by Jamie Knight
We came together, Sally shaking hard against me as I held her, filling her sweet little pussy with my cum. We stayed that way for several minutes, Sally eventually coming around and climbing up off of me.
I left Sally to get dressed, calling my driver as I went. I was really happy I hadn’t screwed things up with all the meet my family talk. Sally was still into fucking me, which was awesome, though I knew logically I shouldn’t let my heart get involved.
I couldn't get her out of my head and really wanted to have a relationship with her. There was no way that could end well, not least because of the shit in my past, a lot of which I was keeping from Sally, exactly because we weren't in a relationship.
These demons kept rattling in my head as I went home and long after I had gone to bed. It was well after midnight before I could go to sleep.
I didn't have a housekeeper or cook anymore, having told myself that learning some domestic skills would push me out of my depression, and had to learn how to both jobs myself. It was a pretty sharp learning curve but if there was one thing I knew how to do, it was improvise.
The bacon was sizzling in the pan when my phone went off with a notification from On the Go. I had been doing my best to avoid the app since all the unpleasantness. The very fact of its existence reminded me of what had happened. Moved by the spirits, or possibly insanity, I decided to make an exception and check what had come in.
The subject of the notification was a video. It showed Jessa at Sally's apartment, which shocked the hell out of me.
The video didn't have very good audio, other than Sally saying 'hi,' but the context was clear. Sally had hugged the she-devil and invited her into her house, something that was made even more clear by the title of the video.
The Ex Flame and Current Flame of Tech Billionaire Mike Grower Meet Up – Is Jessa Teaching Sally How to Collude Against Him, Too?
I wasn't as upset as I might have been. There was a time I would have messaged both Jessa and Sally, calling them filthy and unforgiveable names before thoroughly destroying my phone in a fit of violent rage. But I had grown up quite a bit recently, or maybe my spiraling depression had made me not care as much.
I wasn't happy that Sally was probably a plant, embedded by Jessa – that was just the sort of thing that Jessa would do. It was likely that Sally had been reporting back to Jessa, in some crazy plot to get me back. Which was why Sally had asked about Jessa at lunch.
I didn't know why she then had sex with me when I showed up out of the blue. We definitely had a good sexual connection, but the fact was that I never should have trusted her.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. I looked at my phone and dialed a number in my contacts.
“Hello?” Reece said.
“Hey,” I said.
“Mike, what's up?”
“Look,” I said, messaging him the video.
“Oh,” he said, a few seconds later, presumably watching the video.
“I'm not sure what to do right now,” I said.
“You made a good start by calling me,” Reece said.
“Glad to hear it,” I said.
“You seem calm and that's a good start. What I suggest you do is focus on something you love. It can take your mind off the negative until time has the chance to do its work.”
“Good idea, thanks,” I said.
I hung up and then turned it off before going over to lock the door and close the automatic blinds. They were the heavy ones that blocked out all light.
Completely cut off from the outside world, I did what I hadn't done in over a year. At my work station, Cradle of Filth blasting in my wireless headphones, I started writing a new program from scratch.
I didn't know how long I had been there before the knocking started. I tended to go into a sort of pocket dimension when I was working, which why it made it such a good distraction.
I had assumed it was Sally at the door, which was the entire reason I didn't just ignore the knocking and keep going. I stormed over to the door, preparing things to shout at her. All of which disappeared from my mind when I opened the door to find Jessa standing there.
“I'm so glad we're back together!” Jessa said, literally throwing herself at me and kissing me forcefully.
I pushed her away hard. A bit too hard, it turned out, going by the way she fell to the floor.
“We are not back together. If you think I'm taking you back just because Sally was exposed as your plant, you have another thing coming. I never want to see you again.”
“That's fine,” she said, getting back to her feet. “I'm just glad I've ruined you for anyone else. If I can’t have you, then no one can.”
“You don’t know that,” I told her, telling myself she couldn’t see into the future.
“Oh, please,” she said, shaking her head at me and curling her lip in that way she did when she was mad. “It’s pretty clear you’re still so hung up on me you can’t commit to anyone else, and you never will.”
Liar, I thought.
But I just said, “Get out of here before I call the cops.”
It was a relief when she fucked off. I felt stupid for falling for Sally. She seemed so perfect. I guess that should have been a red flag.
I seemed to keep getting with women who repeated the mistakes of my past. I didn’t want Jessa to be right – I could commit to someone. I just hadn’t found the right one yet.
I had only thought I had, in Sally, but I had clearly been wrong.
I went back to work on the new app programming. I wanted to think about anything except Sally or Jessa.
Chapter Eleven - Sally
I had heard about dedicated baby stores but had yet to experience the full, surreal splendor of one. The fact that I was there with Gia made me feel better. Just being with someone I knew I loved and could trust made me feel better about what was happening with Mike.
I wasn't sure what was going on with him and the uncertainty was really getting me down. Gia had her baby, Amber, with her in an adorable bunny-themed onesie Amanda had given her at the baby shower. Maya had gone for a literal silver spoon, apparently unaware of the symbolism.
