"I read you. And god I'm good at it. I'm so spot on. Chord, shapes in air. Go press that dissonance, if you dare."
♫ Breathe In by Frou Frou.
IM SO SORRY. THE CRINGE IS REAL. I WARNED YOU.
✰✰✰
One Week Later.
"And I'm high enough from all the waiting. To ride a wave on your inhaling..."
Listening to 'Frou-Frou's Breathe In' blast through the record shops' speakers, I got caught red-handed, or rather red-faced staring at Jess for the fifth time that day.
Or maybe the hundredth, I didn't know, I stopped counting.
It was safe to say I had a staring problem, but I was addicted to looking at him, he was so freakin' gorgeous and the way he looked at me? I could've passed out or dropped dead from the sparkle in his pretty eyes. If we weren't already on the verge of hooking up, I would've thought he was a creepy stalker. He looked at me and watched me so fondly.
A week it'd been like this. Stolen glances and believe it or not, stolen kisses.
I think I like him...
The past days had been so amazing and-he'd made up for ditching me with more than enough affection.
In addition to the flowers he brought me almost everyday, he bought me lunch, bought me chocolates, and took me to the coffee shop across the street on my breaks to get scones. He knew just how much I loved them and even though he was allergic to blueberries and shouldn't be within' four feet of me when I ate them, he made the exception.
I'd become a lot more comfortable around him and he made me feel really, really good.
One of the things I liked about him so much was how easy our conversation came.
I didn't understand references about Star Wars or about Pulp Fiction, which was his favorite movie, but I listened anyways.
And I'd learned a lot about him.
He told me he was twenty, had two sisters both younger than him, named Ashley and Leila, and lived with his mother to help take care of them both.
His told me that his favorite food was shrimp pasta, but he hated peas, and was allergic to blueberries and raspberries.
He told me he loved rock music, tolerated jazz, and hated classical despite the fact that I caught him listening to Mozart once.
There were a lot of random things about him.
But the constant was that he loved kissing me.
Ever since our first just five days prior after work, he'd been all over me.
And I'm okay with that.
I felt hands snaking around my waist and I rolled my eyes, dropping the records I was holding to look up at Jess. "I'm trying to work."
"Yeah well, I'm your boss and I say that it's time for your break." He whispered, pressing his lips to my cheek and kissing down to my neck.
"I think you came over here because I was staring and you wanted more attention but... you can tell yourself whatever you want as long as you keep kissing me." I shuttered and smiled, holding his head to my neck while running my fingers through his hair.
I'd also been learning a lot about his body. It sounded weird I knew it, but he did this little whimper thing when I pulled on his curls that I'd become obsessed with.
He liked it too.
"Do you wanna go to lunch with me?" Jess whispered in my ear, pressing a firm kiss to it while sliding his hands up to my stomach.
"How many dates are we gonna go on before our actual date?" The one we had scheduled, wasn't even until Saturday and it was Thursday.
"As many as you'll let me take you to." His finger traced patterns on my belly and he used his other hand to grab my face very gently and turn it over my shoulder, "I was thinking we could go to your place and maybe-"
"Cherry!"
Being interrupted, I heard the sound of a familiar, prissy voice and when I turned my head, I saw no one other than Hannah walking into the record shop.
Boastful, bitchy, bossy Hannah in all of her pink, frilly glory with a Cherry printed dress on, big sunglasses...
And a Harlow wrapped around her.
Like a fucking accessory.
What in the actual fuck-is this?
"O.M.G, I didn't know you worked here, Harlow did you know she worked here?" Hannah chewed her gum obnoxiously loud, and glanced at Harlow while holding onto his hand.
"I think she mentioned it to me once. Hi, Cherry." Harlow's voice was stoic, plain and monotonous as he stared at me.
"Hi." I said a bit more passive aggressively than I meant to, feeling Jess's arm sneak around me too. I ran my tongue alone my cheek very slowly, "I didn't know you two were.. together?"
Ooo, I am so annoyed right now...
"We're hanging out and having a movie night." Hannah winked at me with a giddy look like I was supposed to be thrilled for her, "You guys sell movies here, right?"
"Harlow would know where they are, he's been here before. Just that way." I pointed toward the movies in the back of the store and took a step away from Jess to grab a box of Kesha CDs waiting to be put up, "I have to get back to work." I glanced back at Harlow once and then turned around, walking to the opposite end of the store.
"Oo, I see Mean Girls, we should get that." Hannah said from behind me and I heard them walk away.
"Of course you'd get mean girls you stupid little..." I muttered to myself, refraining from saying anything I would regret uttering out loud. I slammed the box of CDs down onto the shelf and took out a stack, sorting them away annoyingly.
Why is he with her? I mean, seriously? When did they just 'get together?'
I fucking cuddled him for hours a week ago, and I didn't even get paid! Bullshit.
They were both so fucking awful, and it bothered me so badly that he could-be friends with someone like her, want someone like her? What the fuck for?
She wasn't his friend, she wasn't nice to him?
