I reach into my carry-on to grab my notebook to continue working on the campaign. As I pull the notebook out, a red lace thong falls out onto the floor. I quickly snatch it up and thankfully, I don’t believe that anyone saw it. That little brat left me a present in my bag. She was fun. Very obedient, too. I wonder if I can find someone like her back home. I tuck the thong back in my bag for later and finish the campaign. I can’t wait to see what new characters everyone will be roleplaying as 30 minutes down with 5 hours to go.
3. Cassie
Iam so relieved that I have been to this airport before because it is gigantic. Thankfully, I arrived at 12:47, and Lucian said he should be out front by 1. To pass the time, I start mindlessly scrolling through my phone. My mind is all over the place. I have many plans for us today, and then this weekend, I have an event with a guy I have been seeing for the last few months. His name is Theo. Theo Elliot Blackmore. This man radiates power. He is rich and strong, which is not what I usually go for, but things change. After Lucian left, my boyfriend, Mark, broke up with me, and I hit rock bottom with my confidence level. So, I decided to try some new things. I started exploring a new world that I never really knew about, and that is where I met Theo.
I haven’t told Lucian about him yet, though. Lucian is very skeptical of any of the men I’ve been interested in. I can practically hear his voice when he used to judge any of my Twitter matches. “Too short. Too hairy. Ugh, tool bag. He must still live with his mom. Fuck boy. Too sensitive." I swear, I'm beginning to think he felt no man was good enough for me. He absolutely hated my ex-boyfriend, Mark. Mark wasn't abusive or anything like that; he was just very opinionated. He disapproved of my apartment, living alone, having a friend group, and hobbies like D&D. He especially didn’t like Lucian. That was the final straw. No one will ever come between mine and Lucian's friendship. We are basically a package deal.
I’ve told Theo about Lucian and Me’s friendship. He joked that he disliked sharing, but I assured him Lucian and I were just friends. Theo and I aren’t technically exclusive, even though I haven’t seen anyone else. I have asked him several times what we are to each other, and his answer is always the same, “You are mine, Cassandra.” Yet, we haven’t met one another’s friends or family. We only spend time together on the weekends, either at his Manor or at the club, and go on the occasional date. Plus, when we first started this, there was literally a contract involved, and it was supposed to be just for fun. It’s all really confusing. Honestly, I might not even tell Lucian yet. I need to figure out whether Theo is my boyfriend or not. Because if I tell Lucian about Theo, I will have to tell him how we met, which will lead to him finding out about my secret life on the weekends. That is a conversation I do not want to have.
Giving up on mindlessly scrolling through my phone, I shoot Lucian a text to let him know that I am out front. I look out the window and see everyone coming out, meeting with family members or drivers with their name cards. Then I see him. Looking dashing as always, but he looks different. His dark hair is longer, and he even styled it. His jaw is more defined, and holy hell; his muscles fill out his button-up shirt better than ever. He must have gone to the gym a lot while in California. He even makes his glasses look hot. He looks like a sexy businessman now, far from the nerd I dropped off nine months ago in this very spot. Hold up. I do not think Lucian is sexy. He's a good-looking guy, but I've never described him as sexy.
As he gets closer to my car, his eyes meet mine. His big brown eyes look darker now, almost black. It's almost like my dream from last night. Shit, that tingly feeling is all over again from picturing my mystery dream man fucking my brains out. Shit. Shit. Shit. My cheeks are warm, and I can almost guarantee theyare bright red from the thoughts racing through my mind. Snap out of it, Cassie!
“Cassie! I’m proud of you for making it here on time!” Lucian jokes as he opens the back door, throws his bags in, and climbs into the passenger seat. He leans over, hugs me, and kisses me on the cheek. “I’ve missed you so much! Life wasn’t the same without you!”
I hold him tight. God, he smells good. I missed him so much, and now that he is home, I don’t ever want him to leave again.
“I’ve missed the hell out of you. No more abandoning me. Your boss is just going to have to let you do all your work from here!” I let him go and instantly feel emptiness. Weird.
When he pulls away, he has a questioning look on his face, no doubt from the crimson all over my cheeks and the heat his lips must have felt.
"I still can’t believe you made it on time. You must have left an hour earlier than you were supposed to." He says with a wink. I gently slug him in the shoulder.
