~Ava~
Don’t ask me why I showed up. Maybe it was because I wanted to finally dress up for something again. Maybe it was because there was nothing good on my Kindle. Who the hell knows? Whatever the reason, I wound up on the front porch of Mr. Suave’s home with Evie at my side. I was wearing a sexy jumpsuit that showed off my ass and hips. It was classy but casual enough for a backyard barbecue. Beside me, Evie was dressed to the nines as well in her shift dress and heels. She actually had someone she was trying to impress. I was hoping for some free food and alcohol.
Mr. Suave opened the door with a large smile of greeting, his eyes literally devouring Evie at my side. “You made it!”
“How could I not?”
I shuddered. If I had to hear her bedroom voice one more time, I was going to be sick.
“We came for the alcohol,” I interrupted their staring contest. “However, I’m not a completely rude person. I did bring you something.” I handed over the container in my hand. One of my hobbies was baking, and since he had been so kind as to invite me to his party to get into my friend’s pants, I only thought it right to make some brownies.
He was obviously surprised by my gesture but gave me a grateful smile. “Wow, not even my friends chipped in for the food.”
“Then you need to get new friends,” I said quickly. “Start with this one.” I pointed to Evie as I walked past to give them some much-needed privacy. They had been eye-fucking each other for quite some time, and I was so close to just shoving them both in a room and screaming, “Just get it over with, already!” But I held back my impulsiveness and outspoken nature this time. See? I have learned something.
Mr. Suave’s house was pretty well decorated for a bachelor pad. Though he had the quintessential leather couch and dark accents, they fit in nicely with his light wooden floors, and he had added hints of color with paintings and fixtures. Did this guy go to design school or something? The more I learned about him, the more he seemed to be proving me wrong about the bad boy persona. For one, even if it annoyed me how he and Evie interacted, he had never been anything but a gentleman. Damn, this really could be for the long haul, which means I will be the single best friend that was kicked to the curb.
I spotted food in the kitchen and made my way over. Most of the crowd of strangers was collected in the living room and spacious deck outside. Once again, though I had expected to see a crowd of gangbangers and bikers, it was a diverse group instead. And, did I spot me a couple of Black people too? Shocker!
I walked outside after grabbing a beer and a handful of chips. Though no one probably noticed, I had to take in a deep breath to calm down my anxiety. Crowds of people always made me nervous because there was no hiding how socially inept I could be. While Evie certainly liked my straightforward brashness, some people didn’t dig it so much. Who am I kidding? Most people didn’t like it. But it was their loss.
“Hey, do I know you?”
I turned to see a man a bit on the shorter side- not that I could talk- eyeing me suspiciously. I wanted to roll my eyes at his attempt to make conversation and hit on me. Why do guys always use the same technique? No, you don’t know me, and you won’t with that sorry ass line.
“Not that I’m aware of,” my smile was forced.
“Hmph, I could’ve sworn you looked familiar. Oh well,” he shrugged and walked away.
I watched his back with my mouth slightly open. Go ahead and laugh. It hasn’t been the first thing I’ve been wrong about. A frown spread across my lips as I considered whether or not I looked as attractive as I thought leaving my apartment. If I can’t even get attention from the shortest guy in the room- short guys always go for the shortest girl in the room-then I need to reevaluate my life.
For the rest of the night, I leaned in the corner of the porch sipping on my beer and watching everyone else enjoy themselves. Not surprisingly, I began to grow a bit more contemplative about my life. Evie’s words were still reverberating in my ears from the other day: “One of these days, you’re going to meet the man of your dreams, but your attitude is going to send him running to the hills.” I finally admitted to myself that her words were my biggest fear. What if there was nothing wrong with everyone else? What if it was me? What if shorty was my soul mate, and I just ruined it because of my assumptions?
“Oh, the horror,” I mumble into the lip of the bottle. I didn’t know what was worse: that shorty was my potential soul mate or that I was my own worst enemy.
As was becoming custom, my thoughts turned to Thor. I may have laughed the first time I heard it, but after thinking about him and the Norse god...I thought the name fit him well. For a moment, I began to wonder what the world would be like for me if he were my soul mate.
Suddenly, while taking a sip of the beer in my hand, a stream of liquid got clogged in my throat, causing me to gasp and cough for breath. Tears streamed from my eyes as I bent over to clear the passage, eventually turning around away from the crowd to spit out the leftover beer into the bushes below the deck I was standing on. Well, there goes my sign. Not until hell freezes over should I ever think of that man being my soul mate.
