The Power of Sunday Rose

by Angelina J. Windsor

  * * * * *

  Julie appeared in fine shape when I arrived at the apartment. She was busy eating. She confessed over a mouthful of crumbs that she’d slept well.

  “Jason brought me the chocolate croissants. Yummy! Want one?”

  “Sure,” I replied, enjoying the contented look on her face. Croissants. Good for Jason. I silently toasted him.

  We munched in silence and sipped our special blend of coffee I’d stopped to pick up. James had been very accommodating.

  “We’ll have our spa day after you’re feeling better,” I suggested.

  “Sure, I’d like that. So, tell me, how it is going with Mr. Adam Drake?” she asked, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

  “Well, if you must know, it’s going too good.”

  “Too good. How so?”

  “He wants us to continue to see each other after this week.”

  “Well, that’s good isn’t it? He seems like a real nice guy, hot, and definitely doable. What’s the problem? Too good to be true? A dud in bed?”

  “No, he’s great in every way,” I admitted, sighing and pursing my lips.

  “Yeah, I could see where that would be a bummer,” she deadpanned.

  I let out a big breath. “I don’t have time for a big romance now. I’m just beginning my schooling to be a doctor and that’s going to consume all my free time for years to come. Not to mention I’m working three jobs.” I didn’t mention the horrible track record with men in my family. Julie already knew how I felt about my dad leaving us high and dry.

  “So, you’re not supposed to have a life? That sounds crazy, Sunday. Don’t you think a more balanced life would be better for you? Would you want a doctor that had no home life to speak of? What would they know about all the things a regular person has to juggle? A little humility can go a long way for a doctor. Think about the god complex.”

  “When did you decide to take up psychology?” I asked, also wondering if she didn’t have a point, albeit a small one.

  “Well, I know you’ll do exactly what you want to do,” she said, a warning tone in her voice, “but at least give this thing with Adam a chance. Why throw away a perfectly good man who cares about you like he does? And for heaven’s sake, he’s rich to boot!”

  “You don’t know if he cares all that much.” But I remembered his different tone and words this morning.

  “Yeah, like he had to come by the hospital last night. His actions speak louder than words, girlfriend.”

  “So, tell me about Jason,” I interjected. Time to change the subject.

  My phone buzzed and I glanced at the incoming text. Adam Drake.

  Lunch LA Bistro. 1PM. AD

  “Jason’s a really nice guy,” she sighed dreamily.

  “Time you got yourself a good one.” I gave her my most approving smile.

  “Yeah, well, at least I can recognize one.”

  I ignored the dig and pointed at my phone as it lay on the tabletop. “Adam’s taking me to lunch at the LA Bistro.”

  “Nice! What time?”

  “One o’clock.”

  “You should surprise him in some way. Give him a little gift or something.”

  If only she knew of the little gifts of storytelling I had been bestowing on him. Would she approve of our unorthodox lovemaking binges? There were some subjects Julie and I had not discussed, and kinky sex was one of them. Mostly because I insisted I had no time and Julie was uncomfortable with her body, which had led to fights with Evan and I’m sure was part of the reason they’d broken up. I hoped that would change for her now with Jason, that she could see how beautiful she truly was. Hope. A favorite word.

  “I think he’s had plenty of little gifts since we’ve been together,” I ventured, swimming into new territory.

  “Do tell.” She grinned.

  “Well, I’ve discovered an interest in fantasy. You know, acting out a scenario?”

  “Really!” Julie’s eyes became huge.

  “Yeah, I write down a little story and send it to him and then we act it out.” I could hardly believe I was sharing, but it was also deliciously decadent.

  “What kind of stories?”

  I gave her a coy, assessing look. “Sure you can handle it?”

  She nodded emphatically. I spilled. Not all of it, of course, but enough to make her eyes grow rounder still. She was forgetting everything but what we were talking about. And the truth, envisioning Adam in bed, every other thought fell right off my radar.

