Love's Trusting (The Love's Series)

by Jordan, Maryann

  “Jesus fuck,” Matt grumbled. “This is going to be such a mistake.”

  The three women protested loudly. Suzanne reminded them that they were there just to meet a new client from the clinic who had invited them. “We’ll just stay to get a drink and check the place out. You do know that you could have let us come alone.”

  This statement had BJ pulling her around, plastering her to his front. “Babe, you keep this up and someone’s going to find themselves across my knees tonight with that sweet ass bared,” he whispered loudly while one hand provocatively patted her ass.

  Coming to the club door, they were surprised to see a bouncer in a dark suit standing outside. The exterior of the club was ordinary but after entering, they could see the elegant interior. Dark wood paneling covered the walls with low lighting from sconces. A long, curved bar was situated along the right wall, the red leather bar stools next to the polished wooden bar. Red leather booths lined the left wall and beyond that sitting area was the stage with what looked to be a bar and stools around it as well.

  Suzanne noted that Sherrie had been truthful about the strip stage being near the back with plenty of seating up front away from the naked entertainment. Earlier that day she had confessed to her friends that she was nervous about going to a strip club, even knowing it was going to be up-scale. She and BJ still seemed new to her and the idea of him gawking at naked women right in front of her made her nervous. She felt better when Lily admitted the same thing.

  Annie had laughed when she agreed. “I know lots of women go, but I have no idea how I will react when women start taking their clothes off in front of Shane. But if he found out I went without him? Well, let’s just say he can be a bit caveman when he wants to be!”

  “I think Brad has been taking caveman lessons from your men. Thinking back on it, when we were together in high school he was definitely an alpha in the making but now it’s…”

  “Wonderful and annoying all at the same time?” Lily quipped.

  So now the three friends walked in, curiosity mixed with trepidation.

  “Suzanne, I’m glad you could come,” came a pleasant voice from the bar. Sherrie walked toward the group wearing a modest black blouse paired with a short black pencil skirt. Black hose and pumps completed her outfit.

  Suzanne was pleased and surprised to see the waitresses looking so elegant. “Hey Sherrie. I’d like you to meet my friends.” She introduced the others in their group before asking where they should sit.

  Sherrie led them to a private, curved booth that was angled slightly away from the rear stage. “I think you’ll be more comfortable here.”

  The women shot her a grateful look as the men quickly maneuvered their women into the booth.

  Their drinks followed shortly and the girls began enjoying themselves. Suzanne noticed that the men actually seemed to relax as their fears about the club dissipated. Just then, the entertainment was announced and the raucous clapping from the stage area became louder. The dim lights were darkened even more as the dancers began their pole routines.

  Curiosity took over and Suzanne leaned around the corner of the booth to see what was happening. The dancers were pretty but in a very heavily made-up way. Their g-strings were nonexistent and it did not take long for the tops to come off showing large, fake breasts.

  BJ shifted her back saying, “Babe, is this what you thought it would be?”

  She turned to see Lily and Annie both straining up to watch the show too while Matt and Shane tugged them back into their seats.

  “It’s kind of…seedy, isn’t it?” Suzanne said, her face scrunched in thought. “I mean not the women. They’re just dancing and their bodies are great. But…some of the men out there are…”

  Lily finished her sentence saying, “Desperate?”

  Annie was nodding her agreement as the men looked on in surprise.

  Suzanne looked at BJ, trying to explain, “Some men are over there having drinks and enjoying the show. Quietly. And maybe under the table they are…”

  “Hard and jerking off,” Lily interjected again with a giggle as Matt rolled his eyes.

  “Yeah,” Suzanne said. “But at least there’s a dignity about it. But some of those men…” she paused again as they listened to the loud, rude shouts coming from a bachelor party in the back, “are just jerks.”

  Sherrie had walked over to hear the last comment. “It’s just society, sweetie. Some men think that if a woman dances nude in public then she is a prostitute.” Nodding her head toward the stage, “Most of those women are single moms or college students who need the money and they’ll never make that much doing anything else.”

