Pierced: Pierced Trilogy Boxed Set

by Lashell Collins

  I smile and take a deep breath. I want to tell her my news, and I want to ask her a question too. I decide to just dive right in. “Hey, Meg?” My voice is low and conspiratorial, and I glance around nervously, not wanting to be overheard by anyone.

  “Yeah?” She is looking at me with a raised eyebrow and I know that she’s picked up on my anxiousness.

  “Can I ask you a question?” I say cautiously. “About … birth control?”

  Her eyes just about pop out of her head in surprise for a few seconds, and then she frowns at me. “Sure. Is something wrong, Sam?”

  “No. Nothing’s wrong,” I assure her. “I’m just … curious. You’re on some form of birth control, right?”

  “Um, yeah,” she nods and I can tell that she’s dying to know why I’m asking. And honestly, I am dying to tell her! “I get a Depo-Provera shot every three months. Why are you asking, Sam?” Then a slow smile plays across her face and she asks, “Does this have something to do with Detective Yummy?” Her voice is slightly teasing and I know that she is only joking. But the furious blush that steals across my face tells on me before I can even say a word. “Oh my God, Sam! Are you really thinking of sleeping with him?” she whispers, wide eyed.

  I look her in the eye and say softly, “He spent the night last night.”

  Her mouth falls open and she grabs my hand in shock and disbelief. “Did you … ?” she asks. I say nothing and nod, blushing again. Her hands fly to her mouth in a ‘speak no evil’ pose. I have completely silenced her for the moment. Then she takes my hand again and seems to study my eyes. “How was it?” she whispers again.

  “It was … really, really good!” I have turned scarlet again. I can feel it.

  “Did you … have a … you know?” she stumbles around the question but I know what she’s getting at.

  I nod again. “Four,” I whisper looking her in the eye.

  “Four!” Her eyes pop again and she laughs out loud for a few seconds. “Okay, then,” she says sounding impressed. “Detective Yummy must really know his stuff.”

  “Well, three times last night and once this morning,” I explain shyly. She is looking at me with a small smile and then her eyes grow concerned.

  “Did you use some sort of protection?” she asks insistently.

  “Yes, we used condoms,” I answer quietly. “But I thought some form of birth control might be a good idea.”

  “Well, we have the same gynecologist,” she shrugs. “You know Dr. Lake is really easy to talk to. I’ll even go with you if you want.”

  I smile at her offer. Such a Megan thing to do, offering to come with me. She and I are fiercely loyal and protective of one another. “Thanks but, you don’t have to. I called the office first thing this morning and they managed to squeeze me in. I’m headed over to see her just as soon as we’re finished here.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re being smart, Sam but … I want to know that you’re okay too. How was he?” she asks me, studying my eyes again. “Was he … gentle with you? Did he know that it was your first time?”

  “I told him.”

  “You did?” She sounds surprised.

  “Yes. I wanted him to know.”

  “And he was okay with it, obviously.”

  “He was very sweet, Megan. Afterwards he seemed really concerned that he might have hurt me.”

  She smiles at me. “Good.”

  “Oh, Megan. He is … the sweetest man,” I gush. “Do you know what he did for me last night?”

  “Uh, yeah. I do,” she jokes, and I swat her arm.

  “Not that!” I roll my eyes her and she grins. “Before that. He waited for me in the museum parking lot because I had to work late and I was worried about having to walk to my car in a dark, deserted lot. I had no clue he was going to be there.”

  “How did he know?” she asks.

  “He had called me earlier in the day to talk about my case,” I explain. “And I just mentioned that I had to work late and that I was freaked out about it. And the next thing I knew, there he was. He said that he just wanted me to feel safe.”

  “Oh my God,” she melts a little.

  “And you know that creepy phone call I was telling you about,” I continue, and she nods. “Well, what I didn’t tell you is that, Josh spent the night on my couch that night.”

  “Josh?”

  “That’s his name,” I smile. “Detective Joshua Pierce.”

  “He spent the night on your couch?” she asks, and I nod. “You told me that he came over and took your statement but, you didn’t say that he spent the night!”

