The bartender brought the check, and though Gordie grumbled, I handed him a twenty for my drink plus tip. No way would I let him pay for me. Gordie slapped down his platinum American Express and scowled at me.
“I’m happy to pay.”
“I’m happier if you don’t.”
He scrawled his name and stuck the receipt in his suit jacket pocket.
“Ready?” He gave me a crooked smile. Guess all was forgiven.
“Yeah.” I stood and let him put his arm around me, mostly to keep him upright. “I think you need a cab.” Together we pushed through the front doors and stood outside. At this time of the evening, there weren’t many people about. The stores didn’t stay open late, and all the office workers had already left for home, making the financial district somewhat of a ghost town. I knew some people claimed it was the new hot spot to live, but it had no vibe, no life in the evening.
Gordie laid his head on my shoulder. “Why don’t you like me, Frankie?”
“I do like you.” I tried to soothe him. “You’re a nice guy. Let’s try and find you a cab.” I steered him toward Water Street, where I knew the traffic was more frequent.
“I am. I’m really nice. See?” With surprising strength, he pushed me into an alley a few steps from the bar and pinned me up against the brick wall. It caught me completely off guard, his lips against mine, his body covering me. Petrified, I remained frozen for a moment before trying to twist away from underneath him.
“Stop it. No.”
“You don’t mean that, baby. You’re so sexy. So hot. I know you want me.”
He clamped his hand on my jaw and held me, the brick digging painfully into my head and back while he stuck his tongue down my throat. Adrenaline rushed through me, and with tears stinging my eyes, I shoved him away and smashed him across the face.
“What the fuck was that for?” A red splotch blossomed across Gordie’s cheek where I’d hit him. “You know the score. I was only having fun.Ow.” He touched his cheek. “That hurt. What’ya have to hit me for?” He swayed in front of me and took a step closer. “Gimme a kiss, and we’ll call it even.”
I had to get out of there before he grabbed me again. “You bastard. I said no. That fucking means stop.” With all my strength I kicked him in the ass, sending him sprawling to the ground as I hurried by him. The train station was on the corner, and I sprinted to it and down the steps, not stopping until I’d put myself on the other side of the turnstiles. My heart pounded, and all I wanted to do was cry at my naïveté.
I could hear Aaron now:“What the fuck did you think would happen, Frankie? Of course the guy thought he could fuck you.”
This time his anger at me would be justified. How stupid was I? The train rushed in, and I found a seat in the corner. I leaned against the wall, my thoughts drowning out even the jarring noise of the subway car racing over the tracks.
Pull it together, Frankie. You’re strong. You did nothing wrong. He knew you had a boyfriend. You gave him no signals. You. Said. No. Full stop. It wasn’t your fault.
Perhaps not, but I’d learned a valuable lesson. Trust no one and keep out of bars. From now on, I’d do my research online and by reading. And if nothing else, I’d picked up that tip about the pharmaceutical company. With Wi-Fi service available in the stations now, I wiped the half-dried tears from my cheeks with the heel of my hand and took out my phone. When I managed to get a signal, I looked up the names of some pharmaceutical companies. Some of the stock prices were low enough that I could buy a substantial number of shares. If what Gordie had said was true—since we were still friendly at that point, I had no reason to doubt him—I could make my parents and myself a substantial profit.
I had to switch trains, but the commute gave me plenty of time to do my research, and by the time I walked through my front door at eight thirty, I was hungry. The food needed to wait, though, because after everything that had happened earlier, I needed to shower and scrub away Gordie’s touch.
Clean and dressed in a fresh T-shirt and leggings, I felt better. I figured Aaron would be hungry as well, so I breaded some chicken cutlets and sautéed broccoli rabe. The simple act of chopping onions and tomatoes and mincing the garlic forced me to concentrate on something else besides Gordie’s hand locked on my face. I touched my jaw and moved it side to side. A bit tender, but luckily, when I inspected myself in the mirror, there were no bruises. No way could I tell Aaron what had happened. Not if I wanted him to stay out of jail.
The cutlets sizzled in the pan, and the aroma of the impromptu marinara sauce perfumed the air with garlic and oregano. I heard the key in the lock, and then Aaron walked in smelling of fresh air. Unlike earlier in our relationship when his sour mood entered the room before he did, his face lit up when our eyes met. Those strong shoulders of his looked so damn comforting, I turned off the stove and ran across the living room to fling myself into his arms.
“Hey, baby. What’s wrong?” He massaged my back, holding me close. I had everything I wanted, and it could’ve all been lost because of a stupid decision.
“Nothing,” I said into his neck. “I missed you, and when you walked in I wanted a hug. Real bad.”
Aaron did one better and picked me up, flipping me over his shoulder, fireman style. He held me there, his large palm circling over my butt cheeks, and I grew hard at his simple touch. When we reached the sofa, he sat, but remained holding me in his arms.
“You okay?” His mouth brushed mine, but it wasn’t enough. I needed more. Icravedit.
“I am now. Kiss me.” I dragged his head down so our lips touched. “Please.”
The warmth of Aaron’s lips met mine, and I moaned, eager to have him wash away the ugly earlier memory of Gordie’s mouth on mine. But Aaron wasn’t in a mood to be hurried, and his tongue leisurely traced the shape of my lips, then slipped in between the seam to sweep inside. We dueled, twisting around each other, and I climbed on top of Aaron, my arms wrapped around his shoulders, shifting my position until I sat on his lap. His thick bulge pressed against my crotch. He cupped my ass and ground our pelvises together.
“Fuck, baby. I’ve had a hard-on all night for you, and this is like icing on the cake, coming home and having you so hot for it. For me.”
“Only you.” I couldn’t think. I had to set my brain on autopilot, or else I’d be back in that alley with Gordie shoving his tongue down my throat. Instead, I drowned myself in the sweetness of Aaron’s silky-smooth tongue and ran my hands over his hard body. “Off, take it off.” I tugged at his shirt, and when Aaron pulled it over his head and tossed it to the side, I sucked his hard brown nipples, flicking the stiff tips, scoring them lightly with my teeth. Aaron moaned, and I watched his face soften and flush pink with passion.
“Goddamn.” He clutched my ass and thrust upward, grinding his cock into mine. “I don’t know what’s come over you tonight, but bring it on.” He hooked his fingers in the elastic waistband of my leggings and drew them down. I stood for a moment and tore off the rest of my clothes.
