Accidental Arrangements

by Alexandra Warren

  “I sure hope so.”

  “I know it. Now let’s watch something funny so we can get your mind back in the right place,” I told her as I grabbed the remote and began scrolling through our options.

  “You know, I strangely feel a little better now that I could actually tell the whole story to somebody.”

  “So much better that you’re ready to get back into auditioning? This is bigger than just you, Jules. You gotta do right by your moms.”

  She put her hand to my chest, turning in my hold so she could see my eyes when she said, “Yeah? Well so do you, big shot. I’m pretty sure your mother wasn’t too proud of all that drama you had going early on.”

  Now it was me getting a little uncomfortable as I tried to keep my face neutral when I explained, “That was actually right around the time she died. Right before the draft. That shit fucked with me so bad. Had me doing drugs, fighting people, all types of shit.”

  While I fully expected Jules to judge me the way she always had, she actually looked a little empathetic as she replied, “Yeah, I read about that. They never gave an explanation though. Just painted you as a… bad guy.”

  “Which fucked me up even more. That wasn’t even in my character, but that’s who they turned me into. Made me look all reckless and out of control when I was really just… mourning. I was hurt. I was lost. I was… alone. Had all of those extra people around me and still felt lonely as hell,” I told her with an awkward laugh, shaking my head as all the memories began to flood my brain.

  It had been awhile since I even spoke on that time of my life, choosing to focus on my future instead. In fact, I wasn’t sure if I had ever released as much as I was now to anybody. But something about the moment, along with Jules being so open about her past, had me not only feeling comfortable as hell, but also… free.

  “What about Lily? You always had her, didn’t you?” Jules asked as she sat up a little straighter.

  I returned my attention back to the TV screen as I answered, “Yeah, but she had her own shit going on at the time. I mean, it fucked her up too, not to mention she was still pretty young herself raising the twins as a single mom.”

  “Well where’s their father?”

  I shrugged. “Shit. The same place as mine. No man’s land. Nowhere to be found.”

  “Well… would you rather know him and be spiteful like me because he’s not who you think he should be? Or would you rather not know him at all?”

  “That’s a hell of a perspective, Jules,” I replied once I realized I really didn’t have an answer. I mean, sure my life wasn’t ideal at the moment, but it wasn’t all bad. I had made it out of sketchy conditions, and his presence didn’t necessarily mean things would be better no matter how much that was the assumption.

  But before I could continue down the long winding road of my past, Jules waved her hand to say, “Okay, seriously. Turn on the movie. This is getting way too deep.”

  “I like it though. I mean, I feel better too. So thank you for listening,” I told her as I pulled her back to my chest.

  She tilted her head back to meet my eyes and reply, “You already told me I was a good listener.”

  “And I meant that.”

  “Well I meant what I said too. Now turn on the movie, Mr. Graham.”

  &

  “Not a cuddler my ass…” I thought to myself as I looked down the couch - and down my body - to find it halfway covered in Jules. Her head was on my chest and her leg was hooked near my waist as she snored softly. And while I was surprised at how comfortable she was, she definitely had a point about her getting too hot in her sleep, her face practically covered in sweat as it stuck to my t-shirt.

  I wasn’t even sure how we ended up in this position; wasn’t sure at what point we went from watching the movie to cuddling to sleep. But having her so close to me felt way too good to complain about. In fact, all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around her little ass to keep her close for good because regardless of how special the moment felt - regardless of how special the night had been - I couldn’t count on Jules to keep things this way. She was way too unpredictable, way too wishy-washy, which meant I had to chill before I got too ahead of myself. But of course she wasn’t making anything easier as she readjusted her leg over my body and somehow sank even deeper in my hold.

  I released a content sigh as I stared at the ceiling trying to figure out my next move. I wasn’t looking for anything serious. I had way too much to focus on to also be worried about another person’s moves. Truth be told, we both had plenty to focus on to be worried about or wrapped up in each other. But I also didn’t want Jules to mistake that fact for me not being interested in her.

  I was definitely interested in her, especially after all that had been shared over the course of the night. I wasn’t sure if it was the wine that had us so wide open, or the fact that we were both desperate for the physical and emotional release, but it felt like a good start for whatever was to come. Though Jules was quick to remind me we still had a lot of work to do as she shuffled out of her sleep and groaned, “Let go of me. I feel like I’m on fire.”

  “You are on fire. If you didn’t warn me, I would’ve thought your ass had a fever. But I suppose it was good while it lasted, right?” I asked as I sat up, twisting from side to side to crack my back.

  Jules scrubbed at her eyes before stretching out her arms to say, “I feel like I got a full night’s rest already. Like I should go ahead and start my day.”

  “Jules, it’s almost three in the morning. Please don’t start your day.”

  “Why not?”

  “You’re already a monster with sleep. I can’t imagine you without it,” I teased, earning a shove in the arm that barely made me move.

  We sat in silence for a moment, Jules concentrated on her feet while I concentrated on her. I could tell she was deep in thought once she started gnawing at her lip, a habit of hers that I had picked up on along with a few other things. But I still knew to brace myself once she began to speak.

