Big on Education

by Laurie Ames

  ~The End~

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  Shameless

  Steamy Older Woman Younger Man Romance

  By: Tina & Maurice Bedard

  Prologue:

  For Liza Blair, finding love, romance, and intimacy in your forties is difficult. Liza used to believe in sex and passion, but now her life as a divorced career woman is all about work. Liza has dated many men but has never found a real connection and tonight she was just looking for a fun night out dancing with her friends. But then he came along . . . Maddox Wilder…. not only was he twenty years younger, but also a talented musician and an exotic dancer. She had never expected to meet a younger man with the voice of an angel and the body to match. She certainly never expected to find herself going home with him. But when their lives begin to intertwine in unexpected ways, will they find a way forward?

  Chapter 1

  “Bye hon, see you Monday!”

  Her co-worker Luna’s shout followed her out of the building, and Lisa turned to wave at them through the window as she headed for the bus stop. Exhaling heavily as she sat down on the bench, she felt some of her stress evaporate into the cool fall air. She loved what she did, but damn it could be exhausting.

  It had been two months since she’d packed up her life and moved across the country for a job at a Center for abused women. “The Bridge’ was cobbled together several few years ago by some community members who had themselves lived through their own abusive relationships.

  Liza had heard about the center a year ago when one of her friends had shared a fundraiser for them. She had done her research and had known instantly that if there was ever a chance to work with there, she had to take it. Leaving her small town for the big city was easy to do. Her small legal office was thriving but after twenty years of repetitive tedious work, she needed to make a difference in the world. Her recent divorce had been bitter and getting away from the small-town gossip and innuendo was refreshing. Both her Mother and daughter lived here in Manhattan, so she was delighted to be closer to her immediate family.

  When a case manager executive position came open four months ago, Liza jumped on it. She had made it through the interview process and nearly burst into tears on the phone when they called to offer her the job. The transition was easy, and she finally felt like she was helping her community in a way that was meaningful.

  Her phone buzzed, and Liza shot back a quick response to her co-worker’s last-minute reminder about a meeting they had on Monday with a musician who had been hired to raise awareness for their cause. The bus she was waiting for pulled in, and Liza swiped her card before trudging to her usual seat just behind the Plexiglas that bordered the rear doors. Using the bus system was the fastest way to get around and after living in a small town, she hated driving in a big city. Dropping into her seat, she had just leaned her head up against the window to catch a quick nap when her phone buzzed again. Cracking an eye open to glance at the message, Liza couldn’t contain her groan when she saw it was from her friend Cheryl. She had completely forgotten they had plans to go out to a bar tonight with some other friends, and she briefly contemplated sending a text to bail on her.

  Her fingers hovered indecisively over the letters for a moment before she sighed and simply sent back a thumb’s up emoji. She let her eyes drift closed again while waiting for her stop, and mentally sorted through her closet to find something to wear. They were going to The Docks, a lively bar named for its location on the river. To be honest, it was a bit of a dive bar, but they always had a good crowd of people in the 30-50 age group and the drinks were good.

  The sound of her stop being called by the robotic voice of the bus P.A. system jolted her out of the light doze she had been slipping into, and she grumbled internally as she pulled herself to her feet and pushed through the doors to the street. The walk to her condo was quick, barely five minutes, and she bypassed the elevator and trekked up the eight flights of stairs to get to her door. Good for keeping her legs shapely, she reckoned. Dropping her bag as soon as she was in the apartment, she checked her watch. 6:45. Just over an hour to get ready before going to meet up with everyone.

  Shimmying out of her work clothes, she walked over to her closet and grabbed her go-to outfit for partying; black skinny jeans to hug her curves, a dark sleeveless silk top to complement the caramel of her skin, and black heels to complete the look.

  Clothes taken care of, her attention turned to hair and makeup. She loosely pinned her dark chocolate curls at the nape of her neck, leaving a few glossy ringlets to freely to frame her face. Touching up her makeup from the day, she blended some additional eye shadow to add a hint of smokiness before leaning back to admire her handiwork in the mirror. She thanked the gods for her good genes and her youthful looks. Other than the telltale crows’ feet that gently framed her eyes, she was stunning. She was a woman that knew how to proudly inhabit her body. Just like a temple, she owned it and that was just plain sexy.

  Satisfied with the results in the mirror, she leaned over to grab a necklace of interlocking gold rings that would draw just the right amount of attention to the plunging neckline of her shirt. Slipping on her heels and walking over to the door, Liza tucked her cash and cards in her tiny red purse.

  Locking the door behind her, she glanced at her watch. 8:05. “Damn I’m good,” she muttered out loud, the words echoing in an indiscernible jumble down the stairwell. She made it to the bus stop with two minutes to spare and texted Cheryl. ‘On my way’. Not bothering to wait for a response before sliding her phone into her purse, Liza leaned against the pole the bus stop sign was mounted on, then waited.