  The noise from the back settled down as a bouncer convinced the bachelor party to quiet or leave. The effects of the drinks began to settle over the six friends and they enjoyed a night out. Suzanne bumped BJ with her shoulder. “I need out, baby,” she whispered.

  “I’m not letting you go to the ladies’ room alone, babe,” he said.

  Rolling her eyes, they were interrupted when Lily and Annie both started to scoot out of the booth as well.

  The men just shared a look, knowing women’s penchant for going en masse to the restroom. BJ slid back into the booth, his eyes barely skimming the dancer in the back. Pretty, but she’s got nothing on my Suzy.

  The women exited the ladies’ room heading back over toward their booth. Sherrie came around the corner and greeted them. Annie and Lily walked ahead and Suzanne stopped to talk for a moment.

  “I really like where you work,” she said genuinely. “I was worried, but it’s much nicer than I thought it would be.”

  Smiling, Sherrie replied, “Yeah I know. I don’t like working in a strip joint, but my parents are dead and my sister has made some…poor choices. So I’m trying to make it through community college learning how to be a paralegal and this job pays the bills.”

  “Are you ever hit on?”

  Rolling her eyes, Sherrie admitted, “Not as much as you would expect. The owner wants the waitresses to wear these short skirts, but our blouses cover our boobs. He wants to keep the men’s eyes on the dancers. They are the ones who really bring in the drink money from the drunk, horny customers.”

  Just then, Jorge walked around the corner and saw who Sherrie was talking to. Before he was seen by Suzanne, he quickly turned and ducked into an office. Sherrie saw his reaction and fear flashed across her face.

  “Are you all right?” Suzanne asked.

  “Yeah, I just need to get back to the floor. I’m glad you could come in.”

  “No problem, it was a nice night out.”

  “Maybe we can go out sometime? Meet for coffee or something,” Sherrie asked, glancing to the side.

  “Sure, just let me know when and where,” Suzanne replied, her eyes darting to where Sherrie had been looking. Seeing nothing, she smiled and walked back to the booth running into BJ.

  “Hey babe. I was worried when you didn’t come back with the others.”

  “I was saying goodbye to Sherrie. Are you all ready to leave?”

  “Yeah, another bachelor party has arrived and it looks like the back is getting ready to get loud again.”

  Looking back toward the bar, she saw Sherrie in a deep conversation with a dark haired man. Something seemed familiar about him, but the lighting was too low to get a good look. Whoever he was, he did not look happy. I hope she didn’t get in trouble taking the time to say goodbye to me.

  Glancing at the stage as she walked to the booth, she saw that new dancers had arrived and their pole dancing was much more complicated than the earlier girls. Mentioning that to BJ, he replied that the more seasoned dancers had the later shifts when the crowds were bigger.

  “More tips,” he explained.

  Twisting up to look at him, she lifted her eyebrow. “And you would know this how?”

  A slight blush moved across his face as he dipped in low to plant a kiss on her lips. “Haven’t been a monk the past couple of years, babe.”<
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  Snorting at his response, they joined their friends in leaving, thoughts of Sherrie now out of her mind. Instead, she found herself wondering, What has BJ been doing these last four years? And with who?

  * * *

  “What the fuck were you thinking inviting that bitch and her friends here?” Jorge growled, holding tight to Sherrie’s arm.

  “You said to get acquainted with her and find out if there’s anything she knows,” she responded, jerking on her arm.

  “Did you see who she was with?” he bit out.

  “Her boyfriend and some friends of theirs. What’s the problem?”

  “She’s seen me, bitch. I don’t want to fuckin’ run into her wherever I work. And those men? Gotta be cops or security. They had a look and I don’t fuckin’ like their looks.”

  “Fine, I won’t bring her back.”

  “Make sure you don’t fuck up again or your pussy’s mine and I don’t care who your sister’s cunt belongs to.”

