by Elias Taylor
My baby sister wasn’t someone I wanted to bring up. Ever. The boyfriend stealer. If I brought my love interests around the house, she hunted them down, and the next thing I knew, they were dating her. It was both weird and creepy, so I kept my mouth shut.
“Me too. She’s crazy and needs to get a life. She can’t have mine.”
“Fucking-A. Don’t bring her around me. Ever.” Phoebe’s stern tone told the story. She hated my sister. I let my sister get away with too much in life, and Phoebe went to bat for me every time. We had a nickname for her, between us—the black widow. I’d come to terms with the fact if a dude wanted to get together with my sister after me, then they weren’t guys I wanted to be dealing with, anyway.
“So, anywho. I don’t know what brought me onto that topic, but are you seeing anybody?” She cajoled.
“Me neither.” My eye began to twitch. It might have been from the lies I’d been telling. If I was Pinnochio, I would be a mess right now. “Nope. No one. I want to get the bookstore rocking first.”
“I barely see you anymore, and It makes me sad. But I get it.” She came from behind the bar and spun me around.
“What the hell was that for?”
“I thought of something. Or rather someone.”
My stomach tightened. No way in hell was I going to date someone else. I was with Carter. “I don’t need a set-up, Feebs.”
A pout came over her lips. “You sure? I would never set you up with a bum. You haven’t been with anyone since Carter. You gotta get back out there.” I felt her getting frustrated with me.
“I mean, all in due time,” I replied.
Phoebe looked closely at me. “What aren’t you telling me? You love men. Just check out the picture first.”
She seemed so excited for me to see this new prospect, so I caved. “Okay. Let me see his picture.”
She scooted behind the counter and grabbed her phone. “He is so cute, and he’s a real gentleman. He’s a lawyer and Gareth’s bestie. Clay.”
She looked so pleased with herself. She pulled up a picture on the phone and handed it to me. He was a nice-looking guy, actually, but he was the total opposite of Carter. I found myself comparing them. Clay had this cheesy smile and a head full of dark blonde hair. He was tall, but he definitely didn’t look like my type. I pressed the phone back into her hand as I walked behind the counter to grab some signs.
“So not my type. You know that.”
Phoebe glared at me. “Exactly. At least try to switch it up. A stable male in your life might be good for you.”
“Phoebe—”
“Plus, I kinda already set up a blind date.” She cringed and looked at me. “Don’t be mad. Gareth agreed. It could be fun.”
I was fuming. “You have no right to do that! My love life is mine.”
Mild shock hit her face. “I mean, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. You don’t even have to call it a date if you don’t want to.”
She wasn’t backing off this thing, despite me yelling at her. “One time, Phoebe. One. That’s all.”
She hugged me. “Yay! It’s a date.”
“I thought you said it wasn’t a date?”
“Yeah. I mean four people catching up.” She winked.
“Right. I’m going to run. I’m due over at the bookstore.”
“Okay, babe. The date is at seven at Rusty Mikes. I’ll pick you up. Wear something sexy.”
“Cool.”
I quickly grabbed my bags and walked out. Shit. This secret dating situation was about to get even more clandestine. It was just one date, right? No harm. It’s not like I was going home with the guy. I thought about it as I drove over to the bookstore. There was no need to blow the cover on the sweetness of our little romance yet. I wanted Carter to myself. I wanted for us to get to know one another on our own terms.
I wanted him to know, though. I didn’t want to risk what happened between us last time. I sent him a text.
Hey babe. Phoebe asked me to go on this stupid double date with her. I don’t want to go at all. It’s just to keep her off our back. I just want to let you know. Kisses, your vixen. Miss you.
There. Now he knows, and any guilt I feel doesn’t need to be there. I mean, Carter was coming over later, anyway, but out of courtesy, I wanted to let him know. I would want to know if the shoe was on the other foot.
The bookstore was so far running pretty well. There were a lot of ladies there, of course. Women came in and told me about their men. One lady came in that stood out. She was wealthy-looking, a high society type. She might have been a kept woman. She wore pearls around her neck, a scarf, and black sunglasses as if in disguise. She had blonde, perfectly coiffed hair and designer clothes on her slender physique. It made me smirk. I would have pegged her for being in her late fifties.
