Taming Lo: A You and I Novel

Taming
Lo

A
YOU AND I Novel

Melissa
Toppen

Copyright
© 2015 Melissa Toppen

All
rights reserved.

This
is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events

are
entirely coincidental.

Taming
Lo

A
You and I Novel

Written
by Melissa Toppen

Table of Contents

chapter
one

chapter
two

chapter
three

chapter
four

chapter
five

chapter
six

chapter
seven

chapter
eight

chapter
nine

chapter
ten

chapter
eleven

chapter
twelve

chapter
thirteen

chapter
fourteen

chapter
fifteen

chapter
sixteen

chapter
seventeen

chapter
eighteen

chapter
nineteen

chapter
twenty

chapter
twenty-one

chapter
twenty-two

chapter
twenty-three

chapter
twenty-four

chapter
twenty-five

chapter
twenty-six

chapter
twenty-seven

chapter
twenty-eight

chapter
twenty-nine

chapter
thirty

chapter
thirty-one

chapter
thirty-two

chapter
thirty-three

epilogue

Chapter One

Lo

Have
you ever lost yourself? Do you remember how it happened? The moment
when it all came crashing down? Do you remember how it made you feel?
Were you scared? Angry? Did it hit you so quickly that you never even
saw it coming? Did you find yourself incapable of reclaiming the
person you were before it all went wrong?

That's
how it was for me. One day, I was just a girl. Lauren. I was quiet,
innocent, naive. I would lay in bed at night and dream about my
future. I couldn't wait to find the perfect guy, get married, start a
family. Back when I believed that all boys were princes and that
happily ever after actually existed.

I
guess it's safe to say that I learned the cold hard truth eventually.
Though by that time, the damage had already been done. In the blink
of an eye, everything changed. What once felt right, no longer did.
What once felt like home, felt more like a prison. I knew there was
only one way I would ever be free...

I
wish running wasn't my solution. I wish there was another way. But
there simply wasn't. I couldn't take the looks, the eyes that would
follow me everywhere I went, the hushed whispers every time I would
walk by. I was suffocating in my own skin with no hope of ever
escaping.

But
I did escape. I moved on. I healed..... in my own way. And now, I'm
free. But no matter how free I am, a part of me will always feel
trapped. Forever stuck in the past. A past that haunts me. A past
that blinds me. A past that still defines who I am to this very day.

The
innocent girl I was all those years ago is gone. Little Lauren is
just a shadow, a void of things that used to be. Now everyone knows
me as Lo. Resident wild child. The friend that everyone calls for a
good time. I'm a dancer at
Allure,
one
of the most secretive and exclusive clubs in the country.

I'm
not ashamed of who I am. I like sex. Love it actually. Some say I use
it as a shield to hide behind, but those people just don't know me
very well. I get off on getting off and I am not afraid to go for
what I want.

I
don't
do boyfriends.

I
don't
do commitment.

I
don't
do the same man
twice.

These are my rules.

Chapter
Two

Lo

“
Earth to Lo. Come in Lo.” Anna's melodic
voice breaks into my haze and I glance up at the mirror in front of
me to meet her smiling face in the reflection.

“
Sorry.” I laugh, shaking my head and
turning around to face her. “Oh my God girl, you look
incredible.” I breathe, letting my eyes scan the length of her.
Anna has always been beautiful. Flawless really. The kind of looks
that make even the most confident women at least a little envious.
The perfect combination between sex and innocence.

But today she is so much more. Dressed in a beautiful
white gown that hugs her figure perfectly and flows seamlessly to the
floor, she looks every part of what a bride should look like on her
wedding day. Well, besides the small baby bump that is now big enough
that even a mountain of material can't hide it.

She tried to of course, convinced that she was
not
going to look fat in her wedding pictures. But now, I think she has
just embraced that it is what it is and whether she likes it or not,
a baby belly is most definitely going to be photographed.

“
It doesn't look too bad?” She asks,
flicking her eyes to her belly and then back up to my face. I can't
help but laugh, covering my mouth with my hand to muffle the volume.

She pins wide eyes on me and drops her hands to her
hips, cocking her head to the side causing a mountain of brown curls
to fall forward. “It's not that bad is it?” She crinkles
her forehead while examining herself in the mirror behind me.

“
Would you relax?” I laugh again. “You
look amazing.” I reassure her, stepping past her to grab my
four inch silver heels from the floor before plopping down on the
couch to slip them on.

“
I should have picked uglier dresses.” She
pouts, pointing to the teal evening gown that I am wearing.

“
So that's your plan?” I snort. “Ugly
us all up so you don't feel what, so pregnant.” I shake my head
at her, pushing into a stand. “You look amazing. I promise.”
I reassure her again, flipping my eyes to the door when Andrea,
Anna's other Maid of Honor, pushes her way inside.

