— LISA
..
I lean back against the booth and enjoy the rest of my beer. Our redheaded waitress serves us our food. She must be new. There's no way I'd have missed those large swollen tits and that ass, rounded so perfectly in those skin-tight jeans. JK wastes no time removing the top bun to his sandwich. He grabs a handful of fries from the basket and piles them on top of his burger. He points at another basket. "Can I have two of your onion rings?" he asks Mingyu, who hasn't had a chance to even touch his own food yet.
"Go ahead," Mingyu mutters, and he drops his head against his hand. I squint my eyes at my cousin, speculating on what could possibly be wrong with him. He seems out of sorts, lost in his own thoughts. Without hesitation, JK reaches across and grabs three rings, instead of the two he asked for, and piles them on top of the fries. Then he drowns the entire loaded sandwich with ketchup.
"Anything else, guys?" the redhead asks us, but her eyes are glued on me. She leans over the table, her tits centimeters from my face, and reaches for the empty beer bottles. There's plenty of space for her to maneuver around, yet she chooses to lean toward the very left side of the booth, right where I'm seated. She smells nice. Like clean linen and not the flowery-fruity shit most women overuse.
"I'll take another beer. Thanks," Mingyu responds dejectedly.
"Me too," I add. My eyes focus in on the two melons stuffed behind her black fitted, deep-cut shirt. The name of the bar, Wasted, stretches across her chest in big, bold white letters, and I let my stare linger for a few seconds. After all, she's giving me a peep show. When I drag my eyes back to hers, she smiles shyly. She's playing the innocent role now. There's something to be said about a woman that plays bashful, especially when she throws her tits in your face. Lucky for her, I enjoy a good chase, so I play along by flashing a smile and giving her a wink.
She flings her hair off her shoulder, smiles coyly again, and then sways her hips as she leaves to grab our beers. "She so wants you bad, budd," JK blurts out with a mouthful of his loaded burger.
I ignore his remark by turning my attention to my cousin, who's been sulking the entire twenty minutes since we arrived at the bar. "What the hell's your problem?" I finally ask him. Mingyu looks up. His lips twitch as if he's going to speak, but he just shakes his head as a way to say, "Nothing." But I know my cousin. Very well. "It's that bitch again, isn't it?"
He scoffs, "Seriously, Lisa? Stop calling her a bitch." He goes into full protective mode over the girl he's been dating for the past year.
The waitress brings back our beers, but I pay her no attention. All of my focus is on Mingyu now. Before I respond, I take a long pull of my beer, drinking down patience. "In my book she is."
His nostrils flare. "Look. I know she can sometimes be a bit tough to handle, but don't disrespect her. It's bad enough she realizes that no one likes her."
"What I don't fuckin' understand is why you choose to protect her." I lean in over the table, squaring my shoulders, trying to keep the anger from distorting my features. "She's a bitch, Ming. She treats you like shit all the time. She talks down to you and cheats on you. Then after, she cries for forgiveness and you take her back like a little bitch. And then she does it all over again. That, my cousin, is what I consider a mega-bitch."
"She must have a golden pussy," JK interjects. His face twists in shock, like he can't believe he actually said that out loud. Mingyu glares at him.
If she does, it's a wide, golden, disease-infected pussy, I'm sure of it. I wouldn't touch her even if someone threatened to torch my dick until it incinerated and there were nothing left of it but ashes. I know it'd hurt like fucking hell, but I'd sacrifice my precious dick so it would never be near her. I wouldn't care if we were the last two people on earth and the only way to save the fucking planet were to reproduce. My dick would not be touching her. Get the hint? I just don't understand why, out of all the people I know, Mingyu continues to put up with her bullshit. She's no good, and my cousin deserves better.
"If we don't change the subject, I'm leaving," Mingyu says in a pissy tone. He can be such a damn girl sometimes.
The last thing I want to do is piss him off. We're family. Sure, we've fought lots of times growing up. Even roughed each other up here and there. But for some reason, Mingyu has this strong infatuation with Mega Bitch. The last time we had it out over her, he didn't speak to me for months. And we work together, so imagine how fucking awkward that was for everyone else. Especially JK, who's close friends with the both of us.
"Fine," I say, but then I decide I can't just leave it as is. "Let me say one more thing." Mingyu rolls his eyes but nods for me to go on and get it over with. "Mark my words. I will never be that strung out over a girl. Ever."
