36 Inches: A MFMM Romantic Comedy

by Alexis Angel

  “SINNER! SINNER!” Someone starts a chant, and soon enough the whole crowd takes it up. Under better circumstances, I think Sienna would be pleased to have her artistic surname chanted out, but I guess the crowd doesn’t mean it in a nice way today.

  “You fuckin’ bitch,” she growls, walking toward me so fast she almost seems as if she’s gliding. “You won’t ruin me, you won’t destroy me. I won’t let you!”

  “That’s out of your hands now, Sienna. Just confess, pack up and go home. Cara has already suffered enough for what you did. It’s your last chance: do the right thing and —”

  “FUCK YOU!” She growls again, and cocks her arm back. In the blink of an eye, I see the open palm of her hand traveling fast toward my face. Unfortunately to Sienna, I’m already used to deal with crazy bitches like she is. I just take one step back and raise my own hand, grabbing her by the wrist before she has the chance to slap me.

  “You can’t prove it, Abby,” she hisses, my fingers still wrapped around her wrist. “It’s just hearsay...and a few emails won’t change that. You don’t have any proof, and I’ll bury you in court. You’re slandering me, Abby, and you’ll pay dearly for that.”

  “Do you think I came here just to chat with you, Sienna?” I tell her, lowering my voice into a menacing whisper. Her eyes widen at that, and her wrist goes limp. I finally let go of her and smile again. “I have all the proof I need.”

  With that, I turn on my heels, walk toward the projector and turn it on.

  Chapter 28

  Derek

  The projector lights up, its white light against the wall, and the whole crowd chatters nervously as they wait for what’s going to happen next. They know Abby’s going for the killshot, and they can’t wait to see it happen right in front of them. Everyone slows down when there’s an accident on the highway, right? Basic human nature. Not something nice to say, but that’s the way things go.

  “Alright, let’s fucking do this,” I whisper to myself as I walk toward Abby, and she just nods at me. Doing as instructed, I move onto the backstage, just behind the curtains on the back of the stage, and grab her laptop from a backpack. I place it on top of Sienna’s gigantic pile of books and, doing it fast, I open the lid and connect it to the projector.

  The moment I do it, Grady’s face takes over the whole wall. His hair is sweaty and plastered against his forehead, and his weasel eyes seem shaken by something. It’s kinda funny, really; you’d never think that this guy was once upon a time Abby’s boyfriend. She’s married to Aidan now, a complete legend when it comes to romance models, and Grady is a complete opposite. He looks like the kind of guy you’d expect to try and sell you some kind of bullshit life insurance. Man, he really fucked up the moment he let her go. I guess some guys just can’t see what’s right under their nose.

  Now she’s the most successful publisher in the industry, and he’s ruined.

  “Hit it, Derek,” Abby tells me, and I just press play. As I do it, the video of Grady on the wall starts running.

  “Please, state your name,” an off-camera voice says, gruff and commanding. Grady’s sitting in front of a simple metal desk, and the room he’s in seems to be completely empty. Even someone who has no idea of what’s happening would quickly deduce that he’s being held in an interrogation room. “The name’s Grady, I already told you all that shit,” he sighs, looking away from the camera and locking his eyes with whoever’s interrogating him. Despite his words, his tone isn’t an aggressive one; instead, it’s the tone of someone who has been defeated.

  “Very well,” his interrogator continues, “can you please state for the camera the reason you left the United States?”

  “Ah, fuck,” he sighs again, running one hand through his sweaty hair and disheveling it some more. He makes a pause, almost as if he’s trying to muster up some courage, and only then does he continue. “After what happened with Naughty Angel Publishing, I left the states and set up shop in the Cayman Islands.”

  “What exactly did you set up in the Cayman Islands?” The interrogator asks him, not giving him any room to breathe. Whoever’s taking on that interrogation, he sure as hell doesn’t want to waste a single second.

  “Pure Smut for You,” Grady says, doing it so forcefully that you’d say he’s chewing nails right now. “I wanted Pure Smut for You to rival Naughty Angel. I wanted to get back at Abby for everything she did to me.”

