"What are you doing?" Camila asked, her soft voice filling the space within my car.
"I just got off work not too long ago. I had to run home to take a shower, and now I'm running some errands."
"What type of errands?"
"Just picking up some hygiene stuff: tissue, soap, deodorant, and toothpaste," I responded.
"Sounds boring."
"It is," I laughed.
"How was work?" She asked next.
"It was good. I can't complain. I'd take home health over the hospital any day. It's more fulfilling, I work fewer hours, and I still get paid the same, if not more."
"Alright. I see you, bestie," she expressed. I just smiled as I pulled into an empty parking spot.
"Anyway, Camila." I tried to redirect the conversation as I nearly forgot the reason I called her. "I wanted to ask you about your mom. Has she tried any more sneaky shit?"
"No. Her ass has been unusually quiet ever since we rescued Sofia from her. What did you say to make her chill out?"
"Nothing really, I just told her what she needed to hear. I also gave her a helpful resource, but it's up to her if she takes my advice," I said.
"You just couldn't help yourself."
"No, I could," I corrected. "But I found no harm in trying to point her in the right direction."
"Hmm, you're better than me," she mumbled before uttering something in Spanish. And I thought she was just expressing herself until she wouldn't stop.
"You know I can't understand you," I interrupted.
"Huh?"
"You were speaking in Spanish," I told her.
"Ohhh. My fault. I just left my grandparent's house, and you know they don't speak English."
"Right," I nodded to myself.
"It takes me a minute to readjust. And sometimes I think in English, but my words come out in Spanish, or I think in Spanish, but my words come out in English."
"No, I get it. That makes sense, but what were you even saying?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to stop by the boutique today. I have a few rough sketches that need your opinion."
"I wish I could, but I'm kinda busy today," I replied.
"Doing what? It's only Wednesday. You don't see Mr. Sexy until Friday."
"Well, I'm getting my toes done at four-thirty. Then I have to rush home because my mom wants to come by my apartment. And I may or may not be going out later tonight."
"With who? Certainly not me. You got a new bestie that I don't know about?"
"If you count Mr. Sexy, then yes."
"Wow, so you're just gonna throw me in a ditch, and then leave me stranded with no cell service."
"Wow, Camila. That was oddly specific. You can't go a single day without being dramatic as hell. Rowan and I already had plans. You should have told me two days ago that you wanted me to view your new sketches."
"But I didn't have any new sketches two days ago," she whined.
"Well, I'm sorry. Can we take a rain check?"
"Yeah, it's cool. We can meet up another time," she voiced, quickly dropping the subject.
"Yes, another time for sure." We hung up not long after, and I hurried into Target.
.....
"I'm surprised you're not at the bakery," I told my mom as I poured her some lemonade.
"I do try to take a day off here and there."
"If you'd hire more help as I told you to, then you would have plenty more days off," I said, handing her the cup.
"I do have help, Amira."
"Not enough," I added, but she merely shrugged as she took a sip of the lemonade.
"Having little help does not bother me. Baking is therapeutic—it keeps my hands busy and my mind clear—so I don't mind working every day all day."
"Okay," I nodded. She said nothing further, so I changed the subject. "Would you like to watch TV? I have Netflix and Hulu."
"No, I can watch TV at home. I came to see what you were up to."
"I'm not up to anything," I laughed as she followed me into my room. I had a few things to do before getting dressed, so I made space for my mom to sit. And for someone who didn't want to watch TV, she immediately got quiet once I clicked on NCIS.
I took a shower first, washing and then exfoliating as I normally do. I'm glad I got waxed on Monday and not yesterday. Otherwise, my skin would still be a little sensitive. After I got out of the shower, I brushed my teeth for the second time today and applied some lotion to my body. I peeked inside my room to see what my mom was doing, but she wasn't there. I then heard a noise coming from the kitchen, so I went to check it out.
"What are you doing?" I asked, staring at her from the doorway. "Are you calling me dirty?" I narrowed my eyes as she started wiping down my counters.
"No, honeybun. Your apartment is very clean. You just had a few dishes, so I cleaned them up for you. Then I got carried away."
"I usually try to keep things as neat as possible, but I've been a little busy."
