Easy Fall

by Moose, S.

  “What kind of game are you playing?”

  She crosses her arms over her chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You know exactly what I’m talking about. I know you, Angie, and I know when you’re up to something, so tell me what in the world is going on and why you are suddenly coming into the bar and trying to talk to me.”

  She starts laughing. “You make me laugh. You know that?”

  I look away from her for a moment before saying what I need to say. “You broke up with me. You weren’t there for me when Carson died. It was just me. Coach brought me back from whatever slump I was in and pushed me to work on the bar and keep Carson’s dreams alive. I had my friends, yet the one person I wanted more in this world left me, so I moved on. I’m better now. I don’t need you to come into my life again.”

  “Who is she?”

  And there it is. The Angie I know.

  “Who is she?” she asks again.

  “I don’t have to answer you. It’s none of your business.”

  Angie’s head snaps toward the bar, then back to me. “She’s trouble. I know these things. You can’t trust someone so easily. That’s your problem.”

  This makes me laugh. I throw my head back and let out a rip-roaring laugh. “This is too funny,” I finally manage to say. “What I do in my life is my business and mine alone. I don’t need your approval or anything of the sort.”

  “If you’re trying to replace me with her, then I know you’ll be back. I’ll give it a few short weeks until you’re back in my bed. You know you can’t get enough of me.”

  I glare at her and keep my voice down. “Let me tell you something. I’ll never get back into your bed, and I’ll never love you again. Do I make myself clear?” I don’t wait for her to answer. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to work. You have a good night.”

  Chapter 12

  Mallory

  My curiosity alert is on high while they’re outside. She’s someone from his past and doesn’t seem like someone I’d ever want to be friends with or talk to.

  Lisa bumps my shoulder and takes the drink from my hand. “What are you doing?”

  “I might be spying. See that girl?” I nod toward outside where I can clearly see them.

  “Sure do. Jerry said not to worry about anything. She’s a whore and Justin won’t ever go back to her. That’s your man. She better realize that.”

  I stifle a laugh. “First, not my man. Did Jerry say anything else?”

  “Just not to worry. I think we can take her on. You and me.” Lisa finishes the drink and laughs, placing her head on my shoulder. “Don’t worry though. I’ve been watching you two talk and he seems into you. I think he likes you the way you like him. I can totally picture you two getting married and having cute babies.”

  “We just met.” I remind her and place my head on top of hers. “I really like him.”

  “I know you do.”

  “What should I do?”

  Lisa straightens herself and turns to look at me. “You take a chance and you leave your worries and reservations at the door, baby bird. If you want to take it slow then take it slow. If you want to jump into that man’s arms and hold on tight then you do just that. As long as you’re happy. That’s what’s important.”

  “Thank you for listening and understanding. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  Lisa drunkenly smiles. “Not going anywhere. Got to get back to my flirting. Watching you though.”

  “Watching you too.” I laugh and watch her prance back to Jerry. He gives me a thumbs up and I do the same.

  It’s hard to look away from what’s going on outside, but I manage to turn around and order another drink. After getting my drink and scrolling through social media posts, I feel him behind me and his arm around my waist.

  “I don’t want you to worry about her or what happened,” he whispers. “I saw you looking and saw the worry. She’s in the past. She means nothing to me. I’ll explain later.”

  “Okay.” That’s the only word I manage to get out. Being this close to him is making my body shiver with excitement.

  The simple words of him telling me not to worry eased my concern.

  “I need get back to work. Have fun tonight.”

  “I will.”

  The band takes a break and they come over to Lisa and me. The lead singer is Jerry and he’s Justin’s best friend. He introduces us to the rest of the guys, and we follow them over to the darts to play. We’re not the greatest at playing darts so instead of being part of the game, we watch the guys take turns and we go back to sipping our drinks.

  “Hey you.” I turn and see Crystal. She’s wiping down a table. “Glad to see you’re here.”

  “I am.” I try to get Lisa’s attention so she can meet her, but she’s too busy flirting with Jerry to notice what I’m trying to do. “I’m glad I finally made it. Justin and I have been talking. He’s so sweet. I’m glad we finally met.”

  “You and Justin?” I nod. “Oh. Yeah, he’s a great guy. I’ve known him for a while.” I notice the way she’s looking at him, and it hits me.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go on about him. If I knew how you felt, I wouldn’t have said anything.”

  Crystal waves me off and smiles. “Not a problem. He’s rejected me a few times, and I’m slowly getting over it. Do me a favor.”

  “Sure, what can I do?”

  In a hushed tone, she whispers, “Be careful with his heart. He’s been through a lot and has survived so much. Justin’s a wonderful man with a heart of gold. He’d do anything to make someone’s day, and he’s done it more times than I can count. All that I ask is for you to be careful because once Justin is in, he’s in.”

  “I promise I’ll be careful. You don’t have to worry. I like him a lot, and I can’t wait to get to know more about him.”

  “You’ll learn to love him. The entire town does. He’s New Orleans sweetheart, and he knows it too.”

  I look over at the bar and see Justin staring at us. Feeling a little brave, I blow him a kiss, and he shakes his head, laughing.

