TRAVIS

Monday morning is proving to be more of a bitch than I anticipated. I work out and go straight from the gym to work, so there’s no opportunity of running into Viola. I turn the radio off and drive in silence. My mind is running a million miles an hour, thinking of when we were kids and the first time Viola asked me about boys. We were sitting in our spot on her rooftop when she brought the subject up. It was sweet, the way she glanced up at me, acting shy and embarrassed as she asked me how to tell if a boy liked her. The wind blew her hair around her face, and I was surprised she had worn her hair down. I watched as she tucked strands behind her ears as she fidgeted.

“Guys are simple creatures,” I explained, although I hadn’t much experience myself. The only girl I cared about spending time with was her, but I could never tell her that. “They will find any opportunity to be near a girl they like, even if no one else approves. He’ll just enjoy being around you.”

“I kind of expected you to tell me they’ll pull your hair and make fun of your clothes or something.” She laughed, her body finally relaxing. I loved her laughter and tried to make her laugh any chance I could.

“Well that depends. Are you crushing on a five year old?”

She threw her head back, exposing her neck, and let out the purest, rawest laugh I’ve ever heard. I wanted to bottle that up and lock it away only for me to hear it.

“No,” she finally managed to answer, wiping away tears of laughter from her cheeks.

Without thinking, I leaned in and caught one with my finger. She swallowed hard as I brushed my hand against her cheek.

“If a guy likes you, he won’t be afraid to tell you.” The moment the words came out, I regretted them. I wanted to tell her. I wanted her to know that whatever she was feeling, I was feeling too, but I was a fucking coward.

I didn’t know how to explain what I was feeling.

“Oh,” she replied, her eyes lowering, and I could see the disappointment in her features.

I was an idiot.

“So are you excited for your birthday?” I needed to change the subject.

She shrugged. I knew she didn’t have a lot of friends, so I wanted to do something to make her feel special.

Viola Fisher was special. To me at least.

I didn’t have a lot of money, but I managed to scrape enough from mowing lawns to buy her something. I thought about it for weeks, wanting to get her the perfect gift.

I couldn’t let Drew know, though, because then I definitely wouldn’t hear the end of it, so when I did finally pick out the perfect necklace for her, I wrapped it with some old wrapping paper I found in our attic and hid it under her pillow. Inside, I wrote a short note: When a guy likes you, he’ll make sure you know.

I knew I was crossing every single line and boundary writing that note, but I didn’t care. I wanted her to feel extra special on her birthday. When she wasn’t burying her head in a book or reciting the value of Pi, she’d talk to me for hours about all the characters and different worlds she’s read about. I never knew what she was talking about, but it didn’t matter. I just enjoyed being around her even if Drew poked fun at me for it.

But that was the last birthday I ever bought something for her. Over the next few days, she dismissed me, throwing me out like yesterday’s trash. Anytime I tried talking to her, she’d ignore me or walk away. By the time school started back up, we were no longer friends at all. I was a freshman in high school and she was still in middle school. Between working on the weekends and practices, we barely even saw each other in passing.

––––––––

I pull into the parking lot and sit in my car a moment stewing on the flashback that resurfaced. I think about how different things would’ve been had I told her.

A text from Drew interrupts my thoughts.

Dude, what are your plans this weekend?

I almost want to tell him, the plan is to fuck with his sister, but...well that wouldn’t be kosher.

No plans, other than getting laid, I reply back with a smug smile.

Glad to know nothing’s changed in the few days I’ve been gone. Come to the lake this weekend. We’re heading up early Friday. It’ll be fun.

I think about Viola staying at our house alone and I’m not sure I approve of that. She can take care of herself, but I’d rather be here if something happened.

It’s you and Mia’s weekend to be alone. Enjoy it, dude.

One minute we’re happy and the next minute we aren’t. Dunno what’s going on. I think having people here will be better.

I’m no longer smiling. Drew loves Mia and would do anything for her. I don’t like to hear things aren’t going as planned. If you want me there, I’ll be there.

Good. I do. Travis to the rescue. I’m going to invite Viola too. Don’t worry, I’ll force her to be nice. I’m hoping she can get info from Mia. Be my recon.

Fine. Do you ever stop working? You should be a detective, not a cop. I laugh as I hit send then force myself to get out of the car.

