by Tina Lee
Brian walked Brenda to her apartment while the Uber waited for him outside. “I had a lot of fun tonight,” Brenda said.
“Yeah, me too.” Brian made out with Brenda until she had to remind him that his Uber was outside waiting.
“Text me when you’re home.”
“I will,” Brian said before sprinting away.
The second the elevator door closed, Amy and Luke started passionately kissing. Luke braced her against the back of the elevator, slid his hand under her t-shirt and fondled her breasts.
“Wait, aren’t their cameras?” Amy asked.
“I don’t care.” They returned to the clashing of tongues, and so far Luke was winning. He overpowered her and she loved it. His strength and firm grip had her dripping between her legs. She liked the thought of a man being almost primal. His roar and heavy breathing had her begging him to use her however he wanted. She wanted to let go and make him take control, if only for a night.
Bing.
The elevator door opened and Pecherov stood with a newspaper in his hand.
Luke and Amy quickly parted and stood at opposite corner of the elevator. Amy straightened her t-shirt and wiped the saliva from her lips. Mr. Pecherov greeted them and stood in the middle. An awkward silence followed. When the door finally opened and ended the excruciating encounter, Luke and Amy hurried out so they wouldn’t have to walk the hallway with him.
“That guy gives me the creeps,” Amy said. “He’s everywhere.”
Luke walked Amy to her door. If there was any possibility that they were going to have sex, Mr. Pecherov killed it. The mood was ruined. Amy’s feeling of fiery lust had disappeared. A good night’s sleep would have to suffice.
“Don’t wait too long to ask for a second date,” Amy said.
“Well, how about tomorrow night? Then the night after and the night after.”
“Are you serious?”
“I already told you.” He leaned in and kissed her. “I don’t play games.”
And so the night after they went to a salsa class together, then they went to the nightclub the following night, then a cooking class the following night, then they brought Josh along to watch a movie the following night. Every day at work Luke would watch the clock, counting down the minutes until he would see her again. Every night was something new. Another night of laughter and joy.
His raining clouds had parted and the sun was shining in his life again.
Chapter 10
B renda applied light make
up to Amy’s already glowing skin, a little eyeliner and mascara and eyeshadow to mystify her blue eyes. Amy curled her hair in the same direction to create rippling waves of gold.
“Wow.” Brenda admired Amy legs in the black dress. The same black dress that was tight a year ago fit perfectly tonight. It accentuated her legs and hips, giving Amy a confident and sexy glow.
One of Luke’s coworkers was having a dinner party and Amy was Luke’s plus one. It was an opportunity for her to get dolled-up and to see Luke in a tuxedo. It was also a rare opportunity to network with CEOs and rock stars of the tech industry.
The last time Amy had worn high heels was at David’s brother’s wedding. Her feet ached all throughout the ceremony; while the bride walked the aisle, while the couple said their vows, and while the groom kissed the bride, but the pain was worth it because Amy felt like a princess in her light-apricot, Italian stiletto. At that moment, she believed that it would be her in a white dress in the not too distant future, and David with her at the altar. Weddings were a terrible tease. Brides were the lucky few, Amy thought.
There was a knock on the door. Luke was waiting outside in his close-fitted tuxedo.
“Have fun dining with CEOs while I’m here watching Law and Order.”
Amy hugged Brenda. “Be back soon.”
The door opened and Luke’s jaw dropped in awe. He took a step back to take in every detail from her hair down to the color of her toes. He would much rather go somewhere private with her and have this sexy woman all to himself, but he promised his boss that he would attend.
“You look stunning.”
Amy straightened his bow tie. “You look very handsome yourself.”
As they approached the guarded doors of the mansion Amy could hear loud chattering and clinging and clanging of utensils and champagne glasses.
The security already knew who Luke was and quickly let them through. The air smelled of perfume, all expensive, Amy guessed. The old men formed their own groups around the bar. The women, mostly the plus ones, sat at the table and conversed.
