by Sadie Black
“Get lost, did you?”
Jumping at the unexpected intrusion on my thoughts, I knock the heavy frame over, managing to catch it just before it slips to the ground. Clutching the cool metal picture frame against my chest I turn and face Marjorie’s sneer.
“This is why some people can’t have nice things.” She tugs the picture from my arms, her eyes soften and the harsh edges of her face relax as she looks at the relic from her past. She delicately places the frame back on the shelf before turning toward me accusingly. “What are you doing in here anyway?”
“I took a wrong turn. Girls like me aren’t used to such big fancy houses, I guess.”
Her face pinches. “More like you were snooping. Well, I hope you found what you came for. As you can see, Mattie and I have a long history.” She glances at the much younger, softer version of herself on the mantle again. “He just needs some time to get his wild days out of his system with some cheap girls like you, but he’ll come back to me. He always does.” The last part sounds like a threat. Obviously, this woman has some issues with closure. Either way, I’m not invested enough in “Mattie” to put up with this bitch’s drama, but the way she keeps making her digs at me has brought out my nasty side.
“I can see why he liked you.” I nod at the photo. “You were so pretty then. What was that?” I look at her hair and her hardened face. “Twelve or fifteen years ago?”
“Listen you little bitch, if you think you’re special just because Mattie brought you out for a night, you better think again. He won’t even remember your name next week, sweetheart.” She bares her teeth like she might lunge for my throat and try to rip it out.
“Marjorie! What is going on in here?” Matthew quickly closes the gap between us, striding over to my side and firmly placing himself between myself and his rabid ex. His shoulders look even broader now that he’s standing up straight with his chin squared. He narrows his eyes at her while she withers in front of my eyes like the wicked witch with some water poured on her.
“Nothing Mattie, I was just giving Kendra a few facts, that’s all.” She stiffens her lip but won’t look him in the eye.
“Sounded more like a history lesson,” I reply, leaning into Matthew’s warm, hard body for emphasis. I do a victory dance inside when he wraps his arm around me.
“I thought I made myself clear earlier, back off Marj. I won’t ask you again.” He hasn’t raised his voice, and yet it fills the room, making his message known to every nook and cranny in here.
Marjorie blinks repeatedly, but she pulls her shoulders back and composes herself in an instant. “I do understand, Mattie. I understand that we’re still playing this little game.”
“It isn’t a game!” His voice thunders off the walls and echoes down the hall. I shudder from the power of it, and half expect someone to come running in to see what’s going on. “It has been years, Marjorie, I don’t know how many times you expect me to go through this with you,” he says less angrily.
“If you don’t love me then why do you keep that picture of us then? Tell me that! You obviously still care.” She has a point there.
“I keep that picture as a reminder of the damage that money can do. How it can rot something that was once pure from the inside,” he speaks through his clenched teeth.
“Oh please don’t turn this into another one of your poor-little-rich-boy moments, Mattie. Next you’ll be spouting off about all your Daddy issues…”
Matthew releases me and grabs her by the wrist violently, twisting it in the air. “Enough!”
Marjorie’s eyes grow wide with surprise, but she quickly calms down. “Oh, is this foreplay, Mattie? You might as well let your dark meat know what you’re into now. Not that she’ll care. I bet she’ll do just about anything for some cash, won’t ya honey?”
Matthew jerks her arm higher, and she yelps. “You need to leave now, Marj.” He throws down her hand in disgust and wraps his arm around me, gently guiding me toward the door. “Don’t make me call security on you… again,” he warns her over his shoulder as we walk away. I peek back and watch Marjorie hunch over and start to cry.
My mind is so sucked in by the chaos I don’t even notice that we aren’t heading back out to the party until we’ve walked deep into the labyrinth of his house. I swear you must need a trail of breadcrumbs or something to find your way back out of here. We reach a large, dark door, and he opens it for me, allowing me to walk past him first into a masculine office full of wood carvings, leather furniture, and a huge mahogany desk.
“What would you like to drink, Kendra?” Matthew nods toward a well stocked bar near a floor to ceiling window. I’ve never been much of a drinker. I can count the amount of times I’ve gotten drunk on two fingers. “Ummm, what do you have?”
“How about I surprise you?” His aqua blue eyes seem to glow in the lowlight of the room. This has been a night full of surprises, what’s one more?
“Sure, sounds good.”
As he mixes a drink like a chemist mixing an antidote in a lab, he doesn’t seem the least bit phased by the whole scene that just went down. How often does this sort of thing happen in his life? His calm, cool demeanor is making me question my memories of the drama that just played out between him and Marjorie.
“Here, tell me what you think.” He brings me a glass with a drink that looks like orange tang. I take a small sip and am pleasantly surprised that it tastes like a fancy lemonade.
