Chapter 36: You've Changed

Jessica raised her hand and gave me a little wave from across the way. A hesitant wiggle of her fingers matched the sheepish smile she gave me. I mirrored her and, despite my better judgment, returned her smile with a small one of my own. I knew I should hate her. In fact, I did, but a part of me had missed her too. Despite everything, Jess had been a lot of fun and sweet and had filled an emptiness during the lonely times. That part of me that felt something for her didn’t just disappear the moment she was out of my life. It didn’t mean I was longing to get back into a relationship with her ... just that there had been certain aspects of her that I’d missed.

I looked back at Erin and saw that she’d slowed to a halt when she noticed that Jessica and I had seen each other. She stood watching me, and the message was clear - she was waiting for me to give her some indication of what to do next.

With the tension between Natalie and Danni, I wondered if inviting Erin and Jessica over was the best course of action. Danni was clearly showing sure signs of jealousy, and having my ex come over could potentially make matters worse. Still, it wasn’t like I was getting back together with Jess, and I didn’t want to start sneaking around behind anyone’s back. There wasn’t a good reason to hide her.

Maintaining eye contact with my assistant, I nodded toward Jess and jerked my head in my direction. It looked like she got the message; she returned to Jess, and the two started heading toward me. I turned my attention back to the two ladies with the low-key energy of two cats challenging each other.

“ ... it’s been going well,” Natalie was saying. “We’ve only been dating a couple of weeks.” I noticed that some of the tension had lessened as Natalie explained her new dating situation to the realtor. It was still there. Obviously, Danni seemed to consider Natalie some kind of threat, but the knowledge that my former crush was dating someone else seemed to have alleviated some immediate concerns. I wondered why Danni hadn’t been that way around anyone else.

“That’s good!” Danni said, flashing one of those brilliant smiles of hers. It looked sweet and genuine, even though I was sure it wasn’t.

By now, Erin had reached us with Jessica in tow. Now that I had gotten a better look, I could tell that Erin had outdone herself with the outfit she had ordered for my ex. The red dress was a halter top covering her formidable chest and wrapped around the back of the neck like a choker or a collar. There was a window cut out of the fabric that showed off the massive cleavage that was one of Jessica’s best assets. Her unblemished porcelain skin shone beautifully against the dark red sheen of the material. There was no back except three thin straps wrapped around Jess and tied at her lower back. The skirt hugged her generous ass and stopped just above her knees, and she wore a pair of black flat boots that added very little to her height since she was already so tall.

Her red hair had been pinned to her head in a simple wrap, showing off her ivory neck, and she’d applied just a little bit of eye shadow and light burnt umber lipstick that complimented her hair. Based on pure looks, Jessica couldn’t stand a chance against someone like Erin with her slender frame, tight body, and exotic looks ... or Danni with her cat-like bedroom eyes and pale complexion contrasting with her coal-black hair. That didn’t mean she wasn’t lovely in her own right. With those killer curves, soft skin, and rosy lips, if she had walked into any average bar, men would have been falling over themselves to take her home.

“Hey Jess,” I said. “You remember Natalie.”

Natalie had met Jessica once or twice while we dated, so they were familiar with each other. There was never any real love lost between them, and it looked like that hadn’t changed. As Natalie switched her focus from Danni to my ex, I noticed a shift in her demeanor - she became much colder. She looked the taller woman up and down and said, “Hi Jessica. I didn’t know you were coming.”

“I didn’t either,” Jessica said, trying to sound confident but failing miserably. “I was just in town. I reached out to Marcus to see if he was available, and he invited me to this thing.”

“I’m sure,” Natalie said dryly, “you were just in town.”

As Jessica and Natalie shared pleasantries, Erin approached Danni and hugged the girl. She whispered something in her friend’s ear briefly, and Danielle’s change was alarming, as whatever tension she had suddenly dissipated.

“Oh!” she said and circled around Erin. “You’re that Jessica!”

“You’ve heard about me?” Jess said, looking between Danni, me, and Natalie.

“Just a little,” Danni said, stopping beside me. She slipped an arm under mine and pulled it into her as she leaned into me. She laid her head on my arm and said, “Marcus told me you and he dated until recently. He didn’t give me any details about what happened, though.”

“I...” Jessica looked like she was struggling to find the right thing to say. “We were dating long distance, and it was getting a little difficult for me.” Her grey eyes were filled with a call for aid as she flickered them to mine.

I decided to take pity on her. “It was probably for the best. I wasn’t the best boyfriend.”

“That’s not true,” Jess protested, looking at me like I was crazy for suggesting such a thing. Then she turned her attention back to Dani. “He was an amazing boyfriend. The long-distance was hard, but if anyone could make it doable, it was Marcus. Um ... what was your name?”

“Oh! I’m Danni,” the girl on my arm said, grabbed Erin, and pulled my assistant toward her. “I’ve known Erin for a while now. She introduced me to Marcus, and I sold him this apartment. I’ve had the privilege of spending time with them since.”