  “I think that would be too much fun.” She looked at me dreamily. “But I don’t know if I’m brave enough.”

  I checked the time. “Oops, I gotta go. James will be out front.”

  “James? Really?”

  “Yeah, I know. Too funny, right!”

  “You got a good deal going right now, Sunday, I hope you know it.”

  I gave her a tight smile. I knew she meant well, but her endorsement of Adam wasn’t really a help. I had to be more realistic. There could be no fairy-tale ending for us. My journey and his were forking in the road as soon as I had the money for college. Case closed.

  We hugged and I left the apartment. The noonday sun was bouncing off the pavement as I pulled my sunglasses on in self-defense. James opened the limo door for me and I slid in, just like a celebrity. This kind of attention is far too easy to get used to.

  I leaned back on the seat and listened to the soft classical music playing, its tone of pathos and longing stirring my soul. Relaxed, I closed my eyes, cocooned by the luxury. I didn’t want to forget this either. This was Thursday, day four, more than halfway through my week and I was overwhelmed with sadness again. Perhaps it was only due to the evocative music.

  James pulled out front of the restaurant.

  “Thanks so much,” I said as he jumped out and opened the car door for me.

  “You’re more than welcome, miss. Enjoy your lunch. I’ll pick you up in an hour.”

  He smiled, got back behind the wheel of the sleek black car and drove off. I walked inside the trendy bustling restaurant. Spotted Adam immediately. He looked so normal sitting. Maybe we were just two ordinary people meeting for lunch. Well, if your idea of normal is an over-the-top handsome guy exuding effortless charm and magnetism.

  I walked toward him, his charisma affecting me all the way down to my toes. His draw on my physical body was uncanny. I would be crashing and burning before the week was out if I wasn’t careful.

  “Sunday, you look beautiful,” he greeted me, standing and giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek, whispering close to my ear, “I can’t wait to fuck you,” before settling in across from me. My heart leaped along with my libido. Heat and moisture pooled in my pussy, making me clamp my thighs together as I sat down.

  “Come here often?” I asked.

  “I like to get out from the office from time to time and check on the pulse of the city,” Adam explained and asked, “Would you like a drink?”

  “Water, please.” I swallowed. My mouth was dry. Other parts, not so much.

  “I’ve taken the liberty of ordering for the both of us. It saves time,” he said.

  And you like control. It was okay with me. Food is just food, sustenance for the body. If we were to have a real relationship, it would be different, I would set my boundaries. Stop thinking about a relationship!

  “Tonight we have the casino event,” I mused and then asked, “Any plans after that?”

  “Definitely. My turn to supply the fantasy. I’m having the costume delivered to Dragonstone as we speak.”

  “I thought you’d changed your mind about more fantasies?” I chided him, remembering the morning’s change of heart.

  “I changed it back. That’s not just the prerogative of women.”

  I liked his answer. My body heated with the vision of what he might come up with. Would I be his harem girl, maiden in distress, nurse, or perhaps his sex slave? Tonight was too far away.

  The waitress delivered our lunch and I eyed with pleasu
re my colorful salad topped with strips of golden-brown chicken. My appetite had increased in all directions since I hooked up with Adam. I dug in with gusto and finished half of it before I looked up into his amused eyes.

  “Nice I guessed right,” he deadpanned and I grinned back.

  He seemed to be on high alert, making it a point to look around the restaurant often, and eyeing the patrons as if they were up to something. He had an innately suspicious nature. He made me feel protected. Like Liam Neeson in the movie Taken.

  We finished our meal and when the waitress had removed our plates, he asked, “Dessert?”

  I shook my head. Being naked had upped the vanity factor for me and being bloated from excess food was not my idea of a good time.

  “Coffee?”

  “Sure.”

  The waitress poured the coffee and when she left I added liberal amounts of cream and sugar. At least that way I got a taste of dessert.

