Sharp Curves Ahead

by Allison Hobbs

“Don’t you think I know that,” she whined. “I’m a horrible person. But I’m sick of being the friend who’s a charity-case. I just want Bailee and me to be equals.”

  “You are equals. Nobody is better than anyone else, no matter how much they have in their bank account. You’re letting your insecurities get the best of you, and if you don’t watch it, the negative chatter in your head is going to ruin a good friendship.”

  “I keep my emotions in check. Bailee has no idea that I’m jealous of her.”

  “Don’t be so sure. Emotions have their own energy and sometimes speak louder than words,” he said wisely.

  “What can I do, Derek? It’s not like I can control the way I feel.”

  “Sure, you can.”

  “How?”

  “Every time the green monster called envy rears its ugly head, think about how good Bailee has always been to you and replace that negativity with gratitude.”

  She sighed. “I’ll try.”

  “Don’t try—do it. Believe me, you’ll feel better.”

  “A hot bath will make me feel better,” Jayla said as she pushed away from the table. “Thanks for making dinner.” As she headed for her bedroom, she attempted a smile, but didn’t quite pull it off.

  Lying across her bed and feeling lonely and dejected, she logged into her Tinder account, hoping a quick hookup would improve her mood. As she perused profiles, Derek tapped on her bedroom door.

  “Come in,” she said tonelessly.

  Derek stepped inside her bedroom and Jayla didn’t bother to look up as she stared at the screen, swiftly scrolling through a myriad of male faces.

  Derek looked at her and shook his head. “You said you wanted to take a bath, but I should have known that was an excuse to sneak off and hunt down some dick.”

  “Why do you care?” she snapped.

  “I care about you, Jayla. Every time you get with one of those clowns from your dating app, you end up depressed, moping around, and talking about how much you hate yourself.”

  “I do hate myself.” Jayla let her phone slip from her hand and tumble onto the bed.

  “Don’t say that.”

  “It’s the truth. I expected my life to drastically change after the surgery, but it didn’t. It’s still the same.”

  “Maybe you need counseling.”

  “Fuck that! I need a man with a strong back and a dominant personality.”

  “No, you don’t. You need someone to love and cherish you.”

  “That’s never going to happen, and I might as well be true to who I am.”

  “The woman who allows men to treat her like shit is a personality you invented because you didn’t feel worthy of love.”

  “Apparently, I still don’t. Bailee has her knight-in-shining-armor and I don’t have anyone.”

  Derek sat on the bed and stroked the top of her hand with his fingers. “You have me.” He leaned in and planted a delicate kiss on her cheek.

  She leaned away from him. “I don’t want your pity, Derek. You don’t want me; you’re into men.”

  “Yes, but I’m also into you. And not just in a sisterly way.” He squeezed her hand tightly and then moved it downward, allowing her to feel the effect she had on him.

  Having Derek offer himself to her was a dream come true, and in her moment of need, she no longer cared that he was offering his body out of pity for her. She sucked in a deep breath as he unzipped his pants and released his dick. Her hand wrapped around the thick shaft and gripped it without hesitation.

  “You don’t have to leave home for dick anymore, baby. I got you,” he said softly. “From now on, anytime you’re down, you can ride my dick…okay?”

  “Okay.” Her voice came out in a whimper, and then a sound of lust escaped her throat as she stroked his dick, her hand moving up and down slowly, from the tip to the base. A dribble of cum seeped out of the engorged tip, and she took that as her cue to lower her head and encircle the head of his dick with her lips. Before pulling the meaty shaft fully inside her mouth, she licked the drippings and moaned at the sweet and salty taste.

  After lapping up all the pre-cum, she ran her tongue along the underside of his shaft, and then pulled him in so deeply she could feel his hot flesh pressing against the back of her throat and his nut sac brushing against her face.

  The grunting sounds emanating from Derek encouraged her to bob her head up and down while putting immense suction on his throbbing erection. The fingers that had been entangled in her hair began moving downward, pulling up her dress and tugging down her panties. In a matter of moments, she found herself splayed out on the bed with Derek on top of her, slowly penetrating.

