by Miss Merikan
That brought a smile to Anna’s face. “It would be amazing. It’s always much more fun bidding together. You don’t want one?”
“Nah, I know how much you want her, and there’s only thirty of them. She’ll be in the house after all.” Dan petted Anna’s hair.
She looked back at him. “Always the gentleman. But we can try get two. Why not?”
“There’s only so many I can focus on. I’d rather buy new accessories for the ones I’ve got. Matteo has been moaning for more shoes for a while now.”
Anna chuckled and started putting the batter on the baking sheet. It already smelled amazing. “I know, he’s such a complainer, isn’t he?”
Dan chuckled, gorging on more toast. “Yeah, he keeps staring at me with those new glass eyes. It’s like they’re piercing me, and he’s screaming: “more shoes, Dan!” He ended in a tiny voice for Matteo.
“You’re making him sound like a castrato.” Anna turned around to put the kettle on. Hot chocolate was a must.
“He does have a tiny dick,” Dan snorted.
Anna’s phone rang, so she fished it out of the pocket of her robe and picked up the call. “This is Anna.”
She melted like the cookie dough in the oven at the sound of Gavin’s sexy voice. “Hey sweets. How are you feeling today?”
It was so sweet of him to call first thing in the morning. “I’m all right, thanks. Just scared Dan a moment ago with my pirate costume.”
“Christ ... Is it that bad? Are you really wearing an eye-patch?”
“Only when I close my eye.”
Gavin sighed. “Can I come over and see you?”
Anna sank down into a chair and stroked the phone. “Sure, but I only have time until five. I’m going out afterwards,” she said, not wanting to worry him about the parental visit.
“What? Where? With that black eye? Oh, God ... I feel so guilty.”
Anna sighed and leaned forward, watching the cookies in the oven. “I’d much rather stay at home and work, but the date’s been set ages ago. So I can’t bail. Maybe I could just put gauze over it like I had something done.”
“I’ll bring over my makeup bag, and I’ll cover it for you, okay?”
Anna blinked, straightening up. “You’d come over just to do it for me? Really?” She was not about to discourage him.
“Yeah, sure. That’s the least I can do after what happened yesterday. Can’t wait to see you.”
Anna exhaled, slowly getting up from the chair. She needed to dress fast. “Yeah, me too. I’ll get something to eat.”
“See you soon!” Gavin sent her a kiss over the phone and ended the call.
Anna sprinted out of the kitchen to get dressed. She’d already chosen a blue dress she wanted to wear during the dinner with her parents, but for now put on a tight mini-dress with a comic book print. At least the black eye would look less out of place. She rarely wore much makeup, so she chose to let Gavin do his magic. She’d never seen him at work, which made her twice as excited about the visit.
“You want me to watch your cookies?” Dan yelled from the kitchen.
“Nah, I’ll be right back,” she yelled, and indeed, she did return just in time to take her breakfast out of the oven. She sat down with a cup of steaming hot chocolate and a whole bowl of warm sweets, ready to share them with Gavin when he arrived.
“They smell amazing!” Dan hovered around the cookies with a wide smile that faltered when the doorbell rang.
“You can have one.” Anna grinned and sipped some of the chocolate. She was starting to get worried about Dan’s sugar intake but wasn’t sure when the right time to talk about it was. Since they began living together, she noticed that almost all his meals were takeouts, and even when cooking at home, his choices weren’t very healthy. Still, it made her uneasy to lecture him about it.
She got up and rushed to the door, opening it without checking who it was. Gavin smiled at her and leaned down for a kiss as soon as he could. He slid his hand to her ass and squeezed it as they kissed. There was always so much passion behind every touch they shared it was bringing Anna’s heart to palpitations.
“Come in.”
“Oh, Anna, your eye.” Gavin sighed, following her inside before straightening up and looking toward the apartment. “Oh wow, something smells nice.”
Gavin was in his skinny jeans and a spiky belt worn over a studded vest, but his shoes were simple combats, and his makeup looked a bit simpler, even though no less precise than usual. It seemed he’d been in a hurry when leaving his house.