I was hovering around our naughty short reads section, putting all the books into alphabetical order, when a soft voice called to me.
“Hi. My name is Sandra, and I’m looking for something a little saucy to read,” she whispered.
I whispered back to keep the mystique. “Okay. How saucy do you want it?”
She took her glasses off her face in a dramatic fashion. “Extra saucy, honey. Lay it on me.” She dampened her lips. Her blue eyes twinkled. “Give me a character who is young and dangerous.”
“That’s how you like ’em? Your characters, I mean.” I corrected myself. Just in case. She had money to spend. I could smell it.
“Oh, no. Don’t correct yourself, honey. That’s how I like them in real life and in books.” She tapped my forearm. She definitely was someone I would like to sit down and have a cup of coffee with.
I gasped with fascination. “Really?”
She lapped up the attention. “Oh, yes, darling. I’m a widow now of five years, and young men make me come alive. Best sex of my life.” She shrugged her shoulders in a grandiose way. “I had a good marriage, you know. All the things I ever wanted. I just didn’t have that spice. Now, I have it!”
“I’m happy for you. It sounds like you’ve got everything you need. I’ll let you browse in this section here. I think you’ll find all you need.” I stepped back and left her to it. I didn’t like to hound customers, rather let them breathe. Her story was one of the reasons I started the bookstore. Sandra browsed in the section for a good fifteen minutes. She came to the counter with a handful of books, ten in total.
“I’m going to take these. I will bring my girlfriends back here. I assure you, they will clean you out. Their sex lives are boring,” she said behind her hand. I giggled right along with her. She made my day.
It turns out, I was pretty good at this. I was the erotic book whisperer. I could always size up what a customer needed, leading them either to a book or a toy to spice things up. I had a few party nights, as well, that helped me break even for the month. I still had to recoup my set up costs, but slow and steady would win the race. Not to mention, I could write a book from some of the stories that women told me when they came in. The Vixen Room was going from strength to strength, and in addition, I had my bad boy, Carter. All in all, the wheels of love were turning in my direction.
The day ran smoothly at the bookstore, and I was grateful for the easier, peaceful pace. Sometimes, The Red Gorilla was a little too hectic. While I closed up the doors to the bookstore, I wondered if Carter got my message. Having said that we had a standing arrangement, I texted him again just in case.
Did you get my text, babe? I have to do this pretend date thing tonight. I can’t wait to see you.
Phoebe really was being a pain in the ass about this. I wanted to dress up like a nun, so this guy would be turned off. I wanted to exude I’m-not-available vibes.
I settled for somewhere in between. I wore a sheer black top and a lace camisole underneath it. I went with blue jeans and black patent leather pumps. I loved my pumps. I didn’t ever leave the house without them. Plus, they made my ass look great and elongated my legs. Carter loved it when I wore my
heels in other settings, too. I smiled at all the wonderful moments we were building. We were having so much fun, and he really was the guy for me. He was such a softie. I wrapped my hair up and kept the makeup minimal. This guy wasn’t getting the full-face makeup. I spritzed myself and waited for Phoebe.
“Knock knock,” Phoebe called out.
“Who’s there?”
“It’s your girl!”
I opened the door with my hand on my hip while she gave me the once over, nodding in approval. “More demure and classy. I like it. Come on, let’s go have ourselves some fun.”
“Okay. But I have a curfew, so I can’t be out that late.”
“No problem, Cinderella. I will be sure to have you back home before you turn into a pumpkin, I promise.”
We made our way over to the Rusty Mikes, a cool local bar with bands and good drinks. I used to go there all the time, but with my business ventures, I hadn’t been able to mix and mingle like I used to. Besides, I was enjoying my one-on-one time with Carter too much. We found the middle seat in the bar. It was me, Phoebe, and Gareth. Clay was due to meet us any minute. A local band was warming up on stage, and the lights were dimmed low. A lot of people were out, so the act on stage must have been good. I hadn’t seen Rusty Mikes like this for a long time.