  “Is this what you want, ho?” he asked in a gruff voice that surprised her.

  “Yes,” she responded, so aroused that her body began undulating at an accelerated speed.

  “Are you gonna keep going online looking for strange dick?” He yanked her hair painfully. As he slammed his dick inside her, Jayla’s hips rose up to meet each forceful thrust.

  “No more strange dick for me…I promise,” she said, panting between each word.

  “From now on, I’m gonna punish this pussy every time you even think about logging into a dating app.”

  “That’s what I need. I need to be punished and manhandled,” she said breathlessly.

  In response, he held her legs open and pumped dick into her until she could no longer speak comprehensibly.

  Next, he flipped her over so that she was riding him. Then, he stretched an arm out and suddenly slapped her ass with such force that Jayla yelled at the top of her lungs as a powerful orgasm took her by surprise, causing her to collapse on top of him.

  Chapter 28

  It was a magical night.

  The audience was filled with buyers from Nordstrom, Kohl’s, Macy’s, and other major retailers. The hottest trainers, top photographers, and stylists were in attendance, and a few recognizable celebrities had also made their way to the event.

  To kick things off, dancers dressed in HaydenWear tights and sports bras performed choreographed routines on the runway. The dance segment was intended to demonstrate the brand’s flexibility for women with active lifestyles. Following the dancers, ten models emerged on stage in succession, revealing the remaining twenty pieces of the line.

  At the conclusion of the runway show, a montage of the pictures filled the projection screen that served as a visual backdrop for the program. The entire montage was pictures of Bailee that had been taken at the New York photo shoot.

  Bailee was immediately bombarded by photographers and fashion editors. They all asked for her management team’s contact information.

  “I don’t have a management team,” she told everyone, and within minutes, her purse was filled with business cards.

  Needing a moment to gather her wits, she excused herself and made her way toward Jayla and Derek. Although she’d heard a lot about him, it would be her first meeting Derek in person.

  As Bailee approached, Derek began applauding. “Bravo! Bravo! You looked amazing on screen and you look even more amazing in person,” he exclaimed good-naturedly.

  Jayla introduced Bailee and Derek, and Bailee liked him instantly. She thought he and Jayla made a stunning couple, and he seemed attentive as a boyfriend, but Jayla had told her that he was gay.

  “Can I get your autograph?” Derek asked Bailee teasingly.

  “Stop making me blush,” Bailee said, her face visibly flushed. “I’m not used to so much attention. It’s supposed to be Hayden’s night—not mine.” She noticed Jayla holding a rainbow-colored cocktail and she suddenly felt thirsty. “Your drink looks good; I need one of those,” she said, looking around for a server.

  “I’ll get you one,” Derek offered. He spotted a server on the other side of the room and squeezed through the crowd to get to her.

  Alone with Jayla, Bailee grinned at her. “What’d you think about the show?”

  “In one word, awesome! I think I’m going to
start working out at the gym to have a reason to rock HaydenWear,” Jayla said with a big smile. “And you looked phenomenal, girl. I felt so proud seeing you splashed across that huge screen.” She leaned in and gave Bailee a quick hug. “I’m really happy for you. And this party is everything.”

  “I’m glad you’re having a good time. What about Derek? Is he enjoying himself?”

  “Oh, yeah, but our night won’t be complete until we meet the Workout King!”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. There’s been so much going on, I totally forgot to introduce you.” Bailee gazed around the room and spotted Hayden in the midst of a group of people. “As soon as he gets a free moment, I’ll introduce you. By the way, Jayla, you look amazing, too. You look like you lost more weight since I saw you in Philly. Girl, if you don’t watch it, you’re going to completely disappear.”

  “Everybody keeps saying that, but the way I see it, you can never be too thin,” Jayla retorted.

  “Be careful, okay? Make sure you’re getting proper nutrition.”

  “Chile, as long as I look good, what do I care about proper nutrition?” Jayla waved a hand, blowing off Bailee’s advice.

