by S. L. Naeole
Two days after seeing my face on every tabloid magazine in Yara’s Grocery store, the news cycle rebooted itself. Kara told me that the story about the mystery woman at Michael Lachlan’s side had died down and the public was keenly interested in who got butt injections at the new Booty Duty Spa that had opened on Rodeo Drive.
Never had I been more thankful for America’s interest in ass injections.
I went to work feeling relieved and lost myself in restorations for the next few days. It was the only way I could distract myself from the fact that I was missing Mal tremendously. We talked and messaged each other constantly, but it wasn’t the same thing as holding his hand, kissing his lips, feeling his body pressed to mine.
Fuck.
I almost ruined a late nineteenth-century family portrait by forgetting to remove the cotton pads soaked with neutralizer from its surface because I was fantasizing about Mal’s cock.
Who’d have ever thought that would happen?
By Friday, it seemed that things had calmed down and the girls and I settled in for some homemade hamburgers and chips. The fall season of some of our favorite shows had started and the best of them—a paranormal series about witches and vampires hiding themselves in a hospital as staff—was starting when someone knocked on the door.
Holly went to answer it and called me over. A man wearing a white polo shirt over an enormous belly was standing at our doorway. His thinning hair was combed over in thin wisps, revealing a shiny scalp beneath.
“Victoria Abigail Olsen?” the man said as he gave me an appraising glance.
“Y-yes,” I answered, my body immediately shaking at the use of my full name.
“You’ve been served,” he said as he shoved a manila envelope into my hand before turning on his heel and leaving.
“Wait. What?” I shouted at him. “What is this about?” He was already in a waiting car by the time I reached the top of the stairs. I turned back to see my friends all standing in the doorway, their faces filled with confusion.
They remained quiet until we were all back in the living room and I was sitting on the sofa, sliding my finger under the flap to open the envelope. Tipping the contents out into my hand, it took me a moment to scan the harsh black font on the white paper before I knew what was happening.
“Fuck,” I breathed, my hands starting to shake, my body following suit.
“What?” Vonne asked before snatching the papers from my hand. “That bitch!”
“What?” Kara and Lara both exclaimed with exasperation.
My head fell into my hands. I’d been so fucking careful. I’d been strict with myself. I’d been mindful of every fucking penny. “Randy’s aunt is suing me for the balance of the original amount ordered to her in the lawsuit.”
“Two-hundred-and-fifty thousand?” Holly gasped.
I shook my head, remembering that Holly hadn’t been there through the court trial. “The original amount was for seven-hundred-thousand. Over half a million dollars.”
Breathe, Ria. Breathe.
“Seven…what the fuck?” Holly shrieked.
“Why?” Kara asked as she took my hand in hers.
Vonne answered that question as she read. “Due to the defendant’s financial situation improving significantly, and per the agreement to the original settlement regarding payment of all funds due to the plaintiff, we are requesting the court hereby revoke the settlement amount and reinstate the original amount as awarded by the court on…”
Lara kicked at the chair before mumbling, “I made it. I can kick it.” Then, “what the fuck? Did you win the lottery and we not know about it?”
Again, Vonne spoke up to answer. “The photos of her and Michael. They recognized her and now think she’s got money because of him.”
Whistling, Holly sat on the armrest while Lara kicked the chair again. Kara was rubbing my knees. “What’s the plan? Tell us what we need to do.”
“Nothing,” I sighed resignedly. “This is my problem. You guys have dealt with enough.”
This time Kara kicked the chair. “Hell no! You don’t get to tell us what we can and can’t do, Ria. We’re going to help you any way we can. That’s what friends do.”
I looked up at her and smiled. My oldest friend, my best friend, the sister I never had. She would defend me to the death, and I loved her for it, but—
“I know that fucking look, Ria and I’m not putting up with that bullshit, so don’t even try it.”
“That goes for me, too. You fuck with one of us, you fuck with all of us.”