All she had to do was show up and he was all over her, pretending to like her, what in the actual fuck was that?
I would've rather stepped in broken glass then seen his arm around her like that, it was disgusting.
Not to mention, who was that freakin' pathetic that they hung around someone who couldn't even moan their name during sex.
Harlow moaned my name. Me.
Why, I had no idea, but she was pathetic, and they were both gross.
"Stupid, gross rats, ugh." I physically got more irritated as time went on and I didn't even pay attention to the fact that I was slamming each CD down onto the shelf until the sound of Jess's voice snapped me out my trance.
"Cherry."
"What?" I snapped, grabbing the then empty box and turning around to face him.
"Whoa, did I do something?" Jess wearily took the box from me and stepped closer, snatching up my waist, "What's got you all bothered? I thought we were getting along really well."
Realizing I snapped at him on accident, I exhaled, rubbing my eyes, "It's not you, I'm sorry. I'm just really irritated because of Harlow and her. Harlow's the meanest person on the planet and that girl was at the sleepover I went to, she was rude to me the entire time. Their presence as a whole just annoys the fuck outta me."
"Weren't you are his house the other day?" Jess muttered, tilting his head slightly, "I thought you two were fine, did something happen?..."
"What? No. N-no, no we just sort of hung out." I rubbed the back of my neck. I didn't exactly know how to explain it without sounding crazy.
"Well, then you can't hate him that much. What did you guys do-is there something going on I should know about? Did you sleep together?" Jess pressed on, looking me dead in the eyes with something between genuine curiosity and annoyance.
"We were hanging out because he was having a bad day. I was comforting him, and we sorta fell asleep together. That's why he answered my phone that day."
"Oh..." Jess nodded slowly, not seeming angry but not seeming all that happy either, "And that was it? You just took a nap together and went home?"
"I swear. Besides, never in a million years would I wanna sleep with Harlow." I scoffed, grabbing the box back from him and walking toward the check out counter again. I broke the box down on the way and then shoved it under the counter, "Look, I'm okay, we're okay. There's nothing to worry about-like at all."
"Okay, then how about we let Arthur run the store and we go out for lunch." He said, cupping my face and rubbing his thumbs on my cheek. "I will buy you ice cream after."
"I'd love to, but I can't leave Arthur here with a whole new shipment to unpack by himself-"
"Yes you can, and you will. Put those movies away and then meet me in the front." He said, kissing my forehead and alleviating a bit of my anger.
"You're so bossy."
"I'm not bossy, I am the boss." Jess pressed a gentle kiss to my lips once more, his nose squished against mine, "That means get to work and do what I say, capiche sweetheart?"
"Wouldn't wanna get fired. I'll see you in a minute." Pulling back from him with a bit of a calmer attitude, I grabbed the stack of movies from the counter that someone had rented, then returned.
Jess grabbed his coat and backed up from me while I turned around on my merry way.
But I should've just dumped the movies and came back for them later because what I came back to wasn't a pretty sight.
"Really?" I said when I turned the corner to see Harlow and Hannah making out against a shelf of movies.
Harlow had her pressed up against the shelves with his hands up her skirt and his tongue so deep in her mouth I was sure she would choke on it. He was kissing her harder than I'd ever seen anyone kiss before.
"Hey." I snapped, stepping closer to them where coincidentally I had to put the movies back, "This is a place of fucking business, if you wanna make out and suck face, go home." I turned toward the shelves and stacked the movies up, cringing at the sound of their lips smacking together.
Harlow pulled back from her, turning to look at me with a bored face, "You were kissing Jess when I walked in. I think this is the perfect place for kissing. Right, Hannah?"
"Mhm." Hannah said, seeming delirious as she started kissing on his neck again.
"Yeah, I thought so too..." Harlow panted out the words from his swollen, pink lips while his hands unashamedly pulled up her dress to grope her ass. He didn't take his sharp glare off of me for a minute, until he slowly turned back to look at Hannah and kiss her.
I turned my head and kept sorting, taking a deep breath.
But her giggly laughter got to be too much for me so I just shoved the movies in random spots and then left, "Whatever."
I wanted to leave ASAP.
And I did.
"Sorry, the clock out machine was going on wonky again," I jogged to meet Jess outside the front of the store, the sun setting in the distance, "I'm ready!"
He smiled when I reached him, wrapping his arm around my shoulder, "Where to baby?"
I wrapped my arm around his waist and smiled from the nickname, looking up at him as well. "I'm thinking... Panera."
"Panera it is."
✰ ✰ ✰
"Jess! No, no way! You cannot tell me that pineapple goes on pizza, I'm sorry but it's just not possible!"
"It's so good!" Jess exclaimed as he drove me home from work, turning the corner to my street. "I'm gonna tie you to a chair and force-feed it to you. You can't say it's bad when you've never tried it."
"Fruity and savory isn't my thing, but to each their own I suppose..." I cringed, grabbing my bag from off of the floor to swing it over my shoulder, "Oh thank the lord," I glanced up at my driveway to see my car gone, "My mom's not home."