"I can be on time for important things, plus we have a schedule to maintain if we want to get through all the stuff I have planned for today." I defend myself. He has a look on his face that I can’t seem to read. Why does he seem so different?
"Sure, but can we stop by my apartment first so I can shower the plane funk off of me." He asks. I roll my eyes as we pull away from the curb.
“Hey! Don’t be a brat.” He jokes and nudges me on the shoulder. A brat?
“I am not a brat!” I snap back.
“Yes, you are. You just rolled your eyes at me. Complete brat!”
“Fine, whatever. But make your shower quick; we have reservations to make.” How dare he call me a brat.
“Ooooh, now you are concerned with a schedule.” He laughs as he relaxes in the seat. I smile and sigh. It feels so good to have him back in my life again.
4. Lucian
Something is definitely up with Cassie. When I pulled away from our hug, she acted awkwardly, as if she didn’t know me. I’ve been gone less than a year, and I don’t think I have changed that much. I have a bit more muscle and longer hair, but I’m still me. Maybe she has changed since I’ve been gone. She seems a little different; I can’t put my finger on it. She still looks the same, the same old clothes she’s had since we were in school. I don’t know why, but it feels like her personality is different.
Her brown hair blows slightly in the wind from the open window. I grip my thigh to resist reaching over and brushing the hair out of her face. Ah, her piece of shit car. It’s a 2007 Ford focus. Do you know what Ford stands for? Fix Or Repair Daily. Ha! I’ve missed this thing, though. The heat and AC don’t work. The back driver-side door can only open from the outside. And if you try to recline in the passenger seat, you fly back so fast you get whiplash. Looking back, I see there were so many good times in this car. Going for fast food at midnight, then sitting in a parking lot talking for hours and hours. I recall my favorite memory, though, when we decided spontaneously to go upstate for the weekend and camp. We got lost and decided to pull over on some random back road. There was no signal, and our phones were dying. We were freezing, so we huddled in the back seat together for warmth. She snuggled up to me, resting her head on my chest as she slept. I stayed up all night just listening to her cute snores. I thought about ignoring the boundaries of ourfriendship that night. I know we tried it back in high school, and it felt wrong, but we were in our 20s by then. I sometimes wonder what would have happened had I let curiosity get the best of me.
I brush the thoughts away as we pull into the parking lot of my apartment. Ahh, home sweet home. The sounds of tires screeching, horns honking, and dogs barking. Yeah, California had the same sounds but wasn’t the same. As she shuts off the car, I reach across the center console and grab her hand.
"I’ve missed you, Cassie. It wasn’t the same without my best friend by my side. Now that I am back, we can return to how things were. Just you and me. Lucian and Cassie vs. the world. We can start doing weekly D&D at my place again, too. I even have a new campaign I've been working on." Her eyes light up like I just gave her a check for a million dollars. She’s a sucker for D&D.
"Thanks, Lucian. I’ve missed you too. More than you can imagine. It’s been so boring without my partner in crime. Now hurry up and go shower so we can get back on schedule. You are going to love where we are going to eat.”
She steps out of the car and comes to my side to help me with my bags. I spin her away from the car, pulling her body flush against mine for another hug. I forgot how short she is. I’m able to tuck her right under my chin. Her body is warm and delicate. I tilt my head to rest it on top of hers. Her hair smells like honey and vanilla. I inhale her intoxicating scent, and a low, feral growl escapes my throat. I cough to try and cover it up. Shit, I hope she didn’t hear that. Why does this feel so different? I’ve hugged her thousands of times, and not once has it made my cock spring to life like a horny teenager. Her scent is making my mouth water. Why is this making me desperate to kiss her? To press her against this car and kiss her deeply.
Ok, it's time to break this hug before she feels how much I’ve missed her pressed against her hip. I pull away and my body already misses the feeling of her against me.
"Let’s get going because the smell of flying coach is all over me. " I laugh as I sling my bag over my shoulder.
Glancing back at her, she hasn’t moved from where we were hugging. She smiles up at me as my eyes meet hers. I am definitely jet lagged because, for a second, I swear I see a look on her face that I am no stranger to. That heated look of desire. The one some people get before they rip each other’s clothes off. But it is just my imagination. That is a road I could never go down with Cassie anyways. She’s too innocent and fragile. I would break her, and I would love it.
5. Cassie
