"Nick gets set up a lot, but they never last. One-nighters here and there." Eddie shook his head. "If he were happy, I'd say why the hell not."
Our food arrived so I didn't have to respond to that. One-nighters had their uses.
I did a quick calculation and it'd been nearly five months since I'd had any fun. Eddie was suddenly looking better and better as a short-term solution.
"Has he been acting up lately too?" I asked. “I hope he isn’t taking it out on his staff.”
"Nick's as grouchy as ever. He's going to start losing employees if he doesn't change. Not that he's rude to the customers. He was always moody. Since you called he's been a total ass."
"Lori’s been pretty incessantly bitchy herself. When she’s not being quiet and moody. They deserve each other. At least then, they'll be annoying each other and not the rest of the free world. What did we do to deserve this?" I asked. “I say we lock them in a room and leave them alone for a week.”
"They're lucky to have friends like us." He grinned. “I bet we’d find them having a sex marathon if we did lock them up. To be this nuts over each other after three years.”
"Lori owes me big time if this works out." I picked at my club sandwich.
"How long have you been friends?" he asked.
"Over ten years." I shrugged. "She'll pay me back one of these years. That's the good thing, I can pull her into this and if it works, great. If it doesn't, we'll still be friends. She'll never let me forget it. We've got that sort of friendship. We couldn't cut each other out of our lives if we tried."
"That bugged Nick." Eddie stuffed another fry in his mouth and didn't continue that thought.
"It bothered Nick that Lori has a friend she's stuck by and been loyal to for ten years?" That made no sense. Did he think I’d sabotaged him and Lori? I had nothing against him. I was on his side. She should never have broken up with him. She didn’t listen to me.
"No, it bothered him that Lori never introduced you to him. I guess she talked about you a lot. He never met you or any of her family or other friends. He felt like a secret and that she was ashamed of him."
"He mentioned that. Her family is a different story. I was finishing vet school and she was studying to pass the bar. That was the busiest time in both of our lives. Our friendship lasted. We barely saw each other at all for six months. It wasn't personal. Our schedules conflicted all the time. Now that he has met me, I don't think he likes me very much."
"He doesn’t know you well enough to like you. I think he respects you though." Eddie drained another cup of coffee. “That’s better with Nick.”
"Why would he respect me? He barely met me and we argued most of the time." I didn't get that vibe from Nick at all. I'd detected mostly hostility from him. “Nick probably wishes I’d never shown up. I know Lori hurt him, but I didn’t think it’d still be so raw. And yet he’s so stubborn he won’t make any effort.”
"You came and confronted him. Nick likes direct people. He respects the employee who tells him the truth rather than the guy who tries to get away with shit or kiss his ass. Nick never misses a thing. Probably a big part of why he's pissed at Lori."
“I can't blame him. Lori’s my best friend and I love her. She's so fucking stubborn sometimes it made her do stupid things. A great guy like Nick and all that amazing sex and she isn't sure what to do." I rolled my eyes and wanted to shake Lori, not that it would help.
"He never said anything to me or anyone I know about their sex life. I've seen Lori's picture so I'll bet it’s amazing." Eddie nodded.
"He has a picture of her still?" My ears perked up. That was promising.
"Yeah, in his desk drawer. I'm sure he has more at home. He was out sick one day and we were looking for an invoice and I found the picture in his desk. A picture of both of them together at some party or in a bar. I'm pretty sure he isn't over her."
Now I knew for certain. A man refuses to brag about the sex to his buddies and co-workers and he held onto her picture. He was in love.
"I'll bet Lori has stuff like that and she's hiding it somewhere from me." It was classic Lori. I'd seen a picture, sure, she was the type to keep tokens and I'd never seen any of them. Those keepsakes had to be very special to not share with her best friend.
"Sorry I couldn't find out more. Nick’s been very touchy and his sister is trying on her end. She didn’t give up too many details. I’m her ex." Eddie paid the check and we walked out of the restaurant. "Do you have a car?"
