Waking up next to Lex will forever be the best thing ever. How is it even possible to be so happy? How can someone cause so much delight?
I'm awake first, so I can unabashedly ogle him for a moment. I take my time following his features' familiar lines, memorizing them all. He's on his back, the duvet up to his midriff, his powerful upper body exposed to my adoring eyes. I'm lying on the side against him, my head resting on his shoulder, a leg bent over one of his.
The flutters in my chest and belly are unequivocal. I am in love with him, mind, body, and soul. He makes me complete, even though I never realized I was missing something. With him, I'm whole.
When he wakes up a few minutes after me, the satisfaction and delight in his gaze as it meets mine send my heart into a frenzy.
"Hi," I whisper, kissing his shoulder and resting my head there, our eyes still locked.
"Hi."
"I was thinking... I know you have your morning habits, but today feels like a pancake kind of day. Do you want me to make some for you?"
"Mmm, pancakes sound great."
He brings me against his warm body before seeking my lips again. We kiss for a moment, tenderly and lazily. I eventually push myself away from him to get on with my objective.
"Okay, just stay here, and I'll take care of breakfast."
He mumbles something that sounds like an agreement, and I sit on the side of the bed. Because I'm terrible at resisting my impulses when it comes to him, I twist, grab his face, and drop a series of quick but intense pecks on his lips.
He reaches out for me to get more, but I swiftly move away from his greedy hands and get out of bed. I snatch his discarded shirt and slip it on. Once at the door, I turn around and see him rolling on his stomach to hug the pillow under his head, ready to get back to sleep.
On my way to the kitchen, I stretch my arms and back, feeling less sore than I usually do after a night with him. Is my body getting used to him? I'm more flexible now, even.
I cook us a feast worthy of our nocturnal performance. We have pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, smoothies I made from scratch, coffee is brewing, and I also make a fruit salad. In the household I grew up in, food is a significant way to express affection, a love language in itself. This succulent breakfast is my love letter to Lex, my way to repay him for the best night of my life. For all the best nights of my life, actually.
I'm just done putting everything on a gigantic tray when I see him come into the living area, only wearing a pair of light gray sweatpants. Damn, that very visible bulge in there is incredibly appealing. And the set of abs above is just as tantalizing, the deep V at his hip pointing straight to his tempting crotch.
I'm so stunned by the vision he offers that it takes me a few seconds to realize my breakfast-in-bed plan is ruined.
"I told you to stay there," I remind him with a pout.
"I thought I shouldn't let you do all the work. I changed the sheets and put some order in the bathroom." Oh, right... We got carried away before our shower, and the intense slex we had on the marbled counter left a mess. A smile bends the corners of his mouth upward when he sees the trays. "Were you going to bring me this in bed?"
I nod, not hiding my disappointment.
"Damn, I would have loved that. It's not too late. I can get back in there," he suggests with a witty smile. I giggle at his apparent excitement.
"No, it's alright. Especially if you changed the sheets. We can eat it here."
He pulls me into his embrace, his hands resting on my waist, his eyes radiating affection. "I'm sorry, Andrea. Just the thought of you in my kitchen," he starts, one of his hands reaching for the hem of the garment, "wearing my shirt—"
"Poor thing... That's why you didn't put one on?" I tease.
"Yes," he humors, his hand moving up along the smoothness of my hips. Soon, he gets to where my underwear would be if I were a good girl. "Give it back."
His attempt at getting me naked makes me scoff. "You need a better wardrobe if that's your only shirt."
"And you need to cover yourself better if you don't want me fantasizing about your sweet and naked pussy. You made it impossible for me not to join you here."
With that, he bends and takes my lips, hungry and demanding. I don't fight him, but when he pushes me toward the counter, I say, "Baby, the food will get cold." He ignores me and lifts the shirt to my waist before propping me on the counter. "Lex, it's better when it's hot."
"Don't I fucking know it," he replies, his agile fingers grazing up my intimate folds. Fuck... I'm already wet. He rubs gentle circles around my waking clit, and all notions of breakfast vanish.
The shirt is discarded on the floor next to him, and he gazes down at my breasts, his irises darkening with desire. My insecurities kick in despite everything we shared, and I instinctively cover my exposed mounds. Lex grabs my wrist and easily pries my arm away.
