Rotten

by Brooks, JL

  I should have been sleeping. Unfortunately, the past week’s events had me wound tight. I watched David’s slumbered state and studied every curve of his upper body. His chest and arms were carved deep with hard-earned muscle, and the lines along his face and eyes told the story of a lifetime passed. He was devastatingly handsome, and I couldn’t help but wish our situation was under different circumstances. He must have sensed my restlessness and opened his eyes. As he caressed my waist, his actions seemed as natural as breathing.

  “What is it, babe?”

  I could see the concern in his dark brown eyes, the way his brow furrowed in thought.

  Shaking my head, I curled into his chest and draped his arm around me. “My naive familiarity with you. I think that it is dangerous. I can’t pretend to know anything about you. And for a moment, I thought I did. That was stupid on my part. Who you are in my head is vastly different than who you are in real life – I have to keep reminding myself of that. I fear I’ve made a dangerous mistake in assuming one above the other.”

  He stilled against me, taking the words in.

  “I don’t get it, Toni, explain.”

  I sighed wistfully and shook my head. “I just wish things were different, that’s all.”

  David’s hands ran slowly up and down along my spine in a hypnotic motion. “Tell me more.”

  I brought my hand to the curve of his neck, and we came eye to eye in the moonlight that streamed through the window and illuminated the bedroom.

  “I know I can’t change anything, but the ‘what if’s’ have a bad way of stealing my focus. My mind just goes on and on; it never stops. It’s exhausting.”

  His breathing was exaggerated, though not intentionally. I could feel the puffs of air stream across my chest as he exhaled. “The ‘what if’s’ will drive you crazy; you need to think about what could be. As for me, I am still the same guy deep down.”

  I nodded and remained silent a bit longer, taking in a new direction to send my worries. “David, do you think we will ever be happy?” I knew that he would see it as a trick question, deceptively simple, yet impossible to answer.

  His large hands gently brushed through my hair, causing my scalp to tingle and waves of warmth to radiate down my body. “How do you feel right now?”

  I smiled at his soothing voice and rhythmic hand movements. “Happy.”

  He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “Yeah, me too. So, I guess it’s possible.”

  My laugh was quiet. He was right; this moment was the only place where we had control.

  “Take your shirt off, Toni, and roll over.”

  David slipped off of the bed and reached into his top drawer, pulling out a small white tub with a black lid.

  I watched him skeptically as he crawled back on the bed and waited expectantly. “Tell me why first,” I said as he pulled the lid from the jar.

  “Because you need to go to sleep before I strangle you, and I know this will help you relax.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Is it ether? Most men don’t give fair warning when they are about to knock someone unconscious and do dirty things to them.”

  Without a word, his free hand grabbed my hip and flipped me over.

  “Shirt off. Bra, too.”

  I grabbed the edge of the cami tank and pulled it over my head. David’s fingers slid under the bra strap and unfastened it without effort.

  “You’re good at that. I don’t remember you practicing it on me.” I giggled into the mattress as his legs straddled me on each side of my hips. I stopped the moment his warm hands hit my shoulder blades with the cool cream. It must have had some type of tea tree or menthol in it, because it tingled and smelled wonderful. Large palms and fingertips began to work every tight muscle in my back with near expertise. I didn’t joke, or laugh; I just moaned unnecessarily.

  “I’m being decent here. Don’t tempt me, woman.” His hand came down against my bare thigh with a smack. Unable to move, I started to wiggle underneath him. “Stop it. You’re supposed to be winding down, not up.”

  I immediately obeyed and went limp as his arms reached underneath my shoulders and chest, pulling me away from the mattress, stretching my back. A few bones cracked and made me grunt in pleasure. For the next hour, I surrendered to his skilled hands as he manipulated every muscle in my body down to mush. My mind traversed between an empty void and the delicious sensations of feeling his hands sweep across my bare skin, slick and with ease.

  “Flip over, we’re not done. You get the full treatment, madam.”

