Happily Ever Afterlife (3 page)

“Yeah, like a date.” Her blush returned, but she smiled through it.

“Say yes,” Saylor and Tessa both yelled.

“Uh, sure. Okay. Should I pick you up?”

Tessa sighed in relief. She’d started to think trying to set Michael up was just a waste of time.

“Did you plan that whole thing?” she asked, shooting a pointed look Saylor’s way.

He shook his head. “Honestly, I was just trying to make the poor guy laugh, but hey, whatever works. Right?”

She knew they’d done the right thing when Michael returned to work and actually initiated a few greetings to his coworkers. That night, she felt even more positive when Michael spent an hour cleaning his dingy apartment – the take-out cartons finally meeting the trashcan. His improved mood continued over the next several days.

When date night was upon him, Michael took extra care shaving and styling his hair. He even ironed his outfit. Tessa didn’t know he knew where they kept the iron, much less how to use it on his clothes.

“This boy is thinking he might get some tonight,” Saylor remarked. “And I can’t imagine anyone turning him down. What a hottie!”

Tessa couldn’t argue. Michael always did clean up nice. The seemingly haphazard spikes of his dark hair made him look daring. Nothing looked sexier to Tessa than his ass in a pair of well-fitting jeans, and tonight, matched with a plum colored button-down shirt to set off his green eyes, he looked absolutely sinful.

At the appointed time, Michael waited outside the art gallery for Lia. His nerves showed as he kept looking at his cell phone to check the time. He wasn’t the only one. Tessa was nervous for him. She’d witnessed firsthand what a bonehead he could be when thrust into an uncomfortable situation.

The way he acted on their first date, it was a wonder they’d ever had a second, much less got engaged. He continually repeated himself. The poor guy had no control over his motor skills, knocking over the display of cup sizes at the movie theater and smacking her in the ear as he tried to sneak his arm around her. When he leaned in to kiss her goodnight on her doorstep, he turned his head at the last minute as Tessa’s neighbor stepped into the hall, and she ended up kissing his neck. But he’d been worth blundering through that unforgettable night. The man finally kissed her like it was his only purpose on Earth, and after that moment, Tessa was his.

At eight on the dot, a cab dropped Lia at the curb and Michael awkwardly took her hand and led her inside the gallery.

“Did you want something from the bar?” Michael asked after dropping their things at the coat check.

“A white wine would be nice. Thank you.” Lia followed behind as Michael worked them through the groups of mingling people.

At the bar, Michael inspected Lia from top to bottom, lingering on the square neckline of her little black dress where her cleavage threatened to spill over with each breath she took. “You look beautiful, Lia. Thank you for inviting me out tonight. It’s good to get out of the house.”

Lia’s gaze dropped to the floor, her cheeks pinking with the compliment. “You look pretty handsome yourself,” she said, finally peeking up at him. “I’m really glad you came. I’ve kind of had a little crush on you for a long time – ever since you first started coming into the bistro with your girlfriend.”

“Awk-ward,” Saylor sang as Michael choked on his scotch. “That should be covered in dating 101. Never bring up the dead girlfriend.”

Tessa watched anxiously for Michael’s reaction, and he surprised her by remaining cool. The only sign he was uncomfortable was the way he slammed back his drink and immediately ordered another. In fact, he acted remarkably smooth, and alternately it was Lia who seemed to have taken the role of buffoon for the evening. More than once, Tessa saw her dribbling wine down her chin and laughing too loud when Michael told her he thought she was cute.

“I’m kind of shocked,” Tessa said. “Michael is more into confident women. Shy and clumsy isn’t really his thing. He said my confidence is what drew him to me. He said he liked a bigger girl who carried herself well.”

“He sure is pounding those drinks, so maybe that’s his way of dealing with a woman he’s not all that attracted to,” Saylor said. “At this rate, she’ll be carrying him home.”

Tessa noticed that too, but figured he was just trying to take the edge off so he wouldn’t be nervous. “Oh please. Not attracted? He’s practically drooling over her.”

