37

CARLY

 

I get out of the taxi with my laptop bag and my suitcase in front of Aiden’s apartment building in New York City. I told Alice I would book my own flight back to San Diego as she was swamped at work when I talked to her earlier.

It was a good thing I didn’t get her to book my flight, because spending half the day with my parents, I realized I wasn’t needed there.

We saw Caitlin at the hospital, too. Mom had talked to Caitlin’s probation officer that morning on the phone and Cait would be going to county jail for her probation breach. She would detox there with medical assistance and be dealt with by a judge. Mom decided to stop in and give Cait a quick piece of her mind. I tried to talk her out of it, but she was determined.

Cait was awake and she was venomous about needing more pain medication. She barely acknowledged our presence. Her normally light brown silky curly hair looked lank and dirty. Her eyes had grey circles around them. They were dull and sunken in.  She looked like a junkie… a junkie that was pretty far gone.

Mom, as together as she’s been trying to keep it, was in tears and yelled at her about what she did to my father.

Cait tried to act oblivious, staring off into space like we weren’t even there, but her jaw kept tightening, so I know she was trying to wish us away.

It ended with Cait screaming for us to get out. “You disowned me. I don’t exist anymore. That means I’m not here. So, you both just get out!”

It made for a sad afternoon as Mom filled Dad in and it didn’t help his mood.

Back home, while Mom got Dad into bed, I listened to my old voicemails from Cait --- the ones I’d avoided when I first landed in San Diego.

There were four of them.

“Carly, please call me. I need your help. Please.”

“Car? Answer the phone. Don’t fuckin’ ignore me! I got nobody else but you. You’re really gonna abandon me?”

Tears streamed down my face.

“Carly? Uh… I need your help. I… things are bad. I don’t think I can do this. I think… I think I’m no good for anything anymore. I hurt you. I hurt Mom and Dad. Maybe I should kill myself, so I can’t hurt anyone else.”

Tears came harder. Last message:

“You know what? Fuck you. Fuck you, you little selfish bitch. Guess I’ll go turn tricks to make sure I can take care of myself. That’s all I’m good for anymore. Hope you can live with yourself.”

I erased them, erased the two voicemails I’d had from Jon, one from Stephanie, without listening to them, and then heard my father grumble, “Let me alone, woman! I don’t need seventeen goddamn pillows. Christ!”

“Don’t you say the Lord’s name in vain, Darryl Adler!”

I straightened up and dashed the tears away.

Mom came out into the family room, looking exasperated.

“Made you a tea, Mom,” I said.

She sat down, looking tired.

“Tell me… things with you and Aiden?”

She looked ten years older suddenly.

“I think I’m gonna go catch up with him, actually. You and Dad could use some rest, don’t worry about me.”

She looked a little relieved. I’m not sure if it was about me catching up with Aiden or about her being too spent to mother me.

“We’re fine here. I’ll take you to the airport when you’re ready.”

“I’ll come back for a weekend in a few weeks when Dad’s a little less grumpy.”

She smiled. “Sounds wonderful. So, you two?”

She’s excited about me having a new romance blooming. I am, too.

“We’ll see.”  I said, unable to hide how hopeful I was about it.

Before I left, I went back downstairs and noticed Aiden had put the bed back in before he left, which was a relief.

He even made an effort at folding the blankets and sheet. The results weren’t great, but he tried.

It had to be weird for him to be here in this ordinary working- class house in my parents’ 70s basement.

I smiled at the memory of my Mom giving him McDonald’s, at him winking at me while he was eating his hot apple pie.

I figured I could go back to New York City and surprise Aiden. Get my mind off worrying about my family. So, I flew back, took a cab to a lingerie store, bought something sexy, and stopped at a Starbucks down the street from his building, changing in the bathroom so I could wear the sexy teddy under my clothes.

***

I wheel my stuff into the lobby and the concierge from the other night is here.

“Hi. I’m Carly Adler. I’m staying with Aiden Carmichael, and…”

“Oh, Miss Adler. Go right on up,” he says, smiling. “Mr. Carmichael said you’d be here until Thursday, so I don’t have to announce you.”

He gestures to the elevators.

I guess I am really going to surprise him.

I press the button for 75.