Jess slowed down to a stop by my mailbox, putting the car in park, "No? Where'd she go? Seems a little late for Carol the Christian woman to be gone from home." he let out a small snort.
"I don't know... might've taken my brother out for dinner. She mentioned it earlier, but I didn't think she was serious, she rarely does that." I laughed, unbuckling my seat belt and giving him a soft smile, "Thanks for the ride by the way, I really appreciate it."
"It's no problem." Jess leaned across the console, creeping one hand onto my thigh while he kissed me and I inhaled deeply with a bit of shock from the sharpness of his cool hands.
The combination of his soft, vanilla flavored lips and the smell of his cologne had me melting within' seconds and I felt a heartbeat flush through my thighs.
"I don't wanna leave you, I'm not ready.." Jess pretended whined into the kiss and stroked his thumb down my inner thigh.
"I'll see you-tomorrow." I kissed him one last time and put my hand on top of his that was on my thigh.
"Tomorrow's too far, maybe I could... come inside?"
I blinked quickly, licking my tingling lips, "You wanna hangout for longer?" I gulped too, I could feel myself growing nervous. I'd never ever had a boy I liked come in my house or want to come in my house before.
"Something like that." He nodded with a chuckle. "I'm not ready to let you leave me yet. So... maybe we could go inside and do some more of this..."
My stomach turned when he moved his head closer to mine and captured my lips in another kiss; his tongue creeping in just a little.
"Mm-I dunno..." I broke the kiss again and looked down in between us with a flushed face, "I'm not ready for sex yet." Only glancing back up once, I saw him watching me intently.
"Nobody said anything about sex, babe. I just wanna come in and chill, makeout a little'. C'mon, you hung out with that Harlow douche bag, you can hangout with me for a little while, right?" He creased his eyebrows with a slight frown and dipped his head lower to look at me, "Right?"
I broke and nodded slightly, "Yeah, y-yeah no of course. Only for a little bit though, my mom will be home before eight."
He totally had a point. If I could hangout with Harlow, I could hangout with him. I actually liked Jess, there was no reason not to-as Koi said-"get a little freaky."
It seemed like a good idea.
"That's fine with me." Jess's frowned turned into an immediate grin and he pecked my lips once more, "Let's go." he nodded toward my house.
We both opened our car doors and I walked around the front of it to hold his hand.
"Gosh, my mom would kill me if she knew I was letting you in here." I laughed slightly, stepping onto my porch and fishing out my keys from my pocket, "Don't mind my dog or the smell of pine-sol, she's insane and cleans all the time."
"I love dogs, I didn't know you had one..."
"Well, good. 'Cause he'll probably be all over you." I unlocked the door and gently pushed it open, guiding him inside of the house. The second we stepped in, I looked around, "Morris! Come in, come in."
Jess stepped into the landing just as Morris came barreling down the stairs, barking.
"Hi, boy.." I set my keys down and gave him a smile as he trotted toward us, barking a bunch, "I missed you too. H-" I cut off by a harsh, sharp bark toward Jess as Morris sniffed my knees, standing by my side almost in protection, "Oh my goodness, Morris, stop-"
Morris barked again ferociously, growling even at Jess.
What the hell?
"It's alright. Hi buddy." Jess said, reaching his hand out to pet him and nearly getting it bitten off. He yanked it back, "Okay, yeah maybe not."
"Morris, what's up with you dude?" I laughed awkwardly, "Sorry... he's not... ever like this. My room is upstairs, the last door on the left? You can wait for me there, I'm gonna feed him."
"Alright." Jess kissed my cheek, walking past me towards the stairs.
"Come on, boy. Let's go fix that hangry attitude you've got." I laughed slightly, dragging his collar towards the kitchen and ruffling his shaggy fur underneath my fingertips.
Morris was occasionally aggressive with people but usually a sweetheart. I didn't know why he was acting up, but I chalked it down to the fact that Jess was someone new and didn't think about it after that.
It would take some time for him to warm up to him.
"Okay..." After feeding Morris, I washed my hands and ventured back upstairs to my bedroom. But they were sweaty again within' seconds. I was really nervous about being in a room alone with him and it wasn't a major deal but-this was a potential boyfriend. I wanted to be impressive.
"Hey.." I walked back into the room to see Jess standing by my desk, leaned against it with a paper I'd half written for school on it.
"Oh, hey." Jess closed it with a smile and set it down, reaching for my hand to take.
"Searchin' through my stuff?" I drifted closer with blushed cheeks and wrapped my arms around his neck when he guided me to.
"Just a little... although, I can't lie there isn't anything too interesting about stochastic processes." His smile grew as he stepped even closer to me and ran his gentle hand down my back.
"Why do you think the paper isn't finished?" I lowered my voice, twirling a curl of his around my finger, "I have no desire at the moment to learn about biochemistry or statistics."
"Yeah, and what do you have the desire to do? 'Cause I can think of a couple of things right off the top of my head." Jess whispered, his eyes flicking down to my lips momentarily.
