City of Sin

by Ivy Smoak

  He walked me to the front door of my apartment building. I looked up into his eyes. He hadn't frequented any underground clubs recently because he liked me. He didn't have to say it. I wasn't sure why he wouldn't say it, but he didn't need to. I could tell by the way he was looking at me. The same way he always did. Like he desired me. I desired him too.

  I grabbed his collar, pulling his face toward mine. When our lips touched I felt that spark go through me again. My whole body seemed to tingle as his tongue collided against mine. He pushed my back against the brick wall and deepened the kiss. He pressed his whole body against mine, pinning me against the wall.

  And then suddenly he stepped back, leaving me completely breathless. It felt like I had waited forever for him to kiss me again. I didn't want it to be over so soon. "Mason, I..."

  "Your super has a package for you," he said, cutting me off. He looked down at me as he ran his hand through his hair.

  "What?"

  His Adam's apple rose and fell. "Goodnight, Bee."

  He turned away before I could say goodbye.

  Chapter 35

  Bee

  I woke up with a pounding headache. Last night came flooding back to me. My apartment was freezing. I missed Mason's warm arms wrapped around me. I pulled my comforter up to my chin, but I was still shivering. And it definitely didn't help my head at all. I climbed out of bed, pulled on another pair of pajama bottoms, and downed some aspirin.

  My apartment was a mess. I had put away the clothes I had ripped out of my closet but my apartment still looked dirty and old. And sad. I had decided to stay. So it was time to transform my apartment into what I wanted it to be. Not just remnants of what it used to be with Patrick.

  I opened up the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a bunch of cleaning supplies. I was finally ready to move on. The first step was to rid my apartment of all things Patrick.

  ***

  I rested the broom against the wall and leaned down to pick up a slip of paper that was on the floor. I unfolded it and let my eyes dart across the words.

  I'm holding a package for you because it wouldn't fit in your mailbox. Stop by anytime after 8.

  -Naomi

  Mason's words from last night came back to me. He had said that the super had a package for me. He sent me something? I opened up my door and quickly walked downstairs. I wished I had seen the note earlier. Naomi was usually more agreeable earlier in the day. And I still needed to bug her about fixing my heater. I knocked on her door.

  After a minute she opened it, keeping the chain lock on. "You look a mess," she said through the small gap in the door.

  "Oh." I touched the side of my head. My hair was in a ponytail and my face was probably greasy. Or maybe she was just referring to the fact that I was wearing two pairs of pajama bottoms.

  "Tsk. And you wonder why you can't keep a man. Tsk."

  I hated that noise she always made. I took a deep breath so I wouldn't snap at her. "I was cleaning and found the note you left." I held up the piece of paper. "You said there was a package for me?"

  She closed the door.

  "Naomi?" What the hell? I knocked on the door again.

  "You can add patience to the list," she said as she opened up the door again. "I had to unlock the door. Tsk."

  Growing up in the suburbs meant no chain locks. When someone stopped by, we welcomed them in and offered them tea and crumpets. Well, maybe not exactly, but we were friendlier than this. "Sorry, Naomi."

  "Your rent is due soon. Are you going to be late again?"

  "No. I won't be. Actually, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about. The heater in my apartment seems to shut off every night and..."

  "It's already on my list."

  I bit the inside of my lip. "I know, Naomi, but it's been on your list since November. The winter will be over before..."

  "Your problem isn't any more important than anyone else's."

  "But it's freezing up there."

  "It's a New York winter. You'll get used to it." She grabbed a package off the floor and shoved it into my arms.

  "Maybe my rent can be a little less then, since I'm saving money on heat?"

  She squinted her eyes as if she was just really seeing me for the first time. "I'll think about it," she said and slammed the door in my face.

  I'd take her thinking about it. If I was going to freeze to death, at least I could save a little bit of money in the process. I looked down at the box in my hands. It was wrapped in brown paper and there was a silky green ribbon around it. There was no address anywhere on the package. My name was just scrawled on the side. And it looked like Naomi's handwriting.

  Had Mason hand delivered this? That would mean that he had seen my apartment building and met Naomi. I knew I was financially beneath him. But he hadn't written me off after seeing where I lived. He had still left the package. Maybe he didn't care about stuff like that. I still felt a little embarrassed though. He lived in a freaking hotel. And I lived here.

  I opened up the door to my apartment. At least it was clean now. I put the package down on my bed and stared at it. What on earth was in there? Mason and I still barely knew each other. Maybe it was a hangover kit or something.

  No. He had sent me this before I had even drunk texted him. Which meant he had been thinking about me since our lunch date. And not just thinking about me, but buying me something. I had wanted him to come up last night. I had been pretty surprised that he hadn't said yes. But it made me like him even more. He was respectful. He thought I was too drunk to make that decision. But I wasn't. And I remembered every part of our conversation last night.

  I sat down on my bed and untied the green ribbon. I pushed it out of the way and ripped the brown paper. There was a white box with a small envelope on top of it. I opened up the envelope and pulled out the card.

  Bee,

  I'll be picking you up at 7. I can't wait to see you again.