Michael wrapped Lia’s elbow in his fingers and led her through the gallery, his third scotch in his other hand. Lia introduced him to her artist friends and Michael presented himself as the ideal date, confident and comfortable with each new acquaintance – so unlike the Michael she knew.

“It’s like he’s wearing a mask,” Tessa told Saylor as Michael led Lia away from the milling people to examine a wall of ink sketches. “Like he’s hiding his true self from her. That can’t be good.” Not to encourage a budding relationship, anyway. Tessa worried that Michael’s only intention was to get through the night so he could escape back into his hidey-hole life.

“Well, whatever it is, he playing it off sexy as hell. Have you seen the looks he’s getting? He’s captured a few libidos, and it’s still early.”

Away from the crowd, Michael slid his hand up and down Lia’s inner arm as they studied one drawing. Tessa’s eyes wanted to bulge out of their sockets when she saw he was stretching his fingers to slide along the curve of Lia’s breast.

Lia’s nipples stiffened in response, and she sputtered, “It’s, this one – there’s so much detail. It’s so realistic. It almost looks like a photograph. Just beautiful.”

Michael turned his gaze on her, his eyes a little glassy. “You’re beautiful.”

Lia averted her gaze and led them to the next drawing. The color in her cheeks doubled when she saw the image was a nude, the woman’s legs splayed open, her fingers just at the edge of her folds.

“And we have liftoff.” Saylor chuckled, pointing at Michael’s growing erection.

Michael moved to stand behind Lia, his arms circling around her waist and pulling her close. “It’s like a budding flower, just waiting for a lover to pry the petals open.”

Tessa and Saylor burst out laughing, but Lia’s gasp was clearly audible, and Tessa didn’t miss that her legs appeared to turn to jelly, or that Michael pulled her closer.

“Damn, this guy’s as smooth as a baby’s butt. No wonder you were so stuck on him,” Saylor said, trying to stifle a giggle.

Tessa shook her head. Her Michael was far from smooth, and she had to wonder where he found this new confidence. “They barely know each other. They’ve spoken what? Just a handful of sentences, and here he is, damn near grinding on her in public!”

“Yeah, lover boy better ease up before he gets them tossed out.” Saylor sighed. “My husband was an exhibitionist, too. I can tell you, he got us thrown out of more than one affair.”

Taken aback, Tessa blinked several times. Saylor had never mentioned his life, even though he seemed to know so much about hers. “How did you die?” she asked as they trailed Michael and Lia to the next display.

Saylor shrugged. “Your basic head-on collision. We’d just been married, and Jason had one too many cocktails at our reception. We were on our way to a cabin we’d rented in the mountains – with a gorgeous lake –” he reminded her of their first conversation, when he’d revealed his love of lakes, “– and his eyes were on me instead of the road. Poor bastard has to live with that every day.” Saylor’s eyes looked a little misty before they glanced away.

“I’m so sorry. How awful.”

Shaking it off, Saylor continued. “No matter. I had to come back and help Jason move on, too, so I was the obvious choice to help you with your Michael.” He stared at Tessa for a moment. “At least we got to say our I-dos, and no one can take that away.”

Eventually Michael and Lia rejoined the crowd, their lust-filled moment left at the back of the gallery. Michael resumed his mission of slamming two drinks for every one of Lia’s. Before long, his hands began to wander Lia’s body again. She responded with equal longing, her shyness from earlier long gone.

“Do you want to take me home?” she asked, pulling him away from a group he’d been telling about his work, all while fondling Lia’s behind.

“Thought you’d never ask.” He grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the coat check.

“Well,” Saylor clapped his hands, “I guess we’re jumping in the deep end!”

Tessa shook her head, frustrated that operation find-Michael-love had morphed into operation get-Michael-laid, but she wasn’t sure if she could or should stop it.

Before Lia had even finished giving the cabby her address, Michael was on her, hands groping, his tongue prying its way into her mouth.

“Damn, this boy doesn’t waste time, does he?” Saylor asked.

“Or words, apparently.”

“Oh, don’t be catty. The man has needs – needs that he’s been stuffing away because of you. Let the guy get lucky.”