Is it hot in here? It's hot in here.
"Like what?" I practically had to hold my breath when he pressed his forehead against mine and slowly moved me in the direction of my queen sized bed.
"Like... making out with you." Jess backed me up until my knees hit my bed and I was inclined to crawl backward the second that he loosened his grip on me a little.
With a weighted breath and his head still close to mine, I glanced down when he started to take off his jacket. The jean fabric slipped off of his arms with ease and he tossed it to the end of the bed, leaving his toned arms exposed.
"Can I kiss you, Cherry?" He crawled on right after me and I scooted back even farther to lay down while he slipped his hand back onto my leg; just letting it glide up my thigh.
"Yes, please." I felt a swirl in my stomach as he crawled over me and it took all of ten seconds for him to eagerly, desperately kiss me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist, enjoying the sensations he offered.
Our kisses were slow and gentle but his hands were smoothing along my stomach and hip, squeezing parts of it rather roughly.
Roughness too, was the very distinct difference between men's and women's lips. Naomi had silkier, more plump lips, she was more tactful with the way she kissed me and they tasted sweeter, while as Jess's was more....
Bland?
His lips were smaller, and his movements were just a tad bit more choppy or lazy.
It wasn't a bad kiss, no I liked when Jess kissed me, I loved it, but that was what was going through my mind as we laid there on the bed.
For ten minutes, my mind was comparing and contrasting the difference between the two of them.
Which... I probably shouldn't have been doing but I was.
"God, you're so hot." Jess panted into the kiss, smooching his way down to my neck and then biting against my skin, "I wanna fuck you so bad right now."
I arched my back from the bed a little and laughed slightly, "Not yet, remember?" Jess kissed back up to my mouth and I held onto both sides of his face, "I think soon but-truth be told, I'm in no rush.."
"I get that but... we could do other things, you know.." He muttered, sliding his hand back up my thigh, "There's other ways I can make you come."
I felt heat flush up to my neck and I got intrigued.
Ever since the party I couldn't really stop thinking about how good that orgasm felt.
It was such pleasure, and while I was scared to touch myself out of fear of doing something wrong, I liked the idea of experiencing what Naomi gave me, all over again.
Sex wasn't on my horizon for a bit, but that sure was.
"So, can I touch you?" Jess's hands slipped up to the band of my jeans, tugging on them just a little in pleading.
My horniness spoke for me.
I was honestly really eager to come again.
"Please."
That made Jess smile and he attached his lips to mine again while pulling up my shirt so that he could unbutton my pants, "You don't know how long I've been waiting to be able to touch you like this, to make you feel good."
"Same.." I panted awkwardly, knowing it was an entire lie. I'd thought about it a couple of times but I was mostly just excited by the idea of having a boyfriend. Until the previous week, sex wasn't on my mind with him.
"Let's get these off..." Jess tugged on the hem of my jeans and very slowly lifted my hips. He struggled a little bit because they were so tight but he managed.
Throwing them to the side he looked down at my hello kitty panties which were a gift from koi, that I also forgot that I was wearing!
"Oh my god." I gasped, covering my mouth, "It's laundry day, I forgot, I'm so sorry."
"No... no, it's okay. It's uh, it's cute." He laughed, leaning his mouth down to mine again and giving me a reassuring kiss.
"I know, I just wasn't prepared for this, it's not exactly sexy lace or anything." I mumbled against him, awkwardly laughing when he pulled back, "I only really wear-"
"Shh, Cherry, stop talking..." Jess hushed me lowly, slipping his fingers into the band of my underwear.
"Oh." I turned red and my lips parted a little when he dipped his fingers into my folds, feeling out my aching and very wet core.
He brushed my clit with his fingers and I whimpered a little, nodding my head for him to keep going when he looked unsure if he should continue.
"Fuck, you're really wet." He laughed slightly, kissing me again. It was a quick peck before he pulled back, furrowing his eyebrows a little like he was almost disgusted but more of confused. "You don't shave?"
I froze.
"What?"
Jess reiterated his point and looked down at my open legs with a bit of a laugh, "I just was expecting your pussy to look a little differently, that's all. More kept up. It's not the biggest deal in the world but you do know it's kinda unhygienic."
I felt a pit in my throat and shook my head slightly. "I um... I didn't know that actually, I don't really think about it. I just forgot and like I said, this was really out of the b-blue. I would've if I'd known we were gonna do this today. I'm sorry."
Truth be told I was too lazy to finish. I always left a small patch of hair at the top because it was just so much work to complete.
It wasn't even a lot, maybe a few inches, a strip of hair but it made me feel insecure all of the sudden.
Why would he say that?
Naomi didn't mention that, and honestly I didn't think it would be a problem.
It's just body hair...I have it on my arms and on my back, what the difference between that and on my vagina?
"It's okay." He shook his head, giving me a small smile. "I just really wanted to eat you out. Next time?"