“I was making food when you called,” said Anna, slipping an arm around his waist. She loved how angular his hips were, even when they bit into her flesh during sex.
“Cookies for breakfast? Naughty.” Gavin laughed and bit her ear, sliding his hand under her buttocks and teasing her pussy from behind through her panties.
She yelped and slapped his hand with a smile. “Dan’s out here.”
Dan looked up at them from the kitchen as soon as they walked into the living room, and she could swear sparks of loathing bit into her skin when Gavin’s eyes undoubtedly met Dan’s.
“Hey,” Dan muttered with his mouth full.
Anna pulled Gavin over to the couch and offered him the cookies while biting into one herself. “Anything you want to drink?” she asked before they could leave the danger zone. Recently she’d been avoiding having the guys in the same room.
“Coffee.” Gavin smiled at Anna in a way that made his dimple piercings stick out a bit. She just wanted to pull them with her teeth, but of course, with Dan there, she did the thing a good host would and prepared the coffee. The cookies were amazing too, and they gave her just the boost of energy she needed. There went her weekly binge.
“Ready for a makeover?” Gavin pulled out his makeup all over the coffee table. His cool black mohawk was making Anna want to drop the eye shadows and jump his bones, but instead she gently sat on the couch next to him and downed her hot chocolate, pulling her thighs together. Her libido was in overdrive since she started sleeping with Gavin, and she rather liked it that way.
“Show me what you’ve got,” she said, looking at all the pots and brushes she’d never even think to use herself.
“Just sit back and relax.” Gavin said and got foundation for her face ready when Dan swanned into the room behind him.
“You let Anna get hit?” he asked as if he didn’t know.
Anna let out a low growl. Why the hell was Dan constantly trying to protect her as if she were his willowy younger sister? “I think we already talked about this.”
Dan shrugged. “Yeah, I just thought I could talk to Gavin, make sure it doesn’t happen again. Maybe I could show him some moves.”
Anna didn’t like the frown forming on Gavin’s forehead. “So fucking considerate.”
“I don’t need anyone protecting me. Would you two give it a rest? I’m fine,” she muttered, increasingly annoyed.
“Okay, okay,” Dan held up his hands defensively. “Have you thought what faceup you’re gonna do on your sleepy head Momo?”
“She’s gonna be the Princess of Candy.” Anna let herself smile and picked up another cookie, watching them both. If they wouldn’t give it a rest, she was prepared to do an intervention.
Dan was getting all rude, but Gavin bit his lips, sitting in silence and focusing on Anna’s makeup. He started applying some foundation on her face with a soft brush, and it felt nice too. After all, which girl was so lucky to have their boyfriend do their makeup and end up looking pretty?
Dan sat in an armchair with a smile. “That’s gonna be so cute. Gala is gonna go mental when she sees it. It’s so gonna top her Cupcake Angel dollfie.”
“It’s not a competition. Her doll’s lovely,” said Anna, not sure how to tell Dan that she wanted some time alone with Gavin. Going to her room could have been the solution, but Gavin had already pulled all his stuff out, and she didn’t want to hurt Dan’s feeling either. It was a trap.
&
nbsp; “I know, I know.” Dan drank some Coke. “But she was a bit of a bitch about your seventies-style Tamara.”
“Oh! And on the topic of dolls ... Gavin?” Anna grinned at the wicked idea in her head. He raised his eyebrows, so Anna continued. “I was thinking that you might want to join us for a Limited Edition party next week. I already invited Andrea as well.”
“Why is it Limited Edition? Does it only happen once a year?” Gavin asked.
Dan was quick to butt in. “It’s doll stuff, you wouldn’t be into it. You’d be bored.”
“Dan! That’s an extra laptop we can use,” Anna hissed, but then quickly gave Gavin her sweetest smile. “There’s this Limited Edition doll going on sale at noon in Korea, so it’s like two in the morning or something like that, and they sell out really quickly. I was hoping you could come and help me buy it. If all four of us try, we have a bigger chance.”
Gavin kept silent for a moment, but then simply nodded, his sole focus on Anna’s face. There was intensity in his eyes that always kept Anna alert in his presence. “I’ll come. Now close your eyes.”
