Just A Kiss

by Tessier, Shantel

  “What did she do for you that you owe her a favor?”

  He bows his head. “I dated a prostitute.”

  My eyes widen. “That was you?”

  He nods. “Well, it was a misunderstanding.”

  I laugh out loud, knowing exactly what he is talking about. He and Hadley were on a dating app. I had talked her into joining it, and they met when they went on a date. Come to find out, he also went on a date with a girl from the site who was a prostitute. Asher’s crazy assistant at the time, Bianca, had set them up and tried to get them both arrested for prostitution. I guess Bianca had felt like Hadley tried to steal a boyfriend from her past, and she wanted payback. It was a nightmare, to say the least, but in the end, Bianca went to jail, and Hadley and Nate were proven innocent. “I’ve heard the story,” I inform him. “Would you like a drink?”

  He shakes his head. “I don’t drink alcohol.”

  That explains why he almost coughed up a lung with the tequila shot. “We have pop,” I offer.

  “Sure. I’ll take a Coke.”

  I pour him a glass of Coke and slide it over to him. His eyes meet mine. “You wanna tell me why you introduced yourself as my fiancée to Aiden Kyle?”

  I laugh. “That is Asher Kyle, Aiden’s twin brother.”

  His eyes widen. “I didn’t know he had a twin.”

  I nod, and he lowers his eyes to the bar, staring down at his drink. “But why would you do that? It’s clear he’s into you.”

  I sigh. “Because I’ve already made that mistake once, and I can’t do it again.”

  He nods as if he understands, but we both know he doesn’t.

  “Well, if you need me again, just give me a call.”

  I smile at him. “Thanks. I’ll remember that.”

  * * *

  Instead of having Hadley come to my office, I storm into hers the following morning. She sits behind her desk, looking at her computer. I slam her door shut, and her head pops up. “Asher …”

  “Why in the hell is Andrea engaged all of a sudden?” I demand.

  She sits back in her seat wearing a smirk. “Oh, you met Nate? Isn’t he wonderful?”

  “He’s a fake fiancé. We both know that.”

  “Do we?” she asks, tilting her head to the side in thought.

  “Hadley …”

  “Asher!”

  I glare at her, trying to calm my temper. Once again, I didn’t get any sleep the night before. I left that whorehouse of a bar and went home to drink my beloved whiskey. I sat there in my office all night trying to figure out what the hell happened. How did we go from sleeping together to her being engaged? I didn’t push myself on her. She removed my pants. She grabbed my cock. And she begged me to fuck her. So why the sudden change of heart? Yeah, the next morning, she told me that was all I was gonna get, but she acted like an adult. This is just childish.

  Her door opens, and I don’t turn around to see who it is ’cause I know it’s Aiden.

  “Asher, we have a meeting in thirty.”

  “I know, but I’m not leaving until I get my answers,” I state, not taking my eyes off Hadley.

  “What answers?” he asks.

  She looks at him. “Asher is being nosy again.”

  “Is this about Andrea?” he asks.

  She nods.

  I spin around to face him. “I went to see her last night, and all of a sudden, she’s engaged to a guy named Nate.”

  He frowns. “Nate?” He says the name out loud. “Where do I—?”

  “Babe.” She interrupts him, standing. He looks at her, and she opens her mouth and closes it a few times. She’s trying to keep him from figuring out what he remembers about this Nate guy. “I …” Her phone begins to ring. She eyes us both as she bends over and picks it up off her desk. “Mrs. Kyle speaking,” she answers.

  I grab my brother’s upper arm and pull him out of her office and into the hallway. If she can’t give me answers, he will. “What do you know about Nate?” I demand.

  He sighs. “Nate’s the guy from a couple of years ago when Hadley was involved in that prostitute scandal. He was the one Bianca pinned her with.”

  Ah, it makes sense now. “I see.”

  “Maybe they are together.” He shrugs. “I don’t know.”

  “No.” I shake my head. “They aren’t.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  I run a hand through my hair. “Because I was with her two weeks ago.”

