“Home sweet home!” Crystal exclaimed as she lugged her luggage into her house after being gone for a week.
She’d enjoyed hanging out with her friends, but she’d missed Brendon. She had to force herself not to text him every day. She wasn’t used to not speaking to him. Even when she went on vacation with her sisters or out of town by herself, she called or texted him every day.
This trip was different because her sorority sisters had made a pact to not answer phones and hang out with each other the entire trip. With the exception of Maya, none of them were married or had significant others, a fact Maya tried to rectify. The first three days of the trip, all Maya did was talk about her husband’s friends and how they were looking to get married to younger women. She’d bragged about living in a multi-million-dollar home, not having to work, and having whatever her heart desired. She tried to sell them on marrying rich, but no one was biting.
Leah was a doctor who came from old money, so she didn’t need to marry rich, she was rich. Meghan was a social worker who rejected the premise that women should marry for money. That left Crystal and Zalika. Zalika was Egyptian and whoever she considered marrying had to be Egyptian too. When Maya failed to convince the other ladies, she’d turned to Crystal.
“Come on, Crystal! You wouldn’t have to work, you could vacation with me any time you wanted to. We could go on shopping sprees and get new wardrobes for every season, go to fashion weeks all over the world. Think about it,” she’d cajoled.
“I’m good. The trade-off for all of that is letting a man old enough to be my daddy sex me down. Just the thought of old wrinkly peen has me wanting to gag, and not in a sexual way. If you like that, good for you, but I want a man who can keep up with me without having to resort to little blue pills,” she’d told her.
“Don’t knock it until you try it. You can’t convince me that you’d rather sell pills and get-skinny potions than marry someone with means. You wouldn’t ever have to worry about money,” Maya said.
“I don’t worry about money now.” She’d shrugged.
Brendon was the only person who knew her net worth. No one, not even her sisters, knew how much money she made. Everyone assumed Brendon bought her home and her car. He’d bought her the Escalade for her birthday, but her home she’d paid for on her own.
“Brendon won’t always be able to front your current lifestyle. What happens when he gets married? His wife won’t be okay with him taking care of you,” Maya had said snidely.
The glare she’d leveled on Maya had Leah, Meghan, and Zalika jumping in between them and changing the subject quickly. To say the first couple of days had been filled with tension was an understatement. Crystal had been ready to book a flight back home by day two of Maya’s “Operation Marry a Sugar Daddy,” but she had eventually apologized and stopped parading her marriage and the benefits of geriatric peen in front of the group.
Her phone ringing brought Crystal out of her thoughts. Dropping the handles to her suitcases, she rummaged around in the black leather Hugo Boss Kristen hobo purse that was on her shoulder until she pulled out her phone.
“I literally just walked into the house,” she said by way of greeting.
“Just wanted to make sure you got in safely,” Brendon said, chuckling.
Crystal closed her eyes. She’d missed him so much. Hearing his chuckle sent shivers down her spine and puckered her nipples. Even without talking to him on her trip, he’d been in her thoughts and in her nightly dreams.
“Thanks again for checking on my house while I was gone.”
He’d texted her that first day to let her know he would check on the house while she was out. He’d also cleaned out her fridge since she had forgotten to do so before she left.
“No worries. I know you’re probably tired from travelling, even if it was on a private plane. I bought you a seafood boil in a bag from Zydeceauxs once you told me you landed. It’s in your oven. Go ahead and eat, call your sisters, and get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow evening for our workout,” he told her.
Crystal closed her eyes, her smile matching the one in her heart. This man was every woman’s dream guy. If he took care of her like this and they were just friends, what more would he do if they ever moved their friendship into a relationship?
“Thank you so much, B. I’m starving. Maya thought it would be a good idea to serve bland-ass salad on the flight back since we ate so well during our trip. Needless to say, I’m hungry as hell. See you tomorrow,” she said.
After hanging up, she dragged her luggage into her bedroom, leaving them unpacked in her closet. She stripped out of her clothes and let them fall to the floor in a trail to the bathroom. She needed a shower, food, and her bed in that order.
