by K. Webster
“Daddy, I don’t approve of what you did, but I understand you were looking out for me and other girls. So why does this put me in danger?”
His face blanched as he prepared himself for his next words. “Well, after checking up on him, I found out that he didn’t last long at CUNY at all. He ended up dropping out and works through a staffing agency that places him at different places doing janitorial work. Last week, I received a letter that has to be from him. There isn’t anything I can do because I don’t have proof, but I think we need to take the threat seriously.”
Threat? Mom’s chicken pot pie wasn’t sitting well in my stomach now. Daddy handed over a note to me.
Peppermint Pussy’s Precious Daddy,
You ruined my life. Your daughter ruined my life. I will find her and ruin both of your lives.
You Know Who
I tossed the letter back at him. My hands, which I had been able to stop from shaking earlier, were now uncontrollably trembling. What does he mean? Would he hurt me?
“I won’t let anything happen to you, princess. You’re my little girl, and all I’ve ever wanted to do is protect you. As much as I didn’t want to tell you about the note, I felt like you needed to know about it so you could be vigilant. He doesn’t know where you are. Chances are, he’ll look for your real name. Fortunately for us, you go by Pepper, which will stall him. I’ve hired a private investigator to look into him and dig out what he can find. If he so much as laid a finger on a girl, I will find out and we’ll nail his ass to the wall. He won’t hurt you, baby girl.”
I nodded but couldn’t help but worry. Cole starred in most of my nightmares. He always morphed from a nice-looking guy into a monster. It had all been just nightmares until now. Now, my nightmares were becoming my reality.
Trent and I had been poring over all of the bank statements Mom had emailed to me earlier this morning. We were the only ones in the office, which was about right, considering it was Saturday.
“Everything looks normal,” I declared, tossing a statement on the table. It was getting close to time to head over to Mom’s. I really hoped Pepper would show up. She wasn’t responding to my texts.
“Keep digging. He had to have put it somewhere. Was he a signer on any other accounts that maybe your mother might not know of?”
“Well, he was a signer on our trusts of course. He was the administrator.”
“Do you have those statements?” he asked, excitement lacing his voice at the prospect of another avenue we could search.
“They’re at the house. Why don’t you go on home? I’ve got to be over at my mom’s for dinner soon. Let’s just meet back here tomorrow and I’ll bring Jackson’s and my trust statements. Hopefully we’ll get to the bottom of this.”
“See you tomorrow, man,” Trent said as he stood.
I sure as hell hoped we would figure this out and soon.
“Mom? Where’s my favorite lady?” I called from the living room. She burst from the kitchen and ran straight into my arms.
“I’m still upset with you, Jordie. You haven’t visited in weeks. Jackson definitely moved into first place for favorite son.”
I heard Jackson laughing in the kitchen at her proclamation. But I knew the way to her heart. As I held up the Godiva chocolates, she gasped.
“Who’s your favorite son now?”
Mom snatched them from me, grinning from ear to ear, and everyone laughed. Someone knocked on the door, interrupting our silly exchange. When I opened the door to Pepper, I smiled broadly at her. She looked beautiful in her tighter-than-normal long-sleeved t-shirt and holey jeans. They hugged her curves, and I couldn’t help but scan her body, appreciating each part of it. When my eyes made it back to hers, she glared at me.
At seeing Andi behind me, her face lit up, making my heart skip. I would have done just about anything to be the recipient of that look.
“Mom, this is Andi’s roommate, Pepper. Pepper, this is my mom, Trish.”
Pepper started to reach to shake her hand but Mom pulled her in for a hug. The look on Pepper’s face was priceless. Clearly, she was not used to being hugged by strangers.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Pepper. You are such a lovely girl. Perfect for my Jordie.” She released an open-mouthed Pepper and hurried back to the kitchen. “Roast is ready!”
Pepper turned on her heels and pointed her finger in my face. The fiery glare she gave me had me wanting to kiss her fiercely. I couldn’t help but drop my eyes to her lips when she spoke.