  “And how did you plan on doing that?”

  “I worked with Sienna Sinner. She was already jealous of Naughty Angel, so it only took some convincing for her to join me in the first place. But Sienna never really mattered, I never cared about her. This was about Abby, and I was using Sienna to get back at her.”

  “So, do you admit it?”

  “Yes, Sienna and I are the ones behind the Naughty Angel leak.”

  “Okay, that’s enough, Derek,” Abby tells me, and I just close the laptop and Grady’s video disappears from the wall. There’s a stunned silence blanketing the whole conference floor, and the only thing I can hear right now is Sienna’s ragged breathing, one of pure desperation.

  “No, no, no…” she whispers, her knees buckling under her feet. She goes down then, her knees hitting the floor hard, and she starts pulling her hair so hard that I wouldn’t be surprised if she scalped herself.

  Man, she really hates that haircut.

  “How?” she howls, looking straight at Abby.

  “Quite simple, actually,” Abby smiles, going down on one knee in front of Sienna. “With the evidence these four gathered,” she points at me, Cara, Derek, and Mason, “it was only a matter of time till we had the federal agents on our side. In fact, they shut down the Pure Smut for You website even before you stepped onto this stage, Sienna. You didn’t know it, but it was already over for you.”

  “But Grady, he —”

  “Grady’s a slimy piece of shit. Trust me on that one. Thing is, you should’ve known that. He’ll throw anyone under the bus if it benefits him. With the evidence the FBI had against him, he rolled over on you pretty fast.”

  “I don’t understand, it doesn’t make sense,” Sienna wails.

  “He did it in exchange for a shorter jail term,” Abby tells her. “He’s finished, and he’s just trying to shave a few years off his sentence.”

  Slowly standing up, Abby places her hands on her hips and looks down at Sienna.

  “But you’ll have enough time to discuss that with him ... I hear the prison’s mailing system is a really efficient one,” she tells Sienna, and you can see defeat clouding her eyes. I’m just surprised she hasn’t burst into tears.

  “Take her away,” Abby finishes then, waving toward the end of the stage as two federal agents march onto the stage, handcuffs hanging from their belts. Sienna doesn’t even resist as they place her arms behind her back and throw the handcuffs on her wrists. “You’re arrested on conspiracy charges,” they tell her, hauling her to her feet as if she were a sack of potatoes, and they actually have to drag her off the stage. Her whole body has grown limp, and she’s just staring at the floor. It almost looks like her soul has wandered off her body.

  One thing’s for sure: Abby doesn’t fuck around.

  >> Click here to go to BATCH 5 <3

  Chapter 29

  Abby

  Cara.

  One look into her eyes and I see myself. A younger version of me, that’s for sure, but there’s that hunger ... that desire to do so much more. To become someone who’s stronger.

  “Thank you,” she tells me, slowly walking up to me. She looks into my eyes, but then averts her gaze, her cheeks flushing. “I...I don’t even know what to say. If it weren’t for you, I’d be the one leaving in the back of a police car.”

  “That would never happen,” I tell her softly, reaching for her and grabbing her hand. “Naughty Angel cares for their own,” I continue and I smile as I see the look of confusion in her eyes. “We’d never let Sienna get away with this. And you don’t have to thank me
for anything; I’m the one who should be thanking you right now. If it weren’t for you, Sienna and Grady could’ve caused some serious damage to NAP.”

  “I didn’t do anything, really,” she tells me, flushing some more. “If it weren’t for them,” she nods at Parker, Mason, and Derek, “I wouldn’t have been able to go up against Sienna.”

  “The four of you make quite a team, don’t you?” I whisper, watching as three men crowd around her, their adoring smiles letting me know that they’re more than just a team. “I see,” I chuckle, remembering the way it felt once I found out that it was more than just lust between Aidan and I.

  “Cara’s just being humble, Abby,” Parker tells me, placing one hand on her shoulder. “She’s the one who came up to us. If it weren’t for her, we’d have no idea that Sienna was plotting against us.”