  “Crystal,” I start to say, turning my attention back to her. “You’re really sweet to care about him. I promise I’m not playing any games. You can trust me.”

  “Alright, I hope you’re right.” She pats me on the shoulder before heading back to the bar.

  When I look toward Justin again, our eyes meet, and we hold the stare. This connection I’m feeling with him is something I’ve never experienced.

  As soon as I saw him, it was like my heart knew, and everything inside me came alive. There was an immediate and forceful connection between us. I was pulled to him, and it felt good to be looked at the way Justin looked at me. I wanted to know more about him and be a part of his world.

  By the time most everyone had cleared out, Lisa and I were a little drunk, and I felt good. Better than I have in a while.

  “I’m sorry about your ex-girlfriend coming in tonight. She doesn’t look nice.” I rest my head on Justin’s shoulder. “I’m you’re not with her anymore.”

  “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

  “Because then if you were, we wouldn’t have met.”

  Justin places his hand in mine and our fingers entwine. “I’m glad we did meet tonight.”

  “Me too. This is the first time in a while I’ve been happy.”

  “Glad I could do that for you.”

  He’s walking me back to the apartment since Lisa decided to head to Jerry’s house. I didn’t mind. For some reason, I trusted both guys.

  Especially Justin.

  “Call me tonight when you get back?”

  “Of course I’ll call you.”

  We stop at the entrance to the apartment, and I turn to look at him. It’s us under the starry night, and for a moment, it feels quiet and still. All my nerves have settled and the confidence I’ve been missing is back. Looking at Justin, standing with him right now, I feel alive.


  I’m not sure what pushed me to at this moment, but I shove out all thought from my mind, get on my tippy toes, and kiss him.

  Again, I have no idea what made me do that.

  It’s the alcohol for sure.

  When our lips break, I see him staring at me, and I melt a little in his arms.

  “Justin?”

  He takes my hand into his and brings it to his lips for a kiss. “Yes?”

  “I’ve been through a lot in my life, and I know you have too. I’m sure the alcohol is giving me this courage because I know I wouldn’t be able to say all this sober.”

  “You don’t need to continue if you don’t want.”

  I smile and tilt my head to the side. This man is beyond amazing, and we’ve only just met.

  How is that possible?

  “I’m starting to like you. Really like you. I know we just met, but we’ve been talking for a while and I want you to know how I feel. If it’s okay with you, can we take this slow?”

  “That’s more than okay. We can go at whatever pace you feel comfortable with. I’m starting to like you too, Mallory. You’re a beautiful woman, and I can’t wait to keep getting to know you.”

  I sigh, and all I want is to fall into his arms and fall asleep with him.

  Slow, girlfriend.

  Slow.

  “Thank you for understanding.”

  “You never have to thank me for doing something to make you smile and to make things easier for you. I’ll call you.”

  “Okay.” I’m breathless when I answer.

  Making my way to the apartment, I rush to get ready for bed and climb in, waiting for the phone to ring. The effects of the beer and shots I drank earlier hit me, and I lie still for a moment, thinking about the kiss.

  Oh, the kiss.

  I could kiss him again and again.

  My cell phone rings, and I quickly answer without saying hello. “I want to kiss you again,” I blurt out.

  “I’m glad you do. I’d love to do the same.”

  Hearing how he wants to do the same makes me want to leave the apartment and join him in his. The thought of being in his bed with him makes me feel good.

  Really good.

  “I want to know more about that woman who came into the bar. She looked like she wanted to push me down and hit me.” Saying that makes me laugh. “I could totally take her, but I won’t. She doesn’t look like the type of woman someone should give attention to so I won’t. Nope. It won’t be worth my time or energy.”

  “Good. You shouldn’t. We can talk about her another time. Right now, I want to listen to your voice and talk about you and me.”

  “We can do that.” Justin quietly listens. “I just want you to know that she’s not scaring me away or whatever. She’s your past, and I hope to be your present and future.”

  Did I really just say that?

  “I’m glad I kissed you tonight. Usually, I’m not this brave. It’s the alcohol. I really needed to be in this state in order to kiss you. I’m such a chicken.”

  He inhales into my ear, and he’s silent. I’m not sure what he’s thinking.

  “Is that right?”

  “I wanted to ask you to come up with me. I wanted you to ask me to go back with you. There are a lot of variables to what I want. Either way, I want to be with you right now. Is that okay to feel?”

  “Of course.”

  “Not only did I want you to ask me or me to ask you. I’ve been thinking about you a lot tonight. I thought about how it would feel to have your lips on my skin and our bodies moving together.”

  Justin doesn’t say anything. I think he’s moving because I hear some rustling. His breathing slows, and it grows deeper as if he’s taking in a lot of breath and letting it out slowly. I think that’s a good thing.

  “I wonder how your fingers would feel against my skin, running down my arm and belly.”

  I get brave and bold. This has never happened to me before. Something’s opening from inside me, and it’s because of Justin. I’m breathless from the excitement, and it runs through my body. I want Justin to feel the same way as I am right now.