From what I could tell, there were some amused looks among the attendees, but no one actually said anything. At least partly because Maya was Reece's cousin. Catharine had been more practical, going for a beautifully restored late nineteenth century mobile to hang over the crib.
We searched the aisles, the neon lighting and soft ambient nursery rhymes creating a sort of meditative state. Apparently, it worked, because Amber was fast asleep as we shopped, finding the best and cutest of ethically sourced baby products.
Gia was a bit intense about things and most people got pulled into her orbit when they were around her. I'd known people who had gone vegetarian, if not vegan, after fifteen minutes with her.
“This is cute,” Gia said, taking a ladybug onesie from the rack.
“It's all cute; its supposed to be cute,” I pointed out, sounding a bit shorter than I had meant to.
“Fair point,” Gia conceded, ignoring my outburst.
“Sorry, I'm just a bit on edge,” I said.
“It's okay,” Gia said, always understanding.
“Didn't you get baby clothes at the shower?” I asked, looking for a change of subject.
“Yeah, but not enough. I guess I should have told people whether Amber was a boy or a girl before the shower. There aren’t enough clothes in green, orange, yellow or other gender-neutral colors. All of these seem to be pink or blue!”
“Lesson learned,” I joked.
“Definitely; I'll know for next time,” Gia said.
“Are you planning on anymore?” I asked.
“Baby showers?”
“Babies,” I said.
“Not right now; we hadn't even planned to have Amber.”
“I remember,” I said.
“Right, though I'm not sure who knows what the future will hold.”
“Som
etimes you do,” I said, “or at least have a good guess.”
“Everything will be alright in the end and if it's not alright, it is not yet the end.”
“I hope you're right.”
I heard my phone ring from the depths of my pocket.
“Oh!”
“Go ahead,” Gia said absently, continuing to shift through the rack of onesies. “Answer it.”
The message was a notification from On the Go. I had signed up when it first launched because I knew a few people on it, and I knew that some people tagged me when they were out and about, but I hadn't really used it a lot since. I'd recently been thinking about deleting it after I got more info about what had happened with Mike and Jessa.
I didn't know much but had put somethings together from the bits of information I was able to get. I tapped the notification and I could have cried.
The headline read:
Mike and Jessa – Together Again.
There was a video under it. Everything in me was screaming at me not to watch it but I just had to know.
I tapped play and held my breath.
The audio wasn't great, but the images were clear enough. Mike and Jessa hugging closely, Jessa saying how great it is to be back together again.
The phone clattered to the floor.
“What's wrong?” Gia asked, picking up my phone and giving it back to me.
“Just call me butterfingers,” I said.
“Hey guys!”
We looked up to see Reece approaching.
“He looks really good,” Gia said.
“Oh, stop bragging,” I joked.
“I can’t help it! Look at his lengthening hair masterfully tamed, his suit clearly tailored just for him. And I have never seen a guy look so sexy in glasses.”
“You clearly love your husband,” I told her.
And that was sweet. I was a little jealous.
Amber started moving in the baby carrier that Gia was wearing and reaching out to Reece as soon as she saw him.
“Hey, little one,” he said, taking Amber from the baby carrier, holding her close and kissing Gia on the lips.
“Where are you two off to?” I asked, looking for a diversion.
“Daddy-baby music class,” Reece said, Gia taking off the baby carrier and handing it to him.
“See you at home,” Gia said.
“We'll be waiting with the utmost anticipation,” Reece said, kissing her again.
“He really is the world's greatest dad,” Gia said, watching Reece walk toward the big sliding doors with Amber.
“Seems like it,” I said, with another slight pang of envy.
They really did seem really happy together and I was happy for them. I just really hoped she was right when she said I would find a relationship like theirs. I still wasn't sure it would be with Mike, though. I had thought I was getting to love him but couldn't ever be sure that he felt the same about me.
I didn't want to ruin the time I had with Gia. I hadn’t seen her much since Amber was born and was determined to make the most of it. Besides which, it didn't make sense to be pining for Mike when he was still hung up on Jessa.
Even if I had been starting to really love him, I also knew from experience how to recognize when I was beaten. It sucked that Jessa won, particularly since she was such a bitch, but clearly Mike was no prize, if he wanted to be with someone like her, and they therefore deserved each other.
“It will be okay,” Gia said out of nowhere, “it can be scary when you think you've found the one, but it will be okay.”
I wasn't sure how much she knew. Gia had shown herself to be pretty intuitive when she needed to be. Not usually with guys but with other women, particularly those she knew well, which was basically me for a good number of years. As a result, she could essentially read me like an open book.
Despite the fact she likely already knew there was something going on, I decided not to tell her anything about what had happened with Mike. I just wanted to enjoy shopping with my oldest friend. It was the best way I could think of to distract myself from the crushing pain I was feeling inside.