  With that, he stormed away leaving her shaking in his wake.

  Chapter 13

  The next morning Suzanne lay in bed, well sated from the previous night. BJ had barely made it home from the club before he was ordering her to strip off her dress. Feeling adventurous from seeing the dancers she gave him his own private strip and then lap dance. He allowed her to take the lead for a while, enjoying the show much better than the made-up, fake tits on the stage. But he soon took over and showed her just how much more he liked her show than the girls in the club.

  Now they both woke lazily, bodies tangled together, as the early morning sun peeked through the blinds on the window.

  A sound from the front door had BJ bolting up from the bed. Grabbing his pajama bottoms from the floor he quickly put them on.

  “What is it?” Suzanne asked softly, not understanding his actions.

  “Sounds like someone’s knocking but I don’t know who the fuck would come here this early on a Saturday morning. Stay here,” he ordered as he headed out of the bedroom.

  Not about to stay put, she grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it over her head just as she heard a female’s voice coming from the living room.

  “BJ! Hey baby, I’ve missed you,” came a voice.

  “What are you doing at my apartment Lisa?” she heard him growl.

  The female’s voice sounded less enthusiastic saying, “I just thought I would drop by since I got an extra flight last night that brought me into town.”

  “You’ve always called first, not just shown up.”

  “I…I’m sorry BJ. I thought it would be a nice surprise.”

  BJ was ushering the unexpected guest back toward the door when Suzanne came out from the bedroom.

  Licking her lips nervously, she looked at the stunning woman in the living room. Tall, big-breasted, wearing a tight pencil skirt, silk blouse, and sky-high heels. Suzanne glanced down at the woman’s feet and saw a rolling suitcase next to her.

  BJ heard the gasp from behind and knew before he turned around that Suzy was there. Jesus fuck. Taking a big breath he turned and walked toward her, the unsure look in her eyes piercing his heart. Reaching her he pulled her stiff body into his arms whispering, “Baby, I love you. This is someone from the past. She has nothing to do with who I am now.” Feeling her head nod against his chest, he kissed her forehead before turning back to Lisa.

  Stammering her embarrassment, Lisa said, “I’m so sorry. I seemed to have come at an inopportune time. I should have called first.”

  BJ, equally embarrassed, agreed. “If you’d fuckin’ called, I could have told you that I was involved with someone and we could have avoided this entire scene. You’ve always called first; just showing up at my apartment is totally uncool, Lisa. We were never that to each other.”

  Suzanne saw the other woman’s embarrassment and suddenly realized that she wasn’t as upset as she originally thought she would be. She had walked away from BJ four years ago. She was the one who set him free, therefore she could hardly be angry that he had found other women. I’m just lucky he didn’t find someone he loved more than me.

  Disengaging herself from BJ, she walked toward Lisa with her hand stuck out. “I’m Suzanne,” she said.

  Something flashed though Lisa’s eyes as she took in the dark-haired, natural beauty standing in front of her wearing BJ’s t-shirt. “Oh,” she said softly. “You’re the one aren’t you? The one from his past?”

  Confusion lit Suzanne’s face as she cocked her head. “I…I’m not sure what you mean.”

  Lisa glanced over at a visibly frustrated BJ and said, “I always knew there was someone special from his past. Someone he loved once. I had hoped that one day it would be me that he cared for, but I think I always knew that it was never going to happen.”

  Silence greeted the three of them as there seemed to be nothing else to say. Lisa broke the silence as she leaned down to grab her flight bag. “It was nice to meet you Suzanne. I’m sorry that I made a blunder of things.” She walked to the door before looking over her shoulder at BJ. “Goodbye BJ. I hope the two of you find what you’re looking for.”

  He walked up to Suzanne wrapping his arm around her, pulling her front tightly into his side. “We have.”

  With that she walked out and closed the door behind her.

  BJ and Suzanne stood perfectly still for a moment; the only sound in the room was their breathing.