“Luke!” a heavy man with a baritone voice called out. He waved to signal his position and they walked to greet him and his wife. He gave Luke a firm handshake. “Glad you make it.”
“I promised you, didn’t I?”
He looked at Amy and shook her hand delicately. He introduced himself as Seth Heisenberg and his wife as Maria. There was something about him that Amy didn’t like. She couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but the feeling was there.
“Enjoy the evening. Ask the waiter for anything you want. Luke, you know the drill.” Mr. Heisenberg excused himself and his wife. She spoke not once during Amy’s brief encounter. Amy thought of the worst, like she being held captive, but quickly dispelled it. The wife had been to a number of dinners and simply didn’t care to pretend anymore.
Amy felt so out of place and she couldn’t shake the feeling. She felt like an impostor. Luke sensed his date was behaving strangely and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Amy shrugged it off. “It’s nothing.”
Luke held her hand and led her to the corner where the statue head of Socrates overlooked the party. “Now tell me what’s going on.”
“Everyone here is out in the world doing big things and I feel like the odd one out.”
“It’s just a dinner. Half of these douchebags did coke before they got here, and after the party is over, they are going to do more coke and have sex with hookers. So trust me, they are not too good for you, you are too good for them. “
Luke always knew what to say.
“Now come,” Luke said. “I’m going to introduce you to the creator of the Find My Father app.”
All while the young tech rockstars told their story of how their apps came to be, Amy couldn’t stop thinking about how Brenda would love to be here.
The evening went on the and the jazz band was playing in full swing. The women danced and the men all spectated. Preying the beautiful women like animals, the men cat called and displayed disgusting hyper-masculine behavior. It seemed the older the men; the most disgusting they were.
This was the jungle where the men ruled and the women had no say. It quickly became evident to Amy that greed and lust was the theme here. Luke left her in the company of his brokerage receptionist; young woman, no older than Amy, with similar features. Jessica was her name.
“Good choice,” Jessica told Amy. “Luke is one of the nicer ones.”
“Thanks?”
“How long you two have been dating?”
“Technically, we’re just friends.”
“Then you better act fast,” Jessica said with a sinister smile and left.
Amy found herself hanging with the waiters who were sitting at the back and taking a break. They fell silent as Amy arrived, thinking she was an obnoxious, rich girl. They quickly learned that she was a ‘commoner’ too, and welcomed her.
Amy realized she wasn’t the only one who hated the party. This wasn’t what she imagined. Luke’s boss, Mr. Heisenberg, and the men in his little group made bets with each other and used their women as a wager. Mr. Heisenberg would give up his young brunette with the huge breasts if the La Lakers failed to score over 100 points. Amy was disgusted. Using the power of their wealth, they brainwashed young women into being their personal play toys. The women, all young and vain, would do anything for a Prada bag. It shouldn’t have surprised Amy. This was the city of vanity.
The waiters were the far
better company to be around. They laughed and drank the champagne that they were suppose to serve. They would take turns getting up to serve so they absence of waiters wasn’t noticeable. Their ringleader, Julio, helped himself to garlic shrimp and Chardonnay. He took a tin can and a pack of cracker from his jacket pocket. His distributed the crackers evenly to everyone and open the small tin of caviar that he stole from the kitchen.
“Who are you with?” Julio asked.
“Luke.” She pointed at Luke standing with a grey-haired man. They were having a heated yet quiet debate.
“Yeah. I know Luke. I see him sometimes at the Hammer and Nail bar. I met his late wife too.”
“Oh?” Amy drew closer to Julio so she could whisper. “What was she like?”
“A nice lady that wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.” Julio laughed. “She was a nurse at the Heathridge Hospital. That was how I met her. I got shot here—” Julio pointed to his left shoulder. “And I was admitted there. Boy did she give me a lecture on why I should turn my life around. She had seen many guys like me come in with bullet holes and not many made it out alive. I was given a chance, she said, and you could tell she meant it.”
