by Jessica Marx
But like you may have guessed by now, I’m always up for a challenge.
After a few comebacks and brush offs, I can tell I’m not going to get anywhere. Her body is an open book. The way her cheeks flush red when I look at her. The way her legs part ever so slightly. She’s definitely into me, and I’m dying for a taste, but tonight’s not my night. Cock-block McGee is dead-set on pulling her out of my reach.
I make sure to look her in her eyes when I say goodnight and I feel the heat pass between us when our hands touch. The way she trembles tells me I could make her cum effortlessly, and I would love to do it to her over and over. I wanna see her go crazy. My mouth gets dry just imagining the little glint of madness in her eyes when I push her past the brink of coherent thought. But that’s all a fantasy, ‘cause she’s letting her friend shoo me away now.
Her loss.
I walk away, knowing I’ll go home with someone else tonight, which is enough to satisfy me for the time being. Still, part of me knows that it would be different with her—that if I could find a way to get her into my bed, I might finally be satisfied.
That’s the part of me that still throbs long after I’ve got my dick wet and found my release—the part of me that demands more, more, more. The part of me that demands I find her again.
Next time, I won’t give up so easy.
3
ASHLEY
It takes me a little while to wake Michael up and arouse him, but never let it be said that I don’t know how to rise to a challenge. I’m already hot and wet and dying for my boyfriend’s touch, but when I close my eyes and start to kiss him, all I can picture is Jayson’s face.
I reach down and feel Michael’s hard cock throbbing. He’s ready for me. I know it. So why the hell am I still thinking about the guy from the bar, who means nothing at all to me?
I slide off my panties and climb on top of Michael as he languidly caresses me in his half-asleep state. When I straddle his hips and ease down onto his manhood, he moans and tilts his head back like he’s in heaven.
That’s what I should want. A guy who appreciates me. Who treats me like a goddess and worships at my feet.
But when I close my eyes again, I still can’t help but picture Jayson. Why can’t I get him out of my mind? He’s just like every other player that thought they could take me home.
And yet there’s just something about him I can’t shake. Not that any of that matters—we’re just two ships that passed in the night. I’ll never see him again.
And I have a boyfriend. Who I’m riding. So why can’t I focus on him?
It’s not like there’s a shortage of things for me to focus on. Like the familiar sensation of his cock inside me, or the way he moans softly and sleepily as we reach climax together. It doesn’t take long. I was ready when I left the bar and I know how to work him. I have my hands on his shoulders and again found myself wishing they were the tanned, broad shoulders I had seen earlier, wondering again where that arm tattoo would lead me.
My body shudders and Michael spasms, smiling and kissing me before turning over and drifting back to sleep. I get up and go to the bathroom to wash off my makeup and get ready for bed.
I use Michael’s toothbrush to brush my teeth. I don’t have anything of my own here, so I have to make due. I throw on one of his t-shirts and climb into bed and toss and turn trying to fall asleep—I keep picturing Jayson in my mind. Then I remember the way he’d looked at that blonde I left him with and I’m disgusted, but oddly, I’m also jealous.
At some point, I finally doze off next to Michael who I’m not even sure realizes I’m actually here.
I’m exhausted as I walk mindlessly around Michael’s small kitchen, brewing a pot of coffee. I hear Michael brushing his teeth and smile as I think about him. We may have only been together for a few months, but I’m enjoying the routine.
I always thought being with a “normal” guy would get boring after a while, but even with our mundane habits and the lack of excitement, I believe everything is going great. I give Michael a smile as he walks into the kitchen and turn to grab his cup of coffee. As I hand it to him, I ask “Are you ready for your big presentation?”
“What? Oh, yeah,” he replies, then quickly looks away.
I’m almost sure he’s not telling me the truth, but I let it go. I’m used to being lied to, but Michael’s not that kind of guy. I have to start heading home and get ready for my shift, anyway.
“Well, good luck. I’m working until tonight and lunch again tomorrow, but I’ll see you tomorrow night,” I say. I have a dinner party to go to at my mother’s house to meet her boyfriend that she has been talking about for months. She’s sure he’s “the one” and is ready for my brother and I to meet him.
“What’s tomorrow night?” he asks me, apparently forgetting about this dinner I had talked about many times already. Has he even been listening?
I raise an eyebrow. “Dinner at my mom’s house, remember?”
“Of course. I forgot it was the end of the week already. I wouldn’t miss it,” he answers, taking his mug and leaving the kitchen to finish getting ready.
I take another sip of my coffee and lean against the counter. Maybe our relationship isn’t as great as I thought. I look down at myself. I’m wearing nothing but Michael’s old t-shirt. It’s been a few months already and I don’t even have a change of clothes here.
I finish what’s left of my coffee and put the mug in the sink. I walk into the bedroom where Michael is knotting his tie in the mirror. I pull his t-shirt off and grab my top and mini skirt from the night before. As I bend over, he smacks me on the ass.
“Thanks for coming by last night. You haven’t made a booty call in a while. It was a nice change.”