I get off the elevator and I’m facing Aiden’s beautiful ex- girlfriend, who is waiting for the elevator, tears in her eyes.

She glares at me. “You. You’re here, too?”

I rear back, sort of shocked.

“Is he fucking you?”

My mouth is open, but nothing is coming out.

The door is closing, so she grabs it with her hand and it slides back open. She holds it open and leans in towards me. “Is. He. Fucking. You?”

“That’s none of your business,” I whisper.

She glares at me. “I knew it.” And then she storms into the elevator and she glares at me as the doors close.

I knock on the apartment door and Aiden opens it immediately, but there’s murder on his face.

And not a heartbeat later, his face melts into a different expression. A relieved one.

He grabs me and yanks me inside. My suitcase falls to the floor, my laptop bag is taken off my shoulder as he shuts the door, and then he’s mauling me. He’s kissing me, stripping my jacket off me.

My purse hits the floor when my coat slides off. My hoodie is unzipped and tossed, revealing the corset top of my teddy.

He groans as he touches the straps that go over my shoulders. He’s doing it with what feels like reverence. The scorching hot look on his face might just melt me.

My yoga pants are shoved down and his mouth is on my stomach, moving down to between my legs. He mouths at the apex of my thighs, pulling my black Toms off my feet.

“I’m guessing by your reaction that it’s okay that I surprised you…” I say, head rolling back at the sensations.

“Fuckin’ right it is. Perfect timing.” He’s lifting me up into his arms. He’s in just a black pair of lounge pants, nothing else. My arms go around him and I caress his back muscles while he carries me towards the bedrooms. Oh wow.

We’re in between the room I slept in the other night and his room. He’s standing in the hall with me in his arms. He’s got a really strange look on his face suddenly. He looks torn.

Oh.

I start to kiss his neck. “Go to my room. It’s okay,” I say.

I know he said he doesn’t let women into his room. I’m not insulted that he’s torn right now. Just the fact that he’s torn, rather than simply strolling into my room with no intention of taking me to his bedroom at all tells me everything I want to know.

This enough for me for now. I’m under no illusions about the fact that Aiden seems like he wants a relationship, but that his last one was kind of toxic.

“No, it isn’t okay,” he snaps and takes me to his room instead. He drops me on his bed and then he steps back and starts working his fly. He looks kind of… angry, though.

“Wait. Are you mad at me?” I ask, scampering to a sitting position.

“Not at fuckin’ all,” he says. “You saw her, right? You know she was here?”

I give one quick nod.

“And you’re not in here demanding I explain? You’re also not in here throwin’ a snit about me not bein’ sure about taking you in my room?”

I moisten my lips.

“That’s how I know you belong in here.”

He drops his pants, and the perfection right there makes my throat go dry. Better lighting than my parents basement so… yeah… I’m staring at his gorgeous body.

But, his face is so angry.

“If you’re not ready…” I begin.

“I’m ready,” He puts a knee to the bed. I put my hand up to stop his advance.

“It’s kind of early in our acquaintance for me to expect too much, Aiden. I could tell by the tears that she wasn’t leaving here after some torrid interlude. And you told me you didn’t let women in your room and the fact that you were torn at all shows me that you’re in the right headspace about us. Plus, maybe I shouldn’t have just dropped in on you. My parents were kind of doing my head in and there was nothing for me to do there, so I kind of… wanted to come see what Jada bought for dinner today, and…”

He’s on me. “Too much talking, not enough naked.” He’s pinned me to the bed and my arms are over my head, held under one hand. His mouth comes to mine. He’s clean-shaven, smells amazing, and the look on his face at what I’m wearing is pretty good for my ego, too.

“This thing you’re wearin’? It’s really fuckin’ sexy, peaches.”

“Thanks. I bought it for you. Keep lookin’ at me like that and I might grow an ego to match yours.”

He barks out a laugh. “Not likely.”

I giggle. “True.”

He’s looking at my teddy. It’s red lace with silk and has boning through the abdomen and black delicate ribbons that lace through the abs, criss-crossing up to to the center of my breasts. The left spaghetti strap comes down off my shoulder, courtesy of Aiden’s thumb.

“It’s gorgeous. But, it’s comin’ off.”

I shrug. “Okay.”

“Talk about her after. Not in here with you in my room.”

“Oh---kay.”

