Beneath Him

by Kant, Komal

  I also knew if I didn’t answer, she would continue calling. She was relentless, like herpes.

  “Yes?” I asked.

  “Well, hello to you too!” she exclaimed on the other end. “I haven’t heard your voice in so long! I was starting to think you were avoiding me! Have you?”

  “I’ve just been busy,” I said, mentally wishing she’d tone down the enthusiasm.

  “Busy my ass. I want to see you at dinner tomorrow night. I’ll text you the details. Be there or I will drive to your house and do burnouts on your perfectly manicured lawn.”

  I didn’t dare call her out on her bluff. I knew Lisa never made empty threats. One time in high school, she had threatened to wax her boyfriend Jordan’s pubic hair if he kept saying “woman, make me a sandwich”. Jordan hadn’t taken her seriously—it hadn’t ended well for him.

  “Okay, fine, I’ll clear my schedule for you,” I said, making it sound like this was a huge impediment for me.

  “The only thing your schedule is filled with is banging slutty girls. They’ll live.” With that she hung up on me.

  Lisa was a serial cock blocker, but I had to love her for the simple fact that she got straight to the point and didn’t mess around.

  It been a few months since I’d seen my friends, and I guess it couldn’t hurt going out to dinner with them this once. As long as Lisa didn’t invite him, I had no problem.

  Sky

  When I needed to escape from the rest of the world and a certain six-foot man-whore, I read and ate a tub of ice cream. Luckily, the Ruggarson’s kitchen was well-stocked for dire situations such as this one.

  You had to hand it to them, boy, did they offer a wide variety of ice cream to choose from. After a good five minutes of staring into the freezer, I finally picked my favorite, Ben & Jerry’s Sweet Cream & Cookies.

  With the mini tub of ice cream, and my battered copy of Persuasion in hand, I headed to the large library on the second floor, hoping to get some reading done before dinner. There was a large armchair positioned by the window, and I made a beeline straight for it.

  After getting comfortable, and balancing the ice cream on the armrest, I flipped the book open to the page I was on, which was also my favorite part.

  “Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant.”

  I sighed, letting my eyes drink in the beautiful words. This was the kind of romance found only in books. This kind of romance didn’t exist in real life, which was why I spent so much time with my nose buried in books.

  “Hello, dear.” Oscar’s voice startled me, and I dropped my book onto my lap like a bumbling moron. Then I somehow managed to knock my tub of ice cream on top of the book. It was like I had no sense of balance or opposable thumbs.

  “Hi, Sir,” I said, feeling stupid as I reached down to pick up the ice cream from my book.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said with a pleasant smile as he approached me. “What are you reading?”

  “Persuasion,” I said, resuming my position in my comfy seat. Then, since not everyone knew what that was, I added, “Jane Austen.”

  “Yes.” He nodded, stopping a few feet away from me. “Great book. I believe I read that in the 70’s.”

  Of course he had. Now I felt stupid for making him out to be stupid. It wasn’t a book targeted towards men, so I’d mistakenly assumed he didn’t know it.

  “It’s one of my favorites,” I said, putting aside my awkwardness. “I think I’ve read it twenty times.”

  “Reading is wonderful for the mind,” he said, moving over to the largest bookshelf in the room and perusing it as we talked. “So how are you settling in, dear?”

  I wasn’t completely sure how to answer that. The mansion was like paradise, a little haven tucked away from the rest of the world that had everything you could ever dream of. Everything was almost perfect.

  Almost.

  Albeit one huge problem in the form of Nick.

  But I couldn’t exactly tell Oscar that, so I left that part out.

  “It’s been great so far, honestly. Madeline is a great kid, and Emily has been checking in on me and making sure I’m comfortable.” I kept it sweet and simple.

  “What about Nicholas?” There was a gleam in his eyes as he looked my way for a quick moment, pausing in his perusal of the shelf.