Gareth smiled at me. “You look good, Autumn. Clay’s just parking. He is a nice guy.”
I fake smiled at him. “Must be. He’s your bestie.”
“Exactly!”
A tall, lanky guy walked in, taking big strides, coming toward us. He saw me, and his eyes displayed an aura of lust. Damn. I wished I’d worn a turtleneck.
“Wow. You must be Autumn. You sure remind me of autumn.”
He just got there, and he already had points deducted for being a cheeseball. He took my hand and kissed it. I discreetly pulled it away. Right off the bat, I got slimy vibes off the guy. What a line. Or maybe I was judging because I didn’t want to like him.
“Hey, Gareth, what’s up, man?”
“Oh, you know, just keeping these ladies in line.” He tensed up in anticipation of Phoebe, giving him a slap. A playful one followed not too far behind.
“No chance of keeping us in line. More like the other way around,” Phoebe responded with playfulness.
The band was bluesy, and I heard the steel guitar. No wonder everybody was out. Blues was one of my favorites to listen to. Clay leaned in and gave Phoebe a kiss on the cheek.
“I have no doubt, Phoebe. That’s what I’ve heard,” Clay replied.
“Hey, Clay. Man, you’re supposed to be on my side!” Clay put his hands up in mock protest.
The guy was so tall, probably six-foot-three, and I felt like I was looking up at a tree. He turned his gaze to me. “Would you like a drink, beautiful?”
“I’ll have a glass of white wine. Thanks.”
“Okay. We’ve got ourselves a wine drinker. I like it. I’m a whiskey guy, myself.”
I watched Clay and felt nothing. He was a nice guy and all, but he wasn’t doing it for me like Carter did. He was really laying it on thick, though. I gave Phoebe a look that let her know she’d made a mistake. She took me by the arm as the guys went off to the bar, and we sat at the booth.
“Give him a chance. He’s not normally like this. He’s pretty chill.”
I wanted to leave and wait for Carter at home. Not a chance this Clay guy could steal my heart away. It belonged to another man—it belonged to Carter. He stole it on the first date, or maybe the first time I laid eyes on him. Definitely with the first kiss.
“You owe me after this. Free bowling for a month and endless cheesy fries.”
She grabbed my pinky finger. “You got a deal, but only if it doesn’t get better. Just ride it out for me. He really wanted to meet you.”
“Uh-huh.”
I sighed, restless at the table. I looked around, and the room was packed. I couldn’t even see the entrance, and could barely see in my own area. Speaking of cheesy fries, though, that was what the guys came back with, along with a round of drinks. I snatched my wine quickly and gulped down a few sips to help me through the fake date.
“So, Autumn, do you like blues music?” Clay asked.
“Yeah, I do.” I gave him a snipped answer, and Phoebe kicked my shin under the table. I widened my eyes at her. Clay waited for me to keep talking. It was going to be a long couple of hours. “And I like indie rock and some heavy metal. Rap. How about you?”
“I like Indie, too. We have something in common. I’m not much of a metal fan, though. But it’s cool that you like it. I heard that you own a motorcycle. That’s pretty badass.” He sipped his beer and ogled my chest. He must have been looking at the lace bra. This guy. I saw straight through him and knew exactly what he wanted and expected.
“I sure do. It’s one of my favorite pastimes.”
“That’s great. Didn’t you just get your bike fixed up, Gareth? Whoever did that killed it. It came out great.”
The mention of Carter’s handiwork made me want to leave. None of them had any idea. Gareth coughed and changed the subject, and a secret smile came over my face.
“Clay, what’s happening, man? You just bought that house, right?” Gareth looked straight at me. I had my own house. I don’t know why he thought that would do it for me. Carter had a house, as well. So what? The band kicked off, and the drums vibrated through the floor. The bar went into a frenzy. I knew this was a situation where I would need to feign a headache, and gladly so.
