“I might have plans,” Sasha replied quickly. “But I’ll think about it.”
“Too bad. I was looking forward to spending time with you,” Eddy said jokingly, but there was an edge of hurt to his voice. I knew very well he missed his sister, but he had a weird way of showing it.
Sasha sighed. “Fine. I’ll go, but please don’t get me killed.”
“Why don’t we teach you? I mean… I taught you how to drive a car, so I can teach you how to ride a bike,” I offered. She faced me, her mid-length hair falling across her face. Her red lips parted, and I had the strongest urge to kiss her. I resisted by clenching my fingers together, cutting my pie with my fork so hard I almost scratched the plate.
“I think I can handle myself,” Sasha replied.
She was so well-spoken, which I loved. College had increased her vocabulary, I had noticed. When we were kids, I would tease her and call her a geek, but behind the teasing, I was intimidated. She was definitely the smartest person in her family. Hell, she was a lot smarter than me, too. I wasn’t used to feeling intimidated. I was nearing a billion dollars in the bank at only twenty-four, but she left me discomposed.
“I’m gonna have a cigarette. Wanna come?” I asked Eddy. He put his plate down and nodded. He followed me outside and bummed a cigarette.
“Thanks again for helping me, bro,” Eddy said.
“Your parents have been amazing to me. It’s the least I could do.”
“I remember my mom wanting to kill us a lot, though,” he replied, chuckling.
“Well, we were bad-ass kids,” I pointed out.
“At least one of us is still a bad-ass. I never thought I’d have a corporate job. I wish I could make my own life, like you,” he said.
I smirked. “It’s harder than it looks.”
Eddy took a puff of his cigarette. “No, seriously. Your lifestyle is amazing.”
“I told you I would get you in, bro. All you have to do is ask,” I said.
“I want to make my own way, you know?” Eddy murmured.
“I know that. I wouldn’t just give you anything. You’d earn it. You’re better than the corporate world, dude,” I encouraged him.
“I’ll think about it. Maybe you can pull some strings for my sister, though? I mean, I know she’s not in your field, but she’s a great teacher. She just hasn’t been able to find a job. Well, except one.”
“Oh?” I asked, trying to hide the depth of my curiosity.
“She might teach in China next year. But it’s like a last resort. She wants to teach locally,” he said.
My heart sank. “China?”
“Mom is freaking out, you know. She wouldn’t be happy about her going so far.”
“Why can’t she just stay here and get a non-teaching job?” I questioned. I took a puff of my cigarette, watching the smoke rise high into the air, the noise of the cars rattling my eardrums.
“You don’t know the new Sasha like I do. She loves teaching. She doesn’t feel alive without it.”
“Well, I’m sure there are other options. She’ll find something,” I said, trying to convince myself more than him.
My phone buzzed. Monica, a girl I’d been dating casually, was calling me. I was still unsure about how I felt about her, but she was fun to be around. A lot of girls wanted my money, but I was confident she was interested in me, too.
“Hey. What’s going on?” I asked.
“Hi, baby. I have a surprise for you,” she said in her sultry voice.
“Oh?” I asked. “What is it?”
“I got it at work,” she replied in a seductive voice.
Monica worked as a dominatrix. She was dominant in all areas of life, which had been seriously impacting our sex life because I wouldn’t let anyone boss me around. I was Shane Cassidy, a multi-millionaire, a motorcycle fiend, and a self-proclaimed bad-ass.
“I’ll be at your apartment soon to see,” I told her.
“Alright. See you soon,” she replied.
“I have to go. Your mom won’t mind, right?” I asked.
“Nah. Are you meeting us at Starbucks tomorrow to start planning?” Eddy asked.
“Yeah. I’ll see you there.” I put my cigarette out and placed the butt neatly in the cigarette container—placed there compliments of Jenn—and headed back inside. “Thanks for the pie. I gotta run. Monica’s waiting,” I lied. I couldn’t help but notice Sasha seemed a bit more interested now.
“Okay! Have fun,” Jenn said. She gave me a big hug.
“Bye,” Sasha said. I was surprised she’d even go so far as to be polite to me.
I winked at her as I pulled my leather jacket on. She blushed, which gave me a surge of confidence. I found it interesting that I was always very confident except around her. I would get so stupidly nervous.
“I’ll see you and Eddy tomorrow at Starbucks.” Sasha sipped her coffee, no longer meeting my eyes. “Right?” I added.
She looked up, an impassive look on her face. “Yes. Right. See you tomorrow.”
I grinned at her, and her cheeks reddened again. She was so damn cute when she was moody. Not much had changed between us. I wasn’t sure if this was good or bad. Things had to change if they were ever going to be anything else—though I wasn’t sure that was on the table right now. All these years, though, images of her had haunted me like a ghost. Not many people could compare to her, and I regretted being so foolish in high school. But I’d been young. I couldn’t beat myself into the ground over it. What would be, would be.
I headed out into the night, wanting nothing more than to stay. It would be nice catching up with her, but I wasn’t accustomed to the nervousness that blossomed when she was around.
I met Monica at her lavish apartment on the Upper East Side. Everything about her was velvet. She wore nothing but a red silk robe, and her long, dark hair was tousled. I could tell she’d been on webcam again—in addition to her dominatrix job, she also performed webcam from home for a little extra cash.
“Hey, babe,” I greeted her, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.
She stained my lips with red lipstick and grabbed my hand. I sat with her on her red satin-covered couch. “How was hanging out with Eddy? Does he still have a crush on me?”
“Probably. Who wouldn’t?” I responded.
“Your surprise is in my room. Go look at it, and I’ll pour us some wine,” she said.
I sighed. This woman never ceased to amaze me. I loved what a hustler she was. She certainly knew how to get her money. People were shocked that the fetish work didn’t bother me, but she didn’t have sex with the men she dominated. And now, hanging in her doorway, was a red sex swing. Intriguing.
I grinned. “Got this from work, huh?”
“They use it for strap-on play. I don’t, of course. But it’s old. They got a new one, and now it’s ours,” she said, her voice sexy and suggestive.
“Monnie, you shouldn’t have.” I kissed her cheek.
She handed me a glass of wine. “Here’s to our wonderful love life.”
“Damn straight,” I replied. We clinked our glasses together, and I took a swig. The room was red and hazy with desire. I wanted her. I looked at her gorgeous, curvy body—she was covered from head to toe in pure sex.