by Tara Brent
Reggie shifted awkwardly. “I’m good with computers and numbers. Well, normally I am. Not as good at mental math as I used to be. Kinda got stuck on my squares and cubes in my cell back there.”
“How do you mean?”
“I was squaring and cubing numbers to pass the time,” she answered, embarrassed. “Don’t judge me, okay? It’s boring as piss in there”
“No, not judging at all,” he said. “My company was tech-based, so maybe this could be even a better partnership than I had anticipated.”
Reggie cocked an eyebrow. “Did you say ‘partnership’?”
“Correct. I have more money than entire countries could ever dream of having. Not going to lie: if this company fails, there’s not much of a risk for me. So I have the luxury to shoot for the sky. But this could be a ticket to paradise for you.”
She hesitated. “I have siblings. I had six, now I have five.”
“Losing brothers sucks,” Easton echoed, nodding solemnly.
“Right. Anyway, this is good for me, but what’s in it for them? I mean yeah taking home this money if it works out could be good for them, but…”
“I’m glad you asked,” Easton said. “For every year you work with me, I will pay for a year of their education. Get them out of whatever dodgy school they’re in now and into private schools, and then send them to the best colleges they could get into.”
“Yeah or you could remember that there are more ways to succeed than through those Vineyard Vines showcases you call private schools, and maybe take that money and put it toward making their existing schools less ‘dodgy.’ Yeah?”
Easton smirked. “You’re already negotiating. I like it. Okay, yes, I will put money into their schools, and then I’ll support their college dreams, for as long as you work with me at,” he paused, stroking his chin for a moment, “Cooper-Rodini Software.”
Reggie frowned. “Rodini-Cooper sounds better,” she said. She smiled. Easton smiled back. They shook hands.
“You one crazy rich boy, Easton Cooper,” she said.
***
“And that’s when I saved all fourteen orphans from the volcano,” said Ronald. Or was it Donald? Or… Tim? Alex couldn’t remember.
“Sorry, what?” asked Alex, looking up from her drink, annoyed
“Oh, I was finishing the story about—”
“Yeah, no one cares, and if someone does, that someone ain’t me.” She swigged down her Appletini. “Thanks for the drink, Jim.”
“It’s Eric,” he said sheepishly.
“Whatever,” she said, marching off.
Alex’s frustration was paramount. In the past two-and-a-half months, she had been on several first dates, but no second dates. After Easton ended things with her, she was livid with him, but within just a couple days, her fury changed to pity and remorse. As he feared, their liaison led to his dismissal from Valkyrie-Cooper Tech, and then his brother died less than an hour after formally surviving cancer. She sobbed alone for hours, trying to reach him to express her condolences and apologize, but he never answered, let alone replied. So she gave up. She tried to distract herself with other men. But no matter who they were, they all fell short. Clever, but Easton was smarter; amusing, but Easton was funnier; sexy, but Easton’s gaze alone sent shivers down her spine. The fact was, she missed him
She heard a vibration in her purse. It was a text from Lionel. It read: “Sista feast yo eyes on THIS crazy shyt:” followed by a link to an article. Curious, she clicked on it. She abruptly stopped walking and read the headline aloud to herself. “‘Loopy Coopy Strikes Gold Again with Controversial Brand’…what?” She continued reading, enthralled not just by the story behind it, how the leading-name partner in the company was his former mugger, and how all of the employees and interns were the types of people so often neglected by the rest of the world.
“Holy shit Easton,” she whispered, “You really are one crazy rich boy.”
Chapter 11
“When you and I first started this company four months ago,” said Reggie, “I thought you were nuts. And I still do, by the way. The only difference is now I know you’re good crazy, not twisted sex-dungeon crazy.”
“I still don’t get why everyone thinks I have a sex dungeon,” said Easton, shaking his head.
“I dunno, I guess you give off a major Fifty Shades vibe,” she said. “Young billionaire known for sleeping with countless women?”
“I guess,” he said. “Still annoying as hell.”
“We’re doing something amazing here,” she said. “Countless ex-cons can’t get jobs, so they end up falling back into crime out of either despair or desperation or both. I know that was my gig. And even when they did get jobs, it was usually the crap ones, especially in the hood. But we are giving them real careers, turning lives around.”
“That’s the idea,” he said. He absently stared out the window.
Reggie shifted awkwardly. So he’s in one of THOSE moods, again. “So,” she said, “You hear about your old company?”
“Yup.”
“Yeah. Pretty crazy that that Sedgwick guy is going away for insider trading!”
“Glad to see that Lucille is taking over. She’s the right woman for the job.”
Reggie nodded, then laughed.
“What’s up?” asked Easton.
“Well, I was thinking, Sedgwick is going to be an ex-con. Maybe he can get a job here!” Reggie chuckled shamelessly.
“Ah. Right.” said Easton.
Reggie rolled her eyes. “Why you always so miserable?”
“You know why.”
“Still pining over that MacTaggart lady?”
“Still, always, you know the deal.”
“Have you considered calling her?”
“I dumped her then ignored her calls for months. They eventually stopped. Don’t really see the purpose of reaching out now.”