Danni’s arm slipped around Erin’s impossibly thin waist as she spoke. My assistant grinned at Danielle as her friend stared back at her. Then Erin leaned further into Danni, tilted her head to one side, and brought their lips together for a kiss, which indicated a level of intimacy that exceeded mere friendship. The look on Jessica’s face suggested she thought the same thing.

Danielle’s arm slipped free of mine, and she turned a little more into Erin, committing to the kiss. The three of us watching could see glimpses of both their tongues as they swirled around each other. Erin’s hands slipped around her friend’s waist, and her dark fingernails dragged lightly up and down the taller woman’s back. I could faintly hear Danni moan into Erin’s mouth in response.

It was obvious what they were doing, and as much as I appreciated the girls’ efforts to make my ex uncomfortable, I didn’t want Jessica to think that I’d orchestrated it all to get under her skin.

“Okay, ladies,” I said, trying to keep the arousal out of my voice. “I think they get the idea.”

Danni raised her head, breaking their kiss with a soft moan. Erin prolonged it by sucking on her friend’s bottom lip and tugging on it with her teeth until it finally broke free. Danielle’s bottom lip returned with a little pop, and the tip of her tongue briefly darted out as she smiled. She leaned back into me, her lids fluttering open as she gave me a smoldering look that could have melted stone.

Meanwhile, a still-grinning Erin wiped her thumb across her top lip, removing the lipstick that had smeared across it. She reached up and spread it across my lips, and I reflexively licked at my own lips, faintly tasting their makeup.

“You just don’t want us to get you riled right now,” Erin said, capturing her lip between her teeth and giving me her own enticing gaze. She mouthed, “Later,” then turned her attention to Danni. “Want to get a drink with me?”

“Sure,” Danni said. “Natalie. Jessica. It was good to meet you both. I hope we’re not strangers.” Then she gave me a wink and a smile and said, “Bye, Marcus!”

Arm-in-arm, the two ladies sauntered away, and I heard Erin say something to Danni, causing both of them to laugh. Watching the pair leave, I could only guess what they were saying to each other.

“Sorry about that,” I said as I slid a hand in my pocket and tried to subtly adjust the hardon I was sporting. I was a little embarrassed they’d been able to get to me like that in front of Jessica. I just hoped she didn’t think I masterminded the whole thing.

Looking back at the two remaining women I was with, I was surprised that Jessica didn’t seem terribly phased by the girls’ show. She looked a little unsure of herself, but I couldn’t sense any other emotions from her.

It was Natalie who seemed more affected by what she’d seen. I could tell she was uncomfortable with what had just happened and was looking at the dance floor instead of me. Her plump lips were compressed in agitation, and I found it irritating that she felt anything about two women flirting with me. Fuck, I had been willing to give up those two for her, and yet she went off to a wedding and found some other wealthy asshole to fall into a relationship with. What right did she have to be mad at me?

“Hey,” I said to Natalie.

She didn’t immediately look away from the dance floor, and I almost repeated myself, but she slowly blinked and looked at me at the last moment.

“Jessica and I have a few things to discuss,” I said. “Will you be okay here by yourself?”

She gave me a smile that looked slightly forced. “Yeah. Go ahead. I’ll probably need to get out of here soon anyway.”

As I stared back at her, I wondered if everything with what’s-his-name actually was going well. She’d only been dating him for a couple of weeks, so she should have still been in the honeymoon phase with him. Surely, Erin and Danni’s antics hadn’t made her jealous. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t known I was sexually active with others ... she’d seen me with Bobbi, after all.

And just where the hell was Mr. Perfect anyway?

“Okay,” I finally said. “You don’t have to leave.”

“I have an early work day tomorrow,” she said.

“Tomorrow’s Saturday,” I retorted.

“I’m putting in some extra hours to take some time off next week.”

“Okay,” I said, not entirely convinced. “You sure?”

“Yeah,” she said and approached me. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a hug that felt more friendly and less emotionally charged than others we’d shared. “I’ll probably leave soon, so I’ll just say goodbye now.” She stepped back. “I’m glad you’re okay. Take care, Marcus.” Then she looked at Jessica and gave her a half-hearted, closed-lipped smile. “Good to see you again, Jessica.”

With that, she turned and headed in the same direction Erin and Danni had disappeared. She looked back over her shoulder at me, almost like she wanted to say something. Instead, she gave me one more smile and then walked away.

That long-suffering, Natalie-infatuated piece of my brain wanted to go after her ... to get answers ... to see if there was anything still between us or if she was just another stupid girl who wanted what had suddenly become unobtainable.

Fuck, I thought to myself. I still had feelings for her.

Once again, I wondered what it would take to make someone disappear.

“Marcus?” It was Jessica pulling me out of my reverie.

“What?” I asked, annoyed.

“You wanted to talk?”

Go the fuck home, Jess.

I thought about saying it, but there was a chance I wouldn’t get this opportunity with Jessica again. It wasn’t like I wouldn’t see Natalie again when she worked for me.

“Yeah,” I said, still staring in the direction where Natalie had disappeared as if I could see her. “Come on.”