  He frowns. “We were in Tahiti two weeks ago …” I nod, and his eyes narrow on me. “What do you mean? You slept with her in Tahiti?”

  “Yes.”

  He lets out a chuckle. “Of course, you did. So, this is why you want to know about her. You’ve had a piece, and you want it again.”

  “It’s not like that.”

  He arches a brow. “What? You love her, all of a sudden?”

  “It’s not like that either.” Lie. It’s different with Andi, but I can’t let anyone know that. Not yet.

  “So what is it like, Asher?”

  I go to make up some bullshit, but Hadley’s door opens, and she comes to stand beside us. “That was Andrea. We are having dinner with her and Nate tonight,” she says excitedly to Aiden. “I’ve already called and made reservations.”

  I smile down at her. “Wherever it is, call them back and change the reservation to six. We’ll be joining you too.”

  “We?” she asks.

  “Yes. Me and my date.”

  “Why are you shaking?” I ask Nate as he drives us down the Chicago Skyway on our way to dinner. His hands are literally gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles are white.

  “I’m fine,” he lies, and his voice squeaks.

  I pull down the visor and lick my cherry-colored lips. “There’s no reason to be worried. Not like I’m gonna take off my clothes and fuck you right at the table.”

  He laughs nervously, and I wonder when he last got laid. “Speaking of … sex. How far are we gonna take this?”

  I had called Hadley earlier today, and she informed me that Asher was just in her office asking questions about Nate and me. So she decided the four of us needed to go to dinner, knowing that Asher would invite himself as well. I still don’t know what she is trying to prove, but I’m going along with it.

  I lick my lips and close the visor. “Just a few kisses here and there. Nothing major.”

  He nods quickly, then changes lanes so fast the car next to us lays on their horn in warning, causing him to swerve back into our lane. I know the guy doesn’t drink, but I’m gonna order him a few at dinner just to relax him.

  I lean back in my seat and look out the passenger window. I’m not sure what I’m doing. Why I’m coming up with this fake life in order to stay away from Asher.

  You know why! my head screams.

  Asher is one of those guys who makes my body heat rise and my stomach do flip flops. He’s a whole different ball game that I need to stay away from. But every time I remind myself of that, I also find myself going back to that night. My pussy instantly gets wet, and my mind races with thoughts of doing it again. I’ve never been that woman who falls head over heels for a man. That’s why I’m thirty and have never been married. Or even close to engaged, for that matter. I don’t fall for a man’s tricks. I was raised that you leave them before you’re left. I pounded that into my brain after I watched my mother cry on our living room floor when my father refused to come back to us. He made her look so weak, knowing she wouldn’t be able to survive without him, and I hate how right he was. She never was the same, and I refuse to follow in her steps. Even though she’s in a nursing home and suffers from Alzheimer’s, she talks about him. Who he once was. When they were in love. I hate it.

  Nate pulls up to the restaurant, and a man walks up to my passenger door. Opening it up, he takes my hand and helps me out as a man gets into the driver’s seat to park it. I wait by the car for Nate to join me, and he reaches out to take my hand. He looks very nice fo
r a fake fiancé in a white button-up, black jacket, and matching slacks. “You look very handsome,” I tell him. “I like your suit.”

  “Thanks. Mother ironed it for me.”

  I refrain from laughing. I remember Hadley telling me two years ago after their date how much of a momma’s boy he was. Guess nothing has changed.

  “You look very beautiful,” he says quickly. “In case I haven’t already told you that.”

  “You did.” Twice actually when I met him at The Horseshoe. I know this is Hadley’s friend, but I didn’t want him to know where I live, so I had him meet me at the bar. He never once questioned it.

  We enter the glass double doors and approach the hostess. The place is not where I usually eat on a Friday night. It’s obviously very upscale. It is dimly lit and has white tablecloths over the round tables. A single red rose sits in a vase in the middle. “Reservations for Kyle,” I inform her.

  She looks down at the iPad in front of her and then nods her head. “This way, please.”

