#CassiNova

by Lori G. Matthews

  Her libido was wide-awake, last night’s dream playing in an endless loop. Sam naked in her arms, writhing in ecstasy. Sam’s hot mouth driving her over the edge. The whole week had been chock-full of similar thoughts. Sam in her bikini, Sam out of her bikini. Sam, Sam, Sam, everywhere. If Alex slept, she dreamed about her. Awake? She fantasized.

  Lenna walked over to get a beer. “When’s Sam gonna be here?”

  “She texted that they’d be here in five.”

  “Cool. How much have you had to drink?”

  “Why?”

  “Your eyes are glassy. Maybe you should slow down.”

  * * *

  Jade led the Gemini gang into the bar. The buzz of the crowd was palpable. After a moment of calm, flashes went off, and everyone crowded around the celebrity arrivals. A groundswell of bodies carried Sam and Jade away. They endured much backslapping, handshaking, hugging, and high fiving.

  When they made it through the initial wave, Jade cupped a hand to Sam’s ear. “This is more than a hundred people.”

  Sam nodded while scanning the room. She froze. At the bar, looking sexy and beautiful, stood the object of her affection. Latching onto Jade’s arm, she pointed. “Fuck me.” Sam pulled a dollar from her back pocket.

  Jade followed Sam’s finger, and her mouth dropped open. “Let’s declare this free-fuck night. Because…holy fuck, Sam.” She pushed Sam’s dollar away.

  “Fuck me.”

  “Holy fuck.”

  Sam couldn’t tear her eyes away. “She looks like she belongs on a magazine cover.”

  Jade whimpered. “My PS10 just became a PS20.”

  “How is it possible anybody could look that fine?”

  Jade gurgled.

  Sam put a hand over her chest. “It makes my heart hurt just to look at her.”

  Finally, their eyes met. Alex grinned. But before Sam could make her way over to the bar, Lenna and Sophia appeared and pulled her into a group hug.

  “Sam!” they both said.

  Lenna dragged Sam to the shot table, and they both downed a pair to toast the birthday girl.

  * * *

  Jade was cruising the bar in search of Sam when Riley found her.

  “Uh, Colonel, we have a situation.”

  “Oh God, what?” Jade’s heart plummeted into her stomach.

  “Betty did two shots over at the shot table.”

  “What the hell? Where are Logan and E? They had first shift.”

  “They’re dancing.”

  Jade walked onto the dance floor and put an arm around Emma. “Where’s Betty?”

  “Betty was with you, so I thought we would take the next shift. You know, tag team.”

  “Betty just did two shots.”

  Emma’s eyes widened. “That can’t be good.”

  “You think?”

  “We’ll go find her.”

  * * *

  Sam zigzagged through the crowd, still trying to get to Alex. She passed the appetizer table and ate a few crackers. That should help absorb those shots. After shaking at least fifty hands, she finally stood in front of Alex.

  “Hey.” Sam extended her arms, expecting a hug.

  Alex stepped into the embrace and put her lips close to Sam’s ear. “Hi, Sarah.”

  Sam pulled back and stared into heavy-lidded emerald eyes. She smirked. “Are you drunk?”

  “No, I am not drunk.” Alex swayed before whispering into her ear, “I may be a little drunk.” She stared at Sam’s low-cut shirt.

  “Okay, eyes up here.”

  Alex’s eyes climbed higher but didn’t make it past Sam’s lips.

  “Higher.” Sam smiled when Alex made eye contact. “There you are.”

  “Here I am. That’s a nice shirt.”

  Warmth flooded Sam’s cheeks. “You look stunning.”

  “Thank you.” As they both rested their arms on the bar, Alex gestured toward the barkeep. “Monette, come meet Sam.”

  Monette shook Sam’s hand. “I’m glad you could make it. I’m a big fan.”

  “Aw, thank you.”

  Monette’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “What would you like to drink?”

  “Well, I’m supposed to be behaving myself.”

  Alex chuckled. “It’s a party. Let your proverbial hair down, girl.”

