Fresh Cut Romance (6 page)

I pulled the sheet back down. "Julian. I'm so sorry about your sheets. We should get them off and put them in the washing machine right away."

"Okay, let me put on my briefs."

He turned away from me and sat up at the edge of the bed. Feet on the floor, he reached down, apparently picked up the briefs and tugged them up. When they were to his knees, he stood up and pulled them hastily in place. Nevertheless, the two second vision of his tight, sexy buns was burned in my mind and replaying over and over.

The fact that I'd been virtually naked last night in front of this man allowed me to overcome my innate timidity. As Julian padded to the closet and tossed on a robe. I jumped out of the bed and started removing the sheets. It must have surprised Julian, for when he turned back toward me his eyes grew large and round. "No Laurel, you should stay un…" He rushed to the lamp, took my bra off the shade and after he tossed it to me, turned away. "I'm going to fix us breakfast. Your panties are on the footboard. After you put them on, you'll find another robe in my closet. Or if you prefer, you can wear one of my shirts.

I did, and donned one of his white shirts. Then I spied my overturned purse on one of the two chairs in the room. Half the contents had spilled out including my cellphone. I picked it up, opened the cover and dialed my sister.

"Hello sis. Did I wake you?"

"Yes you did. What time is it anyway."

I glanced at the alarm clock. "It's almost seven. Aren't you usually up by now?"

"Yeah, but I got to sleep late last night. Don't worry, I need to get up anyway. What can I do for you?"

"I'm not sure, but a lot has happened and I need to talk with you. I don't want to talk about it over the phone. Can we meet sometime today?"

"Can it wait until tomorrow? Remember, Seth's mother is taking the kids then."

"I'd rather not." I paused to think, then an idea flashed through my mind. "How about if I make reservations for Loving Touch Spa's for later this morning. Can you get a babysitter?"

"Sure. I'll see if she can watch them today, too. If not I'll handle it. Oops. I have another call coming in. Let me put you on call waiting."

"No, wait Tess, I'll see you at Loving Touch Spa's at eleven, unless I call you back. Okay?"

"Okay, baby. Bye. I love you."

"I love you too. Bye?"

Chapter Five—Loving Touch Spa

"The most precious possession that ever comes to a man in this world is a woman's heart."
- Josiah G.

Q
uickly, I switched to the incoming call. "Hello?"

"It's me. I can't talk long or loud. She's in the bedroom."

"Calm down Julian. Tell me what happened."

"Everything went just as you thought it would. That was a good touch with the blood. How did you do it?"

"Just pricked my finger. If everything went fine, why do you sound in a panic?"

"I didn't say everything went fine. I said everything went as you said it would, however, there's one catch. Since she doesn't remember any of our lovemaking, she wants to do it again,
for real!"

"That's great. Enjoy yourself. Make it official. Just don't get my baby sister pregnant."

"No! As much as I'd love to have sex with your sister, I'm not going to stoop so low as to make love to her through trickery. That would be dishonest."

Hmmm, The man has character.
"We already tricked her. What about that."

"Yes, we did, but it was your idea and I went along because it's for her own good."

"You mean for your own good. Don't you?"

"What."

"Never mind. Tell you what Julian. I'm supposed to meet Laurel at your sister's Spa. Is there a coffee shop nearby where we could meet?"

"There's a Denny's a couple blocks east of there."

"Perfect. See you at ten. I have to go now. I need to find a babysitter, quick."

* * * *

As I walked into the kitchen, Julian was putting the phone back in its cradle. "Who were you talking to?"

He seemed to be in thought, running fingers through his mane. Looking at me, he snapped his fingers, "Breakfast. Oh, I had to tell my secretary, Connie, something." Then he bounced over to the refrigerator and pulled out a package of frozen hash browns, four eggs, cheddar cheese and ham. After carrying the items to the cooktop, and bringing two frying pans up from the lower cabinet, he proceeded to make a giant ham and cheese omelet.

He remained quiet—reflecting, as he fixed our breakfast.

"Is something wrong?"

He glanced at me, reached out to my hand and pulled me into him. "Heck no everything is perfect." He kissed me on the forehead, the nose and finally the lips.

I hadn't put my bra and panties on and was wearing only his shirt. He'd made love to me last night, my first ever, but it didn't feel like it. I wanted to know him intimately. I felt a need to feel him inside. I wrapped my arms around him. "After breakfast I'd like to make love. It may be my second time, but it'll feel like my first time. I need to know what it feels like before
…"

He sighed, "I'd like nothing better, but we wouldn't have time. That's what the phone call was about. I have an important meeting at ten, which I can't miss."

I must have looked disappointed because his fingers gently took hold of my chin as his lips came forward for a kiss. "I'll tell you what. Let me get this business behind me and I'll fix you a gourmet meal tonight. Veal piccata. How does that sound?"

"It sounds yummy, especially, if we reprise last night's activities afterward."

He smiled and waggled his eye brows up and down. "It's a date. Have a seat. Breakfast is almost ready."

* * * *

I'd started my third cup of coffee when Julian finally arrived. Silently, he sat down and I poured his cup full. He put a little cream in and took a sip. I waited, but he said nothing. "Good morning, good looking."

He smiled. "Sorry. I was thinking."

"About what?"

"Your sister. Wh
at else? She has me hornier than a three peckered goat and I don't know what to do. I'm cooking dinner for her tonight and she's specifically requested that we repeat our intimacy of last night." He raised his hands in apparent frustration. "Except we didn't do anything last night."

"And you don't want to have relations with her under false pretenses."