I see a flash of Jayson’s face and immediately feel bad. Why am I thinking of him again?
“Of course. I was thinking about you all night. I couldn’t wait to see you,” I lie.
I mean, it wasn’t really a lie. I could have easily had my way with Jayson—or any other man in the bar, for that matter—but instead I chose Michael. I think I’m in love with him. We haven’t said it yet or made it official, but I care for him a lot and we do have fun together, no matter how simple or monotonous our relationship has become.
I finish dressing just as he does and grab my purse off the nightstand. I look like a whore leaving his apartment dressed in my clothes from the night before, but I guess I don’t have a choice. We walk out together and gently kiss on the lips in front of the building.
“Have a great day,” he says, smiling at me.
“Talk to you later,” I reply, and without another word, he hails a cab and heads out.
I start walking back home to my apartment. It’s not too far and it’s a beautiful morning out. Considering I’m in heels, it may not be the best idea, but I had a pleasant night and wouldn’t mind some time alone in the sun with my thoughts. Of course I’m getting some judgmental glares on my way home, but I don’t care. I don’t know any of these people and what I do is none of their business.
I pull my cell phone from my purse and dial Rachel’s number. She doesn’t answer and I realize she’s probably already on her way to work. I leave her a message and let her know I’m working a double, if she wants to stop in for dinner or drinks and keep me company.
I reach my building and wave to the doorman as I make my way to the elevator. I wait and smile at one of my neighbors as she looks me up and down on her way out. Fuck her—even with her snotty look, I know she’s jealous. We both know who got some last night, and it sure wasn’t her. I press the button and ride the elevator up to the twenty-first floor.
As I amble around my apartment getting ready for work, I can’t help but think of Jayson again. We barely spent five minutes together, yet I can’t get him off my mind. God, he was so sexy and instantly got me hot without even touching me. I can only imagine what would happen if he actually got his hands on me.
I replay our brief conversation in my head
. He definitely had some balls using a line like that on me. There are lots of women who would have slapped him for saying something like that, but to my surprise, I’m not one of them.
I hate players. But I can’t get Jayson out of my mind. What the hell is wrong with me?
As much as I hate wearing a uniform, it does make getting dressed for work pretty easy—black pants, tight black tee, and when I get to there, I’ll add the black apron. I don’t mind my job, but I can’t wait to finish school and work in the real world. I’m still not sure what it is I want to do, but I know I don’t want to be wearing a uniform when I do it.
I take one last look in the mirror, grab my purse and keys and head back out for the lunch shift.
4
JAYSON
I wish I could remember her name, especially since I just fucked her. I would have asked her again at the bar, but I didn’t really care, and by the time I actually went to say it her lips were around my cock, so it would have been rude. I love a good lay and know how to find one, but it would be nice to have to work for it every once in a while. What’s the use of having all these God-given skills when you never get to use them?
She’s sleeping, partly because of the fruity vodka drinks she was sucking down all night and partly because of the screaming orgasms I gave her. I’m going to have to wake her and ask her to leave soon, but I would love to remember her name so I don’t come off like a total dickhead. Angela? Amanda?
It doesn’t take me long to give up wracking my brain for an answer. Whatever, they’re all the same.
Ashley. Ashley isn’t the same. I only met her just last night, but I sure as hell remember her name. Every fiber of my being wants to make her cum so fucking hard. I can do that to any woman, but I want to do it to her. I want to hear her say my name while she’s trembling and dripping all over my cock with those long, luscious legs wrapped around my waist.
Thinking about her is getting me hard, but I don’t really want to bang this girl again. I had a long night and I don't want to have to talk to her and make things awkward.
I give the blonde a little nudge to try and rouse her. She stirs, but she’s not waking up. I go a little harder this time and her eyes open. She really is beautiful, but she’s got to go.
“Hey, baby. It’s time to go. I have to get ready for work.”
She smiles at me and rolls over. Really, she’s got to go. I don’t feel bad asking her to leave so soon—she was way too easy and eager to be the kind of girl that’s never fucked a guy she just met. No way she didn’t know what she was getting into. I get up out of the bed to get my point across and she looks up at me.
“You still look hot in the daylight. Do you have any coffee?” She yawns, making her way too slowly out of my bed.
“Sorry, I don’t drink coffee,” I lie, “but there’s a deli across the street.”
She bats her eyelashes and asks, “Wanna come with me?” She seems nice for a girl who couldn’t keep her clothes on long enough to get out of the elevator and was barely in a bra by the time she reached my door.
“Can’t, sweetheart. I have to get showered up and hit the road,” I reply.
She gets up and starts looking around for her clothes. As she walks around collecting them, I think of Ashley again. I would have made her coffee—after some amazing morning sex. Dammit. Thinking about her even for a hot minute gives me an instant hard-on. What is it about her that’s getting me so hot?
What’s-her-name is finally putting her slutty heels back on and preparing for our awkward goodbye. She doesn’t bother asking me to call her because by now she realizes I never will. I walk her to the door and we quickly kiss on the lips and smile at each other as she leaves.
“Thanks, Jayson. I had a great time.”