  Oh, damn. He’d gone there. Now what was I supposed to say? Your son is an obnoxious, self-centered, pig-headed man slut who thinks I’m beneath him.

  “He’s, um.” I struggled to find the appropriate word. “Something else.” I forced a smile, hoping I seemed convincing.

  That was the best I could do without sounding like an outright bitch. I couldn’t think of a way to put it in politer terms than that.

  “Yes, that’s certainly one way to describe him,” Oscar chuckled as he turned back to me, a thick book in hand. “Have you spent much time with him?”

  Um. No. And I never planned to.

  “He took me to Walmart when my car wouldn’t start.” I made it sound like that was enough kindness from him, and honestly, that one time had been enough for me. No more kindness necessary on his part.

  “Good, I’m glad he’s making an effort.” Oscar seemed pleased by this. “He’s going to dinner with his friends tonight. I’ll ask him to take you with him.”

  “What? No!” I said, a little too loudly, and then flushed as Oscar stared at me in confusion. “Um, I mean, it’s fine. I was just planning on reading tonight, that’s all. I’m not really a going out type of person.” I help up my book, hoping to emphasize my point.

  Oscar waved a hand at me like I was talking nonsense. “Don’t be silly. A girl your age should be going out on a Friday night and having fun. I’m sure Nick would be more than happy to take you along with him.”

  Uh, no he wouldn’t. We hated each other with a passion.

  “Really, it’s fine,” I said, not wanting to socialize with either Nick or his friends who were probably exactly like him. It didn’t sound like my idea of a good time. “I don’t want to intrude on their night.”

  “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with his friends,” Oscar continued, completely ignoring what I’d said as he walked back toward the door. “I’ll tell Nick to come by your room at seven. I believe he said he’s meeting them at seven-thirty.”

  Without waiting for a response, Oscar glided out of the room. I think he knew I was going to keep refusing the dinner invite, so leaving was his way of winning.

  I doubted Nick’s friends would surprise me. I really think Oscar only saw the best in people and probably had something nice to say about everyone.

  Now I couldn’t even focus on my book, and I was pretty sure it was just past six which meant I had to shower and get dressed by seven. I had no idea where we were going, so what was I supposed to wear?

  Stress descended on me as I went back to my room, wondering what I’d gotten myself into. Well, I hadn’t exactly gotten myself into it, but I hadn’t managed to get myself out of it, either. Now I had a good forty minutes to make myself look somewhat decent for Nick and his friends.

  That thought made me queasy.

  Chapter Seven

  Nick

  I’d just gotten out of the shower when there was a knock on my door.

  Casting a glance around my room, I secured my towel around my waist as I headed to the door to unlock it. My room was always clean, not because we had a maid, but because I was actually OCD about where my belongings were.

  When I pulled open the door, Dad was standing outside looking pleased with himself. I knew that look. It was the look he got when something had gone his way.

  “Um, hey, what’s going on?” I asked, not bothering to hide the suspicion in my voice.

  “I know you leave soon, so I won’t take up too much of your time.” He was trying to keep a straight face, b
ut a smile tugged on the edge of his mouth. “Since Sky has the night off, I told her you would take her to dinner with you and your friends.”

  “You what?” It was like I’d been cruising along and all of a sudden he’d slammed on the brakes and I’d flown right through the windshield. “Why would you do that?”

  “She’s a beautiful, young girl who is about to spend her Friday night alone. It’s good for her to get to know you better. I think she needs friends.” He spoke as though he was presenting the facts in a case.

  Was my dad trying to be a dating service? Didn’t he know that I had absolutely no trouble getting to know a woman if I really wanted to?

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said, though I didn’t have a good reason as to why it wasn’t. Well, not any that I could vocalize to my dad. “Emily can be her friend.”

  I just knew that after the trip to Walmart, I needed to keep my distance. I didn’t like how much I’d liked her just from spending a single day with her. I mean, who the hell liked a girl because she knew how to use ginger and cilantro?

