One Weekend in Aspen

by Jaime Clevenger

  “Shay mentioned there are rules,” Ava was saying.

  “Yes.” Nicola stopped in front of the closed door. “For one, the door’s always locked if someone’s using the space. Whoever’s in the room can decide whether or not they want to let anyone else in—and if you’ll participate or only watch.”

  “Shall we see if it’s locked?” Without waiting for anyone to answer, Ava stepped past Nicola to reach for the door handle. She gave it a turn. “We’re in luck.”

  As soon as the door swung open, Emily felt heat shoot up from her neck to her cheeks. She registered her blush and her loud gasp in the same moment. Alex—the same Alex she’d eaten pie with—was stripped down to a pair of black boxers and standing in front of a woman tied up on a chair.

  “Emily?”

  Emily opened and closed her mouth. She couldn’t form any words. Her pulse whooshed in her ears and her legs felt shaky. She glanced from Alex back to the woman in the chair. Aside from a bright red rope that laced between her breasts in an intricate pattern, she was otherwise naked. Her ample breasts moved up and down as she panted, and the expression of bliss on her face left no doubt that she was enjoying the afterglow of a climax. It took a moment for Emily to recognize the woman. Madison. She’d seen her a handful of times at Katherine’s and thought maybe Madison was Katherine’s girlfriend for a time—there were always so many women coming and going.

  Alex stepped forward. Probably her intention was to shield Madison but the move also called more attention to herself. It didn’t hurt, of course, that she was also half naked. Toned muscles outlined her arms and legs, and her sculpted shoulders begged to be touched. But Emily’s gaze was drawn to her boxers and the obvious bulge. No doubt about it, Alex was packing. Okay. No big deal. This is probably totally normal. For other people. They were at a sex party, after all.

  The sound of someone clearing their throat yanked Emily back to reality. Only then did she realize there was a third person in the room. Katherine.

  This was getting worse by the second. Katherine, with her signature long golden locks and willowy build, stared right at Emily. She was standing off to the side and fully dressed—unlike the others. In black leggings and a tight white tank top accentuating her breasts, she could have been on her way to a Pilates class except she held something resembling a riding crop in her hand, and her expression told Emily not to ask what it was for unless she wanted to be on the receiving end.

  “Sorry about the interruption,” Ava said. “Carry on.”

  Ava stepped back from the doorway, but in the same moment Emily reached forward to push the door closed. They bumped into each other and Emily’s wineglass slipped from her grip.

  Time slowed as the glass tipped end over end, wine spraying the door and the plush cream rug before shattering as it struck the wall. Emily’s mind slowed too, stumbling over the words this shouldn’t be happening. She wasn’t a klutz. She didn’t do things like drop wineglasses at parties. But the door shouldn’t have been unlocked, and Alex—her Alex—shouldn’t be at this party at all. Alex belonged in her fantasies, not in her very real but at the moment completely bizarre world.

  “Good thing we went for the Chardonnay,” Nicola said dryly.

  “I’m so sorry.” Emily bent down to pick up the pieces closest to her, wishing her voice hadn’t sounded shaky.

  “It’s fine. People drop glasses all the time,” Alex said.

  “Yeah, and this whole scenario of walking in on a threesome is completely normal too,” Emily said. “Happens all the time to me, in fact.”

  Suddenly, everyone was laughing. Alex included.

  Alex carefully picked her way up to the doorway. “Is it bad timing to say I’m happy to see you here?”

  Emily knew she couldn’t simply stare at Alex’s bare feet. But her cheeks were still burning with a blush that would only get worse if she had another look at Alex’s midsection. And her damn heart wouldn’t stop tap dancing. Finally, she lifted her eyes and met Alex’s gaze. “It’s not the best timing, actually.”

  Before Alex could respond, Nicola intervened. “You two can reconnect later. Perhaps with more clothes on, Alex.” In one swift move, Nicola reached forward and swung the door closed.

