ALEXA

On Sunday morning I wake alone in Damon’s bed. We’ve spent every night and much of our days together since the math test, and despite some very enjoyable and fairly decent attempts at teasing him with strategic nudity, suggestive conversation and ‘accidental’ touching, Damon has not given in to temptation. I’d start to think I’m losing my touch, if it weren’t for his constantly clenched jaw and tented trousers. I don’t think his dick went down all evening after the discussion in which I confirmed we’d be forgoing condoms.

Rubbing my eyes, I look around the empty mezzanine bedroom and strain to hear any noise in the apartment below, but he’s gone. In his place, he’s left an envelope. Taking it gingerly from his pillow, I run my fingers over the smooth, metallic image of fireworks bursting in the top corner. It reminds me of one of the paintings on his wall. Opening it carefully, I read...

Good morning Sunshine!

It’s Sunday!

If your recent behavior is anything to go by, you’ve been waiting for this day with as much crazed, pent-up frustration as I have. Hope I don’t disappoint.

I’ve had to leave early to sort some things out for tonight, but you’ll probably be too busy to notice my absence. (Unless you woke up before the alarm I set you.)

Go jump in the shower and grab some breakfast, because the girls are coming by to pick you up at ten.

I’ll see you back here at six. X

Frowning, I turn the computerized note over. Seeing blank space, I turn back and read it again.

The alarm goes off, spurring me into action as I check the time. Rushing through a shower, I make coffee and help myself to a croissant and an apple. I’m brushing my teeth when the doorbell chimes, and I rush to find Kat at the door.

“Do you have any idea what is happening?” I ask as I look behind her to see Scar and Vi hanging out of the moon-roof of a limousine.

“Yes, but before you ask, I’ve been sworn to secrecy. Are you ready?” she asks with a grin.

Huffing, I stomp to the wall hooks and grab my bag. “Ready for what?”

“Ready for a day of luxurious pampering with your gal pals at the expense of your delightfully charming and extremely sweet... manfriend.”

“Manfriend?” I say, eying her warily.

Shrugging, Kat gives me a look of innocence. “Well I don’t want to use the b-word that you hate when it doesn’t suit him anyway. Going by what you’ve told me about him, he’s all man.”

Considering her a moment, I smile. “He is maybe also part puppy and part horny teenage. His baseline train of thought has a distinctly immature sexual hilarity to it.”

Rolling her eyes Kat pushes me out the door. “Have you got your card key to get back in?”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Don’t Mom me. It makes me feel old. I get enough of that from my siblings, and there’s more than enough of them. I’m like the old woman in the shoe and I’m only twenty-four! Get in the car!”

I poke my tongue out. “Yes, Boss.”

“Better,” she says with a wink as she shuts the door behind us.

The first stop we make is the glamorous boutique Violet had made us visit a few months earlier when we’d needed to look ultra-fancy in order to impress wealthy benefactors at a fund-raising event we’d danced at.

“Why are we here?”

“Shopping!” comes the sing-song chorus from my friends.

“For... ball gowns?”

“Damon is taking us all for dinner and a ‘black-tie’ event. He said we all need to look the part,” Scarlett says with a shrug. “Bruno wants me to get something more revealing than I got last time, and I’m thinking I’ll oblige him.”

A spell of silence falls upon us before we all erupt into applause. Scarlett has burn scars covering nearly half her body and apart from her brief appearances on stage in the club, she keeps herself largely covered. Finally accepting Bruno’s love is clearly doing wonders for her self-esteem.

Suddenly very excited for Scar, I drum my hands on my thighs impatiently as I wait for Ireeni to climb out of the car before me. “Argh! I just want to see what you’ll wear!”

Laughing, Scar shakes her head at me. “I want to see what you’re going to wear. It’s your kinky date we’re crashing. You know they have a totally bitchin’ lingerie section too, right?”

“It’s a kinky date?” I ask, losing 98% of my excitement.

“Ew,” Vi says with a giggle. “I don’t think we’re invited for that bit.”