  He had me scoot down a bit so he was able to sit behind my head. I closed my eyes as the pads of his fingers gently pressed and swirled across my face, ears and neck. He combed them through my hair and pulled gently, causing me to nearly have an orgasm, it felt so good. He was so quiet; the only sound was the hum of the ceiling fan above us. When he reached my ribcage, I tensed slightly, unsure what he would do about my breasts, but he simply ignored them the best he could and massaged my diaphragm, and then reached down to my hips and legs.

  Before he reached my toes, I was sound asleep. I awoke the next morning, wearing only my panties and feeling very refreshed. When I looked over to David, his face looked tight and pained. I could only imagine what demons he fought in his sleep. He spent so much time bringing me peace when he needed to have his own. The small jar of cream was sitting next to him on the nightstand, so without hesitation, I picked it up and scooped a small amount out with my fingers. Rubbing my palms together, I crawled closer and started on the back of his neck so he would not be too startled.

  He quickly smiled and laid on his stomach. Although I was not nearly as proficient as he was, there were no complaints. I took my time learning his body in a way I never had the chance to before. My thumbs caressed the matching tattoos that stretched across his lower abdomen and then dipped into his hips. A very big part of me wanted to run my tongue across them and bite his hip bones. I must have been staying in one place for too long, because his hands stopped me and pulled me up to his chest. With my head now rested against it, I felt his heart beating steadily against my cheek. His fingers danced lazily against my back, as if he were in no hurry to greet the day. I fell back into the void, surrounded by tea tree and the scent of David lulling me deeper. Happy…

  I placed an ad in the Vegas classifieds, looking for a new bartender. Normally, daddy would just give the job to the bar back if there was one, but Lisa was useless, and ever since I fired her sister Nichele, she’d gotten even worse. I never took my eyes off of her. I didn’t trust her, but she hadn’t done anything outright yet to warrant being fired other than being lazy.

  If I was coming in to take over my daddy’s affairs, there were a few things I could control. The dancers “auditioned”, if you could call it that. There was no paper trail on any of the girls, and I wasn’t ready to rock that boat right now, if ever. The bartenders, however, had to be legitimate. I loved the other three girls, and they loved me. It was nice having some sense of normalcy in all of this. Erin was on her way to come see me for the weekend and help out with the busy crowd. She was secretly looking forward to meeting David, although she didn’t have a clue who he really was, yet. Her flight arrived at six pm, and the interviews were scheduled from noon till four. I didn’t have high hopes we would find anyone decent, but it was worth a shot.

  David didn’t rush me out of bed, and I didn’t force the issue. I knew we had to get the day started eventually. As I stirred and began to move away from my spot on his chest, immediately his arms constricted tighter.

  “Nope.”

  I relaxed and snuggled further into his embrace. “We have to get up and get to the bar; we have those interviews today,” I whispered.

  His arms remained locked, and it seemed like he had no intention of loosening them. With a grunt, he squeezed tighter and rolled over with me now lightly crushed beneath his massive frame. He locked me onto my back with one thigh hitched around my hips, and an arm across my chest.


  “I told you no, you’re staying put – five minutes.”

  I giggled as soon as the words hit my brain and shot out of my mouth. “Am I ruining your wet dream?” I could feel his erection pressing into my side, causing me to start salivating. He pretended to start riding my leg aggressively while still keeping me pinned down.

  “Stop it!” Nothing I could do would release me from his iron grip as I laid there helpless, being used as a rub toy. A moment later, his body grew rigid, and I felt the moisture seep through his boxers as he grunted in release.

  “Oh hell no! You did not just do that!” I squealed in disgust.

  His laugh was deep and hearty as he finally set me free. I smacked his chest several times in rapid succession as retribution, which made him laugh harder. He paused for a moment and gently held the side of my face.

  “You noticed I was out of sugar – I noticed you were short on cream. Call us even.”

