wild star| ongoing

forty

CHAPTER 40:
February 20th, 2016
• • •

Brandy's smile quivered as she stood in front of Teddy, watching him watch her as she thought up an excuse suitable enough to give him.

"I need the money, Teddy. I'll start looking for another job once I save up enough, but... please understand why I'm doing this."

He sat down on her bed and sighed, eyeing her little black dress. "I don't like the idea of you going out there at night and coming here with random men. It's not safe and..." Frustration ate away at the rest of his sentence. "And you're my girlfriend, Brandy. Just thinking about it—"

"I know." She joined him on the bed and sat down, reaching for his hand. He didn't pull away and let her hold it, but he refused to look at her. "I'll stop. I'll stop soon, I promise. I don't care about any of those guys, just you. Only you, Teddy."

"It doesn't feel that way."

Her heart sank, and she worried that she might be losing him. It was too early in their relationship for there to be strife. "Don't think like that. I'm going to stop. I'll find something else to do, okay? This is the last time. Tonight's the last night." With a delicate touch, she tilted his chin, urging him to meet her gaze, to witness the raw sincerity in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Teddy."

He stared at her for a long time, as if deciding whether he could put his trust in her. "Okay. I didn't mean to make such a big fuss about all of this. You don't really have any other options."

"You're my priority now. I want this to work out. I want us to be happy."

Her words washed over him, caressing the wounds of his doubts and fears. "Me too."

Brandy's lips, soft and supple, melded perfectly with Teddy's, conveying the newfound emotion he had ignited within her. She was serious about this. She was serious about him. And she knew that in the long run, she couldn't keep going to clubs and sleeping with men for money. She genuinely wanted to give this relationship her fullest after so many failed attempts at finding love. 

He reciprocated with equal fervour, his lips responding with a hunger born of longing and a deep-seated craving to be united with her. His hands found their place on her waist, pulling her into him with possessive urgency. 

Eventually, they broke the kiss and leaned their foreheads against each other, their breathing slowly returning to normal. "I'll drop you off at the club. It's too dangerous to go there by yourself," Teddy said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

She kissed him again, a shorter kiss this time, and nodded as she smiled gratefully. "What about the front desk?"

He grinned at her softly. "When has that ever been an issue, Brandy?"

Sharing one final kiss, they stood up. Brandy hurriedly grabbed her coat that was slung across the armchair and went back to the closet to pick up her black heels. In this coldest month of the year, the frosty air biting at her skin, she knew she needed every weapon in her arsenal to capture the attention of potential customers. The contrast of a short dress and a pair of heels had an almost magical effect, attracting eyes like moths to a flame, even in the midst of winter's icy grip.

"You have everything?" Teddy asked, taking hold of her hand when she returned to his side. 

"Yeah, I'm ready to go."

With her coat wrapped tightly around her, shielding her from the biting winds, and her black heels clicking against the floor, they left the room, and she locked the door behind her. They made their way down the hallway, through the lobby, and to the motel parking lot after he stopped by the staff room to pick up his coat and car keys. Ever the gentleman, he opened the passenger door for her and closed it when she was settled in. He got into the car through his side immediately after.