Sighing in relief, I laugh a little too as Scar joins in. “You thought we were having some kind of orgy? Have you got sex on the brain, or what? I mean, I love you Lex, but not that way!” she cries, holding her stomach as she topples sideways. “You should have seen your face!”

“Oh... shush!” I retort, which only makes her laugh harder. Climbing out of the limo, I rush my pink cheeks inside to find something to wear for a fancy dinner. I have my heart set on something that will make Damon drool.

It takes quite some time, and apparently three bottles of champagne, for eight women to find and try on dresses, shoes and accessories, not to mention the lingerie. Eventually, surrounded by bags, we load ourselves back into the limo at the behest of our driver ‘O’Neil’, who swears we have an appointment. Shaking his head as he refuses to give us clues about where we’re headed, he pulls away from the curb grinning because when Reeni’s attempts to sweet talk him fail, she’s flashed her boobs at him.

The next stop is our favorite spa for the full body package. Sitting around getting pedicures and giggling as we drink champagne, I eat another strawberry from the platter. Teeny follows suit and moans appreciatively.

“Where did he get strawberries this juicy from? It’s basically winter.”

“Somewhere warmer Teeny,” Nat says, making us all giggle again.

Manicures are next, followed by massages. I’m not surprised in the least when we’re whisked away in our blissful states to be dolled up at the salon Kat works at part-time. We line both sides of the mirrored salon as Kat’s friends at The Mighty Halo work their magic on our hair and makeup.

A lovely girl called Rosemary talks to my reflection as she judges styles for my hair, asking me about the dress I’m going to wear. When I explain it’s a navy dress with a deep-V in the front, an even deeper one at the back, and a long, flowing skirt with a high split on one side, all sparsely adorned with tiny glass beading to make it sparkle when I move, her eyes light up.

“Sparkle, huh?” she says with a knowing smile as she moves to a short cabinet hidden beneath a shiny cloth. The smell of flowers fills the air as she opens it, and I crane my neck to see around her. Several small floral arrangements fill the cabinet, each paired with different colored mesh, and pearls, or sequins, or shiny beads. “Which do you think will work best?” Rosemary asks, standing aside and letting the light truly hit them. “We can put one in your hair. I’m thinking we bring it all up to show off your neck and shoulders, with maybe one or too runaway curls that lead the eye to... other places. Emi can dust your visible skin with a soft powdered shine when she does your make up. What were you thinking for jewelry? Do I need to account for earrings?”

Shaking my head, I can’t stop looking at a small lily with a dark center. The subtle gold mesh behind it is dotted with tiny sparkles like diamonds and the simplicity of the arrangement only serves to highlight the beauty of the flower. “I didn’t get any jewelry,” I say absently as I point to the lily. “That one there is beautiful. Can I have that one?”

“Of course,” Rosemary says with a smile. “I had a feeling you might choose that one. It’s beautiful, yet understated; perfect for the look you’ve described. So do you know what you’re in for tonight?” she asks, pouring me a glass of bubbles. “I sense a sparkling theme at play behind the scenes,” she says with a glint in her eyes. “A very handsome man was in here earlier having his beard trimmed. I think he was nervous, because he talked quite a lot, and the word sparkle came up several times.” Doing a poor job of hiding her teasing smile, Rosemary begins work on my hair.

Narrowing my eyes at her, I can’t keep from smiling. “What do you know?”

“I know he loves one special woman very much,” she says with smiling eyes as she pins a lock of my long hair in place.

“Yes,” I agree, “She’s very lucky.”

“So is he, to hear him tell it,” she says with a wink.

When she’s done, Rosemary holds a second mirror for me to see the final results.

“It’s beautiful, thank you!”

“Just like you,” she says with another wink and a smile as she rolls the cabinet of flowers towards Nina and her stylist.

A perky brunette with incredibly long lashes bounces into my vision. “Hi, I’m Emi and I’ll be doing your make up. Do you have any specific requests Alexa?” she asks, checking a small card in her hand. “I have distinct instructions not to get too carried away and to let your natural beauty shine.”

“Is that right?” I ask in an amused tone. “I don’t suppose the name Shermansky is on that instruction card.