“Me too,” I reply with my sweetest smile as I close the door. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass, I think to myself as I go to shower up.
I really enjoy a long, hot shower in the morning. Especially after a night of dirty sex. The girl was beautiful and she knew how to work it, but she was nothing special. None of them are. They give me what I want and I make sure to thank them for it. Once in a while I will actually take a woman out to dinner, but I honestly don’t care enough to get to know them that well. I keep busy with work, and that satisfies me in other ways.
I like to work with my hands and be physical, but I need to use my brain, too. Owning my own construction company gives me the best of both. I can be hands-on at any time and work alongside my men, and other times I can play the businessman role, making deals and decisions. The money is great, too. I really do have everything I need.
I continue to think about the day ahead as I towel off and throw my work clothes on. I will be helping my men lay the footing for a new building going up in Long Island City. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I look good. The women I’m with always compliment my body. Even when they’re not interested, I can still see the hungry look in their eyes—like the one Ashley had. She can deny it all she wants, but I could tell she wanted a taste.
I picture her again and find myself hoping to run into her somehow. If I had a little more time, and if her friend wasn’t around, I know I could break her down.
5
ASHLEY
Lunch was busy, which makes the day go by faster. It also means more money in my pocket, which is even better. After I clean the tables in my section and reset everything for the dinner crowd, I pour myself a lemonade and go sit at a table outside to relax and enjoy my break. I take my phone out to kill some time and see I have a couple of texts and a voicemail.
One text is from Rachel letting me know she’ll probably stop in after dinner, which I reply to with a smiley face. One is from my brother sarcastically asking if I am excited for tomorrow night. I reply to him in the same tone: More than anything ever.
Tomorrow night we are supposed to go to my mom’s house on Long Island where she will be introducing us to Tom, her boyfriend of several months. Supposedly, they’re in love.
It’s not that I’m not happy for her—I know she had a tough time after my father left, and I don’t blame her. Twenty-two years of marriage and then he tells her he’s in love with someone else. Someone else was Katie, a girl not much older than myself. He met her when he had knee surgery. She was a physical therapy intern. Apparently, she knew how to take care of more than just his leg.
Mom wrote off men for a long time. When we finally convinced her to get back in the game, she used an online dating site and met a couple of real losers. She probably would have given up except her friend, Carol, had introduced her to Tom, a divorcée from her husband’s golf club. It took him a while to woo her, but according to my mom, that first date was all it took.
Now, almost a year later, we will officially meet Tom and his sons. I’m sure if nothing else, it will be interesting.
I finish my lemonade and send a text to Michael. Hope you’re having a great day, with a smiley face blowing a kiss. I know he doesn’t like to talk on the phone at work, but he can text quick if he wants.
I hit “play” and listen to my voicemail message. It’s my mom, Cynthia. She sounds excited and nervous and says she’s looking forward to meeting Michael. She also asks me to bring dessert to her house “if I have time,” which is her way of saying “bake something or I will make you feel guilty that you didn’t.” Tomorrow’s my day off, so I can cook something before I head out.
The rest of my night goes pretty smoothly, and even though so many people leave the city for the weekends during the summer, we stay busy. I only have a couple of tables left when I see Rachel walk in.
Rachel is gorgeous and always turning heads. Being a yoga instructor is her dream job. She has a huge following and her classes are always full. She carries herself with an air of confidence that draws people in. Men are always attracted to her and she has no problem telling them when she’s not interested. She can be sweet, but if you rub her the wrong way, she can tear you to pieces.
She strolls up to the bar and smiles at Sam, the bartender. I have been working here long enough that he knows she’s my friend. I walk over and say hello as Sam hands her a glass of white wine.
“I just have a couple of tables left and I’m done,” I tell her as I go to ring the last of the bills into the register.
“No worries. I don’t mind having a drink while I wait. It’s been that kind of day,” she says, rolling her eyes as she takes a long sip of her wine.
Rachel drinks and talk to Sam as he serves the other few patrons at the bar and cleans up from the night. I close out my checks, clean my station, and head into the bathroom to wash my hands and face before joining Rachel.
I dry my face and take a look at my phone. I’m a little disappointed—Michael never returned my text from this afternoon.
I head back out to the bar to sit next to Rachel. Sam already has a merlot poured for me. I love a glass of wine at the end of the night. Helps me unwind.
“I was just telling Sam about my day,” she says. “This jerk-off came to my class for the first time. I can always spot a pervert right away. You know that guy who’s there just to meet chicks and look at their asses? Well, he came into the wrong yoga studio. I won’t get into it, but before the end of class, he was leaving with his tail between his legs and won’t be looking to hook up at a yoga studio any time soon.” She smiles in a self-satisfied way as she takes the last sip of wine from her glass and motions to Sam for a refill.
“What’s with men, anyway?” she muses, not really looking for an answer. I can tell she’s already a little buzzed and she’s only one glass in. “Like that guy last night. What a prick. He treated you like he could say anything at all and you’d just drop your panties for him out of principle.” Sam hands her another glass and she sips.
