That summer I had the best time of my life. Rachel and I partied like it was Ramadan. We traveled along the coast and spent weekends with random guys we would meet on the beach. It wasn’t always for sex but sometimes a girl had needs to fill. There were plenty of guys willing to put us up in their beach house for the weekend in the hopes of getting one or both of us in bed.
We went to every concert, festival, and event we could find. Being a social media butterfly Rachel posted pictures of our escapades online. I noticed as the summer drug on Erick ‘liked’ my photos and ‘status’ more and more. I still hadn’t spoken to him and he hadn’t reached out to talk to me. He had never called or text to let me know he made it safely to Washington. I didn’t expect him to.
By the time fall hit we had hit the decline of our adventures. Real life beckoned. Rachel and I owned a property flipping business. She played the boss and I was her right-hand man. We would scout properties that were in distress, purchase them for pennies on the dollar, and restore them. We worked side by side doing some of the most grueling and labor intensive work. We seldom called in a professional. We liked the challenge. It was so rewarding to watch a house that was nearly condemned be brought back to life.
It was a man’s world but we dominated it. We used our sex appeal to get discounted labor and materials. It always worked in our favor. Often times we would get free labor because the guys didn’t want to see us get hurt. We didn’t mind their sexist behavior. If a guy wanted to come hang a garage door for us for free, we let him. Something like that would cost us almost a grand in labor if we had to pay. It was all about the Benjamin’s for us, anyways. After we would finish a house we would put it on the market and split the profit.
After Rachel spent the summer harassing me about throwing all my money away on rent I bit the bullet and bout a little two bedroom cottage. It wasn’t much and it needed a lot of work but it was mine and I didn’t mind getting dirty.
Rachel had met someone at the end of the summer and spent her free time with him. I didn’t mind. I had my hands full with the cottage. I remodeled every single room and made the place feel more like home. I was close to being ready to move in and beyond excited. I had the roofers out reroofing the house the following week. The crew I had hired just finished repairing the old stucco walls and had painted it an earthy gray base stone color which was actually more of a sand color. By my projections, I was a week away from move in. I posted pictures of my progress online. I was so proud of my work. I worked in the yard every chance I got. I was able to make the barren yard green. It had taken a lot of effort to beat down all of the weeds and to get the grass to finally grow. Arizona was one of the hardest places to grow a green lawn but I managed.
Rachel ranted and raved at the nearly finished product. The house was a contemporary sand colored stucco with an earthy gray sandstone rock archway around the door and matching sandstone rock pillars holding up the small roof over the entryway. Currently faded gray asphalt shingles covered the roof. Next week it would be covered in terracotta tiles.
The driveway had just been finished. It boasted matching sandstone bricks that matched the house. Crushed sandstone laid the foundation for the flower beds that rested under the large windows of the house with tall square charcoal pots filled with fuchsia La Jolla Bougainvillea’s that spilled down the sides.
The grass I had worked so diligently on was now coming up in lush green patches. Soon it would fill the entire paces up with its emerald elegance. The desert Lavender I planted around the grassy haven brought the whole picture together. It was a far cry from the usual rock and cactus yards and gardens the other houses in the neighborhood boast.
The night before I was to move in I got a call from one of the neighbors. She had seen lights on in the house that seemed to come from a flashlight. In a panic, I rushed over to the house to find that it had been broken into and vandalized. The heating and air system had been stolen and they vandals had busted holes in the newly painted sheetrock in order to steal the wiring. I slumped down to the floor and cried.
It was an all-out ugly cry. I had worked so hard and within a matter of minutes, I was back to square one. It would take weeks to get everything fixed. All of the walls had to be redone and the house had to be rewired. It would take just about all of the money I had left in savings to pay for the additional repairs.
I took pictures of the damage and posted it to social media, offering a reward for any information on the vandals who had damaged my house. I didn’t expect anyone to have any information about who had destroyed my home. But sometimes you never know. I learned early on to never underestimate the power of social media. We had used the method before and were successful in garnering information about thefts in the past.
I took off work for the next week and used the time to assess the damage and begin repairs. Rachel had been understanding and even offered to come and help but I had turned her down. I knew we had a lot to do in the office and it wouldn’t do us any good if we were both out for the week. It was going to take a miracle to have this house fixed before my lease was up.
I had already sent in my lease termination letter. There was no way I was going to be able to retract it. I had let the management company know I was going to be moving and they had been showing my apartment. They already had someone waiting for me to move out.
I heard the sound of a door slamming in the driveway. Tucking my pen behind my ear I opened the door curious to see who had driven up. My heart stood still in my chest. Erick stood dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a white t-shirt. He shot me a wide toothy smile and raised his hand and waved. Shocked, I waved back, not knowing what else to do. His long legs carried him to the door within a matter of seconds.
“I heard you might be needing a hand?”
I stared slack-jawed. “Why are you here?” the word vomit was back. I groaned and immediately apologized. Erick shook his head and smiled.