Tessa shrugged, trying to remind herself of the endgame. So what if Michael wanted to screw someone else. It wasn’t like he wouldn’t choose Tessa if he had a choice. “I’m not squeamish. I grew up on a pig farm for Pete’s sake. Not that Pete,” she added at Saylor’s raised eyebrow. “I just think they’re moving really fast.”

“Ten bucks says he’s in her panties in less than a minute,” Saylor said from his squished perch beside Michael.

Tessa, trying to put more distance between herself and a panting Lia, cocked her head to the side. “You have money?”

“Figure of speech, Princess. Of course I don’t have money, but what else am I going to offer to bet? Fluffy clouds, just for you?” He rolled his eyes and Tessa flicked his cheek. “Sheesh, the girl can pick anywhere on earth and she chooses a flippin’ cloud.”

Michael groped Lia’s breast through her dress, his fingers coming to squeeze a peaked nipple as he trailed kisses along her neck.

“No, no, first he’s got to give her titties some lovin’ before he moves on to her panties,” Tessa said, trying to match Saylor’s candor.

“Huh uh, our boy’s a multi-tasker.” Saylor nodded toward Michael’s hand as it slid along Lia’s inner thigh, slowly making its way under her dress. If Lia’s impassioned moan was any indication, his fingers found their mark.

“For a gay guy, you sure know a lot about a straight guy’s moves.”

“I told you, Princess. A guy is a guy, is a guy. We all want the same thing. Well, kind of the same thing. Sex. We want to fuck, plain and simple. Straight guys usually move a little slower, but this guy’s blowing through all the yellow lights tonight.”

Apparently, Lia wanted the same thing. She trailed her fingers along Michael’s thigh until she found his rock-hard erection. Michael groaned when she dug her fingers along his length.

The cabby cleared his throat, glancing in his rearview mirror, but the lovers in the backseat seemed oblivious to everything but each other. Michael had now created two giant wet spots over Lia’s nipples, unable to move her dress out of the way. Beneath her hem, his hand twisted and thrust.

“If they aren’t careful, they’ll be done before they even get to her place,” Saylor said.

“Nah, Michael can literally go all night. He doesn’t even get soft after he comes. The guy’s a freakin’ phenom.”

That had Saylor’s attention. “No shit?”

Tessa nodded. “No shit. He could fuck me senseless, have me begging him to stop. A girl can only take so many orgasms before she needs to pass out. Or pee.” They both cracked up.

“Lucky girl. Damn lucky girl. And Lia’s about to get damn lucky, too. Or does alcohol dull his abilities? He downed more than his share back there.”

“If anything, it’ll take him longer to come. But he’ll be able to keep it up and keep going.”

“Nice.”

Michael pulled his fingers from under Lia’s dress. Even in the dim light of the cab, Tessa saw the way they glistened with wetness. He brought his fingertip to Lia’s mouth and traced over her bottom lip several times before devouring it with his own.

“That was fucking hot!” Saylor said.

Tessa didn’t argue. “Really fucking hot.”

After that, Lia was on his lap, grinding her hips into Michael, humping him through their clothes, right up until the car came to a stop and the cabby coughed. Michael pulled some bills from his wallet and tossed them at the driver, urging Lia out the door as he did.

The two tumbled up the stairs to her apartment, both eager to reach the privacy and passion ahead. No sooner had Lia unlocked her door than Michael pushed her through, slamming it closed behind them with his foot.

He unzipped her dress as he moved her backwards, until he had her pinned against the wall. When he yanked the material over her shoulders, the dress fell in a pool at their feet. Their mouths were a frenzy of biting and sucking whatever flesh they could find. Neck. Ear. Chin.

Michael lifted her breast from its nest in her bra, exposing the skin to the air, her nipple to his mouth. The bud hardened under his swirling tongue while her fingers tangled in his hair, urging him to continue his feast. “Jesus, Lia, you are so fucking sexy,” he mumbled around his mouthful.

Tessa shifted anxiously. “Should we be watching this?”

Saylor arched an eyebrow. “You got something better to do? Someplace else to be?” When Tessa sighed, he rolled his eyes. “Come on. It’s like free porn.”