“Dan, I think I shouldn’t be talking much right now. Sorry,” lied Anna as she closed her eyes as Gavin asked.
“He’s not painting your lips yet,” Dan said, but it sounded a bit deflated.
“Anna’s right,” Gavin muttered.
“Your face shouldn’t move much during makeup,” added Anna before going completely silent. The brush felt cool and pleasant on her skin, even though she wasn’t sure if she enjoyed the scent of the foundation. She was never a fan of using it, so whenever she wanted to look real good, she usually opted for powder, which wasn’t a problem since her skin was smooth and even in color anyway.
Dan didn’t say anything more, and Gavin’s silence wasn’t uncomfortable but pleasantly intimate as he took his time to primp her up. Only now she noticed how much extra effort he needed to put into it with only one hand. He had to hold some pots on his thighs, and he mixed the colors on a piece of leather. She didn’t even try requesting anything, eager to know how he felt she looked her best. The worst bit was the eyelashes. She rarely used mascara herself, preferring to just apply some eyeliner when she wanted to be extra fancy, but Gavin managed to go through with it without stabbing her in the eye. By the end of the process, she was completely relaxed.
When she opened her eyes after yet more touchups, Dan was gone as well.
Gavin smiled at her, putting away his brushes. “I hope you’ll like it.”
Anna grinned, looking for a mirror. She eventually rushed over to a full-length by the door and looked in with blood worming its way to the surface of her skin.
Gavin gave her pale pink eyebrows that matched her hair and eye shadow that was a mix of yellow and orange, finished off with red eyeliner. The black eye was barely noticeable under the precise foundation, and her skin had an overall healthy glow. She’d never do this on a daily basis, but there was no doubt that the makeup enhanced her features.
“Oh, my God. You’re officially doing my makeup for all occasions from now on,” she said, glancing back at Gavin with a smile that threatened to break her face in two. She was ecstatic that it was Gavin who made her look so unique. Never before had she looked anything like this.
“I guess I’m gonna have to oblige. Only if you do something for me though.” He wiggled his eyebrows with a smile, looking more relaxed with Dan gone. Was it time for something sexy?
Anna slowly walked over, very conscious of her tight dress stressing just the right places. “Anything you want.”
“Would you show me how to do a faceup from scratch?”
Anna blinked, as it was the last thing she expected, but right after, enthusiasm exploded out of her in the form of a chuckle. “Yes!” she slid into Gavin’s lap and hugged him hard, feeling almost as if she were accepting a proposal. It was a huge step for Gavin, and she couldn’t wait to show him the ropes.
He kissed her chin. “Don’t go all crazy. I just wanna have a look, maybe give it a shot.”
Anna groaned. “But it would be so amazing! You’re so talented, and I’d love to see a doll done by you. I’m sure it would be even better than what you did on me.”
“We’ll see, we’ll see. First, I need to have a look here.” Gavin grinned and pulled up Anna’s skirt to have a peek at her pants. Anna squealed, but fell back with one of her ankles on the backrest of the sofa and closed her eyes.
Chapter 10
Gavin stared at the broken porcelain and food scattered on the floor in a big swamp of hot chocolate and coffee. He then looked up at the guy who knocked into him from behind and made him drop the whole tray. Instead of apologizing for walking on like a lemming, the guy spread his arms, clearly wanting an apology for the dark stain on the front of his T-shirt.
“Seriously?” Gavin hissed, scooting down to pick up what he could onto the tray. Motherfucker had some nerve.
“That’s my line,” said the guy, standing over Gavin like a slave minder. “You just ruined my shirt. I need to buy a new one before I go back to work!”
Gavin stood back up, even if only to show the guy that he was taller. “Maybe you should watch where you’re going then?”
The guy brushed some hair out of his face and scowled at Gavin. “Maybe they shouldn’t employ a waiter who can’t keep the tray stable?”
Gavin clenched his hand into a fist, his whole body burning with tension. “It’s not my fault you don’t look up from your phone when you’re walking.”
“You’re lucky my screen’s fine. It would probably cost you your monthly wage to replace it,” growled the customer.
