Authors: Jessica Gadziala
“Hey,”
Shay's voice broke in, glaring at Chase. “She's wasted. Back
off.”
Chase
smiled up at her. And I knew her protectiveness had won him over.
“That's
Ava's...” Jake broke in, touching Shay's lower back, “friend,”
he decided, looking at us. “It's fine. She's fine,” he
said, leading her away.
“I
like Shay.”
“She's
good people,” I murmured, feeling tired. I scooted closer to
him, resting my head on his chest.
“Who
is Dr. Bowler, babe?”
“She's
my shrink. My other shrink. She's good people too,” I said,
eyes getting heavy. “Even if she's right.”
“Right
about what?”
“But
I think she might be wrong. But maybe not. That's how it works, I
guess.”
“How
what works?”
I
shook my head, taking a deep breath. His arm went around my back,
keeping me close. I snuggled my face against his shirt. “This
is my spot,” I declared, tapping his chest with my hand.
His
other arm went around me, his lips kissing the top of my head. “Yeah,
baby, it is,” he agreed.
“Safest
place in the world,” I murmured, drifting slowly off to sleep.
I
woke up to banging noises, having the same effect as bombs in my
aching brain. I groaned, opening my eyes to find the apartment
painfully bright.
“Hey
there sleeping beauty,” the voice attached to the chest I was
laying on said.
I
shot up, disoriented, looking up. “Chase?” I asked,
blinking at him.
“Yeah,
baby.”
And
then it all came back. Shay. Getting dressed. The club. Dancing.
Music. The alcohol. Oh, the alcohol. Then being back at the
apartment. Picking up my phone...
“Oh,
god...” I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “Please
tell me I didn't say anything stupid.”
“No,
babe... you fell asleep almost as soon as I got here.”
But
the message. The phone message. What the hell had I said? Something
about Dr. Bowler being wrong. It didn't feel fake. Okay. That wasn't
too bad. I could live with that. Blame it on the booze. Pretend I had
no idea what he was talking about if he brought it up.
“Why
did you come?” I asked, looking up at him. I was pretty sure I
hadn't invited him. Or even said where I was.
“I
heard you yelling at someone to stop touching you. He didn't seem to
get the message. So I just wanted to make sure you were okay. If I
had known what a guard dog Shay is, I wouldn't have been so worried.”
“Hey
us gals got to stick together,” Shay called.
My
head snapped up, to find Shay standing in my kitchen, makeup cleaned
off, looking fresh and somehow rested, wearing one of my tank tops
and a pair of my pajama pants. And what was even more shocking, was
that Jake was next to her... helping her... cook.
“Okay,
I think I woke up in some different dimension,” I grumbled. I
looked around, expecting to find a mess everywhere, but all was neat.
Neater than I had left it even. Someone had actually... cleaned?
“Jake
and I got up early to clean for you. I know you like things neat,”
Shay supplied, noticing my inspection.
“That
was really sweet,” I said, meaning it. “Wait... did you
say
Jake
got up early and... cleaned?”
“Yeah,”
she said, shrugging like it was no big deal.
“Did
you have him at gun point?”
Shay
snorted. “Girl, all you need to handle a man like him is a
sharp tongue and a withering stare. Boy got sisters. He's trained to
obey.”
“She's
not wrong,” Jake agreed.
“Then
how come you never do what I ask?”
“Because,”
Shay answered for him, “you can't
ask
. You tell.”
“I'll
have to keep that in mind,” I said, getting up slowly, pulling
the dress down where it had ridden up high on my thighs. “Alright.
I need to go get some less... binding clothes,” I said, taking
off to my room. I had just dragged some clothes out of my closet when
I heard my bedroom door open and close. “I'll have the dress
cleaned for you and bring it to work on Monday,” I said,
expecting Shay.
But
then I turned and saw Chase looking gorgeously disheveled in his
wrinkly suit. “Hey baby,” he said, leaning up against the
closed door.
“Hey,”
I said, feeling uncertain, grabbing my towel and piling it with my
clothes.
“Turn
around,” he said.
And
there was the little flip-flop feeling in the belly.
There
was nothing hotter than bossy Chase.
So
I turned around.
And
then I felt his fingers tracing the heart shaped cutout in the back
of the dress. I shivered under the sensation.
“You
look so sexy in this dress.”
Oh.
My.
“Thank
you.”
His
hands moved up my back to my shoulders, pressing into the muscles,
aching from sleeping in such an odd position. I melted back into him,
my head rolling to the side. And then his lips were right underneath
my ear, kissing a line down the side of my neck and across my
shoulder. “Okay, you should stop that,” I groaned.
“Why?
Are you getting wet for me, baby?”
Fuck
yeah, I was.
“Yes.”
“Good,”
he said, moving upward and biting my earlobe. “I want you
thinking about me every minute until Monday night. And every time you
think of me, I want you to be wet.”
So,
he said that.
And
it was fucking hot as hell.
“Think
you can do that for me?”
Not
a problem.