“I saw your post online. I didn’t want you to have to do this alone so I jumped in the car and drove down.” He gave me a shy smile and tucked his hands into his back pockets, turning his head to inspect the new siding on the house. I felt the tears as the leaked down the side of my face.
He had driven all the way back to Arizona just to help me. I felt the ice around my heart begin to thaw.
“You seriously drove down here just to help me?” He looked down at his feet bashfully.
“I watched the house come together on your social media post. I knew you had worked hard and were proud of what you had done. I didn’t want you to have to deal with fixing this mess alone. I’ll stay here in the house while I help you work on it that way of they come back I can beat the shit out of them.” The look on his face told me he was serious. I believed that if anyone did come back into the house Erick would, indeed, kick their ass. A chunk of ice broke free of my heart.
“You are just the greatest.” I wrapped my arms around him in a firm embrace. I felt him stiffen in my arms shocked by my emotional outburst.
Erick and I worked side by side harmoniously. After several days guilt began to eat at me. He had driven all this way to help me and never once asked for anything in return. I knew the least I could do was offer him a home cooked meal and a comfortable place to sleep. I knew the floor had to have been killing his back. I had opted for stone tile throughout the house and forgone the carpet. Erick had been sleeping in the house with his only comfort being a sleeping bag.
“So, I was thinking. Would you like to come by after work and have dinner? I was going to cook up a few steaks.” I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and waited nervously for him to answer. Erick took his time as he pondered my invitation. His face wore a mask of concentration. I fidgeted nervously. I was about to tell him never mind when he spoke.
“Has your cooking gotten any better?” He deadpanned. I smacked his shoulder, my jaw falling open in shock of his words. I wasn’t a bad cook. I mean, yeah, I nearly burned the apartment down a few times, but t
hat’s normal right?
“I’ll have you know, I am a fabulous cook.” My hands on my hips I dared him to deny it. He scrubbed his hand across his forehead.
“How about this, I’ll cook and you clean up? That way I know it’s not poisoned and you can take a shower.” He sniffed the air around me.
“You need one.” I glared at him in mock anger. I wrinkled up my nose and waved my hand in front of my face.
“I don’t seem to be the only one in need.” He playfully gave me a shove.
That night was the beginning of what I thought would be a fresh start for us. Erick and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner. One thing led to another and we were both in my bed together. We didn’t have sex, at least not at first. First, we hashed out everything that had gone unsaid between us. Everything since we first met. It was rough and emotional but also therapeutic. My eyes were opened to his feelings and views and he mine.
Erick thought I treated him as an afterthought, never asking for help and always doing my own thing. I couldn’t argue with him. I had always been one track minded. You're either moving along with me or you was in my way. I never thought of our relationship as a partnership. By the end of the week he had asked me to marry him, I accepted.
At first, I thought Rachel was going to be angry that I took Erick back. I was surprised when she was anything but. When I told her about him proposing she was as giddy as a school girl. Before I knew it, she had our entire wedding planned.
Four months after Erick came home we were married in a beautiful ceremony. It was everything I could have hoped for. We were surrounded by a handful of our closest friends. We opted out of the traditional wedding flair and kept everything small and simple, even the reception. The reception was actually the group of us going out to our favorite pub. It was perfect.
Two years later I had stumbled across a fantastic deal. A large five bedroom five bath fixer upper. It was a steal of a deal and I knew it was going to be my next project. I had dragged Erick out to see it. His face immediately fell. He hated it.
“Erick, it’s a great opportunity. You know this is what I do. I want to buy this house.” I tried to plead with him.
“No, it stupid to buy this house. It’s way too big and I could build a house for less than what it would take to rehab this one.” I rolled my eyes at his comment.
“You do know this is what I do, right?” He brushed me off and walked away from the offending house toward the car, I followed behind not willing to give up the house.
“Well, I think you need to grow up and get a real job. You have been doing this for years with Rachel and there is nothing in it for you. You have no insurance benefits, no retirement, and no guarantee of a job.” His words, though true, hurt. He was cutting down everything that made who I was. I shrugged him off.
“You don’t have to agree, it’s my money and I’ll do what I want.” I got in the car and slammed the door.
For the next month, our house was full of contention. We soon dispersed to our own quarters and only spoke to in each other when necessary. I couldn’t believe that he wouldn’t support me on this. That he wouldn’t back me up or at least offer a word of encouragement.
Without Erick knowing it, I purchased the house. I began spending my days at work and my nights working on my new project. It was a huge house and needed loads of work but I knew it would be well worth it in the end.
One day while I was working on the new house I was surprised to find Erick at the door with his hands full of pizza and wine. I stood there in shock with the door in my hand.
“Are you going to let me in?” in a daze I backed up and let him in.
“What are you doing here?” I stammered out. He gave a small shrug and an apologetic smile. “I came to help you out.”
We spent the next few months working on the house. It had come along beautifully. The exterior was remodeled into a contemporary stucco finish, new terracotta shingles, and rock facings. It was truly a work of art and a labor of love.
Once the house was finished Erick decided that we should sell our cottage and move into the big house. I was beyond excited. I felt as though we were finally getting on the same page.
