I chuckled. She literally drove a hard bargain. “Thanks, but I really can’t.”
She straightened up and tossed her hair to the side. “Fine, then. Your loss.”
I didn’t even bother to respond as her hips swung angrily out of the bar in search of another conquest. Instead, I shut off my computer and thought about my bride-to-be, wondering where the fuck she was. She wasn’t returning my calls or texts.
Sela.
I’d only known the twenty-three-year-old French model for six months, but she’d seemed to be everything I’d wanted in a woman – beautiful, sophisticated, and an energetic little wildcat in bed. Unfortunately, she was also spoiled out of her fucking mind with a temper that had already cost me thousands of dollars in china and fine art. The last time she’d freaked out, I’d almost called it quits. But then she’d gotten down on her knees and stared up at me with her pouty lips, begging to suck my cock.
What could any red-blooded American guy say, other than, “Oui”?
This week she’d went on another rampage, angry that I’d asked her to fly back to the States to meet my parents. Fortunately, she’d been on the other side of the world when I’d asked, and it hadn’t cost me anything but a headache.
Marriage.
Really, what in the hell am I thinking?
Sighing, I tried calling her cell phone once again, with the same irritating results.
***
Sinclair
For the next hour, Jesse showed me around the luxuriously opulent home, pointing out designer wall hangings and furniture pieces that singly cost more than my entire childhood. Most of the décor was contemporary, with white and black as the main color scheme, plus a handful of blue or burgundy pieces thrown in. With all of the white furniture and even whiter, plush carpeting throughout the house, I was afraid to sit, stand, or step on anything.
“Nice and crisp, huh?” remarked Jesse. “That’s what comes to mind whenever I visit. You know me – I prefer bright colors, comfortable furniture, and plenty of eclectic pieces. My mother and I have far different tastes.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” interrupted an older woman’s voice.
We were in the library, the whitest library I’d ever seen, and both of us turned to face a tall, thin woman with a silver bob.
“Hello, mother,” smiled Jesse.
She walked over to him, grabbed his hands, and air-kissed both of his cheeks. “Jesse, darling. I’m so glad you could make it.”
“Me, too. By the way,” he said, putting an arm around my waist and reeling me in. “This is my girlfriend, Sinclair Jeffries.”
“Yes, you were telling me about her. Very nice to meet you,” she smiled, although her dark blue eyes regarded me shrewdly. “I’m Mimi Eddington.”
I accepted her cool, heavily jeweled hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you, as well, Mrs. Eddington.”
“Oh, just call me Mimi. So, Jesse tells me you’re a Cosmetologist?”
“Well, yes,” I said.
“Do you own your own business, then?” she asked.
I stared at her mouth in awe. She had, what appeared to be, a permanently puckered look – reminding me of someone who’d just tasted a lemon or smelled a bad fart. Staring at her lips, I tried to keep a straight face. “Not yet, but I’m hoping to open my own shop, someday.”
She patted her silver hair and smiled. “Well, my stylist, Gigi Sparks, owns a shop in Beverly Hills. She’s very successful, although most of her clients are famous, and obviously, that helps.”
I smiled. “I’ve heard of Gigi Sparks, she really is a phenomenal stylist.”
“Mm… yes, I agree. Anyway, it just goes to show that anyone can become successful if they work hard and put their mind to it,” she said, turning to Jesse. “How’s your career going, by the way? Still with that quaint, little firm?”
“Blake Designs? Yes, mother, I told you that on the phone last night.”
She sighed. “Oh, that’s right, I’m sorry. There’s so much going on right now, I don’t know which end is up.”
“Don’t worry about it, mom. So, where are Dad and Reed?”
She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. “Well, your father is still at the office, and Reed, well, he should be flying in sometime tonight.”
“Unbelievable. I still can’t believe Reed is making an appearance.”
“Your brother is engaged, you know,” she said. “A model named Sela Royce.”