  “I guess I owe you all a debt of gratitude then.”

  “Ah, crap, what did I miss?” I suddenly hear someone say from the far side of the stage, and I turn around to see Lana climbing up the stairs, her high heels tapping the floor steadily as she rushes toward us. “Crap, I missed it, didn’t I?”

  “You did,” I laugh. “But someone has probably put the whole thing up on Youtube. Where were you, anyway?”

  “I was...busy,” she tells me, flushing as she grins. Yeah, after 24 Inches came out, Lana’s always busy. Between writing and taking care of the two men she shares a bed with, I’m actually surprised she managed to get here. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t introduce myself,” she continues in that rapid-fire way of hers, offering Cara her hand. Cara shakes it softly, but then Lana just takes one step forward and wraps both her arms around Cara. “I heard what you did for us. We owe you, Cara.”

  At that, Cara’s face turns red. She opens her mouth to speak, but I can tell she’s struggling with her words. She’s completely star-struck. Kinda funny, if you ask me; just two years ago and nobody would care if I walked into a room. Now, with all the books, movie deals, VR apps, and what have you...I’m one-third entrepreneur, one-third author, and one-third celebrity. And these three thirds combine into a kickass whole. Yeah, I’m bragging, so what? You already know me, so I feel comfortable with letting my hair down around you.

  “I can’t believe all this…” Cara starts to say then, finally managing to look me in the eyes. “I’ve been reading your books for so long, and now here I am, right in front of you. It’s unreal.”

  “No, it’s actually very real,” Lana laughs, and I can’t help but join in.

  “Yes, Cara, this is pretty real. And there’s something else. Something I’d like to ask you.”

  “Something ... you want to ask me?” she whispers, and I just smile at her. I almost want to tease her, but she’s so dazed with everything that just happened that I can’t bring myself to do it.

  “That’s right, how would you like to become an Angel?” I finally ask her, and I gotta tell you, the look on her face right now is priceless. Her eyes widen, her lips part, and her whole face seems to shine.

  “An ... angel?”

  “An angel,” I nod. “If you want to, I’d love to bring you aboard Naughty Angel Publishing.”

  “I ... I don’t even know what to say,” she mumbles, and the three men around her just grin.

  “Say yes,” Parker tells her as he laughs. His laugh is bright and generous, and I can see why she fell for him. Hell, just one look at these guys and I can see why she fell for them.

  “I want to say yes, but…” she starts to say, running her tongue between her lips. She trails off before finishing her sentence, and hesitantly looks at the men around her. “Where I go, they go.”

  “Is that it?” I laugh, my hands on my hips as I look at the four of them. I want to say they make a beautiful couple, but that isn’t quite the word I should be using, huh? Let’s change it to a beautiful foursome. Between the three of them, Cara probably has 36 inches of pure pleasure to waste her time on. All for the best; I need someone who waltzes into work full of inspiration.

  “That can be arranged, Cara,” I tell her with a quick nod, and the smile on her face becomes so large that I can’t help but laugh again. “Cara Angel ... how does that sound?”

  “That sounds perfect!” She squeals and, before I can even react, she just closes the distance between me and her. She wraps her arms tightly around me, squeezing me so tight that I can almost feel my ribs cracking.

  “Wow, someone’s excited,” Lana laughs, and only then does Cara let go of me.

  “I’m sorry,” she tells me, her cheeks flushed.

  “No need to be sorry. An angel is never sorry,” I tell her with a wink.

  Right now, just looking at her, I know I made the right call. This one is going to bring something special to NAP.

  “Welcome to Naughty Angel, Cara.”

  Chapter 30

  Cara

  Please, someone pinch me.

  I’m pretty sure that I must be dreaming right now. Abby from Naughty Angel asking me to become an Angel? No, this can’t be real.

  “You did it,” Derek says, leaning into me and whispering those words into my ear. “You did it.” That’s when I realize that no, this isn’t a dream at all. This is as real as it could possibly get.