  The evening air was crisp against her skin, and she savored the calmness of the moment. Even in the midst of a big city, there were moments of quiet when there were no cab drivers honking, no steam hissing from heating units, no people yelling at each other. As soon as she stepped onto the bus, the quiet would end and the night would likely get louder. It was peaceful, and she had to force herself to ignore the whisper in her mind telling her to just go back to her apartment and curl up with a good book and a mug of tea.

  The hiss of an approaching bus braking around the corner made her decision for her, and she grudgingly stepped aboard. Settling into her seat, she glanced at the other passengers on the bus. Cute…. Way too straight…. Meh… Creeper… Giving up, she turned her gaze out the window to watch the streets pass by.

  She wasn’t looking seriously looking for a partner, but it had been months since she’d last hooked up with anyone and the big city was lonely. Sure, she had friends to hang out with, and most of the time she was so introverted that she was quite happy to not have anyone demanding her time or energy. But still, there were nights when she longed for someone to be with, even if it was only a one-night stand. Since her divorce, she quickly learned that all the men her own age were usually ‘still married’ and just looking for some action on the side.

  Tugging the cord to signal her stop, Liza pulled herself to her feet and mentally shook herself off. Maybe tonight she could at least find a single man to dance with, if nothing else.

  Her phone vibrated as she stepped off the bus, and she looked down to see what Cheryl had sent. ‘We’re inside, table by the bar.’

  Luckily there wasn’t a line to get in yet since it was early, so she made her way inside and craned her neck, trying to find her friends. A burst of laughter to her left drew her attention and she turned to see her friends gathered around a table, empty glasses already strewn about.

  “Liza!” Cheryl shouted, catching sight of her and excitedly waving her over.

  “Hey Cheryl,” she smiled, “Getting started without me?”

  “Never,” she grinned, before sheepishly looking at the tabletop. “Well, maybe a little. But we saved some for you!”

  Wrinkling her nose as she thrust a grapefruit Margarita in her face, she gingerly gulped it back, letting the coolness burn its way down her throat.

  “It’s a good thing
we’re already friends, or I’d be judging your taste in alcohol pretty harshly right now. You know I’m more of the fine wine type.”

  Smirking, Cheryl patted her on the shoulder in a faux-patronizing gesture. “You, my dear, have clearly forgotten the point of going out. We’re not here to critique the booze, we’re here to drink it, dance, and hopefully be escorted out by one of the dashing bouncers!”

  Her gaze lingered on one of the men standing on the perimeter of the room, muscles bulging from underneath his black tee. Snapping her fingers in her face to draw her attention back to her, Liza shook her head. “Down, girl.”

  Cheryl pouted for a second before becoming distracted as she looked her up and down. “Well, not all of us are blessed with your assets, Liz! And damn, I have to say the tough femme is out in spades tonight!”

  Liza shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah, well, lot of good it’s done me the last few times.”

  Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Cheryl used the other hand to place another drink in front of her face. “Well, you know what they say- you can’t score if you don’t play the game! Now drink up; there will be karaoke tonight, and later there’s a show for the ladies. I heard a rumor that one of the local talents will be here to woo us gals off our feet.”

  Rolling her eyes good naturedly, Liza took the shot and let the conversation from the rest of the group wash over her. The alcohol was already beginning to warm its way through her system, and she glanced towards the stage. If nothing else, she could at least enjoy the show, even if nothing else came of it.

  Time passed by quickly as the club filled with ever more people, the dance floor growing steadily more crowded. Cheryl and several others had abandoned the table in favor of dancing some time ago, so Liza had moved to the bar. She nursed her wine as she people watched, enjoying her wallflower status for the time being.

  The speakers crackled with static and then a massively amplified voice rang out over the crowd. A spotlight flashed onto a balding middle-aged man standing to the side of the stage.

  “Attention everybody, especially all you gorgeous ladies out there tonight! The moment you all have been waiting for has arrived! We have our very own celebrity in the house tonight to help kick things off, and let me tell you, it is my great pleasure to have him up on this stage.” A lascivious smirk and wink at the innuendo drew chuckles from the crowd. “Please give a hand- metaphorically only- for the one and only Bon Jovi !”

  Lifting her bottle to her lips and taking a long pull, Lisa waited for the apparent crowd favorite to take the stage. The lights dimmed, and the opening chords to “I Get Off” played through the speakers. Interest piqued; Liza felt the anticipation of the crowd starting to get to her. All the hype in the world, however, could not have prepared her for the sight that greeted her when the performer swaggered out onto the stage.

  Her jaw dropped and her mouth felt suddenly dry as she took him in. Slim muscled body, tousled hair cut in typical rocker fashion, skinny jeans with combat boots, and a leather jacket- he was basically one of her fantasies come to life. She stared, captivated, as he began to sing. He had dropped the key of the song lower to harmonize with his voice and the rough gravel in his words made her lick her lips in appreciation.