“Indeed it is, but if I’m honest, I wouldn’t want to go crazy with product here,” she says, regarding my face with a professional eye. “The man knows beauty when he sees it. I’m thinking we just highlight your beautiful eyes and gloss up those lips. That way he won’t be thinking of anything but staring into your eyes and making you smile. I’ll give you some gloss to take with you so you can re-apply after all the kissing too, because that man isn’t going to want to stop.”

Blushing, I look at my lap and hope she’s right.

“Ooh, yeah, and I’ll put just a touch of blush on your cheekbones too, because that looks very good on you. Lift your eyes and wear it proud, girl,” Emi says as she opens her kit and rolls her stool closer.

***

ARRIVING BACK AT DAMON’S apartment, all of us girls barge in bursting with excitement as we sort through our bags of goodies and start to get dressed for a night of secret agendas in fancy dress.

A bit disappointed that Damon isn’t there, I re-think it as I look around his living room. Filled with super-sexy half-naked women, he probably wouldn’t have felt very comfortable, considering he’d probably be walking around with a permanent boner. Giggling a little at the thought, my mind wanders to the end of the night, when we can be alone together. Shivering a little, I feel my gut tighten in anticipation.

Knowing that Damon can bring me great pleasure during sex is thrilling and the anticipation of it keeps me in a constant state of craving. The times we’ve had together have been amazing, but things are different now. He knows me now. Really knows me. And loves me still. I trust him fully; trust his touch, even pine for it when he’s not with me. His touch has healed me as mine has healed him, and tonight there are no limits to what we can do. Our potential is infinite.

“Hey star-gazer!” Kat snaps her fingers in front of my face. “Stop thinking about taking your clothes off. You’re already naked. Put your damn dress on, or we won’t be going anywhere, because your manfriend will whisk you straight up to his bed. You have ten minutes.”

Jumping to attention, I slip into my dress and shoes, appreciating the added height they’ll give me when I go to kiss Damon. Looking around for a mirror, I roll my eyes at what I see.

Some time during the day, while we were all out being pampered, someone has delivered several of our full length mirrors to Damon’s apartment and as the girls have readied themselves, they’ve been distributed around Damon’s living room.

Walking up to my own mirror, I tilt it back slightly on its stand and gasp.

“Agreed,” Scarlett says, appearing behind me with Nina. Both of them look stunning, but I can’t take my eyes of the beautiful girl in the mirror. I don’t think I’ve ever looked at myself this way. I knew I must be pretty, or sexy, or whatever it is that makes men want me, but I’ve never considered myself beautiful. Searching my reflection, I try to pinpoint the difference in me, and end up staring into my own eyes.

Usually I avoid looking deeply at myself. I’ve always seen something in my eyes that I disliked; some hopeless edge that stopped me from believing I was better than my shameful past.

It’s gone.

At the thought, my eyes start welling up, and I turn to the wonderful women who have stood by me, traveling their own painful journeys and wave my hands to shoo away the tears that threaten to ruin my makeup. “I’m free!” I whisper, having lost my voice to the emotion. Immediately engulfed in a hug of massive proportions, I struggle to keep my feet.

“Our makeup!” I cry, as the ball of bodies and limbs of eight women wrap around me. Laughing and sniffing, we separate and help set each other to rights as the doorbell chimes.

“You get it Lex!” Reeni says as she blots under Nina’s eyes with a tissue. “It’s probably for you!”

A few excited giggles escape the small crowd as I walk to the door. Opening it up, I find Bruno.

“Oh.” The disappointed sigh makes Bruno raise an eyebrow.

“Jeez, Lex. Way to make me feel good about myself,” he jokes as he gestures to his tux and does a spin.

“Sorry, Bruno, you look great. Come in,” I say, ushering him out of the way so I can see behind him.

“Not so shabby yourself. He’s on his way Lex,” he says, sighing at me. Moving forward, he lets out a wolf whistle as he sees the girls. “Very nice, ladies. Where’s my gorgeous girl?” he cries scanning the crowd for Scarlett.

