by Brent, Amy
“I’ll see you with the syrup tomorrow morning,” Camilla said.
“Looking forward to it,” Logan said.
I sighed and turned back to my friend, watching as her eyes dropped to Logan’s ass. She shook her head while he walked away, and I rolled my eyes as she took her moment. She was practically a dog in that regard. When she turned her gaze back to me, she bit down on her lower lip.
“Holy fuck, I can’t wait until tomorrow morning,” she said.
“I’m going home,” I said, walking out the door.
“Well before you go, just know that you haven’t really orgasmed—not until a man makes you do it,” she said.
“Cam, I love you, but I’m exhausted with this journey already. I masturbate all the time. I’ve got plenty of stimulating toys.”
“Have you ever penetrated yourself?” she asked.
“No, and I have no intention of doing so. I don’t understand how a woman can get off with penetration the way I can with clitoral stimulation. And in some of the literature I’ve read, it says something like sixty percent of women don’t get off via penetration only, anyway. So what’s the point?”
“When you do have sex,” she said, raising her hand to hail a cab, “try using one of those toys on that precious clit of yours while he’s pounding into you. Then you’ll see what the point is.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head before Camilla kissed me on the cheek.
“Love you!” she yelled as she dashed over to the cab that pulled up. “Sorry it didn’t work out tonight, but next time it will.”
“Next time? What do you mean next time!?”
She giggled as she slipped into the back seat of the cab.
“I’m serious. What does next time mean?” I asked.
As Camilla closed the car door, all I heard was a laugh—a sound I didn’t like.
Logan
I sat at my desk staring at my computer screen as my mind barreled back to last night. Holy hell, as blind dates went, that had been terrible. I knew Adam. I knew he wasn’t the best male specimen, but Camilla had made it seem as if the only point of the date was to get her best friend hooked up or something. However, from the looks of it, that had only been Camilla’s interpretation. Adam had been a selfish asshole and Ava had looked like she had wanted to die with every second that crept by.
Camilla did have a way of only seeing things from her point of view.
“Hey there, Logan.”
“Adam, hey. Come on in. What's up?” I asked.
“Just dropping off some paperwork. And I was wondering if you had talked with Camilla at all,” he said.
“Haven’t heard from Ava yet?”
“Oh, I’m not worried about it. She’s got a job. I have a job. People work. I don’t expect to hear from her until tonight anyway. Just didn’t know if you’d talked with her or anything.”
“Well, I saw Camilla briefly this morning, but she didn’t mention anything about last night.”
“You sure? Not a thing? Aren’t Ava and her, like, close or something?”
“Friends for years, yep.”
“Well, if she calls me, that’ll be cool. She will. But if she doesn’t, I’ve got a girl I can call to take out this weekend.”
“Wait, what?” I asked.
“Yeah. You remember the blond girl who came in to work with me the other day?”
“You had someone come in to work with you?”
“Just to visit. You know, on my lunch break.”
“Adam, you know your office here in my building is only for work purposes.”
“Of course. You know, like work purposes for you and Camilla.”
I bristled at his comment before I slowly stood.
“Your work space is only for work,” I said.
“Do you follow that rule?” Adam asked.
I narrowed my eyes at him as a small grin trickled across his slimy face. Who the hell did this guy think he was?
“I think you have some things you should attend to in your office. Alone,” I said.
“What about guests during hours that aren’t business? Maybe Ava would like to see where I work.”
“Out. Now. When you walk into this building, it’s professional—one hundred percent. You don’t want to keep it professional, I’ll find someone who does.”
“You should probably follow your own rules then.”
“For your information, Camilla never once got out of her car when she parked around back,” I said flatly.
Adam’s face fell before he let out a breathless chuckle.
“The next time you expect me to explain myself to you in any way, be ready to find yourself a new job, Mr. Humpbert.”
“Yes, sir,” he mumbled.
I stood my ground until he left my office, then slammed back into my chair. What the fuck? Adam was an absolute douchebag. How the hell could I have brought him on some stupid blind date for one of Camilla’s friends? Ava wasn’t just any friend, either. She was the friend, Camilla’s one and only confidant. I had to get in good with her from the beginning, because she was the kind of friend who’s opinion determined a person’s role in Camilla’s life. I could only imagine what she thought of me now after bringing that dickhead to meet her last night.
I’d never hung out with Adam outside work. I had merely picked him because he was the best-looking guy in my place of work, which was really the only place I frequented besides my apartment and Hunter’s place. But even with all that in play, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed how much of an asshole the man was. Part of me still wanted to fire him for coming at me the way he had. I obeyed the rules I had set forth for my company. And what I did with my girlfriend during my private time wasn’t something he could hold over my head as leverage.
Yep, that man was losing his job today. But first I had something else I needed to do.
