by Portia Moore
I must have fallen asleep at some point, though, because I wake up to the sound of the front door shutting hard, and footsteps in the foyer along with the sound of a giggling female voice.
Half asleep, I get up and tiptoe to my bedroom door, opening it and peeking around the door. My heart is pounding in my chest—who is in my apartment in the middle of the night? The only two people who have a key are me and…
Alex.
I see him stumble into the living room, a woman on his arm, and in the dim light coming in through the windows and French doors I can see that it’s the woman in the Tesla, the one who was kissing him. She pushes him down onto the couch, and I can see her face in profile as she pulls her dress over her head; I’ve never seen any woman so beautiful. She looks like a movie star—perfect skin and wide eyes in a gorgeous face, and her body is flawless, round perky breasts, and a slender waist that slopes into hips that were made to grab onto. I feel my face flushing red, tears coming to my eyes as I see her turn towards Alex.
Her lacy bra hits the floor, and all I can see is the heart shape of her ass as she kneels between Alex’s legs, her hands smoothing up his thighs as I hear the sound of his zipper coming down, and then his head falls back, a groan coming from his lips as she starts to go down on him. I know exactly how much he loves that. All the little tricks that make him go crazy, and it seems like she does too, because his hands are buried in her hair, his hips thrusting up into her mouth as he moans a name that I can’t quite hear. And then she’s crawling onto his lap, his hands and mouth on her breasts as she reaches between them, and I catch a glimpse of him for a moment before she pushes her thong aside and guides him into her. “I can’t wait any longer,” I hear her gasp, her hips starting to move as she rides him, and I see the look of pure bliss on Alex’s face before he looks over her shoulder and his eyes go wide as he sees me in the doorway.
I expect him to push her off of him, apologize, make excuses, something. But instead, his face just hardens, and he grabs her hips, thrusting up harder into her as he spreads his legs wider, giving me a clear view of him fucking her for all he’s worth as he looks directly into my eyes, a satisfied grin on his face as the woman throws her head back, her long thick hair falling down her back as she starts to scream his name, her hips grinding down onto him as she comes hard.
“So,” Alex says aloud, still looking directly at me as he keeps fucking her, harder and harder as he approaches his own climax, “how does it feel to watch, Madison?”
My hand flies up to cover my mouth, stifling a sob as tears run down my face and I turn away, wanting to melt into the floor, wanting to die, wanting anything but to have to see this, the man I love more than anything inside another woman while she screams his name.
And then my eyes fly open and I sit straight up in bed, covered in a cold sweat, gasping for breath through the tears that just won’t stop, no matter how hard I try.
22
Alex
On the morning of Blaire’s birthday party, my entire team is a whirlwind. I’ve never been so grateful for Casey and Kristen. They both help me delegate and take on as much as they can handle, and Casey even managed to volunteer her boyfriend as extra help. As we finish setting up, I start to feel more and more confident that we can pull this off. Casey is the most professional assistant I could have asked for, and Kristen shifts between roles so smoothly that I can’t believe I ever considered not hiring her back. She might be a reminder of Madison, but I’m incredibly glad that I had to bring her back on board.
The event is elaborate beyond what even I imagined—the servers and bartenders are all in costume as Jade requested, the girls in sexy pink Alice in Wonderland costumes, and the men wearing elaborately made Mad Hatter top hats. It’s ridiculous and over the top and exactly what I would have expected from Blaire after meeting her, and I’m impressed that Jade has managed to coordinate all of this. The venue itself is huge, and it’s already starting to fill up with guests despite the event having just started.
I’m finishing up setting out the decorated drink menus when I see Blaire walk in, posing on her red carpet as shouts and whistles echo through the air. She’s beautiful, much more adult than I’ve ever seen her look before in a sexy version of Alice’s costume, an expensive blonde wig making her look her age instead of the wacky rainbow hair she’s usually sporting.