“Over here, big guy,” Scarlett says, on her way out of the bathroom. Bruno’s jaw practically drops off his face as he takes her in. Looking phenomenal in her backless gown, Scarlett does a spin to show Bruno she’s made no attempts to cover her scars. Striding directly to her, Bruno captures her mouth with his, lifts her up, and heads back to the door, still kissing her.

“We’ll be in the limo,” he calls back as Smith, Serge and Cooper stand aside for them to pass.

“Dibs on going in a different limo to them,” Benji says, pulling a face as he arrives behind Coop. Nate and Quentin, who don’t live in the Beyond apartment anymore, but still work the bar and the kitchen when they’re not doing a cameo performance on Ladies’ night, are right behind Benji and I wave them all inside, eager to see the only man who isn’t here.

Wrong again.

Brad Jenkins in a bow tie, rolls to a stop in front of me and grins.

“Well shit a brick!” he says, blocking the door. “Can I offer you a ride to the car, gorgeous? It’ll be a ride to remember.”

“Move along Romeo,” Damon says, dumping a leather satchel in Brad’s lap and pulling his wheelchair backwards and out of the way. “These girls know better than to fall for your shit.”

Finally coming to stand before me, Damon’s eyes lock on mine as his jaw goes slack.

“Especially this girl,” he whispers. “Hi there, Alexa Carrington.” Sounding suddenly breathless, Damon’s eyes don’t leave mine until I speak, and then all his attention is on my lips. Emi was right. He’s like a moth to the flame.

“Hi yourself, Damon Shermansky.”

His chestnut hair is effortlessly swished out of his eyes as always and his beard has definitely been trimmed, adding to his overall look of disturbingly handsome meets casual elegance. Dressed in a dark, gray shirt, his sleeves are rolled up beyond his stumps, and his tailored, navy trousers are slung low on his hips, emphasizing his masculine shape as his suspenders add a dash of boyish charm. A boutonniere not unlike the small lily in my hair, lifts the whole ensemble to an upmarket standard. “This is a nice change from sportswear good Sir, but you’re not wearing a tie,” I tease with a smile as I run my hands over his suspenders.

“I’m allergic,” he whispers as his awestruck gaze roams my face, my hair, my body and returns to my eyes. “Good God, you’re beautiful,” he says, stepping in close as he reaches for my face. Leaning into his touch as he lightly strokes my cheek, I tilt my face up to his. Hovering with his mouth almost on mine, he whispers against my lips. “You make my heart burst. What if I kiss you and I can’t stop?”

“You’ll have to find a way, because the suspense of your master plan is killing me,” I whisper back, closing the gap and sighing softly as his gentle kiss elevates me to a new high. Pulling back, as I remember my manners, I stare up into his warm, olive green eyes. “Thank you for the wonderful day.”

“It’s nowhere near over,” he says next to my ear making me shiver as he inhales deeply. “Mmm, you smell so good. All fresh flowers and sunbursts.”

Pulling away for self-preservation purposes, I clamp down on the desire he sparks within me to keep myself in check as I cast a glance over my shoulder at our snazzily dressed spectators. “Where are you taking us?”

As if suddenly remembering we’re not alone, Damon follows my gaze and straightens. “Wow. You guys look awfully dressed up for burgers at the drive thru.” Shrugging, he shakes his head. “Ah well, go jump in the limos and we’ll see if McDonald's has space for us to dine in.”

With a hearty chuckle, Benji rushes for the door. “Have fun with the honeymooners, slow-pokes!” he calls as he heads out. Damon raises his eyebrows and I explain that Bruno and Scar are already out in a limo. Rolling his eyes, Damon kisses my forehead.

“Jenkins?”

“Yo.”

“My manbag,” Damon says, holding out his arm for it. Hanging the leather bag on Damon’s arm as if it were a hook, Brad rolls out the door, followed by the others, leaving us alone to lock the apartment. Carefully sliding the leather strap over his head so as not to damage his boutonniere, Damon closes the door behind our friends and the auto-lock clicks shut.

“We’re not going too?” I ask, almost hopeful that he’ll take me straight upstairs. Feeling my cheeks heat a little at the thought, I bite my lips together as Damon’s close proximity makes my pulse begin to rocket.