  We follow her to the back, and at the table tucked away in the right-hand corner, I see Hadley and Aiden. Asher must not be here yet, and a part of me is happy about that. I could use every second I can get to work my way up to seeing him here with a date. I’ve seen the kind of girls he dates, and they’re nothing short of stunning.

  “There you are,” Hadley calls out excitedly and stands from the table. She comes over to me and gives me a hug.

  “Nate.” Aiden greets him with a nod. He doesn’t look thrilled to see the guy, but Aiden never looks thrilled to see anyone but his wife. He’s been a dick for as long as I’ve known him. And being with my best friend hasn’t changed his attitude one bit. He’s just a dick to everyone else but her now.

  “Hello again,” Nate says, pulling out a chair for me. I take it and thank him before he sits down next to me. I reach under the table and grab his hand. It’s clammy. Poor guy. He really should date a girl like me. I could teach him a few things.

  The instant Asher enters the restaurant, I don’t even need to turn around to know. My body just feels his presence. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and my nipples go hard. I shift in my seat uncomfortably, wondering why I agreed to do this in the first place.

  “Hello, everyone,” Asher says from behind me as he approaches the table.

  I turn around, and my heart picks up the pace when I see his date. It’s the same woman from The Horseshoe. The one who gave me the twenty along with her name and number on it. The prostitute. But she looks different. Her brown hair is down and over one shoulder in big curls, and she’s wearing a black Gucci dress and matching heels. Her makeup is done to perfection with cat eyes and red lipstick. She smiles brightly when her eyes meet mine. The other night, she looked like she belonged in a pay by the hour motel. Tonight, she looks like a million dollars. They could be the next couple on a magazine cover. My jaw tightens when she pulls him closer to her side.

  Asher Kyle has brought a prostitute to dinner. As his date! And I don’t like it. All I can think about is how much he’s paying her. Or is she doing it for free?

  * * *

  I pull my date’s seat out, and once she sits down, I take the chair beside her right across from Andrea. Her eyes are on my date, and I know the moment she realizes just who she is. Andrea has a horrible poker face. I saw Candy the other night at The Horseshoe. She’s a high-priced call girl here in Chicago who can charge from a hundred dollars a night to ten thousand a night. She doesn’t discriminate. If you have money and are willing to let it go, she’ll take it. I’ve defended her before. And won, of course. Aiden takes one look at her and can’t hold back his small chuckle. He knows exactly what I’m doing, and by the look on Andi’s face, it’s working.

  “So how is everyone doing?” Hadley asks, clapping awkwardly to get our attention.

  “Great.” I’m the only one who answers. Aiden takes a drink of his scotch. Andrea’s date is looking a little pale, and Andrea is glaring at me. I smile at her.

  “Excuse me,” she states, standing from her chair. Her date tries to stand as well as a courtesy but can’t get up fast enough. She’s gone before he even scoots his chair back.

  I watch her make her way toward the bathroom, and I lean over to my date and whisper in her ear. “I’ll be right back.” She nods in understanding. She’s already been paid, so she couldn’t care less who I’m chasing at the moment.

  I open the women’s bathroom door without bothering to knock. Andi stands before the mirror, running her red lipstick over her plump lips. Her eyes catch mine in the mirror, and she spins around to face me. “You have some nerve.”

  I lean up against the closed door. “I’m just playing the game. You can end it now.”

  “She is a prostitute.”

  I nod. “I’m very aware of what she does for a living.”

  She crams her lipstick into her clutch and then stomps toward the door. I don’t move. “Asher, get out of my way.”

  “No.”

  She places her hands on her hips. “Are you going to fuck her tonight?”

  “Yes.”

  Her eyes narrow on me. “You are such a dick!”

  I reach out, spin around, and flatten her back against the door. She’s panting, her chest rising and falling quickly. I push my hard cock into her, and she whimpers. “Will it make you feel better if I tell you I’ll be thinking of you?”

  “Asher.” She gasps.

  “Andi.” I use my pet name for her and lower my lips to her neck, kissing her sensitive skin. I remember how much she loved it when I did it in Tahiti.

