “Yeah.”
“I have one last thing,” I say loudly enough for Kira to hear. “Everyone is going to know that those photos are of me. It was kind of nice knowing that no one knew my body was splashed all over every publication in America. But at least I won’t be a crazy stalker anymore.”
Kira reaches over from her make-up chair and squeezes my hand. “Don’t worry, I have a plan for that too.”
Two chairs have been set up in front of the bar in front of the bright lights, and Kira settles in easily like she’s born to be there. And she is. Kira is one of Hollywood’s darlings. All the reason Chris cheating on her was such a big deal.
“Are we ready?” She asks the director.
He gives her a thumbs up, and she starts talking. “Hi there! I’m Kira Harris, and I’m doing a follow up to my video about Granny’s barbecue sauce. And I hope you all went out and tried it, cause it’s honestly one of the best things that I’ve tasted in my life, and I’m still thinking about it.
“With me is Ellie Thompson, the owner of Granny’s bar and part of the legacy of this amazing sauce, and we wanted to tell you a little more about how it came to be. So tell me, Ellie, how was this amazing stuff created?”
“Well, it all started with my grandparents. They’ve owned this bar for my entire life, and honestly it came from both of them working long hours. They ate here, and they both loved barbecue. My grandmother—Dorothy Thompson—loved to cook, and figured she could make her own for less than she could buy it.
“The rest is history. Over the years she refined the recipe and the more people tried it, the more they loved it, until people were asking for it so much they put it on the menu.”
Kira laughs. “Well, it’s going to be on everyone’s menu now.”
“I’m excited for people to try it, and I’m so happy you were willing to give us a shot!”
“Me too.” Kira turns to me, mischief gleaming in her eyes. “It was an interesting proposal. After all, we met in a rather…unconventional manner, didn’t we?”
I nod.
This is the time where I let her take over. “Yeah, we did.”
She turns back to the camera. “The truth is that this is not just a video about Granny’s. It’s far more than that. This is something we’re doing to help both Ellie and I take back power that someone has stolen from us.”
Kira folds her hands in her lap, and I swear she looks like one of those super serious interview hosts like 60 Minutes, and the whole room is hanging on her words. As far as I know, she didn’t tell the crew exactly what we were filming. They’ll be finding out in real time.
“A few months ago, I’m sure you all remember a scandal where my ex-boyfriend—Chris Sterling—was stalked by a crazy fan. Those pictures circulated, and everyone felt bad for him and the way he victimized.
“But the thing is, that’s not the truth. The truth is that Chris Sterling was dating me, and Ellie Thompson at the same time. He led completely separate lives that both of us were unaware of, and when he got caught, he made her take the fall for it.”
The words hang in the air masterfully. She’s not even acting, and she has everyone clinging to her words. She knows exactly what she’s doing, and it’s fucking beautiful to watch.
“So this is a way for us to tell the truth. Chris was never stalked, never seduced, and never the victim. He threatened Ellie and made her sign an NDA, which is why she’s not speaking right now. I have no such agreement. And Chris, this is to you. If you come after Ellie for this, I will be fronting every one of her legal fees you absolute piece of shit.
“And to the tabloids who think this is an opportunity to drag out the photos of Ellie and use them again? You’ll be hearing from my lawyers, and they don’t play games. I hope that Chris and his management take some time to think about the repercussions of his actions, and move appropriately. It’s long since time that we let men get away with things like this. Right, Ellie?”
I smile. “You’re right.”
“So that’s it,” Kira flashes a dazzling smile to the camera. “We’ll put the link to the last video below this one, and you should go watch this. And go buy Granny’s barbecue sauce if you want to support an amazing woman.”
The director calls cut, and I sag in my chair, exhausted. Even just listening to all that had adrenaline surging through me that I didn’t realize until just now.
“That was fantastic,” Kira says. “Really. I think it will go well.”
“I hope so. Thank you for offering to cover legal charges. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Oh yes, I did, and he won’t be doing anything. Trust me. I have very good lawyers. There’s a reason you never see me in the tabloids, and it’s not because the paps don’t take pictures of me.” She grins, and her agent taps her on the shoulder. “I have to go, we’re a little behind now. But I’ll be in touch, okay?”
“Okay.”
She gives me a quick hug and waves to Brandon before being escorted out the door.
“I feel like that wasn’t real,” I say. “Are you sure that I’m not dreaming?”
Brandon laughs softly. “Very sure. Let’s get these guys out of here and we can go home.”
I’m still in a daze while Brandon helps and directs the crew. I feel lighter than I have in a long time. Who knows how Chris will react? But Brandon is right. I don’t have to live with it hanging over me anymore. I have people who are on my side and willing to fight for me. I never realized before how much that would mean.
And still, the anxiety of meeting Kira and filming that, all I want to do is go home and sleep. Preferably with Jason. Nap first. Then maybe sex. Because through the exhaustion I’m filling up with joy.
Nothing is standing in front of us but the future, and that sounds pretty good to me.
Brandon takes me home. And as soon as we walk through the door he lifts me into his arms. “I am so proud of you. I know none of that was easy.”
“I’m glad that I did it. And that I did it with you.”
“And I’m happy I could make it right.”
I lean my head on his shoulder. “You do have some good ideas. Some.”
He makes a low sound in his throat. “I’m having an idea right now that I think is pretty good.”
We tumble onto the bed together, his mouth finding mine. “If you’re talking about a nap, then I definitely agree with you.”
“What can I do to convince you to stay awake?”
“Hmm…” I run my fingers through his hair. “What if you bake me a celebration cake while I take a nap? And then I promise, you can have your wicked, wicked way with me.”
Brandon kisses my neck. “You’re very persuasive. I can do that, and I swear to you that I won’t use any cinnamon.”
“Good.” Jack jumps up on the bed, squeaking a meow, wriggling between us and laying on my chest. “See? Even Jack votes for a nap. I think I’ve earned it.”
The look shining in Brandon’s eyes is one that I hope I get to see every day for the rest of my life. “You did earn it. And you earned the cake too.” One last soft kiss on my lips. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I breathe, closing my eyes.
&nbs
p; Everything, everything was finally all right.
Epilogue
Ellie
Six Months Later
“Are you sure we have enough champagne?”
Jenna rolls her eyes. “My god, yes. Would you chill? This is going to be amazing.”
“Okay.” I’m not convinced. “I’m just going to see how it’s going in the kitchen.”
She mutters something about me being a control freak as I walk away, but I ignore her. Today is the official Grand Re-Opening of Granny’s and the official launch of Granny’s Barbecue Sauce by Wolf Foods. The bar has been open these past few months as we completed the repairs and improvements and Brandon got the production and distribution of the sauce underway, and there’s been an uptick in visitors because of the rumors. But today is the big event.
Last week we released the video of Brandon and Kira, and it went absolutely viral. People have been flooding us with requests for samples, restaurants all over the country wanting to see if they can use our sauce. Plus a truly massive amount of preorders for the sauce which started shipping today.
It’s completely overwhelming.
And the next day we released the video of Kira and I. It also went viral—or so I’ve been told. I’ve been keeping myself off the internet and away from anything that I might see. I know full well from PR that anything that gets a giant reaction is composed of both positive and negative. Brandon and Kira both promised they would take point, so I’ve been pushing it out of my mind.
Still, it seems like I’ve been waiting for a week in perfect silence, waiting to hear the pin drop.
Pushing into the kitchen, Brandon sees me and points. “No.”
“But—”
“No, absolutely not. Get out. You’ve been in here twenty times in the last hour.”
The rest of the kitchen staff are smirking, more than used to the way Brandon and I banter by now. “I have not.”