  Alex spoke a little slower when she was “a little drunk,” which Sam found incredibly sexy. “I shouldn’t. I’m under orders. I’ve already drunk too much, and Jade would kill me.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, she doesn’t want me dancing and drinking.”

  “Why?”

  “She says I get sexual on the dance floor when I drink.”

  With a shit-eating grin, Alex’s hand snaked behind the bar and grabbed another beer, which she stuck in front of Sam. “I wanna dance with Sexual Sam.”

  Laughing, Sam put a hand on Alex’s arm. “You’re gonna get me in trouble.”

  “You have nothing to worry about.”

  “Until the papers come out tomorrow morning.”

  Alex’s eyes were riveted on Sam’s lips again. She bent down close to Sam’s ear. “Samantha Cassidy, you haunt my dreams.”

  For the second time in an hour, Sam put a hand over her heart as a tingling warmth spread through her chest. It was probably the sexiest, most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her. She took a swig of beer. Screw it. Tonight she would let her hair down and enjoy herself.

  * * *

  “We thought we had her at the appetizer table, but she disappeared again. She’s slippery,” Emma told Jade.

  Riley joined them. “Betty is at the bar with PS10. I repeat, Betty is at ground zero.”

  They all watched Sam as she tipped the bottle back.

  “Well, we’re fucked,” Jade said.

  Emma tried to stay positive. “Not really. We’ll keep our eye on them. We’ll insulate them on the dance floor, right?”

  From across the room, Emma saw Alex’s head dip close to Sam, who smiled like the cat that ate the canary. Their hips pressed together, and the sexual heat rising off them was almost visible.

  “They make a good-looking couple,” Riley said.

  “They can be a good-looking couple tomorrow, but not tonight,” Jade said. “Now, listen to me, everybody—”

  “The package is on the move!” Emma yelled.

  All heads turned as Alex and Sam moved through the crowd.

  The package made it to the dance floor unimpeded just in time to dance to Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl.”

  Jade paled. “Oh shit, not that song. And we’re moving. We’re moving, people!”

  They all rushed the dance floor. Operation Just Betty…just went nuclear. Jade’s blood pressure skyrocketed as PS10 and Betty engaged in a hot and heavy Dirty Dancing routine. Alex had pulled Sam close, and they were grinding on each other’s legs. Sam’s hand was behind Alex’s neck, fingers caressing her nape. When Alex twirled Sam away, Jade made her move and jumped in front of Alex.

  Alex wheeled around, confusion on her face. Sam was now dancing with Emma, who gave Alex an apologetic look.

  Jade gently turned Alex’s face away from Sam. “Eyes here, girlfriend, eyes here.”

  Alex spun Jade so they were dancing front to back. Her hands wandered over the front side of Jade’s hips, making Jade twitch in surprise. She peeked back, and Alex grinned.

  With Alex’s hands touching her everywhere, Jade almost lost it right there on the dance floor. Was it possible to have an orgasm while dancing? She grabbed Emma. “I’m out, you’re in.”

  “What?” a confused Emma asked.

  In that split second of hesitation, Betty and PS10 found their way back together, pawing and leering at each other.

  Jade snapped her fingers at Riley and pointed to the targets. Riley moved in to snatch Sam, while Jade pushed Emma at Alex. Emma stumbled into Alex, who reached out a steadying hand.

  Surprise flashed across Alex’s face when Emma jumped into her arms and wr
apped her legs around Alex’s waist. Jade watched in horror and wondered what the hell kind of dance move that was supposed to be. Emma slowly slid down and positioned herself in front of Alex, who began running her hands along Emma’s sides, brushing along her breasts.

  Emma jerked away and came over to Jade. “I’m done, boss. To quote one of my favorite movies, Pitch Perfect, ‘that girl could turn me.’”

  Jade caught Sam edging her way over to PS10, so she pushed Zach in front of Alex, blocking Sam’s path. Things finally cooled down. Alex pouted, her petulant demeanor suggesting that she wasn’t enjoying dancing with him, which was a good thing because Jade was running out of bodies to throw at her. Girl cut through them like a sexual machete.