  Chapter Ten

  “Where the hell you been?” TJ asked. “And how is it that the party hasn’t even started but you’ve already managed to royally piss off Katherine? And Nicola too. That takes talent.”

  “Hey, man, it’s good to see you, but I’m looking for—”

  “We’re going outside to talk. Here, hold these.” TJ handed Alex two bottles of beer and then took a coat from the rack. “Do you know how much trouble you’re in?”

  “I can guess.” Which is why she didn’t have time to talk. She had to find Emily and check in on her. “I want to catch up, but I need to find someone before dinner.”

  “Let me guess—the new girl? I’ve been here for all of an hour and I’ve already heard all about it.” TJ held out her hand for one of the bottles of beer, then pointed to the back door. “Grab your coat.”

  “It’s like ten below.” Alex reluctantly reached for her coat anyway. She knew better than to try to change TJ’s mind when she was set on something.

  “Actually, it’s a balmy fourteen. I checked my phone.” TJ wrapped a yellow scarf around her neck. “You look good, by the way. Missed you.”

  “I missed you too,” Alex said, letting TJ pull her into a hug. In fact, until that moment she hadn’t realized how much she was in need of a friend. If she had to talk to anyone except Emily right now, she wanted it to be TJ. Maybe TJ would tell her it was all going to blow over. She stepped back and adjusted TJ’s scarf. “How is it you get more handsome every time I see you?”

  “Good genes.”

  “So it’s not all the facials?”

  TJ laughed. “That too.” She did look even more handsome than the last time they’d met up. Not that it was hard for TJ to look good. Where most tried and failed, TJ truly pulled off being a suave stud. She always dressed to the nines—today she had on trim black slacks, a black button-down, and a pinstriped vest—but it was more than that. Everything from her sharp features to her smooth light brown skin and closely shaved dark black hair was meticulously perfect.

  They stepped outside and Alex wished she’d grabbed a scarf too. And a hat. “Damn, it’s cold out here.”

  “Says the person from Colorado.”

  “Yeah, but I live in Tokyo now. I’m not used to this.” Maybe she should have stayed in Tokyo. Meeting Emily had made everything seem worth it, but now she worried she’d screwed up any chance they ever had. “It feels like it’s been forever since we last saw each other. When was it?”

  “August. London.”

  “Oh. Right. London.”

  “Your memory coming back about that disaster?” TJ shook her head but chuckled. “At least we have fun when we get in trouble.”

  First Madison and Katherine had gotten into an argument, then somehow TJ and Nicola landed on opposite sides of said argument. Alex had tried to stay out of the yelling match until the hotel manager showed up threatening to kick all of them out. “What was that fight even about?”

  “Who knows. Something really important at the time. So I hear you walked out with Madison tied up. Katherine’s pissed. Given how you blasted Lara for that time she left a sub, you better have a damn good excuse to get yourself out of this one.”

  “I didn’t leave Madison alone. Katherine was there.” Alex heard the defensive tone in her voice. She did feel bad for the scene getting interrupted and for leaving early, but it was nothing like what Lara had done.

  TJ rocked her head side to side. “You know Katherine gets protective of a sub.”

  “I did what they asked me to do. I tied Madison up and gave her what she wanted.” Fortunately, Madison had already climaxed by the time the door opened. Alex even had a second to make sure the cock was tucked away. Not that it had been that discreet. She thought again of how Em
ily had stared right at her crotch.

  The wind came up, shaking settled snow off the trees and sending little biting crystals of ice at her face. She shivered and tugged up the zipper, closing the gap at her neck. “Can we go back inside now?”

  “You haven’t told me why you bolted.”

  “I didn’t bolt.” That was definitely an exaggeration and probably Katherine’s words.

  TJ tipped back one of the chairs, tossing off the piled snow, and then sat down. “How is it you always manage to get yourself in some kind of drama at these parties? You’re one of the least dramatic people I know.”

  Alex eyed the bottle TJ had given her. “You bring an opener or we just holding these things?”