“Ditto, bitch.”
“We’re not going away just because you say you don’t need our help anymore,” Vonne concluded, the court papers in her lap.
It was hard not to burst into tears at their overwhelming support.
“And don’t you fucking cry!” they all shouted before we all fell over with laughter and, yes, tears.
After speaking to the lawyer that had worked with me to get the original settlement, it seemed like a clear-cut case of misunderstanding and as long as I could prove that I hadn’t received any expensive gifts or large purchases then the judge would find in my favor. So I emailed the lawyer copies of my bank statements and paystubs, as well as listed gifts and purchases I’d made and received over the past six months. I hadn’t included the earrings Mal had given me because I’d left them at his place.
As I waited for the court’s response, Mal messaged me.
Mal: I miss you.
Me: I miss you, too.
Mal: I’ll be back on Friday but I’m heading to the office as soon as I land. Meet me there for lunch?
Me: Okay.
Mal: Wear that sundress again, please.
Me: The blue one?
Mal: The one that doesn’t come with panties. ;)
My grin stayed on my face for the next two days, which was all it took for the court to respond to my lawyer in my favor stating that unless my finances could be linked personally or professionally to Mal’s, merely being in a photo with him does not equate to a sudden financial windfall. The news added a boost to my mood and the girls and I celebrated—in our apartment—with lychee daiquiris and Chinese food.
Friday came and I caught a ride to work with Vonne, carrying the sundress in a small bag filled with some overnight clothes and Mal’s pajamas. At eleven I changed into the dress, leaving my panties off, and then headed to the front lobby where Lyle waited, a smile on his face.
“Hi, Lyle,” I said to him as he held the door open for me.
“Hello, Miss Oh,” he said with a wink.
I slid into Mal’s car while Lyle took my bag and closed the door after me. The trunk popped open and then slammed shut before Lyle climbed into the driver’s seat and we headed to Mal’s office.
“How was California,” I asked, remembering guiltily how quiet I’d been the last time I’d been in the car with him.
“Hot and busy. Sig alerts all the damn time made us late more times than I could count,” he replied, not looking in the rearview mirror at me.
“I hated those when I lived there,” I admitted.
“Holly mentioned that you all are from Cali,” Lyle chuckled as he made a turn and then the car slowed to a stop as we waited in traffic.
My ears perked up at that. “You talked to Holly?”
This time he glanced into the mirror and grinned sheepishly. “She’s a bit relentless if you don’t mind me saying. The last time I was at your apartment she kept me company while I waited for Michael and even sat with me for a bit.
Laughing at that, I couldn’t do anything but nod. “Yeah, she’s like that. She asked for your number, you know.”
“She asked me for it, too.”
“So…did you give it to her?”
I saw his head bounced in the affirmative. “We went out on a date. It went well.”
This surprised me. Holly went out on a date with Lyle and didn’t tell me? “Where’d you go?”
“This barbecue joint that Mal l
ikes. Total hole in the wall but the food is good and the staff is friendly.”
“I know that place,” I said, blushing at the memories I had there. “That was where Mal and I went on our first…date.”
His eyes drifted to the rearview again and I saw the smile there. “He only takes the people that matter to him there. If you’ve dined there with him, that means he’d do anything for you.”
It was my turn to smile as I looked down at my hands, remembering his throaty hum. “I know.” Before the quiet could invade the car again, I asked if he had any plans on seeing Holly again.
“Yes. She has tickets to some shows during fashion week and she wants me to come with her.”
An unladylike snort escaped me at his confession. “You’re really gonna sit through four hours of that?”
“Yep. Supermodels and Holly filling four hours of my day sounds pretty appealing to me.”
A part of me wanted to tell him that Holly only ever went to the shows for the men’s lines, but I kept quiet about that. Instead, “Be sure you take her to Serendipity’s afterward. That’s her favorite restaurant. If you take her there, she’ll totally have your babies.”