Jesse’s eyebrows shot up. “No fucking way! She must be one good cock –”
“Jesse, please!” gasped Mimi.
He chuckled. “Oh, come on, mom. Reed isn’t exactly the marrying type. Is she pregnant?”
Her eyes darted to me and then back over to him. “Of course not,” she answered with a disapproving look. “At least,” she paused, biting her lower lip. “I don’t think so.”
He glanced at his nails and shrugged. “Well, you said she’s a model? I guess if he was going to settle down with anyone, it would be one of those.”
Mimi walked over to a book that was sticking out too far on a shelf and pushed it in. “Unfortunately,” she said, turning back around, “we may not have the pleasure of meeting her this weekend. She’s at a photo-shoot in France. Reed said she was going to try and fly back here sometime today, but I haven’t heard from either of them.”
“So, you haven’t met her either?” he asked.
Mimi moved a hand up to her pearls and began twirling them around her finger. “Well, I’ve spoken to her on the phone before, but other than that, no. Reed has been too busy these last few months. He is a lawyer.”
I wanted to ask why that was relevant, but it wasn’t my place and I didn’t want to offend anyone.
Jesse didn’t care, however. “Well, shoot. If I can make it back here the first weekend of every month, Reed should certainly be able to fit you in, with all of his resources and money.”
She pointed to him. “You live less than an hour away and he lives in New York. You, dear boy, should be over more than once a month.”
He put his hands on his hips and scowled. “My schedule is busy too, mother. I work over sixty hours a week, you know. It’s hard for me to get away, as well.”
Right.
Jesse was dating the owner of Blake Designs and the only thing hard for him on the weekends, was Alex.
“Well, that’s good,” she replied. “A hardworking man stays out of trouble.”
“Oh, I’m still trouble,” he smirked. “Right, Sin?”
I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Definitely.”
She turned to me with her puckered look and studied my face. “You know, you look very familiar, have we met before?”
“I don’t think so,” I answered. I’d never forget a woman with a permanently sour expression.
She raised her finger to her chin and nodded. “I know what it is – you look like that actress, Sophia Loren, when she was a young woman. Are you Italian?”
“I’m not sure,” I said. “I was adopted.”
She cringed. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry.”
I raised my eyebrows. “As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing to be sorry about,” I said. “My adoptive parents are wonderful. They’ve always treated and loved me like I was their own. I’m very blessed to have them in my life.”
“Well, that’s fortunate. Then you don’t hold any hostility towards your birth mom?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No. How can I feel anger towards a woman I’ve never met? I’m sure she had her reasons.”
“Okay,” interrupted Jesse, “enough digging into Sin’s life. When’s dinner?”
“Oh,” said Mimi, checking her watch, a diamond-clad Rolex. “Dinner is in an hour. Did you bring something appropriate?” she asked, glancing at my rose-colored peasant blouse and white Levis.
I looked at Jesse. He’d never mentioned anything about a formal dinner on the first night. I’d packed a dress for the party tomorrow,
but had selected something more casual for this evening.
“Of course she did,” he said, grabbing my arm and stirring me towards the door. “I’m going to show her to one of the guestrooms and we’ll meet you down in the dining room at eight o’clock.”
She nodded. “Very well. Don’t be late.”
“Good going,” I whispered as he led me away. “You didn’t mention I had to wear anything special tonight. I thought this,” I waved towards my jeans. “Would be appropriate enough from the way you were talking.”
“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking. So, um… what about that little black dress you have? I thought you said you were bringing it?” he asked.
“I did, but it’s for the party, tomorrow.”
He sighed. “We’ll go shopping in the morning. In fact, since you’re helping me out, I’ll even buy you a new dress to wear to the party.”
“That’s fine by me,” I said. “Rent is due next week and my credit cards are almost maxed out.”
“If I’m buying, however,” he said. “I’m picking out the dress, sweetheart. If you’re going to be my date, it has to be sexy and over-the-top. I want the other women in the room to be pissed off and the men walking around with gloriously raging hard-ons.”
