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  I run my tongue over my teeth with my mouth open, just barely. ‘You would like payment. Isn’t that what this is all about?’ I’m gaining courage and drag my index finger over his fly. Under it, I detect movement. ‘No one will ever know. Close the door, Rodriguez, let me see how big the bill is.’

  He still stands immobile; his mouth is slack with surprise. I can see his mind racing, his eyes darting around my body. Inside, I feel a rush of power begin to burn my veins. With my eyes trained on him, I play at his zipper.

  ‘Close the door,’ I say again. It’s more than a suggestion this time. Abruptly, he twists at the hip and slams the door shut with one swipe.

  I fish his semi-hard dick from his fly. It’s manageable; not very large, and smooth with a faint smell of talc. Slowly, I close my hand around it and stroke the full length of him. With ease, it grows in my grasp and I revel in the feel of his rapidly mounting excitement. My warm breath laps at his tip as my hand increases speed on his shaft. Playfully, I tease him further, holding my open mouth over the head, causing him to imagine the length of him buried in its soft wetness.

  In a matter of minutes, his cock is hanging from his pants, spent and sated after I effortlessly make quick work bringing him to climax. Having very much enjoyed listening to his muffled groans, I am remarkably wet as well and must adjust my panties upon returning upright. Smiling, I think how handy Jimmy’s handkerchief would be right now. Hastily, Rodriguez tucks himself back into his trousers.

  ‘Are we even?’ I ask, offering my hand for a shake. He uses it to help me off of the bench.

  ‘Uh ... yeah, just get out of here, OK?’ Flustered, he fumbles a bit at the door before he’s able to open it.

  I grab my clothes from the desk and the bag of shoes. Just to top it all off, I lean in to steal a kiss as I pass him in the doorway. This time he isn’t caught by surprise and invites my lips by extending his forward. My tongue dances with his before I deliver a playful bite on his lip.

  ‘Pleasure doing business with you, Rodriguez.’ He can’t help but smile. The truth of the matter? It had been my extreme pleasure.

  As I walk to my car, I am completely aware of how uncharacteristically scandalous my behaviour has been so far today. I had risked both my professional reputation and my freedom. Under Jimmy’s influence, I am turning into someone I don’t know. The high is undeniably electric, almost as strong as my urge to regain my bearings amid the sensation. I commit to set some boundaries with Jimmy the next day, try having a regular conversation with him and turn my life back from inside out.

  I neglect to call Sonya to tell her what I’ve been up to today, knowing that she would plainly tell me to stop having anything to do with Jimmy. Looking out for me, she would insist it’s the only sensible way to get out of the spiral I’m in. She would be right and I just don’t want to face the fact that, deep down, I’m not ready for this rollercoaster ride to end.

  I purposely email Jimmy as soon as I get in the next morning. It’s my attempt to be in the driver’s seat. Yesterday was a bit too much for me, I write. I’m feeling like things have gotten out of hand. Let’s try to keep it in our pants, OK?

  Around 10 a.m., I read his reply. Nothing has come out of my pants, but I know what you mean. Don’t worry, Tina, I’ll behave myself. What happened to you yesterday? You didn’t come back to the meeting.

  Let’s see, after you left me in the men’s bathroom completely unhinged, I went shopping and stole a pretty new dress. He’s the only person with whom I can share my adventure.

  You did what? You are really crazy, I love it! I can read the smile on his face.

  Yeah, well, I almost got arrested.

  Arrested?!

  Forget I mentioned it. Do you have those testimonials I’m supposed to work on?

  They are attached to this email, but you are going to tell me what happened. You can’t leave me hanging with a statement like that.

  Oh, yes, I can , I reply. I’m not going down that road again with you at work.

  At least I’m certainly going to try.

  Chapter Two – Noemi

  I’M NOT EXACTLY SURE if I should take the call. My latest project, Jared, has been blowing up my phone since last week, leaving the most lovesick messages.

  Messages along the lines of Noemi, I can’t wait to see you again … and Noemi, how can you leave me hanging like this?’