To that, he laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Just trying to help you out, as long as you treat her right,” I said with a wink.
“Don’t worry, Miss Oh. I’ll treat her like a princess.”
“Good,” I told him, smiling. “She deserves it.”
“I absolutely agree. We’re just about here, Miss Oh.”
My head turned to look out the window and sure enough, the large letters making up Mal’s last name came into view. When the car stopped and Lyle stepped out, I smoothed out the skirt of my dress and took a deep breath. I opened the door before Lyle could get to me and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Lyle handed me my bag and thanked me for the advice about Holly. “Have a good weekend, Miss Oh,” he said before disappearing back into the car.
“Good weekend,” I breathed. “If I don’t freak out again, it’ll be a great weekend.”
The minute I entered the massive skyscraper an attractive woman wearing a dark gray pantsuit approached me with a warm smile. “Miss Oh?” she said to me, waiting for me to acknowledge her. “Please, follow me. Mr. Lachlan has reserved his elevator for you. It is all ready to take you to the executive suites.”
I followed her past a security guard and around a cluster of people who were all looking at me curiously. We approached an empty elevator and as soon as I stepped inside, the doors began to slide close. The woman waved and I felt compelled to wave back, even as the doors shut and she disappeared from view.
Unlike when I’d made this ride with Mal, time moved quickly, and with each ticking second that went by my heart and breathing picked up the pace. My palms felt clammy with nervousness and I pulled my dress out from my ass cheeks and did a quick breath check just as a voice announced that we’d reached the eightieth floor. With a ding, the doors opened.
Before I took a single step outside, I was gathered in a pair of powerful arms and lifted into an embrace that took my breath away completely. Mal kissed me, deep, biting kisses that left my lips feeling swollen and my tongue well-used.
“Hi,” he said as I blinked rapidly at him when he finally pulled his mouth from mine.
“Hi.” My cheeks flared pink and hot.
“That blush,” he groaned with a gentle brush against my cheeks with the back of his hand. “What that does to me.”
You know that saying, “it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop”? Well, there was definitely the loud clacking of a pen falling and hitting the ground, which brought me out of the haze of arousal and need and back to the reality of the reception area to Mal’s offices.
Sensing my embarrassment, Mal chuckled and eased me down. Without even glancing at it, he took my bag from my hand and then turned around, pulling me toward the receptionists who couldn’t hide their disgust.
“Wendy, Preeta, this is my girlfriend, Ria Oh.”
I turned to Mal and stared at him. Without missing a beat he bent his mouth to my ear and whispered, “You’re only Victoria to me, sweetheart.”
“Good afternoon, Miss Oh,” both ladies said through artfully fake smiles.
“Hello,” I said as Mal took my hand and led me down the familiar curved walkway toward his office. “So did the lady downstairs call up to let you know I was here?” I asked him while we walked.
“No, love. I watched you on the security feed.”
Mortification froze my features and he threw back his head and laughed freely. Without stopping he brought his mouth to my mine and licked my lips and teeth before moaning. “Sweetheart, your breath is like strawberries. And thank you for taking your dress out from the crack of your sweet ass. I was starting to get jealous.”
“Mal!” I hissed, twisting my head around to see if anyone heard.
Chuckling, we continued past those see-thru offices and then there she was. Hannah. Upon seeing Mal she immediately stood, that thousand-watt smile beaming from her face one of complete adoration. Expecting Mal to simply acknowledge her again and take us into his office, I was surprised when he stilled and pressed a kiss to my temple.
Then he spoke. “Hannah, I don’t know if you were properly introduced to my girlfriend, Ria.”
Hannah turned her focus away from Mal to smile at me. Her lids lowered as she gave me a quick once-over before telling me hello. “Hello, Hannah,” I replied.
“No calls, Hannah. Ralph is coming up in an hour to take you home.”
“Yes, Mal,” she told him, her eyes once again wide and focused on his beautiful face.