Picking up my cell phone, I scrolled through my contacts. Ava’s number came up as an emergency contact in case something ever happened to Camilla while she was with me, but this particular phone call wouldn’t be an emergency. I dialed her number and held the phone to my ear, then picked up my pen and made a few notes on a sheet of paper.
“Logan? Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine. Camilla’s not with me anyway,” I said.
“What’s up then? Why are you calling?” she asked.
“I wanted to personally apologize on behalf of my idiotic friend from last night.”
“Not your fault. He was the selfish one.”
“Well, he’s a little more than selfish.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing. Would you let me apologize to you? Maybe I could take you out to lunch to try to smooth things over?”
“Logan, you don’t have to do that.”
“Look, I’d really like to. When I talked with Camilla about the purpose of the blind date, she made it seem like the only point was—”
“To get me laid?”
“I wasn’t going to put it like that, but yes,” I said.
A heavy sigh came from Ava’s lips, and it made me worried.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah. Just—a little frustrated with your girlfriend right now.”
“Want to get lunch and rant?”
“I thought lunch was the apology.”
“It could be both,” I said.
“Can we do that? You know, get lunch together?”
“It’s a platonic lunch. I’m not going to try to sleep with you after. I’ll be calling Camilla right after this anyway to let her know. It won’t be a big deal. Never is,” I said.
“Then lunch sounds nice. Where do you want to go?” she asked.
“Well, since we’re only a block away from one another work-wise, want to dip into the coffee joint on your side of the road?”
“Oh, the one with the homemade cheese danishes?”
“That’s the one.”
“I’ll race you there. My
mouth’s watering now.”
“See you in a bit,” I said, grinning.
The advertising agency Ava worked as a project manager at shared a block space with the building I had purchased for my business, and there were many times Camilla surprised me in my office after having lunch with Ava. I hadn’t seen Ava much, though. Even though Camilla and I had been dating for a little while now, I hadn’t spent a lot of time with her best friend. This lunch gave me an opportunity to do many things: one, to apologize for my asshole, soon-to-be ex-employee; two, to continue to get on Ava’s good side so she didn’t blast me with Camilla; and three, to possibly make a new friend.
After all, a workaholic lawyer didn’t have many of those no matter where they went.
I finished up my paperwork before I locked up my office, then made my way down to my H.R. department. I stuck my head in and had a quick conversation with the head of the department, then told him to do a formal interview with Adam. Everything needed to be done by the book so he didn’t accuse me of firing him after I had disagreed with him on something in my office. After the interview, my department head would give me his recommendation on Adam’s job.
Then I left my business and made my way across the street.
The second I walked in, Ava waved me down. She sat at a corner table near the back, and she had a massive coffee and two cheese danishes in front of her. I smiled and waved back, then ordered a large black coffee and one of their sandwiches. I went and took my place at the table, then immediately launched into the apology I had rehearsed on my way across the street.
“So, one, I probably should have picked someone I hang out with on a regular basis for last night. The only issue is, the only person I hang out with on a regular basis besides Camilla is Hunter, and I know how you feel about Hunter,” I said.
“It’s fine, really. Like I said, Adam’s behavior doesn’t reflect on you,” Ava said.
“Either way, I didn’t know it was going to be that bad. Everyone has their quirks, and Adam certainly has his. He’s a powerhouse to be reckoned with in my business, so I had a feeling he might have been a little abrasive.”
“A little?” she asked, giggling.
“You told him what you did for a living three times.”
“I know, right? It was like he wasn’t even listening.”
“Abrasive and selfish are two very different things. I expected him to lead the conversation, not dominate it.”
“And what was up with him spilling his entire family’s life story? I practically know how his ancestors got here.”
“Not sure. But perhaps more importantly, what’s the deal with this misinterpretation between you and Camilla? She made it seem like the only point to last night was finding you someone to sleep with.”
“It’s a long story, but she’s become very invested in my love life lately since I don’t have one,” she said.
“Nothing wrong with that. I was single for six years before I met Camilla.”
“See? Now tell her that, because I’m tired of her always pointing out guys she thinks might be up my alley enough for me to take home.”
“How about starting with the fact that a love life is more than sex?” I said.
“Yeah. Good luck having that talk with her,” she said.
“Right. But since we’re on the subject, why don’t you date?”
She groaned and sat back in her chair while I tried to backtrack.
“No, no, no. It’s not what you think. But I have known you for a few months. We’ve run into one another many times since we work so close to each other. I never see you with anyone. Why not?”
“That’s just not what I’m focused on. Things are ramping up at the advertising agency and they’re giving me more opportunities to prove myself. If I play my cards right, I might be able to apply for their program manager position, which would be a massive boost up.”
“Then why don’t you tell Camilla that?”
“I have, but you know how she is, Logan. She gets something in her head and she doesn't stop until she either hits a brick wall or accomplishes what she wants.”