I enter the building, taking the stairs two at a time because I want to feel my body being pushed to the edge. Once on my floor, I walk past the administrative assistant's desk and give her a smile before I go to my office. As soon as I boot up my computer, Blake storms in without knocking.

“King.” He takes a sip of his coffee.

I’m really not in the mood for his bullshit today but I put on a fake smile and wait.

“Crawford was impressed with your reporting. He actually asked if you could see him as soon as you arrived this morning.” Blake’s face is glum, and I know it chaps his ass that I received any sort of recognition.

“Like right now?”

Blake nods his head before walking away annoyed. I drop everything and make my way to the tenth floor, where the executive offices are. I’m trying to gain control of myself as I knock on the closed door. My palms are sweaty and I can’t remember the last time that happened.

“Come in,” a rough voice says from the other side.

I put on a smile and open the door and see Sloan sitting behind his desk in a nicely tailored suit. His white hair is slicked to the side and his face is cleanly shaven. As I step in, I see Alyssa sitting in front of her Daddy’s oak desk. My mood instantly drops. She turns and looks at me and gives me a wink. I don’t let the smile on my face falter. I have to push our secret aside and be strictly professional.

“Sit, son.” Sloan is the type of man who doesn’t waste time so for him to even offer a pause before speaking freaks me the hell out. Alyssa crosses her legs, her skirt riding up her thigh and leans toward me when I sit. I shift my body away from her trying to make it unapparent.

“I’ve given Alyssa the digital division of the European account.”

I wait, because I know this isn’t what I was called up here for. There’s more coming.

“But she insists this account should be a co-project and that you’d be the perfect candidate. I looked over the reporting you completed Friday, and I have to agree with her assessment.”

Alyssa is playing games and her father is putty in her hand. He smiles at her proudly, and I know she has his balls in one hand and mine in the other. But this isn’t the type of project a person refuses so I suck up the bullshit and smile. I guess we will be partners. The thought makes me sick.

“Travis is going to be so helpful. I’m really excited for him to join me on this project, Sloan.”

In professional settings, Alyssa is known for calling her father by his first name. I’ve always found it odd, but he smiles at his daughter, his only child, the one who will inherit it all if she can prove herself to the company. We both want and need recognition in this industry, though I don’t like the idea of it, I’ll do whatever is necessary because I do deserve this opportunity. I’ve worked countless late nights and weekends over the last year with little recognition from Blake. This could be my only chance.

Sloan cracks a small smile. “Mr. King, you’re now partially in control of the digital division of the European accounts. It’s a large venture, but I believe you and Alyssa will do a superb job planning and executing greatness. There’ll be countless hours of digital marketing, branding, online meetings, and making sure our clients know why we’re one of the world’s best marketing agencies. You’ll have a team to work with, but that’ll come later. The two of you need a solid plan. I’d like a report by the end of the week. I’ll have the director of digital marketing send you a list of our current clients so you two can start compiling our award winning strategy right away.”

“Thank you for the opportunity, Sir. I won’t let you down.” I stand and hold out my hand and he gives me a firm handshake in return. It’s a promise I intend to keep but thinking about the amount of work I’ll be doing alone doesn’t please me. I foresee sixty-hour weeks for an indefinite time period. Considering Alyssa is involved and my name is all over it, failing isn’t an option.

“I’ve already let Mr. James know that you’ll be taking on the project and to redistribute your other work,” Sloan says as I’m walking out the door.

Moments later, Alyssa is running down the hallway toward me, but I keep walking.

“Now we can officially spend more time together,” she says, way too excited about the project. I knew it. I refuse to do all the work while she sits around in her designer clothes that daddy bought and looks pretty. This is a co-project but one that needs two people actually working. I continue to the elevator as she speaks. Doing this to spend time with me is pathetic and I already don’t like it. But I’ll swallow my distaste and work with her.

She grabs my arm and I pull it from her. “Alyssa,” I say calmly.

She’s looking me up and down like she would jump my bones in the elevator if I let her. I’m not playing hard to get, but for some reason I think she believes I am. Instead of starting off on the wrong foot, considering I’ll be partnering with her, I just exhale slowly, and regain my thoughts while giving her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she really believes I’ll be an asset to the project, but I’ll never know the truth. It bothers me more than it should. “Thanks for referring me. I really appreciate it.”