  “There is so much I don’t know about you, Sunday.” He looked at me speculatively. “So much I would like to know.”

  “For instance?” I prompted.

  “What were you like growing up? What influences shaped you into the woman you are today? Yes, I know the facts like your birthday and what career path you want to take, but I’d like to get to know the real woman. You very much interest me. In fact, I think I’m becoming quite fascinated by you. How on earth did such an amazingly beautiful, talented and obviously very bright woman make her way into my life and turn it upside down in a matter of days? Tell me more about why you wanted to become a doctor.”

  “I grew up with one sister. Sara Rose. She was born with a birth defect as you know. A cleft palate that a surgeon fixed, but not very well. That’s my main influence in becoming a plastic surgeon. I want children to not be scarred by their birth or past.”

  “That’s very commendable and makes a lot of sense as to why you want to be doctor. I feel rather humbled by your decision. I just make money, while you’ll change lives.”

  “What you do helps families,” I protested. “You provide jobs. That’s equally important.”

  He didn’t look totally convinced but I could see he appreciated my efforts.

  “I’m certain with your drive to succeed you’ll do a lot of good in this world.”

  “You wouldn’t mind a woman in your life taking on a career that will take up most of her time?” I couldn’t believe I was asking him this. I held my breath as I waited for him to answer. His look turned more thoughtful as he worked out his answer in his head.

  “I’d obviously like to be her center of attention, but I would also like a happy partner which means a compromise, all dependent on the woman’s desires.”

  Wow. Good answer. And unexpected. Damn, that hope thing was rising again. No, I argued the other side. He’ll just break your heart because he can have anyone he wants. It’s all a game.

  He added, “No point of having a woman who’s not fulfilled. I’ll do my part in bed—but out of it, she’ll need to take her own lead. Of course, my life has times when I need my partner to be there, just as yours will, Sunday, when you need a mate to help you out.”

  What were we talking about here?

  “What do you like to do in your spare time, Adam, when you don’t have guests to entertain?”

  “Well, other than this new fetish for fantasy writing you’ve introduced me to, I like to go fly-fishing.”

  “Fly-fishing?” That surprised me.

  “Yes, I have a house on the west branch of the upper Delaware River in the Catskills—Trout Town USA. It’s very popular with the New York crowd. You know, you should come with me on Saturday when our week’s work is through. I could introduce you to the sport—rainbow trout fishing. It’s very relaxing. No business involved, just a day of pure sunlit pleasure. You and me against the fish and the elements. We can take a picnic lunch and hang out.”

  I was instantly caught up with the fascinating idea even if New York is all the way across the country. “That sounds lovely.” It was nice to imagine Adam and I having such a simple day together and he would look fabulous in jeans. I conjured a fantasy. Of course there would be a blanket and time to partake of each other…

  “Great! It’s a date then.”

  Oops. What was I thinking?

  “Time to get back to work,” he announced before I could voice my second thoughts to the notion of spending the weekend with him.

  We left the eatery together. He helped me into the waiting limo and then slid in beside me. Wrapping his arms around me, he gave me a soul-searching kiss which made me pant with need.

  His hand slid down to capture my breast and his fingers tweaked my nipple through my thin blouse and lace bra. I was soaking wet within a block as James drove us smoothly through traffic.

  He spoke into the intercom, “James, drive until I tell you to stop.”

  He turned to me, “I want you, Sunday, right here—right now.”

  “Yes, please.” I begged without any dignity whatsoever. I wanted his cock inside me. Adam’s arousal pressed against my thigh. My lust for him was always lurking just under the surface, a burning lust that was shocking as it was necessary.

  I squirmed out of my jeans and panties and pulled down his zipper. In a handful of seconds I had fully straddled him, impaling myself on his cock. It slid up inside me, thrusting my nether lips apart, seated against my innermost place. Filled me. I rocked his cock against my throbbing clit, feeling my moisture pooling.