  Yeah, I wasn’t gonna be that guy.

  “Well, I think it’s an excellent idea,” Dad continued, like he didn’t really care what I was saying and ignoring my suggestion about Emily. “Sky is very excited about meeting your friends, so it would be a shame if you didn’t take her along with you.”

  Yeah, right. My dad was full of shit. The girl hated my guts. Well, maybe hate wasn’t the right word to use here. I saw the way her skin flushed when I got close to her. I got under her skin, that’s what it was.

  With a sigh of defeat, I nodded. Once Dad got an idea in his mind, he didn’t stop until he got his way. Being a successful lawyer probably had a lot to do with that. “Fine, I’ll take her with me.” I said this like it was a huge impairment for me.

  “Good,” Dad said with a victorious smile. “I told her you’d be by her room at seven. Enjoy your night and be kind to her. She’s one of the good ones.”

  He didn’t need to tell me that. I already knew. I’d known since the day I’d first run into her at that coffee shop.

  Sky was one of the good ones—that’s why she was such bad news.

  Sky

  After I took the quickest shower of my life, I wrapped myself up in my towel and dialed Erin. Who else could I go to for last minute fashion advice? Erin was beautiful and confident in her own skin. If I looked like her—super tall with long red hair, and a figure that somehow ended up being slim yet curvy at the same time—I’d be confident, too.

  “You’re going on a date with NICK RUGGARSON?” was the first thing she screamed into the phone when I told her my plans for the night.

  Wincing, I held the phone away from my ear. “It’s not a date; it’s dinner with his friends. And technically his dad asked me, so I don’t really think it counts as an actual date.”

  I could practically hear Erin rolling her eyes on the other end of the line. “You don’t know what a date is, Sky. The last time you dated someone was when we were fifteen and Chris Jackson took you to the movies. And, now that I think of it, that didn’t really count because he drank too much soda and threw up on your handbag. Let’s face it, you don’t have a lot to compare with.”

  If I didn’t stop her now I knew she could go on like this all night.

  “Will you just tell me what to wear? I don’t want to ask him where we’re going because then he’ll think I actually care about going, which I don’t. I just don’t want to look stupid if we go somewhere fancy, or be overdressed if we go somewhere casual.”

  “Hmm.” Erin actually stopped talking for a few seconds which was an amazing achievement for her. “Your super tight, faded jeans that make your butt look even bigger than usual. Wear it with that black top that has a low back and then finish it off with slutty, high heels and gold accessories, and you should be good.”

  As she described the clothes, I began pulling them out of the closet and placing them on the bed. It was definitely a hot combination, but I didn’t want Nick getting any ideas.

  “It doesn’t scream ‘I’m desperate and trying too hard’, does it?” I asked.

  Erin groaned. “Don’t be ridiculous! You’re going to look hot and confident.”

  I decided to take her word for it. She knew my wardrobe better than I did. “Okay, hair up or down?”

  “Up, duh. Sleek high ponytail, so he can picture himself grabbing it as he does you from behind.”

  “Erin! I’m hanging up now!” A mental image of Nick doing me from behind wasn’t what I needed right now when I was already freaking myself out with the impending dinner.

  “You know it’s true!” She laughed, knowing very well that she’d gotten to me. “Have fun! Tell me all the juicy details tomorrow!”

  As I hung up, I snorted to myself. There wasn’t going to be any juicy details. Absolutely nothing was going to happen between us. We were two completely different people who had nothing in common apart from the fact that we knew how to rub each other the wrong way.

  Our relationship would never go beyond that.

  Nick

  When Sky opened up the door to her room, I felt cheated. I felt like someone should’ve warned me or given me time to prepare myself.

  She looked fucking sexy. Skin tight jeans, a low-cut top that showed off her tits, and high heels. This was a girl who knew she looked good and wasn’t afraid to show it.

  A white coat was slung over her arm, and she held a clutch in her other hand.