I shook my head not thinking he’d dated Nick’s sister. Still Lori would keep things and I contemplated potential hiding places. That was exactly the sort of sentimental thing she’d try to hide. She didn’t like to let on she had an emotional side, even to her friends at times. I saw Eddie still looking at me and remembered his question. "I took the El," I said.
"I can give you a ride." He nodded to a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
"Okay, thanks." I knew Eddie wasn't my type instantly. My college boyfriend had had a motorcycle and that had been a disaster. Never date a guy with a motorcycle had become a rule. It blew out my hair, gave me wind burned cheeks, and the bike’s vibrations did more for me than the guy. Of course, he thought he rocked the whole world with his small dick. Even so, they still turned me on.
I got on behind him and held on. His body was nice and he still smelled like grease. The roar of the machine vibrating between my legs didn't help much. I held onto him and my purse tightly as the wind whipped through my hair. You had to be crazy to drive a motorcycle in the dead of winter. The danger only helped turn me on more. Fortunately, there was no ice or snow on the ground.
Chicago streets were dangerous enough in a car and motorcycles made you feel that much more exposed. We flew through the streets and I felt free. It’d been far too long since I’d had sex. This hadn’t been how I’d planned it. Eddie wasn’t the man I’d been after. But for now I was attracted.
As he parked in front of my building, I told myself not to invite him up. I'd just pull out my box of toys and have fun alone. Unfortunately, I'd been doing that too much lately and I knew I'd crack.
"Thanks for the ride and lunch." Don't let him get off the bike. If he didn't, maybe he wouldn't want to come up and I'd misread the signs.
"Sure, hope I helped." He got off the bike and moved a piece of my hair that must have been blown into an odd direction.
"You did, thanks. I think Lori and Nick have a chance if they’ll be civil.” I gave in to my hormones. “Do you want to come up for a drink or something?"
"Sure." He followed me and I was very glad Lori and Jen would be at work until Eddie was safely out of our building. A girl needed more than a vibrator. I'd be much happier if it were Seth behind me.
We made it inside my apartment without any of my neighbors seeing him. I locked the door behind us and he had me pinned to the door the second I turned around.
He was a pretty good kisser, but lacked any subtlety or polish. I reminded myself this wasn’t about romance, only taking my sex life off of life support. I turned my brain off and let my body take over.
My fingers unbuttoned his dirty work shirt and I tugged it off as I pushed him into the room. The shirt landed on the back of my couch. I walked him toward the bedroom as I kicked off my black boots and he pulled off my sweater.
It took my body a few minutes to remember what it was doing. His rough hands undid my bra and massaged my breasts in awe. Men were fascinated by large breasts. Were they real or fake? Some men were actually disappointed that they were real and didn’t look like porno tits that stood up at any angle. Mine were hereditary.
Eddie seemed indifferent to their being natural, still enjoying them. It was always a challenge to get men to pay attention to more sensitive areas of my body.
I shimmied out of my jeans and he got the idea. He peeled off the bikini scrap of cotton. His hands roamed and pushed me onto my bed. When he dropped his jeans and boxers, I could tell he liked what he saw of me.
Since
he was already hard, I got to judge what I was in for. Not bad, not great length, maybe eight inches and it didn’t look like it was going to get any bigger. It was enough to do the job.
He leaned down over me, kissing me for a moment and then his mouth traveled down my neck to my tits and stayed there. Too long, keep going, my brain screamed and finally his tongue ran down my stomach to the spot that desperately needed the most attention.
His tongue on my pussy was so much better than a vibrator. It was different at least. That feel of flesh was so intoxicating. Or maybe it’d just been so long. I spread my legs wider as I grew wetter.
Eddie would make the right girl a great sex toy if they could stand his lack of a personality. My hips started to rock. I needed to be fucked, not just licked. When I reached for the drawer of my nightstand, he caught on.
