Believe in Me Read online

  “So, you and this girl are still having fun?”

  “Yeah. I really like her. She’s cool and easy to get along with. She’s nothing like—” I realized what I was going to say. “I like her.”

  “As in, like her, like her?”

  “No,” I said immediately. “I already told you monogamy wasn’t for me.”

  “For now…”

  “Well, as much as I love gossiping about my love life I need to get back to work.”

  “You mean play solitaire on your computer?” he asked as he stood up.

  “Hey…how did you know that?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

  He flashed me a smug look. “I know everything, Conrad.”

  ***

  I called Lexie after I got out of the shower. “Hey, baby.”

  “What’s up?” It sounded like she was eating.

  “What are you doing tonight?”

  “No plans,” she said. “But right now I’m eating ice cream.”

  “Did you just come?” I noticed she always ate sweets after a session of good sex.

  “Maybe…”

  I grinned like an idiot. “Come on, you can tell me.”

  “I may have.”

  “Yeah? And with who?” She was free to do what she wanted. I didn’t ask what she did when I wasn’t around. She said we were a monogamous fling but I wouldn’t hold her to that.

  “Myself.”

  “Ooh…that’s hot.”

  “Yeah?”

  “And what did you use?”

  “I have a vibrator.”

  “Even hotter,” I said. “What do you masturbate to?”

  “Porn.”

  “Baby, you’re making me hard.” My cock came to life under the towel.

  “Whoops,” she said innocently. “My bad.”

  I loosened the towel then licked my hand before I wrapped it around my shaft and started to give myself long, even strokes. “What are you wearing?”

  Her smile came over the phone. “You want to have phone sex?”

  “Yeah,” I said through my heavy breathing.

  “Alright.” She stopped eating. “I’m wearing the little black number you saw me in the other night.”

  “Yeah, I really liked that…”

  “And I’m gripping your shoulders taking in that huge dick as much as I can handle, but it’s so big I can only take so much…”

  Shit, she was good at this.

  “My pussy is so tight and it tightens around you as I come…”

  I squeezed my hand to live out the fantasy.

  “God, you feel so good, Con.”

  Her words set me off and I came all over my stomach. “Fuck…Lexie…” I leaned back and caught my breath while I still jerked myself until I was completely finished. Then I rested for a moment.

  “That was hot to listen to.”

  “You were hot to listen to,” I said quietly.

  “So, why did you call to begin with?”

  “I got tickets to see the Yankees and Roland can’t go. You down?”

  “You’re asking me?” she asked in surprise.

  “Do you not like baseball?”

  “No, I love baseball,” she said.

  “Then get your ass ready. You’re coming with me.”

  “That’ll be fun,” she said. “When will you pick me up?”

  “In half an hour.”

  “Alright. See you then.” She hung up.

  I was glad she finally accepted the fact I was asking her to do things only in a friendly way. I wasn’t into her and I certainly wasn’t falling for her. Now we could have a normal friendship.

  ***

  We stood in line to get a hotdog and I looked her up and down. She wore denim shorts that were slightly ripped in the fabric and a Yankees jersey. Her hair was pulled into a braid over one shoulder and she wore a baseball cap.

  “What?” she asked when she caught my look.

  “You look damn cute in that.”

  She twisted her hair around her fingers. “Well, I try…”

  “You remind me of Sporty Spice from the Spice Girls.”

  “You actually know who they are?”

  “I have a sister.”

  “Sure…that’s the reason.” She gave me a doubtful look.

  “Hey, don’t be a brat.” I nudged her in the side.

  We reached the front of the line and I ordered a beer and a hotdog. “Your turn.”

  “I’ll have a chili dog and a soda. And some crackerjacks.”

  She tried to pay for her things, like usual, but I put my foot down and handed the cash over.

  “Why are you like that?” she asked when we headed to our seats.

  “Like what?”

  “Controlling.”

  “I’m not controlling,” I said with a laugh. “I just don’t like it when chicks pay for stuff. It’s weird.”

  “Well, I wasn’t offering to pay for your things. Now, that would be weird.”

  “Call me old-fashioned but that’s how I roll.” We found our seats then got comfortable.

  “These are really good seats,” she said.

  “I know a guy,” I said vaguely.

  “Like who?” she asked.

  “Some guy who donated a lot of money to rebuild this stadium.”

  She cocked an eyebrow. “And who’s that?”

  “My uncle.”

  “Wow,” she said. “I wish I had a rich uncle.”

  “He’s a pretty cool guy.” I pulled my shades over my eyes when the sun was becoming too much. We watched a few innings but the ref called a guy out when he was clearly safe.

  Lexie jumped to her feet. “You motherfucking cock sucker! He was safe. What are you, blind? You fucking son of a bitch!”

  I stared at her with wide eyes.

  Everyone around us looked at her like she was crazy.

  Then she sat down. “Seriously, where do they get these refs?”

  “You have a big potty mouth.”

  “I’m just a sports enthusiast.” She ate her hot dog and shoved it far into her mouth.

  I watched her, thinking about other things she shoved into her mouth.

