Cindy’s personal assistant was waiting for me when I got off the elevator. She introduced herself as Rachel and asked me to follow her. She rattled off a bunch of facts about the news station and the building as we walked. “Here you go,” she said, stopping outside a set of etched glass double doors. Rachel knocked twice then opened a door for me. “Good luck,” she said.
“Thank you.” I entered the room and admired the expanse of the space and the view of the city it offered, but I found the furniture and decorations to be a bit too modern for my liking. I thought it could use some rich woods to break up the black, chrome, and glass, but it wasn’t my workspace. It was a little bland to be honest, which surprised me.
Cindy Rollins stood from her chair and walked around her desk with her hand extended. “It’s good to meet you, Josh.” She was almost as tall as Gabe and was dressed to kill. I loved the intricate way her hair was braided and how she twisted the braids into a low bun on her nape. The lavender color of her suit looked amazing with her dark coloring. Cindy’s firm grip was all business, but her smile was warm and welcoming.
“It’s good to meet you too,” I replied. “I’m excited to be here.”
“You didn’t sound too convinced on the phone,” she said, resuming her seat behind her desk. I changed my mind about her office decorations. The understated scheme allowed Cindy to be the focal point of the room.
“Honestly, starring in a news series wasn’t something I ever planned or even thought about, but the idea has grown on me. I…” A knock on her door interrupted me.
“Come in,” Cindy called out before she added, “Tabitha is joining us.”
I stood and turned to greet Tabitha, and my eyes widened in shock. “Oh dear Lord, girl. What have you done?”
“Not doneis more like it,” Tabitha said, cringing while she covered her garish roots with her hands.
I turned back to face Cindy. “You called me based onherrecommendations with her hair looking like that?” I asked. Cindy’s throaty laugh over my question warmed my insides and bolstered my confidence to relax and just be… me.
“Tabitha,” I said circling back to face her. “Root tip number one: never pull your hair back into a ponytail when you are weeks—possibly a month—past a root touchup. You might as well write ‘Look at my roots’ across your forehead when you do that.”
“I know,” she said. “I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had the time to schedule an appointment.”
“I can’t have this, Tab,” I told her. “We need to resolve this issue immediately. When can you see me? I’ll squeeze you in.”
“How about now,” Cindy offered. “Did you happen to bring any supplies and equipment with you? We have some here, but…”
I held up my hand to stop her. A master never worked with someone else’s tools. Luckily for Tabitha, I came prepared as hell. I had no idea what my interview would entail and brought a lot of things with me. I didn’t bring hair color, but my wholesaler was in the city. All it took was a phone call, and they delivered what I needed to the station. I retrieved the rest of my items from the trunk of Princess and set up in the mock salon in the studio.
By the time I finished with the hair emergency fix that doubled as an interview, I had landed myself a segment on Channel Eleven that would begin filming after we finished the series on weddings. Cindy said the camera loved my face and she loved my personality and talent. She wanted me to film three segments each week where I gave tips on hair and makeup, provided makeovers, and tested out new products. The great part was that I could film all three segments every Monday and it wouldn’t interfere with my schedule at the salon.
I was excited to see Gabe and tell him the good news, but I wasn’t too excited that I forgot to stop by Kinky Kim’s on the way home to get Gabe’spunishmentdevice. There was no way in hell he would be prepared for what I had in mind for him.
Gabe was home in the bedroom waiting for me when I got home, wearing nothing but a cocky smile. “What’s in the bag?” He waggled his brows when I held it up for him to see. “Kinky Kim’s, huh?” He rubbed his hands together gleefully. “Of course, I’m not sure why I’m in trouble. It’s not like I took them up on their offer, or even was tempted by it, for that matter.”
I set the bag at the foot of our bed and slipped my thumbs beneath my suspenders and ran them up and down the length, causing Gabe’s nostrils to flare. “Baby, you’re notreallyin trouble, I wouldn’t be scheming to blow your mind if I was mad at you. Just maybe you tell me when stupid shit happens because it always seems to get back to me.” I reminded him of running into Paul at the club. “I’m not talking about random dudes who give you the eye, but if it’s guys you’re working closely with…”
“Not closely,” Gabe said. “Besides, Paul wanted you too.”
“What?” I asked in disbelief. “Get out of here.”
“Okay, but can I wait until after I see what’s in the bag?” He gave me his puppy dog eyes and batted his lashes. “Seriously, I cut him off before he could finish because I knew where the dumbass was going.”
“Huh,” I said, perking up a bit.
“Oh, so now it’s okay,” Gabe said accusingly. “I will never share you, Josh.”
“Who said I wanted you to?” I asked him. “It’s just a little flattering. And Sneaky Silver? What’s this about him flashing his cock at you?”
“He flashed Dorchester too,” Gabe said, causing me to raise my brows.
“Those Cincinnati boys are kinky,” I said. Gabe laughed and told me how it all played out. I couldn’t help but chuckle when he told me about John telling Silver to put his gun away too. The twin brother remark wasn’t as funny, but I couldn’t stop my brain from wondering what the answer was to the question.
“No, they’re not identical,” Gabe said with a wry smile because he knew what I had been thinking.
“So, there’s no way Jonathon took over Nate’s identity?” I asked.
“Definitely not,” Gabe said emphatically. My mind immediately began to work out the differences between their two cocks.Length? Girth? Both?“Cut and uncut,” Gabe said, answering my unvoiced question.
