Complicated Girl

by Mimi Strong

  Drew’s office manager, Patty, as well as the other people gathered around the living room, go quiet when we walk into the room.

  “Everyone, this is my girlfriend, Megan,” he says.

  “Hi.” I wave at the room. “I’m Megan, but everyone calls me…”

  I turn and raise my eyebrows at Drew. He smiles and nods, as if to say that I can call myself whatever I want.

  “But everyone calls me Megan,” I say. “I used to have an embarrassing nickname, but I’m letting that part of me go.”

  A guy with a guitar on his lap says, “Megs? Did they call you Megs? Or Maggie?”

  The guy has dark hair and brown eyes, plus a dash of Drew’s good looks. He’s definitely the brother. I can tell by the glint in his eye that he’s curious about my nickname. He should be able to tell by the glint in my eye that I’m not telling. Not yet, anyway.

  “Megs or Maggie, sure. Something like that,” I say.

  Patty brings some additional chairs in from the nearby dining room, and Drew and I join the party.

  Drew’s brother starts strumming his guitar and singing the Rod Stewart song, Maggie May. He’s got a good voice.

  Over the sound of him strumming and singing, I call out, “I haven’t heard that one!”

  Everyone laughs

  I look around the room, at all the friendly faces. Drew has more friends in real life than I have on Facebook. For a moment, that nasty insecure feeling takes hold—the bad feeling that says I might not be good enough for Drew.

  Drew leans over and murmurs in my ear, “I’m glad you’re here. I barely know half these people.”

  I let out a laugh of relief.

  He pats my knee, and then he starts singing along with his brother on the chorus. He’s got a nice voice. He’s not as practiced as his brother, but when he turns to me and sings the chorus while gazing into my eyes, my heart flutters in the most deliciously girly, butterfly-like flutters I’ve ever felt.

  Chapter 25

  It’s been six weeks since I showed up at Drew’s party, looking like a drowned rat.

  We had our first big fight two weeks ago, over the dumbest thing. My regular dental cleaning appointment came up, and I went to see my normal dentist, a nice lady who makes me laugh while she’s checking my teeth.

  Apparently, this sort of thing is considered cheating, according to Drew. He didn’t care that it was with a woman, not a man. I responded by making fun of him for being so sensitive. He got distant. And then I realized what was happening, and I apologized.

  I literally got down on my hands and knees and crawled toward him, apologizing. His eyes twinkled, and he took me over his knee and playfully spanked me.

  Pretty soon, all was forgiven.

  I plan to see her again in six months, then beg Drew for forgiveness again. I’m really looking forward to it.

  Drew walks up behind me and grabs me in a hug. “This was a good idea, babe.” He rubs his cat whiskers against my cheek.

  I bark at him, because I’m dressed like a dog, and that’s what a dog would do.

  We’re at his house, throwing a Halloween costume party for everyone from my self-help group. It’s back to being my group again, because Drew stopped coming once we started dating. He says he doesn’t need the group, since he has me. He can be so corny sometimes.

  I’m the one with the bigger issues, so I’ll keep going on Tuesday nights. I had a big breakthrough last week and asked everyone to start calling me Megan. I felt like a dunderhead asking people to change their habits on account of me, but they all took it in stride.

  Feather says I’m doing well, and she said I can fill in for her when she has the twins. That’s right, twins. It turns out my crazy dream was a bit of a prophecy.

  She’s here at the party, looking radiant and lovely in her creamy white pantsuit. She says she’s dressed as Humpty Dumpty, but she looks like that supermodel, Heidi Klum.

  Abbie won the prize for best costume, because she came dressed as a dominatrix. I now see the white-haired granny in a whole new light. Good for her.

  Drew rubs his cat whiskers on my cheek again. “Meow.”

  “Let’s start clearing the dishes so people take a hint and leave.”

  He hugs me tighter, swaying us both to the music. Drew’s brother’s entire band is here, doing an unplugged version of their songs in the living room.

  “Meow,” he says. “Nobody will notice if the two of us disappear upstairs for a bit.”

  “Don’t you have that book you wanted to lend me?”

  “What book? Oh. Right. Yes, come with me.”

  We cut through the living room, muttering about getting more chips and salsa, then we race up the stairs to the master bedroom.

  I shut the door behind me and lock it.

  Drew jumps on the bed and slinks around like a tomcat on the prowl.

  I look down at my furry dog suit. “Honey, you do realize we’re turning into freaks, right?”

  “What do you mean?” He pretends to lick his paw.