  She stopped and looked at me. “Look, I can break a banana into pieces but I can’t do that with a chili dog. So, stop thinking about me sucking you off so I can enjoy it.”

  I chuckled. “Sorry.”

  She took a bite.

  I watched her anyway.

  She rolled her eyes. “Go to hell.”

  I laughed. “I’m kidding.” I put my arm over the back of her chair. “But for the record, I’m usually thinking about sex when I’m with you.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  We watched the rest of the game, and thankfully the Yankees won. I had a feeling Lexie would flip out and cuss out the entire stadium if they lost. Honestly, I thought it was hot. I liked an outspoken woman, especially when they had a strong opinion about sports. Most women I knew didn’t care.

  “Well, that was fun,” she said. “Thanks for taking me.”

  “Thanks for thoroughly embarrassing me by cussing everyone out.”

  “Get over it. I only get riled up about a few things. Sports is one of them.”

  “And the others?”

  “Cheating.”

  “Cheating?” I asked. “Like cheating at sports?”

  “No, like romantic cheating.”

  I never expected her to say that. “Why does it get you so upset?”

  “I just don’t like it.”

  “You just told me you don’t think people are meant to be monogamous.”

  “I don’t,” she said. “But I don’t like it when a couple agrees to be faithful to one another while one partner breaks that agreement. It’s a betrayal. Just be honest and say you want to explore your sexuality with other people. It’s not that hard.”

  “Have you been cheated on?” Why else would it get her riled up?

  She looked down at her arms. “I’m getting t
oo much sun. Let’s head out.”

  I noticed she changed the subject—for a second time. “Sure.”

  ***

  We walked inside her apartment then fell on the couches. Being out all day in the sun could really drain you. Lexie plopped down like she would fall asleep right on the spot.

  “Hey, I want to ask you something,” I said.

  “What’s up?” she said in a tired voice.

  “You got plans this Saturday?”

  “Depends,” she said. “What do you have in mind?”

  “I have to attend a charity event for the company. I need a date.”

  “Was that your way of asking me?” she asked with a laugh.

  “There’ll be good food and booze there, if that will entice you.”

  “Honestly, I’d rather lay on the couch and eat ice cream.”

  “That makes two of us,” I said. “But I’m stuck.”

  “Isn’t your family going to be there?” she asked, putting her feet up.

  “Some of them, yes.”

  “Then don’t you think it’s a bad idea?”

  I didn’t follow her reasoning. “Why?”

  “They’re going to wonder what I am to you.”

  “Oh.” I brushed that off. “No, they know exactly what we are.”

  “What?” She sat up and looked at me. “That we’re just fuck buddies?”

  “Yep.” What was the big deal?

  “You told your parents that?”

  “Well, I told my dad.”

  She stared at me like I was crazy.

  “What?” I asked. “He and I are really close. I tell him pretty much everything. And he knows you’re just a friend. My parents aren’t going to start talking about wedding venues and bullshit like that. Honestly, it’ll be fine. I told my parents I would be a bachelor for life so you have nothing to worry about.”

  “Then why are you taking me at all?”

  “Dad said I needed a date,” I said. “Besides, I’ll have more fun if you’re there anyway. So, you’ll go with me?”

  “You really think it’ll be okay?” she asked.

  “Absolutely,” I said. “There’s not a doubt in my mind.”

  “In that case, I’ll go.”

  “Great.” I relaxed on the couch. “We’ll have a good time. I’ll fuck you in the bathroom to make it interesting.”

  “The bathroom?” she asked. “Why don’t we do it on the dance floor? That’ll make it more interesting.”

  I gave her a shocked expression.

  She just smiled at me.

  Man, she was the coolest chick in the world.

  ***

  When she answered the door, she wore a black gown that was tight everywhere. Her tits were outlined and her long legs stretched for days. Her hair was curled and framed her face in layers.

  “Wow.” I checked her up and down.

  “Thanks,” she said as she flipped her hair over one shoulder. “That was the reaction I was hoping for.”

  “Well, you got it.” My arm moved around her waist and I pulled her in for a kiss. I wasn’t sure what possessed me to do it but it was a natural instinct. “I hope you’re commando.”

  “Actually, I am.” She turned around and lifted her dress, giving me a view of her ass.

  I whistled. “Tonight is going to be fun.”

  She grabbed her clutch then locked the door behind her. “Let’s go.”

  My arm moved around her waist and I walked with her down to the sidewalk.

  “Are we walking?” she asked.

  I gave her a mildly surprised look. “You think I’m going to make you walk all over the place wearing those heels?” I was still much taller than her even when she wore five-inch heels.

  We approached my car and I opened the passenger door and got her inside. When I got into the driver’s seat, she felt the leather seats and stared at the gizmos of the center console. “Is this a Tesla?”

  “You know your cars.”

  “This thing is nice.”

  “I bought it for myself with my first paycheck.”

  Her jaw dropped. “You bought this with a single paycheck?”

  “No,” I said with a laugh. “But I put a down payment on it.” I grabbed her hand and held it on my lap as I navigated through the traffic of Manhattan.

  “Isn’t it electric?”