"O-Okay." I whispered with a broken breath, nodding my head slightly and chewing my bottom lip to keep from crying. I was trying to play it off like I was accepting friendly advice but it wasn't friendly advice at all, it felt more like an insult. I didn't expect my first sexual experience with a guy to hurt so much. It was one thing to think it but to say it out loud? It made me feel bad.
And how was I supposed to feel when he just called me unhygienic?
I supposed it was my fault but what was I supposed to do, go into the bathroom and shave?
I didn't know what to do so I just stayed and let him kiss me again.
I let him touch me.
And I let him attempt to give me pleasure.
But instead of focusing on my clit like Naomi did, circling it with his fingers, his fingers slid down to the bottom to my entrance. He pressed two fingers there and I gasped when he pushed them forwards.
Jess broke from the kiss, sliding his fingers in deeper, very suddenly. I winced at the slight stretch but Jess just licked his lips and looked proud of himself.
This did not feel good at all.
He started to slide his fingers in and out and the pain had subsided completely but I wasn't feeling anything.
Every wince he took as a moan and it felt like he was butchering my insides with his fingers.
I wasn't used to having anything inside me and I'd never even put a tampon in because I was too afraid, yet there he was, two fingers deep in me acting like he was tenderizing a piece of meat. His fingers pushed up painfully hard and then when he was gentle, I didn't feel a thing, I felt numb inside.
It was-just bad.
This went on for ten minutes.
Ten whole minutes of discomfort and mediocre kissing. Fuck, I even had a hard time kissing back because I wasn't even turned on anymore.
I knew I had to do something when he asked if I wanted a third finger, so I remembered what Koi told me and voiced my opinion about it. I used the little courage I had to ask him to do what I'd been wanting the entire time.
He was breathing heavily on my face as he worked his fingers in and out and I whimpered from the force of it, "Can you play with my clit? It feels... feels better that way."
"Yeah? Anything you want..." He nodded, slipping his fingers out of me and dragging them up to my clit instead.
It took all of two seconds for him to butcher that too.
It was like he was trying to plug a light into the wall and couldn't find the outlet.
"Is that good?"
No. No. No. No. All wrong. Oh my god this is so embarrassing.
"Slower?" I whispered, trying to communicate again, like Koi told me to. He circled his fingers slowly on my clit and I moaned for real, nodding my head profusely. It was like a miracle and I got happier within' seconds, "That's good, that feels really, really good. I'm-"
"Are you close?" He asked, dipping his head down to my neck and kissing the skin there.
Is he - is he serious? Close? I've never been farther.
Literally I was coming last in the race-I was never finishing! Ever! There was no coming like this?
At that point, I just wanted it to be over with because what the fuck was he doing?
The only logical thing to do from them on was fake it. Fake it so that he'd stop trying. He was doing his best it seemed, and he really wanted to please me, so I let out fake moans that he seemed to believe. It was easier than I thought but I couldn't take much longer of it.
So when he sped up his fingers, I gave the performance of my life.
"Fuck, I'm gonna come."
"Yeah?" Jess kissed back down to my neck and groaned slightly while I rolled my eyes behind his back and moaned like it was my life's mission.
And that was enough to make him feel good about himself.
Pretending I got too sensitive, I grabbed his hand and stopped it, panting a bit, "Stop, stop, stop..."
Jess pulled back and laughed a little as he pulled his fingers out, "Too much, huh?"
Not enough.
"Yeah, that was amazing, it felt um..." I was at a loss for words and I just stared at him with a wide, fake smile while he just waited with a slight chuckle.
And I'd never felt more relief in my life other than when my phone rang in the pocket of my jeans.
"Oop! Gotta get that!" I pulled my panties up and practically fell onto the floor to reach my jeans that were down there. I snatched my ringing phone from them and stood up straight, "Oh, i-it's my friend Koi I gotta take this! She's all crazy and stuff so-" I waved my hand.
"No problem, where's your bathroom? My hands are messy." He laughed, standing up and walking closer to me.
"Just next door to the right." I smiled at him.
"Okay. Well, don't take too long." He whispered, stopping in front of me to give me a kiss. It sucked that he was so good at that but not touching me. I smiled a bit into it, and he smiled back. "I'm not finished."
"Great!" I squeaked, pushing on his chest "playfully" while I answered the phone and held it up to my ear.
I want to die.
"Heya toots! Whatchaaaa doinnnn'?"
"Hey, I'm just uh..." I waited to talk. Jess slowly walked from the room and closed the door behind him, but the second he was gone, I cringed and ran towards my closet on the opposite side of the room, "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, Koi, you have got to help me!" I yanked it open and hopped inside, closing it behind me like I was hiding from an axe murderer.
"Why? What's going on? What happened?"
"Bad sex! Bad, scary, terrifying awful sex!" I hissed, facepalming myself and leaning against the wall inside, "Well.... sort of sex! Jess c-came over and things got heated but it was awful, I mean awful and I-I don't know what to do! What do I do?! I think he wants me to do stuff but I'm done! I don't want to and I can't!"
"Oh my 'lanta! How bad?!"