  -Mason

  P.S. I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch today. You're rubbing off on me.

  I ran my finger across his words. I liked that he never asked. There was no uncertainty on his part. He wanted to see me, so he was going to see me. Every time we talked I liked him more and more. I couldn't deny the fact that I had a huge crush on him. That was the best way to put it, because for some reason it felt like I could never really have him. He was out of my league. But it made me want him even more.

  I looked back down at the package. Had he sent me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Or maybe something for our date? I slowly lifted off the lid and pushed aside the tissue paper.

  Oh my God. I picked up the dress and stood up so that I could see the whole thing. It was a deep red, mermaid style dress with a plunging neckline. It was simple but elegant at the same time. So elegant. He hadn't just been thinking about me, he had been buying me the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. It was like something one of the contestants from Miss America would wear. There was something different about the fabric of this dress. I wanted to say it was almost heavy, but that didn't explain it right. It wasn't like other dresses I had. It was well made. The fabric was luxurious. And somehow it looked like it might fit me. Mason was a good guesser.

  7 o'clock. I grabbed my phone and looked down at the time. I still had a few hours. But I somehow needed to look worthy of this dress. I laid it down on my bed and ran into the bathroom.

  ***

  I took the last of the hot curlers out of my hair and ran my fingers through the curls to loosen them. My makeup and hair were done. Now I just needed to see if the dress fit me.

  I put on my nicest bra and pulled the dress over my head. It was the perfect fit. I never would have chosen something that accented my breasts so much, but it was beautiful. I took a step back from the mirror. It hugged my curves like it was made for my body. I didn't really want anyone to stare at my cleavage all night though. Maybe I had something that would draw attention toward my face. I pulled out my box of earri
ngs and picked up a pair of dangling earrings with diamonds. Patrick had bought them for me a few months before I found out that he was cheating. It was probably because he felt guilty. I hadn't worn them since our breakup. But when I looked at them now, I didn't want to cry. They were the nicest jewelry I had aside from the engagement ring I once wore. And I wanted to look nice for Mason.

  Marie was right. Mason was a perfect choice to help me get over Patrick. It was already working. And maybe I was what he needed to. If I wasn't, why would he have bought me this dress? This was too elaborate of a scheme for a one night stand. He liked me. The thought gave me butterflies in my stomach. This was more than a rebound for me. Maybe this was why I had wound up in New York. Mason had said he wanted to be the reason I stayed in the city. And I didn't realize it before, but he already was. I was actually happy. I was happier than I had been in months. I put on the earrings and looked at my reflection in the mirror. It was like they were made for this dress.

  I picked up my phone to look at the time. There was a message from Marie: "Kendra and I are dying to know how the sex was. Text me back."

  I laughed. "Still don't know that yet," I texted back. But maybe I would soon. I looked at my reflection in the mirror again. Tonight could be the night. If he could resist me in this dress, maybe he was gay or something. The thought made me laugh again. If there was anything I was sure about regarding Mason Caldwell, it was that he was straight. And right now, for some reason, he wanted me.

  There were still a few minutes before he was supposed to be here. I grabbed my notebook and flipped to a blank page. It was like I was living in a fairytale. This was how every girl desired to feel at some point in their lives. Something that captured this would make a great advertisement. For what I wasn't sure. But it was a good idea. Hopefully it wouldn't be an idea that just sat there forever without anyone hearing it.

  A buzzing noise sounded through my apartment. Mason was downstairs, waiting to come up. But I didn't want him to see my place. It was bad enough that he had seen the inside of the building. I set my notebook down on my nightstand and grabbed my nicest jacket out of the closet.

  I locked my door behind me and walked down the stairs as quickly as I could in my heels.

  Chapter 36

  Mason

  I pressed the button again. I should have called her. She was drunk last night. She probably didn't even remember that I told her she had a package.

  I leaned against the wall next to the call box. She had wanted me to come up last night. And for some reason I hadn't. I kept telling myself it was because she hadn't begged me yet. But that wasn't it. I wanted her to remember our first time. I wanted her to dream about. I wanted her to crave me as much as I was craving her.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket. There was a text from my friend, James: "Please tell me you're coming to this thing. I'm pretty sure Penny and I are the youngest ones here right now."

  I was excited to show Bee off. "My date and I will be arriving shortly. We'll help spice things up, don't worry." I pressed send.

  "Spice things up? Like the Caldwell Christmas party 2012 spicy? This will be an interesting evening."

  I laughed. I had brought a prostitute to my family's annual Christmas party that year. It did not end well. Well, actually, she did give me a happy ending. But my family wasn't happy. "Nope, I have an actual date this time. And I think Penny and her are going to hit it off." If Bee's actually coming. I pressed the button on the call box again.

  James' response came right away. "I'm not even sure what you mean by an actual date."

  "Don't embarrass me, asshole." I shoved my phone into my pocket as I heard the click of the front door opening. Bee emerged from her apartment building.

