Josh
I don’t think I’ve ever laughed this much. Well, not in a long time. I feel alive here with Quinn. We’ve talked for hours, the conversation flowing so easily between us. She’s told me about how she’s training to be a teacher, which doesn’t surprise me. What does surprise me is how someone so talented and so beautiful would find themselves with no option but to work here.
I glance down, checking the time on my watch. A pang of disappointment hits me deep in the stomach when I realize the time. I know I’m going to have to make a move.
“I guess my time is up,” I tease with a nudge of my elbow. Her legs are rested over me, her head resting on my chest. I’ve never felt so intimate with someone, without actually being physical with them.
But this.
This is different.
I love the way I can feel her heartbeat against my body, the way she feels so comfortable here in my arms. It’s crazy, so damn crazy the way I’m feeling right now.
“I better make a move,” I force out the words, because the truth is that I want to stay here with her. She lets out the sexiest groan in protest.
“I guess you couldn’t stay here forever,” she mumbles, pushing herself up from her position against my chest. “But I won’t forget what you did for me.” She lets her gaze drift to the floor as she starts to fidget with the hem of her figure hugging shorts.
I cup her cheek, bringing her face in line with mine. “Leave with me,” I all but whisper, “don’t stay here and force yourself into a world you clearly don’t belong.” I gulp with force as the words leave my mouth.
“I can’t,” she answers with a fluster. “I need this job like my life depends on it.”
“There are other jobs,” I try and talk her round. “None of which includes taking your clothes off and selling your body in a private room.”
“I tried,” she croaks, standing up from my embrace and resting her back against the wall. “Do you think I would be here if I had any other choice? I’m barely holding everything together here.” She pulls in her bottom lip, curling it as she bites it gently.
Jesus. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I can’t hold back any longer. I take a step up from my seat and stride over to her. Pressing my palm flat against the wall, I position one hand either side of her head. Her bright green eyes bore into mine, and in this moment it’s like we are frozen. The only sound to be heard is our hearts beating.
“I don’t like the idea of leaving you here.” I breathe heavily, rubbing the tip of my nose against her jaw line. I feel her shiver against my skin, my whole body comes alive. I bring my eyes back to meet hers and notice she has them clamped shut. Her breathing is all over the place, and I take the chance to do what I’ve been dying to all night. Leaning down I graze my lips against hers, the feeling like liquid satin against mine. Her eyes flicker open, her beautiful gaze lands upon my face, before her hands rest on either side, pulling me closer to her. I have her pinned against the wall, our lips touch lightly. I can feel my dick stiffening and I thrust my hips away, not wanting her to feel my arousal at this point. I deepen the kiss, and at first it’s so damn messy, all mouth and hands and teeth. But, I try to slow it down, calming the kiss enough to savor this moment. She’s kissing me back; the feel of her tongue working against mine is doing some crazy fucking shit to me. I can’t catch the moan that slips out. I try and think of a time when I’d ever felt this good kissing a girl. And I can’t recover a single memory. This kiss, here and now, with this beauty feels different to anything I’ve ever experienced before. My heart beats faster, my body aches for more. I let my eyes drift shut, but force them back open again because I don’t want to miss a second of this, and can’t take my fucking eyes off her.
Fuck, this is crazy.
We kissed for a little longer, but eventually slowing it until we come to an eventual stop. The silence filled the room, neither of us saying a word. But one sound that could never be mistaken is the sound of our hearts beating. The furious thud throughout my body continues as I desperately try to steady my breathing. I’m losing control, but I couldn’t fucking care.
I want her. I want this. More than I’ve ever wanted anything.
“Well,” she says, her arms tapping her legs, “that was nice.” A smile that causes her lips to tug at the corner stretches across her face.
I chuckle, dropping my head a little and shaking it in time with my laughter. Before I can reply, we’re interrupted by a knock on the door. Quinn’s eyes widen, and I straighten myself, and watch as she walks over, opening the door. My eyes are fixed on her. She opens the door just enough to peer through. I hear voices, but can’t make out what is being said.
A few seconds later, she closes the door and turns to me. “I, uh, I gotta go…”
“My offer still stands,” I blurt out, walking over to her and resting my hand on her hip. Her head is in a downwards position, like she is fighting something, unwilling to make eye contact with me.
“Look at me,” I breathe out, hooking my forefinger under her chin, forcing her eyes to finally meet mine. I swallow down hard the second our eyes connect, like two magnets drawn together, I couldn’t possibly break the contact. Her eyes appear to lighten as the smile she has spreads. I can see the muscles in her cheek fighting it back.
“I know you want to,” I say with a lift of my brow, maybe a little too smugly.