  I rode him hard. Wetness seeped around us. His lips pressed against a peaked nipple and he sucked it into his mouth through my bra. Yes. I bucked with pleasure. The spicy scent of our arousal filled the cabin. I worked him harder, wanting sweet release. And he gave it to me, pumping me full of his cum. My juices flowed down my thighs.

  I lay against him ‘til I caught my breath, breathing in the citrus fragrance of his freshly shampooed hair. Then got off him and cleaned myself up with some tissues, pulling my clothes back on. Adam also straightened himself, throwing the condom into a discreet trash dispenser built into the door.

  “I want you fully naked next time and under me,” he said, his eyes still glazed over from the hot sex.

  I nodded. Me too.

  “You can drop me off now.” He spoke a final time into the limo’s intercom and we pulled up to the curve in front of his corporate office building a couple of minutes later. Leaning over, he kissed me soundly and was gone.

  Chapter Twelve

  I took a long soothing bath before heading for the conservatory with my new fancy e-reader, my constant companion during the day. I had a few hours to kill before preparing for the night’s casino event and I wanted to get into a proper frame of mind by reading a contemporary erotic novel set in a casino. Delicious.

  I munched on an apple as I loaded the novel. I loved the hook. Billionaire Jackson Wheeler runs his own show until he spots Lacey St. Claire on her first day on the job working at his casino. One night. That’s all he wants and he’s willing to pay the big bucks for the privilege. But Lacey won’t have it, can’t be bought off, and he has to pay a far larger price if he is to stand any chance with her. And have her he must even if it means committing to a month of courting to satisfy her interfering Southern mama.

  Perhaps I should have been harder to get all along, I mused, as I read the hilarious shenanigans of the characters in the light, fun read. The sex, when it eventually happened without the mother’s knowledge of course, was hot and right to the point. Can’t stop nature, no matter how hard you try.

  And where exactly did that leave me? My thoughts were interrupted by my cell phone singing. Julie’s number. Good timing.

  “Hey there. What’s up?” I asked, happy for the diversion and that she’d called me. Another good sign.

  “Just checking in. What’ya doing?”

  “Just reading smut.”

  “Cool. Don’t give up your day job,” she deadpanned, making me laugh out loud. The old Julie was back.
>
  “Just putting in time ‘til the casino thing tonight,” I admitted.

  “Well, only a few more days to go then you won’t have to rough it anymore.” She giggled. A heavenly sound.

  “Saturday Adam wants to take me fly-fishing—wait for it—in the Catskills. Trout Town USA.”

  “Wow, this is getting serious, Sunday.” Her tone shifted.

  “Maybe I shouldn’t go. Drum up an excuse,” I ventured. “You need me, right?”

  “Don’t be using me as an excuse! You have to go. See how it plays out. Adam’s not the kind of guy you just give up on for no good reason.”

  “I don’t want to lead him on either.”

  “Are you? Are you just pretending interest?”

  “No, of course not! I’m too interested, that’s the problem. I didn’t expect to find someone like Adam at this stage of my life.” I heard myself and I realized I sounded a bit whiny even to my own ears. In point of fact, I never expected to find a man like Adam. Ever.

  “Lots of people have worked out bigger problems than this. Ever hear of compromise, girlfriend?”

  Compromise. Adam’s word.

  “I don’t know. I think we should just break if off cleanly. Both go our separate ways.” Then why did saying it hurt so much? As if I had stabbed myself in the heart.

  “Just don’t give up on a good thing too easily, Sunday. And that’s all I’m going to say on the subject. You’re a big girl now and you know what you want.”

  But did I? For years all I’d dreamed of was becoming a doctor. Making my own way in the world without a man.

  We rang off and I went back to my book, but I couldn’t concentrate. The words kept blurring. I finally gave up and went in search of Martha and something hot to drink.

  I curled up on a chair in the cheery kitchen and watched Martha go about her tasks in a competent way that was certain to rid anyone of the blues.