Fury exploded in Gavin’s stomach. “The fuck is wrong with you, you posh twit?” he snarled and pushed the guy’s chest.
The café became eerily quiet, and the cheesy music playing in the background was like the soundtrack to Gavin’s downfall. Andrea stared at him, wide eyed, from behind the counter.
The customer shook his head. “I want to speak to a manager. Now.”
“I want to just do my job without people being rude to me. Is that so much to ask?”
Gavin barely got to finish when Amanda, the manager, came up to them. “Hello, is there a problem?” she asked the customer with a voice as sweet as the cupcakes they served in the café.
“Yes, there is. Your waiter knocked into me, stained my clothes, and then pushed at me,” growled the customer with a scowl. “Who employs this kind of people?”
Amanda gave Gavin the glare of death. “Gavin?”
“Are you kidding me? He pushed my tray!” Gavin punched the wall, all his anger forced to stay in his body, unable to escape.
Andrea cleared her throat. “I ... I think there’s a misunderstanding here.”
Amanda ignored her and looked straight at Gavin. “Did you push him?”
“He was being a dick!” Gavin’s face was getting hot. How much bullshit was he supposed to take? But Amanda would not sacrifice the café’s reputation for him.
“Gavin, pack up your things,” she said before turning to the customer with the most pleasant expression, already asking him for forgiveness. And of course, the bastard would get his meal for free.
Gavin was not about to wait around and hear any more of this. His head was pounding with heat as he stormed through the café to the back room and threw his top hat at the wall as he went.
Andrea whispered to him as he passed. “I’m sorry, Gavin, I can’t risk this job.”
Yes, he knew. He wasn’t the one doing this to actually earn money, but it was still humiliating beyond belief.
He had enough of this shit. It took him less than five minutes to dump the Mad Hatter costume and change into his usual clothes before storming out without even a glance at anyone in the café. He was so done with this place.
Everyone had stared at him as if he were the one in the wrong. What the actual fuck? Since when was being a waiter the equivalent of being everyone’s bitch? At least the weather was nice, so he
took a long walk home. This was such a mess. What would he do now? His freelancing dried up, and there was only so much work on his own projects he could do in a day. He had savings, but for how long was he supposed to live off that? He wanted to do something with his life.
As he walked on, he didn’t even know when he stopped at the crossing where he’d have to chose to go back home or to Anna’s, and it only felt natural to turn right and pop up at her house. Talking to her always brought him peace of mind, but to make up for coming unannounced, he got some Chinese takeout on the way, making sure she got her favorite curry. Just thinking about her sweet smile made him feel slightly better.
Gavin got up the few stairs leading to Anna’s door and rang a few times. He waited for quite a long time, but it occurred to him that maybe she was finishing a line on the doll, or maybe she simply wasn’t home. The door opened when Gavin was ready to go, revealing Dan, who stared at him with a slight frown.
“Hey, Dan,” Gavin said a bit stiffly. “Is Anna in?”
Dan shrugged. “No, she went on a date. I have no idea when she’ll be back.”
“Like ... a date-date?” Gavin tried to sound casual, but having to ask Dan was making him cringe. There was a strange tint of satisfaction in Dan’s eyes when he looked down on Gavin from the height of the steps.
“A dinner date with some guy.”
“Oh, okay,” Gavin muttered, but his thoughts rocketed into a whirlpool of anxiety and inadequacy. Why would he just assume that Anna was available to see him? He was the guy who couldn’t protect his girlfriend from getting hit in the face. He was the one to set that stupid ‘friends with benefits’ rule in the first place. “Bye,” was all he had to say to Dan. The fucker was probably happy to see Gavin go.
The takeout was burning his fingers, and he didn’t even want to eat the damn thing. Maybe he could give it to some homeless person on the way? For a moment, he thought about going back and leaving the curry for Anna, but that was the stupidest idea in the world, so he went on toward his tiny room and the annoying sex sounds he’d unmistakably listen to at night. Only this time, he wouldn’t just smile and move on, thinking about meeting Anna on the next day. It was pathetic.