“It’s really good, thank you.” I take another sip and watch as he sits with his concoction on the pure, white leather sofa, patting the seat invitingly. When I join him, I’m confused for a second as he takes my glass from me and places it on a table with his. Confused until he wraps his strong arm around me. His kiss is so light on my lips that it almost feels like the fuzzy memory of a dream upon them. He sucks my bottom lip into his mouth slowly, tenderly tugging on it with his teeth, making me moan at the unexpected sensation.
His hand travels down my dress to the hem and doesn’t hesitate for a second before pushing up between my thighs, hovering over my wet panties. I gasp, I’ve never come close to having any man touch me like this. My body is hungry for more of him, but my mind won’t stop spinning. Is this really how I want to lose my virginity? On a first date with a man who will probably never see me again? Marjorie isn’t wrong, he probably won’t even remember my name.
“Stop,” I pant into his mouth weakly, but I push my hips forward, grinding my juicy mound toward the heat of his hand. He pushes me backward onto his couch and moves between my legs so quickly that my mind is now firing off alarm bells. This is too much! Too fast! He grabs my wrists in one of his hands and roughly tugs them over my head, pulling my dress up with his free hand and kisses me passionately.
His free hand glides up the inside of my thigh until he reaches my soaking panties. Matthew’s finger pushes against my panties, putting just the right amount of pressure on my clit. I mewl, bucking my hips toward him. The intensity of his touch is so perfect, it feels like this is what I’ve been waiting for. I’m just not sure that this is the right time.
My reservations melt away again as our tongue caress and collide. I’m tired of being the good little girl, it’s time to have some fun for once. I open my legs wider, encouraging him to keep stroking my pussy. I didn’t even know I could get this wet. He sucks my bottom lip back in across his teeth, less gently this time and then gives it a painful nip that brings me back to reality.
“Owww! No, we need to stop. I just can’t.”
He releases my arms quickly and sits back up so fast it feels surreal. I’m still lying in front of him with my legs splayed open with a total disregard for modesty and my head spinning.
“If you want to stop, you’ll have to quit putting on a show for me, Kendra,” Matthew muses, smiling at my exposed lace panties. I sit up quickly and tug down the hem of my dress, heat firing up through my throat and ears.
“Is there a problem?” He raises his eyebrow with the hairline sc
ar on it and his blue eyes twinkle. I feel like a fool. What kind of 26-year-old panics at the idea of having sex with a handsome billionaire?
“No, not a problem. I just can’t keep going. I’m sorry, it’s all just kind of overwhelming, you know? I mean there was all the drama, like fifteen minutes ago with your ex and really, she’s right. I know this isn’t a big deal for you, but it is for me. That’s why I’ve waited so long and I just can’t, and I should probably go home.” I finally take a breath after spewing out my explanation like one long word.
“Waited so long? Are you telling me you’re in grad school, and you’ve never been fucked?” He looks amused. Too amused at my expense. Like the very idea is so ridiculous to him that he can barely stop himself from laughing at me. My skin burns with shame as my eyes brim with tears. The last thing I need tonight is to be the butt of another rich person’s joke. I stand up abruptly and head for the door. I won’t sit here and be laughed at for having integrity, I don’t care how big of a deal this guy thinks he is.
“I need to leave. Please call me a cab.” I won’t look at him. I will not give him the satisfaction of seeing how much he’s affected me. I never should’ve let my guard down with someone like him.
“A cab! Do you know how far we are from the city? It’s a two-hour drive. You aren’t a prisoner here, Kendra. If you want to leave, I’ll get the pilot…”
“No!” The idea of getting back in that helicopter is terrifying. “I’m not impressed by your stupid helicopter, and I don’t want to fly. I just want to go home, now!” I whirl around and feel even angrier by the stupid grin on his face. He’s loving this. Maybe that’s part of his game.
“No need for a tantrum, I’ll have my driver meet you at the front. He’ll take you home safely, I can assure you.” His face goes from amusement to completely disregarding me. It’s like he’s shut off any part of him that showed me any interest or respect just moments ago. I wait, stupidly, for him to walk me out or acknowledge that I’m leaving, but he just sits behind his desk and starts shuffling through paperwork. I guess I’ve been dismissed.
Leaving the house is more complicated than I had hoped. Luckily, I have a decent sense of direction, so I manage to get to the front door without steering too far off course. The entire way out I just keep my jaw shut tight and blink back my tears. I will not cry here. I won’t do it. As I reach the front step, I can see the limo among the others in the driveway, but his has a driver waiting for me holding the door to the back seat open for me subserviently. I’m almost there. Just hold it together for a few more seconds.
“Bored with you already, is he? That must be a new record, even for him.” I whirl around to see Marjorie with a cigarette dangling from her crimson lips.
“Fuck off you cow.” I turn back on my heel and climb into the waiting car. No sooner than the door shuts, the tears start flowing, thank god for tinted windows. As the car pulls out I feel a mixed bag of emotions, shame, anger, disgust and the most upsetting of all, yearning. I hate myself for wanting him almost as much as I hate myself for walking away. Now I have a two-hour drive back to the city to think about it.