After showering and throwing on an oversized Chicago Vipers T-shirt and a pair of pink, lace cheekies, she went to the kitchen to eat.
Picking up her phone, she pulled up her video calling app and group-called her sisters.
“I’m back!” she told them once they picked up.
“Did you have fun?” Amethyst asked.
“What did you bring me back?” Jade demanded.
“Has Brendon agreed to the blind date yet?” Ruby inquired.
“Dang, Rubes, let me at least tell you how my trip went before you dive into Operation Get Brendon,” she said, opening the plastic bag containing her food. Inhaling deeply, she hummed and licked her lips as the smell of garlic butter and creole seasoning filled her nostrils. Her stomach growled in response.
“We already know you enjoyed yourself, we saw the myriad pictures you posted to your social media and I read your blog. I don’t know why Jade is asking what you bought her because she’s traveled more than any of us and has souvenirs from all over the world. That leaves Brendon,” Ruby said, shrugging her shoulder.
“I hate to agree with the tyrant, but she has a point,” Jade said.
Crystal pulled out a crab leg and cracked it to extract the meat. “I had fun, once I got Maya to stop trying to hook me up with some old dude. What did you all think of our photoshoot?” she asked, eating the succulent crab. She danced in her seat at how good the food was as she listened to her sisters.
“I loved it! This was your five-year sorority celebration, right?” Amethyst asked, pushing her glasses up on her face.
“Yeah, this made five years,” Crystal answered after she swallowed. She reached for a boiled seasoned egg and bit into it, eyes rolling at how good it tasted.
“Girl, is the food that good? You’re making me hungry!” Jade exclaimed, moving in closer to the camera.
Crystal took a sip of her Jack Daniel’s Watermelon Punch wine cooler. “Whatever, I’m hungry and this food is bomb.”
“When did you find time to stop and get Zydeceauxs? That’s where the food came from, huh?” Jade asked.
“I didn’t, Brendon surprised me and had the food here when I got home.” She licked her fingers after eating one of the shrimp.
“I promise if you don’t marry this dude, I’m breaking sister code and taking him for myself. He spoils you rotten,” Jade said.
“No you won’t, you’re still hung up on—”
“Don’t say his name,” Jade said in a sad voice, her face going slack as she looked away from the camera.
Silence descended on the sisters as they gave Jade time to get herself together. Her love story had gone from fairy tale to…Crystal didn’t know what. No one knew what went wrong with Jade and her ex-fiancé.
“So, um, yeah. I’m meeting up with him tomorrow for our workout session. I plan to press him for a confirmation then,” Crystal said, cracking another snow crab leg.
“Do you have a plan in place or are you winging it?” Ruby asked, laying back against her pillows.
“When he says yes, I’m going to arrange the date for the following night at Dean’s. We haven’t gone there yet, and since it’s the next town over, we shouldn’t have to worry about running into people we know who will interrupt our date,” Crystal said, munching on a piece of sausage.
“Sounds good. let me know if the restaurant is any good, I’ve been thinking of going there since it opened a few months ago,” Ruby said.
“What are you going to wear?” Amethyst asked her.
“I was thinking about the Hervé Léger one-shoulder red dress that Ruby bought me for my birthday. I haven’t worn it yet, and this seems like the perfect time to wear it,” Crystal said, sitting back on a sigh. She was fat full and ready to go to sleep.
“That would be a perfect choice, especially with your body. Your curves are more pronounced now that you’ve taken to working out with Brendon,” Amethyst complimented, making Crystal smile.
“He’s a taskmaster when we train. I’m kind of dreading tomorrow because I didn’t work out once while in Costa Rica.” Crystal bit the bottom corner of her lip.
“Taskmaster, huh? I wonder if those kinds of people are like that in the bedroom,” Amethyst said, a faraway look in her eyes.
Crystal sat taller. “You have anything you want to tell us, sis? Who are you thinking of?”
