THE JUNIOR BRIDESMAID (31 page)

Not good.

My body stayed
still as my eyes lifted to his. He stepped inside, swung the door closed and
pressed his lips together trying to contain his laughter.

            “Surprise,”
I murmured with leaden emotion.

            “I’ll
say,” Hugh stepped closer to the couch. “Nice outfit,” his eyes slowly took in
all of me. Sadly, minus the ‘fuck me’ boots cause those were the shit.

            “Thanks,”
I whispered with tears still threatening. “I was trying to surprise you but as
you can see…it didn’t really work out,” I twisted my mouth to bite the inside
of my cheek.

            Hugh
approached with softened eyes. He stepped over my right leg and kneeled in
between my thighs. He held his hands out so I would place mine in his. I
pressed my lips together unsure if I could muster up the energy. Hugh flexed
his fingers encouraging me to try. “Come on,” he whispered.

            I
lifted my arms, which were now dead weight and slapped both my hands in his.
I’m sure Hugh found my spot on impersonation of a rag doll quite impressive. He
pulled me up and forward so we were face to face. Somehow I found it in me to
produce a half smile so Hugh would know that I was happy to see him. Then my
eyes fell to his beautiful lips. Hugh inched closer and placed those lips on
mine. “God, I missed you, Baby,” he whispered against them just before he
kissed me harder.

            Okay.
So maybe things weren’t as bad as I thought. Hugh pulled me to standing and turned
me away from the couch. He placed his hands on my hips guiding me from behind.
He herded me past the table so he could grab the champagne. I saw him eye it
curiously assessing its almost empty status. Then he walked me into the
bedroom. He took a swig from the bottle and then held it out offering some to
me. I shook my head since I had already had my fill. I saw him smirk his
knowing look that I had had enough. He placed the bottle on the nightstand and
walked me back until the back of my legs hit the bed. As I started to fall,
Hugh ran his hands down my sides and to my ass so my bottom landed on his
hands. His head tilted slightly so he could get a better view. So far he hadn’t
seemed to notice the stain on my new nightie. Either that or he knew calling me
out on it would push me over the edge. My hands went to his shoulders as he
leaned forward so I would fall back on the bed. His hands still cupping my
behind, he lifted my ass so I had to wrap my legs around him. God he was good.
His mouth crushed down on mine kissing me long and deep. Groaning his pleasure
in my mouth, every fiber of my body began to hum. “You like the apartment?” he
asked tearing his lips from mine.

            “Mmhm.
It’s really nice,” I answered when his mouth moved to my neck.

            “Oh
good,” he breathed. “You should get to know the neighbors,” he sucked the skin
on my neck causing me to hiss through my teeth.

“Okay,” I
breathed.

“You can start
right now by waving to the woman across the street,” he breathed the heat he
was generating into my neck as he dropped the strap on my nightie. As I raised
my hand to absently wave to the woman whom I was guessing had her binoculars
trained on us, Hugh pulled the nightie over my head.

            “Do
you really think she’s watching?” I whispered as pleasure from Hugh’s mouth
continued to course through me.

            “Mmhm,”
he answered trailing his tongue down my neck.

            Hugh
had me so jacked up I didn’t care if we were on 34
^th
street in
Macy’s window. “Well, that’s okay. Richard already got an eye full,” I
answered.

            I
felt Hugh pause momentarily and then smile against my neck. “Making quite a
first impression, aren’t you, Junior?” he murmured.

            “You
know it,” I breathed as my hands pulled his shirt over his head.

            Fuck
the Empire State Building. Home was lying in Hugh’s bed with Hugh’s body
blanketing mine. I was lying on my back and Hugh was taking his time kissing
every square inch of sensitized skin on my body. I turned to look at the
nightstand and saw that it was only 7:30pm. Hugh hadn’t eaten and I wanted to
shower. I lifted his face with my finger under his chin. “You hungry?”

            “I
could eat,” he answered dropping his lips to my belly. I smiled at the
sensation and dropped my head back to the pillow.

            “I
need to shower,” I continued in no hurry to move from underneath him.