"Don't hide from me, Andrea. There isn't one part of you I don't find thoroughly perfect, including your breasts."
"You're the first person ever to like them."
I'm not fishing for compliments, only speaking the truth. My areolas are too large for the overall size of my boobs and a little puffy. While the general shape is rather round, they're so small that it doesn't even matter. I know what I have to offer, and it was never enough for other men. Three bluntly pointed out I was too flat for their tastes, and two asked if I ever considered breast implants.
"I don't get people then," Lex argues. "I like how your nipples are smooth and a light shade of brown like now, but when I do this," he says, bending to take one in his mouth. My breath catches in my throat as he bites, sucks, and licks the sensitive tip. "When I do this, they get small, dark, and hard. I like how they move when you're riding me or when I'm taking you hard. I like how they fit so well in my palms," he continues, covering both of them with his hands and fondling them gently. "But I think what I like the most is that they are attached to you. I love them because they are yours."
"And a little yours, too."
The reminder that I'm his is enough to make him lose the little restraint he has left, and he kisses me like a starving man, desperate to own me. An elegant "ding" comes from the coffee machine, reminding me of the meal I cooked.
"Lex, baby..." I whisper, framing his face to force him to meet my eyes. "Brunch first, please."
Not only am I starving, but I also want us to enjoy all I cooked to the fullest and not eat it cold.
"Then you can have as much of me as you want," I offer.
He makes a sound halfway between a huff and a groan, then lowers to pick up the T-shirt. "Let us eat, then, so I can eat you."
***
It might have been a little ambitious to think we'd be up for sex after our gargantuan meal. Neither are at capacity to fuck, so we migrate to the couch instead.
We end up sprawled on it together to watch The Fellowship of the Ring on his amazing theater system. He doesn't have a TV in the living room, but he has a screen that rolls down from the ceiling and a 4k projector. The sound installation is terrific too, and it feels like we're right there with Frodo and his merry band.
To my delight, Lex seems to enjoy the movie greatly, his focused expression somehow adorable. I'm lying on the couch with my head on the armrest, my legs resting over his lap, a box of candies at arm's reach—those are from his sister's visit, and I don't have to share since he doesn't like them.
I'm wearing a pair of comfy shorts and a hoodie from him that I stole. The room is warm enough to forgo a blanket, so when Lex spontaneously rests his hands on my legs right in front of him, his large palms graze the skin directly.
Everything is so natural, and cozy, and wonderful. We never felt like a couple as much as we do right now. This is the kind of intimacy I aspire to have with him, the sort of comfortable easiness I want us to share.
A surge of tenderness takes over me, and I push myself up to grab his attentive face. I give him an intense peck on the lips before lying back down.
"What was that for?" he asks, slightly disoriented.
I love you.
"Nothing. Keep watching." He shakes his head with a light laugh and returns his attention to the screen.
After a few minutes, when Frodo and Sam leave the Shire for their quest, Lex's hands begin to gently massage and graze my legs, spreading delightful shivers. Fuck, I want this for the rest of my life...
At points, he gets too engrossed in the movie and stops, only to distractedly resume after a few seconds. When he doesn't, I wriggle my legs to get him back on track. He gives me an amused glance every time and returns to his task.
As always when his strong hands are on me, my arousal slowly builds up, but I do my best not to let it show. Even when he gets more adventurous and grazes the tender skin of my inner thighs. The poor candies become the target of my frustration, and their number rapidly decreases. Why did I choose the longest movie ever?
I cave in right after the chaotic Council of Elrond halfway through the movie, and a perfect cut for a pause. "We're taking a break," I decide.
"Everything okay?"
"Don't act like you're not perfectly aware of what you're doing to me, Coleman."
His not-so-coy smirk proves he knew all along, indeed. "You can't even watch a movie without having me?"
"Can you?" I retort, pressing my calf harder onto his crotch, where his dick has been hard for a while.
A broad smile stretches his lips as he pauses the movie. He yanks one of my legs on the other side of him and leans to cover my body with his, gifting me with an urgent kiss.
"You taste like candy," he says with amusement. He seems to like that, as his tongue then intently explores the inside of my mouth. Needy, I send my hand between us to slip it under the elastic of his sweatpants, wrapping my fingers around his hardened length.
"Fuck, your hand is cold."