Amethyst shook her head and cleared her throat. “Nobody…what shoes are you pairing the dress with? I think your black bow tie crystal Aquazzura heels would be the perfect shoe for that dress.”
Jade straightened from the pillows behind her. “Yaaaassss! Those shoes are fire and perfect for that dress. Very understated until you turn around and see the bling. Plus the height of the heel will have your ass sitting high and your thigh muscles flexing when you walk. Dudes love that shit.”
Ruby rolled her eyes. “Despite Jade’s potty mouth, she’s spot on about those shoes and the way they enhance your attributes. They won’t compete with the dress. The whole look is understated. It’s your body that will take the outfit from demure to sexy. I’d say straighten your hair—”
Amethyst’s eyes widened. “Ohhh, put some of those Veronica Lake curls in with your hair swept to the side, exposing your bare shoulder—”
“With a nice dangling earring, something to call attention to your shoulder and the curve of your neck. You want him to be intrigued the moment he sees you. I’d suggest having your back to the entrance to keep the air of mystery, so that first image of you sparks his attention,” Ruby finished.
Throughout all of her sisters’ comments, Crystal nodded, an image forming in her mind’s eye. “The dangling earrings…I just bought a pair of dangling diamond earrings set in white gold a couple of weeks ago, and he hasn’t seen them yet. I could do that, but no necklace. Between the hair and the earrings and the neckline of the dress, a necklace isn’t necessary. A simple tennis bracelet should suffice.”
All three of her sisters nodded in approval. After answering a few questions about her trip, Crystal disconnected the call. Gathering the remains of her meal, she dumped everything in the trash and took the bag out of the can and placed it in the big trash can that she kept in her garage. She couldn’t have the container outside because of HOA rules, so she kept it on the far side of the garage and only brought it out on trash day.
Walking back into her kitchen, she grabbed her all-purpose bleach cleaner and wiped down the table, ridding the room of the seafood smell. Once the kitchen was back to its previously clean state, Crystal washed her hands in the half bathroom, then went to her bedroom. Plugging her phone in, she pulled back her comforter and slid between the cool sheets, spreading her arms and legs like she was making a snow angel.
Smiling, she grabbed her phone and shot off a text message to Brendon.
Crystal: I’m turning in for the night, but I just wanted to thank you again for the seafood boil. It was exactly what I needed. You’re the best!
“Alexa, turn off master bedroom lights and turn on air,” she said, snuggling into one pillow as she wrapped her arms around another, the comforter pulled up to her chin. Her lights turned off and the air conditioning turned on.
Her phone screen lit up the room from an incoming text. Freeing one arm from the warmth of her comforter, she picked up the phone and read the message.
Brendon: You’re welcome. Get some rest, you’ll need it for tomorrow’s workout since I know you didn’t do anything in CR, slacker. Sweet dreams.
Crystal groaned and placed the phone down, equal parts dreading and anticipating seeing Brendon tomorrow.
“Come on Crystal, one more!” Brendon shouted across the empty gym.
“ I’m…ti…tired…” she huffed as she raised her hands over her head, trying to catch her breath. That week off in Costa Rica was coming back to bite her in the ass.
“Should’ve thought about that when you took a week off of training to party,” Brendon said, shrugging his broad shoulders in the Nike Dri-FIT black fitted shirt he wore.
Crystal glared at him. “I was working, too.”
“If you can say all of that, you have enough energy to give me one more rep, let’s go!” he barked out.
She rolled her eyes but walked to the line and took off at a sprint, flying across the hardwood floor. Once she reached the goal, she immediately picked up the heavy ropes and rapidly lifted and lowered them as if she were guiding the reins of a horse. When he blew his whistle after thirty seconds, she dropped the ropes and sprinted back to where she started.
Brendon walked over to where she stood, chest heaving and sweat dripping down her face. He handed her a towel and bent to grab her water bottle, handing it to her. “Good job, baby girl,” he told her, leaning against the wall in front of her.