And then I see Jade behind her, dressed in a plunging white gown that’s meant to be a heart card, with the red hearts embroidered over her breasts and the neckline down to her navel, with red and gold glitter sparkling over her glowing skin in the V of it. Her nails are long and bright red, and she’s wearing a black wig, done in an elaborate updo held in place by carved pins that have red enamel hearts on the ends of them. I’m stunned for a second looking at her, and it’s only Casey calling me to help with a drink emergency that pulls me away.
I couldn’t be prouder of my team. The event is nuts, exactly as Jade predicted, but they handle it smoothly and professionally. The crowd is all young—very early twenties for the most part—and none of them hold their liquor well or know how to behave. They’re demanding and entitled, but all of my servers and bartenders let it roll off their backs, charming the guests and keeping the elaborate drinks and fancy appetizers coming for as long as they want them.
I hardly have a chance to speak to Jade. She’s bouncing in and out of the kitchen and around the event, making sure everything runs smoothly, but I catch her eye more than once. I’ve got no end of drunk girls hitting on me, all of them way too young for me to even consider, but Jade notices. I see a spark of jealousy in her eyes when she sees one particularly pretty, thin blonde—in what’s basically Queen of Hearts lingerie—hanging onto my arm as she tries to order a drink. I shake her off, but I catch Jade’s bemused smile and shake my head. There’s no way I’m going home with any of these girls, but I can’t deny that it feels good to be wanted.
It’s several hours in when Blaire sidles up to the bar, plopping down on one of the seats. “Hi Alex,” she says, her words running together as she picks up a drink menu. “Did you know I hired you because you’re hot? Because I did.”
I choke back a laugh. “I think you did mention it,” I say carefully, trying to think of how to cut her off without upsetting her. She’s drunk, and I’m not sure how much she’s had. The last time I saw her, she was doing a challenge with her friends where they took a shot of every color available. I don’t want to make her anything else, and I’m considering whether to just make her a virgin drink and try to fool her when she gets up off of the stool and comes around the bar, her hand reaching for my ass as she leans up against me. “You could be my birthday present,” she mumbles, looking up at me with wide eyes.
I glance down at her with alarm. “Blaire…” I start to say, but she reaches up and puts a finger over my lips.
“Are you having a good time?” she asks playfully, grinning at me.
“I am,” I tell her, trying to offer her a water.
“Wanna come back to my place for a better time? This party is getting boring,” she says, pressing herself closer to me as I look around desperately for Jade to help with this.
“Where are your friends?” I ask her, trying to gently peel her off of me.
“What?” She looks up at me with glazed eyes. “None of these people are my friends,” she mumbles, stumbling back against the bar, and I suddenly feel sorry for her; this girl who has become famous way too young and with no idea how to handle all of the people who want something from her.
“I’m just going to find a guy who wants to have fun,” she says accusingly, shoving away from the bar, and I gently put a hand on her arm.
“No, stay here,” I convince her. “I just want to get to know you a little better, that’s all,” I lie, trying to sound flirtatious as I look around again for Jade. I don’t want her going off and potentially getting more drunk, or ending up with someone who might take advantage of her.
“Let me get you some
water, you’ll feel better,” I tell her. “Here, you can come back in the staff area, and we can hang out in a minute, once I’ve finished up at the bar. How does that sound?”
She looks mildly annoyed, but I manage to steer her back there, waving at Kristen to come over as I find her a spot in the back room and give her a glass of water. “Come sit,” she says, and I give her my most charming smile.
“As soon as I finish,” I promise, steering Kristen towards her as she approaches. “This is Kristen, one of my servers. She’s been just dying to meet you,” I say pointedly at Kristen, who picks up quickly on what’s going on and sits down with Blaire.
That crisis momentarily averted, I dart out of the room and quickly track down Jade, who is arguing with one of the caterers about missing desserts. “Jade,” I call out, and she turns sharply at the sound of my voice, telling the caterer to wait a minute as she walks over to me. “Your client needs you,” I tell her, feeling exhausted already from dealing with Blaire. “She’s way beyond drunk.”