  “You look amazing.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

  Goddamnit! Get a hold of yourself. It was such a lapse in the usual way I acted towards her that even she seemed unsettled by my compliment.

  “Um, thanks,” she said, studying me with large eyes as though waiting for me to insult her. “You look good, too.”

  Ugh. Just what I needed. For her to try to be nice to me. I didn’t need anyone to put on a fake nice act with me.

  “Let’s go,” I snapped, coming to my senses.

  I was mad at myself for being weak. I was mad that I’d momentarily forgotten myself. I was mad that she’d tried to be nice back. This was going to be a difficult dinner to get through if I couldn’t even control what I said.

  As she shut her door and started walking ahead of me, my mouth fell open.

  Whoa. Her top had a low back.

  Her hair was up in a ponytail, showing off just enough to get my imagination going. I immediately pictured grabbing that ponytail as I fucked her from behind. Or pushing her face down on my bed and biting the soft skin of her back.

  Damn.

  Now the foremost thing in my mind during dinner was going to be that ponytail.

  Thanks, Dad. Thanks a lot.

  ***

  The restaurant Lisa had picked was a casual seafood place by the water. Considering it wasn’t very upscale, it was actually a nice looking place.

  Sky and I didn’t talk much as we walked inside. We hadn’t spoken in the car, either. I guess neither one of us had been in the mood for small talk. I figured I should tell her about my friends—that we’d all become friends in elementary school, then gone to high school together, and remained close all throughout college—but I couldn’t bring myself to look at her.

  If I did, I knew it would be hard for me to look away.

  My eyes found my friends easily—Lisa, Jordan, Ben, and Jessica. It was hard to believe I’d known them for so long. Lisa was easily identifiable as the cute blonde with short hair.

  Jessica Sanders had longer, dark blonde hair that she always pulled up in a sleek ponytail, similar to Sky’s. She was drop dead gorgeous and always had guys swarming over her like flies. It was funny because she had a quiet personality and wasn’t sure how to handle that kind of attention.

  Ben Watson, 6’2” with dark hair and dark skin, looked like a football player because that’s what he was. He was just waiting for the opportunity to go pro.

  Finally, Jordan Davi
s was probably the one I was closest to. We actually had very similar features—dark brown hair and distinct, blue eyes. He was slightly shorter than I was and a little thicker. He was into lifting weights and getting big.

  There was one more thing about my friends; Lisa and Jordan were dating, and Jessica and Ben were dating. Since everyone was paired up, I was always the fifth wheel, but now with Sky by my side it kind of felt like date night.

  Lisa and Jessica shot each other wide-eyed looks as soon as we approached the table. I never brought girls with me anymore, so this was new.

  “This is Sky, Madeline’s new nanny,” I introduced quickly before any speculation began.

  Sky and I weren’t friends, so I wasn’t going to introduce her as one. Besides, my friends weren’t going to care that she was the nanny, although she probably thought they would. They’d probably be more interested in her because of it, actually.

  “Nice to meet you, Sky! I’m Lisa!” Lisa jumped up immediately and began making the introductions. She was the extrovert, so I let her do her thing.

  Ben mouthed to me, “Hot,” while Jordan gave me a sly thumbs up. Couldn’t argue with them there—Sky looked like a million bucks tonight.

  Sky gave them all bright smiles and returned the handshakes before we all sat down. The waitress came by to introduce herself and handed menus to Sky and me.

  “How is little Mad doing?” Jessica asked, looking at Sky. “I haven’t seen her in a while.” She glared at me like it was somehow my fault.

  “She’s wonderful, an angel.” Sky’s face practically glowed as she spoke about her. “I have the easiest job in the world.”

  “So, has Nick been nice at all or is he being a douchebag as usual?” Ben asked, leaning back in his chair.

  Sky laughed, and I could see the tension leaving her body as she leafed through her menu. I bet she hadn’t expected my friends to be like this. She’d probably been expecting spoilt, rich kids. My friends were the complete opposite.