"I faked it!" I whimpered. "I had to fake moan, fake orgasm, fake everything just to get him to give up! I've never experienced something so bad!"
"No way! Did you communicate? Did you tell him what felt good?"
"Yes!" I hissed, chewing my fingernails off of the bone, "I told him to play with my clit and he started beating it with his fingers-he was punching it with his fucking fingers, Koi! Do you hear me?! I told him to go slow and he ignored me, and then, thennnnnn-he mentioned how I didn't shave! He was like 'you don't shave?'" I mocked a low, man voice, "And I was like 'Um no.' And he was like 'I was expecting your pussy to look differently, this is so unhygienic.' And I was like, 'sorry I guess!'"
"No!" Koi gasped, "He didn't!"
"He did!" I blew out a breath and held my hand to my chest, "It was so bad and I know, I know this is TMI but I'm freaking out and I don't feel good about this anymore!"
"Cherry, listen to me very carefully. Do everything I say."
"Okay..." I whispered, chewing the skin off of my lips frustratedly.
"KICK HIM OUT! Kick him to the curb and never look back! A man who can ignore a woman's requests in bed is a man who will never make you cum. Tell him that I called and that I'm on my way over right now so he has to leave. We can hangout if you want, I'll bring Naomi and Harlow, they're with me right now."
"Wh- you said you're with Harlow?"
"Freak, you should call the police, beating up the pussy like that? It's animal abuse! - Harlow stop it!" Koi's voice cut him off but I could hear his cackle in the background.
"They heard me?! Koi, what the hell?" I grew the most embarrassed I'd ever been in my entire life.
"Sorry! He eavesdrops! Look-we're on our way, we're just down the street. Kick him out. We'll be there in a flash."
"No, no-I-"
She hung up.
"Hello? Oh, come on!" I yanked the phone back from my ear and then pressed the home button.
I didn't want Harlow in my house but that seemed the least of my worries.
I came out of the closet and shut the door just in time for Jess to come back into the room.
"Hey." He smiled.
"Heyyy..." I said high pitched, putting my hands behind my back. "Um... listen, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but my friend is on her way. She just called me and um - She needs a... friend, she's having a really, really, really bad day. Boy drama you know."
"Oh?" Jess asked, pouting his lips slightly. "Well, I suppose that's okay. I guess I should get goin' anyway. I'll see you saturday for our date though, right?"
He took a step forward and I nodded with way too wide of a smile to be believable, "Yeah, of course, I'm super excited! Yay..."
"Me too. Walk me out?" Gently taking my hand, he drifted toward the bedroom door.
"Sure."
It really sucked that the most integral part of any relationship, according to Naomi, was something that he was really, really awful at. I mean, I didn't know what he was like in the sack per say, but after watching him play chess with my pussy for fifteen minutes, I couldn't imagine he was much good at the real thing.
And I wasn't that eager to find out.
We walked all the way down the stairs and I followed him out of the house.
Right away, I could see Harlow duck behind a bush in my front yard, all three of them hiding behind it like secret agents so that Jess didn't know they were coming.
"Oh! Hugs!" I played the distraction card when we reached my driveway, turning Jess in a circle so that his back was to my house, as well as Harlow, Koi, and Naomi.
"You're gonna miss me that much, huh?" Jess wrapped his arms around my waist and gave my ass a soft slap that made me wanna die.
"Oh yeah... gonna miss you so much." I waved Harlow and them inside, but of course Harlow stopped to gloat, shoved two fingers next to his mouth and then sticking his tongue out.
Fucking idiot, I'll be kicking him out the second he gets inside.
Koi dragged him toward the front door and it was a fucking miracle that Jess didn't hear them go in, Harlow was cracking up.
"Sorry that this day didn't go according to plan. Next time for sure, okay?" Jess said, pulling back from the hug and pecking my forehead. "Goodnight baby."
"Night... have a good rest of your day, see you tomorrow." I slowly let his hand slip away from mine and then stood in my driveway while he got into his car.
The rumble of his engine gave me actual relief.
I was so annoyed and embarrassed.
I could've actually cried but I held back.
"Bye..." I waved when he did, blowing me kisses from his car window all the while.
He drove past my driveway and I stood there for a good thirty seconds in my underwear, just to make sure he was really gone. That was how badly I wanted him to go away.
And I let out a deep breath when he was.
But the sound of my bedroom window opening behind me made me turn around.
Harlow stuck his head out of it, using my pair of jeans that I'd left on the floor as a fake wig, "Romeo, romeo!" he gestured with his hands lazily, "Wherefore art thou fingers going! My clitoris is northbound, good sir, please!-"
"Oh my god, I am going to kill you!!" I screamed, running up my driveway to get back into the house. My feet hit the concrete with hard slaps and I shoved my front door open, as well as shoved it closed with a hard bang to run up the stairs.
I could hear Koi screaming laughing from the time I reached the top, but when I busted into the room, they all shut up.
Harlow was laid onto my bed, tossing my pants away while Koi and Naomi were stood by my desk.
"Laugh again." I deadpanned, closing my bedroom door, "Go ahead, laugh again and see what happens."