  “Why are you doing this?” she asks breathlessly.

  “Because you pretended to be engaged.”

  “It’s not pretend.”

  I pull back from her neck and look down at her. “Bullshit.”

  “Asher …”

  I cut off her words when I slam my lips into hers. She opens her lips for me without thought, and I slide my tongue into her mouth, tasting her. She moans into my mouth and grips my suit jacket, pulling me to her.

  My hands go to her hair, and I kiss her with so much desire her legs begin to go weak. When I pull away, she’s panting. Her eyes are closed, and her wet lips are parted. “Now tell me again that you’re engaged to that half a man sitting at our table?”

  Her eyes slowly open, and I stare into them as I cup her face. “Tell me the truth. You want me to take you home tonight.”

  She licks her lips. “You have a date.”

  “She’s already been paid. That’s all that matters.”

  My words remind her that I’m here with a hooker, and her heavy eyes narrow on me. She recovers from our kiss and shoves me away. I take a step back to give her space. “You are a piece of shit.”

  I smile at her. “You’re the one with a fake fiancé.”

  She turns around and storms out of the bathroom with smeared lipstick and hair that looks freshly fucked. I straighten my suit jacket and follow her, my smile still in place.

  Dinner goes as planned. I made sure to keep a hand on Candy’s lap or holding hers. I even kissed her knuckles more than I would have if we were on a date alone. Andrea watched with narrowed eyes, but I ignored her as if she didn’t matter. As if I didn’t set this up to piss her off. But she retaliated just as well. She would lean over and whisper things into Nate’s ear, making him blush like a fucking schoolgirl. I didn’t like it, and I’m sure that’s the only reason she did it. But I was taught that you fight fire with fire.

  “How’s your mother?” Hadley asks her, putting her fork down and blotting her mouth with her napkin.

  She looks up from her third glass of wine. “Same.”

  Hadley lowers her eyes to the table. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “What’s wrong with your mother?” I ask, and an awkward silence falls over the table as everyone stares at her, waiting for her answer.

  Andrea’s eyes meet mine, and a hint of sadness appears. “She has advanced Alzheimer�
��s.”

  I release Candy’s hand and adjust my already straight tie, regretting that I asked. “I’m sorry about that.”

  “Thank you,” she responds softly and then takes a big gulp of her wine, showing how uncomfortable this conversation is making her.

  Her date sniffs, and I swear I see tears in his eyes. “That’s awful.”

  Andrea looks over at him, and her eyes narrow. He doesn’t understand her reasoning behind it, but I do. They’re supposed to be engaged. He should have already known that. I decide to change the subject. “So Nate?” His brows rise when his eyes meet mine. “How long have you been together?” I questioned their engagement the other night at The Horseshoe, but now I wanna know just how much of a story they have come up with.

  “Oh … uh …” He stumbles over his words. “It’s been …” He looks over at her, desperately asking her to save him. Just as he did when I asked about their engagement.

  “Six months now,” she answers and grabs his hand.

  “Why weren’t you in Tahiti?” I ask.

  He looks at her again like a lost little puppy, and she sighs. “It’s okay, babe. You couldn’t miss work. I understood.”

  He nods his head quickly. “What is it that you do?” I dig further.

  “Computer analyzer.”

  He’s a dork. Just as I suspected. “Didn’t you date Hadley at one time?”

  He spits out his drink and begins to cough. Aiden chuckles beside me. “It wasn’t like that,” he begins, shaking his head quickly.

  Hadley speaks up. “It was just one date.”

  “That almost landed you in jail,” I remind them.

  Nate turns to face Andrea and grabs her hand. “It was a long time ago. Like two years—”

  “I know,” she interrupts him, patting his hand on the table.

  I sit back in my seat. “Well, not everyone at this table can say that.”

  He frowns. “What does that mean?”

  I go open my mouth when Andrea interrupts me, knowing I’m about to mention our night in Tahiti two weeks ago. “Honey? I think we should double date with Hadley and Aiden tomorrow night. They have invited us to an art gallery opening.”