Without another word, Mal pulled me into his office and once again I was left gasping as I took in the blanket spread out in front of the window. Covered plates, empty wine glasses, a bottle of wine chilling in an ice bucket sat on the blanket along with a bouquet of wildflowers.
“What did you order from Ralph’s this time?” I asked as he led me to the spot on the blanket where the flowers sat. I knelt down and picked up the flowers before adjusting myself and sitting in the flowers’ place.
“I didn’t,” he said with a wink. “I decided to order from where we had our first date.”
Laughing, I knew what to expect when he sat in front of his plate and lifted the cover off mine. Only instead of ribs, I saw quiche. Confused, I looked up at Mal who gave me a knowing smile. “It might not have gone as well as I’d hoped, but it was still one of the best lunches and best first dates I’ve ever had.”
I sat there stunned, his words filling me with such warmth and overwhelming affection that I could barely breathe. His eyes glittered with both amusement and something else, something that had slipped through all the cracks in my foundation and reinforced it. Reinforced me.
“But I totally flipped out on you,” I reminded him when I could finally find words to say.
Mal leaned forward on his knees, placing his hands flat on the blanket so that his face was mere inches from mine. “Yes, but you also surprised me, and no one surprises me anymore, baby. You filled that day with so many amazing memories in such a short amount of time that it would take a lifetime to replace them all.”
I picked up a bit of crust from the quiche and placed it in his mouth. “Including asking me out on a date you never intended on taking me on?”
He nipped my fingers and then licked them before I could pry them from his mouth. “I always intended on taking you out to dinner, sweetheart. I just thought maybe we’d have breakfast first.”
Confusion pulled at my brows and my mouth pulled up into a raised frown. “What?”
Grinning wickedly, Mal pushed aside my quiche and pulled me toward him. “Did I mention how much I love how innocent you are?”
Giggling, I licked his mouth and then leaned into his ear. “I’m not that innocent.”
Mal licked me back, our tongues flicking out of our mouths, dancing in the air with each other. His hand fisted in my hair and I
grabbed his shoulders to steady myself as we both pushed up onto our knees. Liquid need pooled in my core with each kiss, my nipples beading with excitement.
Just then Hannah’s voice filled the room and I growled in frustration. “I’m sorry, Mal, but Gloria from the California headquarters is calling and she says it’s an emergency.”
“Sorry, love,” Mal said before kissing me once more. “Work calls. But I’ll take it here in the office. I’m not leaving your side once this whole weekend.”
Smiling up at him, I nodded, telling him that it was okay if he needed to take the call. With a grunt of frustration, he left me on the floor and I proceeded to dig into Marta’s delicious spinach and garlic quiche. The bottle, I discovered, wasn’t wine at all but sweet tea. I filled a wine glass with the sugary brew and carried it and the plate of Mal’s food over to his desk. I laid out the food and drink for him and when he mouthed “thank you” to me, a new sense of satisfaction came over me.
I returned to the blanket on the ground and poured myself a cup of tea, sipping it as I sat and watched the scenery below. Mal’s conversation was hushed, much of it using lingo that I couldn’t quite understand with all those acronyms and abbreviations. But the sound of his voice was so soothing that after a while I found myself drifting and finally fell asleep with the afternoon sun warming my skin.
“Wake up, my love.”
My eyes opened to the best sight ever. Mal’s face was hovering above mine, my body curled up in his lap as he cradled me, one hand wrapped around my back, the other cupping my ass possessively.
“I know I fell asleep on the blanket,” I remembered.
He smiled a devastating smile. “You did, but I couldn’t have you so far away from me so I brought you up here with me.”
The sun was setting behind him, casting the office in a deep orange glow that made everything seem as if it were on fire. I turned my head to see Hannah still in front of her desk. Her fingers were angrily typing away while a pencil placed between her lips rapidly tipped from side to side as she chewed on it. I groaned.