  “First of all, there was the spanking. And then we went a little further. We’ve had a few turns playing dentist, and you are one very kinky boy.”

  “Excuse me? You’re the one who started it, showing up at my practice in a trench coat. You know, I had to special order a new headrest for that chair you nearly destroyed.”

  “That I nearly destroyed? Excuse me, Mr. Open Wider.”

  He laughs. “We are so wrong.” He grabs his cat costume’s tail and flicks it. “Come here and chase me around the bed.”

  I put my hands on my hips. “And now this is happening.”

  “What?”

  “The costumes. Are we Furries now?”

  “Megan, I want you because you’re you, not because you’re dressed like a poodle.”

  “Excuse me? I’m a purebred terrier.”

  Drew looks down at the front of his costume. “We can’t be Furries. These suits unzip at the back only.”

  I gasp. “How do you even know about that?”

  “You look scandalized. Listen, just because I looked up what yiffing was on Wikipedia, during one of my dateless Saturday nights, that doesn’t mean I want to engage in it.” He pats the bed next to him. “Why don’t you come over here and snuggle with me. That’s the only way to see how we like it.”

  I crouch down and jump on the bed in a single leap. We play-wrestle for a minute, and start kissing. After a minute, I pull away.

  “Too hot?” Drew asks.

  “Yeah. Plus the zipper’s at the back, and I want to…” I lean in and whisper dirty words in Drew’s ear.

  He unzips me and has me out of the terrier costume in five seconds, plus another two seconds for his.

  “There’s my human girl,” he murmurs, admiring me in my underwear. “There’s the girl I love.”

  He rolls and pulls me on top of him.

  I kiss the tip of his nose. “I love you, too.”

  He puckers his lips until I kiss him on the mouth. He groans as he kisses me, then says, “I really mean it. I love you, Maggie May.”

  “You’re really calling me that, aren’t you?”

  He kisses me again. “Okay, enough mushy stuff. I know you hate the mushy stuff. Get on your hands and knees.”

  I roll off to the side and remove my underwear, but I don’t get on my hands and knees.

  “What’s going on?” Drew removes his cat whiskers and rubs away the adhesive, becoming fully human. “Are you tired, babe?”

  “I want something really kinky. I want the mushy stuff.”

  He slips his undershirt and boxer shorts off and grabs a condom. “Are you serious?”

  “Let’s start off mushy, and see where it goes.”

  “I’m going to make sweet love to you.” He grins. “I’m going to gaze into your eyes and lose myself in your beauty.”

  I cover my face with both hands. “This is so messed up.”

  “If you’ll let me, I think I know how to make you comfortable.
”

  I keep my hands on my face. I hear him moving around, getting off the bed and turning off the lights. He flicks the gas fireplace on.

  “This is more relaxing already,” I say, taking my hands away from my face so I can gaze up at the skylight, at the stars and moon.

  He starts kissing my knees, and then my thighs. My pulse starts to race. He wants to do that thing I won’t let him—or anyone—do. He kisses my stomach and my hipbones, circling in.

  I relax my legs and let them push apart. I can do this. I can be vulnerable with Drew, because he’s not just anyone. He’s the guy I’m in love with, and I trust him.

  He circles around, and then he’s between my legs with his mouth. It feels weird, for about a second. I tip my head back as my eyes roll up. Wow.

  I have been missing out.

  He’s unsure of himself, asking for a bit of guidance, and I’m happy to give it.

  By the time he kisses his way back up my body and we move on to the next part, I’m like soft clay in his hands. He can do anything to me, and I’ll just be open and vulnerable, giving myself to him.

  Tomorrow, I’ll probably get out those Velcro handcuffs I ordered online, and tie him to the headboard, but for tonight, I’m happy to lie under him and be made love to. Thoroughly and sweetly.

  I gaze up into his eyes and whisper loving things.

  He looks down at me like I’m an angel.

  And for tonight, I suppose I am his angel.

  I can take a break sometimes and let myself be uncomplicated.

  THE END of COMPLICATED GIRL

  This is the end of Baker Street Romance #2, but you can spend more time with these characters in book #3. Each story in this series is a stand-alone book, and the novels may be read in any order, but later novels may contain spoilers for earlier novels.

  Suggested Series Reading Order:

  Baker Street Romance #1 - Blue Roses (Luca and Tina)

  Baker Street Romance #2 - Complicated Girl (Drew and Meenie) - released May 2014

  Baker Street Romance #3 - to be announced

  For retailer links, do a search on your favorite bookseller site for books by Mimi Strong or visit www.mimistrong.com for all the links, Mimi's bio, news, and more!

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