I laughed. “Why does it sound like you’re really getting into this?”
He touched the top of his spiky hair and smiled. “Because, even though I’m not going to get laid this weekend, I want everyone in the room thinking that I am.”
“You’re a nut.”
“Damn right I am,” he smirked. “That’s why we get along so good, Sin. I’m completely nuts and you need that in your life right now.”
“I won’t argue that,” I said.
Without Jesse, I’d be alone in my apartment, arguing with my cat, and searching for batteries for my vibrator. This was definitely going to be much more stimulating.
I hoped.
Chapter Three
Reed
“Evening, George.”
“Mr. Eddington,” nodded George, as I set my overnight bag down. “So nice to see you again.”
“And you, as well,” I said.
“Dinner will be served in just a few minutes. Would you like me to put your things in your room, so you can join the others?”
“That’s okay,” I said. “I’ve got it. I want to change before I eat.”
George nodded. “Very good. Will Ms. Royce be joining us this evening?”
I sighed. “Doubt it. The last I heard she was still overseas.”
“How unfortunate. You know, Jesse brought a girlfriend this weekend,” he said with a sparkle in his eyes.
I raised my eyebrows.
He went on. “Yes, a nice young woman, named Sinclair.”
I stared at him for a minute. “You’re serious?”
“Oh, yes, Mr. Eddington. They arrived a couple of hours ago.”
I rubbed my jaw and smiled. “Interesting. I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Yes, she’s rather lovely.”
“I’m sure. Well, this should be a very interesting evening.”
“Indeed. Let me know if you need my assistance with anything.”
“Thanks, George.” I picked up my bag and walked up the white spiral staircase leading to my old bedroom, wondering what the hell was going on with Jesse.
***
Sinclair
Jesse chose the largest guestroom in the house for me and I sighed in pleasure when I saw the awesome view from my balcony. The moment I stepped outside, I imagined myself relaxing in the lounge chair, a drink in one hand, and something steamy to read in the other, listening to the ocean waves. Fortunately, I’d packed the new Kindle my mother had given me for Christmas a couple of months before and planned on using it right before bedtime. That is, if Jesse would allow me any sleep – he’d packed three bottles of our favorite white wine and mentioned drinking some at night on the beach. I’d agreed but only before he dropped the real bomb.
Skinny-dipping.
I shook my head. “Oh no, not this girl.”
He grabbed my arm. “Sin, you have to skinny-dip in the ocean at least once in your lifetime. It’s so liberating and –”
“Embarrassing! I don’t know about you, but I’m not getting caught with my pants down.”
He shook his head. “Nobody will even see us! I know of the perfect spot.”
“Well…” I said, mulling it over. The thought of swimming naked in the ocean sounded kind of interesting, although I’d always imagined doing it with a lover, not my gay, faux boyfriend.
“Come on, live a little,” he prodded. “This is the perfect opportunity. Even better – you don’t have to worry about me jumping your bones. You can try it out and if you don’t like it, well fine. At least you can say you did it.”
I groaned. “Listen, I’ll think about it.”
“What’s to think about? Nobody will see us, I promise! In fact, I’ll take you to this spot where my brother used to bring his girlfriends when we were growing up.”
“Oh, my God, Jesse, were you spying on them?”
He placed a hand on his chest and shuddered. “Hell no. He told me about it and one night I decided to take a swim alone,” he lowered his voice, “in fact, it was the first time I went skinny-dipping that I realized I was gay. I’ll never forget that night.”
I leaned forward, as he’d never mentioned that. “Oh, do tell.”
He smiled. “Let’s just say our neighbor’s nephew, a luscious actor from Chicago, was visiting and, oh, just thinking about him now makes me quiver. Anyway, he straightened out my head and not just the one above my shoulders.”
I giggled. “Seriously? How old were you?”