  “I should make you sit there holding it for all the shit I had to listen to. You know how Nicola gets. Makes Katherine seem tame.” TJ pulled an opener out of her pocket. She popped the lid off her IPA and then handed it to Alex.

  Katherine clearly had her reasons, but why was Nicola upset? Maybe she blamed her for the door being left unlocked. “Who told you what happened? Nicola?”

  “Nicola, then Katherine. Madison tried to tell me, but she busted up laughing.”

  Alex exhaled. “At least one person isn’t mad at me.”

  “Madison’s never mad at anyone. Actually, from what I hear, you made her very happy.”

  “Yeah, but Katherine’s right. It wasn’t cool leaving when I did. I should apologize.” Alex had fulfilled two of Madison’s requests at least, but after seeing Emily she hadn’t been able to get back into the scene. She’d tried for Madison’s sake but couldn’t focus. Finally she’d begged out, hoping she could catch Emily and talk before the evening got started. By the time she’d taken a shower and gotten dressed, Emily was nowhere to be found. She’d considered texting Emily, or calling her, but talking to her in person seemed like the better option.

  “For the record, I’m not the only one in trouble,” Alex said. “Nicola sent me a text this morning saying she thought she might leave before you got here. What’d you do?”

  TJ took a long sip from her beer and then settled back in her chair. “I told her the truth.”

  “Which truth is that?”

  “That it’s not working for me—her and I trying to be in a relationship. She’s pissed because I brought it up now. Right before we get to spend the weekend together. And her response is to threaten to leave?” TJ shook her head. “Women.”

  “It was kind of crap timing for you to bring that up now.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” TJ kicked at the snow near her chair. “We see each other three, maybe four times a year. I need more. She thinks it’s about the sex, that I only want more of that, and told me it wasn’t a problem if I slept with someone else. I don’t want someone else. I want her.

  “I want to come home to the person I’m with. I want to go grocery shopping together, maybe a movie, maybe pick up tacos. It doesn’t matter what it is we do, but I need more of her. I’m tired of constantly missing the person I’m in love with.”

  “I don’t blame you.” Coming home to someone was what Alex wanted as well. It didn’t sound like too big of a request. Except TJ lived in Oakland and Nicola lived in London. “What are you going to do?”

  “Ask her to move to California. Again.”

  Alex didn’t want to bring up the conversation she’d had with Nicola when they were in France, but it weighed on her—especially Nicola’s admission that she loved TJ but no relationship was enough for her to sacrifice her career. “What about you moving to London?”

  TJ shook her head. “You know I’ve got my dad to take care of.”

  “He could move too.”

  TJ didn’t respond. She’d missed the last sex party in Nice because her dad had gotten sick. She’d stayed home to take care of him and fortunately he’d gotten better, but Alex knew she’d always put his needs before her own. And Nicola couldn’t understand the choices TJ made.

  “I feel like I’ve been chasing Nicola for five years. Ever since you convinced me to go to that sex party Katherine had at her house in San Francisco.” TJ’s jaw clenched. “She knows this isn’t enough for me. If it’s all she wants, then I gotta move on.”

  Alex puffed a breath, feeling the heaviness of TJ’s decision weigh in the air around them. Her breath steamed in the icy air and then vanished a moment later. The temperature had dropped when the sun set and low clouds had moved in, threatening more snow. “I think it’s getting colder out here.”

  “Yeah, what are we doing outside?”

  Alex gave her a look and TJ laughed. She took another sip of her beer and then tugged on the label. “Can you believe we’re still doing these parties?”

  “This is it for me,” Alex said. After the drama of the past hour, she was more certain than ever.

  “I’ll believe it when you break up with Katherine.”

  Alex cocked her head. “I’m not dating Katherine.”

  “That’s what you say.” TJ took another long drink and then smacked her lips when she set the bottle in the snow.

  “I’m not.”

  “Sure.”