“I bought it. It’s a super cool condo, a bachelor pad.” He directed his energy toward me. “You’ll have to come around and check it out, Autumn. It’s right by the ocean. Pretty view.”
“I don’t know. I’m pretty busy right now. I can’t see that happening too soon.” I hoped that would slow this guy’s ego down. I let the music drown him out as he and Gareth bullshited some more. Time basically stood still, and I’d had a couple of drinks and wanted to go.
“Hey, Feebs. Are we leaving soon? I got an early morning at the bookstore.” So many lies, but they were necessary. I wanted to get home and slip into something more comfortable before Carter arrived.
“Umm, for sure. I gotta be up, too.” Phoebe sensed my discomfort, and she witnessed the fact I and the tall timber weren’t a match.
“Aw, you guys are going? I might stay a little while longer. I want to hear the band. They’re pretty good. Plus, I don’t have to go in ‘till late.” Clay looked past our table to another table of girls. All of them with blonde hair. Predictable. Still, he asked, “Autumn, you sure you don’t want to stay, and I can drop you home?”
“No,” I said a little too sharply. “It’s been nice meeting you.”
He rose and kissed me on the cheek. I rubbed it off discreetly. I got in the car, and we drove mostly in silence.
Gareth was the one to break it. “I don’t know what that was about. Clay’s normally pretty chill.”
“Cut the crap, Gareth. Your boy is on the prowl. Did you tell him I owned an adult bookstore by any chance?”
“Well, yeah, but...” He looked at me in the rearview mirror.
“I rest my case.”
Gareth and Phoebe looked at one another in the front seat.
“It’s my fault, Autumn. I’m sorry,” Phoebe spoke up.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s all good.” I just wanted to get inside and away from the whole situation.
The great thing was that Carter was due to come around in a few hours.
Chapter Eleven: Crossed Wires
I couldn’t complain about life right now. Business was good, and my lady, Autumn, was great. Now, here I was with my bro Magner listening to one of my favorite local bands play. Life was sweet. Rusty Mikes was jam-packed. Drinks were flowing, and people were circulating everywhere, swaying to the music. The bar smelled of beer, nachos, and good times. This was the right place for me to be. I spent many nights at Rusty Mikes getting wasted. I’d tamed myself over the years, though, and qu
ietened down a little bit.
Autumn had an influence in keeping me tame. She’d changed me in a lot of ways. I was due to meet my racy queen later tonight. I had to get past Magner first without raising the alarm. So far, we’d done pretty well with keeping our relationship under wraps. I wanted to share the early days with her alone, to release the pressure on us both and give whatever we were working toward a fighting chance. Magner tapped me on the shoulder.
“Yo, man, you look like you’re out of it. What’s up with you lately?”
“Nothing, man, just thinking some things over.” I forced my gaze away from Magner to check out the crowd. I was contemplating when I would be able to tell Magner about Autumn and me.
“Anything you want to tell me about? I’m your homeboy. You can tell me.” Magner gave me one of those all-knowing looks. It was hard to keep a secret in this neck of the woods.
I shrugged him off. “Seriously, dude. You’re fishing. Get us a beer, would you?”
Magner gave my shoulder a squeeze and headed to the bar, giving me some breathing room. I had to fix my phone. The damn cell phone charger wasn’t working. Not like I didn’t have the money to upgrade. It was funny how I pined for Autumn now. I just wanted to check in on her, or maybe send her a naughty message. My head told me not to worry about it because I would see her soon. I looked to the stage and heard the horns warming up. I loved live music. There was nothing better than listening in real-time.
Magner came back with beers. “One for you. One for me.”
“Good man. So, Magner, how are you doing? Are you seeing anybody right now?”
“Nobody special. Same as you, playing the field.”
Part of me felt guilty about lying to Magner. In fact, I really didn’t have any reason to keep it from him. Other than that, he might heckle me for a while. “Okay. Nice.”
The band, The Ruby Tuesdays, came out and started doing their thing. They had drums, sax, guitar, and a lead with back up singers. The band started with a funky jazz number that got the crowd jumping, and I couldn’t help but bop my head to it. I’m glad I came out for it.