I made sure she was following me as I made my way to the bar. I picked up a couple of drinks - a Sex On The Beach for her and an Old Fashioned for me. Once we had our drinks, I decided to take her somewhere quieter so we could talk; the closest place to do that was the garden.

About five feet along the garden trail, we ran into one of the last people I expected - Carla Tanaka. “Marcus!” she said, looking more than a little buzzed. She giggled and toppled forward, catching herself on my chest. She burst into another fit of giggles as she looked up at me, her blonde bangs brushing the tops of her dark brown eyes. They made her look more innocent than she was, which I suspected was something she was well aware of.

“I’m so happy you’re back!” Still leaning on me, she walked her fingers up my chest and across my shoulder as she licked her lips. “You know,” she said in a quieter, more conspiratorial tone, “You never called me.”

I placed my hands on her arms and helped her right herself; she wasn’t as helpful as I would have liked. “Mrs. Tanaka-”

“Sssshhhhhhhh!” Carla said as she placed a perfectly manicured finger on my lips to shut me up. Blinking her eyes slowly at me, she gave me a radiant smile. “My friends call me Carla.”

I glanced at Jessica, who looked more bemused than uncomfortable, then looked back down just in time to see that Carla’s face had inched so close to mine that our noses brushed. “I’m sorry I didn’t call. I was tied up.”

“I know! I heard some things!” Carla slurred.

That got my attention. “What things?”

“Oh, nothing for sure,” Carla said, and I could tell she had difficulty focusing on me. “Just rumors.” She reached out and gently ran her fingers over the fading bruises on my face, being surprisingly gentle for someone whose motor skills appeared so affected by alcohol. “But these bruises say a lot.” Her fingers trailed down my neck, and she looked up at me. Her playful grin started to fade as she adopted a more serious expression. Her eyes seemed to temporarily become more focused on my face. Her fingernails grazed my collarbone and moved to the V, where my shirt buttoned over my chest. She gently scratched my skin just under the hollow of my throat. “Just how far down do those bruises go?”

“Oookay, Carla,” I said. “We should get to a place where you can lie down. I think you’ve had too much to drink.”

“Nooo,” Carla said and backed up a foot. She swayed a little where she stood but didn’t look like she was having trouble standing. “I’m just playing with you, Mr. Upton! My husband told me a little about your plan with Chandler. We’re going to be in business together. We can’t mix that with pleasure!”

Shit. Hiro told Carla about our alliance? I didn’t think she was anything other than arm candy for the old man. I looked around instinctively as if expecting listeners in the bushes.

“Oh, relax!” Carla said. She brought her finger to her lips and shushed, which devolved into a fit of giggles. “Your secret is safe with me,” she whispered.

Then, she finally took notice of Jessica. “And who is your lovely little friend?” Carla offered her a swaying hand. “Where did you find her? She’s not one of the strippers, is she?”

“You know about-” I bit down on the rest of the sentence, not wanting to admit that Carla had been right about some of the ladies being exotic dancers since some places in society didn’t look too kindly at women in those professions.

Despite being inebriated, Carla looked at me in disbelief, which basically told me she had easily clocked the dancers. Then she looked back at Jessica, “I mean, she’s lovely but not stripper material.”

Some rustling in the bushes behind her made me jump, and I looked over Carla’s shoulder just in time to see Kwan emerge. He was in the middle of buttoning his shirt as he skidded to a halt behind Carla. I hadn’t seen my Korean-American friend with the others and had assumed he hadn’t been able to make it. As I put two and two together, I had the feeling he should have stayed home.

“Aw fuck! Kwan! She’s married, dude!”

“What?” Kwan said. He was in sales and was pretty good at reading people and noticing details about them, so I was a little surprised he seemed so caught off guard. He looked toward Carla, who giggled.

Carla looked at me and said, “Well, you never called, so I decided to look for a younger Asian model.”

“Fuck!” Kwan said. “She’s married!?”

God, the last thing I needed was yet another angry husband being cucked by a younger man because of me ... especially this husband. Hiro Tanaka was vital in Grayson’s strategy, and I couldn’t afford to have him back out just because one of my friends stuck it in the wrong place.

“Yeah, man,” I said.

Carla turned, draped her arms over Kwan’s shoulders, and said, “Thanks for the lovely time. If we do it again, I’ll let you see the rest.”

She kissed Kwan on the lips and then spun around to head in the direction Jess and I had just come. She waggled her fingers at me, kissed the air, and grinned as she said, “Marcus, remember, a gentleman always makes sure a girl finishes first!” Then she pointed at Jess, “Don’t let him treat you as anything less than a queen!”

“Wait!” I said. “Where are you going!?”

“To get another drink,” Carla called out without stopping. “Don’t worry ... I can keep a secret. It’s not like this isn’t the first time or anything!”

The three of us watched her disappear, and my stomach twisted in knots. My possible plans were in the hands of a drunk, gold-digging philanderer. Shit. Shit. Shit.

“Kwan...” I said and turned to look at my friend.

“I didn’t know,” he said. “She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring or anything.”

“You didn’t ask her if she was here with anyone?”