“Don’t move. Not a muscle,” he orders and then he’s up and in his adjoining bathroom. And then he’s back with a box of condoms in his hand. Just the fact it’s not in his nightstand confirms he’s telling me the truth; he doesn’t let girls in his bed.  He wants me in his bed. He takes one out and drops the box on the table.

And then he climbs into the bed beside me and lies on his back.

“Climb up,” he orders. “Bet it’d be a nice view you riding my cock looking out at the city from seventy-five stories up.” He grabs a condom.

“Yeah, it probably would be,” I whisper, climbing onto him. “But, I’ll probably be looking at you instead.”  I move down his body and he spreads his legs to accommodate me. I rub my boobs over his shaft as I continue to crawl backwards, butt up high in the air. I then I lick the tip of his very hard, rather thick, long cock.

He puts his hand behind his head and flexes his bicep, making my mouth water.

He watches as I go down on him. I try to keep up the eye contact, like he did when he went down on me, because that was uber-hot.

He’s hot, hard, silky, and seeing his face as I run my tongue up and down before taking it into my mouth, gripping the base, makes me very, very wet down below.

It doesn’t go on for long, though.

“You’re good at that Curly Sue, but get up here and ride me.” He hauls me up by my armpits. I watch as he rolls the condom on and then he grabs my hips and plants me on him. He has a handful of my curls in his hand as he takes my mouth again. I unsnap the teddy between my legs and guide him to me.

I’m soaking wet and he slides in easily. When I get him to the root, though, this position is so deep and a little bit painful. My last boyfriend was not well-endowed.  He was below average, actually.

I tighten and wince. He looks at me with fire in his eyes, his teeth sunk into that sexy bottom lip. He reclines, abs flexing, and starts contributing with some hip thrusts. I let out a moan and then he does a sit-up back up again, so he can lift the teddy up slowly until he can pull it over my head. He tosses it.

I look out the window at the beautiful view of New York City and then my eyes are back on him. The way he’s looking at me? I think I’m still tumbling down that rabbit hole. Where it leads, I don’t know yet, but wow, the ride is awesome so far.

***

I’m coming out of the bedroom after a trip to the bathroom. He’s gone into the kitchen to heat me up something that he says is a surprise.

I reached into his giant stocked walk-in closet and grabbed a big UC Berkeley hoodie that comes to my thighs. I slipped my panties on, too, and Now I’m in the kitchen with just-fucked hair. That’s okay, he’s got a similar hairdo.

When I get to the island that’s got low back stools flanking it, I get into one. He’s there in nothing but a pair of black lounge pants that sit low on his hips. I’m looking at his sexy back. His ultra-sexy back. His back dimples. The microwave beeps and he turns to get to it and spots me in his shirt.

He does a hard blink. And then he flexes his jaw and looks like he’s lost in thought. Or angry. I’m not quite sure.

This is a great kitchen. It’s small but efficient, all black and white and silver. Black appliances. The floor is warm on my feet.  Very warm. These floors have to be heated. I love it.

I can’t decide right now which apartment of his I prefer. San Diego or New York.

And then it dawns that this is where he lives, where he spends most of his time.

We’ve only been a thing for 24 hours. It’s way too soon to wonder if we’re going to be a thing only until he doesn’t have to be in San Diego or if… I make my thoughts pause. Because he’s still standing there with an annoyed look on his face.

“Did I break a rule by putting this on?” I tug at the shoulders of the sweatshirt.

He shakes his head. “Nope.” He reaches for the microwave and pushes a button to make the door spring open. He puts a plate in front of me at the bar. It’s a stir fry.

He reaches into the fridge and pulls out a bottle of Huoy Fung and cocks an eyebrow and mischievously asks, “Hot cock sauce?”

I scoff. “I happen to be all topped up on hot sauce, actually.”

He smiles with deviousness.

“For now…” I add.

He chuckles, “I intend to keep you topped up.” He puts the bottle back into his fridge and pulls out a box of wine and runs his hand along it, showing it off like it’s something fancy.

I let out a big laugh. “Ooooh, fancy. I was only joking about the fancy box wine.”

“Nothin’s too fancy for my girl…” He pops it beside me and reaches into the cupboard for a long-stemmed wine glass. “I wrote that on Jada’s list before we left Tuesday morning. Thought I’d bring this back to San Diego with me.”

