by Nicole Casey
“When they ask what I do for a living, what do we say?” she asked me. She started fidgeting with her hair, unsure of whether to keep it tied in a bun or to let her long hair just flow down. “You can’t say I strip at a club.”
She was right about that. I frowned a bit and pondered what story we could come up with. “How about we say you’re a freelance model?”
Noelle blushed and to be honest I found it really adorable. “T-that could work. I’ve never really done that kind of work before though.”
I shrugged it off, “It’s just like stripping, really, since it’s still all about selling your looks to people except you get to keep your clothes on.”
“Okay, I can roll with that,” she said with a grin. “How do I look?”
I took a step back and gave her a quick look-over, “Wow. You’re smoking hot.”
She punched me lightly in the gut and joked, “You’re just teasing me. Come on, let’s go. We don’t want to make your parents and the rest of the guests wait too long. I can’t believe you got the mayor and Preston Maxwell to come as well.”
“Preston’s a friend of mine,” I explained as I reached for the bedside drawer and took my car keys. “As for the mayor, well, that’s my sister’s doing. She got to know him better when he went to one of her book signing events.”
That seemed to impress her. “Very interesting group of friends you have. I wonder why you’ve just settled to be the proverbial playboy.”
She was admittedly really cute when she was being a fan-girl like that. At least she was smiling when she looked at me. I didn’t know if she just found me amusing or if she at least found me attractive. Either option was fine, I guessed.
“Well, today’s the day that everything’s going to change,” I told her as I took her by the hand and we checked out of the hotel.
Mercury Wild looked more glorious than it ever had. What was once a luxurious bar and bistro was now decorated to look like a Sultan’s grand hall. Even I had to admit that Trevor and our friends really outdid themselves this time.
As soon as Noelle and I walked through the doors and everyone had their eyes on us, I pulled her close to my side and kept my hand on her waist.
“Oh!” she exclaimed in surprise.
“We have to sell this, remember?” I whispered into her ear, reminding her we had to at least look like we were madly in love.
She fidgeted awkwardly but in the end relented and even placed a hand on my chest as we walked through the crowd. We greeted everyone we passed and I even got to introduce her to Jasmine, Trevor’s wife and a key leadership in the J&E Consulting Firm.
As we waded through the crowd, picking up a few glasses of cocktail drinks along the way, I spotted my sister. She was at the VIP table, accompanying my parents and the town mayor. She waved at me as soon as she spotted me, and I took Noelle by the hand and led her that way.
“W-wait, that’s the mayor,” Noelle started to get even more nervous. She clutched my arm tightly and said, “M-maybe you should go first. I can follow in a bit.”
I shook my head, “No, we have to do this together. Come on, just follow my lead. We can do this. Trust me.”
To be completely honest, even I was a bit nervous and unsure. However, I didn’t want to stall this any longer. My father could sign those inheritance papers any day now and I needed to get him on my side.
My father, a tall man with a baldhead and a thick mustache, was the very definition of a stereotypical rich guy. He looked strong, had an aura of authority and always wore the finest clothing that money could buy. My mother, on the other hand, was a little more practical and also more warming to approach.
The mayor, Adam Khatib, was about forty years old and a little hip for a politician. He was the type of guy many respected for his good work managing the city but he was also constantly seen watching live rock bands at local pubs and he loved to play music himself.
“Good evening Mayor Khatib, Mom, Dad,” I greeted as I got up on their VIP corner. “I’d like to introduce my girlfriend and fiancée, Noelle Stanley.”
7
Noelle
I couldn’t believe I was shaking hands with the mayor… well, at least with my clothes on. I’ve had customers at the strip club who were pretty prestigious people such as prominent lawyers and even a professional basketball player.
“H-hello, good evening to you all,” I greeted as I took a seat between Sonya and Daxter.
“Hello dear,” Daxter’s mother, Carmen, reached out to me. “Have we met before? You seem awfully familiar.”
I nodded back with a smile, “Y-yes ma’am. I used to hang out with Dax back in high school.”
His father, Joel, handed me a drink and said, “Ah, yes, I remember you. You went out shopping with Sonya, once, right? How have you been? What do you do now?”
Oh shit. I took a sip of wine and hoped he wouldn’t notice the tension in my voice as I said, “Oh, I work as a freelance model nowadays. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t but I love it anyway.”
Mayor Adam told us both, “Oh, is that how you guys started hanging out again? Did you meet at the photo studio?”
Daxter picked it up from there, “Well, we’re friends on Facebook and we hang out with the same circle of people. It was just bound for us to reunite in the long run. I guess it was fate too because ever since we did I can’t keep my eyes off her.”
I blushed and leaned in to rest my head on his shoulder. I’d hope this gesture would make it look like we actually spent some time together and were comfortable as a couple. I then felt him wrap an arm around me and hug me in tight.
Oh wow, this feels awkward but at the same time, it’s so warm and relaxing. I looked up real quick and smiled. At least Daxter was freaking handsome and the feeling of his arms crushing me towards him was just an icing on the cake.
