I checked my email to see if I had gotten a reply to any of my job applications and found more spam. There was an offer for a low-cost plastic surgery. Then a few emails about Viagra. And another one, which was the winner.
“Hurry and buy a high-quality vibrator while it’s on sale! Save 25%! Only today!” I read the subject of the email before I deleted the email forever. This definitely wasn’t my day.
“I need a job! Not a vibrator! Although…” I grinned, thinking about the vibrator that was tucked away in my nightstand drawer. I had left it there a long time ago, too stressed out to masturbate these days. I was too stressed for anything, period.
Giving up on job-hunting for now, I decided to watch some news, but right when I switched to CNN, my phone rang. It was my best friend, Sierra.
“Hey, girl,” I greeted her, muting CNN. “What’s up?”
“I could ask you the same. You’ve been locked in your apartment for days! Are you alive?”
I laughed, laying down on my back. Sierra had always been the cheerful and lively one. I clicked with her from the moment I spotted her crying in a club because her boyfriend had just broken up with her. It was a few years ago, but I felt like we’d known each other our whole lives.
“Nope. You’re currently talking to a ghost.”
“Ha ha. So funny. You better stop being a hermit if you don’t want me to kill you myself.”
“A hermit? You’re even funnier than I remember.”
“Oh, I can be funny if I want. Seriously, you’ve been MIA for days and I’m beginning to worry. What’s going on?”
“Nothing new. I’m still looking for a job and applying for countless interviews, but I’m not lucky like you. I feel like I’m running around in circles. I’m starting to think I should change my career or something.”
“I always told you that you could be a model. You have the looks.”
I moved my fingers through my hair, glancing at the mirror that stood in the corner of my bedroom. Right now, I couldn’t look any less like a model with the dark circles under my eyes and greasy hair.
“But I don’t have any interest in it.” I sighed. “Just now I was talking to my mom, and I can’t even tell her I’m jobless. How can I tell her that it turns out it isn’t easy to be successful in my field? I don’t want to get her down.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Cami. It’s hard and we have to work a lot, but hard work brings success.”
“It’s easy for you to say. You have a great job!” Sierra was a PR manager in one of the most prestigious law firms in Washington.
“But do you remember how hard it was for me to get it? I had to start from zero and work my ass off to get to where I am today.”
“That’s true.”
“So, don’t lose hope. I’m sure you will find a job pretty soon. If nothing else, you could go to Carter for help.”
Why was everyone on this kick of me going to my big brother? We had nearly six years between us, we barely spoke. I had only seen him once since I moved here nearly a year ago. He definitely was not going to help me out. And I was fine standing on my own.
“Thanks but no thanks. I have to do this on my own. But I appreciate the pep talk.”
“Don’t mention it. Now, I bet you haven’t gotten out of that apartment for a long time.”
“Four days actually.”
“Four days? Geez! Come on. It’s time for you to get out of your place and live a life for a change. You need to spice up your days a little.”
“I would if I wasn’t so high and dry.”
“Don’t worry about that! We’re going to go to a bar and we’re going to have a blast. Deal?”
She was right. I needed to get out of my house and relax. If I continued like this, I would turn into a hermit for real in no time.
“Deal.”
“Besides, who knows? Maybe you will meet a handsome millionaire who will sweep you off your feet and offer to be your good Samaritan aka your sponsor.”
Sierra and her nonsense. “Ha! Fat chance because I draw a line at that, Sierra. I’m not a gold-digger. I don’t need a sugar daddy.”
“Yeah, I know. Although, meeting a millionaire wouldn’t hurt. I wouldn’t complain if I got to meet one.”
“I can imagine.”
“Yeah. Okay. So, move that ass and meet me at our usual place and time.”
I checked the clock. I had enough time to take a shower, put on some makeup, and dress into something far more pretty than the PJs I had been wearing for days.
“Okay. See you in a few.”
“See you.”
I ended the call and stood up, suddenly all excited about tonight. Everything would be okay. If not today or tomorrow, I would find a job sooner or later, so I shouldn’t be discouraged. I wasn’t the one to lose hope, and I wasn’t one to quit. The game of politics was the game of survival, so I had to believe in myself and my power.
I hopped in the shower and ran the hot water, instantly relaxing. Maybe this day wasn’t a complete disaster after all.
2
Merritt
The sounds of an upbeat pop song played from the speakers around the Capitol Hill bar, fitting my current mood. I was out with my friends celebrating my most recent win, and the lyrics of the song that spoke about victory were just perfect for this occasion. I took a sip of my scotch, scanning the place for any woman that might catch my attention.
I was one of the youngest members of Congress and had a damn good reputation. As such, the media was interested in me more than any other congressman and wanted to be in the loop on my private life. I was even considered The Playboy of Washington, thanks to the paparazzi that were hounding me and taking pictures of my dates. Everyone knew my name.
“I knew you’d nail it, Merritt,” Carter, my best friend, said. “You always deliver.”
Just like me, he was dressed in a dark suit and wore expensive Italian leather shoes with an equally expensive watch to match. He was my oldest friend. We had known each other since high school when my family moved to his town to enjoy some peace and quiet. He never treated me like a rich kid, and for that, I was thankful.