Chapter 4: The Apology
Just get through this shift. It’s not like you knew the guy, and it’s not like he matters. Move on. I walk into the diner with my head down. After my late night and enough tears to fill a bathtub, I know my eyes are puffy. You never should’ve gotten swept up, this is real life, not some fairy tale. I wrap my uniform’s apron around me like a hug, comforted by its familiarity. I’m not going to say that this is where I belong, I haven’t been busting my ass for the last six years to say that. However, last night was an eye-opener. If that’s how the other half lives, and acts, then I’m happy I’ll never be in their inner circle.
I grab my time card, and Brianna pops up beside me, phone in hand. “Oh my god, you made the news Kendra! Can you believe it? Tell me everything. You got to ride in a helicopter, are you kidding me? Why didn’t you call me? Did you stay the night? Tell me, tell me!” She’s so giddy I want to smack her.
I glance at the news article she has open on her phone. Sure enough, there’s a picture of me walking arm-in-arm with prince charming himself, the helicopter sitting in the background like a movie prop. More like I was the prop. I grab her phone and skim the article, apparently the charity event was for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. I feel like I’ve been kicked in the gut. Ever since mama died from her heart attack, that foundation has been important to me. I make a donation every year, despite the fact that I’m scraping by. I remember all the peacocking and self-congratulatory speeches from the night before. After hours of sitting there, I still hadn’t heard a single word about what charity the fundraiser was for. My mood flashes back to darkness. Leave it to a bunch of rich people to turn a charity event that should mean something into an infomercial about themselves.
“Well? Are you gonna leave me hanging here?” Brianna interrupts my thoughts. “I want details. Don’t leave anything out. Were there any celebrities?”
“No, and I don’t really want to talk about it.” Matthew’s mocking smile flashes in my mind, and my eyes brim back up with tears.
“Hey, what happened?” She touches my arm. “Are you ok?”
I nod and head out to the dining area. We grab some rags and spray bottles and head out to the booths to wipe down all the tables before the dinner rush comes in. It also gives us a chance to talk without the curious ears of prep cooks listening in.
“Spill it.”
“It just wasn’t fun. It started out ok, but then we ran into his ex, and she’s straight up bat-shit.”
“Really? Did she talk to you?”
“Yeah, she kinda threatened me actually. Like I said, she’s off her meds or something. And the speeches these people sit through, oh my god, I thought I was an expert in sitting through boring lectures after so much college, but this was ridiculous. They just talk, so people will look at them, but they don’t say anything.”
“Ok, that sucks, but what happened with you and Matthew? Stop holding back.”
“At first, he was so great. He looked like a movie star, and he handled his ex pretty good. Then we started making out.”
“Now we’re talking!” Brianna stops pretending to work and focuses on me.
“I just didn’t want to keep going. I know I don’t mean anything to him, and that’s not how I want my first time going down. Anyway, he’s just like the rest of those rich assholes. He thought he was entitled to everything, just because he has money and then he pretty much laughed in my face when I told him I’m a virgin.”
“Ugh, what a dick. I’m sorry it ended like that, hon.”
“Sounds like he needs some sense slapped into him,” a baritone voice rumbles behind us.
We both jump around at the unexpected intrusion on our conversation. It’s him! Matthew is holding a bouquet of white lilies looking sheepish. I don’t move, his eyes have me locked in place, plus I don’t trust my knees right now. Damn, I hate that he has this effect on me.
“What are you doing here?”
“Kendra, I was very rude last night.”
“You can say that again.”
“I was a dick. I wanted to show you how sorry I am.” He holds the flowers out to me, and I clutch them gently. No one has ever brought me flowers before. I guess it comes with never having had any boyfriends. Where am I supposed to put these anyway? In the kitchen? This is exactly the sort of impractical thinking that shows how different our lives are.
“Well, you said it, so thanks for the flowers,” I answer curtly. I don’t have any intention of letting this guy hurt me twice in only twelve hours.
Matthew rubs the back of his neck. “Let me make it up to you, please? We started off on the wrong foot. Marjorie has a way of bringing out my nasty side, I’m afraid. It’s one of the many reasons we aren’t together anymore.”
I realize that Brianna is still standing beside us, watching us like characters on her TV. Why doesn’t s
he just get herself a bowl of popcorn? Matthew and I both look at her, and she obliviously stares back at us waiting for us to continue. “Brianna, come on.” I urge her to give us some privacy. I mean I love the girl like my sister, but she needs some boundaries. She sighs exaggeratedly and oh-so-slowly puts some distance between herself and us.
Turning my attention back to Matthew, I find my voice. “Look, you can’t blame your behavior on Marjorie. No matter how terrible she is, it’s no excuse.”
“Well, she is that,” he murmurs.
“Thank you for the flowers and the apology. I really need to get back to work now.”