Mingyu shakes his head. "Whatever, Lis. It'll happen to you sooner or later. And when it does, I'm going to have front-row seats as you pour out your little Lisa heart for all to see."
I snort. "That's never happening."
I've dated before, plenty of women. And every time a chick and I made our relationship more than just sex, I was never unfaithful. Why hunt for the meal when it's already cooked and waiting for you at home? That's my motto. But my exes know me. They know I'm not a clinger, nor am I the jealous type, and I couldn't give two fucks what the hell they wear. I'm also not one of those freaky, possessive alpha types that demands to know where their woman is at all times. I consider myself laid-back. My exes consider me indifferent.
But that's neither here nor there. All I'm saying is that—okay, maybe I didn't give a shit half the time, but I was always faithful. Did I ever have a true interest in furthering a relationship? No. It just always turned out that way, more from convenience than anything else. It wasn't that I didn't like or respect my girlfriends, I did. I just didn't really want anything more from them. So with that said, shouldn't I at least get some type of honorary certificate or something? It can read, "This honorary certificate goes to Lisa Manoban, who's not so much of a douchebag after all," and I can pin that shit to my wall.
JK mumbles something with his mouth full. I don't understand shit he just said. "Come again?" I ask.
He guzzles back his beer to wash down his last bite. "What's this new job we're starting on Monday?"
Mingyu cuts in; he knows more than I do. "The Kims' property. We're working on a two thousand-square-foot guesthouse beside a pool."
JK whistles. "I swear these rich people have so much damn money, they can't think of anything else to do with it. Give me some of it; I can put it to good use." He leans back in the booth, smiling at himself.
"Yeah, you'd use it all on girls, food, and booze," I say.
JK nods. "This is true. Maybe I should start playing the lottery."
"Anyway," Mingyu adds, "they want their daughter, Jennie—I think that's her name—involved one hundred percent. Supposedly, it's a surprise for her twenty-second birthday in October. She doesn't realize Mommy and Daddy are basically building her a house."
JK squints. "In their backyard?" He laughs. "That's not really letting her spread her wings. Is she at least hot?"
Yeah, she's hot. I'm instantly reminded of last night when Jennie and I tongue fucked on her front porch—after I saved her life and she basically bitched me out for it. In a weird way, it was kind of hot. Having a sexy woman in a bikini tell me off and then beg for a kiss? Hot. First impressions are very important, in my opinion. And she put down the fucking wild card on that one. She didn't even know I'm a gp. I didn't know what to make of her, but after she implied that I was ordinary straight girl, I had to show her how straight I truly am. Everyone has their preferences, and mine are simple: women.
And Jesus Christ, can Jennie kiss. I can still taste and feel her lips. I did it to prove a point, but after our lips made contact I was done for; I couldn't control myself at all. She was hesitant at first—even though it was her idea. She got the push she needed, though, when I shoved my tongue into her mouth. She let out a slight moan, which only fed my fire. My hand found its way to her perfect little ass, and the rest—well, let's just say if that douche, Sehun, never interrupted us, I probably could've gotten her past a few bases right there on her front porch.
"Yeah. She's hot," I answer JK.
Mingyu looks at me. "How would you know? You weren't at the meeting with Pop and me."
"Your father asked me to pick up the toolbox you left behind. Let's just say I was properly introduced to her."
"Ooh," JK lets out excitedly. I nod at him, letting him know that whatever thoughts he's thinking right now may or may not be true, depending how far his thoughts are going.
"Lisa, you know the rules." Mingyu kills the slight buzz I have from my third beer. He always has to turn his ethical-professional-bullshit cap on.
"Yeah, yeah." I wave him off. This night is going nowhere. I look around the place and spot the redhead, who's leaning against the bar, staring directly at me. She waves with a smile. I grin back and stand. "I'll be back," I tell Mingyu and JK and head her way.
"I can't help but notice we have a problem." I slide onto a stool right next to her and get an eyeful of those big—
"Oh? And what is that?" She says in a sexy tone, looking straight ahead.
"We can't keep our eyes off each other."
Redhead's back is flush against the bar. A smile creeps up the corner of her lips. Turning her head, she looks at me. "That is a problem. What are you going to do about it?"
I lean in closer. "I think I have a few things in mind. What time does your shift end?"
She doesn't blink. Leaning in fully to me, her lips almost touch mine. "In a half hour," she breathes out.