With a faraway look in his eyes, he sighed wistfully. “I was eighteen and he was in his twenties. It was one of the most memorable nights of my life. Funny thing is, he’s insanely famous now and nobody would suspect him of being bisexual.”
He then told me the actor’s name and I had to pick my jaw up off the ground.
“No freakin’ way!”
“I know. Too bad it only happened once. It certainly helped change the course of my life, though. It was one of the only fond memories I had living under my parents’ roof.”
“It was? Oh, Jesse,” I sighed. “Well, then we’ll definitely have to celebrate that memorable occasion with a glass of wine and a quick midnight swim. Who knows, I might even get the courage to remove my bathing suit.”
He grinned. “I’ll even promise not to vomit if I see your ‘fun-bags’.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re so crude.”
“Thank you.”
I pointed towards the door. “Now leave, or you’ll see much more of me than you ever wanted.”
“Thanks for the warning,” he said, moving quickly towards the door. “I’ll be back for you later.”
As I unpacked the black dress, my thoughts drifted to Mimi. She was a little tightly wound, but not quite as bad as I’d originally expected. Of course, I’d never lived with her and couldn’t imagine having a mother who gave me “air-kisses.” I thought about my own parents – Ben and Mary Jeffries. They were kindred souls, both warm, loving, and would give you the shirt off of their backs to make you feel welcomed in their home. I loved them dearly and wouldn’t give them up for the world. Not for anything. As far as my biological parents were concerned, I was open to meeting them, but I certainly wasn’t in any kind of hurry.
I slipped on the form-fitting dress and stared at myself in the mirror. Long auburn hair, curves, round booty, and lips that I’d always thought were much too full. In fact, when I was a teenager, I’d tried to find ways to make them appear smaller, especially after Billy Davis had teased me at party with a cruel comment, telling everyone that I had “cock-sucking lips.” I’d been mortified at the time, and even to this day, still felt a little self-conscious about them. When I’d confided all of this to Jesse and had talked about having them reduced, he’d looked at me like I’d lost my
mind.
“Women have their lips filled with collagen to get what you already have, honey. Don’t you dare touch those cock-sucking lips.”
Thus, I hadn’t touched them, but either had anyone else in the last year. Needless to say, hanging out with Jesse and hearing about his sexual exploits was beginning to drive me crazy. I was over Shawn but found myself fantasizing about sex in the most inopportune times – when I was running my hands through a sexy male customer’s hair, searching through the meat aisle in the grocery store, or at the gym while I watched the muscle-heads lift weights. With their straining biceps, tight buns, and flushed faces, it was enough to make me squirm on my stationary bike. Needless to say, I was frustrated and sometimes jealous of all the penis Jesse was getting. I just wasn’t courageous enough to do anything about it yet.
Pushing these thoughts out of my mind, I slipped on my black heels and waited for him.
“Ready?” asked Jessie, fifteen minutes later, wearing a dark gray wool suit.
“Yes. Wow, you look so polished and handsome.” I smiled.
He lifted his chin in the air and posed. “Saks, Armani.”
I sighed, put my hands on my hips, and posed. “Kohl’s, discount rack.”
He burst out laughing and grabbed my hand. “Doesn’t matter, you still look good, even with that obnoxious cleavage.”
I looked down. “Obnoxious?”
“Oh, I’m just giving you shit,” he said, pulling me out of the bedroom. “I’m sure you’re every heterosexual man’s wet dream in that dress, Sin. Take a chill pill.”
“Thanks, I think.”
When we arrived in the dining room, Mimi and an older man who shared Jesse’s bright, blue eyes were already waiting.
“Oh, good,” said Mimi. “They’re on time.”
Jesse’s father stood up as I prepared to sit next to Jesse at the dining table. “Ms. Jeffries,” he smiled warmly, holding out his hand. “I’m Jesse’s father, Jack Eddington. It’s a pleasure meeting you.”
“Nice meeting you, too. Please call me Sinclair,” I answered, as his hand clasped mine.
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