"I know. You take after me in that regard—we both like to keep our spaces clean. Your father, however, was a fucking slob," she laughed. I nodded as she continued cleaning. She seemed content, so I left her to do whatever she pleased. And about an hour later—after finding something to wear and figuring out what to do with my hair—I came back out to get her reaction.
She opened and closed her mouth a few times, desperately wanting to disapprove of my outfit, but she chose to compliment me instead.
"You look very pretty, Amira."
"Thank you, mommy." I turned around so that she could get the full view, and two seconds later, she started complaining.
"Oh great heavens, Amira. Are you not wearing underwear?"
"I am," I spoke, lightly frowning as she stormed up to me.
"It looks like you have nothing on underneath." She started poking around my butt to see if I truly had underwear on, and she gasped when she felt nothing. I merely rolled my eyes. If she would just inch her fingers up a little higher, she would feel the waistband sitting above my hips.
"I have on a thong, mom." I pinched the thin material and snapped it loudly against my skin, proving that I wasn't completely bare.
"How can you wear those things? Do they not annoy you?"
"They do, but I hate when the lining of my underwear shows, so I like to wear thongs with certain outfits," I said, handing her my phone.
"Can you take some pictures of me?" I quickly strapped on my heels while she stepped back to take some photos. I then did a few different poses, but nothing too much since I didn't want her complaining about vulgarity.
"When I see you in anything other than casual clothes or your work scrubs, I have to remind myself that you're not my baby anymore," she spoke, pausing to hand me my phone.
I took it from her, but I shook my head once I saw the pictures. "Mom. Really?"
"What? I took a photo for every pose you did."
"I know, but I need a variety of images, including some off-guard ones as well. What am I supposed to do with five pictures?"
"Oh, you should have said something. I can take more."
"No, it's okay," I snorted as I pried my heels off.
"Where are you going anyway?"
"I have no clue. Rowan is picking me up."
"Oh. Mr. Rowan Steele," she teased, playing with my curls. "You've been very happy these days—always busy working and living your life. I know we don't see eye-to-eye on some things, but I love that you seem to be in a good place right now."
"Thank you. I appreciate that." I took a seat on the couch and waited for her to do the same. And the time quickly faded from me as we just sat around talking. Something told me to check my phone, and once I did, I nearly panicked. Rowan said to be ready at seven-fifteen, and it was now pushing seven o'clock. I needed to get rid of my mom, use the bathroom once more, and do some last-minute changes to my hair.
"I'll see you later." I went to hug my mom when she tried to be slick and pull down my dress.
"I knew you were about to do that," I swatted her hands away.
"Don't you think it's a little short? You don't want everyone seeing your business."
"It's supposed to be short."
"I guess, Amira," she huffed. We then said our goodbyes, and I walked her to the elevator before rushing back into my apartment.
Rowan was calling me before I even got out the door. I told him I was coming, but he said not to rush. I still did anyway. He pulled off once I was settled into the car, and I held my gaze out the window the entire ride. I wasn't sure where we were going, but it was obvious that we were headed further and further into the city. Downtown is where everything gets ridiculously expensive—from shopping and living to dining and parking.
"Where are we?" I asked as we stopped in front of a large building. We waited in line for the valet parking, and I continued my questions as we walked into the lobby. "Is this a hotel?" I halted at this beautiful water sculpture. It screamed for my attention, and it was hard to miss since it was directly in the center of the room.
"No, this is a residential building," he said, pulling me along until we got to a series of small restaurants. He told me to choose one, and I picked the Pastaria.
The hostess then greeted us, grabbing two menus before showing us to a booth. I couldn't pronounce any of the items on the menu, so Rowan had to order for me. And for our drinks, I got a sweet tea and he got water. We then talked for a bit as we waited on the food. It came in a reasonable amount of time, and after we ate, Rowan paid with his credit card.
We soon exited the restaurant, and I thought we were headed back to his car, but he pulled me in a completely different direction. We then passed multiple elevators before stopping at an isolated one.
"What are we doing?" I held onto his arm. He was about to say something when the elevator chimed open. I started to move out of the way until I noticed who was standing on the other side.
"I knew we weren't just here for the food," I stated, marching into the small space.
"Are you not happy to see me?" Storm smiled as she eyed me from head to toe. "And you got all dressed up."
"Well, if I had known beforehand, I would've just worn some old jeans and a t-shirt."