“And did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Did you turn your life around.”
Julio dipped his last cracker in the caviar and ate it. “I’m here, ain't I?”
The waiters later dispersed as they saw Mrs. Heisenberg and her friends coming. Amy, not wanting to be in a cloud of gossip, left the table to find Luke, who was standing beside a handsome, blond man with pale skin and red lips. He reminded Amy of Tom Cruise in The Interview with a Vampire.
Luke introduced the man, Eli Lamn, to Amy. His hands were as cold as ice, which led Amy to further believe that this man could very well be a vampire. Quick! Get a mirror, she joked to herself.
Eli excused himself then joined the company of a young woman.
Before Amy could share her contempt for the party, Luke held her hand and asked for a dance.
“But no one else is dancing.”
“Yes, and that’s a shame. Such a waste of a lovely band.” The band was playing fine jazz that made it easy for anyone to move their feet. Their melody and soul was infectious, and Amy could feel her fingers drumming along.
“Okay,” Amy agreed. “But first, I’ll have another glass of champagne.” Amy and Luke moved their dancing feet and worked up a sweat. It wasn’t long before all the tipsy, young women filled the floor and danced. This inspired the band of musicians, and so in return, they amped their energy and filled the entire hall with spirited jazz. Not even the man with the two left feet could resist the exuberance of the musicians.
Amy sat at the base of the marble stairwell with her heels in her hands. Seconds later Luke joined her with a jacket over his shoulder and his shirt partly unbuttoned. “Ready to go?” he asked.
“Yeah. I want to get away from these assholes. They have no respect for women. How are you friends with these people?”
“No one here is my friend.”
“You talk and laugh with them.”
“Because I have to. The higher up you go, the more monsters you’ll find. I’m not in a position of power, at least not yet, to do anything.”
“It’s wrong and it isn’t fair.”
“It never is.”
It was an eye-opening experience for Amy. A peek inside the lives of men in power. She left Mr. Heisenberg’s party with a bad taste in her mouth, and it wasn’t the salty caviar.
The ride home was a pleasant one. They sang backstreet boys classics on top of their lungs. At the red light, they attracted the attention of pedestrians and motorists; an indifferent audience, they had seen far crazier things in this city.
With Josh already tucked in bed, Luke invited Amy to his bedroom, the first time she had ever been in there. She dropped her heels on the floor, removed her necklace, earrings, and dress. Luke kicked off his shoes, dropped his pants and flung his shirt to the side. They stood before each other, semi-naked, in his dark room. Water drops drummed on his window as the rain came pouring.
Luke held her hips and closed the space between them. The only thing on Amy’s mind was how intoxicated his cologne was. It had a certain pull, like the opposite poles of a magnet. His hands explored her breasts, gently squeezing and massaging them. With a single flick of Amy’s nipple, Luke had sent shudders down her spine. Being a hedonistic and sensuous man, he took his time passionately kissing Amy as his fingers traversed across the flat plains of her abdomen and into the valley of her inner thighs. She gasped into his mouth as he rubbed the core of her pleasure, her aching button, her erect clit.
It had been awhile since Luke had been this hard. It was more than Amy’s physical appearance, it was the connection that they shared; the way how made his days brighter. The rush of blood and fire inside him was pure passion ready to be release and felt. He had so many emotions building inside him, powering him, driving him to the edge of his most primal self. He had found a reason to love again, and there she was, moaning his name under her breath. He wanted to please her desperately and give her all that she was missing.
He lifted her and dropped her on his bed. Thunders rolled continuously in the distance. Flashes of lightning illuminated Amy’s face as she bit her lip. She wanted him inside her. It had been so long since she had felt the thrust of a man. A powerful, hard thrust that would send her into la-la land. Luke slid off her thong using his teeth and positioned himself between her legs. The anticipation was intense. She gasped and gripped the sheets as the head of his manhood pressed at her slit.