"Right. From the start, I wanted her to want me before we made love and now she wants me, but for the wrong reasons. And I don't know how to get back to the right reasons. Oh hell, it's all screwed up. How the hell am I supposed to know if she wants me for me or to see what she missed?"

"Hmmm. Good point. I foresee another problem as well."

He put his coffee cup down. "What?"

"If you do have sex, you'll perforate her membrane for real and she'll spot, this time the blood will be hers."

His hand ranging through his hair, he asked, "What are we going to do?"

I pursed my lips. "I don't know, but I need to get going or I'm going to be late."

I picked up the check and his hand covered mine. "Leave that, I'll get it."

I stood up and caressed his cheek with my hand. "You'll be good for
Laurel. I hope we can pull it off." I turned and walked out.

* *
* *

I arrived early so I went back and visited Sarah. She just put her customer under the dryer and her next client wasn't due for twenty minutes, so she grabbed my hand and led me to a small employee coffee room. As we poured and fixed our coffee, she asked, "So how was your big night out?"

I'd been opening a packet of Splenda and when she asked, I jerked and Splenda powder went everywhere. Some landed on Sarah. I tried to brush it off, but she stopped me. "Stop it Laurel. It's nothing. Why did you blush? Did Julian hurt you?"

I shook my head earnestly and shrugged. "No, I don't think so. I don't remember last night."

We carried our coffee cups to one of three tables and sat. "Well, at least you didn't have sex with him."

I sensed the heat building in my face.

Sarah must have noticed. "Did you?"

Involuntary, I shrugged again. "I don't remember. Last night is a blur. All I know is I woke up in his bed naked and there was blood on the sheets."

"Oh, my God. You're a virgin. I mean you were a virgin and did it. And you don't remember having sex?"

"I don't remember anything that happened last night."

"He must have slipped you some Rohypnol. I can't believe he'd do that, but that's the only explanation."

"What's the only explanation?" Came a voice from the doorway.

"Oh, hi Jessie." I said.

She nodded her greeting.

Sarah explained, "For the strange situation Laurel found herself in this morning."

"What was that,
Laurel?"

This was so mortifying. I felt the heat coursing through me again. "I woke up in bed with Julian and we were both naked."

A smile formed on Jessie's face. "Well congratulations, you lucky girl."

"That isn't what's strange." Sarah piped in.

"What do you mean?" Jessie responded, defensively.

"She doesn't remember any of it. The date, the sex, nothing. The only explanation is the date drug."

Jessie inhaled deeply as a scowl formed on her face. "My brother would never do anything like that. He doesn't need to. You of all people, should know that."

Now, Sarah turned red.

"Yes, I know of your little fling with my brother. You didn't really think telling the other operators what you and Julian did wouldn't get back to me, did you?"

Sarah, apparently indignant, elevated her chin, narrowed her eyes and spoke through pinched lips, "Nevertheless, she woke up naked and there was blood on the sheets."

"Well, she could be on her period. Are you, honey? Are you on your period?"

I shook my head.

"There was blood on the sheets because she's… she was a virgin."

Jessie's intense eyes glared at me. "Since you don't remember, how do you know you had sex with Julian?"

"He said I was wonderful."

Jessie smiled and threw her head back. "There you go Sarah. If she'd been given the date rape drug, she'd have been like a zombie. She loved it. She just had too much to drink."

I glanced at my watch. Eleven-oh-three. I jumped up. "I hate to leave you ladies like this, but I'm late for my appointment. If it'll make you feel any better let me tell you; I don't feel like I've been raped and I'm sure Julian would never do anything like that."

I hugged Sarah and Jessie. "Goodbye."         

Tess frowned at me as I walked through the spa portal into the waiting area. Sitting in one of the chairs, she glanced at her watch, then sporting an annoyed look on her face, she patted the chair next to her.

Gathering my thoughts, I glanced around the room I'd passed through briefly traveling to and from the boutique, yesterday. There were autographed photos of what must have been a hundred, mostly female celebrities lining the walls. And there was the doorway with a sign that said Loving Touch Designer Boutique.

The receptionist was taking care of another customer so I headed over to my sister. As I started to sit, she spoke sharply, "Ten after eleven. And I busted ass to find a babysitter and get here on time."

"I really wish you wouldn't talk like that."

Her nostrils flared from her obvious annoyance. "Yah, yah, I know. I'm a regular garbage mouth. I forget you get offended so easily."

"It's not me. I've heard you say similar things in front of your children."

She pursed her lips. "Okay, Sister sis. Point taken."

She knows I don't like it when she calls me that
. "Please don't call me that."

Tess frowned deeply. "Boy you're really on edge this morning. What's wrong? What was so important that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

I started to answer when, in an impatient businesslike manner, a lightly accented voice rang out, "May I help you ladies?"

I gazed toward the counter. The receptionist, a middle aged, curly-haired blonde, leaned against it, and drummed long artificial fingernails on the laminate top.

"Yes, sorry, we'll be right there." I rose, then bent down and whispered to Tess, "I slept with him."

As I walked toward the counter, Tess rose and hurried to catch up. In a loud whisper, she asked, "Wait up. What do you mean, you slept with him? Did you have sex?"

After raising her eyebrows, the lady smiled knowingly as I arrived at the counter. Wearing a badge pinned to her chest that read Millie Kosyvich, Assistant Manager, she seemed to appraise me, her eyes giving me the once over.

"Hi. Sorry, we didn't mean to ignore you. I'm Laurel Adams. I made an appointm
—"