"Aww, don't do me like that," she laughed, pressing her finger under my chin. I rolled my eyes and stepped to the side as Rowan entered the elevator. Storm placed her keycard against the scanner, and she pressed a button that read the letters, P.H.
"You live in a penthouse?" My eyes instantly lit up.
"For now, yes. But I don't own the space. The owner is an old friend of mine, and he's letting me stay here for a few months while my house is being renovated," she said, trying to downplay the situation.
"It's no Manhattan, but it's still nice. And you know I love nice things." The private elevator placed us right inside the penthouse, and my jaw nearly hit the floor when we stepped out.
"He lets you stay here for free?"
"He wanted to, but I agreed to pay a monthly rent."
"How much is the rent?" I asked, but she merely smiled and started showing me around. I looked over my shoulder at Rowan. He was leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. I wasn't sure if something was wrong with him, but he's been unusually quiet tonight.
Even when we were at the restaurant, he didn't talk much. I thought it was odd, but I tried not to dwell on it. Maybe he just wasn't in the best mood today, which was completely fine. He still showed up like he said he would, and he took me to dinner—two things that he didn't have to do.
.....
An hour later...
"Will you get in with me?"
"Sure," I shrugged, watching as she began to remove her clothes. "If you want me to."
"Yes, I would love for you to join me."
I nodded before removing my jewelry. I slipped out of my dress next, and my bra and thong were the last to go. I then strolled into the bedroom, placing my belongings on an empty chair. I couldn't remember where I left my heels, so I made a mental note to look for them later.
"The water is ready," Storm spoke up. I strolled back into the bathroom just as she finished tying her locs up. My hair was already in a nice updo, so I wasn't worried about getting it wet.
"Okay. I'm good now," she laughed. I tried not to stare at her body as she made her way to the tub. She was stunning—her breasts were perky, her skin was flawless, her waist was tiny, and her ass was perfection. I could tell by her toned physique that she enjoyed working out.
"Thank you," I uttered as she helped me into the tub. I did the same for her, and we both sighed as we settled into the water. The jets were a great added touch, and the pressure from the water alleviated all of my unwanted stress.
"I'm surprised you didn't bring any grapes," I chuckled.
"Why? Do you want some?"
"No, it's okay." I opened my eyes as Storm got to her feet. "No, it's okay," I repeated, springing forward to grab her.
"We just got in. You don't have to get out on my behalf. I only brought them up because I know how much you love grapes."
"I do, and now I have a taste for them," she replied. But I simply pulled her back into the tub.
"Then we can both long for some grapes together."
"Or I can go get a bag from the refrigerator."
"Or you could just stay here," I shrugged, biting my lip as I slowly tugged her to me.
"Well, if you insist."
"I do because there's no need for you to get out." I got comfortable again, and I was just about to close my eyes when I noticed the way she was looking at me.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" I questioned.
"Like what?"
"Like that," I pointed to the devious smirk on her face. It looked completely harmless, but Storm was anything but harmless.
"First you keep me from leaving the tub and now you're questioning why I'm staring at you. So what can I do, Amira?" She asked, smiling as she scooted closer to me. Her flirtatious behavior tonight hasn't gone unnoticed by me. I was hesitant at first to entertain her, but I had to remind myself to loosen up. Hence, the reason I agreed to take a bath with her.
I said nothing regarding her earlier question, so we just stared at each other until she spoke up again. "Can I touch you?" Her voice came out so soft and silky. And the fact that she was even asking for my permission turned me on immensely.
Storm was definitely my type, so without giving it a second thought, I sat up and kissed her.
"You can do more than just touch me," I replied. She then wasted no time taking control, climbing on top of me and placing her lips against mine. I couldn't help but grip her ass in return, and we basically made out until I couldn't stand the throbbing sensation between my legs.
"Wait," I moaned, taking a breather.
"Of course." She paused to rest her forehead against mine.
"You give me the impression that you've been with a woman before."
"Yes, I've had my fair share of experiences with both men and women—some good and some bad," I stated. She pulled back to look at me.
"Please explain. I would love to hear more."
"Well, my body count isn't insanely high or anything." I had to quickly put that out there.
"And so what if it was?" She laughed. "Women should be able to sleep around just as men do without worrying about the negative connotations."
"Right," I cleared my throat. She was completely right.
"But carry on," she urged me to continue.
"Well...it took me a while to make this connection, but I've realized that I have emotionally been with more women but physically been with more men—if that makes sense."