“You white boys make things too complicated,” sighed Reggie. “By the way,” she said. “Ramadan starts next week and I am going to be pissy and will probably take a lot of work off because I get hangry.”
“You’re a Muslim?” he asked. “You don’t wear a headscarf though.”
“Not all of us do dummy, it’s a choice. Did you not know that?”
“There’s really no non-racist way to say this,” said Easton, “but us dumb white blokes kind of just assume that all brown people are some version of black or Hispanic.”
Reggie punched him in the shoulder.
“Hey! Quit it!”
“Just because you warn me that you’re about to say something racist doesn’t make it any less racist!” she snapped.
“Sorry!” he cried back, defensively.
“Nah you’re fine. Mentally clumsy and definitely crazy, but otherwise, mostly fine,” she said.” She smirked broadly.
“Mr. Cooper? Miss Rodini?” They were interrupted by Reggie’s assistant, Akira Sato.
“What is it Akira?” asked Reggie.
“Well there’s somebody here to see Mr. Cooper, but she doesn’t have an appointment.”
Reggie looked at Easton. “Maybe you got someone pregnant and they’re coming to collect?” she suggested.
“Hardy-har. Yeah, Akira, send her in.”
Easton wasn’t sure who he expected to walk into his office, but the last person he anticipated was Alex MacTaggart, wearing the yellow Giambattista Valli dress he had bought for her. He stared, completely flummoxed, as Reggie gradually made her way to her feet and sidled toward the door.
“Easton,” began Alex. “I…”
But whatever speech she had spent days or weeks planning would never leave her lips, for they found themselves firmly fixed upon his as he kissed her with more passion and fury than he had ever put into anything else in his entire life. Reggie stared as the two lovers clawed at one another right before her eyes. As Alex began to unbutton Easton’s shirt, Reggie gave a quick yelp and scampered out the door. “This. THIS is why people think you have a sex dunge
on,” she said, and slammed the door behind her.
They broke their kiss. Alex tried to talk. “I—”
“I know.”
“And—”
“Me too.”
Their clothes were gone within the minute and the bulk of what Easton normally kept on his desk was pushed to the floor save for his laptop (even in the heat of his moment, Easton was not about to let it smash). Alex lay spread-eagle on his desk. “I need you inside of me,” she said through her teeth.
“In a minute,” said Easton as he dropped to his knees and buried his face between her legs, licking rapidly and relentlessly as Alex squealed. After a few minutes, he rose back to his feet, positioned himself accordingly, and took the plunge.
“Ahhhh yes…!” shout-whispered Alex. “Oh god Easton… Easton I’ve missed you.”
“I… missed… you… too…” he replied, thrusting with increasing vigor.
Alex sat up and pushed him off of her. “On your back,” she commanded breathlessly. He obeyed. She positioned herself over him. “What’s three times twenty-three?” she asked mischievously as she sat on his face and leaned forward, mouth open. They pleasured each other orally for several minutes, Easton groping her backside while licking her, Alex carefully fondling his balls while sucking him. Easton felt like he was getting close and tapped Alex to inform her, so she scooted off of him, positioning herself on all fours. Easton got behind her and slid inside once again, using one hand to reach around to her breasts and the other to reach around and play with her clitoris. “I’m so close,” he said.
“Me too,” she replied, reaching back and grasping his shaft. She reached back and pulled him out of her and redirected his aim slightly higher toward an even more intimate opening.
“Are you sure?” he asked, his heart racing a mile a minute.
“Of course I am,” she said. “I want, no, I need you in every way possible. Finish there. Please finish in my ass, Easton!”
So he did, and with great affection and vigor, starting gently and slowly but with increased pace with every thrust inward, still rubbing her clit the whole while. Soon, it was beyond his ability to hold back. “Oh godddddddd,” he said and nearly passed out with the ferocity of the orgasm that swept over him.
“Me too, oh god me toooooooo!” squealed Alex, thrusting back against him while he continued to rub circles around her most sensitive area even as he unloaded himself inside of her.
He finally slowed down, spent, and she rolled onto her back. “I need another,” she said. “Finish what you started.”
Once again, Easton found his lips dancing between her thighs with his tongue swirling with a vengeance. It wasn’t long before the second orgasm took her over, and then a third. “Easton, oh god, I’ve needed you for so long, oh god, oh god, I, I, I…!” she settled back down, coming down from her fourth orgasm in ecstatic serenity.
Easton sat up and wiped his lips, then said, “I love you, Alex MacTaggart.”
Her eyes glistened as she smiled up at him. “I love you too, Easton Cooper.”
And so they spooned together on his office floor, naked and full of pure, unadulterated joy.
Epilogue: One Year, Three Months, Two Weeks, Four Days, and Six Hours Later
“You know,” said Alex MacTaggart, her spellbinding white dress flowing behind her, “I never thought my maid of honor would be a guy.”
“Now don’t you start me crying,” replied Lionel, looking particularly dashing in his tuxedo. “And speaking of, you totally swear that you’re not just making me your maid of honor because I’m gay?”