“Is she?” Jade says archly. “Well, for your information, she’s not my client anymore.” She looks annoyed as she says it, and I stifle a deep sigh. Of course there’s drama, today of all days. Of course.
“Blaire fired me,” she continues, her lips thinning as she looks at me. “Her asshole of a boyfriend decided to try to grab my ass, and Blaire flipped out, kicked him out, and then fired me because…well, who knows what the logic behind that was but honestly, good riddance. I already got paid for this event. But of course I’m still under contract, so I have to finish up today, and then I’m free of this whole mess.”
“Look, I get why you’re pissed,” I say tiredly, running a hand through my hair. “But we need to get Blaire home. She’s on the verge of being passed out and if we don’t, she’s going to wander off and get herself in trouble. You really think anyone here, especially the guys, have her best interest in mind?”
“I’m so sick of this girl,” Jade mutters, but when she looks at my expression, she sighs, relenting. “Fine. But only if you come with me,” she insists, and I’m about to respond when Kristen appears at my elbow.
“Casey is watching her now,” she says quickly. “We’re getting along great, though. Blaire agreed to show me her apartment if you come up with us, Alex. So maybe we should move that along before she changes her mind?”
It’s clear that Kristen has managed to establish a rapport with Blaire even in her drunken state, getting Blaire to put her arm through Kristen’s and chattering along with her as we all make our way to the elevator that will take us down to the lobby of the venue. I can’t help but be impressed; she’s managed to get Blaire from intransigent to giggly drunk in a matter of minutes, and from the expression on Jade’s face, I can tell that she’s reluctantly impressed as well.
We crowd in an Uber and head to Blaire’s apartment, and when we make it up to her penthouse floor and open the door, Kristen’s jaw practically hits the luxurious carpet. “Shit,” she breathes aloud. “Maybe I should ditch the acting dream after all and just start a YouTube channel.”
“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” Blaire mumbles, falling onto the couch as Kristen sits next to her and says something quietly to her, trying to soothe her. I go to the refrigerator and pour her a glass of water as Jade hangs back, looking irritated. “Kristen, can you make her some coffee?” I ask. “She needs something in her system. Jade, make sure she doesn’t throw up, okay?”
Jade says something under her breath that I can’t hear, but walks over to the couch as Kristen comes into the kitchen and looks for Keurig pods.
With a cup of coffee and a glass of water in front of Blaire, who’s curled up in the fetal position on the couch, the three of us stand and look at her, considering what to do next. “Well,” Jade says. “You’re safe and sound, Blaire, just get some sleep and don’t open the door for anyone, okay? Happy birthday,” she adds, before turning to head towards the door. “Let’s go, guys.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t leave her,” Kristen says, chewing on her lip as she looks at Blaire.
“Well, I’m sure as hell not staying.” Jade glares at us both. “Come on, let’s go.”
I look over at Kristen, and in that moment she reminds me more of Madison than she ever has—not just in looks, but her attitude. It’s clear that she has a kind heart and is genuinely worried about Blaire, and I can imagine Madison being exactly the same way if she were here. It makes me miss her more than ever.
Jade glances over at me, then at Kristen, and returns to us, letting out a sigh. “Well, why don’t we all just stay then, and make sure she’s okay,” she concedes, moving closer to me as she eyes Kristen.
“Let’s have a sleepover!” Blaire calls out from the couch, still half-awake. “No, it’s my birthday, I’m telling you. We’re going to have a sleepover.”
“A sleepover it is then,” I say quickly, “but just the girls.”
“No, you should stay,” Jade says, touching my arm. “What if someone caught a glimpse of Blaire and the state she’s in and followed us back? She’s got plenty of people who don’t like her. We could use a guy around to keep an eye on things.”
I let out a long sigh. I’m not buying the “hey tough guy, can you protect us,” act, but I also feel bad leaving Kristen to deal with Blaire with only Jade there, who is completely over Blaire and her behavior.