  Calynn appeared beside Jade. “We have a Code Red coming. I talked to the DJ.”

  “Code Red, Code Red!”

  The music slowed. Someone made a grab for Sam, but she was lightning quick. She slipped away and fell right into Alex’s arms.

  “Holy fuck, get in there!” Jade screamed.

  Emma, being the shortest one in the group, squatted and squeezed between them, popping up in the middle like a jack-in-the-box. She wrapped her arms around them both, so the three of them slow danced together.

  Jade’s shoulders sagged in relief. The trio looked like morons, but it wasn’t sexual. She had aged five years in the last couple of hours. A serious bump in pay was in order after this adventure.

  * * *

  When the song ended, the DJ announced, “Everyone, please make your way toward the back of the room so we can sing to our birthday girl.”

  The threesome separated, and Alex held Sam’s hand as they walked off the dance floor. One of Sam’s work friends cut between them, breaking their hands apart and holding them in her own. Alex thought she remembered the woman introducing herself as Riley.

  Sophia and Lenna stood next to a magnificent three-layer chocolate birthday cake ablaze with forty flickering candles as the guests sang “Happy Birthday.” Alex dragged Riley and Sam through the crowd so she could be near her sister when she blew out the candles.

  The crowd chanted, “Speech, speech, speech!”

  Lenna raised a hand to quiet them. “Wow, we have a lot of people here tonight. I feel honored.” Whoops and calls came from the throng of attendees. “I wanna thank you all for being here to celebrate this birthday with me. It feels good to be twenty-nine again.”

  They all laughed.

  Riley still stood between Alex and Sam. Every few seconds, they made eye contact behind her back, checking each other out with lascivious looks.

  “Thanks to my wife. I love you so much. It’s been twelve years, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else or with anyone else. Baby Sis, I love you too.”

  Alex winked. “Right back at you, dork.”

  “And how about our special guests tonight?” Lenna pointed to the Gemini crew.

  The crowd went wild, clapping and stomping.

  Lenna reached for Sam’s hand and pulled her close. “Samantha Cassidy, ladies and gentlemen. And all the cast and crew who made it here, thank you! Let’s eat some cake.”

  When Riley stepped forward to get a piece of cake, Alex took full advantage of the situation and slid in next to Sam. Leaning down, she breathed in the fresh vanilla scent of Sam’s hair.

  Her hungry lips hovered near Sam’s ear. “You wanna piece?”

  Sam gulped. “Of what?”

  Alex smirked. “Cake.”

  “I love cake.”

  “Me too.”

  * * *

  Jade glanced at Jessica as she sidled up next to her.

  “Colonel, we have some goo-goo eyes happening at the cake station.”

  “If it escalates, do something.”

  “I’m on it.” Jessica moseyed over to the dessert table and grabbed a plate, moving closer to Betty and PS10.

  Sam and Alex giggled and fed each other cake. When Sam got icing on her chin, Alex brushed it with a thumb and slowly licked it off while Sam stared.

  Jessica looked up and met Jade’s icy glare. She quickly stepped in front of Sam with a napkin and wiped. “Here, let me help you with that, Sam.”

  Soon the crowd moved toward the long sofas along the walls. Jade shoveled a generous forkful of cake into her mouth and relaxed a bit.

  Emma appeared next to her moments later. “Welp, there’s a photo op.”

  Jade whipped around and caught Sam and Alex canoodling on one of the couches. “Jesus Christ.”

  Her plate landed in the trash can, and she walked over and sat on their laps. Wiggling down, she managed to wedge herself between them.

  Calynn came over and squeezed in between Jade and Alex. Emma joined the party, Riley followed, and soon Alex was five people removed from Sam.

  * * *

  Frustrated by the whole scene, Alex stood and wandered over to the bar to help Monette clean up. “Hey. This was great. Thank you for letting us use the place.”

  “My pleasure. It was a blast.”

  Alex blew out a deep breath.

  “Everything all right?”

  “Yeah. It’s fine.” Alex moved behind the bar to help put away the clean glasses.