“Of course, I nailed it. They didn’t stand a chance, not when my team and I have been preparing for this for months.”
“Damn right. But seriously, did you see their faces when we passed our bill?” Robert, my colleague, added. “Cocky bastards. They ain't got nothing on us.”
I arched my eyebrow and took another sip of my scotch. “Of course. We worked our asses off to get here, while they wasted their time on scandals and affairs. Some people just can’t live without drama in their life.”
“So, what’s next?” Tim, my other colleague, asked.
I spotted a short blonde sashaying in front of our table, trying to catch our attention. I gave her a quick once-over and decided she didn’t do anything for me.
I gave him a side-glance. “Let’s not talk about it now. We didn’t come here to talk about work.”
“You’re right.” He emptied his glass of vodka and signaled to the waiter to bring him another one. “Let’s find a good piece of ass for tonight.”
Carter shook his head at him. “Do you think about anything else but getting laid? It’s no wonder Marlene dumped you.”
“Hey. She didn’t dump me. I dumped her.”
I rolled my eyes. “Are you sure about that? Because if I remember it right, you called me that same night—pretty drunk, I have to say—and whined about Marlene leaving your sorry ass for good. It was rather comic.” I tsked. “I should have recorded that call. It’s pure gold.”
“Shut up.” Tim avoided to look us in the eyes, scanning the dancing crowd instead. “You don’t know the whole story.”
I erupted into laughter. “You wish. You have it bad for Marlene, and now you’re trying to get over her.”
“Pussy whipped,” Robert added.
“Give him a break,” Carter, defended him.
I snorted. “Can someone
give me tissues? I’m going to cry from this all this sappy shit.”
Robert laughed in response, while Carter flipped me off. Tim remained silent, looking at the redhead who had just passed our booth on her way to the restrooms.
“You know what? I think I found my girl for tonight. Excuse me.” Without even looking at us, Tim stood up and followed the redhead girl.
“You go, tiger!” Robert whooped.
“You’re such a savage,” Carter told me, rolling his eyes at me. “Save that for the Hill.”
“What? It’s not that big of a deal. Besides, it’s not like the girl left him for no reason. Loving her or not, he did cheat on her.”
“And you’re such a saint yourself. I know I wouldn’t want you anywhere near my sister, that’s for sure.”
I smirked at him. “I never said that.” Although, I never cheated on girls, which wasn’t that hard since I wasn’t even dating them to begin with.
I had a strict policy.
No attachments.
Nothing serious.
Everything was about sex.
There were a few of them who didn’t understand the meaning of a “fling”, hoping for more from me, but I was quick to show them they were nothing but a pussy for me to stick my cock into. There was never anything more than that.
But I was bored because after years of the same old, same old, I wished I could meet someone who would actually make me feel something. Someone who would make me wish for something more. I wanted to experience something new. Call it getting older, but I was slowly getting tired of this lifestyle.
Carter waved his hand in front of my face. “Bro? Are you alright?”
I blinked, back to the present moment. “Yeah. Why?”
“For a moment there you looked like someone killed your dog.”
“I don’t have a dog.”
“You could have fooled me.”
I grinned at him. “Hey, about your sister, is she still in the area? Working at that internship?”
“No idea honestly. Mom and I don’t really talk about her much. I think she wants me to help her out or something, but Cami would never allow it.”
I hadn’t seen Cami in years, but back in the day she was pretty. In that small-town girl sort of way. I wouldn’t mind celebrating my win with a girl like her. But I knew Carter’s rule, I wasn’t allowed to do anything with his little sister.
I needed to stretch my legs, find a woman to get into bed with. “I think I’ll go and get another drink.”
The bar was overcrowded, which was no wonder since it was Friday. My eyes were rewarded with the sight of the model-like women swaying their hips in their sexy dresses, some of them throwing their seductive glances at me. I smiled back at one redhead as I walked up to the bar, but then I saw a pretty brunette talking with the bartender, and my mind went blank for a few seconds.
Fuck, she was gorgeous. She was sitting on the bar stool, but I could see that she was tall and curvy. She was wearing a small tight-fitting gray dress that clung to her like a second skin, leaving little to imagination, and my cock twitched in my pants.
Her long brown hair fell in curls over her back, and I itched to catch a strand of it from behind, pull it, and keep her in place as I thrust my dick into her. Great. Now I was rock-hard.
I glanced at my crotch, thankful for the black pants that didn’t reveal just how horny I was.
Leaning against the bar several feet away from her, I waved the bartender down and bought her her drink. I observed her as I walked over to her, carrying her cocktail and my scotch. She was even more beautiful up close. She had a cute perky nose and mesmerizing deep green eyes. Her lips were plump and currently coated with a pink lipstick.
“Good evening,” I said and took a seat next to her.
Her lips curled up the moment she noticed me, her eyes checking me out as she turned to face me. I could see that she liked what she saw, her gaze flashing with something I could only define as lust. Good.
“Good evening.” Her voice was beautiful, sweet as her vanilla-rose scent. She smelled wonderfully.
