by Nikki Winter
“Fuck you,” she snarled, still trying to get to the rabbit in his hand.
“But Addie,” Maikao intoned with a gasp. “We’re in a public place. Although,” he leered down at her. “We do have the tools we need.”
“I’m not coming.”
“Well then I guess Eli and I will just spend a night talking about what you love to do in the privacy of your home. I’m sure we can come up with a few ideas together. Great minds and all that.”
Those dark eyes narrowed on him. “You wouldn’t.”
“Saturday night, nine sharp. Be there in something that shows off your legs or...” He glanced at the toy suggestively.
Addison suddenly froze, then smiled. Maikao should’ve known what was coming next, but he didn’t have a chance to fend off the attack. She reached up and gripped his nipples through his T-shirt, twisting until his eyes watered and his arm dropped.
“Let go, let go, let go!”
“I’ll come,” Addie sneered. “But if you ever pull some shit like this again, I’ll have these as accessories with the rest of my fall collection from Macy’s at home. Understood?” She twisted harder.
“Ahhh...yes, got it. Plain English. Now could you please stop taking liberties with my highly sensitized parts?”
Letting go of the left one, she used her free hand to slap her other hand off the right one.
“Jesus!”
Addison snatched the toy from his grasp and quickly walked away from him but he distinctly heard the word, “Asshole.”
Maikao smiled even as he rubbed his aching parts. Because whether she knew it or not, Addie just gave him a foot in the door. He intended to move all the way in.
Chapter Two
“You do realize you’ve spent the last hour lamenting about Maikao, right?”
Addison paused in her steps and looked over at her best friend, Carmen Sanchez. “Because he’s an asshole.”
Smirking, Carmen replied, “You know, I find it awfully funny that I’ve met Mak and hear about his antics constantly, but I have yet to be in the presence of the elusive Eli.”
“So...?”
“So...Eli’s the one who you have complete and total romantic interest in, yet Mak seems to hold your undivided attention.”
Addison shook her head. “No.”
Carmen nodded. “Yes. Every time I talk to you, there’s some story you just have to tell me about Mak.”
“He’s my friend.”
“So is Eli, but I barely hear two words about him in a conversation.”
“You’re making something out of nothing,” Addison replied as they walked through the doors of a well-known gown shop.
“Am I?” Carmen stopped and turned to face her. “Tell me something and I want you to be completely honest with me here.”
“What?”
“Are you going for Eli because you really want him or are you doing it because he’s safe and you run the risk of being rejected if you pursue something more than friendship with Mak?”
“No.” She wasn’t, was she? At least she didn’t think she was. Fucking Carmen and her pysch degree!
Carmen’s lips twisted. “Hmm.” She kept walking.
Addison followed. “Hmm? What does hmm mean?”
“Nothing.”
“Oh it means something. You never hmm me unless it means something.”
“I have spoken my peace. Your choice is your own, my friend, but I would advise that you look extremely close at that choice.”
Pausing, Addison responded, “Are you going to tell me to beware of the Sith next?”
Carmen nodded. “Yup, right after I pop you on the mouth.”
“Works for me.”
Addison had no doubt her friend knew she was lying. Carmen always knew when she was lying; she'd been able to read her like a paperback from the first day they met in middle school. It was both a blessing and a curse in that aspect of their friendship. Apparently, Carmen had determined that Addison “needed” her from the first moment she spotted Addison awkwardly standing in the middle of the cafeteria, looking for somewhere to sit.
Carmen had weaved through multiple tables before coming to stand in front of her. Her words had been simple; “C’mon, chica, you’re with me.”
More than willing to stop looking like a deer caught in headlights in the midst of hundreds of others kids, Addison had followed without hesitation. From then on, they’d been inseparable. You didn’t find a friend like Carmen every day. Fiercely loyal, incredibly protective, and insanely loveable, Addison couldn’t have prayed for better.
Snorting, said best friend grabbed her hand and dragged her down the aisle of women’s dresses. “C’mon, we’re gonna get you nice and half naked.”
Addison pulled up short. “Oh no, ma’am. Last time I heard those words, I was on restriction for a month.”
Carmen rolled her eyes. “You telling me it wasn’t worth it?”
“I’m telling you that your choices in fashion often times land me in predicaments that threaten national security and the lives of those I hold dear.”
“Mak got over it. Although...one does have to question why he was so upset in the first place.”
“One doesn’t have to question anything. Did he really get over it? Because it would appear differently to me, being that every Halloween he gives me an incredibly long shot of the side-eye combined with ‘Please don’t make me nuke the whole tri-state area.’”
Carmen tucked in her lips, then asked, “You did manage to get that last stick of dynamite from him, right?”
Blinking innocently, Addison said, “Uh...yes?”
“You answered my question with a question!”
“I know!”
“If Mak kills everyone within a hundred mile radius, I’m gonna be really pissed.”
“Well then you’ll be Carmen el fantasma enojado.”
The other woman stared at her for a long moment. “Did you really just call me ‘Carmen the angry ghost’ as a byplay to Casper?”
Addison grinned. “Genius, wasn’t it?”