  “Baby, I’m so sorry. I had no idea she would just show up. She was never a girlfriend. She was-”

  “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain.”

  He slid his hand down her arm, linking his fingers with hers, and tugged her toward the sofa. Pulling her down on his lap, he wrapped his arms around her. “No, I need to explain. In fact, this is a conversation that we need to have. And we’re going to have it here, not in the bedroom. I want no ghosts in the bedroom.”

  She looked at him, not sure where the conversation was going and not certain that she wanted to hear what he had to say.

  “I lost my mind when you left me, Suzy. When I finally realized that you weren’t going to come back to me, I lost myself in the college life for a while. I drank, I partied, and I confess to screwing around. A lot.” Seeing her wince, he looked at her blue eyes and confessed, “I’m not saying this to hurt you, just getting it out there baby. If we get it out there, then we deal. And it can’t come back and bite us in the ass later.”

  She pulled her lips in, trying to quiet her racing heart, terrified to hear that he might have given his heart to others while knowing that she had no one to blame but herself.

  “Honest to God, they were just fucks. That’s all. But I almost flunked out one semester; my dad gave me a good talking to and I cleaned up my act. I focused on school and graduating early and getting a job. In the past couple of years, I’ve had some hook-ups. Nothing serious.” Seeing the doubt in her eyes, he reiterated, “Nothing serious, not even Lisa. We met in a bar about a year ago when she was in town on business. We hooked up and agreed that when she was back in town we could hook up again. She’s back in town every other month, so we had an ongoing thing.”

  Suzanne stared into his beautiful, honest eyes. “Define ongoing thing?” she said softly.

  He sighed, hating the knowledge that his words would hurt her. “She’d call and we’d meet up. Dinner. Drinks. But it was always just sex. I liked her as a person but she was never, and I mean never, a contender for my heart. The last time she was in town was just before Shane and Annie’s wedding.”

  He noticed Suzanne’s eyes glance over to the hall leading to the bedrooms. He shook his head, “Nope babe. Don’t even go there.”

  He watched her pondering his words, her face unable to mask what she was doing. “You okay with this, baby? I can’t change what happened when we weren’t together, but I’m furious that she showed up without giving me a chance to let her know about us.” Shaking his head, both in anger at himself as much as Lisa, he said, “And I’m pissed at myself as well that it
interrupted our morning.” Sighing deeply, he added, “This is not how I wanted this morning to go.”

  She smiled a tremulous smile while lifting her hand to cup his face. “You’re right, honey. There is no changing the past. Not before we broke up. Nor the four years since. You had every right to see who you wanted. I’m just lucky. So very lucky.”

  “Lucky? How, baby?” he asked surprised at her calmness.

  “You could have easily fallen in love with someone else. I don’t even know how you didn’t, but I’m just so lucky that you were still here for me.”

  All that beauty, sitting right in front of him. Pulling her face toward his, he captured her lips in a gentle kiss. Warm. Wet. Full of meaning. Full of promise.

  “Baby, I could have looked a million years, but there was no one in my heart but you.”

  She smiled at his words, leaning in to kiss him this time.

  “I need to ask you something now.” He took her silence as her acquiescence. “When we first made love after we got back together, you were really tight and said that it had been a long time.”

  She said nothing but just held his stare.

  “How long, Suzy?” he asked dreading the answer as he thought of other men claiming what he felt was his even though he knew that was a double standard.

  Silence greeted him.

  His fingers stilled on her hips, pressing into her ass. “How long, baby?”

  “What does it matter?” she whispered.

  “It doesn’t. I just want to know.”

  “Four years,” she whispered again. Seeing the surprise in his eyes, she said, “There’s been no one since you.”

  The kiss came again, this time hard and demanding. His tongue slipped in and tangled with hers for dominance. A fuckin’ neanderthal. I know it, but I don’t care. The realization that she was his and had only ever been his zipped through him.

  Standing up with her in his arms, he carried her back to the bedroom.

  “Honey, we don’t have time. We’ve got to get ready to go.”