"A half hour it is then."
"Your orders are ready, Tammy," Tony says from behind the bar. Redhead, who now has a name, turns around and grabs the filled tray. She winks and then carries on.
I check her out as she walks away before straightening in my seat to face Tony. Tony is Uncle George's good friend and owner of this small bar. Tony shakes his head at my victory grin. "You're in the wrong business, girl." He tosses a towel, aiming for my face, but I catch it in time.
"Yeah, and what kind of business should I be in?"
His stubby hands lay flat on top of the bar. "Girl escort."
We both chuckle at this. It's ridiculous. "You have to be a pretty girl for that shit. I'm far from it."
"You'd be surprised. More and more girls are into this." He waves a hand between us, shrugging in the process. "Cocky, bad gp girl, tattoos. It's a cliché role."
I snort. "Is that what I am? A walking cliché?" I shake it off. "I have sex for pleasure, not for money."
"Touché. How are you guys getting home?" he asks while removing the cap of a summer lager. He passes it to me and I tilt the bottle in salute to show my gratitude before taking a sip.
"JK drove with Mingyu. I have my truck."
"Are you guys all right to drive?" I grip the beer bottle, trying to mask my irritation.
I was in a good mood until he asked that question. I know this is what Tony does. He makes sure we're okay. He's been here for most of our lives and cares for my family—especially Mingyu and me—as if we're his own. But with the two-year anniversary of my brother's death right around the corner, I feel offended. Maybe it's the three beers kicking in or the fact that I'm still fucking annoyed due to the mega-bitch convo with Mingyu. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but my emotions are quickly stirring. "I'm not Jackson," I finally blurt out, staring straight ahead and clenching my fist on the bar.
Tony's features transform into shock. "I didn't mean it that way. You know I wouldn't. I'm just looking out for you guys. I would never cross that line, Lisa. I hope you know that, right?"
Fuck me. I feel like an even bigger douche bag. I guess I don't deserve the honorary certificate after all. I wave my hand. "Yeah, I know. Don't worry about it. That was out of line for me to say. I'm sorry, Tony."
I thank him for the beer again, return to the booth with the guys, and sip on the rest of my last beer until Tammy's shift is over.
..
What the hell! This time I royally screwed up. My uncle is going to kill me. Even after the long speech he gave me a few days ago, I just can't listen, can I? "You have to be more responsible," he said. "You can't have your cake and eat it too," he said. "Simply put, you need to grow the hell up, Lisa." I'm sure drinking the entire weekend and picking up a girl from the bar—who I fucked until she'd forgotten her own name and is currently sleeping in my bed at this very moment—was not part of his let's-save-Lisa speech.
Grunting, I run a hand over my face, hop out of bed, and toss on jeans and the first T-shirt that doesn't smell. Tammy, from the bar, is still here. I'm already late, so I quickly prod at her shoulder. "Get up."
She stretches with a yawn. "What time is it?"
I walk back into the room with her clothes. "It's time for you to leave," I say, tossing her things on top of the bed.
She flashes her eyes open and groans, quickly shutting them again. "Ah, shut off the light!"
"No lights are on. That's daylight coming in. I need you to get up and leave. I'm running late for work. Hurry up."
Tammy sluggishly sits up, places her arms through the sleeve of her shirt, and narrows her stare at me. "Could you be any ruder?"
"Please," I say. There. Is that polite enough for her? If it were any other day, I would've let her stay awhile. I would've even bought her breakfast, but if I'm any later, my uncle will fire me for sure this time.
Ten minutes later, I hop into my truck, start the engine, and head for Haddonfield, New Jersey. As I enter I-95 from the Woodhaven ramp, my phone goes off. Shit. It's Mingyu. "What's up?" I answer, merging into the left lane.
"Where the hell are you?"
"I know." I glance in my rearview mirror and then back to the road ahead. "I'm running late." My foot presses down on the gas pedal. It's over a forty-five minute drive to Haddonfield from Philly, depending on traffic. I need to speed the hell up.
"You're fucking lucky Dad's not here. He had a consultation for another job in Royersford this morning. He just texted me that he's finishing up now and will be on his way. I suggest you get here—fast—before he does."
There is a God. I gun it, pushing the speedometer to almost ninety. "Thanks, Ming. I owe you one."