  There was no point in expecting Jayla to respond reasonably, and so Bailee changed the subject. “Is it my imagination or are you and Derek a little more than friends? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you two were a couple,” she said breezily.

  “Oh, I’ve been meaning to tell you. We’re a thing now.”

  “You are?” Bailee creased her brow. “But…he’s gay, right?” she asked in a whisper.

  “It turns out, he’s bi,” Jayla replied, lifting her shoulders in a “go figure” gesture. “He considered himself straight until he went to prison. Being that he grew up in there, most of his sexual relationships have been with men. But that was more out of necessity than his true preference.”

  “Jayla!” Bailee said, sounding both exasperated and condescending at the same time.

  “We’re happy,” Jayla interjected. “He gets me. And we’re in love, so don’t judge.”

  “All right,” Bailee muttered, keeping her cynical thoughts to herself.

  Derek returned with Bailee’s cocktail. As the three of them chatted, Bailee noticed that Derek seemed really into Jayla, brushing her hair out of her face, encircling her waist with his arm, and constantly smiling at her. Bailee couldn’t remember ever seeing Jayla being so supported and cared for by a man. She told herself that it didn’t matter what his sexual orientation was as long as he was good to her friend.

  Eventually, Bailee made eye contact with Hayden, and she beckoned him with a smile and a wave.

  As Hayden drew close, Bailee noticed a glint in both Jayla’s and Derek’s eyes. They were both giving him unmistakable looks of lust. Confused, she looked from Derek to Jayla, but they didn’t return her gaze; they were both too busy checking out Hayden to pay her any attention.

  What the hell?

  Not wanting to betray her inner turmoil, she struggled to keep her expression neutral as she introduced Hayden to Jayla and Derek. Hayden and Derek gave each other dap, and Bailee watched Hayden like a hawk, making sure Derek didn’t attempt to whisper in her man’s ear.

  “It was nice meeting you both,” Hayden said. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have to steal Bailee for a while and introduce the face of HaydenWear to an editor from Self magazine.”

  Bailee had been ducking the journalists and fashion editors that had attended the launch, but the weird vibes that she was picking up from Jayla and Derek made her uncomfortable, and she was glad to take Hayden’s hand and be led to the opposite side of the room.

  Crowds parted for Hayden and as he and Bailee moved smoothly through the throng of guests.

  She noticed the runway models milling about and socializing. Oddly, as beautiful as they all were, there seemed to be a vacant look in their eyes that only brightened when they gazed at their reflections in the many mirrored walls of the venue. A few of the models glanced at Bailee uncomprehendingly as if wondering why their starvation diets and countless hours of spin classes had not earned them the honor of being the face of HaydenWear.

  “Why weren’t there any plus-size models in the show?” Bailee asked Hayden.

  “Plus-size models are a minority in the fashion industry, and now that top designers are putting them in their shows, those that know how to walk the runway are in such high demand, we weren’t able to book any of them for my show. But I’ll be better prepared when I expand the line.”

  “Are you planning to expand already?”

  “I have to if I want to stay in the game. We’ve already started preparing for the next campaign,” he said.

  “That’s fast.”

  “The industry moves at a fast pace,” he replied. “Ah, there’s Rowena.” Smiling, he led Bailee toward a tall, older woman with close-cropped silver hair.

  Bailee’s mind was a million miles away as Rowena discussed featuring her in an upcoming issue of the magazine.

  Tears welled up from deep inside her as she thought about how, in another life, the fashion spread would have undoubtedly won Giselle’s approval. Accepting that her mother’s approval no longer mattered, she blinked away the moisture from her lashes and fixed a smile on her face as she gave Rowena her undivided attention.

  * * *

  After lovemaking, while drenched in sweat and bliss, Bailee rested her head on Hayden’s chest.

  “We’ve both been working so hard, I think we should enjoy a relaxing day at the beach tomorrow,” Hayden said lazily as his fingers sifted through Bailee’s locs.