Luke thrust inside the warmth of her tightness and made vigorous, glorious, and electrifying love all throughout the cold, rainy night.
Chapter 11
L uke’s alarm
went off and woke Amy. They were spooning under the cover while the rain continued to pour nonstop outside. The small radio on Luke’s nightstand broadcasted the weather forecast: Scattered showers with a possible thunderstorm. To be awake in the arms of Luke was only a dream a week ago, and now here she was; being the little spoon like how she was meant to. It was funny how someone could live life with a dark cloud hovering over their head, then one day they meet someone and suddenly there was sunshine.
Luke pressed snooze to spend more time with Amy. It was unlike him. Every minute in his morning was accounted for, and to delay his schedule by 10 minutes was to break his own rules. Without laws, there is chaos, Luke always said.
He kissed her on the nape of her neck. “How did you sleep?”
“Like a baby.” Amy turned and kissed his lips. “Last night was amazing. No man has ever made love to me like that.”
“It pleases me to please you.”
Amy giggled. “Do we have time for a morning quickie?”
Luke looked at his clock. “We have seven minutes and fifteen seconds. You have to be quiet, though. Josh will be up soon.”
Amy climbed on top of him. “That’s fine with me.”
Amy got dressed and left Luke to start his day. She knew he was very serious about his time so she didn’t want to take too much of it. She grabbed her heels off the floor and quietly left his apartment. While walking back to her apartment she ran into Mr. Pechecrov, who was returning from his early morning run.
He wore three gold chains around his tracksuit. Amy had never seen him with his jewelry off. “Are you okay?” he asked.
Amy’s hair and makeup was a mess. She had on an oversize tee and panties with her heels in her hand. “I’m great, actually.”
“Ah. You and mister smooth-man had a fun night.”
“Yes, we did.” She took pride in her walk of shame and left Mr. Pechecrov, who was staring at her ass, in the hallway.
Amy went inside her apartment, walked straight to her room and fell asleep on top of the laundry on her bed.
When Amy awoke, it was in the afternoon and she had slept through five missed calls from her mother and a knock on the door by
Brenda.
She dragged herself to the bathroom and took a cold shower. She was now well rested and feeling fresh. Brenda had gone to teach but had left Amy’s breakfast in the microwave. She poured herself some coffee and called her mother. It was while her phone was ringing did she remember that it was the anniversary of her parents.
Her parents were coming over. Her mother thought it was a good idea to come see her and see other sites. Amy didn’t think it was a good idea. The timing of it all was complicated. All she could think about was keeping Luke and her parents separated. At no point should they be in a room together.
After the call ended she reflected on her parents’ marriage. It wasn’t the best, and honestly, she was surprised they lasted this long. The love was there, that was undeniable, but Amy often wondered how they could stand the constant arguing. They behaved like two souls who could not agree on a single thing.
When Amy was a child she used to lock herself in the closet to hide from their shouting and nonstop bickering. Her father would often start the arguments but her mother would refuse to end it. Amy saw a lot of her parents in her past relationship with David. It was the same way they would argue over trivial matters. Amy had to stop and psychoanalyze herself. Perhaps she was a product of her hostile environment, and that was why she would indulge in his petty arguments. It was all she ever saw her mother do.
She loved her mother and father when they had to be separated. Alone time with her father was always fun. They would build Legos and complete puzzles together. As a child, her father always gave her what she wanted, and all she had to do was fold her arms and pout.
Her father was the laid-back one, her mother was the talker and the disciplinarian. Her mother was always loud, even when she wasn’t arguing. Amy’s father said her mother had grown up poor in the city and would walk around and sell newspapers. She always had to shout to get the attention of the busy bees walking the city streets. That was why she was always shouting, her father explained. Amy didn’t believe him but it was a cool story.