  “So I know I… dropped a lot on you tonight. And you don’t have to remember any of it if you don’t want to. In fact, I’d like it if you could just forget it all.”

  “Why would I forget, Jules? That shit made you who you are. And it definitely made you easier to understand,” I told her as I turned off the TV and stood up from the couch.

  But regardless of my comment, Jules still insisted, “I’m not that complicated.” As she stood up to join me.

  I bent my head to meet her eyes and explain, “Yeah, to yourself. But for the rest of us, we’re steady trying to figure you out.”

  “Well it’s best to keep you on your toes, right?” she asked, getting on her tippy toes to get even closer.

  And I couldn’t help but smile when I suggested, “Or on my back. Maybe even my knees.”

  She poked me in the chest, turning away to head towards her room and tossing over her shoulder, “You’re terrible. I’m going to bed.”

  “But you’re not even tired,” I called after her.

  “Well I will be. Once I get in bed,” she shouted back from the threshold of her door.

  “How about you go get in mine since you like it so much? I’ll just sleep out here,” I offered, thought I wasn’t even sure where it came from. I guess I enjoyed seeing happy go-lucky Jules so much that I would’ve done just about anything to keep her that way.

  And it was clear she was considering my offer when she leaned against her doorframe, crossing her arms over her chest to ask, “Seriously, Levi? I mean, you hardly even fit on this couch.”

  “So let me join you then. I’ll just… turn on the fan, turn down the air conditioning, put some frozen vegetables under your pillow...”

  Jules burst with laughter as she headed back my way. “Or you can just keep that body of yours to yourself so I can properly self-ventilate.”

  “I’ll try. Can’t make any guarantees though. I already warned you about those little ass shorts earlier,” I told her as
I took another appreciative look at her ass.

  “And I already told you I need at least twenty-four hours to recover,” she reminded me with a silly grin.

  “Come on, pretty girl. Let’s hit the sack. I got shit to do in the morning.”

  Jules was already headed towards my bedroom door when she asked, “What kind of shit?”

  “Since when are you so interested in what I do?” I teased as I pinched her ass from behind, making her giggle as she jumped away.

  “I’ve always been interested, I’ve just never actually had to ask,” she replied as she climbed onto the bed, being one hell of a tease and she crawled to the other side on her hands and knees.

  Still, I kept her wishes for me to keep to myself in mind as I waited for her to get in position. “So, what? You’ve just been creeping on me? Listening through my door and peeking out the windows?”

  Her face twisted instantly as she pulled the cover over her body. “Nah, it’s never that deep. I just know your basic routine. The daily stuff.”

  “Yeah. Cover it up all you want to, Jules. Your mean ass was checkin’ for a nigga lowkey,” I told her with a smirk as I pulled the other side of the cover back and joined her.

  And while I adjusted on my side, she did the same on hers. “I was never checking for you. I just… noticed you. Because you were there.”

  “Well I noticed you too. And I’m glad to see you aren’t as bad as I thought you were.”

  “Oh, I’m definitely that bad. Don’t get it twisted,” she joked as she snagged one of the pillows that was already under my head. And since she was obviously in the mood to play, I turned her way to take another pinch at her ass, making her giggle once again.

  “You tryna show me how bad you are, or you just running that mouth of yours like usual?”

  “My mouth is good for more than just running, Levi,” she replied as she turned to face me with a sexy little smirk before sliding over to fill the gap between us.

  “Jules... go to bed,” I told her, though my words completely contradicted my actions as I tilted her chin up for a kiss that she happily accepted.

  “I am in bed. In yours.”

  I kissed her again, and then again before telling her, “Well aware.”

  Then she slipped her hand between us, pushing it past the waistband of my shorts. “Ooh. You are aware. Really aware.”

  “Jules, stop playin’. I gotta go to sleep, for real.”

  No matter how good her warm palm felt against my skin, I still had to keep my priorities in check. But of course she didn’t make things any easier for me as she teased, “You’re just so aware, Levi. I’d hate to waste all of this... awareness.”

  I felt myself thrusting to meet the strokes of her hand as I groaned, “Jules, I ain’t tryna hurt your little ass. Go to sleep.”

  “Or you could… put me to sleep,” she suggested, licking her lips as she increased the intensity of her strokes before slipping under the cover.

  “Jules… shit,” I moaned as she took me in her mouth, using her hand to continue her strokes as she bobbed her head up and down. And while her head game definitely had me speechless, I was grateful when she took a damn breath, giving me the opportunity to ask, “What happened to your little twenty-four-hour rule, huh?”

  “I didn’t say we had to fuck,” she answered before going back for more, this time massaging my balls in her hand as she used her tongue to tease the head.

  And I could feel myself on the verge of a release until she stopped to take another breath, giving me a chance to clarify, “Put you to sleep without fucking you, yet you steady down there startin’ shit?”

  She climbed from under the covers, straddling my body and grinding her pussy against my waist as she replied, “You just gotta get creative, Levi.”

  “Man, I’m too tired to get creative. Just come sit on my face or somethin’,” I insisted as I latched my hands under her thighs with every intention of picking her up so I could get her exactly where I wanted her.