Crystal looked at him, cataloguing every feature of his body, from his toasted almond skin to the pecs prominently displayed by his shirt, to his trim waist and muscular calves. His body was drool worthy and her mouth was definitely watering.
Draping the towel around her neck so that the ends covered her suddenly puckered nipples in her sports bra top, Crystal extended her arms out until they rested on either side of his waist as she stretched her calf muscles.
“You gave any more thought to letting me set you up on a blind date?” she asked as she dropped to the floor, stretching her legs in front of her and bending to touch her toes.
“Why should I let you hook me up with one of your friends? I’ve already met most of them, and I haven’t been impressed, especially with the ones you just spent the past week with,” he said, bending over and placing his hands on her shoulders to push her forward so that her torso lay flat against her thighs encased in black workout leggings.
Crystal closed her eyes, enjoying his hands on her shoulders, which were bare due to the black sports bra she wore.
“The friend I want to hook you up with, you haven’t met yet. You’ll like her. If I’m wrong, I’ll let you set me up on a blind date with one of your friends,” she said, sitting up and regretting his hands sliding away from her body.
She stood to face him, arching her eyebrow, as she patiently waited for him to respond.
He shook his head. “No way in hell would I hook you up with any of my friends. They only want one thing, and I’d hate to have to beat their ass for treating you like they treat their other women.”
She propped her hands on her waist. “Yet you have the nerve to critique my friends. Whatever, I’ll owe you. Come on, B,” she cajoled, batting her eyes at him and placing her hands on his waist. He never denied her when she batted her long lashes at him.
And he didn’t deny her this time. “You’ll owe me if I don’t like this date. I’m serious, Crys.”
She smiled and gave him an overenthusiastic hug, plastering her sweaty body against his hard, muscular one. He returned her hug, their embrace lasting a touch too long.
Pulling away, she cleared her throat and smoothed shaky hands down the sides of her legs. “So…um, yeah. Friday night at seven?”
Brendon narrowed his eyes. “That’s tomorrow. How do you know ole girl will be available? Did you already set this up? I swear, Crys—”
“I didn’t set it up. I made plans with her, so I know she’s available. I’ll explain the situation and reschedule with her, while you two go on a date,” she said, looking at him.
He ran a hand over his head, then crossed his arms, legs slightly spread apart. “You already told her about me? I don’t know anything about her. What’s her name?”
Crystal chuckled nervously, shifting from one foot to the other. “I just told her the basics, calm down. Be at Dean’s tomorrow night at seven. I’ll tell her to wear a red dress. You’ll know her when you see her.”
Brendon narrowed his eyes , but she smiled back, fluttering her lashes again until he gave in.
“Fine, but you owe me, and I do plan on collecting,” he told her.
She raised an eyebrow. “I thought I owed you if you didn’t like the date,” she said, walking over to grab her gym bag with him following.
“I changed the rules. You’ll owe me just for agreeing,” he said once they started walking to his office where he grabbed his own bag. They headed towards the exit, and he locked up the gym.
Crystal shivered as a cool breeze puckered her nipples and goosebumps peppered her skin. When she looked over at Brendon, she noted his attention was focused on her breasts. She cleared her throat and he jerked his gaze up, a slight flush staining his cheeks.
“Tomorrow at seven. I’ll let her know,” she said quietly.
Brendon hesitated, and she wondered if he was going to back out, but then he nodded his head. He walked her to her pearl white Cadillac Escalade, last year’s birthday gift from him.
“Call me when you get home so that I’ll know you made it safely.”
“Will do,” she murmured.
Once she pulled off, she let out a big sigh. Pressing the talk button on her steering wheel, she waited until prompted. “Call Prince Eric,” she said
“Hey girl, what’s up?” a soft feminine voice said.
“Tomorrow night’s a go,” she told her.
“Yes! Okay, let’s…”
Crystal listened as she drove home, already planning to spend tomorrow pampering herself. She and Jade made a checklist of things that needed to be done before her big date tomorrow.