  Already I’m late for work, but I put down my mascara to text him that I’ll call him back later.

  The call I’m waiting on hasn’t come yet – Jimmy, his liquid voice on the other end asking for an update and giving me some of his special motivation. My voicemail only plays Jared’s syrupy sweet request to meet up this evening at his office. It’s fun to hear how sprung he is. After all, that’s the whole point.

  There will be just enough time to take care of him before I’ve got to get to my second job. I work two, because my mother needs help paying the mortgage since she now has to stay home to take care of my disabled younger brother. It’s not easy, but for the past three years or so, I’ve been balancing a waitressing gig at this little underground lounge and working as a nurse’s aide in the county hospital.

  16-hour days don’t leave much time for a social life outside of work. So inevitably, I ended up dating one of the male dancers at the club. After six amazing months, I found out from the gossip chain that he was on to the next girl before he even bothered to tell me we were through. The night I confronted him about it, Jimmy noticed the scowl on my normally cheerful face. He offered the comfort of his arm and a shoulder to cry on before giving me exactly what I needed to help me get over that asshole – some poetic justice.

  He pointed to a man in the next booth. ‘Do you know that guy?’

  ‘Who – Marco? He’s a regular, like you ... nice tipper.’

  ‘Look at his hand. He’s married, but I see him in here all the time. What do you think his wife thinks about that?’

  I shrugged, not really caring about the answer.

  ‘Noemi, pay attention,’ he said. ‘He’s just waiting for some cute little piece of ass to give him the go-ahead. And he’d do her without a second thought.’

  ‘So, what’s that got to do with me?’ I asked.

  He ran his eyes over my face and I noticed for the first time how intense they were. ‘Sweetheart, you can make him sorry.’ When I still looked confused, he spelled it out: ‘Noemi, make him want you so bad that his dick wants to explode and then drop him like a sack of bricks. You can make him feel like his wife probably feels … the way you feel right now.’

  I peered at Marco closely. He was youngish, probably newly married. I’d served him a few times and he had been friendly, flirty even. Jimmy nudged me off the seat, but I didn’t need much more encouragement. The pit in my stomach over my breakup was already starting to subside as I let him take a nice long look down my V-neck when I wiped up his table. Marco had been my first. Almost a year later, Jared was my eighth.

  The night Jimmy introduced me to Jared, I could tell he had all the makings of the perfect player for my little game. I was waitressing at the club and hadn’t heard from Jimmy in a few weeks, hoping, like I do every night, that he would saunter through the door. Around 11 p.m., he arrived in good spirits with an attractive black guy I’d never seen before who was grinning just as much. They had already been drinking, clearly. And Jimmy wasn’t his usual cool, collected self. He was loud, rowdy and cracking jokes over the booming music that filled the room. Jared laughed readily and joined him in assessing each of the female go-go dancers’ best assets. It was an act. Not that I can say I know Jimmy all that well; I don’t think anyone will ever really know him. But, the instant he arrived acting like a class-A jerk-off, I knew it was game on.

  I served their drinks and Jimmy invited me to sit down for a minute. I had to ask. ‘So, how do you guys know each other?’

  Jared told me they go to the same gym. ‘This dude never fucking wipes the bench, I mean never.’ He was sm
iling and I knew there was more to the story. ‘Today I was just about to chew him out about it, but he’s wearing an IGB T-shirt and I figure, let me make sure he’s not my girlfriend’s boss or something.’

  ‘You have a girlfriend?’ I asked, innocently enough.

  ‘Sure,’ he said. ‘You care?’ He gave me the old “because you could make me forget all about her ” look.

  I turned back to Jimmy. ‘So, you work with his girlfriend?’

  And he simply replied, ‘No, I don’t work there any more.’ But the faintest twitch of his lip made me wonder if that was the truth.

  Jared took a sip of his imported lager, continuing, ‘Anyhow, it wasn’t anything that a few beers couldn’t make up for.’ And I smiled back at him, knowing that Jimmy was setting him up with more than a few beers.