It was silent for a moment.
"Ha-ha! I'm sorry, I can't!" Harlow laughed, busting out laughing and flipping onto his stomach to muffle them.
"Ugh, shut up!" I complained, running across the room to grab my pants from off of the floor to use them as a weapon, "This isn't freaking-funny!" I hit him in the leg with them and he rolled over onto his back, giggling his ass off, "You are the worst person ever!"
"Girl, you just got your pussy obliterated and I-I'm the worst person ever?!" Harlow pointed to himself as he sat up with an entertained smile, "Someone's priorities are straight." he mocked me with his hands up in surrender.
"It's not funny..." I muttered, tossing my pants down onto the bed again and then walking across the room to sit with Naomi.
"We know, we know." Naomi let me sit down on her lap sideways-and Koi walked to sit on my bed with Harlow.
"Bad sex is the worst." Koi frowned, offering consoling comfort through words and a tossed piece of bubblegum.
I caught it and rested my head onto Naomi's shoulder, "It was beyond awful. Like, really, I'm lucky you guys were so close by because-I wouldn't have been able to be in the room with him for a second more."
"Well, what happened?" Naomi rubbed my back very slowly.
"I don't wanna talk about it, it was that bad..." I covered my face, shaking my head in disappointment, "It was uncomfortable, and even painful."
"Why didn't you tell him to stop?" Naomi patted my hip with her hand, "We talked about that, communication remember?"
"I didn't wanna make him feel bad..." I mumbled, "Plus, I was just scared that he'd get mad at me. He thought we were gonna do more."
"None of that. The second you're uncomfortable or don't want to, you say stop. Don't ever save someone's feelings. If you're not liking it, you're not liking it." Naomi gave me a look that said, 'absolutely not.'
"Yeah, I just like him, I wanted it to work." I cringed, burying my face into her neck.
"Well, Cherry, there are times where it takes a couple of times around to get it right and if you really wanna give it one more shot then go for it but I'd suggest either having a conversation with him or taking control. 'Cause that's really just not okay." Naomi gave me a pitiful laugh.
"I don't know... maybe." I exhaled, peeling y face from her neck, "God, I just-I wanted it to work so bad! I wanted him so bad.. ugh! Why did he have to suck..."
"I told you, Cherry." Koi piped in as she popped a piece of bubblegum into her mouth, "Men are very, very, very disappointing!"
"Myself excluded."
We all turned to look at Harlow as he groaned, placing his hands behind his head in a relaxed position, then whistling to himself.
I rolled my eyes and kissed my teeth at the sight of him, "Ew. I forgot you were here, you can go. You're not a girl. This is girl discussion. Go home."
"I am one of the girls. I'm the prettiest girl in the room actually." Harlow sighed in content, smacking his lips as he ignored me entirely, "The boys allll want a piece of this hot, girly ass so no thank you, I'll be staying right where I am."
"Harlow, come on-"
"N-O. What does that spell?" Harlow cut me off.
I clenched my jaw, getting up from the bed to collect my laundry from around the room "Don't you have someone to go hangout with? Name starts with H, ends with ew."
"Whoa, what?" Koi raised her eyebrows and turned her whole body to stare at Harlow. "Is she talking about Hannah?"
"Oh, he didn't tell you? They're an item now..." I rolled my eyes, walking to my hamper to throw my pants inside. "Which is honestly really shocking considering Hannah seemed to be pissed he moaned my name during-"
"Cherry! - anddddd... too late. Get the popcorn."
I cut myself off and froze in my spot when Naomi said my name, but it was in fact, too late.
I clamped my hand over my mouth, turning bright red as I slowly turned around.
Harlow's expression was unreadable behind his sunglasses but he wasn't moving.
"You wanna explain that, Harlow?!" Koi laughed, bouncing on the bed.
His cheeks turned a bit red and I found myself smiling in a bit of satisfaction from his nervousness since it was usually the opposite.
"Yeah, I'm leaving." He said, getting up from the bed.
"Whoa, whoa!" I said, stepping in his way before he could even think about going anywhere. I gulped down my fear and boldly asked, "You're not going anywhere until you tell me why, I wanna know why."
"Move before I move you." Harlow attempted to shove past the door but I pressed myself against it and stopped him. I was between him and any way out at that point.
Or so I thought.
Before I knew it, Harlow was vaulting across the room to get out of the open window.
"He's making a break for it! No!" Koi and I both ran across the room as he slithered out and grabbed his feet, yanking him back into the room as he screamed out high-pitchedly.
"Let-go!" Harlow kicked his feet.
"Not until you tell me why you moaned my name during-sex with H-Hannah!" I gritted, moving my grip up to his thigh until he was forced to fall back to the floor. He collapsed there and reached over him, closing up the window and locking it.
Harlow scrambled up and ran toward the door before I could get him.
"Hey!" I jumped onto his back when he reached the hallway and he choked, grabbing my arm while tripping backward, "Tell me!"
