Page 12 of Five
“What were you expecting?” I ask, curious.
She grins cheekily. “Oh, I don’t know. One big round the clock orgy? Just not such… normalcy. Chore lists and group grocery runs and hollering at someone to get out of the bathroom.”
I give her a crooked smile. “That sounds nice. I wouldn’t mind finding my own team of men to adore me like that, just saying.” I tip the neck of my bottle toward where they chase each other around the yard.
Eleanor laughs. “Yeah, wouldn’t we all like that.”
I take another pull on my beer, my gaze following my friend as she plays.
Yes. Yes, we would.
Later that same night, I can’t stop tossing and turning.
I stayed overnight, as I had to be out of my dorm by yesterday, anyway. My car’s loaded up, and in the morning, I’ll be leaving for the Florida Keys, where I spent a good chunk of my childhood years.
As a graduation gift, my parents paid for a building near the airport where I have big plans to open a daycare with my dual early childhood and business degrees, and I’m excited to get there.
Life is finally spreading out before me, promising to make good on the investments of a lifetime.
Maybe that’s why I can’t sleep. Thoughts spin like laundry in the dryer. There’s so much to do. Licenses, reno, branding and marketing…
Nerves coil in my belly, making me twist restlessly beneath the covers. Am I truly ready? A new business from the ground up is a big undertaking.
And what’s it going to be like, returning to the Keys? After all—that’s where my younger brother disappeared years ago, abducted by a psychopath who gained national attention. He was never found. So much of who I am is wrapped up in who we were… and in the part I played in his abduction.
I can still remember the desperation of my parents’ prayers. More than anything, we just wanted him to come home.
I can’t wait to return to my childhood home, but there’s so much trauma there, too. I—
Frowning, I turn my thoughts away from the grim subject and decide to get a drink of water. Maybe that’ll help settle me. Everyone’s gone to bed, so I shouldn’t bother anyone.
Rising, I throw a robe over my tee shirt and leave the guest room. Jude and her guys added extra rooms onto what was initially the rustic shell of an ancient farmhouse. There’s now a long, open hallway stretching out from the side of the building and curving in an L-shape around the back, with several bedrooms added to the original structure for Eleanor and the guys. A small night light illuminates the area as I make my way toward the kitchen.
As I round the corner into the kitchen, I get an eyeful.
Holy schlongs, Batman.
For a second, I just stare. Jude is spread out on the sturdy kitchen table, one of her men thrusting almost lazily in and out of her as he grips her hips. Another stands at the table’s edge, his hands holding her head in place as he fucks her face.
As if that’s not enough, the third stands on the opposite side of the table and watches, his greedy gaze fixed on the sight as he jacks himself off. He croons to Jude in a rough whisper. “Oh, yeah, take that cock, baby…you’re taking it so good.”
It’s the most carnal, visceral thing I’ve ever seen in real life.
I finally remember myself and whip back around the corner, flattening myself against the wall, but it’s no use. The sight is seared into my consciousness.
Guess Eleanor just missed the orgy notification.
I flush with a rush of embarrassment, even though I don’t think anyone noticed my intrusion. God Almighty. How am I going to look them in the eye in the morning?
More, though, I flush with arousal. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted something so badly in all my life.
I make myself a promise as I stand there in the hallway, hiding in the shadows. One day I’ll have a love like that, where I’m accepted for who I am and adored in every way.
One day I’ll have my happily ever after, too.
Two weeks later, I wander into Key West’s largest book store for some new reading material. Things are going well with getting the daycare ready for opening, and I saw online that James Hunt, one of my favorite authors, just came out with a new book.
The bookstore is packed out for some reason, with crowds of people thronging the aisles and blocking my access to the fiction section. They must be having a reading or something.
