The closer it gets to seven, the more I freak out. My stomach is in knots, my hands are clammy and I told Reed I wouldn’t be here, that I have plans, but he saw right through my lie. How am I supposed to face him after what happened? Having to see him every day at work has made this the week from hell. I’m still so embarrassed, just as much as I was when it happened.
It doesn’t help that every night when I go to sleep, I toss and turn until I can’t stay awake any longer, and then when I dream, I relive that night over and over again.
Sometimes it ends differently. Those nights, it ends with him accepting my proposition and taking me to bed. Of course, I always wake up just before he enters me, panting and trembling and so close to orgasm all it takes is a few light strokes of my fingers against my clit and I’m coming apart. It’s ironic that the best orgasms I’ve ever had are the ones I’ve given myself thinking of Reed.
Is it bad to think of your best friend while you masturbate? Probably.
Looking over at the clock on the wall, I realize I only have fifteen minutes before he’s knocking on my door. I panic because all I’ve done is take a shower and do my hair and makeup. I’m still wrapped up in a bath towel!
“Deep breaths, Fallon.” I whisper to myself. Grabbing my phone off my nightstand, I call the one person I know will talk me down off the ledge...or worse, convince me to jump off.
“Hey!” her chipper voice greets when she answers before the ring finishes. “What’s up?”
I’m not even sure where to start, so all the events of that night last week come pouring out of me in a rush. All the stuff I didn’t tell her either day we met up for lunch, even though she knew something was going on and asked what was wrong both times I saw her. Mel’s a good friend, the kind who won’t push you until you’re ready for real talk.
When I finish spewing it all, she’s silent. So silent I look down at my phone to make sure we didn’t get disconnected. I almost sigh in relief when I see her name on the screen because I don’t know if I could say all of that again. It was hard enough - mortifying enough - the first time.
“Mel?” I ask, when another moment goes by, and she still hasn’t responded. “Did you hear me?”
She laughs loudly at the question. “Did I hear you? Oh my God, Fal! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me any of that this week. How on earth have you been holding all that inside?” I know she doesn’t really want an answer, which is good because I’ve got nothing to give her.
“I could smack you right now, you know that? I really could. I’ve been your best friend since kindergarten, and you didn’t tell me you offered to let Reed be baby daddy to your baby mama? That’s crazy...but I’m still so proud of you!”
“Proud of me? For what? Being stupid?” I roll my eyes at her exclamation. She sounds excited, but I can’t find any reason to be. I’ve fucked up the only real friendship I have besides her, and she’s happy about it?
She scoffs. “Psh, whatever. Offering yourself up to him wasn’t stupid. Girl, that’s been a long time coming. Haven’t I told you before that it’s impossible for guys and girls to just be friends? The only reason the two of you have lasted as long as you have is because you both have the hots for each other and are afraid to act on your feelings.” She pauses for a second to take a breath, and I try to jump in, but she talks right over me.
“Uh-uh. Don’t even try to tell me it’s not the truth. Obviously it is, or he wouldn’t have kissed you. If he saw you as a just a friend, he would have let you leave instead of attempting to swallow your tongue.”
“Mel...” Her name comes out as a whine. “You’re not helping the situation here.”
Her bubbly laugh comes through the speaker again, and if I didn’t love her, I’d be pissed at her for laughing at me. None of this is funny. “Fal, you’re just mad because you know I’m right. Now, he’s going to be there at seven, right?”
I gasp at the reminder, because now I only have five minutes to either get ready or leave. Oh, who am I kidding? I’m not going anywhere. I can practically hear Mel nodding through the phone.
“Mmhmm. So, what are you going to wear for this date? It needs to be something sexy, something that will make him see you as a woman, not just the girl who’s been tagging along with him and his brothers since you moved in next door.”
We both go quiet as we mentally go through my closet. Mel knows everything hanging in it since she’s the one who drags me shopping all the time. If it wasn’t for her, I’d be wearing white cotton panties and bras instead of silk and satin matching sets from one of the most expensive shops in the mall.
“Oh!” I can practically see her clapping her hands with glee. “I know what you should wear. That emerald green sweater dress. You know, the one you got last month when we went shopping? It brings out the color of your eyes so well and looks amazing with your dark hair. Reed will take one look at you and lose. His. Mind.”
The dress she’s talking about is probably the sexiest article of clothing I own. It’s a sweater dress, but it molds to my body, the neckline a deep V that shows a lot of cleavage, and even though it has long sleeves, it’s super short. Like, barely covers my ass short.
Before I can protest, she continues dressing me from across town. “Make sure you wear the lingerie we got with it, too. That way, when he peels the dress off, you’re still wearing the same color green, just with some added black lace. He won’t be able to think straight when he sees it.”
She sounds so confident and happy for me. I don’t want to burst her bubble, so I agree. With a quick “Good luck tonight!” she hangs up on me, leaving me to continue my freak out alone.
I grab the dress out of my closet, along with a pair of sky high black heels, then go to my dresser to pull out lingerie and stockings. I’m just attaching the second stocking to the garter when my bedroom door opens to reveal Reed.
The first thing I think is how did he get in the house, but the second thing I think is God, he’s sexy as hell. He’s wearing the same black suit he was wearing this morning, but he’s removed his tie and left the top two buttons on his crisp white shirt unbuttoned and open. My gaze travels up his body, and when I meet his eyes, he’s staring at my body with a deep rooted hunger that makes my entire body tingle. That’s when I remember the only things I’m wearing are my bra, panties, garter and stockings.
Reed’s hand tightens around the bouquet of flowers he’s holding, and all I can do is straighten, holding my head up high while enjoying the look on his face as he devours me. When he speaks, his voice is almost a growl and the sound makes my thighs quiver.
“Fuck me.”