            “Okay,”
he moved his lips a little lower.

            I
figured he was almost done but then he moved even lower. “Uh, Hugh, what are
you doing?” I asked bending my elbow so my right hand could hit my mouth and I
could bite the side of my finger.

            “You
asked if I was hungry,” he answered moving even further south.

            I
closed my eyes unsure if I was ready for what he was really saying. Suddenly
the thought of the Peeping Thomasina watching from across the street had me
even more uncomfortable. “I meant for food,” I responded deciding it was not
the right time.

            “Oh,”
he sounded disappointed. “Well,” he rolled off of me and onto his back, “I saw
the bag from Vans. What did you order? I
know
you ate already.” And the way he said it I knew he saw the stain after all. I
wasn’t surprised. He didn’t miss much. He rolled throwing his legs over his
side of the bed. He reached for his jeans, shoved his legs inside and then
stood not bothering to button them. I watched in awe as he walked around to my
side of the bed. He really was beautiful. He leaned toward me in an overbearing
way and kissed me sweetly. “I’ll get you a towel,” he kissed me again and
walked to a closet. I saw him reaching and when he turned his hands were full.
“Here’s a towel, robe and nice warm slippers. I’ll leave them in the bathroom.”

            “Thanks,
Babe,” I whispered still in awe of him.

            He
winked at me and then disappeared from the room.

            The
shower was hot, steamy and relaxing. I was halfway through my routine when
Hugh’s voice stopped my scouring hands mid scrub. I could tell he was chewing.
I was guessing on the other half of the club sandwich I had already eaten.

            “When
do you head back?” The crinkle of the wax paper that had been wrapped around
the sandwich confirmed my suspicion.

            I
realized as soon as he asked his question I still hadn’t revealed my plans of
staying. I wasn’t sure how he was going to react but I had to tell him the
truth. “Well. I, um, don’t…head back,” I sort of giggled. “Surprise,” I sang.

            There
was a long pause of silence. Since the shower curtain was closed I was guessing
Hugh was swallowing. Either that or panicking as the realization of our
impending cohabitation became a terrifying reality.

            “You
don’t?” He said with his mouth still compromised. I didn’t hear any more crinkling
which made me wonder if he had stilled because he was hopeful he heard me
correctly or sorry he had ever extended the offer. “Care to explain?” He spoke
with his mouth still full.

            “Steven
called me. My assistant told him Stacey set me up. He asked me to come in
tomorrow morning. I’m hoping that means I’m getting my old job back,” I tilted
my face back to rinse the conditioner from my locks while listening intently
for any peculiar sounds, which would indicate how Hugh was receiving this news.

            I
didn’t have to wait long. I got my answer rather quickly. The shower curtain
snapped back making my body jump reflexively at the sound of the decorative
rings scraping along the metal bar. Crossing my arms strategically in front of
my private parts, I blinked through the droplets of water, which had taken up
residence on my lashes. I waited breathlessly trying to ascertain if Hugh was
upset or happy with this news.

“You’re staying in
New York?” he asked genuinely surprised and miraculously unencumbered by any
food.

            I
nodded licking the moisture from my lips.

            I
had never been tackled in a shower before. But Hugh had me pressed up against
the white subway tiled wall faster than I could have imagined. “You just made
my day, Junior,” he kissed me lifting me up at the same time so he could press
his torso into mine. So I was guessing he was happy with my recent confession.
I wrapped my legs around his jeans as the water rained down on our conjoined
forms, mine naked, Hugh’s half clothed. He tasted like a combination of smokey
bacon and creamy mayonnaise (even more delicious than usual.) I felt Hugh’s one
hand working between us. Heat instantly pooled knowing his manhood would be
freed momentarily. As soon as he accomplished this task he didn’t waste any
time. Both hands laced with mine as he stared into my eyes looking for my soul.
“Welcome home, Junior. You ready?”

Hugh wasn’t
referring to our impending physical union. He meant something far more
profound. I nodded modestly before my breath shuttered against his lips.
“Twelve years is a long time to wait.”