  It was odd seeing the Spur crowded during daylight hours. Nearly thirty applicants arrived on time for the chance to become the next bartender. Everyone in town knew this was a coveted job; my daddy took care of his employees for the most part, and they remained loyal as well. Despite the ad specifically stating women only, a handful of men still showed up with résumés in hand.

  As I sat down in one of the round booths, David walked up behind me and pinched my shoulders as a coach would a fighter before a match. Jodie had come early to help me filter the applicants, happy to earn a little extra money for easy work. I had grown fond of her and her no-nonsense attitude. She was shrewd and knew what she was doing; the woman knew how to hustle. I recognized the jagged edge of a personality sharpened by pain, hidden beneath the glossy, long, brown hair, perfect make-up and immaculate breasts. Unlike some of the others, Jodie’s body had not experienced the wreckage of childbearing or the haphazard scalpel welded by a crackpot surgeon.

  She noticed me checking out her rack one day, grabbed my head and shoved my face into her chest, and then quickly wiggled back and forth, laughing hysterically as I backed away a little dazed.

  “You just gave me my first motorboat! I always wondered why guys loved ‘em – now I know.” I grinned in embarrassment, yet she simply winked and walked away. It was then that she and I started to talk a little more during slow times; she even joined me for a beer after work, which shocked the others. I asked why she didn’t drink, and her answer was honest.

  “This is my job. I come here to work, not party.”

  I nodded and held up my bottleneck, clinking with hers on the side. “Here’s to getting shit done.”

  Without looking at me but staring out at some far-off place, she stated flatly, “Amen.”

  I had a notebook next to me with all of the questions I needed to ask the girls before going through round two. I decided that Kelsie, Nic and Denise would do the second interviews, as they would be working with whoever was hired. They appreciated I was giving them ownership and taking into consideration how they felt. After my brief run-in with Nichele, I had no intentions on making them suffer through that again.

  I wanted to move quickly so I could get to the airport on time to pick up Erin. That small ray of light made this process seem less tedious. Thinking of how Erin would react to David made me realize that whoever worked here next might be the same way. I had hoped he would be smart enough not to sleep with anyone in the club, but I couldn’t put anything past him.

  “Hey Jodie, will you grab David real quick? He needs to sit in on these.”

  She agreed and went to hunt him down. Stirring the chunks of melting ice in my water around with the straw, I called Audrey, the first applicant, to come on over. A few minutes into the interview, David came over, and the girl immediately started to stutter and grow unsure of herself. I looked over at Jodie, but she was shaking her head slightly back and forth, reading exactly what I was seeing. I shook Audrey’s hand and thanked her for coming in, telling her I would let her know either way.

  “She was a nice girl.” His eyes trailed after Audrey’s ass as she headed towards the exit.

  I smacked his arm lightly as the next applicant took her seat. Leaning next to him so no one could hear me, I whispered in his ear. “I’m not hiring your next fuck toy; keep that in mind.”

  David slid his hand under the table and up my thigh, creeping slowly with his fingertips towards my crotch. Resting his large hand over the center, his index finger dug under the seam of my cut-off denim shorts. I knew he was trying to get me to lose my composure, so I decided to play along. I let my cheeks flush and my breathing increase as I squirmed in discomfort. I eyed his smug grin as he thought I was going to falter. My mouth grew dry, and I swallowed a few times as I grew damp against my will. I wanted to drag this out as long as I could, but didn’t know how far he would really go.

  Seven women – that is how long I lasted before I finally conceded and decided I’d had enough. Waiting until the most gorgeous woman in line was ready for her turn, I watched David slide down in the booth a little to get more comfortable. Assuming a primitive hunter pose, his dark brown eyes narrowed while his perfect smile conveyed a false sense of security. I liked watching this dance. The woman leaned slightly forward, exposing her large fake breasts in her inappropriate outfit. I wanted to ask her if she was applying for the right job, but I bit my tongue and refrained.

  Looking at Jodie, I winked while tilting my head towards David. She was trying not to laugh and had to walk away to keep the others from catching on to our private conversation. Pushing the notebook with questions over towards David, I sweetly commented, “Hey, why don’t you do this? My throat is starting to hurt a little for some reason.”