“Well, personally? There’s nothing wrong with focusing on work for a while. If you’re happy and fulfilled, then there’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing.”
“Speaking of work, how are things at the bat cave?”
“Are we really still calling it the bat cave?” I asked.
“The only thing not black on your entire building is the white sign depicting what the building is for. It’s a bat cave.”
“The inside isn’t black.”
“I don’t know that for certain.”
“Come by and you will.”
“We’d have to be careful, though. If Adam saw me, he’d assume I was there for him,” she said.
“I can sneak you in back. There’s a private service elevator that goes all the way to the top floor.”
“I take it Camilla’s used it a time or two?” she asked.
I grinned at her as I took a bite of my sandwich.
“The two of you are relentless. I know things about you I’d never want to know in a million years,” Ava said.
“And trust me, we’ve had conversation about that. I keep telling Camilla that there are things that do need to stay between us, but she won’t listen.”
“It’s like talking to a pet rock.”
“That doesn’t listen,” I said.
Ava threw her head back and laughed. I enjoyed the conversations we had. She was a very down-to-earth girl, and I was glad Camilla had someone like that in her world. Camilla wasn’t down-to-earth so much as she was go-with-the-flow. She was a firecracker waiting to shoot off in whatever direction someone aimed her. Having a soft soul like Ava to help keep her grounded did wonders for Camilla’s mindset. I knew from personal experience as well as from the stories Camilla told me late at night when we were lying next to one another in bed.
“I just have to get one thing out there. Okay?” I asked.
Ava settled down her laughter as I finished off the first half of my sandwich.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Don’t call Adam. Just don’t do it.”
“Trust me, I’m not. Ever.”
“Okay. I knew you wouldn’t, but for my sake, I felt the need to say it.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because he was an absolute moronic monster last night, and if I didn’t say anything about it now and for some reason you called him, I would’ve felt like shit for not warning you further.”
“Well, thankfully I have some self-respect.”
“Good. That’s a good thing to have.”
“Though you and Camilla might want a bit of it. You know, for your love life,” she said, grinning.
“What do you know?” I asked.
Her grinned turned into a giggle as her cheeks flushed.
“Ava?”
“Yes?”
“What do you know?”
“Just that you have a penchant for syrup in places it should never be.”
“Damn it, Camilla!”
She threw her head back and roared with laughter as I sank into my chair with embarrassment.
“Why does this woman do this to me?” I asked.
“You know you love her,” Ava said.
Her statement caught me off guard. Did I love Camilla? I enjoyed her. We had fun together. But did I love her? I wasn’t sure I could answer that question.
“At least she’s fun to be around,” I said.
Ava’s laughter settled down as her eyes came back to mine.
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable with that statement. It was just a figure of speech,” she said.
“You didn’t. It’s just, we’ve only been seeing each other for a few months.”
“Of course. Yeah. I just meant generally.”
“Generally,” I said.
“Yeah.” Ava wrinkled her nose, and it made me chuckle.
“Genera
lly speaking, yes, Camilla is an easy person to love—in a general sort of way.”
“Like a best friend.”
“Exactly.”
“Like the best of friends,” she said.
“The best of the best.”
We fell silent as we finished up eating, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. Even though we had stumbled over a topic I wasn’t quite sure wouldn’t bite me in the ass later, I felt like we left things on a good note. I didn’t feel like Ava would go bash me to Camilla for any of it.
We grabbed our coffees and stood before I escorted her out of the café. Then I gave her a short one-armed hug before I watched her walk down the sidewalk and back into her place of work. Mission—at least partially—accomplished.
Ava
“Oh my gosh.”
I was pressed against a brick wall, my cheek sliding over the rough surface. I pushed against the wall as a pair of rough hands slid up the backs of my bare thighs. I moaned at the touch. I should’ve been terrified. I should’ve been panicking. But the feel of his breath on the nape of my neck sent shivers down my spine. He pulled his hand back and cracked my ass cheek, sending it jiggling and stinging as I ground against his pelvis.
I felt his thick cock through his pants, and it made me wet between my legs.
He grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head. His lips fell to my neck, nibbling and sucking and biting my skin. Shit. It felt so good. Too good. My legs began to tremble at the warmth of his tongue.
“Who are you?” I asked breathlessly.
He didn’t answer me.
He pinned my wrists with one hand before he yanked my skirt away with the other. He ripped it away like it was a pathetic piece of scrap. He kicked my legs apart with his foot before he reached between my legs, cupping my juicy pussy. He chuckled at my wet panties that clung to my skin. He fisted them and ripped them off, causing me to gasp as the cold air hit my dripping entrance.
“Tell me your name,” I whispered.
He lapped at my earlobe, pulling it between his lips. I shivered against him as his hand slid down the globe of my ass and worked its way between my legs. He ground his clothed cock against me as his fingers parted my pussy folds. I dripped onto his skin as he chuckled in my ear.