"No!" Harlow gritted, reaching around to tickle my stomach and make me fall off of his back. I bucked and squirmed, slipping to my feet to my disappointment, while he caught his breath and turned around, "I'm not telling you shit. I don't know what you're talking about."
"Liar!" I spat, taking a step in front of him so he couldn't just leave, "Hannah told us you moaned my name-right after you two were finished. So, I know it happened, but I wanna know why!-"
"Why do you care?" Harlow looked me up and down with disgust, taking a step closer until we were barricaded at the end of the hallway with each other. His face was tomato red even then, and I could tell he was irritated.
I scoffed, tilting my head to look up at him, "I don't care-"
"Yeah, just like you don't care about me and Hannah?" Harlow backed me up against the wall near my bedroom door and flicked his eyes back and forth between mine, "I think you're fucking jealous."
"I'm not jealous." I snapped. "You're made for each other if you ask me. Two little bitches."
"Oh yeah? If I'm such a bitch then why'd you spend so much time with me the other day, huh?" At that point, his voice was so low that only I could hear it, but I knew Koi and Naomi were watching him and his every move. He placed one hand onto the wall next to me, "If I'm such a bitch then why'd you stay for so long, touching me, playing with my hair. You claim to hate me and yet my name is always in that big fucking mouth you've got."
"I did it because I thought I was getting paid, besides you're the one who begged me to stay."
Harlow reached into his pocket and pulled outa fifty dollar note before he slipped it into my tank top and bra, "Happy?"
"I think I did more than fifty dollars worth of cuddling, crybaby," I said, tilting my head and looking him up and down with disgust. "That nickname seems fitting. Got the little teardrop and everything, how fucking cute-"
"You should stop talking before you say something you'll regret." Harlow stalked even closer with arrogance, his nose twitching like a bunny, "You know, you seem to have a bit of an obsession with me, freak. You should seek help with that."
"Don't let him talk to you like that, toots!"
"I have an obsession?-"
"Yeah you do-"
"Oh, I do?" I cut him off again, "Then... why'd you," I poked his hard chest with two fingers and squinted, "Say my name during sex with another girl? Huh? If I'm so 'crazy,' if you 'hate me so much,' then why? How did you go from rejecting me in that car to saying my name when you came?" I glared up at him, waiting for an answer, "Any-day now. Go ahead. Explain yourself, stupid-"
Harlow grabbed my face very suddenly, tilting it upward even farther to whisper directly into my mouth, "You wanna know why I said your fucking name? Hm?"
"Yes..." I whispered, glancing down at his lips when he licked them. I was entranced, dying to hear this explanation. I was practically holding my breath.
Harlow leaned into my ear instead, his lips brushing against it, "I was drunk. That's why. I was fucking drunk and I could hear you in the next room, moaning-crying..." He emphasized each word with a beat of a pause in between, "Whimpering at the top of your lungs like a fuckin' slut while you came. I could hear every single little noise through that wall, every breathe, every kiss, every measly plea for 'more, Naomi, more, please'." He mocked me breathlessly, and I shut my eyes, "And against my better, drunken judgement, you got inside my head. It was the biggest mistake I've ever made, so, you're gonna stay outta my way, you're not gonna tell anyone else, and you're gonna keep your trap shut about it unless you want everyone to know just how much fun you had with Jessie this afternoon. Do you understand me, Cherry?"
Maybe I shouldn't have asked.
I gulped but nodded profusely, "O-Okay, yes, I won't..."
"Good girl." He smiled, letting go of my face and pulling back a bit. "Oh and as for the whole cuddling thing. I suggest you keep shut about that too. But don't worry, if Jess isn't paying you well enough, you're more than welcome to come back, whore." He whispered, grabbing another fifty and slipping it into my shirt right with the other.
I ran my tongue along the inside of my cheek but didn't counter with anything else.
"I'll see you later." Harlow just grabbed a cigarette from his pocket, perched it in between his teeth and smiled condescendingly while turning around to leave my house.
I watched him walk all the way down my stairs and then out of sight as he went to the door.
Morris ran passed the stairs with a happy doggy trot, attempting to follow him out.
The door slammed shut though and he began to whimper, wanting him back.
I exhaled the second he was gone, standing in the hallway speechless with my Hello Kitty underwear still on and a hundred bucks in my bra.
"Talk about tension! Ow! Is it hot in here or what?!"
I turned my head Koi as she was stood in my bedroom with both hands covering her mouth. Her and Naomi had both witnessed the whole thing but not heard it and I guessed I could be grateful, 'cause I knew she was gonna tease me about it.
"That's one way to see it." I huffed, walking back into the room and tossing the money down onto my dresser.
"You two are so gonna get together one day." Koi giggled excitedly.
I scoffed and laid back onto my bed, "I'd be caught dead before ever thinking of Harlow like that. He's an ass."
"But he's a cute ass?" Koi asked, raising an eyebrow.
Wouldn't argue there, couldn't.
"Whatever." I sucked my teeth.
"Ahhh! I knew it! Cherry and Harlow sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G...."
***