"That doesn't surprise me, but why is that?"
"Because the 'men' of my past only pursued me for my body. The women, on the other hand, treated me like a human being."
"How long ago was this?"
"My college years. It was the first time that I was away from my parents. I had my freedom, so I did stupid shit that put me in situations where I only attracted the wrong type of guys."
"But you were younger," she noted. "College is usually that time where people make the most mistakes."
"I know, but what made it worse was that I knew better. I knew their intentions beforehand, but I just didn't care. I had never in my life been insecure until they made me feel insecure. And I hated that feeling, so I forced myself to wake up. I got my shit together, and I never looked back. I've been with other men since then, but not as I have with women."
"And what were your experiences like with women?"
"They were certainly better," I chuckled.
"In some way, it felt like I could better understand the women I dealt with. Whether for a short period or an extended one, I was able to form deeper connections with them because they didn't see me as just another piece of meat. Not to mention, a lot of the shit that I was missing in those lousy experiences with men, I found in women," I explained.
"Have you ever been in love with a woman?"
"No. I have not," I shook my head.
"Then I would assume that your answer would be the same for a man?"
"I...well...to be honest, I'm not really sure what being in love is supposed to feel like."
"It can feel like any and everything all at once. It can make you feel as though you're suffocating. It can make you feel happy. It can make you feel helpless, and it can also consume every aspect of your life," she said, tracing her finger along my collarbone.
"And you can love so hard and so deep that it physically pains you to imagine a life without that special someone."
"That sounds unfortunate," I frowned.
"Yes. It can be," she started laughing. "But it can also be beautiful to think of the effect you might have on someone. You could be the reason they get butterflies in their stomach. Or the reason they experience a racing heart, labored breathing, sleepless nights, and much more. The experience is unique to everyone. For some, it can be wonderful, and for others—"
"Heartbreaking," I mumbled, blurting out the first thing that came to mind. I wasn't even trying to be funny, but 'heartbreaking' just seemed like the perfect word to describe the counter perspectives on love.
Storm then lightly smiled at me. It was obvious that she had been in love at some point in her life, but unfortunately, I could also tell that love is what somewhat broke her.
"That's a great way to put it." She kissed me once more, and I moaned as her tongue re-entered my mouth. This kiss was much slower, but Storm's sensuality made it exhilarating. The throbbing between my legs came back in full force, and I couldn't help but guide one of her hands down to my entrance.
"Don't ever let another man, or even a woman, make you feel insecure ever again."
"I won't," I whispered, arching my back as she pushed two fingers inside me.
"And coming from someone with more experience, protect your heart as best as you can. But when that special someone comes knocking one day, don't be afraid to let your guard down."
"O-Okay," I nodded, dropping my head against the tub and rocking my hips back and forth.
.....
Very early the next morning...
My eyes snapped open once I felt a hand caressing my cheek. It was dark, so I couldn't see, but I knew exactly who it was. And I cringed when the lamp flickered on.
"Come on," he said, placing Storm's keycard on the nightstand. I groaned and tried to turn away from the light, but I ended up bumping into Storm. Luckily, she was facing the opposite direction. She was also sound asleep, so she didn't budge.
Rowan pulled the covers from my body and went to get my clothes. I felt a little cranky, so I just closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep.
"Amira?" He spoke softly, grabbing my right thigh and my right arm to pull me to the edge of the bed.
"Why did you leave?" I asked, sitting up. If I remember correctly, Rowan left when Storm was giving me the tour. He mentioned that he would be back in the morning, and that was when she gave him the keycard.
"Did you miss me?" His question had me rolling my eyes as I turned to face him.
He then helped me with my bra before slipping my dress over my head. I didn't need my thong or my jewelry, so he simply stuffed them into his pockets.
"I don't have my shoes," I yawned.
"I saw them downstairs." He tugged me to my feet.
"Do I have to put them on? I'd rather walk barefoot."
"No, I'll carry you before I let you walk barefoot." Rowan then turned off the lamp. And once we got to the elevator, he did just as he said he would—easily sweeping me off my feet. I honestly could've worn my heels and been completely fine, but it felt nice to be in his arms.
I'm gradually learning that not all men are assholes, and I couldn't help but gaze up at Rowan as he carried me through the quiet lobby.
.....