  But before I could lift her, she climbed out of my hold and returned to her side of the bed. “Nevermind. I’ll just put myself to sleep.”

  “Hell nah, Jules. You gotta go to your own bed to do that shit. I’m not about to let you play with yourself in my bed while I’m laying right here, perfectly capable of handling the job.”

  “Fine. I will then,” she fired back as she started to climb out of the bed. But I reached over just in time to catch her by the arm.

  “Jules, get your fine ass back here.”

  “Why? So I can sit on your face?” she asked, her face adorably pouty as she waited for an answer.

  “You say it like it’s a bad thing. I mean, I ain’t never met a girl who acted like she was too good for a little face lift.”

  Her pouty face turned into one of confusion when she asked, “Face lift?”

  “Riding my face. Face lift.”

  I was grateful to hear her laugh, even if it was paired with, “That is so corny, Levi.”

  “Nah. Corny is you going to your room when you know you wanna stay in here with me. So what do you say, pretty girl? You gonna let me put you to sleep or what?”

  “I mean… I guess… if you’re still offering face lifts...” she stammered as she climbed back over my way with the sexy smirk back in full affect.

  “You asked. I’m just tryna delivery,” I told her as she straddled my lap once again.

  Then she put her hands to my chest, grinding against me the same way she had done before as she replied, “Well call you the UPS man.”

  “UPS man?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. UPS man. Delivery. Get it?”

  I burst out laughing as I told her, “Yo, you can never call me corny again. Cause that was so damn corny.”

  “Ugh. Fine. Just put me to sleep already.”

  Jules

  I woke up in a pile of drool, though it wasn’t covering my own pillows as usual. In fact, nothing around me was the usual as I rolled around on the mattress that felt as if it was double the size of mine, enjoying the feel of what had to be Egyptian cotton sheets against my bare skin before bumping into a note.

  I scrubbed at my eyes as I picked it up to take a closer look.

  “Went to the gym, though I’m sure I’ll be a step slower since you wanted to play so much last night. Feel free to stay in here as long as you need to. But if you stay long enough for me to make it back, just know you’re asking for trouble. ;) - Levi.”

  I smiled as I read it again, clutching the comforter to my chest as I tried not to squeal out loud.

  I was… satisfied. And happy. Not to mention completely refreshed as I sat up against the headboard and replayed the events of the night in my head. From tag-teaming to get rid of Charlie, to the not-so-regular trip to the grocery store, onto the dinner and a movie. Oh wait. Can’t forget about Levi turning me to putty after fucking me into a stupor the first and the second time.

  “A girl could get used to this…” I whispered as I shimmied to the edge of the bed, swinging my legs around towards the floor so I could hop down and keeping the sheet clenched to my chest as I looked around for my clothes.

  But the second I bent over to look under the bed, I heard someone whistle behind me, “Damn girl. What did I do to deserve all of this?”

  I turned around wearing a bashful smile as I replied, “Good... almost afternoon, Levi. How was your workout?”

  I watched as he sat his duffle bag on the floor before kicking off his shoes while replying, “Nothing like the workout I got last night, but it was straight. How you feelin’?”

  “Excellent. Never been better.”

  “Do I have something to do with that?”

  He was already crawling across the bed towards me, so I waited until he got right in front of me to answer, “You might.”

  “Oh I might, huh? Just a might?” he asked teasingly as he yanked at the sheet I was still holding onto.

  But I managed to dodge his attempts as I insisted, “L
evi, quit playin’. I couldn’t take any more of your dick if I wanted to.”

  “But you do want to?”

  “I mean…” I trailed, gnawing at my lip and earning a hard smack on the ass that made me jump.

  “Freaky ass. What you got goin’ on today?”

  I continued my search around his room for my clothes, my first find being my tanktop. And as I pulled it over my head I answered, “I was actually thinking about heading down to this little improv class. Brushing up on my skills.”

  I suppose I was feeling a little inspired after talking it all through with Levi and being reminded of my purpose for being out here in the first place. And while it had been far too long since I had worked on my craft in any capacity, I figured improv was a good, free place to start.

  Still, I wasn’t expecting him to respond, “Oh word? Can I come?”

  “You really wanna come?” I asked, more surprised than anything that he was so interested.

  He nodded as he scooted a little closer towards the edge of the bed. “Yeah. I’d love to see what you’re workin’ with.”

  “Oh yeah? You didn’t see enough last night?” I asked teasingly as I reached for my bra that had somehow gotten wrapped around his bed post, opting to toss it over my shoulder as I continued my search.

  At least that was the plan until Levi wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me between his legs before nuzzling his face in my neck as he replied, “I saw plenty last night. But wait a minute… that’s the kind of acting you do?”

  I froze in his hold the second I realized what he was really asking. “What? No! I’m not a… porn star. Nothing against them. Love their work. But no. Just… no.”

  “We can make a movie if you want to…” he whispered in my ear before pulling it between his teeth.

  And regardless of how good it felt, I still managed to pat at his arms as I told him, “Get off of me. I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet. And you clearly haven’t showered.”

  “See. So we’re dirty together,” he said as he pulled me even tighter; tight enough for my ass to graze his dick and… gotdamnit.