Hugh held my stare
a moment before he answered. “That’s for damn sure.” Hugh slowly and
purposefully introduced himself to me, his eyes never leaving mine. “I love
you, Junior.”

“I love you, too,
Hugh,” I managed breathlessly.

And the added
bonus was this time, Thomasina, or so I had nicknamed her, didn’t have front
row seats for the show.

Chapter 26

            I
don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous. I approached the Premiere headquarters
with my heart pounding so hard the throbbing gallop reverberated in my throat.
I couldn’t be sure if I was getting my old job back. Yes, Logan said I was back
and Stacey was gone. But there was only so much credibility I could bestow on
Logan.

            The
first thing I’d done that morning after showering was get dressed. I still
didn’t have my belongings in my possession and truth be told, I was quite tired
of wearing the same clothes over and over even though they had been laundered.
I stared at myself in the hall mirror uninspired by my reflection. I needed to
call the moving company and ask if they could expedite my things back to New
York. I knew I was emanating my discontent over my dull appearance because Hugh
quickly picked up on my mood.

“When do you think
all of your all shit will be arriving?”

A small smile
appeared on my lips when he asked. Because even though he clearly thought of my
shit as shit, it told me that he cared enough to read my mood and was looking
for a solution.

            “You
don’t like my shit?” I asked teasingly trying to lighten the mood I had
created.

            “No,
Baby, I love your shit,” Hugh approached me tauntingly from behind. “You just
have a lot of it,” he finished by kissing my neck.

            My
eyes began to scan the reflection of the apartment. It was barren. “I think my
shit will fit just fine,” my eyes went back to his in the mirror. He was so
handsome looming over me.

            “Mmm,”
he hummed as he pressed his lips to my neck again.

            At
that point I was figuring he wasn’t all that concerned with my shit but more
concerned that I was upset that I didn’t have it with me. Either way his lips
on my skin were a nice distraction.

            “Stop
your worrying. You look great,” he added when he pulled his lips from my skin.
He was amazingly observant.

            How
had I got so lucky?

Before I left
our
new apartment, the realization of
which was beginning to sink in, Hugh was behaving even sweeter than usual. His
normal level of sweetness was difficult to beat but knowing I had a big day
ahead, Hugh had breakfast ready for me by the time I hit the kitchen. He poured
a hot and delicious cup of coffee and even scrambled some eggs not knowing that
I never ate breakfast first thing. There was a lot we still needed to learn
about each other. But I honestly couldn’t wait.

News of my delayed
breakfast consumption didn’t seem to concern him. He just gave a shrug and
scraped them in his dish. He inhaled those almost as quickly as I had politely
shared the details of my pre-work morning ritual, which lacked solid food.

Hugh could see
that I was preoccupied with nerves so he did his best to make me feel better. I
appreciated his efforts and even told him so. But there wasn’t much anyone
could do to quell my fears. I just had to face the day and see what it had in
store for me. Before I left, Hugh pulled me in for a reassuring hug and kiss.

            “No
worries, okay? Whatever it is, it is. No matter what happens at Premiere today,
we’re together now. The rest we will figure out,” the reassuring squeeze he
gave me had me holding his body to mine a little tighter and a little longer.

I loosened my grip
slightly so I could lean back enough to look into his eyes. He nodded to
bolster his previous remark. When I didn’t respond he pressed his lips together
revealing his concern with a half-hearted smile. “You gonna be all right, Junior?”
he asked with genuine concern.

            I
nodded even though I could pass out at any given moment.

            “You’ll
be fine. I’ll call you around noon, yeah?” One of his hands dropped to my
behind where he gave me a supportive tap on the bottom.

            “Okay,”
I responded lamely. I rolled up, not as far as usual since I was wearing heels,
and gave Hugh a quick kiss. “Talk to you in a bit.”

            He
smiled at me supportively and whispered a ‘that’s my girl’ as I pulled from his
arms. I felt like a five-year-old leaving for my first day of kindergarten. I
even looked back at him as I walked down the hall to make my way to the
elevator.