Chapter Twelve - Sally
The apartment looked great. The Halloween party hadn't been planned by Gia, who was still on maternity leave, but the other company Maya used had done a good enough job. Gia was there, of course, Gia and Maya technically being related somehow by marriage now, although I wasn't sure if cousin-in-law was actually a thing.
Gia was dressed in a great sexy witch costume that she still pulled off really well despite having just had a baby. Reece was there too, in a costume he said was Patrick Bateman, which seemed somewhat fitting given his economic status and kind personality.
I wasn't sure if I was supposed to wear a costume or not since I was technically there for work. In the end I decided to dress up as a sexy chef, which seemed like a good compromise.
Maya had given me a key to make it easier to get the cake, which was sizable, into the building. The cake was a life-sized human head from the top of the shoulders up. It had a large knife cutting into its skull, just as Maya had requested.
It wasn't quite as challenging as the graveyard cake, but it was definitely a close second. I had taken several pictures of different stages of my making it, to show Gia later. Putting the cake on the counter in the kitchen, I went to tell Maya that it was there.
“Hey, Maya,” I said, finding her by the punch bowl.
“Oh, hey Sally,” she said, hugging me.
“The cake is in the kitchen,” I said.
“Cool! Thanks,” she replied, heading off to go and look at it.
When she was gone, I poured a cup of the punch, which had definitely been spiked, I suspected with vodka, determined to at least try and enjoy myself, which I actually did. That was helped by the fact that Mike wasn't there with Jessa as his date. I had realized that it probably wasn't meant to be, even though I was fairly sure I had been falling in love with him.
The treats were Halloween themed, of course. No actual food, as in things with actual nutrients, but nothing that would kill you, either. I tried to reign myself back when it came to eating the wonderful sweetness, but I just couldn't help myself.
I had always been something of a stress eater. It started when I was a kid, always keeping a pocket full of gummy bears. It played merry hell with my allowance, but I needed them or thought I did.
It only got worse when I got into college. As bad for me as they were, I figured it was still better than smoking, which I no doubt would have been doing, or worse, if I hadn't already started with the sweet, squishy little treats. The worst I had to deal with was a few cavities and gaining some weight.
Still a far cry from lung cancer. At least that was what I told my mother at the time whenever she brought it up. She couldn't really argue with that.
“Hey,” Gia said, popping up out of nowhere.
“Hey,” I said, my mouth full of eyeball designed gumballs.
“How are things going?” Gia asked.
I figured she was talking about with Mike. I wondered if she really didn't know about what was going on there of if she did and was letting me tell her in my own time. I wasn't quite sure what to say. To say that it was complicated was actually an understatement.
I really had no idea what was going on, except that it was over. I was ghosting him but didn't want to admit it, not least because of several tirades I had gone on about how it was a jerk move and how I would never do it. You can't be called a hypocrite if no one knows about it.
I was rescued from embarrassment, for the moment anyway, by the arrival of Maya and the cake I had built for the party. She had stuck the knife even further into the 'head' portion so that the 'blood,' actually a liquid raspberry center, was running out over the 'face.'
When she arrived, all eyes went onto Maya and the cake. There were actually a couple of audible gasps from the assembled guests.
Maya put the cake on the table, slowly pulling the
knife out, with wonderfully gross results. Not done yet, Maya then took the knife and cut off the head at the top of the neck and then in half, to the disgusted delight of the partygoers.
I caught myself hoping that someone was filming this display, at least on their phone. I had the somewhat crazy idea of using such footage as a promotion for the bakery. That specific case of the head cake might be a bit limited but was a good example of what could be done with layers of cake and icing.
It could also include the photos of the cemetery cake. I suddenly wished I had thought to take a photo of the butterfly cake at the time.
Reducing the cake to individual slices, Maya handed them out among the guests, along with small hard plastic forks. I held my breath, awaiting the final verdict on my work. Looking cool was one thing and was good enough for a sculpture but the catch to my chosen creative medium was that it also had to taste good.
“Disgusting and delicious,” Amanda said, her mouth full of cake.
“Agreed,” Catharine said.
“What do you think?” I asked Gia.
“Awesome,” Gia said.
“Hey, can you do a cake for my Friendsgiving get-together?” Catharine asked. “You know, the day before Thanksgiving? When some people have it with their friends before they have it with their family?”
“Sure, what were you thinking in terms of design?” I asked.
“A turkey,” she said.
“To go along with the meat turkey?” I asked.
“No, instead of,” Catharine said, “most of my friends are vegan.”
“Ah,” I said, actually seeing the logic of her thought process.
If I had been offered a turkey shaped cake for thanksgiving dinner, I would have jumped at it. Particularly before the age of twelve, when my sweet tooth was raging, and I didn’t even like regular turkey.
“That's a really good idea,” Gia said, saying what I was thinking.
“Thanks,” Catharine said.
“Be sure to get lots of pictures,” Gia whispered to me, winking.