“This is for you.” I put her cocktail in front of her, and her smile grew bigger.
“Why, thank you.”
“You’re welcome, gorgeous.” She smiled, which was dazzling. I found it difficult to look away from her sexy lips.
“I could say the same to you.”
A smirk formed on my face. “You think I’m gorgeous?”
She checked me out again, giggling. “Oh please. As if you don’t know. I bet you hear it all the time.”
“It doesn’t hurt to hear it again.” I raised my glass. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
I took a swallow of my scotch while watching her over the rim of my glass. The room was dim-lit, and the shadows playing on her face emphasized her delicate features. I wanted to run my fingers over her cheek and see for myself if her skin was as soft as it looked like.
“I haven’t seen you here before. Is this your first time here?” I asked her, observing her profile. She was sliding her finger over the rim of her glass idly.
“Not really. It’s one of my favorite places, but I haven’t been here lately.”
“That explains it. I’m sure I would have noticed you.”
She cast another stunning smile at me. “You’re flattering me.”
“I’m just telling you the truth. This night couldn’t get any better. Sitting here with you is like a cherry on top after a great day.”
“Well, aren’t you a charmer.” She winked at me. “I’m glad to hear that at least someone had a good day.”
I cocked my head to the side. “What do you mean?”
She sighed, still moving her finger over the rim of her glass. “It’s just that these days I’m completely out of luck.” She met my eyes. “Sorry. I don’t want to ruin your night.”
“No worries. If you want, I’m all ears. They say you can be more honest when you tell your issues to a stranger.”
“Oh, but you aren’t exactly a complete stranger.”
I stopped with my glass in mid-air. “What do you mean?”
“I know who you are, actually. You’re Merritt Dawson. The congressman everyone is talking about.”
“Are you interested in politics?”
“Very much.”
I leaned closer to her with a flirtatious smile. “Interesting. I don’t meet many women with the same interests as I me.”
“I bet.” Why did that sound bitter?
“I hope all you’ve heard is good news.”
She sipped her drink. “So-so.”
“So-so?”
“If we exclude your private life, I guess you can say I heard only good news.”
“My private life, huh?” Those busybodies from the press. I could imagine what kind of impression she had of me relying on those magazines. “I guess my reputation precedes me.”
“You could say that.” There was definitely a hint of disapproval on her face.
“Don’t believe everything you read,” I was quick to reassure her. “You know they like to create drama where there is none.”
“I guess the life of a public figure isn’t easy.”
“You can say that again. But hey, what do you think about leaving this place with me and going somewhere more private?”
She finished her cocktail in a few big swallows and stood up. “Look, it was nice talking to you, but I’m not interested.”
Now this was a first. Up until now, there was no girl who said “no” to me. I was so dumbstruck, that I couldn’t come up with anything to say.
“And thanks for the drink. I hope you enjoy your evening.” With a slight smile, she walked away, leaving me to gape after her.
She actually rejected me. I looked around me, feeling as if this was some kind of prank, but there was no hidden camera or anything. Annoyance spread through me, tampering with my good mood, and I downed the rest of my glass.
I returned to my friends, who were
now busy with their “flavor of the night” girls, except Carter. I slumped down next to him.
“What was that about?” he asked, motioning with his head to the bar.
“You saw it?”
“Kind of. It was hard to see through the crowd. And I can’t believe it. She walked away from you? That’s rich. Merritt Dawson was rejected!” He chuckled. “Is she blind? Or does she have a boyfriend?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Who cares? It’s not like I’m crushed or anything. It’s her loss.”
“But was she hot? Like super hot?”
I didn’t answer anything. Yeah, she was hot, and even now I wanted to go after her and take that dress off her, but I certainly wasn’t that desperate. There were plenty of fish in the sea, so if not her, I would definitely find someone else.
3
Camilla
I started working as an intern at a new firm a few days ago and today, I was offered a lunch with a couple other staffers. I knew that it was a good networking opportunity, so I accepted the invitation, hoping that it would come up with some sort of job at the end. If I met the right people and managed to show them I was committed and well-educated, they would consider hiring me for sure.
I dressed myself in one of my finest suits and styled my hair into a bun that screamed “professional”, applying only a minimal amount of makeup.
The lunch was at one of most exclusive restaurants in the city, and my jaw almost dropped when I entered, taking in all the luxury. The place exuded wealth with its marble floors, golden chandeliers, and an impressive collection of paintings. I could never afford to have a lunch at this kind of place.
“Hey, you made it,” Angela, who was one of the interns, greeted me. I sat down next to her.
“Yeah. The traffic was terrible though. I barely got here on time.”
“Tell me about it. I got out of my place a lot earlier, but I arrived just a few minutes ago.”
We were seated at a large round table for ten in the middle of the room, and there were two unoccupied seats left—one of them right next to me.
“This place is fancy,” I remarked, observing the people around us. Everyone was wearing expensive suits, looking quite “important”, which made me wonder why our firm decided to reward us with a lunch at such an expensive place. “I think that like, one lunch here could lead me to bankruptcy.”
7+Us Makes Nine: A Nanny Single Dad Romance (Baby Makes Three) Page 32