She lifts her eyebrows and traces her bottom lip with her tongue. “You’re welcome, babe.”

Once the elevator doors close, she brushes her fake tits against my chest and stands on her tiptoes to steal a kiss. My dick instantly reacts, but we can’t do this. Not here, not in the elevator that’s eventually going to stop and open on our floor. With this project, the dynamic of our relationship has to change regardless of the attention she’s starving for. Work must come first. I’ll have to push her away slowly as we move forward with our project.

I put my hand on her hip and whisper in her ear, trying to hold her off. “Later.”

The elevator stops and she takes a step away from me. “Promise?”

I give her a quick nod that’s full of lies as I walk past her and go straight to my office and close the door. I pinch the bridge of my nose and realize my life is spinning out of control. The very foundation I’ve built is slowly crumbling below my feet. The everyday structure I worked so hard to create has vanished because of this one project. While having an opportunity such as this should be a dream come true, the circumstance is a nightmare.

What Alyssa and I have isn’t just a side hookup, at least not for her.

Today, that’s been confirmed.

I’ve never regretted sex until now.

Last night with her was a huge mistake.

––––––––

VIOLA

I wake up in my bra and panties to an awkwardly quiet house. Warm sunshine splashes across the hardwood floor of Drew’s room and I walk to the window and open the blinds to let the sunlight in. I walk through the house trying to decide how I’m going to spend my quiet day. I peek out the window and see Travis’ car is gone and release a deep sigh. Thank God. I have hours before he comes home.

I crawl back into bed and decide to finally read the text Drew sent me last night.

Stay away from my friends.

Ha. I love Drew, and I know he has my best interest in mind, but he has to realize we aren’t kids anymore. He doesn’t have control over his friends or me. I smile and send him a text back.

There’s nothing to worry about. It was just dinner. How’s Mia?

I only ask to get the attention off me and onto him and Mia instead. I don’t actually care much about how she is, only that she’s treating my brother well.

Oh, hey, she’s alive after all. Wow. Good job. You officially pissed me off yesterday. She’s fine. She asked about you and what you were doing this weekend.

I smile at the first part of his message. I don’t really know Mia on a personal level, but I do often wonder what Drew sees in her. She’s what I’d considered a spoiled trust-fund baby and a complete opposite of who I imagined Drew settling down with, but he talks highly of her, so I try not to judge.  

Why? What’s up? I respond.

We’re leaving Friday afternoon to head up to Mia’s family cabin on the lake and we want you to meet us. There’s plenty of room. But I told her you’d be too busy memorizing spells and potions.

I laugh, hearing his voice in my head at another one of his lame cracks about my love for Harry Potter. Oh, he’s got jokes.

Just messing with you baby sis :)

I roll my eyes and give in. Fine, count me in. I’ll head up early Saturday morning.

Travis is coming up too, so just carpool with him. That’s if you don’t kill him before then.

My heart races when I think about the water dripping off his body. I close my eyes and I’m transported to a fantasy of his lips running across my skin and I sit straight up then stand to stop the thoughts. Whatever, Drew.

Well, good, I was going to anyway. Is everything going okay? Travis’s chicks been keeping you company?

I know he’s smiling.  

Thank God he hasn’t brought too many of them home. I had watched it more times than I wanted over the years and once I was able to avoid it, I did at all costs. Now that the ghost of his touch haunts my lips, I’m not sure I can physically handle it. I swallow hard and know Drew’s waiting for a response so I grab my phone. Sometimes I wish I could just say what I feel, but that time is not now. It’s fine, I type back, and then add, something like that.

Good. Warning though. Mia’s been a little hormonal.

Ugh. I don’t want to be around her if she’s in one of her moods. I made that mistake once, and promised I’d never do it again. But I feel bad for Drew and maybe being there will help break some of the tension. It annoys me though that she gets like that when he works so hard, barely taking time off because he wants to make a difference and he loves his job. I liked her right away when they first started dating, but as of lately I haven’t really found much to like.

Just to mess with him, I send him another text back. I’m staying home then!

Ha! I’ll see you Saturday, sis! Expecto Patronum!

You’re an idiot. Avada Kedavra! At least he could try to use spells in the right context. And yes I used the killing spell because the thought of being around Mia and him while they are arguing makes me want to murder. I wish Courtney were home, so she could be my sidekick during this little weekend adventure. But at least Travis will be there to distract everyone. He’s perfected that, at least.  