"And you're so hard already," I whisper, licking his upper lip. He groans and thrusts into my palm.
Clearly, we're still far from having satiated all our wants and needs for one another, and although we're actively working on it, we still have some way to go.
Lex is pulling down the zipper of my hoodie when my phone vibrates next to me. Someone's calling me. Worry invades me when I see Kate's picture. She never calls, and she knows I'm spending the weekend with Lex.
He hasn't noticed my sudden mood change and is dropping passionate smooches over my exposed breasts. "Lex, wait," I say, straightening up. He stops immediately and watches as I pick up the call. "Hi, babe. What's going on?" I ask Kate. She answers with incomprehensible gibberish, upset and crying. "Wow, slow down, Kate. Tell me what's happening."
Lex moves away from me entirely, understanding it is serious, and I sit straight on the couch, anxiety wrenching my guts. Kate is a rock, always so strong and confident. I never heard her like this.
"He filmed us. He filmed us, and he's going to send it to everyone I know," she explains, pure panic and dread in her voice.
"Who filmed what, Kay?"
"Stefano. He's got a video of us having sex." Her ex? What the fuck is going on?
"Babe, are you sure it's true?"
"He sent me a few seconds of it. Andy, he can't do that. It'll ruin my life, my career..." Her panic and how scared she is wrecks me. That fucking piece of shit, waste of air, Italian fuck. My blood boils with rage. No one touches Kate. She's my baby. No one can put her through this and get away with it. We're each other's ride-or-die, and I won't let anyone treat her like that.
"Can you... Can you hack into his phone? Can you remove the video?" she begs.
I can't, but I know someone who might. "Did you tell anyone else about this?" I ask her.
"No, I've been curled into a ball for three hours. You're the first person I'm calling. The only one I can trust with this."
"Okay, you stay put. I'm on my way to you," I say, standing up.
"Wait, I don't want to interrupt your weekend. I know you were looking forward to it."
"It's okay. Lex and I will have other weekends," I reassure her, sending him an apologetic look. Touched by the confusion on his face, I gently graze his jaw.
"Deedee, I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry, babe, it's not your fault. It's that fucking Italian prick. You stay home; I'll be there in a few hours." After a few more reassuring words, I hang up.
"What happened?" Lex asks
"Her ex has a sex tape of them, and he's threatening to leak it," I explain, fidgeting with my phone. "I'm sorry, I can't leave her alone in this situation."
There's a moment of silence, and I carefully watch the expressions passing through his face. "I understand," he eventually says, still disheartened. "I'll drive you to your place."
I give him a sheepish smile—a pitiful consolation—and hug him tightly. "My God, you're perfect," I say, half of my face plastered against his chest as his arms enveloped me. "I swear I'll make up for it."
"I'm sure you will. I was rather enjoying the moment."
"You mean the movie?"
"I don't. But I enjoyed the movie too," he playfully retorts before giving me a quick peck. "Now go get ready. You have a friend to rescue."
After one last look full of silent apologies, I disappear into the corridor, already regretting having to go. But Kate is more important right now.
Lex and I have time. Loads of it.
My best friend doesn't.
***
Kate lives in a small suburban house in the neighborhood we grew up in. As I drive through the familiar streets, I realize how much I missed it. In a little over two months since my move to Seattle, I haven't been back here. I talked with my parents, abuela, and Kate a lot, but it's not the same.
I park in her lane, behind her baby blue Mini Cooper, and quickly exit my Ford before taking my bag in the trunk and locking the car. The few steps to the patio are quickly ascended, and as I'm about to knock, the door swings open.
Kate stands behind it in pink pajama shorts and a flimsy white top, with red and puffy eyes. We instantly fall into each other's arms. A series of sobs overwhelm her as I hold her tightly in my comforting embrace. We stay like this for a while as I whisper reassuring words in her ear.
"I'm so sorry this is happening to you, Kay. I swear, he won't get away with this. I'll take care of it."
Little by little, her breathing returns to normal. When I sense she's well enough, I let go of her after one last squeeze. We move inside, and she locks the door behind us.
Her house isn't overly large—two bedrooms and a home office—and it's very nicely decorated. Kate has a whole Scandinavian aesthetic going on, with soft and elegant pastel tones. Although it isn't for me, I always found it cozy and homely, and it suits her very well.