  He looked over the questions and lifted the paper to check and see if there were more on the back before whistling at the woman.

  Unfucking believable!

  I knew it was over before it began, and now it was my turn to fight back. As he started to go through the questions, my arm reached over and unsnapped the top of his jeans. Resting my hand over the bulge his pants, I felt it pulse and strain in the palm of my hand. With the next question, I slowly unzipped them and could feel the veins through the thin cotton of his trunks and the small spot of moisture near the top. Placing my hand flat once more across him, his hips attempted to raise and rub against it, yet I removed my hand immediately and smiled. His hands trembled slightly as he held the notebook, pretending to record comments and not paying one ounce of attention to the woman who definitely noticed. She glanced at me, but I simply shrugged and looked away, trying to keep from dying of laughter.

  He had been standing to shake the women’s hands as they were excused, and I felt that I needed to gently remind him not to this time. I quickly slid my hand down his jeans and gripped his cock with my fingers and squeezed, making him grunt loudly and start to cough to cover his tracks. I did not let up until the woman was halfway to the exit, shaking her head, unsure what to make of the interview. The sun was shining in from the open door, so I was unable to see the faces of any others. I could see there was only one more, and Jodie was already asking her a few questions.

  “You are an evil, evil woman, you know that? I am hard as a fucking rock, and I can’t do anything about it.” His teeth were gritted, and through the smile, I could sense the undertone of anger.

  “Oh honey, you’ll be alright. I’ve made it all this time and survived just fine.” I patted his crotch a little too firmly, causing him to grab my wrist and hold it against him.

  “You are going to pay for this, you know.”

  I licked my lips as I felt him push against my hand and stare me down. Jodie coughed to gain our attention and waved the last applicant over. I was looking down at the notes when I heard the gasp. David froze instantly and gripped onto my wrist even harder.

  “What?” I asked a little confused. Once I looked up, I knew what it was, or who, I should say.

  She immediately turned around and started to head for the door.

  “Mel
anie!” I shouted, causing her to freeze mid step. She turned slowly around and began to walk back towards us. Clutching her application, her head was lowered and she was visibly shaking. David could feel me shake just as hard and rubbed his hand against my bouncing leg to calm me down.

  I cleared my voice before speaking, knowing it would come out cracked. “Are you here to interview for the job?”

  She shook her head, yet refused to make eye contact with either one of us.

  “Let me see your application.” I spoke softly, pulling from a long gone place of apprehension.

  “You know, Toni, never mind. I know you’re not going to give me the job, not after everything.” She sounded a bit sarcastic, most likely reverting to the same place I was. I grew furious, but knew I had to keep it together. This was one of those “face your worst fears” situations that you hope to never encounter.

  I looked over at David and squeezed his hand. “Will you excuse us?”

  He seemed hesitant to leave, yet leaned over and kissed my neck affectionately before looking at Melanie with disdain. “I’ll be in the office if you need me.”

  I nodded and motioned for Melanie to take a seat. While reading the information on the paper in my hands, the past ricocheted like bullets through my brain. Melanie Francis had once been a possible friend for a brief moment. I say possible, because within a day of transferring into Sloan Elementary, she quickly fell in line with the others and turned her back on me without a second thought.

  I had sat in the school office, waiting for my dad to pick me up, because I had another panic attack when she and I met. She had beautiful blue eyes and sandy blond hair that was styled into a ponytail with a giant, pink bow at the top. Melanie had just moved here from Reno, because her grandma lived in Sloan and her mom moved back to town. Apparently, her mama was one of my daddy’s conquests and didn’t take too kindly to Melanie and me being friends. Her mother’s anger filtered down to her, and she took out her anger on me. More than once I left school, bruised by her fists and cruel words. She was the worst of them all and the reason David taught me how to fight. My chest tightened with the familiar feeling of terror racing in my veins. I wanted to smash her head against the table, but that would solve nothing.