When I returned to my full height once again, I saw a flash of dark hair shining from the sun. Guess who it was. You got it! The devil himself appeared from the backdoor of the house with a wide grin spread across his handsome features. Because I was safely hidden from view, I watched him intently. Even amongst this large crowd, the man was tall. And say what I will about his rudeness and ill regard for others, he sure knew how to dress. I had never seen anyone look so good in just a brown leather jacket, white tee, and faded jeans before. A pair of sunglasses hung from his jean pocket, and his wrist was decorated by a silver watch. I licked my lips at his exposed forearms. Argue all you want, forearms are the sexiest part of a man’s body hands down. And Thor’s was the sexiest.
Since I had no company, I decided to make him my project for the night. Staying in my secluded corner, I watched him interact with everyone around him. My eyes narrowed in distaste at how clearly well liked he was. From men to the slutty women whining his name, Thor was in high demand that night. Though he appeased their need for his attention, I could tell he was not very interested. The lines around his mouth became more pronounced and the cute dimple in his cheek disappeared.
But there was one person who seemed to genuinely have his interest. I watched with a queasy feeling in my stomach as the short-haired girl from the tattoo shop approached him, a seductive sway in her hips as she handed him a bottle of Sam Adams. Just as my interest was piqued, waiting in desperation and slight panic at how he would react to her, the crowd moved and they were out of sight.
I don’t know what came over me, but I couldn’t stop myself from seeing what happened next. After saying farewell to my comfortable corner for the better part of the night, I moved into the crowd. After several minutes of searching, they were nowhere to be found however, and I felt my determination deplete.
What was I doing? Who cares who he was with! Of course that no-good asshole would be sleeping with his employees, right? But why did I care so much?
“Hey, there you are! I’ve been looking for you all night.” Evie’s familiar voice filled my ears. There was a droopiness in her eyes that showed me she had been drinking and was slightly buzzed.
“Well, here I am,” I replied dryly. “Where’s your boyfriend, Mr. Suave?”
She grunted, “Stop calling him that. His name is Axel. But he says I can call him Ax,” she giggled.
“Geez, you really like this guy, huh?”
She nodded her head enthusiastically, “I do. We were in his room just talking to get away from all the noise and…” My eyebrows rose suspiciously at her blush.
“And...what?”
“Nothing!” Evie jumped up and down as if she had told me my student loans were officially paid off. If only. “He said he didn’t want to rush anything. That first, he needs to take me out on a proper date. And I need to get my tattoo. Isn’t he just amazing?” On that last part she had leaned over to whisper to me, batting her eyelashes like she had transformed into an innocent and naïve Disney princess. Yeah, she is either really buzzed or drunk in love. Beyoncé would be proud.
I took in the excited look of puppy love in her eyes. It wasn’t for me to say just yet, but it seemed as if Evie had really bagged herself a good one. And even though I had been in a rather depressing mood all night, I was happy for her. “That’s really good to hear. So, where is Mr.- I mean, Axel?”
“He’s getting me some water.”
Axel showed up behind her a few minutes later. He said he wanted to check up on me and see if I was having a good time. At the anxious look on Evie’s face, I simply nodded my head with a smile.
“Thanks for the invite again. Umm...can you direct me to the restroom though?”
~Thor~
Damn, she looked good! I tried to ignore Axel’s words from earlier as she leaned against me to whisper in my ear. She stood on her toes, pressing her soft breasts against my arm to entice me. Can I just say, it’s so refreshing when a woman takes charge. But she has no idea what she’s in for. I let her continue her seductive routine, fully enjoying it even though I knew I would end up with the upper-hand. Women loved it when I took charge.
“I’ve wanted you the moment I saw you,” Ruby confessed.
No surprise there.
I raise a brow and demand, “Tell me more.”
Her beautiful smile appeared for me to take in its glory. My eyes kept falling down to her luscious lips; I couldn’t wait for a taste. The air in the room changed when she noticed where I had diverted my attention. Our bodies maneuvered in the small space until she was pressed up against the side of the wall near the door. I placed my arm above her head, effectively caging her in. Enough playing around. It’s my turn.
I pressed my lips softly against the side of her jaw, trailing my way to the corner of her full lips. I heard her sigh against my ear and the sound made me hard. Just as I leaned forward to finally get a taste of what she’s offering though, I felt a cold breeze next to me and looked up.
My eyes connected with the stranger entering the bathroom. But it took a second glance for me to recognize who it actually was.