“Alright,” I tell her, “just let me call Casey and make sure she can handle everything.”
Casey says that she can handle the bar and shutting everything down no problem, and with that squared away, I resign myself to an evening of babysitting. But less than twenty minutes later, Blaire is completely passed out on the couch with a blanket over her that Kristen found, and Jade is in the kitchen making drinks for us because, as she put it, “We’re here, might as well have a little party of our own.”
“Come get the best margaritas in the city!” she calls out a few minutes later, and Kristen and I make our way into the kitchen, not wanting to wake Blaire up. I accept a margarita on the rocks, and as she hands Kristen hers, she looks her up and down. “So, are you a model?” Jade asks, and Kristen laughs shortly as she takes the drink.
“I’ve done some here and there,” she says briefly. “But I want to be an actress, that’s my dream.”
“You’re gorgeous,” Jade says, with just a hint of envy in her voice. “You could probably do anything you wanted. What’s your social media handles? I might have some people I could hook you up with.”
“Thanks, but I have people already,” Kristen tells her politely, but her voice is cool, almost disinterested, and I’m surprised. I assumed Kristen was a bit of a social climber, like a lot of girls in the industry are, and Jade could open a lot of doors for her if she were so inclined. I’m about to gently nudge Kristen to be a bit more forthcoming when she glances over at me, quickly changing the subject.
“So, Alex, have you talked to Madison?” she asks pointedly, and I can practically see Jade’s ears perk up.
“Who’s Madison?” she asks curiously, and Kristen looks over at her.
“Alex’s ex,” she says coolly. “My half-sister.”
“Wow, Alex,” Jade says teasingly. “This Madison seems to be all around you. You just can’t get away.”
This is a conversational rabbit hole I’m not about to go down, no pun intended. I smile tightly at both of them. “It’s been a long day,” I say, setting down my drink. “I think I need to get some sleep.”
“I know my way around this place,” Jade says. “I’ll show you a guest room where you can sleep.”
I nod and tell Kristen good night, letting Jade show me the way down the hall to a luxurious guest room with a huge king-sized bed. Before I can turn and tell her good night, she slips inside, closing the door behind us both.
“You’re not my client anymore,” she tells me, looking up at me with those wide gorgeous eyes, and I can’t help but glance down at her sparkling cleavage as she leans
up, running her hands through my hair before leaning forward and kissing me.
There’s nothing subtle about the kiss; she wants me. She arches herself against me, her tongue sliding over my lip as she deepens the kiss, and for a second, I want to give in. She smells amazing, some kind of sweet perfume that reminds me of dessert, and she feels good under my hands as I reach for her waist, kissing her back for just a moment as I struggle between what my mind is screaming at me and what my body wants.
Madison’s half-sister is on the other side of that door, I remind myself, and pull back with some difficulty, detaching Jade from me and stepping back. “My situation has changed,” I admit to her, catching my breath. “Things are…different.”
Jade waits for a moment, expecting me to explain, and then lets out a small huff. “You’re back with your ex, aren’t you?” she asks. “Madison.”
“No, we’re not back together.” I let out a long sigh, looking at her. “She’s pregnant.”
Jade is stunned for a moment, but to my surprise, she smiles at me, taking a step forward as she gently lays a hand on my chest. “I’m flattered,” she says softly, and when I look at her in confusion, she just keeps smiling. “You must think of me as more than a fling in order to explain that to me.” She cocks her head. “I like that,” she tells me, and then leans forward, wrapping a hand around the back of my head as she gives me another deep kiss, her whole body against mine for a moment before she steps back of her own accord, smiling seductively. “Good night, Alex,” she says, and then walks out of the room without another word.
My head is spinning as I drop onto the bed. It’s clear she’s not about to be easily deterred, and I have no idea what I want to do about it. I have to admit that she intrigues me; she’s not like any woman I’ve ever dated, and I can’t deny I’m attracted to her.