  The traffic on the throughway is at a dead stop and my anxiety over being late for work is mildly subdued by the memories of that night. In the car, with the windows rolled up and the AC on full blast, I know the chills I’m feeling aren’t just from the arctic air.

  Jimmy and Jared had stayed until closing – 2 a.m. on a weeknight. I flirted with Jared enough to make him ask for my phone number.

  You’re only seven digits away from getting caught up in a web of your own making, I thought devilishly as I wrote it on his napkin

  Guys like Jared need to be taught a lesson and I’m happy to be the one to do it. Women have put up with too much shit from men for too long. I watched my father degrade my mother with every whore in the neighbourhood, only for that asshole to die before she ever got the courage to divorce him. I’ve spent too many of my own days waiting for someone to decide to ask the fat girl out, only to lose 50 pounds and end up some dude’s sweet piece of ass that he takes or leaves as he pleases. Now I only want to even the score, give jerks like that a view from my window.

  The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I think about Jimmy’s parting words tickling my ear: ‘Make me proud.’

  Someone is honking their horn behind and I notice that the flow of traffic has resumed. I take the next exit and expect to be at the hospital in about five minutes. When I enter the emergency doors, I can only hope that I won’t run into Sonya, who will definitely want an explanation as to why I’m late again.

  Luckily, I’m able to slip on my scrubs and sneak into position behind the food cart before she sees me.

  I get through the day without event and speed home for a shower ahead of my date with Jared. Mommy is making dinner – my favourite, paella. But I haven’t the time to sit and chat. Even though I’m still living with her, it’s been weeks since we’ve caught up and, once again, I promise to make time tomorrow. What I’m focused on is the agenda for the evening. Jared is just about putty in my hands and tonight I will turn up the heat even more. Somehow, it just never gets old. The look on their faces is priceless. The look on Jimmy’s face when I tell him all about it is even better.

  Jared is waiting for me in his car, sporting puppy dog eyes.

  ‘I missed you.’

  ‘Yeah, I can tell,’ I answer shaking my phone at him through the opened window.

  Like usual, we will leave my car there and take his out to dinner. I have on a short little strapless print dress and stacked wedge sandals. With a flip of my head, my dark wavy hair falls wildly around my face looking accidentally perfect. When I slide into the passenger’s seat, he is stunned to see it spill directly into his lap as I tug on his belt – stunned, but delighted.

  I haven’t yet let Jared experience my lips anywhere except on his. Though each time we meet, he’s been allowed to sip gently on my pussy before I’ve called it a night. Now he is hurriedly shimmying out of his pants in giddy anticipation, arching his hips towards my open mouth.

  ‘Take it easy, there. You’re not going to get anything if you’re greedy.’ I tell him and he takes a deep breath to try to calm himself. I hear his fingers dig into the leather seats of his BMW when the tip of his cock hits the back of my throat. My pace is slow, agonisingly so. I want him to feel himself being overwhelmed with desire, to choke on it.

  His eyes are closed; concentrating on every sensation my mouth is delivering. Mine are too; taking care to notice the subtle movement beyond his skin. It won’t do to let him get off too easy. No, this is the start of a painfully delicious journey – something he will never forget. He is close already. And I am not surprised. For the last few weeks, I’ve been leaving him with a raging hard-on and an ever-growing obsession to know what it would be like to have me. A gentle squeeze of his balls makes him release an audible whimper. He can’t hold it any longer. I know it’s coming ... and so I stop.

  ‘Oh, God. Noemi, please.’ His lips manage to form the words.

  I wipe my mouth with the tip of my finger as the corners curl into a sinfully sweet grin. ‘Jared, what I want to do to you can’t be done in a car. Later, sweetie, I promise.’

  But later doesn’t come today either, because after dinner I suddenly announce that I have to get to work. I can tell he’s pissed. The frown on his face reveals the level of frustration he’s carrying in his jockeys.

  ‘You have no idea how much I’m worth the wait,’ I purr when he drops me back to my car, and I kiss him deep with my hands slipping under his shirt and tracing the ridges of his sculpted abs. He doesn’t know how perfect he really is for me. But Jimmy knew, I’m sure from the moment he met him, that I would totally dig his tight muscular frame and the opportunity to take his arrogant ass down a few pegs. Jared was just about ready to be ruined.