  “On the couch,” I reiterate. “And he said it was for the same reason. That he just wanted me to feel safe.”

  “Oh, Sam,” she says softly, looking me in the eye. “It sounds to me like that man is totally into you.”

  “Do you really think so?” I ask her.

  “Yes,” she says emphatically, nodding her head to emphasize her point.

  Just then, our manicurists call us over to their stations, which sit side by side. We are distracted then by their chatter, asking us how we’re doing and getting all the details on Meg’s upcoming wedding while I get a French manicure and she goes fire engine red. Thirty minutes later when we are seated with our hands under the nail dryer as our toes are being done, I turn to Meg hesitantly.

  “So, are you sick of hearing about Josh?” I ask her softly.

  “Of course not,” she replies. “I want all the gory details, you know that!” She smiles at me and I giggle at her.

  “Well, I’m not giving you all the gory details,” I tell her. “But he did say something last night that really threw me for a loop and I need your take on it.”

  “You’ve got it,” she says. “Tell me.” I have her full, undivided attention now.

  I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Well, right before we …,” my voice trails off and I blush slightly. I can do this. “Um, he told me that he’s never had a relationship before … never had a girlfriend. That he doesn’t … date.” Her brows furrow and she looks at me with a most puzzled expression, and I know exactly how she feels. “Yeah. That was my reaction too,” I tell her.

  “What do you mean, he doesn’t date?”

  I shrug my shoulders at her. “That’s what he said.”

  “Are you telling me he was virgin until last night?” she asks incredulously.

  “No. Not at all,” I answer. “In fact, he said that all he’s ever been interested in is random sex. One-night stands, never anything more. Until he met me.” She stares at me blankly, saying nothing, and her eyes grow slightly larger. I can see her mind working furiously and I have no idea what she’s thinking. She is quiet for a long moment and I start to get worried. “That’s really bad, isn’t it?” I ask with a sinking feeling.

  “Um,” is her only response for several seconds. “Well,” she says, finally finding her voice, “I suppose that would depend on the reasons why he felt that way.” Her voice is quiet and she’s looking at me strangely. “What did you make of it when he told you?” she asks.

  “Well, it just didn’t make any sense to me,” I respond. “It was like he was describing a totally different person. Someone who only cares about himself. But that is clearly not who he is, Megan. Someone who didn’t care about anyone but himself would not have gone out of his way to do all the sweet things he’s done for me the past two days. And he wouldn’t have been so gentle and caring with me when we made love,” I say softly, looking down at my nails, embarrassed. “I just don’t get it.”

  “How did you leave things?” she asks, cocking her head to the side.

  “He asked if he could see me again,” I say quietly. “He said that he doesn’t know the first thing about being in a relationship but that there was something about me, and he wants to see me again.”

  “Did you say yes?”

  I nod. “I invited him over for dinner tonight.”

  She nods silently. Her excitement over my sleeping wi
th Detective Yummy seems to have dissipated quite a bit with this new knowledge. Damn. “What is it, Megan?” I ask with a sigh. “Just say it.”

  She smiles slightly at me and says, “Sam, you know that I love you, right? And I just want you to find someone wonderful who truly loves you and makes you happy.”

  “Yes, I know that.” My voice sounds small and uncertain. What is she getting at?

  “And keep in mind that I know nothing about this man except what you tell me, okay?”

  I nod silently. Oh, where is she going?

  She takes a deep breath and sighs heavily. “Is it possible that this guy is suddenly interested in a relationship because you’re Richard Colby’s daughter?” she asks softly.

  I blink at her question. I have to admit, I never expected that to come out of Meg’s mouth. My mother’s, yes … but not Meg’s. I’m a little taken aback.

  “Sam?” Her voice is hesitant.