“
It is extremely hard to pee in this dress.”
She whines, her olive cheeks shaded in red.

“
What the hell were you doing in there?”
Anna laughs, taking in Andrea's flush complexion.

“
I was going pee. I thought we had already
established that.” She turns curious eyes on me and then turns
back to Anna. “It just took a little more effort than I was
prepared for. Next time, remind me not to wear so many restricting
layers under my dress.”

“
As if you need to wear anything under it.”
I shake my head at Andrea, knowing full well that she doesn't. “What
is it with women and feeling the need to wear every contraption under
the sun to make themselves look thinner?”

“
Well we can't all be perfect like you.”
Andrea retorts, sticking her tongue out at me in the process.

“
Perfect, no. Don't care, yes.” I shrug,
turning towards the mirror to pull my long blonde curls into a side
pony, tying it off with a white ribbon and flower that matches
Andrea's hairstyle perfectly. We thought it would be fun to not only
match the dress and shoes, but the hair and makeup as well.

“
What are you two going on about? I am the one
that is getting married in less than twenty minutes.” Anna
pulls the attention back to herself, stepping up next to me in front
of the mirror and playfully pushing me to the side.

“
Um, last time I checked, you were already
married.” I remind her.

“
Technically yes, but it's still my wedding.”
She fans herself in the mirror while taking deep breaths, clearly
getting more nervous the closer the ceremony gets.

“
Yes, and you know what that makes you?” I
ask, draping my arm across her shoulder and meeting her eyes in the
reflection of the mirror.

“
An idiot?” She laughs nervously.

“
No.” I laugh, shaking my head at her.
“Lucky. You get to marry the man of your dreams not once, but
twice. How many people can say that?”

“
She's right Anna.” Andrea pipes in, looking
up from her place on the couch. “Bentley is every woman's dream
and not only did you get to marry him on a beach in Hawaii, but now
you get to do it again at this incredible ceremony. Take a deep
breath. Just focus on him and forget about everything else. You will
be fine.”

“
I love you girls.” Anna turns watery eyes
towards us.

“
Pregnancy hormone alert.” Andrea announces
in a deep voice causing all three of us to burst into a fit of
laughter. It's times like this that I am reminded how blessed I am to
have Anna, and now Andrea, in my life.

“
Ladies.” Rebecca, Bentley's mom, knocks on
the door before poking her head inside of the room. “We are
just about ready. How is it coming.....” She stops mid sentence
when her eyes land on Anna. “Oh Anna. You look perfect.”
She sings, pushing her way fully into the room and crossing the space
towards her daughter in law, taking both of Anna's hands in hers.

“
I'm gonna wait in the hallway.” I say,
feeling like I am suddenly intruding on a special moment between the
two. Andrea nods in agreement and stands, quickly following me out of
the room.

“
So....” Andrea turns on me the moment the
door clicks shut behind us. “Do you have a date for tonight?”
She asks, raising her eyebrows at me.

“
No. Nor do I want one.” I answer quickly.
“Don't worry about me.” I tack on when she cocks her head
to the side to study me. “Just because I don't start the night
off with a man, doesn't mean I won't end the night with one.” I
raise my eyebrows up and down suggestively at her.

“
Oh my God.” She shakes her head and laughs
at me. “You really are as crazy as Anna says.”

“
Thank you.” I smile jokingly at her.

“
Seriously though, is it true?” She asks,
her eyes locked firmly on my face.

“
Is what true?” I laugh, having no idea what
she is talking about.

“
That you never sleep with the same man twice?”
She asks, her voice apologetic, though I am not entirely sure why she
would need to feel apologetic about her question. I'm not ashamed.

“
Absolutely it is.” I laugh when her almost
black eyes widen in surprise.

“
Wow.” She lets out a slow breath like she
can't believe my bluntness. “How do you do it though? I mean,
have you never met a man you wanted to hook up with more than once?”

“
I have met some amazing men and had even more
amazing sex, but no. Anything beyond once is pointless. One time is
not long enough for feelings to form. No one gets attached. No one
gets hurt. Everyone walks away happy.” I shrug, having no
desire to dive into why my views on sex are what they are.

“
I guess I can see your point.” She seems to
be really considering my statement. “I have always had a
problem with the relationship part. You know, the part that follows
the sex. I mean, I have hooked up with the same person on numerous
occasions obviously. Me and Collin have been seeing each other for
almost six months now. But before him, I could never get past the
first couple of months. As soon as the guy started pushing for
commitment, I'd panic.”

“
But not with Collin?” I ask, leaning
against the wall behind me and turning my head towards her.