For her part, she gasped at Ruby and I. There was no denying the sexual nature of us meeting in the bathroom of all places. I know, I know. Definitely not the sexiest place in the world, but at the end of the day, I’m just trying to get it in. So give me a break.
For my part, I’m more than shocked to see her again. Would this woman leave my life, already? Damn! Is this the universe’s way of getting back at me for some misdeed? I’m a good person! Albeit a bit of a Casanova.
Ava- I can’t believe I remember her name- shook her head at the both of us and quickly closed the door as if in a trance. Even though she was gone and Ruby looked to me to continue, I’m shocked by how I’ve completely lost interest. Well, anyone could lose their erection with Ava giving them the evil eye.
“C’mon, just lock it,” Ruby whispered to me.
But I ignored her. I don’t know what was coming over me, but I couldn’t help my body’s physical reaction to seeing her again. There was no way I could just go back to my seduction of Ruby. Quickly, ignoring Ruby’s protest of surprise, I raced from the bathroom and walked down the hallway, seeing Ava only a few feet in front of me. Walking behind her gave me a quite impressive view of her shape, and I felt my body react strongly in response. I silently chastised myself for even looking though. Remember who she is!
“What are you doing here?” I grabbed her arm and turn her around to face me. Her warmth settled into me, and I had to fight the urge to be closer to her. What the hell is going on with me? Am I losing my mind?
She snatched her arm out of my grasp and took several steps back. “It’s none of your business.”
“It is if you don’t want me to press charges for stalking. I’ll say it again, what are you doing here?” I couldn’t possibly hide the venom in my voice, but I was taken aback by the quick look of uncertainty that flashed in her eyes at my words. If I wasn’t mistaken, it seemed as if they hurt her. Nah, that’s impossible.
“I was invited, okay?”
I give her a skeptical look. “By who?”
“Axel.”
“He didn’t,” I said more to myself than to her.
“I just told you he did. What the hell do you want from me? Why don’t you go back to the slut in the bathroom and leave me alone!” Her tiny fists were clenched at her sides as the volume of her voice escalated with her growing irritation.
At this point, I was used to her screaming at me, but I was not used to the slight tremor in her voice. It gave me pause until I was able to ascertain exactly what was going unsaid.
“You’re jealous,” I said in the silence that fell between us.
Ava’s nose turned up at me and she glared. I could physically feel the distaste coming off of her in waves, which only confirmed for me what she was trying to hide.
“What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. You’re jealous. How could I have missed it?” I studied her closely, noting her body language at the mixture of confusion, trepidation, and disgust in her large, brown eyes. Walking closer to her until she had to crane her neck to keep eye contact, I realized just how tiny she was, and shockingly, I felt my body respond again to her nearness. There was something about her in that moment. She was...cute. As soon as the word came to my mind, I rejected it. There was nothing about this vicious woman that could ever be described as cute.
I bent down, intent on teasing her. “Did you want it to be you?” I whispered into her ear. “Is that why you keep dogging me, Ava?”
As soon as the words left my lips, I watched her closely to see her response. She didn’t even blink, but being as close as I was, I was actually able to get a full, unfiltered look at her features. I had never bothered really taking her in. Her hair was in a large braid that encircled her scalp, giving full exposure to her dramatic looks. If I had thought Ruby’s lips were a sexy statement, Ava completely knocked her out of the park. They were a luscious accent with her expressive, wide-set eyes. Her nose was a bit larger than my usual taste, but it seemed to fit her. I realized then that I had never bothered to really see Ava. But that was partly her fault though. She had always been too busy viciously attacking me for me to get a good look.
“The only thing I’m jealous of is that she got close enough to knee you in the balls. Like I’ve been dreaming of for far too long.”
I didn’t believe her. There was not the same ferocity in her eyes as before. Instead, she seemed uncomfortable with our eye contact. Though she forced herself to look at me, I could tell she was straining for the opportunity to eventually look away so that I couldn’t see the truth in them. It’s too late though, Ava.
“That’s not the only thing you want to do with my balls though, right? C’mon, Ava. At least be honest with yourself,” I tsked, giving her my signature grin. I’ve been told it’s a true lady-killer, and from the slight tremble in her shoulders, I was right.
She swallowed and shook her head. Speechless. That’s a first. Unfortunately, I never truly got my answer because without another word, she walked away.
“I’m disappointed in you, Ava,” I called out after her. I grinned at the way her back stiffened in return. Ha, I win!