Page 1 of Somebody to Save
ONE
BUBBLES
Beckett
In a roomfull of beautiful people, she was a fucking star.
In the least creepy way possible, I’d been watching her all night.
It was opening night for my best friend, Nathan’s, invite-only sex club, Abditory. And he’d decided a Halloween costume party was the best way to celebrate.
The first floor was a bar and lounge, while the second and third were private rooms and an open play area. He’d done a damn good job with the entire place, but I never doubted that he would. He’d confided in me throughout the process, and as a “thank you,” he’d given me a key to one of the rooms on the second floor.
“To use as I please,” according to him.
And I had no intention of using it until I saw her. Her costume caught my attention first. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a streak of light blue among a sea of dark costumes. My Phantom fromThe Phantom of the Operacostume had seen better days, but it was what I had in my closet. Everyone was dressed similarly to me, but not my Bubbles.
The nickname I’d given her wasn’t original, but it made sense. She was dressed up as Bubbles fromthe Powerpuff Girls.Her cute little blue dress fanned out around her thighs, and a black belt around her waist accentuated curves I’d already memorized.
She was not who I expected to find at this party, but fuck, I was so glad I did.
She was standing in the corner of the lounge, staring up at one of the many erotic paintings lining the wall when I finally decided I couldn’t lurk any longer, and I had to know what her voice sounded like or if I could make her laugh.
“This one is my favorite,” I said low enough that only she could hear me.
If she was surprised by my presence, she didn’t let it show. She lifted her drink to her lips and took a short sip as she tilted her head. Her cute little blonde pigtails swung with her.
“All of the women grinding on a…uh…largepenis, I wonder why it’s your favorite,” she muttered sarcastically.
She finally peered up at me, and I got my first real look at her. Distance did her no justice, because up close, she was fucking gorgeous. She had a cute little nose and wide green eyes. A sweet blush stained her cheeks, and there was a light red birthmark down the left side of her neck.
Swallowing, I tried to school my expression—which was already hidden by the mask I wore—and my thoughts as I looked back at the painting.
Honestly, I didn’t have a favorite painting. Rather than pay attention to the room or the art hanging on the walls, I’d been a little more preoccupied with Bubbles. Watching her take it all in was so much better.
“You’re right, it is a little on the nose, although that wasn’t necessarily the reason. Which one is your favorite?”
I motioned to the rest of the art, and she peered at each of them, carefully considering my question.
“This one,” she said, pointing to the one just to my left. It wasof a woman and a man lying together on a bed. They were tangled together like they’d just finished having sex. “It feels…intimate, natural.”
I hummed and walked a few steps to take a closer look. It was beautiful, and I agreed with her description.
“I especially like how they’ve painted her,” she continued. “They didn’t try to hide what we’ve been conditioned to believe are her imperfections.” She motioned to the curve of her stomach and the stretch marks on her inner thigh.
Hell, those features were my favorite. Those parts just made her more beautiful.
“But even with all those so-called imperfections, she’s still desired.”
There was a beat of silence between us that I knew lingered too long, but I was struggling to organize my thoughts.
“Or maybe it says something more about me that I picked out all those imperfections.” She laughed, and I thought her nervous rambling was cute.
Shrugging, I smiled down at her. “Then maybe it says something about me, too. Because I noted those perceived imperfections. Although, to me, they’re anything but imperfect. They are often my favorite thing about a woman’s body. They are everything that makes her…her.”
Her chest quickly rose and fell, and her eyes locked on my face. The warm light emanating from the sconces on the wall was dim, but still I could see the blush bloom across her cheeks and down her neck.
“Would you like another drink, Bubbles?”