A snort erupts through the speaker. "Yeah, one of many. And you better not be speeding. If you lose your license again, I won't be your personal chauffeur this time."
I let him slide on that one and we end our call. Over the past couple years Mingyu has done more for me than anyone else. He's more than just my cousin; he's my brother and best friend. We grew up living next door to each other, learning the importance of family from an early age. After Jackson died, our relationship could have gone either way, but thanks to Mingyu's support and loyalty, we're closer than ever.
Finally, I reach the Kims' home and pull into their massive driveway. I cut the engine off, hop out of the truck, and hustle toward the back of the house. I'm walking along a pathway that leads past the scandalous front porch—just the sight of which brings a smug grin to my face—around a small pond, and through a landscaped grove of trees when I nearly trip over my own two feet and face-plant onto the perfectly manicured lawn.
The source of my smug grin only moments before is right ahead of me, and she hasn't seen me yet. Jennie. Her back is to me as she makes her way down the path, so I do what any guy would do and take a moment to appreciate what's in front of me. Her cinnamon hair is tossed in a high bun on top of her head and a loose blue shirt falls off her left shoulder. Very tight jean shorts reveal the curves of her very fine, perfectly shaped ass. An ass I had the pleasure of groping just a few days ago. She seems to struggle with carrying a large box. I, being the gentlewoman I choose to be at times, jog to catch up with her, but before I can reach her, the box slips from her hands, spilling all the contents to the ground.
"Fuck!" she shouts. Her head swivels as she surveys the mess, and she huffs once before bending over to pick up what appear to be painting supplies.
I smile. She's in the perfect position for me to fully check her out. So I do. Again. After my peep show, I kneel down and grab a few paintbrushes from the ground. "I wouldn't have expected the first word popping out of your mouth to be fuck. You just don't seem like that kind of girl."
Brown eyes pin mine. "Yeah? And what kind of girl do I seem to be?" Her eyes tell me she's amused, but her tone tells me otherwise. Does she ever smile? This is the second time I've seen her, and both times she's given me dirty looks— attractive dirty looks, but dirty looks all the same.
My lips form a lopsided grin. "Hmm…dammit. Yeah." I nod, sure of my assessment. "You seem more like a dammit kind of girl."
Jennie rolls her eyes. She quickly gathers the rest of her art supplies and tosses them into the box before standing and resting the package on her left hip. "Too bad you don't know two fucks about me."
I laugh. I have a major smartass on my hands. That's okay; it's just going to take a little longer to lighten this one up a bit.
I've been around a lot of women, so I'm able to tell one type apart from another. Jennie's type is daring. They're smart, snarky wiseasses. They live for a challenge and love being right. But they're also—no matter what—women. And women can be sweet-talked at any moment.
I lean into her. She steps back. I smile.
There's just enough sun to fully take her in. Jennie's catlike eyes, man, they're something. It's not the cute button nose, the soft, plump lips that I had the pleasure of tasting, or the even, golden skin tone that compels me. All of these features are striking, sure, but her catlike eyes… Jennie's catlike eyes are exotic, stunning. There seems to be an untold story hidden behind those beauties. The mystery of those eyes…
I lean my head in close to her. Really close. Jennie's lashes flutter, with wide eyes stunned. An extensive grin spreads across my face. "Ah, but if my memory serves me correctly, I know exactly how you taste." Her breath catches; she seems to be at a loss for words. Score. I lift my hand and twirl one of the paintbrushes I'm still holding. "And it seems to me that I just learned you like to paint." Her eyes narrow and her nostrils lightly flare as she snatches the brush out of my hand. She opens her mouth to say something but shuts it when we hear someone else call my name.
"Lisa?" Mingyu walks up beside us. Eyes still on Jennie, I straighten my shoulders, flash her a knowing grin, and then turn to face my cousin.
"What's up?"
He raises a questioning brow and glances over at Jennie. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah. Let's get to work." I clasp his shoulder and start walking, guiding him toward the site.
"What was that about?" he asks quietly.
I turn my head and look at Jennie who's still standing there breathing heavily with the box glued to her hip. I wink at her and turn right back around. "Nothing. I was just helping her with a few things she accidently dropped."
He grips my shoulder and leans in. "Lisa, not here. This is work. Keep it like that. You understand?"
I shrug off his hold. I know what he means. I don't like it, but I understand. "Yeah, I understand."
It's not like we'd have more than just that one kiss on her front porch anyway.
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