  “Tonight, I thought about so much when I laid my eyes on you. I wanted to kiss you so hard and feel your arms around me. I wanted to feel your body against mine. When we kissed tonight, outside my apartment, I wanted to drag you inside to my bedroom. I’m wondering how deep the kiss would be, and if our fingers would entwine together, making a perfect fit. I’m wondering if you’d moan into my mouth, and when I open my legs for you, if you would press your fingers against my clit.” I’m holding nothing back. I don’t feel like I have to with him.

  There goes the slow plan. I have no idea where this is coming from, and how I’m managing to say all this to him without feeling nervous. I take how I’m feeling and run with it. Right now, I’m about to do something I’ve never done.

  I drop my hand between my legs, running my fingers along my opening, and feeling the wetness from what I’ve been saying to Justin. I’m burning up with desire from this conversation. I imagine him sitting on his bed, breathing into the phone and thinking he wants the same thing as I do.

  “Justin.” I move and close my eyes, feeling the wetness pool on my fingers. “I wish you were here making me feel this way.”

  “Fuck,” he groans into the phone. “Baby, you sound amazing. Whatever you’re doing, don’t stop.”

  I let out a moan and spread my legs wider. As I listen to him grunt and moan, his breathing growing louder, making me want to keep going.

  “What are you thinking about? Tell me what’s on your mind and don’t leave anything out.”

  “You.”

  “What about me?”

  “Wishing you were here so we could be together.” I nod and lick my lips, closing my eyes and imagining his hand was mine. “Wishing your skin was touching my skin. Having your breath against my neck.”

  “Where am I touching you?”

  I moan. “Your fingers are playing with my clit, rubbing it fast and hard, then slowing down. You’re teasing me. Our lips are touching, and your tongue is sliding into my mouth. The weight of your body is on me. You’re whispering naughty things into my ear.”

  I drag my fingers over my clit and throw my head back. My eyes are closed, and I’m breathing heavily into the phone.

  “Where do you want my lips?”

  “Everywhere.”

  “I need you to be more specific, baby.”

  I moan again. “I want your lips on my pussy. I want to feel your tongue pressing against it.”

  “You’d taste sweet. I’ll never want to stop.”

  “I wouldn’t stop you.”

  “Since you’re thinking about my mouth sucking on your clit and licking your pussy, are you wondering about my dick? Do you want me to fill that sweet pussy?”

  “You have no idea,” I loudly tell him. “No idea.”

  “I think you’d love my dick inside you. Our eyes staring at one another as I’m sliding in and out of you. You’d love that, wouldn’t you?”

  “Yes. So much. Have you thought about it?”

  “Fuck yes, I have. You have no idea what I’ve thought about when it comes to you.”

  The thought of us together and him fucking me makes me nearly orgasm.

  Remember, don’t scare him away.

  “Do you want to know what I think about when it comes to you?”

  “Yes,” I beg. “Please.”

  “Fuck, when you say please, it makes me dick twinge. I wonder how I’ll get enough of you and how addicted I would be to your taste and smell.” His voice gets low and wicked. “I thought about how your ass would look in the air while I’m thrusting into you from behind, slapping your ass and hearing you scream my name for more.”

  “Oh, yes.”

  “I think about how tight you’d feel around my dick and how wet you’d be. The moans I could get out of you and then seeing you bounce on my cock, seeing your tits bounce while you ride me.”
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  The pressure’s building, and everything in my body is tensing. I don’t want him to stop. His voice and how he sounds are making me want more. So much more.

  “I get hard when we talk. Your sweet voice plays in my head.”

  “Justin, please keep going.” I groan into the phone, sliding my fingers in and out. “Please.”

  “Fuck, baby. I love it when you say please.”

  “I’m so close.”

  “When I think about us fucking, I think about all the ways I could make you orgasm. I think about the hours of fun we’d have. I’d only stop fucking you to eat you out or feel your lips wrapped around my cock. When you walked into my bar tonight, I wanted to send everyone home and have you all to myself. You have no idea the struggle I had tonight. Fuck, baby, if I knew you wanted me inside you tonight, I would’ve brought you back to my apartment and kept you inside.”

  “Oh. Justin.” I repeat his name, and a rush leaves my body, making me moan his name louder and with more intensity.

  “Baby. Hearing you scream my name made me finish. I’ve got to go, though.”

  “Wait. Why? What did I do wrong?” I rush out. Fear replaces any type of satisfaction I got from a few moments ago.

  I’m doing too much.

  “Baby, you didn’t do anything wrong. I have jizz all over my stomach, so I’d like to clean up and get ready for bed.”

  “Oh.” A rush of relief pushes out the fear. “I was worried.”

  “I know you were. I told you. Don’t be worried. What we did was fucking hot. I can’t wait to be with you. Good night, baby. Sleep well and dream of me.”

  “Dream of me too,” I tell him with a smile. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “You will.”

  Chapter 13

  Justin

  Things are going to be different with Mallory. They are different.

  It’s going to be a good different. The more we talk and hang out, the more I want to be around her. The more addicted I become.

  Last night on the phone was beyond my fantasies. I must’ve come in seconds this morning when I remembered the way she sounded and how she moaned my name.