  Just a few weeks ago and I didn’t have a job, I didn’t have a boyfriend ... all I had was a pair of cold handcuffs around my wrists, and my name as part of the romance industry blacklist.

  And now look at me: I’m standing in front of Abby, and I’ve just been christened as Cara Angel. Not too shabby for a day’s work, huh?

  “Cara Angel,” I whisper to myself, smiling as I feel that name roll off my tongue. It feels so unreal, and the same time, it just sounds right.

  “That’s right,” Abby tells me, looking at Lana and nodding at her. At that, Lana reaches inside her purse and fishes out a folded piece of paper. “I came prepared for this, Cara, and I had Lana bring a contract.”

  “That’s why I was late,” Lana laughs, and Abby just looks at her and rolls her eyes.

  “Of course you were late because of the contract,” Abby laughs, and then she just takes the contract out of Lana’s hands and gives it to me. “Now, take your time reading through that one and then get to me. I’m giving you the freedom to choose what your role is going to be as Angel, so think on that as well.”

  “I will, of course,” I tell her with a nod, a billion ideas already bubbling up inside my mind. Total freedom as an author? I knew that NAP was the best publishing house in the whole industry, but I had no idea they were as cool as this. God, if only Sienna hadn’t allowed her jealousy to take over, she might have been an Angel as well. Goes to show you how many people throw the opportunity of a lifetime away, and that just because they can’t keep their egos in check.

  “Now that’s how you wrap up a story,” Mason tells me, pressing his body against mine and embracing me. Before I even know what’s happening, he tangles his fingers in my hair and presses his lips against mine. I close my eyes as I savor him, and the next thing I know, I’ve already pulled back from him and moved toward Parker. I kiss him as well, parting his lips with the tip of my tongue, and then I just do the same with Derek.

  With their taste on my mouth, I take one step back and just take in the scene. They’re all in front of me, handsome as ever, and the way they’re looking into my eyes ... it’s hard to put it into words. Not really a good start for an aspiring writer, huh?

  “All this… All this happened because of you,” I tell them, my heart beating at a thousand miles per hour. “If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t be here right now.” Then, feeling a sweet tightness taking over my heart, I just let three magical words fly out from between my lips. “I love you… I love you so much!”

  “I love you too,” they all seem to say at the same time, their chorus of deep voices sending a shiver up my spine. They all look at each other and grin; love for them isn’t a matter of possession. It’s a matter of freedom, of passion. You can’t possess love, but
you sure as hell can share it.

  “That’s the best fucking thing I’ve heard all day,” Parker grins, the way his lips curl upward just making me want to kiss again.

  “Maybe that’s because you haven’t heard me whisper a few things against your ear,” I tell him, and this time I don’t even feel my cheeks becoming flushed. I guess that once you become an Angel things change fast.

  “Oh, but we still have time for that, haven’t we?” Derek chuckles, that devilish glint in his eyes telling me all about the sort of scenarios he’s playing in his head.

  “We have all the time in the world,” Mason whispers, his eyes never leaving mine. There’s an aura of lust around the three of them, and I feel the air itself growing heavy around me, pressing down on my shoulders and making my insides clench. Jesus, I’m so wet right now that soon enough my thong will be nothing but a drenched rag.

  “Sure, we have all the time in the world ... but I want to celebrate right fucking now,” Parker says, and the way he says it ... well, let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised if he just slung me over his shoulder and carried me away.

  Oh, I wouldn’t mind that.

  “Okay, okay. I get it,” Abby laughs, clapping her heads together and looking from me to the three men I’ve come to love. “I know where this road leads,” she continues, and then she nods at Lana again.

  “Oh, right,” Lana whispers to herself. Digging inside her purse once more, she brings out a small key and just throws it toward my men (ah, it feels so good to say it like that). Parker grabs it as it comes down in an arch, and he curls his fingers fast around it.

  “That’s the key for the Naughty Angel Publishing lobby. We have one set aside for our people to relax, and right now it’s completely empty,” Abby says, and her words don’t really need any kind of explanation. We have a key and a room that’s completely empty; what’s left to explain?