  I look her in the eye and shake my head, saying nothing. How am I supposed to answer that? “Megan,” I begin with a sigh, “I’m not even sure how to respond to that.” My voice is quiet and she’s looking at me apprehensively. “Don’t you think that thought crossed my mind already? You, of all people, should know … that thought is lurking whenever a new guy – or even a new friend for that matter – comes around. We’ve been in that same boat together all of our lives.” I know that she means well. And I know that she has a valid point; I haven’t known Joshua long. But even so, I don’t believe that he’s interested in my money. It just doesn’t fit with what I know about him.

  “I’m sorry, Sam,” she sighs. “I just want you to be careful, that’s all. I like Detective Yummy, remember?” I give her a small smile to make her feel better and nod. “Hey,” she continues, “maybe if you’re still seeing him, he can be your date to my wedding, in three weeks!” She’s excited again and I can’t help but smile genuinely at her. But, I can’t help my sarcastic comment either.

  “Well, if you’re sure he’s not going to pocket the silver,” I mumble with a shrug and she smirks at me.

  “I am sorry, Sam,” she says again. “I didn’t mean to upset you. And I certainly didn’t mean to come off all snobby and aristocratic like… ” She doesn’t finish the thought but, she doesn’t have to. I know what she was going to say.

  “Like Lois will,” I mutter. My mother is just going to love the fact that I’m seeing a Police Detective. After she wakes up from her faint, she’ll get right on the phone to every eligible millionaire in the country so she can bribe one of them to come and sweep me off my feet. Really looking forward to that argument. My subconscious rolls her eyes at the thought and I can’t blame her. It’s not going to be pretty.

  *****

  After my mani-pedi with Meg, I head over for my impromptu appointment with Dr. Lake, who lectures me on safe sex and praises me for being proactive about birth control. Then she counsels me on the merits and side effects of several different types of contraceptives and we decide on the mini pill for me. We talk for several minutes about it and she gives me a prescription, and then sends me on my way with a warning to remember to take the pill at the same time each day for proper effectiveness.

  When I leave her office, I make a quick stop at the pharmacy to get my pills, and then go to the market for something special for tonight’s dinner. I asked Megan what she recommended and she said when it comes to men, you usually can’t go wrong with meat and potatoes. So I buy two beautiful New York strip steaks and two perfect baking potatoes, some fresh brussel sprouts, pancetta, and a six pack of Corona. I smile to myself as I put away my purchases in the fridge and then dash off to my bedroom closet to decide what to wear.

  As I stand in the middle of my closet looking at my clothes, I blush remembering Josh’s comment this morning about serving dinner in my green teddy. His wicked grin was so hot! I almost combust just thinking about it. I chew my bottom lip nervously as an idea forms in my head and I wonder if I have the guts to pull it off. I won’t serve dinner in my nighty but, I do have a green, satin slip dress that might fit the bill. The dress is vintage Versace, and Meg made me buy it two years ago, telling me that it showed off my great legs to perfection. I wore it one time to a friend’s New Year’s Eve party and felt so self-conscious the entire night. I hunt through the rack until I find it and pull it out to give it a once over. It is every bit as short and low cut as I remember and I’m suddenly not so sure that I can pull this off after all. Well, he has already seen you naked. She has a point, my subconscious. It’s not like I’d be serving dinner in the buff; the dress would cover all the essential areas … barely. And at the same time, it would provide Detective Yummy with the tantalizing visual he was hoping for. Yes, I can do this … I think.

  I glance at the time and work out that I have roughly an hour or so of free time that I can spare before I need to get myself into gear. I grab the study material that Ms. Clark gave me yesterday and sit down on the bed to go over it. As I do, I am briefly reminded of this morning after Josh left, when I came back here to get ready for the day. I began to make the bed and was stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of blood on my sheets. It was a little bit startling at first, seeing the evidence of my lost virtue. Then I shrugged it off and began to strip the bed and change the sheets before I jumped into the shower.