I watched him put the condom on, for a real boyfriend it might be fun to tease him and do it myself. For a one-nighter, in an afternoon even, he could do it himself. At least he didn’t try to get out of the condom thing. That would put a halt to all of the fun.
Ready for the main event, I pulled him onto the bed and had him lying flat on his back in no time. I didn’t want to risk him being a bad thruster. That was the easiest way never to hit orgasm. I’d do it myself and we’d both be happy. I straddled him and he didn’t object.
I eased down on him and it felt good. His cock could be bigger, but it would be enough. I pressed down, ground to the base of him until there was no more. This wasn’t going to take long for him. Quickly, I picked up the pace, fucking him hard. It’d been too long and my body needed nothing soft or gentle.
My body took over, finding the right angle to hit those perfect spots. Eddie groaned and talked dirty, encouraging my efforts. I wasn’t listening. Finally, I felt my orgasm approaching and my hips jack hammered faster as I cursed and groaned. A few more strokes and he shouted and jerked into me as his hand slapped my ass.
Men, what was it about slapping or spanking that turned them on? At least he hadn’t done it all through the sex. That would’ve ruined it completely. I rolled off of him and enjoyed the sensation of my lingering orgasm. Not the best by any measure, still not the worst. Not bad at all. Mission accomplished.
Chapter Ten
Lori In A Fury!
I'd spent all morning blowing off the brief I should've been reviewing and making a list. Originally, it contained Nick's pros and cons. Lots of pros and very few cons except that he probably hated me right now. He was polite, strong, good-looking, great in bed, and understood me. That last part was what hurt. He understood me and that’s why I knew he hated me. I understood him too.
Then I made a list of everyone I cared about and what their opinion would be on the Nick situation, if they knew. That was a little harder. Of my friends only Marina had met him and not under the best of circumstances. Fighting aside, Marina seemed to feel Nick was worth pursuing on my behalf. That told me something positive.
My family was a huge con. Lumping them as one felt like cheating, so I tortured myself further. I listed family members one by one and what they’d have to say. Only one distant cousin might like it and she was fifteen with a bolt through her lower lip
Dumb, I knew it was a dumb thing to do. What I wanted was supposed to matter. Hard as I tried, I couldn’t discount everyone else’s feelings. Marina would say it’s because I was the baby. I couldn’t stand to hurt people.
There was some truth to that theory. All my life my brothers had fought off bullies for me, scared off the big dog down the hall from our childhood apartment, and told me which teachers were easy and which were hard. That made it easy to please everyone. I’d never had to go it alone. As the only girl, I didn’t have to compete for attention like my brothers did. I was the only princess. And if I stuck with the family line, I’d never have to.
I’d never disappointed them before. Not in anything big anyway.
That was the hardest realization. I'd never once in my life done something against them or without first calculating the family's reaction to it. I avoided making waves. Unless you count the time when I was five at that pool party and took off my bathing suit top.
I didn’t see the problem. The boys didn’t have to wear a top. I was excused because of age, though my mother never let me forget it.
The first time I took my top off for a guy, I felt my mother lecturing me. I still felt her lecturing me, and I didn’t get any breaks anymore. I had to live up to my mother’s high standards or face the reaction.
Law school had been a surprise to them. In the end, thought it was cute. I had gone to the same law school my brothers had. My mother had justified it to herself. Something to keep me busy until I found the right husband and then something to make me look like an impressive wife. That was it. I wasn't a rebel. I was well rounded.
Nick was a different story.
I reviewed my notes, pages upon legal pages of notes. I’d listed everyone I knew. Why did I care what my ugly cousin Marjory would think? She only got a date when one of the old family biddies set her up with their friend’s sons or grandsons. I ripped out all the pages and fed them to the shredder next to my desk.
Then, I took out a big red Sharpie and made a list of questions or points to discuss that did matter. To me at least. Nick wasn't perfect. It wasn’t that easy. It'd been a while since I’d been around him so I had to think this thru. I knew I’d forget logic as soon as I got near him.