  Unable to tear her eyes away, Liza felt a jolt of arousal pound through her as the performer suddenly made direct eye contact with her. A hint of eyeliner set his eyes off, and his stare burned into her as he leaned into the microphone. The raw sexuality radiating from him was clouding her head, and she could only watch as he sang, eyes never leaving her. In the distant reaches of her brain she noted that he was extremely talented, but she honestly thought he could have been croaking like a frog and she still would have swooned.

  Her eyes dropped momentarily to run over the well-defined planes of his body before coming back up to his face. She felt her stomach erupt with anticipation when he shot her a cocky wink as she made eye contact again. Maybe the attraction isn’t all one-sided then, she thought wishfully. The song ended, and Liza began to stand from her chair as the crowd cheered wildly. Before she could take a step forward, the singer had disappeared from the stage without so much as a backwards glance.

  Sinking back onto her stool, Liza tried to quash the pang of disappointment. He was probably just an excellent performer and knew how to work the crowd. She knew she was just another face in the crowd, someone to woo for the duration of the song. How silly to think a man almost half her age would care diddly squat about her. She tried her best to clear her mind, but it had been exhilarating. She decided to finish her beer quickly, feeling far less interested in whoever was going to perform next.

  Suddenly someone slid onto the squeaky stool next to her and shouted their drink order to the bartender. Still mostly lost in her thoughts, Liza perked up when she heard him tell the bartender to also make another of what she was drinking. She turned, ready to say she appreciated the gesture but was getting ready to leave, and suddenly found herself face to face with the man from the stage.

  She was sure her shock was written all over her face, and she tried to school her facial expression into cool indifference. He looked her up and down, a slow smirk spreading across his face as he said, “I’m Maddox. You don’t mind if I sit here, do you?”

  Chapter 2

  Liza shook her head a little too quickly, scooting her stool back to make room for him to sit down. He turned to grab their drinks from the bartender, and she used the brief moment to compose herself. Taking a deep breath, she mentally shook herself as he set her drink down.

  “Thanks,” she said, before arching a brow at the look on his face. “What?”

  “I didn’t catch your name,” he replied with a slight smirk.

  A faint blush rose in her cheeks. Liza thanked her good genes and the dim bar lighting for veiling her age. “Liza,” she said, “My name is Liza.” She reflexively held out her hand as though to initiate a handshake and felt like smacking herself as soon as she realized what she was doing. She couldn’t be less flirtatious if she tried.

  Maddox’s smile turned more genuine at the gesture, though, and he reached out and gently clasped her hand in his. He raised her hand to his lips, brushing them against the back of her knuckles without breaking eye contact. Liza felt her lips part in what was half surprise, half silent moan at the unexpected intimacy of the action. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Liza,” he said, letting go of her hand and reaching for his drink.

  “Trust me, the pleasure is all mine,” Liza mumbled inaudibly under her breath.

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing,” she replied hastily, taking a long sip of her drink in a weak attempt to conceal her flustered demeanour. Get it together Liza, she mentally chastised herself. Here was this incredibly hot guy, clearly trying to flirt with her, and she couldn’t seem to string together a coherent sentence. Draining the last of her drink, she set the glass on the bar before facing Maddox more fully. Letting a hint of flirtatiousness slip into her voice, she idly commented, “I liked your performance up there.”

  “Well, I aim to please,” He replied. “It helps having such an focused audience to play to.”

  His last words were paired with a pointed look at her, and Liza smirked. Clearly the vibes she had felt had not been a one-way deal.

  “I’m surprised I haven’t seen you here before,” he said. “I’m pretty sure I would remember if we had crossed paths before now.”

  “I, uh, I don’t get out much,” Liza replied, “Life has been a little hectic lately.”

  Maddox nodded, a look of understanding on his face. “Yeah, it’s tough out there.”

  Digging for more information about him, Liza asked, “Do you entertain other places or just here?”

  “He shook his head, a touch of ruefulness in his eyes. “Lately its mostly just been here. This new punk rock musician gig is working well, but its different because I don’t take off my clothes.

  “Oh.” It took less than a second for his words to sink
in, and Liza felt like her mind was going at the speed of light processing the new information. “Well I loved it. It way sexier to leave it up to the imagination, so to speak.” A small but teasing smile crept upon her face. “So, you’re also a male exotic dancer, then?” She asked, not wanting to be nosy but also wanting some sort of confirmation so that she didn’t jump to any conclusions.

  Maddox’s demeanor shifted and became dramatically more cautious as he nodded. “Yeah, I am. Is that an issue?”

  Liza immediately shook her head. “No, sorry, I just wanted to make sure I was understanding what you were saying!” Her words sounded somewhat sincere, and she breathed a sigh of relief as Maddox’s body language relaxed minutely. She wasn’t sure if it was a problem but right now spending time with him was just so scorching hot.

  “When I tell people I’m an exotic dancer they always react in one of two ways. Either they wrinkle their nose and ruffle their eyebrows in disgust or widen their eyes and smile like a Cheshire cat smile, then say nothing. But your reaction was refreshing.”