Watching me closely, Damon kisses my forehead again. “Alexa, I love the way your mind works,” he says with a sigh as his arm drops to the small of my back and he guides me to the side door that leads to the garage. “If I hadn’t worked all day to make this night unforgettable, I would take you upstairs right now. As it is, I’m going to torture myself a while longer and stick to plan A, because I want the best for you. For us.”

Opening the door, he fetches his keys from his bag and the lights on his car flash at us. “Right now, the best is not sharing a limo with horny honeymooners or anyone else. I need to drive so I don’t get any time to work out how to remove that dress of yours, because I’m fairly certain a chauffeured drive across town will give me ample opportunity to do so, and I doubt company will keep me from the need to test my theories once I have a definitive plan of action.”

“So driving is preventative of a worst-case scenario?” I tease, as Damon dons his hooks and opens my door for me.

“I don’t think worst is the superlative I’d use to describe the ‘dumping your friends on the side of the road, and ripping your dress off with my teeth’ scenario, because I think the outcome would be very rewarding, but driving will definitely minimize any such risk of that occurrence and keep the evening on track. Given that the outcome of plan A promises to be much better than scandalous limo sex, I think it could be described as best. Your thoughts?”

“Hard to say,” I begin softly as I sit in his car and pull the belt over my shoulder. Holding my tongue, I nod for him to get in his side. Not taking his eyes off me, he closes my door and walks around to his side. A little pale as he gets in, he relaxes as I stroke his thigh while he pulls his belt on. Pushing the start button, his eyes drop to my hand.

“You keep that up, I’m going to get out again,” he warns. “Finish your thought,” he suggests as I retract my hand with a smile and he hits the garage door opener.

“I was merely going to point out that it would be a difficult decision for me to make, because I don’t know the logistics of plan A, but the thought of you inside me as soon as possible is highly attractive.”

Exhaling roughly, Damon pulls into traffic and grits his teeth. “That is exactly why I am driving,” he says, his husky voice strained. “It’s more authentic this way anyway. You’ve had time with your friends in a limo, and now it’s just us and the City of Lights,” he says cryptically. “You are my first and only love, Alexa. We have so much in common, you and I. The things we enjoy, and the things we’ve missed. We’re only just beginning to really live.”

“We are,” I agree with a nod, returning his sexy grin with a smile of my own. “Are we in your old neighborhood?” I ask, catching sight of a street sign.

“My favorite restaurant is out this way,” he says with another smile. “They happen to make great food, in a nice, yet not overly pretentious setting, and they also have wheelchair access.” His eyes fall on mine as he turns a corner and they linger a moment before he returns them to the road. “I invited Sam and Larry, but they said it wasn’t really their scene. They hope you have a nice night.”

Stifling a laugh, I nod. “It was sweet of you to make the offer, but I understand where they’re coming from.”

Looking a little relieved, Damon nods. “I wasn’t exactly surprised when they declined, but I try to be inclusive,” he says, parking and pulling on the handbrake. Ahead of us, our friends are spilling out of the limos onto the curb outside a restaurant called Dutch’s. Coming around, the car, Damon opens my door and removes his hooks, holding his elbow crooked towards me. “M’lady?”

“Why thank you,” I reply, folding my arm through his. My cheeks are starting to ache from all of the smiling I’ve done today, but I can’t seem to stop.

We file inside with the others to find ourselves the only customers and the tables arranged in two long lines, decked out with candles and shiny gold confetti. The atmosphere is warm, festive, and romantic, and I grin up at Damon as he pulls out a seat for me.

“I won’t be a moment,” he whispers in my ear as Kat sits next to me, beaming at us. Moving off towards a smartly dressed woman near the bar, Damon greets her with a hug and she leads him off to the side as she gestures to the others and then her ears. Turning back to Kat, I roll my eyes.

“I know. He couldn’t be more perfect.”

“You said it,” she says with a grin as a waiter sets sparkling glasses of bubbles in front of us, gesturing to Kat which one is hers. Raising her non-alcoholic grape juice, Kat clinks it to my champagne. “To sparkle girls and boys.”

Repeating the notion with a content sigh, I take a sip of liquid gold.