“Well, she is a lovely girl and one that the family is at least familiar with,” Joel said, commending Daxter and I. Joel then turned to me and asked, “Has he cheated on you yet?”
The mayor chuckled but Carmen nudged her husband with a disapproving look on her face. I just simply laughed and shook my head before replying, “No, we’ve moved passed all that. He was a little bit of a handful back then but things have changed.”
“Dear, you haven’t even told me about this relationship,” Carmen touched Daxter’s hand. “Since when did you two get together?”
I was about to answer but I feared we’d answer simultaneously and blow our cover. I just bit down on my lip and asked Daxter, “Dear?”
“Huh? O-oh – about a year ago, actually,” Daxter stuttered as he tried to think of an answer on the spot. It was a good thing he did too because I was going to say we started dating only a few months ago.
“What are your plans now that you’re getting married?” the mayor asked us both. As soon as he did both Carmen and Joel looked at us, waiting to see what we had in mind. I knew this put a lot of pressure on Daxter and even Sonya was fidgeting a bit as she waited for our answer.
My head was on Daxter’s chest and I could feel his heartbeat begin to accelerate. He was nervous and probably thinking about something to say. However, if we waited too long it would look like we had nothing planned out.
“We’re aiming to launch our own fashion line soon,” I blurted out. “We know a lot of professional designers and we’ve met some really talented people in the media too. Putting those together we could come up with a hip but also trendy fashion line for both men and women.”
“Y-yeah,” Daxter then cut in to add more. “We want to explore modern clothing but to also blend in some traditional styles to make clothes that look cool but are also appropriate for social gatherings. We want clothes you can wear to a club or a party but it’s also fine to wear when you’ve got friends and family coming at the house or when you just need to go to the mall.”
Sonya raised a finger as if she recalled something and then said, “Oh yes! Weren’t you two telling me all about t
hat like a few months ago?”
I raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Sonya knew this whole relationship wasn’t real but here she was chiming in to help us. Seeing her help her brother like this was honestly a little sweet and it made me believe in this crazy plan a little more.
“That’s right, we mentioned it before,” I replied, hoping their parents wouldn’t ask how often Sonya and I got together.
Fortunately, Carmen had something different to point out, “You two do know that wearing clothes for the cameras is a lot different than designing and selling them, right? You’ll have a lot of work cut out for you.”
We laughed and agreed to that. Daxter finished his drink and told his parents and the mayor, “We understand the difficulties which is why we’ve been scouring the city for talented designers and market analysts. We’re also looking to build a strong research team and a team that could focus solely on social media marketing too.”
It was a little strange to hear Daxter talk business so seriously. I saw even Sonya was a little impressed because she was staring at her brother with a really big smile on her face. The mayor, on the other hand, seemed to be getting in a little over his head and his mouth was just open as he tried to absorb all the information as best as he could.
“My, my, you’re quite different than how you were last year,” Joel commented. He had this really proud look on his face. He then faced me and said, “You know, the last time I got to sit down with Daxter was a good year and a half ago. Back then, he was still a know-it-all rascal. I think you’ve been a good influence on him dear.”
Once again my cheeks flushed red and I bit down on my lip as I suppressed a smile. I just gave him a “cute” look and let Daxter carry on with the conversation.
The mayor then poked at my arm and asked, “When do you plan to get married?”
“Before the end of the month,” we both answered and everyone at the table looked at us like we were mad.
“That soon?” Joel echoed, unsure of what he heard.
Daxter nodded, “Look, I know there’s a lot of paper work and stuff like that but I’m hoping we can fill all that stuff later. I want to marry her now.”
I just giggled and then went along with the plan, “That’s right. Oh, he loves me so much and I really do love him too. I can’t wait another day!”
Mayor Khatib pressed his lips together for a minute and then said, “All right, here’s how we can work this out. Get all your papers ready and we can conduct the marriage by the last weekend of the month. I will give you two a six-week deadline to get everything in order.”
His words were like magic to our ears.
Throughout the night we also got to meet some of Daxter’s other friends such as Marcus, a famous banker and before the occasion was over, I got to meet Preston and his wife Lyla. It was a little weird socializing with the likes of Trevor Wild and the others but as time went on I was enjoying myself.
Maybe it was the alcohol or the fact that I was getting comfortable with Daxter’s social circle, but soon enough I was enjoying his company as well. I kept on clutching onto his arm, I didn’t mind it that much whenever we’d have to fake a kiss or when he made me sit on his lap.
Maybe I was starting to like this plan more than I should.
8
Daxter
She was drunk but even in her stupor, she didn’t want me to drive her home. I heard her talking to herself about not wanting to let me see the “shithole” she lives in. I just smiled at the notion and took her with me, driving her to my condominium downtown so she could rest. She did her part, playing the role of the excited fiancée and she even saved me a few times during our conversation with my parents. Even Mayor Khatib seemed to like her.
When we got home, I had to help her walk through the building’s hallway and into the elevator. By then, Noelle was a little more conscious but still unable to keep going, so I carried her in my arms.