I needed to talk to Marina and find out all the details. I'd followed her mother’s advice and given it a lot of thought. Now I had to find out what Nick was thinking. Or at least what Marina thought he was thinking.
I ripped out that page and grabbed my purse, briefcase, and coat. I walked out of my office leaving lights, my computer, and everything else on. I went straight to the receptionist’s desk in a hurry, no doubt looking like the crazy person I felt like. Didn’t matter. I suddenly had to know everything. No more sticking my head in the sand or covering my ears. The whole awful truth was all that would pacify me now.
"I'm taking the rest of the day off. Rearrange whatever, tell them I'm sick. See you tomorrow." I didn't wait for the reaction. I went right for the elevators and hit the button for the parking garage.
I called the animal hospital and they told me she wasn't there. So I drove straight home and practically sprinted up the stairs when the elevator in our building took too long. Patience was not a virtue I ever pretended to have.
I rang Marina's doorbell repeatedly and then pounded on the door like the emergency it was. Please let her be home. She had to be home.
I heard her moving around inside and thanked whatever WASP religion my mother would have called us. Or maybe I'd find out from Marina's mom the right saint for the hopeless cause I was and get a statue of them. I’d need more luck if I talked to Nick. If.
The door to her apartment opened a crack, stopped by the chain. "It's not a good time, Lori. I’ll call you later," she said.
Was she kidding?
I needed to talk.
I was ready.
What kind of friend did she turn into? "Marina, let me in. I want to talk about Nick. Come on." I pushed on the door and peeked in. I could tell she wasn't fully dressed. Just a t-shirt that came down to her upper thigh.
A man, score! She needed to get some. I hoped it was that Seth guy she was always talking about. I was about to ask and promise to come back for the details. Then I saw the couch behind her and I stopped cold. There it was.
She didn’t. Not Marina. She wouldn’t!
"You bitch!" I yelled. I started pounding on the door like a Lifetime movie. Nick's garage uniform shirt was on her couch. I'd recognize it anywhere. "How could you?"
"What?" Marina shouted back. "Lori, stop screaming. I’ll let you in."
Marina closed the door and undid the chain. The door then opened wide and I lunged for her. I half fell into the room, I was so furious and confused. Marina closed the door before all the neighbors storme
d in. I recovered and went after her again.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded. Her hands caught my wrists every time, deflecting me as I did my best to swing at or choke her. Damn her for having four sisters. She could do this better than I could. I'd never fought another girl before. No man was ever worth fighting over before. I’d scratch the eyes out of any woman who took Nick away. Even Marina.
"You slept with Nick!" I started crying on top of the screaming and crumpled up that list I'd finally made and tossed it at his shirt.
"Oh my God, you're an idiot!" Marina pulled me by the arm to her bedroom.
"I don't want to see that," I protested. “I don’t want to see him in your bed.”
She was stronger and pulled me passed her rumpled bed to the bathroom where the shower was running. Marina opened the door and pulled the curtain back. I cringed for half a second. A man I'd never seen before was rinsing off and looked confused at first.
"Room for two more." He winked.
"Dream on," Marina replied. "Get dressed and get out. Lori and I have important things to discuss. I just had to prove to her you weren’t Nick."
"That's Lori." Marina's random man seemed totally oblivious to his nakedness and intrigued by me. He must work with Nick. Duh! How stupid was I? They all wore the same shirt. I’d just lost it over nothing.
"She’s not here to see you." Marina told him and closed the curtain. She pulled me out of the bathroom and shook her head at me, cursing under her breath. "You really think I'd sleep with Nick? I’m that hard up that I’d ruin our friendship over some sex?"
I sat on her bed and half laughed and half cried. This was what being hysterical felt like. I'd never in my life fainted, but if Nick had been in Marina's shower, I knew I would’ve passed out cold.
"I don't know. I saw the shirt. I knew that shirt. It was all a blur after that. I went crazy. I’m sorry I tried to kill you." Those were words I never expected to say to my best friend.
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