“Don’t be so sure of yourself,” her eyebrows pinch together and her eyes dart from the door and back to my face. “I really gotta go,” she says stepping back and the thudding of my heart slows a little, the loss of her touch makes me shudder. I reach out for her hand, but she pulls back and I notice the smile that was there before has now faded. Her face is screwed up a little; a confused look dresses her face.
“Look,” I sigh, rubbing my finger and thumb across my forehead. “I don’t know you well enough to know what’s going on here, but take this.” I dig inside my suit jacket, pulling out my business card and pushing it into her hand, holding it in mine. “Seems to me, you need a friend. Feel free to call me anytime,” I say sincerely. I chew the inside of my lip as she holds my stare once more. I study her eyes and notice the tears that build behind those beautiful dark lashes.
I wait for an answer. For something.
But nothing.
The only sound that fills the room is silence.
My shoulders drop and I allow my eyes to flutter shut. “Anytime,” I whisper before leaning in and brushing my lips against her cheek. I feel her tremble against my skin, my hand landing on the top of her head as I stroke her hair. I know she needs me, I see it written all over her face.
I can’t force this.
But I won’t stop trying.
I return to the worst strip club downtown every night for the next week.
But she never shows.
I ask the staff, the management, and they haven’t seen her since the night we spent together.
“What is it Josh?” Amber asks, clearing her throat as I sit staring into my coffee cup.
“What’s what?” I ask knowing exactly what she means.
“I know you. Somethings going on. You’re acting all weird.”
“You know me so well, Amber.” I let out the breath I’ve been holding in, shuffling until I’m on the end of the seat. “I feel like I’m going fucking crazy,” I whisper as she leans over the coffee table, closing the space between us. “I feel like I’ve just lost something that I never had.”
“This is about a girl, isn’t it,” she screeches, her hand covering her mouth as she lets out a huge gasp.
“Yeah, so…”
“So, nothing,” she cuts me off, “do you know how long we’ve been waiting for you to find someone special, someone deserving of you?” She takes my hand clutching it tightly. Amber and Caleb have been my closest friends for such a long time that I consider them my family. But for so long I’ve been the third wheel, the buddy to their son Finn, who I love dearly.
“Come on, don’t leave me in suspense. What’s got you all eaten up?” she asks her eyes boring into me.
“Okay, so no judging, right,” her eyes widen as if she’s in shock, but I continue anyway. “I met her at a strip club.”
“Right,” she draws out the word, waiting for me to continue.
“It was her first night and she looked lost there. So I hired a private room…”
“I’m not sure I need the gory details, Josh,” she says putting her palms against her ears.
“That’s just it. Nothing happened. I never laid a finger on her. We just talked. And it felt good. Just being there with her. But I could tell she was holding back. She wasn’t there by choice.”
“So what did you do?”
“I tried to talk her into leaving with me, but she refused.”
“Hmmm…” she hums.
“I’ve been back every night this week and she never showed up again.”
“I’m sorry,” she says with a sad smile. “If it’s meant to be you will find her, Josh. Just like I found Caleb. Everything happens for a reason.”
“She’s the first girl that so much as caught my attention in a long time. I just can’t get her out of my head.”
“Well, did the club not have a number for her, or an address?”
I grimace. “It wasn’t that sort of club. It was the biggest shithole I’ve ever stepped foot inside.”
“That’s a shame,” she says with a shake of her head.
“What is,” the familiar voice interrupts us. I turn to see his smile. When I say smile, to most they would think it was a grimace, but I know him better.
“Caleb,” I say letting out a huff of laughter. I stand up from my seat and open my arms out to him, hugging him a little tighter than I would normally. He stands there, his arms limp and by his sides, his body stiff and unreciprocated. “Come on, man,” I say squeezing with all my might as he lets out some sort of gruff noise.
“What the hell’s gotten into you?” he asks his voice quiet and tight. I loosen my grip and stand back, looking him in the eye. For so long, I was the one who comforted Caleb, the one who was by his side any time he needed a friend. As I stand looking at him, it feels like total role reversal. He’s happy, content, and most of all spends every day with the women of his dreams, the women he loves more than life itself.
“Am I glad to see you,” I say, almost as if I’m nervous to tell him what’s happened, what’s been going on.
If anyone will understand me, it’s Caleb. I’ve known him for so long, and we’ve shared so much together that I just know he’ll get it.
This new obsession.
The way I can’t stop thinking about her.
He narrows his eyes on me, squeezing my shoulder with his hand. “What’s wrong, man? Is everything okay? You look… hmm… like you’re troubled.”
“Caleb, my head is a mess. Like a real, I can’t believe this is happening, kind of mess.”
“That’s not like you,” he quips. “Let’s take a walk down to the beach, you can fill me in on what’s going on,” he offers.