“We were running up and down a field, he didn’t have time to flirt.”
“I guess so.” I laughed. “Let’s be real, Liv. What he was doing was the opposite of flirting.”
“He was just being a typical macho jealous guy.” Liv rolled her eyes. “Trust me, he’s into you. Even Xander thinks he’s into you. Though he still hasn’t told me that he told you that Aiden was a Dom.” She looked annoyed. “And I hinted around it as well.”
“Oh, Alice.” I shook my head. “You’re not meant to know, remember?” I played with my hair for a few seconds and then continued talking. “And Xander really does think Aiden’s into me?” I asked hopefully.
“Yes.” She grinned. “Though he also thinks Scott and Henry are into you, too. Oh and that other guy as well, what’s-his-face.”
“Who is what’s-his-face?”
“Jackson. The one guy who kept trying to tackle you.”
“Oh, the tall guy with the crooked nose and bleach-blond hair?” I made a face. “I swear he was trying to grab my tits.”
“Yup, him.” Liv laughed. “He tried to do that to me, too, and Xander elbowed him.”
“Oh, Xander!” I laughed.
“Yeah.” She giggled. “I love it when he acts all jealous. Anyway, back to what I was going to say. This is the perfect opportunity for you to mention that you’ve always been interested in experimenting.”
“Experimenting?” I frowned. “With what? Drugs?”
“No, silly.” Liv laughed and shook her head. “Experimenting in the bedroom.”
“Oh.” My face went red. “You think I should tell him I want to know what it’s like to be a sub?” I bit my lower lip. “Isn’t it too soon for me to be bringing that up?”
“Yes, it’s too soon. No way should you mention anything about wanting to be a sub.” She shuddered and made a face. “That’s way too obvious and honestly, I don’t want to think of you and my brother in a Dom and sub relationship.” Her voice grew as melodramatic as it had the morning after game night when I’d told her what Xander had told me.
“So what should I say?”
“Just say something like, you’ve always been intrigued by couples in alternative lifestyles and you wish you could meet a man who could possess and dominate you.”
“I’m not saying that.” I gave her a look and laughed. “In fact, there is no way in hell I’m saying anything close to that. That’s just as bad as me talking about being a sub and him being a Dom.”
“I think it sounds good,” Liv said with a sigh. “But fine, maybe say, I wish I could meet a man that likes to take charge.”
“Eh.” I groaned. “That just sounds like I’m asking him to take me to the bedroom.”
“Don’t you want him to do that?” She winked at me.
“No, I do not want him to take me to the bed after I’ve made a comment like that. That would just be because he thinks I’m begging for him to jump my bones.”
“Aren’t you?”
“Well, yes.” I laughed. “But I don’t want him to jump my bones because he thinks I’m some sort of sex fiend, begging to be taken and dominated by him.”
“He’s not going to think that,” Liv said. “Trust me.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not saying that. I’ll think of something.”
“Wear something sexy as well.”
“Liv, how am I going to wear something sexy? It’s not like I can wear some sexy teddy, since you’re going to be there as well.” I shook my head. “Liv, come on now.”
“I know, I know. I just want you guys to get together so badly.” She rubbed her hands together excitedly. “Could you imagine? We can go on double dates and on trips together.”
“That would be cool,” I agreed. “What does Xander think of all of this?”
“I don’t know.” She made a face. “I’m still upset that he told you not to tell me that Aiden is a Dom.”
“He’s just trying to protect you.”
“I guess, but I mean, come on, why can’t I know that my brother is a Dom?”
“Please don’t tell Xander I told you.” I was worried that Liv would tell Xander, and then Xander would be mad at me and then he wouldn’t provide me with any new information about Aiden. And I needed new information on Aiden as much as a coke addict needed coke, maybe even more than that. And I knew that Liv wasn’t going to be the provider of any real and useful information about her brother.
“I won’t.” She made a face. “Now back to your outfit—what are you going to wear?”
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “I don’t want to be too obvious. Especially because he has a girlfriend.”
“He doesn’t have a girlfriend. He just went on a few dates with that girl.”
“He went on a few dates?” I said quickly. “How do you know?”
“Well, I only know about the one,” Liv responded. “But I assume they went out more than once, right?”
“I guess.” I groaned. “Why does that ho have to be after my man?” I looked at Liv’s giggling face and groaned again. “I’m horrible, aren’t I? I bet she’s a great girl and here I am calling her a ho. She’s nothing like a ho.”
“Oh?”
“She went to Dartmouth for undergrad,” I said quickly. “And she has a pet dog and a hamster and she enjoys playing racquetball.”
“Huh?” Liv’s eyes widened. “How do you know all that?”
“Google is my friend.” I laughed. “Plus, she has a blog where she talks about her life.” I rolled my eyes. “And she has photos of Frodo, her hamster, and Blackie, her dog.”
“Please don’t tell me her dog is black.”
“He is.” I nodded and giggled. “Who calls their black dog Blackie?”
“So unoriginal,” Liv agreed. “She has to go. You’re much better for Aiden.”
“Yeah, right. I doubt he thinks so.”
“He’s an idiot,” she said and pulled out her phone as it beeped. “Okay, that was Aiden, he’ll be here at seven-ish.”
“Oh my God. What am I going to wear?” I squealed. “And does he know I’ll be here?”
“Of course he knows,” Liv said. “Where else would you be?”
“Yeah,” I said weakly. “Where else would I be?”
***
I waited at the coffee shop two blocks away from our apartment for Liv to text me to let me know that Aiden had arrived. We’d decided that I wouldn’t be at the apartment when he arrived. Instead, I’d arrive back home about thirty minutes after he arrived and talk about my hot date.
I have to admit I felt like a bit of a tart, sitting in the coffee shop in my short black mini-skirt and short white top, with my red push-up bra and high heels. I could see an old man in the corner of the store staring at me, his eyes moving up and down my body as if I were a fine piece of art that was to be looked over microscopically so that he didn’t miss any tiny details.
I sipped on my now-cold latte and stared at the screen on my phone, hoping that Liv would just hurry up and text me. Already I was regretting the lies I was going to be telling Aiden when I arrived back home. I wasn’t even sure he’d believe me. I mean, who goes for a date in a black mini skirt and arrives back home at 7:30 p.m.? I knew that when I arrived back home, he was either going to think I was a whore or a liar, and I wasn’t exactly pleased with either of those options.
“Good evening, ma’am.” A deep voice sounded next to me, and I looked up to see the old man standing beside me. I tried not to cringe as I smelled him and looked into his wrinkly face. He looked even older than I’d thought before. He was in his late sixties and had scraggly grey hair and a missing tooth.
“Hello,” I said lightly, my voice coming out as a squeak.
“How much, then?” He sat down in the chair across from me and winked.
“Sorry?” I frowned and turned my face slightly to the right. He really did smell bad, like rotten eggs.
“How much?” he said again and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. “What does twenty get me?”
“What does twenty get you?” I repeated dumbly. Yes, I just might be the dumbest and most immature twenty-two-year-old in the world.
“A blowjob or some titty action as well?” His voice lowered and I gasped.
“What?” I stood up, feeling enraged. “Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?”
“Uhm?” He looked around with a somewhat frightened face, which I thought was ironic. Wasn’t I the one who should look frightened? He was the one coming up to me and acting as if I were a prostitute.