  I had never seen her look more beautiful. Her cheeks were flushed from the sudden burst of cold. And her lips were the same color as the dress. The dress looked like it was made for her. Her long coat hid her round ass but her tits looked amazing. "Bee." My voice sounded weird. I quickly cleared my throat. "You're breathtaking."

  She smiled shyly. "Mason. No one has ever...you didn't need to..." her voice trailed off. "Thank you for the dress. I love it."

  I wanted to walk over to her and kiss her. But I had already planned out how this evening was going to go. And it definitely didn't start with a kiss. I wouldn't get her to the gala if I gave in to that urge. We'd end up in her bed in just a few minutes. I wanted to show her everything I had to offer.

  "You look beautiful in it. We better go. We're already late."

  "Where are we going?"

  I walked over to the town car I had rented for the evening. The driver hopped out and immediately opened the door.

  Bee walked over to me and looked up at me expectantly.

  "You'll see. Get in the car." I nodded to the open door.

  She climbed in and I walked around to the other side. When I got in, she was already in the middle seat. She wanted our bodies to be pressed together. I certainly wasn't going to complain.

  "You're in a tux," Bee said.

  "I am."

  "You look very handsome."

  I smiled down at her. "Where do you think we're going?"

  "I have no idea. Somewhere fancy?"

  I laughed. She didn't even know about the most anticipated event of the winter. Women would die for tickets to the Silver Gala. All the city's most prestigious young professionals were going to be there. I had gotten laid every night of the Silver Gala since I graduated from college. Tonight wouldn't be any different. "We're going to the Silver Gala."

  "Oh, of course." She pressed her lips together and turned to look out the window as the car started.

  "Do you even know what that is?" I put my arm around her back. Touching her wasn't on the list of things I couldn't do. Actually, I was going to be touching her a lot. I could see what it did to her. She'd be begging me before the night was even half over.

  "No." She looked embarrassed. "But it does sound fancy, so I was kind of right."

  "Mhm." I shifted slightly so that our thighs would be touching. "The Silver Gala is held every year to raise money for St. Sabela's Children's Hospital."

  "I knew you were a good guy."

  "I never said I wasn't." There was a fine line between her wanting me and wanting more from me. I needed to make sure I didn't cross that line. But it was just too easy to tell her whatever she wanted to hear.

  "You implied it."

  "I'd be happy to remind you about all the bad things I'm into. I'm no saint, Bee."

  "I know." I could see it in her eyes. She liked that I wasn't a good guy. She liked that I was forward and brash. It took all my willpower to not kiss her.

  "I'm happy to remind you tonight," I said.

  "Maybe you should."

  "Baby, I'm planning on it."

  "Don't call me that," she said. But for the first time, it didn't sound like she meant it.

  "We're here," the driver said as he pulled to a stop in front of The Plaza Hotel.

  Chapter 37

  Bee

  It really did feel like I was dreaming. I stared up at the grand old building through the car window. I had admired it from a distance whenever I walked through Central Park. The door opened and Mason put his hand out for me. I hadn't even noticed he had gotten out of the car.

  He looked so handsome. When I was trying to convince myself to stay away from him, I had tried to ignore his good looks. But he was one of the most handsome men I had ever met. And with his wool jacket unbuttoned and his tux showing, he looked like he was straight out of a magazine. He could have been advertising anything. I'd want to buy whatever it was. How had I wound up here? I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

  "Are you planning on driving off without me again?" He raised his left eyebrow.

  I put my hand in his and stepped out of the car. "Not in a million years. Are you trying to get rid of me?"

  He laughed and intertwined his fingers with mine. "Not in a million years, Bee."

&
nbsp; I looked down at our hands. I felt like my hand fit well in his. It really seemed like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Everything leading up to this point had been worth it if Mason was actually the guy he seemed to be. The guy who wanted to be the reason why I stayed in New York. I was falling for that guy.

  We walked up the red carpet on the front steps. The lights on top of the canopy above us lit up the entrance beautifully. It looked like something out of an old movie. Mason pulled two tickets out of his front coat pocket and handed them to the man who had just opened up the door for us.

  The man looked down at the tickets. "Mr. Caldwell, the gala is being held in the ballroom." He handed the tickets back to Mason. "Down the hall to the left. I hope you both have a wonderful evening."

  "You too," Mason said.

  I gripped Mason's hand a little tighter when we walked into the hotel. The marble floor led to the most ornate staircase I had ever seen. The Plaza Hotel's emblem was emblazoned on the floor in gold. And the chandeliers completed the royal look of the entranceway.

  Mason pulled me in the direction of the ballroom.

  "It's beautiful," I said and looked back over my shoulder.

  "Not as beautiful as you."

  "Usually your pickup lines aren't so cliché." I smiled up at him.

  "I'm not trying to pick you up. I already have you." He squeezed my hand.

  The way he said it made my body feel warm. Is that what he thought? That I was his? It had been a long time since I had felt connected to someone. That's what I wanted. To be a part of a "we" again.

  "Have you ever been here before?" I asked.

  "I come every year."

  "How many years have you been coming?"

  "Six, I believe."

  "So you've been donating to the hospital since you graduated? You're a bad boy with a good heart, Mason Caldwell."