“I’m sure we can get some more there. Crack open that bad boy.”
I dig into my stir fry. It’s delicious.

And so is my view. Not talking about the big apple, either. I’m not sure if I want to ask about that girl that was here or not. I guess I’m asking with my expression, because he grabs a bottle of Booker’s and fills a glass. He sits at the bar beside me. He’s sitting beside me: barefoot, bare-chested, and messy-haired.

“Her name is Sienna Greer. Our parents are close friends. We were one another’s firsts.”

My eyes bulge.

“We were together for one hot summer when we were fourteen. That’s when it happened. It burnt out fast, but our parents were friends, so we spent a lot of time together. Went to the same private school for high school.”

“She’s gorgeous.”

“She’s a man-eating cold-hearted bitch.”

I wince.

“We got back together when we were done college and it was my first stab at exclusivity since puberty. She cheated.”

“Oh.”

“I acted like I didn’t give a fuck, but it was honestly just another case of being let down by a chick. I have had some issues with my mother.”

“Mommy issues. Great.” I roll my eyes.

He stares for a split second and then he cracks a smile. “You’re funny, peaches. And you’re about to get a spanking.”

I wiggle my eyebrows at him and take a bite of chicken teriyaki.

He leans forward. “You and I are gonna work out great if you can joke like this with me, if you can tell me off when I’m bein’ an asshole. If you continue to make me laugh like you do.”

“You wanna talk about your mother? I won’t make jokes. My making jokes just now was my insecurity at you being in a relationship with your childhood sweetheart. A stunning beauty who is still hung up on you.”

“Nothing sweet about Sienna, Carly. Nothin’. You got nothing to worry about. I thought she might’ve ruined me for exclusivity, but I am here, I’m fuckin’ stoked to be getting the time of day from you after the shit I pulled, but I’m just laying it on the table. I feel… possessive about you. I want that on the table, that we’re exclusive, so you know where I’m at.”

“I’m with you.” I say, barely a whisper, my words holding weight, because I’m stoked, too. “I’m stoked about you, too, Aiden. Exclusive sounds good to me.”

“Good. As for Audra, can we leave that for tonight?”

“Audra?”

“My mother.”

“Sure. Whenever you’re ready.”

“Anything you wanna get off your chest?” he asks.

I shake my head. “As far as exes go, I broke up with Jon just before I came to San Diego. Well, he dumped me. After two years. He was planning to sow some wild oats with the office skank so put the brakes on with us so that he could do that. From what I later found out, he planned to do it temporarily, slept with her the day he dumped me, and he did this so he could be a man- whore for a bit before settling down and starting adulthood with me. Turned out, I got a job offer. I got that job offer at the perfect time because I was up to my eyebrows with having enough of my sister’s nonsense, stealing from me, expecting me to bail her out of trouble. Jon dumped me and Steph who was my best friend for a decade was talking shit about me and I overheard her when I was already broken hearted. So, your Dad’s offer came at a perfect time. I had been treated like plankton on the corporate food chain despite the fact that I was one of the hardest working people in that office and… you know the rest. I don’t have any ugly asshole ex stories before that.”

He reaches over and caresses my cheek. “I’m an asshole. You already know that about me. I’m also very fuckin’ interested in being with you and trying to be less of an asshole.”

I smile. “You’ve been doing great since Sunday night.”

“Let’s see if I can keep up my winning streak. Got good incentive.”

I smile again and take a sip of my wine.

“So, tomorrow morning, I’ve got a flight booked for ten o’clock. I’ll see if I can get you back on it. If not, we’ll get a later flight together.”

“Sounds good.”

I finish my food and then we curl up together in his bed and watch episode four of That 70’s Show on Netflix, my cheek on his chest, his hands playing with my curls.

“When we get back, can we take Braeden to the San Diego Zoo?” I ask.

He squeezes me. “Absolutely.”

“Can I meet your sister and your baby niece?” I ask.

“Yeah, baby.”

I hold my hand out, palm up. A second goes by and I’m about to explain the gesture. I don’t need to, though, because then he tickles it with his fingertip. I nuzzle in.

He laughs at me and kisses the top of my head.

I fall asleep smiling, feeling absolutely smitten.