“This is not a date!” she hissed to me. I grinned at her because she was so damn cute when she was pissed. “I’ve got somewhere to be in an hour so let’s get this over with. She then angrily huffed off into the kitchen.
Dinner was great because I could steal glances at Pepper while she ate and conversed with everyone. She even smiled a few times. That’s all I wanted these days. I just wanted to see that woman smile. When she stood and excused herself from dinner, I followed her to the front door.
“Can I see you later?” I asked, looking down at her. She seemed affected by my proximity, so I leaned in a little closer. Her breathing quickened even though she still appeared pissed at me. Instead of answering my question, she asked one of her own.
“Who is the guy on your Facebook? I went on and looked at him because it has been driving me crazy. For some reason, I know that face, but I can’t place from where.”
I groaned because I didn’t want to tell her. She was going to be livid. “His name is Trent. He’s a buddy of mine from Princeton.”
“What’s his last name, Jordan? I need to know.” She looked extremely angry at this point. Obviously my smart girl had pieced it together.
“Sutton,” I sighed heavily.
“You motherfucker. He backed out of the sponsorship so you could take it!” she hissed under her breath, not wanting to cause a scene.
“Yes! It’s because I wanted an excuse to see you. You wouldn’t give me the time of day otherwise.”
“You’re damn right! You tricked me. That was so deceptive. Please, I would prefer if you would only talk to me about business-related things from this point on. I can’t fucking believe you forced yourself into my life like this.”
“Pepper, I did it because from the moment I laid eyes on you, you’re all I can think about. You’re beautiful, smart, and sassy as hell. I want you more than anything I’ve ever wanted before. There’s nothing you can say or do to push me away. I’ll continually pursue you until you’re mine.”
“Well, I just feel like a prostitute. A really expensive one. You paid seven hundred fucking thousand dollars just to date me. Do you know how insane that makes you? Step over, Julia Roberts. There’s a new Pretty Woman.”
“You are far from a prostitute and you’re sure as hell no pretty woman. You’re a fucking beautiful goddess!” I grasped her cheeks with each hand and pulled her in for a kiss. Her body lost some of its rigid fury, melding against mine, as her tongue darted out to meet my own. She tasted like wine from dinner. She was delicious.
Before the kiss could last any longer, she tensed up. Jerking away, she slapped me hard across the cheek and bolted out towards the front door. I grabbed at her hand but she yanked it away, and I was helpless as I watched her hurry away from me.
I couldn’t concentrate during the movie with Daddy. He’d said that he missed me and wanted to spend more time with me, but I knew it was just so he could check up on me. The whole Cole situation had him freaked out.
Jordan was absolutely crazy. My blood boiled over with rage when I thought about what he had done. And even though I wanted to be pissed, I couldn’t help but smile about it. For the girl who had never been popular and never dated, I’d sure done well for myself, catching the eye of the incredibly successful and sexy Jordan Compton.
If I were a normal person, I’d have done anything to date someone like him. He was tall, muscular, and handsome. That wasn’t what made me attracted to him though. He was smart, witty, and funny, wh
ich were qualities the beautiful people didn’t always possess. For someone who had the stress of a big company on his shoulders, he sure was a happy, easygoing guy. And his smile. God, his smile lit up the damn room.
Why am I being so difficult about everything?
It didn’t matter anyway. Someone like him would lose interest in a girl like me. It was just wrong. I was pretty sure I was destined to be one of those lonely cat ladies. Too bad I hated cats.
Daddy dropped me off in front of the apartment and waited until I was safely in the doors before pulling away. Once I’d made it to our floor, I fumbled with my keys to unlock the door. I dropped them and stooped to pick them up. When I stood back up, a hand snaked around me and covered my mouth. Shit! Cole!
Screaming, I clawed at his hands as tears rushed down my face.
“Pepper! Chill, it’s me, Jordan. I was playing with you, not trying to scare you.”
My fear turned to indignation as I turned around and socked him as hard as I could in his face. The crack of his face against my fist resounded down the hallway.