“No...actually, it made me consider smacking you with a palm full of baby powder because the pun was just that bad.”
“No love...just none...” Addison murmured as she stomped the rest of the way down the aisle.
An hour later, the pair was placing their orders for gowns up at the counter. Being that the shop they went into was extremely high-end, they had to actually put their names on a list to make the reservation and tailored specifications for each gown.
Her friend finished up and smiled at her. “Looks like wheels for your plan of seduction have started spinning, my friend. Time to ride it out.”
Addison blinked at her. “I choose to believe you didn’t mean that as the suggestive sexual innuendo that it came out as.”
Carmen patted her on the back and nodded solemnly. “Whatever helps you sleep at night...whatever helps you sleep at night...”
“I want you to listen to me closely here, Mak. You’re going to have one opportunity and one only.”
“Wait.” Maikao said interrupting Carmen’s tirade from the other end of the phone. “I think I’d have more than one opportunity unless you plan to have me assassinated for failing the first time.”
“I save assassination attempts for those who impose upon my rule of downtown.”
“Oh my God, you sounded so haughty when you were talking about the other restaurant owners on your block just then.”
There was an annoyed sigh. “Would you like to put your ADHD on hold for a few seconds while I give you your new plan?”
“I could...but the TV’s on and wow, the auditions of American Idol can get worse. Did you know they changed judges again? And who knew I’d miss seeing Simon and that infinitely deep part in the middle of his head?”
By this point, Carmen was laughing. “Were you dropped on your head as a child?”
“My parents swear I fell out of the crib. Personally I think they decided to have a Hunger Gam
es battle between my cousin and me to see which was strong enough to survive an infantile pit fight.”
“Jesus, man.” Carmen chuckled. “Please stop talking and listen.”
Maikao turned the volume down on his TV. “All right, all right. I am all ears.”
“Okay, so come Saturday night, you’re going to want to step it up a notch with Addie...”
“No, I’m not coming to that damn ball.”
Maikao frowned at Eli. “Why the hell not?” After his phone conversation with Carmen the night before he’d come into his friend’s office first thing in the morning at work to ask him. Having known the man for fifteen years, he was sure of what his type was and Carmen was most certainly his type. He just needed Eli to fall into the trap of unintentionally getting flirty and pissing Addie off as a result. Underhanded? Of course it was; but damn it, he needed to do something here!
Sure, he could outright tell Addison how he felt about her but the same way Maikao knew every in and out of her, he knew she’d run and never speak to him again. He couldn’t take that risk.
Eli folded his arms across his chest. “Because I have plans to go to an Albuquerque comic-con as Mario that night.”
He blinked at his friend. “No, you, as a grown man who doesn’t live in his parents’ basement, did not just make that statement with a straight face.”
“I did.” Eli nodded.
“Eli, it’s important.”
“Is it life and death?”
“Well...no.”
“Then look,” Eli waved his hands through the air before completing cheerfully, “Look at all the fucks I give!”
“You’re such an asshole!”
“An asshole that’ll be going to the comic-con as the coolest motherfucking video game character ever.”
“Add insane to the list of your ass-holish qualities.”
His friend simply stared at him while humming the Mario theme song. “Addie will be there!” Maikao blurted. He knew Eli was attracted to Addie on some level—which was why he had to put a monkey wrench in any plans being made.
Eli stopped, stared, and then asked, “Well, why didn’t you say that in the first place, dumbass?”
Yup, this shit was underhanded, but a man had to do what a man had to do.
Chapter Three
“I do not remember my gown being this damn short before, even after the tailoring.”
Carmen slapped Addison’s steadily tugging hands away from the hem of her gown. A gown Addison was convinced had been altered. Her eyes narrowed on Carmen and the other woman blinked back innocently.
Catching on, Addison shoved one of her shoulders. “You didn’t…”
Carmen pushed back. “I did.”
“I look like I’m gonna be taking tips in my thong later!”
“That’s the point!”
Both women were well aware that they were standing just outside the Hotel St. Francis that housed the charity ball, screaming at one another like two unstable patients escaped from the psych ward as other attendees walked by. “I can’t believe you actually fucked with my dress. What are you, my pimp now?”
Raising one eyebrow, Carmen retorted, “I believe the correct term would be madam.”
“Nuts...” Addison murmured, walking up ahead of her friend. “You’re fucking nuts.” The pair had met up after work and dressed at Addison’s place. She was almost late getting ready because of work.
“What I am is a friend who wants to see you get laid by the love of your life. This is a step in the right direction,” Carmen murmured as she followed behind. Maikao had let it slip that Eli would also be in attendance tonight and Addison saw this as the chance she needed.
“Carmen, I can feel the wind caressing my ass cheeks. I don’t know all of what you do on your spare time but Mother Nature and I don’t have that type of relationship.”
“Stop whining, you look amazing and if I had a dick, I’m sure I’d be tenting my pants right now.”
Addison stopped and slowly turned around to face the only woman she’d thought of as a sister before raising a brow. “I think we need to re-examine our relationship after that disturbing statement.”