  The club hasn’t opened yet when I arrive and though it’s against the rules to take calls while I’m working, I tuck my phone into my bra. I’ve left Jimmy a message and hope that I’ll get a chance to hear from him tonight. There was a time when I tried to dismiss my urges to have him – to have Jimmy. But clearly, Jimmy will not be had, and I’m done denying that I’ll settle for whatever I can get. The thought has me stifling an ironic giggle. Jimmy makes me feel powerful and weak all at the same time and, deep down, I fear that I’m too far gone to know the difference any more.

  Just after closing, the pulsing vibrations against my breast bring a smile to my face.

  ‘Hi, baby,’ I say in a sultry voice.

  ‘Tell me how you’re doing,’ Jimmy’s voice delivers shivers up my spine.

  ‘I wish I was with you.’

  ‘I know you do,’ he responds coolly, with no promises to make it happen. ‘But you’re too good for me. You know that, don’t you?’

  ‘I do?’ I look around for a quiet corner and find one behind the now-empty bar.

  ‘Noemi, you are incredibly sexy. I’m getting hard just thinking about you. The way you look at me when I see you in the club makes me want to take you into the back room and slip my hand into your panties, just to make sure that you’re as wet as I think you are.’

  I love to hear him say that. ‘Why don’t you come over here and find out?’

  ‘I want to, but I can’t.’

  It’s maddening how he has me hanging on his every word, only to let me fall every time. ‘Why?’ I ask, even though I know what he’s going to say.

  ‘Because you’re too good for me, Noemi,’ he breathes and his simple statement makes me tingle.

  ‘What would you do if you could?’ I curl myself onto the counter and rest my head against the wall. Eyes closed, I anticipate his answer.

  ‘I’d take you into that back room and sit you down in a chair. I’d kneel in front of you, between your legs and remind you that you’re beautiful – far too beautiful for anyone to ignore. As I’m kneeling there in front of you, I can tell that you’re curious to know what I’m thinking. You want to know if I’ll kiss you.’

  ‘Would you?’

  ‘Not without asking. Could I?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I’d thank you for the kiss with another,’ he says and I melt at the sweetness of his words only wishing he would put them into action.

  Jimmy makes m
e feel like a princess. Like the most special woman in the world. When he’s showering me with these delicious images, I can’t help to think what it would be like to hear him say them to me for real. Deep down, I know it’s just a game, just like the ones I’ve played on all those cheating assholes. Yet still I crave it.

  ‘Your lips are sure to be the softest I’ve ever tasted and I would be doing everything I could to stop from pushing your legs apart and fucking you the way I’ve been dreaming of. But–’

  ‘But, what?’

  ‘But I haven’t earned the right to have you, my sweet Noemi.’

  My boss calls me from across the room. ‘Is everything straight with the bar?’

  I cover the receiver and return with annoyance, ‘Yeah, I’ll be ready to go in a minute.’ Getting back to Jimmy, I encourage him further. ‘Tell me, what would you do to earn such a pleasure?’

  ‘I’d have to need you more than you need me. I’d have to be begging for it, pleading with you for the chance to feel the mind-bending pleasure I know I’ll find in you.’

  I’m completely aware of how unbelievably indulgent his words are and that I am equally compelled to hear them. He’s over the top, and the pedestal he places me on makes me feel like I’m flying. The feeling is like nothing I’ve ever had in my life before, and by now, I don’t even care that it’s not real. When I’m listening to him, we may as well be the only two people left on Earth.

  ‘Noemi!’ my boss shouts again. ‘Turn off the lights and let’s get the hell out of here.’

  ‘Noemi,’ Jimmy whispers in my ear, ‘make sure Jared is begging you tomorrow.’ I know that he’s certain I will.

  I’ve promised Jared that I’ll meet him after work at his place, and when the time comes, I’m already waiting for him. His usual swagger seems dampened and he looks a little sad as I greet him in the lobby of his high-rise.