“Fuck, Pepper!” he snapped, bringing his hand to his eye to inspect the damage.
I burst into tears because my hand fucking hurt. Nobody tells you that it hurts just as badly to be the one doing the punching. He dropped his hand and pulled me into an embrace. I dissolved unwillingly into it.
“Shhh, babe.” He spoke softly and rubbed my back. The gentle move made me cry harder.
Why am I having a breakdown here in the hallway in front of Jordan?
“Let’s get you inside, Pepper.” He scooped up the keys from the floor and let us into the empty apartment. Andi was with Jackson, and Olive was working.
He led me to the sofa and I sat down. When I looked up, I realized he’d gone into the kitchen and was rummaging around for something. He came back grinning that annoying smile of his and set two wine glasses in front of me. After he poured some into each a glass—mine a little fuller—he sat down beside me.
“Pepper, I’m sorry I deceived you. When I did it, I wasn’t really thinking about that. I just knew I wanted to see you and was willing to do whatever I could to make that happen.”
I sighed and shakily took a sip of my wine. My tears had subsided, and now I just felt embarrassed for my meltdown.
“Babe, why won’t you let me in?” His voice cracked a bit, making me look up at him. The emotion on his face made my heart flutter.
Jordan really was a good guy. I didn’t know why I had to give him such a hard time. It was just ingrained in me at this point in my life. Even Daddy would like him.
“Because I don’t know how. I don’t know how to let anyone in. Andi and Olive only see what I want them to see and they’re my best friends.” My chin quivered, but this time I didn’t stop it. He reached over and grabbed my hand.
“Pepper, I want to be that person you confide in. Please let me be that guy.”
I smiled because he was one hundred percent genuine. “I’ll do my best.” That was my concession. It was small, but by the smile that lit up his face, you’d have thought I’d promised much more.
“Drink up, Pepper. We’re going to loosen you up. Let’s play a game. It will be fun. We can make assumptions about each other. If the assumption is correct, you say ‘correct’ and the turn goes to the other person. No harm, no foul. If the assumption is wrong, you have to say ‘wrong’ and the person doing the assuming will have to take a drink. Shit, we’re going to need something better than wine.”
I laughed at his silly game he’d made up on a whim. He jumped up and ran back into the kitchen. This time, he came back with a big bottle of tequila and two shot glasses.
“Jordan, this could get bad really fast.”
He was doing a good job of distracting me from my prior meltdown. His playfulness was something that attracted me to him. It wasn’t the only thing though. His tight shirt stretched across his muscles and his biceps flexed every time he moved. Those were attractive too.
“That’s the point, Pep.” He winked at me, making my insides ache for him. “Okay, since I made up the game, I’ll start.”
He filled both of the shot glasses so we’d be ready.
“You’re a daddy’s girl.”
I rolled my eyes. This was common knowledge. “You bet your ass I am,” I confirmed. He smirked at me. “Okay, my turn. You’re a momma’s boy,” I retorted back at him. He laughed because I was mocking him.
“You bet your ass I am,” he teased. We both laughed. “You moonlight as a Victoria’s Secret model,” he pronounced, wagging his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes at him again. Someone just wanted to take a shot.
“Wrong. Take your shot,” I ordered.
He knocked back the shot, chasing it with some wine.
“Your dentist makes you model your amazing smile in all of his commercials,” I declared, teasing him and knowing it would garner me a shot, which I desperately wanted.
“Wrong. He doesn’t make me. He pays me. Take your shot, woman,” he winked at me.
I sucked down the shot and winced as it burned my throat.
“You loved the roses I sent yesterday even though you never thanked me for them,” he said, smiling shyly.
I flinched. Then the answer was out of my mouth before I had a chance to filter it. “Wrong. I actually hated them. They reminded me of a time I wanted to forget. Take your shot,” I spat out a little more harshly than I’d intended on.
He looked hurt by my words, and I instantly regretted them. I should have just told him thank you.
“I’m sorry. That was mean…” I trailed off.