“Yes.”
“Good.
And when you get to my office,” he said, his nose grazing my
neck, “you are going to be wearing a dress.”
“Why?”
“Because
I am going to push you up against the wall, rip off your panties,
lift your skirt, and lick your clit until you are begging for
release.”
Well,
that was certainly a good reason to wear a dress.
I
swallowed hard. “Anything else?”
“You're
not allowed to touch yourself at all until then.”
So
he wanted me to walk around unbearably horny with no relief?
“Okay.”
“Good
girl,” he murmured, then moved suddenly away from me, making me
stumble. “Now go get showered. Shay and Jake are almost done
with breakfast.”
Oh
my god.
He
was staying for breakfast? With me? And my friends?
Oh,
lord.
Jake
was bound to say something completely inappropriate. Actually, for
that matter, so was Shay. And Chase was going to be there to witness
it. I made my way to the shower, nervous at the entire prospect.
Would he find them funny? Offensive? Would he try to, like, analyze
them?
At
the same turn, would they find him stiff and calculated?
I
scrubbed off my makeup, took a few aspirin, brushed my teeth
mercilessly, then hopped in the shower. There was really no reason to
be freaking out about how they would get along. What did it really
matter? He was my shrink. They were my friends. Soon he wouldn't even
be in my life anymore.
I
tried really hard to ignore the pang that came with that thought as I
toweled off and got into my jeans and white t-shirt.
I
opened the door to seeing all three of them sitting at the table,
laughing.
And
I felt the most ridiculous surge of relief that it was almost
embarrassing.
Chase's
head turned, as if sensing me, and smiled, patting the chair next to
him.
Oh,
my poor heart.
He
was really going to hurt me.
And
soon.
Sixth
Session
I
knew I was going to be confronted. Shay kept looking at me all day,
but we found ourselves unusually busy, having to work through lunch
and not getting a moment to even think about gossiping.
Breakfast
had gone well. Too well. Everything was light, funny. Shay told her
wild stories, Jake pitched in. We all discussed how we met, all but
me and Chase. Jake had expertly turned the conversation right when
Shay was about to ask. Thank god for him, because I had no idea how I
would handle that. Jake and Shay jumped up to clear the plates and do
the dishes and Chase excused himself, touching my hip at the door and
whispering, “Monday. Seven. Dress,” before he left.
And
I knew Shay had been dying to ask since the second she saw him show
up and cuddle me on the couch.
I
planned to freaking book it out the door the minute the clock struck
five. I already had enough on my plate with my session later. I
didn't need her stress on top of it too.
“Not
so fast,” she caught me as I rounded her desk, head lowered.
I
could pretend I didn't hear her. Or didn't know she was talking to
me. But that seemed petty and childish. “What's up, Shay?”
“Who
was that
di-vine
man you were all lovey dovey with this weekend?”
“I
was not...”
“Oh,
girl. Who do you think you're talking to? I know a woman who is all
tied up when I see one. Who is he?”
Oh,
god.
Normally,
I would sidestep the issue. Or even lie to save face.
But
Shay was quickly becoming a close friend and while I didn't have too
much experience with close friendships, I was pretty sure lying
wasn't part of the equation to a successful one.
I
looked around, watching people mill out, some still sitting at their
desks. Some chatting.
“Aight,”
she said, standing, “let's take a walk and you tell me.”
“Actually,”
I said, looking at her, “I need to buy a dress. Want to help?”
“Only
if I get a dick description.”
“Fine,”
I grumbled.
“Girl,
I knew it!” she accused, shaking her head at me as she put on
her jacket.
A
few minutes later, trapped in a store I had never been in before, but
Shay had insisted on, I took a deep breath.
“Have
you ever heard of a sexual surrogate?”
“Ava,”
she said, her tone dead serious, “there ain't nothing about sex
I don't know about. What about sex surrogates?”
“Chase
is one.”
“Oh,”
the breath whooshed out of her mouth.
I
turned, so shocked to see Shay speechless that I couldn't help but
laugh. “Surprised?”
“No.
I mean, yes. But no. That man oozes some sexual confidence. So it
makes sense. Ava,” she said, leaning closer and I felt my
stomach clench, “why are you seeing a sex surrogate?”
I
glanced around quickly. “I can't have sex. I've tried. But I
like... have massive panic attacks and completely zone out during the
whole thing. I honestly couldn't even tell you what it feels like,”
I admitted, and felt like a weight got lifted.
Shay
nodded, looking kind and accepting. “I'm glad you're seeing
someone then. Sex is way too good to miss out on.” She flipped
through a few dresses, scrunching her nose up at all the ones I was
silently considering. “Wait,” she said, turning back to
me with a hand on her hip. “Why the hell is he showing up at
your apartment if he's just a surrogate?”
“I
called him,” I admitted.
She
gave me a sly smile, shaking her head, moving to a different rack of
(much sluttier) dresses. “So why do you need a new dress?”
“I've
been with him for five sessions and they like... grow in...”