My condominium unit was pretty big, being the penthouse suite of the establishment, and I was fortunate enough to have a custom bed that was bigger than a king-sized one. I laid Noelle down on the bed, took off her high-heel sandals and then propped her head on a pillow. I then turned off the lights save for a small dim standing lamp in the corner.
Looking down at her like this, I felt a sudden sense of warmth. She was fucking beautiful. No, that wasn’t even enough to fully describe it. She was hot but it was more than that. It was like she was the full embodiment of lust. Just looking at her rest on my bed in that short white outfit got me hard.
If we were going to get married and stay together, I had to get accustomed to seeing her body like this. It was like having the best Christmas gift, wrapped and ready, but I couldn’t open it to play. Oh, but boy did I want to play.
“Well, I do need to sleep,” I decided. I looked at her one more time before tossing my shoes and socks off. I didn’t even bother changing clothes and instead just threw everything off except for my underwear. I then slid onto the bed, right beside her, and faced the other direction.
“D-Daxter?” I heard her call out to me.
“Hm?” I called back. “Noelle?”
I felt her hands reach out and she tried to pull me to face her way. When I did, I saw her eyes were a little open and she was shivering.
“I-it’s really c-cold,” she stuttered. “Could y-you turn the air c-conditioning off?”
For a second I was completely dumbfounded by what she said. When I finally managed to process her words I simply went, “Oh.”
I then got up, headed back to the living room and turned down the thermostat, which controlled the central air conditioning in my unit. It would still take a few minutes before the temperature would drop so when I got back to bed I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her closely, hoping my body heat would keep her from shivering.
“T-thank you,” she said as she shut her eyes and tried to rest. She nestled her head closer and rested on my chest. This close I could smell her hair and the perfume on her body. It was intoxicating and I loved it.
“You’re welcome,” I told her as I hugged her closer. I wiggled a little, hoping to get low enough so our faces could be directly aligned with each other. When I got low enough, I took my time to just stare at her face.
She had lovely almond-shaped eyes and really long eyelashes that curved up. However, it was the shape of her lips that really got me anxious to lean in just a little bit closer. They were just so kissable, with that lip gloss and pink touch to it. I could already picture in my head each moment she puckered her lips or bit down while thinking. It was sexy in so many ways I couldn’t help but wiggle closer and wrap an arm around her.
“D-Dax…” she whispered as her eyes slowly fluttered open. She stared back at me for a moment and then said, “This is going to become a regular thing, isn’t it? We’re going to be living together now, sharing the same bed every night.”
I nodded, not to stay silent and let her sleep, but because merely opening my mouth might convince me to move another inch forward and kiss her.
“Do we have to pretend about everything?” she asked me. She then shut her eyes and said, “This is nice, you know? For once I get to lay down on a nice, big bed with a handsome hunk.”
I chuckled and for a moment I wondered if she was still drunk or if the haziness in her head was starting to dissipate. Was she screwing around with me?
“And I get to be in bed with one hot chick,” I said back.
Noelle opened her eyes and bit down on her lip. God, that sent chills down my spine. She shook her head and gave me a naughty look back, “You say that to every girl you get in bed with.”
“I bet you call every guy a handsome hunk,” I tried to play her game but her next admission was a true shock to me.
“Nope,” she told me. “I can’t even do that because to be honest, I’ve never been in bed with a guy before. This here, laying down with you practically naked and embracing me, this is about as close as I ever got.”
&
nbsp; My jaw dropped and I cocked my head as I stared back. “Seriously? You can’t be serious. I mean, with a job like yours…”
I cut myself short knowing that my words would seem condemning and demeaning. It was a little too late for that though and Noelle was now wide-awake when she heard me utter that sentence. She looked at me with such intensity, but instead of anger, I saw a flicker of playfulness.
“With a job like mine you’d think I’d have fucked every guy that came around waving cash at my tits?” she asked me.
Noelle saying it that way did make me realize how offensive it could sound. I did have to admit that was the direction I was going at and nodded back at her.
“There was one time, way back in high school, when I was making out with a guy and I had his cock in my hand but then a teacher came and walked in on us,” she told me. “You remember Paul Jameson?”
I remembered that guy, “Yeah, I do. He wanted to be the team’s quarterback but couldn’t keep his grades up to qualify for the team. Wow, you were hooking up with him?”
“Hey, he was dumb but he was a good kisser,” she told me and she licked her lips and gave me a naughty little wink.
That got me smiling and I snuggled her in even closer. Now I could feel her body pressing against mine and for a second my cock jerked as it got hard. I know she could feel that because she looked up at me with a gasp. It was even more delightful to feel the tips of her breasts pressing against my chest.
“How would I know if you’re a good kisser?” I asked her. “I haven’t tried you yet… wife.”
A warm shock filled my body from head to toe when Noelle suddenly leaned in and pressed her lips against mine. They were soft, sweet and smelled like cherries. She pushed in more and I kissed her back, gently wetting her lips further as I devoured her softly and slowly. My hands began to roam across her back and I pulled her in. As I did, I pressed my hips forward against her body, letting her feel the full strength of my erection.