“I’m simply saying that if I were a man, I’d probably try my hand at getting you to the nearest enclosed space tonight.”
“I’m sorry,” Addison said calmly. “Was that statement supposed to be comforting? Because at the moment, I don’t feel comforted. As a matter of fact, I feel like I need to start guarding my goodies.”
Rolling her eyes, Carmen grabbed her hand and dragged her as she walked through the lobby. “Shut up before I kiss you on the mouth.”
“Still not comforted!”
“Would you just focus, please? You have a mission tonight and—”
Just to be irritating Addison started humming the Mission: Impossible theme song.
“Addie!”
“What?”
“You’re gonna make me hurt you.”
“From our previous conversation, something tells me you’re into that.”
Carmen let out a frustrated little growl as they continued on. “Do you or do you not want tonight to be a success?”
Addison couldn’t answer that honestly so she went for obtuse. “I want tonight to go how it’s meant to go.”
The other woman’s eyes narrowed and she looked seconds away from replying to that ominous statement when they reached the DeVargas ballroom. Dozens of attendees milled about.
Both Addison and Carmen pulled up short after stepping into the space, each glancing around.
“Well,” Carmen said discreetly but aggressively popping Addison on the ass. “Let’s get ’er done.”
“I’m serious about that boundary conversation...”
“You know,” Eli murmured as he stood next to Maikao, watching the room. “I’m really feeling uncomfortable with how many women who are old enough to be my mother approached me tonight. Are these events like catnip to cougars?”
“They think you’re a firefighter, dude.” Maikao murmured back to his friend. “Therefore what’s in your pants is the equivalent of a water hose with a house fire.”
“Is that your nice way of telling me that some of the women here occasionally experience burning sensations in—”
“Okay, this conversation is over.” Maikao cut in.
“But—”
“Not. Discussing.”
“All righty, then...” Eli muttered.
Maikao didn’t really care about the repeated un-warranted advances he’d experienced in the last few hours. He was a little put off to say the least but his concern rested with one woman and one woman only—Addison. The sooner she arrived, the better. A part of him felt like shit for doing things this way but he knew pulling her to the side and explaining what he felt would just backfire.
He was tired of dancing around it, tired of trying to hide everything. Maikao’s excuses for not wanting her and Eli to date were total bullshit and he knew it, but he had been grasping at straws. He was done with dating other women, just to show them the door after he realized they’d never compare to her; that they’d never come close to Addie.
Maikao needed her mind off of Eli so that he could...well, he wasn’t so sure what he’d do, just that it had to be something.
“Stop fidgeting like that. You look like you’re about to either break out into your own version of ‘Smooth Criminal’ in that tux or do repeated hip thrusts. Both or which are disturbing, might I add,” Eli said.
“I can’t help it. I’m ready for this goddamn event to be over.” Lies. He was ready to see Addison. To make her dance with him, to listen to her make sly comments about some of the other people in the room.
“Yeah, I’m starting to get bored. Hey, what time did...oh, never mind...Jesus Christ.” Eli’s eyes widened to the size of silver dollars.
“What? What’d I miss?” Maikao swung around and stopped in his tracks as he saw Addison and Carmen weaving their way through the crowd. “Jesus. Christ.
”
“Is her gown supposed to be that short?”
Maikao growled. “Excuse me.” He made his way through the throng of people; eyes solely focused on Addie. Was she trying to get him a murder charge?
Dressed in a sleeveless pastel yellow, baby doll gown with a plunging neckline that cinched at her small waist and allowed her long smooth, bare legs to be emphasized as she strutted in four-inch peep toes, Addison had the attention of almost every man in the room. Her naturally curling hair had been pressed to fall in soft layered waves around her slim shoulders; her makeup minimal, but still giving the effect that her eyes were smoky and her lips were fuller.
For a moment when she and Carmen finally stopped, those eyes of hers met his and everything else faded. Every sight. Every sound. Every person. Every. Single. Thing. All Maikao could see was her and all he could hear was the thumping of his own heart as it echoed in his eardrums. Boom. Boom. Boom. Momentarily he was at a loss for words as he reached Addie and they stood eyeing one another.
One perfectly arched brow quirked in his direction, her lips curving just a bit. Then her gaze swept past him and she asked, “Well, where is he?”
Maikao’s stomach dropped at the realization that she was looking for Eli; that their momentary connection had been one-sided. His jaw clenched. “Why does it matter? You’re my date.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Against my will.”
He stepped closer. “You had a choice, Addie.”
“Did I? Because I remember blackmail being involved,” she snapped.
It was his eyes’ turn to narrow. “Still afraid Eli will know that you actually use your pu—”
“Okay!” Carmen loudly interrupted. “That’s the end of that conversation.” She stepped between the pair and poked Maikao in the chest, speaking for his ears only. “You, sir,” Carmen said, jamming him with that finger again. “Aren’t behaving in the manner we discussed.”
“Look at what she’s wearing,” he hissed.
Her eyes twinkled up at him. “You’re welcome.”
“I’m going to find Eli,” Addison snapped before stomping off.