Our relationship seemed to do that, great one moment and volatile the next. I couldn’t tell you how many times we played that same old song and dance. Thinking about it now I am sick to my stomach. I was such an idiot.
Erick cheated again while we lived in the new house. It took him only eight months. Of course, all I know are the times I found out about. I kicked him out for a summer year after that. Eventually, he wormed his way back into my life.
I couldn’t figure out why, though. Was it loneliness? Love? Stupidity? I still have no answers.
Rachel rode the ups and downs with me. She never said anything when we got back together, never judged. She loved and cared for Erick. Maybe she just hoped that we would work things out. Now here I was alone and she was gone.
Our business lay in probate while her family fought over it. Everything had been in Rachel’s name. I never worried about anything because I knew she would never cheat me. I had power of attorney over the affairs but once everything went to probate and her family swarmed in I was shoved out. Sure I could have fought back. But I was still grieving the loss of my best friend.
The majority of our funds had gone to treatment and caring for her. I couldn’t understand for the life of me why these people that claimed to love her would fight so hard over mere pennies. It was disgusting and made me want to vomit just thinking about it. My heart ached at her loss. I needed her now more than ever.
I found myself with tears spilling down my face as I laughed so hard I got a cramp in my side. Rachel’s family was digging through our office files right now searching for the money they assumed she had. The money they thought I was hiding. I laughed even harder. The idiots, there was no money. We always kept our money working so we had nearly no liquid capital.
Whenever we were flush from a sale we used the portion we paid ourselves with to take long luxurious vacations and shopping sprees. We always kept just enough for a rainy day and enough to flip another house.
We were young and just about to enter our 30’s. We had planned to start saving for retirement, we even started a small retirement fund. That was all washed away now. Every penny of it went toward her treatments, treatments that never worked. My heart was heavy with loss. “Fuck cancer,” I screamed into the empty room.
Chapter One
“You’re such a naughty girl.” Smack. The pain of his hand across my ass was a welcoming comfort. I lived for the pain. The smacking of his hand against my flesh stung bet felt so good.
“Do you know what I’m going to do to you?” Smack. My ass felt like it was on fire. I attempted to wiggle free of my restraints.
“Such a naughty girl, trying to escape,” Smack. Smack. Smack. The pain that seared across my ass quickly turned to pleasure as his hand continued to smack across my exposed bottom.
My moans muted by the silicone ball gag in my mouth. The broad leather strap that held it firmly in my mouth tightly secured around my head. I felt my core flood with heat from my arousal.
I felt him leave, the heat that radiated off his body dissipating. A shiver of cold ran down my spine. I was blinded by the mask that had been placed over my eyes, unable to see where he went. I lay completely naked on a cold metal table. My top half lay helplessly strapped down by thick leather belts with cold iron buckles. My hands bound behind my back with silk rope. My legs spread open and bound by the tight leather straps attached to the iron spreader bar, which was attached to the legs of the table. My toes grazed the cold concrete beneath me.
I searched my senses for him, my master. I whimpered in need for him. The room remained silent. Not even the ticking of a clock or the rustling of clothing could be heard. My body prickled with goosebumps. I could hear my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. The steady thump, thump, thump staccato pulsed in my ears. The throbbing between my legs gr
ew with need. I struggled beneath my binds.
I heard the swishing of the air behind me before I felt the sting on my ass, a flogger. My ass lit up as the leather straps rained down repeatedly across my tender flesh. The pain quickly turned to pleasure as the heat spread across my tender flesh.
I moaned around the gag. The flogging stopped just as quickly as it had started. I had been bad. I wasn’t supposed to make a sound. Master wasn’t going to be happy.
“Did you say something, naughty girl?” His voice was deep and warm as it echoed through the room. It held me captive. I wanted to roll around in his deep baritone. To have it caress my flesh and pull me to oblivion. He knew I enjoyed the sound of his voice, that’s why he often kept it from me. I knew how he was going to punish me.
I felt the sound deprivation headphones come over my ears. I whined in protest. His hand came across my backside in warning. I was left lying there with no sound, no sight, no voice, and bound. I was completely at his mercy.
I felt hands spread my ass cheeks. A cool liquid was dripped between them. My body hummed to life as I felt it run down between my globes, sending a glorious sensation along with it. It felt like a feathery kiss in my most sensitive region.
Hands remained on my ass, spreading my cheeks as a tongue darted across my slit. I hissed at the sensation. My need growing. My clit was sucked between two gloriously tender lips. My eyes rolled in the back of my head as the owner of the lips swirled their tongue around my tender bean.
My breath caught when I felt two thumbs work their way across my tight anus. Slowly they rotated circles across my ring. The dual sensation of the sucking at my clit with the swirling tongue and the thumbs circling my ring nearly sent me over the edge. My body jerked against the straps begging for more. I was rewarded with a nip on my clit which causes me to stop all movement. I promised myself that I would be a good girl and here I was being greedy.
A La Mode Page 10