Alex laughed. “I’m not calling you a lady, Lionel. But you’re my best friend, the closest person to me since my dad died. And speaking of gender reversal, it’s my Mammy walking me down the aisle anyway.”
“Well you look like a gorgeous princess,” assured Lionel.
“Nuh-uh, I’m a queen,” she replied.
“Uh, sweety, let’s be real, I’m the only queen in this room,” teased Lionel.
“Ugh fine! I’m the Supreme Empress of All then. Happy?”
“Always,” he said, beaming.
***
“You know,” said Easton Cooper, feeling slick in his Kiton tuxedo, “I never thought my best man would be a girl.”
“Woman or lady, Easton, not girl,” corrected Reggie. “And do you promise I’m not just your best man because my name sounds like a guy’s name?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die,” said Easton.
Reggie smirked. “And actually, I’m not exactly your best man.”
“How’s that?” asked Easton.
“So, I may have done a bad thing, but it seemed like a good idea at the time, so don’t be mad, I promise I had your best interests at heart.”
“Okay, what’s up?” he asked, worried.
Reggie held up the pendant of her necklace. “I kinda-sorta, well, borrowed some of Hayden’s ashes when I was last at your house. I put them into the pendant of this necklace. I promise to put him back when this is all over, but, I dunno, I kinda figured that while I’m honored to be your best man, that Hayden was always meant to be your best man. So I’m basically going to be his vessel so he gets to stand beside you when you get married.”
Easton brushed away the tears that formed and hugged Reggie. “Thank you,” he said. They hugged silently. “I mean don’t get me wrong that’s super messed up and easily could have backfired…” she laughed at this, as he continued, smiling, “but you did it for the right reasons, and I know Hayden would have been down for it.”
They broke their hug. “Okay partner,” said Reggie. “Let’s get your crazy rich ass married.”
***
The ceremony was beautiful, the party lavish. But within a few hours when the last of the tipsy guests caught their limos or Ubers or tried to avoid vomiting directly onto their designated drivers, Alex Cooper-MacTaggart and Easton Cooper-MacTaggart, newlywed, found themselves on their backs in a king-sized bed in their shared home, happier than they could have ever imagined themselves being.
“So what happens now?” asked Alex.
“Life begins,” said Easton.
And it did.
The End
Bad Best Man
Chapter 1
I was standing there, the warm breeze playing with my golden-brown hair, my eyes fixed on the calm beach. It was almost sunset and almost time for the wedding. I got there early because I was the best man. You couldn’t have a wedding without the best man.
“Derek, are you coming over?” my best friend asked.
I was in a pair of white slacks, a tight, white shirt and barefoot. It was the beach; of course, I was going to relax a little.
“I’ll be there in a second, Julian.” I nodded his way but didn’t take my eyes off the water.
Being a lawyer, there isn’t much time for a break, especially when you’re a good one. Everyone wants you. They call you day and night, and sometimes you must tell some of them you can’t be their lawyer.
That’s me; it’s hard to balance the work life and my real life. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a vacation. I was going to soak in everything.
I heard someone coming up behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I saw that it was Julian. He was my best friend, though I didn’t feel like the greatest friend. We hadn’t seen each other in almost a year because I was always working.
“What are you doing?” Julian asked, slapping me on the back.
“I think this is going to be great for you, Julian. I like Lindsay, from what I know of her. I’m sorry that I haven’t been there to really get to know her, you know what I mean?” I asked, running a hand through my hair.
“It’s good. We’re good. Everyone must make a living. Just don’t forget that sometimes you do need to take a break. You do need to learn to have a good time. There’s someone I want you to meet.” Julian grinned.
I knew that grin. It was the cat-ate-the-canary grin and I could only imagine what he had
up his sleeve.
Julian was well tanned and had black hair and blue eyes. Wearing his mirrored sunglasses, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking; I could read his eyes better than his face.
"You're not going to fix me up with anyone, are you? At your wedding?" I threw my head back and laughed.
“She could be the one for you. I think that you should just come over and meet her. She’s a nice woman. She’s Lindsay’s best friend. Very nice,” Julian stated, turning me around.
I didn’t want to get stuck with one woman while I was here—I was the bachelor that was never going to settle down.
I don’t know how many times Julian had tried setting me up with women, knowing that it wasn’t going to work out.
I was different from all of them. I was the bad boy, while he was the good one. The one that was meant to fall in love.
I would’ve been wearing my leather jacket that was in the car if Julian hadn’t made me take it off. He had to beg me to take it off; it was what I was most comfortable in.
“Just meet her. I think that you’ll like her.” Julian sighed, shaking his head at me.
“You know that I’m not the type who wants to be with one woman. You do know who I am, right?” I asked, laughing at him.
Julian pulled on my sleeve and made me go with him.
I put the best smile I could on my face. The woman was good looking, I wasn’t going to deny that fact, but I didn’t want to be set up with anyone.
“This is my friend Derek. The one that I told you about,” Julian stated when he finally got me over there.
“Yes, the lawyer. I’m Jasmine.” The woman stuck out her hand.