  I sit and scan my reading material for close to half an hour, but I find it nearly impossible to concentrate. Finally, I give up and put it aside. I still have time to kill before I need to get dressed and start dinner so, I head upstairs to my studio. Even though it’s often cloudy here in Seattle, the light that comes through the windows up here is so incredible that I couldn’t not take advantage of it. I have two easels set up in here and usually, there is always at least one canvas in play. At the moment, I’m working on a rainy day landscape. Something I got inspired to try after viewing the works of Yary Dluhos and Andre Kohn on the Internet. Right now, I would love to pick up a brush and dive right in but, I know that I don’t have the time. I grab my sketchbook and a couple of graphite pencils and head back downstairs.

  I get comfortable on the couch and begin to draw absentmindedly. A pair of intense, piercing eyes soon begin forming beneath my pencil. As I work, my thoughts are full of Joshua. His eyes, his lips, his touchable wavy hair. The stubble on his face, the way it frames his perfect mouth. His strong jaw and his Adam’s apple. The curve of his neck. In no time at all, I have picture after picture of him. Some are just random sketches of parts – his eyes or his lips. But some are full drawings of his face – him smiling, him with a serious, intense stare, his profile. Before I know it an entire hour has passed and I look up at the clock with a gasp. I have to get moving. He’ll be here in less than two hours!

  Discarding my sketchbook, I jump up and run to the shower. I tie my hair up so that I don’t have to blow it dry and dash in and out in two minutes flat. I hate to rush. I had all the time in the world to get ready in until I made the mistake of drawing him. You should have known better. My subconscious rolls her eyes at me and I ignore her. But she’s right, I should have known better.

  I dress quickly, putting on the slip dress and a pair of nude, strappy Manolo Blahnik’s. I stand back and look myself over in the full length mirror. The dress hits me just above the mid-thigh range and the shoes are quite high. Meg is right. My legs do look awesome in this short dress and heels. I hope Josh likes it, I muse as I begin to brush my hair. I wash my face and brush my teeth, and then put on some mascara and a little lip gloss.

  I finish getting ready and dash out to the kitchen. Pulling an apron on over my dress, I start to make dinner. Luckily, none of the dishes I’m making have a long preparation time. The longest will be the brussel sprouts, so I get to work on those first. As I work, I think about Joshua and I realize that I’m still singing that song to myself. It’s been in my head for two days now! I get the brussel sprouts into the oven to roast and I turn and go into the living room over to where my iPod docking station sits.
Scrolling through my music, I choose one of my favorite bands – The Faders – find the song in question and hit play, putting it on repeat.

  I wander back into the kitchen as the music starts and get back to my dinner prep. I decide to set two places at the breakfast bar instead of setting the table. I want this evening to be relaxed and fun, and setting a formal table just seems like too much pressure somehow. I’m hoping to get Josh talking tonight; I’d like to learn more about him and that whole ‘no dating, one-night stand’ thing, but I get the feeling that he doesn’t like to talk about himself much, and I wonder why.

  I move easily around my kitchen as I ponder Josh. love my kitchen. It’s so much fun to work in. The appliances are all top of the line and it makes cooking really enjoyable. As I take two plates out of the cupboard and place them into the warmer, I glance over at the clock. 6:20 pm. Josh should be here any moment. I wash and dry my hands and pull off the apron I’m wearing. Rushing back into the bedroom for a quick second, I check my appearance once more and I feel the slight flutter of butterflies in my belly. I really am nervous about this dress. Maybe I shouldn’t have worn it. I briefly contemplate making a quick change just as the doorbell rings. Too late now. My subconscious smirks at me, and mentally, I imagine smacking her down. Who’s side is she on anyway? I rush back into the living room and over to the iPod, making a quick switch in playlists and adjusting the volume before heading to the door. I give a look out of the peep hole and my heart somersaults into my stomach.

  When I open the door, he stands there smiling at me and I just want to eat his dimples. He is so adorable and I know that my answering smile is just as wide. I seem to have lost the power of speech at the moment but I open the door wider and he steps in. When I close the door and turn to face him, I see that he is looking me over with a frank appreciation and I instantly feel self-conscious about the dress again. I blush. “Hi,” I finally mutter.

  “Hi,” he answers, his brilliant blue eyes meeting mine.

  I notice a single rose in his hand and I smile at him. “That’s a beautiful rose,” I say softly.