  “Is that Miss Off-Limits?” Monette gestured toward Sam.

  Adoring fans competed for Sam’s attention. Lenna sat next to her, grinning like a kid on Christmas morning who’d found a Red Rider BB gun under the tree.

  “How’d you guess?”

  “I have incredible powers of deduction. And the two of you have barely taken your eyes off each other the whole night.” She wore a lopsided grin. “She’s gorgeous.”

  “Yep. She’s also a pretty special person.”

  “So. Sam Cassidy is gay?”

  “Yeah, but no one is supposed to know.”

  “Her secret’s safe with me.”

  “She leaves tomorrow for a movie shoot.” Sam hadn’t even left yet, and Alex was already lonely. What was happening? Why was there an ache in her chest at the thought of no Sam for God knew how long?

  “Oh, now I get why you’re moping.”

  “I’m not moping. Am I moping?”

  Monette chuckled. “You’ll survive. What do they say? Absence makes the heart grow fonder?”

  Alex started. Heart? This was supposed to be about sex. When had heart come into play?

  * * *

  As the crowd thinned, Sam’s buzz left the building. Sophia stood at the bar, and Sam joined her.

  “Hey, Monette, could I trouble you for some water?” Sam asked.

  “Absolutely.” Monette placed a glass on the bar and poured.

  “Thank you.” Sam turned to Sophia. “This was a great party. Thanks for inviting us.”

  “Oh, no, thank you for coming and bringing some of the other cast members. It was so cool. Lenna loved it. You made this birthday memorable for her.”

  “I’m glad.”

  Across the room, Alex was holding court, surrounded by a bevy of women.

  Sam sighed. “She certainly attracts a crowd.”

  “She does, but it’s not who she is.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I know Alex appears to be a player, but she’s not.”

  Alex began arguing with one of the women.

  “She’s been with a lot of women,” Sam said.

  “Well, yeah, the last few years. But it was her way of dealing with things.”

  “Dealing with a broken heart?”

  Alex turned her back on the woman and rushed out the back door of the bar.

  “Something like that.”

  “Is she here?” Sam asked.

  “Who?”

  “The woman who broke her heart. Does she see her anymore?”

  “Madison?”

  “Is that her name?”

  “Was. Madison died four years ago.”

  Sam’s heart constricted. “Oh shit, is that what happened?”

  “You didn’t know?”

  “No, she didn’t tell me.�
� Sam groaned and covered her face with both hands, feeling horrible for teasing Alex about a broken heart. “Why didn’t she say anything?”

  Sophia patted her arm. “Don’t worry. Alex just doesn’t talk about it.”

  “I feel awful. I need to talk to her. Will you excuse me?”

  “Sure.”

  “Hey, Sam!” Sophia called as she walked away.

  Sam turned.

  Sophia smiled. “She really likes you.”

  “Thank you. I really like her too.”

  * * *

  Alex found a quiet place on the deck and slid to the ground with her back against the wall. She needed to cool her jets after the argument with Cynthia, who had given Alex an earful for never calling.

  Then there was Sam. Those were different types of jets that needed cooling. All the dancing, touching, holding. Alex quaked with sexual frustration. And something more. Something she was afraid to name. She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath. Sam would be gone for a while. Maybe it would be a welcome break.

  As if on cue, Sam wandered outside and slid down next to her. “Hey. What are you doing out here by yourself?”

  Alex turned, her mouth curving into a soft smile. “Relaxing. Had to get away from all the noise.”

  “It was a great party. Your sister’s a piece of work. I do believe she’s quite smitten with me.” Sam playfully nudged Alex’s shoulder.

  “I do believe you’re right.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Shoot.”

  “It’s personal. If you don’t wanna answer, you don’t have to.”

  “Okay.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about Madison? You let me tease you about getting your heart broken.”

  Alex frowned. “How did you—?”

  “Sophia.”

  Alex raised her eyebrows. “Ah. Well, I didn’t want to make you feel bad. The conversation at the time was light.”

  “Make me feel bad? My God, you’re the one who lost someone, not me.”

  “It’s also not something I talk about.”