  Alex didn’t feel like arguing. Not with TJ. She wouldn’t win anyway. She’d known TJ long enough not to try. They’d met when they were both working at Cisco. They’d been assigned to the same team troubleshooting a huge network problem, and the month they’d spent working together had bonded them for life. Alex hopped to a new job after the project finished but TJ stayed on. She’d only changed companies once in the past decade and hadn’t left the Bay Area. Meanwhile, Alex had lost track of the number of jobs she’d held and she’d done enough traveling to last a lifetime. Still, they were both in the same place now, wanting more from life and wanting someone to love, but stumbling on the “how to” part.

  “So why exactly did you leave with Madison still tied up? Nicola says the new girl knows you from somewhere?”

  “Is that why Nicola’s upset? Because she thinks I knew Emily and didn’t say anything? I didn’t know her before yesterday.” Alex took a deep breath. “You want the whole story or the punch line?”

  TJ gave a half shrug and Alex decided she might as well tell her everything, starting with how she’d felt like Emily was the one she’d been looking for—even though she knew how ridiculous it sounded. By the time she got to the part of the door opening and Emily standing there, jaw dropped, TJ’s expression made Alex think that she was as screwed as she’d feared. “The door should have been locked but it wasn’t.”

  “But you were done fucking Madison, right? I mean she didn’t actually see that part.”

  “No. But I think she guessed.” Alex was too cold to be drinking ice-cold beer but she took another sip anyway.

  “Knowing the way you flirt with a woman you like, I’m guessing this Emily chick was imagining the rest of her life with you after one day together.”

  “I don’t know what she was thinking, but I was imagining it,” Alex admitted. “Honestly, she’s one of those women that’s too good to be true. Sweet, smart, funny…”

  “And hot?”

  “So damn beautiful. I literally had to remind myself to breathe when I first saw her on the plane. But that’s not why I like her.”

  “Sure.”

  “Not the only reason, anyway,” Alex continued, ignoring TJ’s smug look. “I think she’s the one.”

  “Since when did you believe in that?” TJ laughed.

  “I’m serious. We had this instant connection, and when we were at that café eating pie I had this feeling like I could eat pie with her for the rest of my life.”

  “Is pie a euphemism for something I don’t know about?”

  “What I meant was, everything felt exactly right. Like it was all meant to be. Fate or whatever. But then I screwed everything up.”

  “Maybe not everything, Alex. She is here for a fantasy weekend after all. Maybe seeing you like that turned her on.”

  “She gave my boxers a good long look, b
ut I think it was mostly to avoid looking anywhere else. Honestly, I think she was more shocked than turned on.”

  “New girl had to expect threesomes. Probably all that’s going on is she was surprised to see you.”

  Alex wanted TJ to be right. In some ways, Emily being at the party was the best thing she could have hoped for. What were the chances that they would have seen each other again otherwise?

  “You know, I’d have been shocked too,” TJ continued. “You meet someone on a plane, share a ride with them but figure you’ll never see them again, and then, boom—you open a door and there they are. Pants down and a girl tied up in front of them.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  “Yes. Because it’s no big deal.”

  If TJ was right, maybe she still had a chance. But even as she risked hoping, she knew Emily’s look of shock was about more than simply seeing someone she hadn’t expected. Or walking in on a threesome.

  “If I’d known she was gonna be here, I wouldn’t have said yes to Katherine and Madison. And I would have done everything I could to not make that kind of impression.”

  “Too late. Anyway, that’s part of who you are. She either likes that or she doesn’t.”

  “In other words, there’s nothing I can do to fix this?”

  TJ shook her head.

  Alex recalled the moment she’d seen Emily in the doorway and the stream of emotions that had passed through her. Regret at not locking the door didn’t come until much later. “Katherine was the last one in,” Alex said, realizing it only then. “I thought it was me and that I’d been the one who forgot to lock the door, but I had my hands full with the ropes and she came in after.”

  “You thinking Katherine intentionally left the door unlocked?”