"I'm so sorry I ruined your weekend," she says with a disappointed expression.
"It's okay. Lex was fine with it. He practically wanted to drive me here," I reassure her. Upon remembering the pile of rust that is my car, he offered that option. Several times.
"I didn't know who else to turn to. Nobody can know about this."
"It's okay. I'll always be here for you, blondie," I insist.
I'm just settled on her light teal sofa when Mr. Fluffybutt comes from his hiding spot to greet me. The old, overweight, lazy Persian has been with Kate for over sixteen years. He's her loyal companion, the one male in her life who would never leave her. He and I have a love-hate relationship since he never forgave me for waking him up from a nap with a garden hose when I was eleven. But he grew fonder of me over the years, and his old rancor shifted into indifferent acceptance. Nothing too crazy, though.
So when the white fur ball jumps directly on my lap, I'm properly shocked. Unsure of what to do about this unusual display of affection, I turn to Kate, stunned.
"Yeah, I told you he wasn't doing great lately," she says with a mirthless smile.
"No, it just took him fifteen years to forgive me," I counter, petting his soft fur. Mr. Fluffybutt lies down on my thighs and starts purring. "What does Stefano want exactly?"
"He wants to get back together. That woman apparently meant nothing to him, and I'm overreacting."
"Yeah, you can't do that."
"Oh, trust me, I know. I'm so done with his bullshit."
"I swear, babe, I don't know how you keep picking the worst possible guys."
"They aren't like that at first. They're perfect, kind, considerate, and charming. But then it shifts; so slowly that you barely realize it. And when you do, it's too late. You're dating a possessive jerk. Stefano was a great guy until he wasn't. He was so good with me at first, treating me like a princess, and I still can't believe it's the same man doing this to me now."
"You need to find yourself a solid and decent guy."
"I'm trying, you bitch," she retorts, a faint trace of humor in her voice. "We can't all be as lucky as you and end up working for Mr. Perfect."
I blush slightly. "He isn't Mr. Perfect. He's just perfect for me. And we were talking about you. It's more important right now."
"Oh please, I just need a distraction for a few minutes. I've been thinking about Stefano all day, and I need to change my mind a little. We'll get back to it later. So, how is it going with Alexander?"
"Your advice to sleep with him to get him out of my system backfired monumentally."
"Of course it did, you moron."
Her smug expression tells me she always knew things would turn out this way with Lex. "But—you—you said it would work," I stutter, half-amused and half-scandalized.
"First of all, I said it might work. Secondly, I said whatever you needed to hear to take that leap. I saw you two together and knew there had to be more to this."
"You manipulated me?"
"I know how blind and stubborn you can be, you cretin."
"So you made me sleep with him?"
She snorts, unimpressed. "I didn't make you do anything. I suggested it, and you very much went for it on your own. And why are you even arguing about this? Are you pissed that I pushed you to try, you ungrateful brat?"
I shake my head, struggling to hide my contented grin.
"Now, thanks to me, you finally have a good boyfriend."
"He's not my boyfriend."
"Oh, did you two elope already?" she teases.
"Will you just shut up," I protest, hiding my flushed face. It's ridiculous how when we're together, our personalities regress to our dumb teenage selves.
Kate stays silent for a moment, studying my face carefully. Before I can figure out what she's onto, her face lights up. "Oh, my God... You're in love with him!"
It isn't a question, so I don't answer, and denying it would be pointless. "Have you told him yet?"
I shake my head, wondering if I should mention I was very close to doing it a few times. I don't want to tell her I worry he doesn't love me back, that it might scare him, that he'd just remind me he isn't the relationship type...
"Are you planning on telling him at some point?" Kate carefully tries. I nod, and she smiles. "When?"
"When I'm sure."
"Of what?"
"That he feels the same way."
"Aw, Deedee... If I were him, I'd be on the verge of proposing at this point."
"But you love me for sure, so you don't count. Can we get back on track, though? We need to handle your problem, Kay."
At the mention of the Stefano debacle, we both fall silent for a moment. Only the regular purring of Mr. Fluffybutt on my lap continues as I distractedly pet him.
"I still can't believe this fucking prick filmed you."