I lie in bed and close my eyes, trying to push Travis out of my mind. Those old feelings I buried so deeply are trying to resurface again. I can feel them bubbling on the edge and soon, if I don’t gain control, they will spill over. I’ve tried to ignore the buzzing that’s been roaming my body since he touched me, but it’s useless. His intoxicating lips make me feel like I’m drowning and with Travis King, there’s no chance of survival.

There was a time I believed Travis would’ve given me the world. Even though we were young, it didn’t matter. I was Ginny Weasley and he was Harry Potter, and we were destined to be together. Sometimes, when you look at a person, you just know. I knew then.

The first time I met Travis, my ten-year-old heart told me I’d met the person I’d spend the rest of my life with. But the heart was wrong. The heart told lies. It took years to repair the damage he caused and somehow he’s ripped off the bandages that held me together. And I hate that I want him.

Something so wrong shouldn’t feel so right. His lips on my skin and his hands on my body makes me forget everything. In those moments, it’s just Travis and I, and the raw emotions fueling the fire. I swallow hard, and close my eyes tight. My body quickly begs for a release and I can’t deny the need.

I need water for my parched mouth, but I stop outside of Travis’ door instead of going to the kitchen. I swallow as I put my hand on the knob and turn. I’d never paid much attention in his room and I shouldn’t be nosy, but curiosity has gotten the best of me. I walk over to his dresser and my eyes drift over the hardwood. I open the top drawer and it’s full of photos, baseball cards, and trinkets. On top of the pile are pictures of his childhood dog—Beast—him and Drew throughout the years, and tucked away is a Polaroid picture of me and him sitting under the big oak tree in the backyard. We aren’t looking at the camera, but he’s looking straight at me. His hair is shaggy and he’s wearing a baseball cap. He always looked so cute in that hat. My head is tossed back and I’m laughing hard at something he must have said. I don’t even remember this picture being taken. I turn it over looking for some sort of date and on the back I see the words ‘My Princess’ scribbled in a messy handwriting. I can’t help but think about the summer that ruined it all and how things could have been different.

I set the picture back in the dresser and walk over to his bed. As I sit on the edge, I run my hand across the dark blue sheets that smell like summer rain. So this is where the magic happens.

The light scent of his soap and cologne fills the room. I’m surrounded by him and the need to have him almost swallows me whole. Sneaking around in his room and laying on his bed in nothing but a t-shirt and panties is a turn on.

I try to fight the desire, until the need overcomes me. I rush to Drew’s room and grab my little black bag and clothes then go to the bathroom. I turn on the shower and stand there for minutes, thoughts of Travis rushing over me like the warm water. I take my time washing my body, the soapsuds dripping down my stomach and legs. I can’t remember the last time I pleasured myself, but I need it.

My hands find their way down my body. My nipples are hard peaks. I pinch one, imagining Travis’s hands touching me all over. It’s almost too much to handle. I move the shower curtain and take my vibrator from it’s little black bag and turn it on low. I press it against my other nipple and tuck my bottom lip in my mouth. I lean my back against the wall and prop a leg on the edge of the tub and as soon as I press the vibrator against my swollen clit, I gasp. I can’t hold back the moans. Images of Travis’s fingers deep inside me, pleasuring and pushing me to the limit, fill my thoughts, and I don’t know how much longer I can last as I sink deeper into the pleasure.

I glide the vibrator inside, allowing it to fill me, and I’ve never been so wet or turned on while doing this. My fingers are slick as I run them up and down my slit, and I know it’s because of Travis. My fantasy takes over and I tug my nipple, allowing a shot of pleasure and pain to course through me. The vibrator against my sensitive bud causes my body to react instantly. Travis was right, it doesn’t feel the same as his touch. He knows what my body needs and wants as if he’s always been my lover.

My body begs for release as the orgasm builds deep inside, but I continue to tease myself, allowing the impending pleasure to linger. I’m right on the edge, and I imagine Travis standing at the bathroom door, silently watching me with a sexy grin on his face as he demands me to come. The fantasy of him is almost as good as the real thing. My body begins to tremble as I move the vibrator along my pussy. The thought of him has me losing myself under the warm water, forcing myself to stay standing. The powerful orgasm rolls through me, and as I come, his name leaves my lips.