  “It gets three hundred miles per charge. Pretty sweet, huh? I can’t remember the last time I got gas.”

  “That’s really cool.”

  “What do you drive?”

  “A Toyota.”

  “They’re reliable. I used to have one before I got this.” My thumb caressed her knuckles as I drove. The radio was on and we just listened to each other in conversation. It was nice. Lexie was just like all my other friends but I got to have sex with her. It was nice.

  When we pulled up to the hotel, we both got out and I handed my car over to the valet. “Take care of her.”

  “Will do, sir.”

  I grabbed Lexie by the waist and escorted her inside. Then I pulled out my invitation and handed it over before we were admitted inside.

  “You have to be invited to donate to charity?” she asked in surprise.

  “Rich people are weird,” I said as I brushed off her question. I kept her tight against me.

  “You know, you look really good in a tux.”

  “Why, thank you. It’s the shoulders.”

  “I think it’s everything.” She gave me a playful look that told me we would be having amazing sex later.

  I squeezed the fabric of her dress, wanting to pull it off and place kisses all over her, especially the area between her legs. I missed the way she tasted. The salty residue on my lips always left me wanting more.

  “Now what?” she asked.

  “We mingle and make appearances,” I said.

  “It sounds like a con to your job.”

  “It is,” I admitted. “But it’s a small price to pay.” I grabbed two glasses of wine from a passing waiter and handed one to her. “Can I ask you something personal?”

  “Con, you already ask me whatever you want. So drop the pretenses.”

  I liked her bluntness. She said exactly what she was thinking without hesitance. Most girls weren’t like that. I learned that the hard way. “You said your tubes were tied.”

  “That’s not a question,” she said as she sipped her wine.

  “Why did you make such a permanent decision about your fertility?”

  “I don’t want to have kids,” she said. “Plain and simple.”

  “Like, ever?” I asked.

  “Never.” She drank her wine again.

  “Is it because you don’t like kids?”

  “No, I do. I love kids,” she said. “But I’m so devoted to my profession that I can’t see myself donating adequate time to raising a child. It wouldn’t be fair to them. They would always be on the backburner.”

  “But with a husband I’m sure you could manage.”

  “But I never want a husband,” she said. “Like I already mentioned.”

  “I’ve never met a girl like you before,” I blurted.

  “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

  “Neither,” I said. “It’s just something I noticed.” I walked with her through the crowd until I spotted my dad. “There’s my dad.”

  “Which one?” she asked.

  “In the gray suit.”

  She cocked an eyebrow. “The one with the blonde?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “I think I know who my dad is,” I snapped.

  “He’s just…”

  “What?”

  “So young.”

  “His looks are deceiving. He gets facials and lame stuff like that.”

  She kept staring at him. “And he’s super fit.”

  “He’s a boxer.”

  “Like a professional one?”

  “No,” I said with a laugh. “He boxes f
or exercise.”

  “You guys look a lot alike.”

  “People mistake us for brothers.”

  “Damn, he’s hot.”

  I cringed. “Gross, did you just check out my dad?”

  “What?” she said defensively. “He is.”

  I dropped my hand from her side. “That’s disgusting.”

  “Like you haven’t had other girls check him out.”

  “Well, yeah but…it’s weird.”

  “Is that your mom next to him?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She’s really pretty.”

  “Okay, that’s better,” I said. “I can handle a compliment like that.”

  “Well, I would totally bone your dad if I didn’t have the younger and hotter version of him.”

  Acid filled my mouth. “I’m going to gag.”

  She laughed. “Con, I’m kidding.”

  “No, you aren’t.”

  “Okay, I’m not,” she said with a laugh. “But I would never actually do that. He’s married.”

  “But still…” I tried to shake it off.

  She grabbed the front of my jacket and pulled me close. “But I think you’re the sexiest man in this room tonight.”

  “Okay, that’s much better.”

  She pulled me closer to her and gave me a gentle kiss. The second we touched, I wanted to take it further. I wanted to take her in the bathroom and fuck her against a stall. Reading my mind, she pulled away and said, “Later.”

  I growled in response.

  “Conrad.” Dad approached us with Mom on his arm. “You’re looking spiffy in that suit, son.”

  “Thanks, Dad. You look okay too.”

  “Okay?” he asked.

  “You look nice too,” I said. “Is that better?”

  “A little.”

  Mom kissed me on the cheek. “You’re so handsome, Conrad. You look more like your father every day. I love seeing his face every time I look at you.”

  Lexie shot me a meaningful look.

  “Thanks, Mom. You look beautiful.”

  Dad turned to Lexie. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Conrad has nothing but good things to say about you.”

  “I would assume so,” she said with a laugh. “We have a lot of fun together.”

  “So, he tells me.” He pulled Mom to his side. “This is my beautiful wife, Cassandra. Cassandra, this is Lexie.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mom said gracefully.

  I was so glad they didn’t pull any bullshit. With Beatrice, they pestered me about what she was to me. With Lexie, they just accepted she was my friend and nothing more. Maybe they finally realized I was a man with needs, and if I wanted to have meaningless flings with all of New York, I would.