He just shook his head at me and refilled our glasses. Tossing back his shot, he prepared for my next assumption.
“Um, you like basketball?” It was more of a question, but I figured I was safe with sports.
“Wrong. I like football,” he answered softly.
I cringed when he said football. For reasons only known to me, I hated football. His eyes flicked to mine because he’d seen it. This man saw right through me, and it scared the hell out of me. I quickly drank down my shot.
“You like me but are afraid to admit it,” he practically whispered. My eyes found his. When I didn’t speak, my silence validated his statement. The corner of his mouth curved up into a half smile.
“The only reason you like me is because I’m different than all the bimbos you’re used to dating,” I snidely said to him.
“Wrong. That’s one of the reasons. Not the only reason,” he corrected. I smiled as I took the shot.
My body was really starting to warm up. Needing to cool off, I removed my long-sleeved t-shirt since I had a tank top underneath. Jordan’s eyes fell to my tight shirt and hungrily looked over the swell of my breasts underneath.
“You took your shirt off to distract me from the game,” he stated simply.
“Wrong! I took it off because I was hot,” I told him honestly.
He drained his glass, never taking his eyes from me.
“You sleep around a lot,” I uttered to him.
“Wrong. Not since college. I’ve only had a handful of girlfriends since then, and I don’t do one-night stands,” he affirmed, and my heart pounded wildly at his words.
I knocked back another shot. My skin burned, but not just from the alcohol. The way he watched me made me want to jump him.
“Someone hurt you. That’s why you are so closed off from people,” he expressed sadly. My eyes filled with tears, my silence once again validating his assumption. Fury crossed his features, and he snatched up my hand, kissing the back of it.
“Who fucking hurt you Pepper?”
“Cole. A guy named Cole in high school.”
Jordan glared at me, waiting for more of an explanation. Squeezing my hand, he urged me to go on.
“I was a little nerdy in high school. Since I was shy, I didn’t make friends. Like, at all. One day, the school’s football hero asked me to tutor him. Of course I obliged. He came over that afternoon.
Things were going great. When my mother left to run to the store, we were alone. He gave me my first kiss. Well, things got hot and heavy. Next thing I knew, he was on top of me on the couch. Things were progressing a little faster than I’d expected. He was being a little rough, and it pulled me out of the passionate moment. When I asked him to stop, he got pissed. It was then that he attempted to forcefully have sex with me. If it weren’t for Daddy coming in from work and yanking him from me, he would have succeeded.”
Jordan’s jaw was furiously clenching and unclenching. He reached over and poured us each another shot. We drank them down because it was clear we both needed one to calm down.
“I’ve always been obsessed with peppermint gum. That day, he’d even taken my gum from me when we kissed. When I finally made it back to school, he’d spread all of these terrible rumors about me. Everyone thought I was some psycho trying to ruin his life. They called me ‘Peppermint Pussy’ because he told them if he actually had managed to have sex with me his dick would have frozen and fallen off. It was the stupidest thing ever, but all those half-witted people chose his side. The would-be rapist’s side.” My eyes filled with tears once again. I could feel his anger rolling off of him beside me.
“When I went to college, I vowed to be a stronger version of myself. One that was untouchable. When my new dorm mate Andi arrived and asked me my name, I told her it was Pepper. Short for ‘Peppermint Pussy.’”
“What the fuck, Pe…whoever you are? I’ve been calling you Pepper, the nickname that asshole gave you. No wonder you hated the fucking roses! What is your real fucking name?” I could tell he was beyond pissed at me by the way he was scowling.
“It’s Elizabeth. Andi knows my real name, but I won’t let her call me that.”
He rubbed his hands through his hair and looked back up at me. “What do I call you?” His voice was shaky, and the look on his face was sad.
“I’m Pepper now. At this point, if you called me Elizabeth, I probably wouldn’t answer.” My body was feeling really numb, and the unusually angry look on Jordan’s face was turning me on. I reached up and touched his face. His features immediately softened. He leaned forward without hesitation and captured my lips with his.