  “Sounds great except I forgot to pack a swimsuit.”

  “That’s not a problem. We can pick one up.”

  “Picking out a swimsuit is not that simple. I’ll end up trying on one after another, searching for something flattering to my body type, and I’ll be exhausted before we even get to the beach.” Bailee let out a sigh, dreading the hunt for a bathing suit and wished she’d remembered to pack one.

  “Don’t sweat it. We don’t have to go to the beach. How’d you like to take an airboat ride through the Everglades?”

  She made a face. “Are you inviting me to ride through swamps—with alligators?”

  “It’ll be fun.” He gave her a wicked smile.

  “I’d rather suffer through the ordeal of trying on bathing suits.”

  “Then it’s settled. We’re spending a peaceful day at the beach.”

  “You’re so conniving,” she said, playfully jabbing him in his side.

  Hayden chuckled as he caressed the curled hair on her temple. “You haven’t said much about the magazine spread. How do you feel about it?”

  “Good.”

  “Good? Is that it? Rowena went to a lot of trouble and had to move things around to include you in the September issue.”

  “And I appreciate it…”

  “But?” Hayden removed his arm from around her and sat up. “Something’s bothering you. What is it?”

  “I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful, but my background is in finance, and although it’s flattering to be the face of HaydenWear, I realize that modeling is not all that stimulating. It’s not the kind of work that’ll keep me satisfied for long.”

  “Are you ready to return to banking?”

  “No, not at all. I was thinking about a collaboration. I want to help you enhance your brand with a plus-size line. I realize your current line is supposed to be all-inclusive, but to me, it seems as if you threw some larger sizes into the mix, as an afterthought.”

  “It was well planned, not an afterthought.”

  “It was a little absurd to have all those skinny models on the runway and then feature me as the face of your brand.”

  “Everyone loved the idea of a plus-size model representing the brand. Why do you think Rowena was so enthusiastic?”

  “I get your vision, but why not create workout clothes that are strictly for bigger women? I’d love to work with you on an exclusive p
lus-size line that includes swimwear. My vision is a line that promotes body positivity and empowerment for women who are not built like twigs.”

  “I like the idea.”

  “Good! We could call it HaydenWear 2.0 or…um, how about HaydenWear Fierce?”

  “I like both names, but I have to tell you that although your proposal sounds good in theory, it takes money, and I’m already up to my eyeballs in debt. Pulling off your idea would require lots of investors. You wouldn’t believe how difficult it is to get investors interested in new ideas.”

  Bailee thought about all the numerous connections she’d made during her years in banking and she felt inspired. “I used to work directly with CEOs of big companies as well as smaller upstart, tech companies that make more money than they know what to do with. I’d love the challenge of going after money. I have no doubt that I can bring in investors.”

  “I’ll tell you what. You work on the money aspect and I’ll work on lining up designers to work with us on a limited-edition capsule collection of the plus-size line.”

  “Really?” Bailee hadn’t felt this excited over a project in a long time.

  “HaydenWear Fierce, huh?” Hayden said, nodding in approval.

  “Or HaydenWear 2.0,” she reminded him.

  He nodded. “They’re both catchy, but I’m leaning toward Fierce. Yeah, I really like it!”

  “And I really like you,” Bailee said, cupping his face and kissing him.

  Remarkably, all it had taken was a little pillow talk to upgrade her position from employee to partner. Feeling sexually satisfied and emotionally fulfilled, she drifted off to sleep in Hayden’s arms.

  Chapter 29

  “Are you nervous about tonight?” Jayla asked Derek.

  “No. But, since it’s our last night here in Miami, I’d rather hit up some of the clubs instead of following through with your idea.”

  “It’s important to me.”

  “I know, babe. I just wish you could have stayed off that dating app while we’re on a free vacation.”

  “I told you the deal. It’s a special opportunity that I can’t pass up. Anyway, it’s the last time I’m going to degrade myself or allow anyone to degrade me.” She gazed at Derek sincerely. “I promise that after this, I’m through with online dating.”