"Me neither. It looks like he taped us from the bookshelf in his room. I'm feeling so violated, Deedee. The worst part is, if he had asked, I might have agreed to do it. Can you imagine? At least I can't hate myself for allowing him to film us. All I can do is hate myself for dating him in the first place."
"We should have seen it coming. I mean, who wears that much gel in their hair? Clearly someone mentally imbalanced," I say. She always knew I hated him since I was pretty vocal about it in the past. But this isn't an I-told-you-so moment, so I don't remind her of that.
Kate giggles and throws a pillow in my direction, which I whack mid-air to protect the cat. She turns herself into a tight ball as she always does when stressed, with her knees against her chest and arms around her folded legs. "He did wear too much gel, didn't he?"
"Absolutely. The first time I saw him, I remember thinking you could put a dictionary on his head, and nothing would move."
"One of those big ones, with thick pages and hardcovers." We laugh together softly, and silence slowly settles in the room again. She lays her temple on her knees. "Andy, what am I going to do?" she asks, despair making her voice crack.
"We're going to find a way. We'll brainstorm together and get the video back, all the versions of it, and also make him pay for what he did to you."
"He knows the law in and out, Dee. I don't want you to be in danger because of me."
"I won't. You know the law too. And we're smart as fuck. We can figure something out. You already thought about going to the cops, I imagine?"
"I've seen firsthand how they treat women who come in with a broken arm and a black eye. I don't even want to imagine how little they will care about my case. And Stefano said he'd leak it if I do."
Even a few minutes of it on the internet could damage Kate's reputation and social life. It's unfair how women get so hurt by leaked sex tapes, but the fucking pigs who spread them in the first place usually come out of it unharmed.
"My biggest worry is that he saved it somewhere, and even if he deletes something in front of us, he can still have it elsewhere and use it at some point," I explain. I have no way of knowing how many copies of it exist. For all we know, he can even have burned it on a DVD and hidden it in a book.
"Maybe we could—" Kate starts as my phone rings in my pocket.
"Sorry," I grimace, struggling to reach for it because of the obese cat on my lap.
He jumps out of my lap anyways, and my eyebrows come together when I see my mom's face on the screen. I take the call and put the phone to my ear.
"Hola, mamà, how are you?"
"Andrea Grace Walker! ¿Qué hice para merecer una hija como tú?" she yells in my ear. What did I do to deserve a daughter like you?
"What?" I ask, confused. Why is she pissed at me right now?
"Susan just passed by Kate's house, and she told me she saw your car there."
Mrs. Temple, that gossipy snitch...
"Mom, I'm sorry. Kate has an emergency. I'll come tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? ¡Por Dios! We haven't seen you for six months, and when you're finally back, you can't even come to the house?!"
I roll my eyes so hard, I'm pretty sure I glimpse at my brain. "Mom, it's barely been two months, and Kate needs me."
She finally catches something's wrong, and her attitude changes entirely. "Oh, no... Is she okay?"
"She will be," I say, looking at my best friend with hope.
"You two are coming home tonight. You'll get a nice, warm meal, and you girls can sleep in your bedroom like you used to."
"Mom, I don't think she's up for a pajama party right now." Kate understands what's happening, so she nods enthusiastically, urging me to accept my mom's offer. "Oh, actually, she...wants to come?" I carefully reply. I set the phone on my chest, ignoring my mom's exclamations of joy, and turn to Kate. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, my God. Anything to get out of my head right now. And I miss your mom's cuisine."
I put the phone back to my ear, ready to negotiate the modalities of our detention. "Okay, mom, I just arrived from a long drive, so we'll stay here a bit and then come to you."
"You will be just as good here. Oh, Tyler is thrilled to know you're coming. Your dad, too. And your abuela just pretended she doesn't remember who you are since you never call her."
I look at Kate, who still needs to get ready, and myself, still wearing Lex's hoodie. Or my hoodie now—it's one of the unwritten laws of dating.
"Mom, we'll be here in thirty minutes. I can't do better than that," I offer.
"Okay. I'll prepare your bedroom while mamá works on dinner."
"Oh, MC is cooking," I enthusiastically whisper to Kate.
"Ugh, even better!"
Alright, we can do this. We'll head to my parents' place, feast on my abuela's food, and then devise a solution.
Stefano has no idea what's coming at him. I don't either, but I know it'll hurt.