Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Romeo's smile shifts to a poker face. His voice stays even and friendly, but there is something in his eyes. An irritation he can't hide. "You should stop hitting on her."
"She's cute. I can't help it." Sasha shrugs, not at all bothered by his frustration. Loving it even. "And this isn't because I want to kiss your sexy fake-girlfriend."
My blush deepens. No one calls me sexy. Not in real life.
Romeo's eyes flit to me. He notices. He enjoys it. But he doesn't mention it.
That should bother me too, but it doesn't. It feels good to be noticed. To be seen. To be enjoyed.
"It's because someone needs to show you how it's done." Her eyes lock with his.
They exchange something in their stare. Some understanding.
He nods.
She sits up straight and smiles.
The tension evaporates from the air. Shifts to something else. The awkward knowledge my fake boyfriend's best friend and business partner is volunteering to kiss me.
Sasha continues, "If it's okay with you, Ivy."
"I guess so." I suppose it's really no different, fake kissing Sasha or fake kissing Romeo. Either way, I'm not in love. Either way, I have no idea what it means to love. Not anymore.
So why does it feel different?
It's not just my lack of attraction to women. It's something else. Something deeper.
Some part of me that wants more of him.
Sasha notes my hesitation and plays with it. "You guess?" She adopts and exaggerated pout. "Oh, no, sweetheart. I don't want to kiss someone who guesses."
"Are you kissing her like you love her or seducing her?" Romeo asks.
"Are you jealous?" she quips.
He blushes. He shakes it off fast, but the hint of color remains on his cheeks. He is jealous.
Because they play this game. Or because he likes me. Or both.
It's fun, watching them.
It's flattering, watching them compete over my attention. Over the right to kiss me.
Is that real? Or is this some game they play with all their… clients?
I try not to read into it. After all, Romeo isn't my real boyfriend. He's my fake boyfriend.
I need to have fake feelings for him. That's the only way to keep my heart safe.
Because real feelings…
They almost destroyed me last time.
"Still." Sasha turns to me, triumphant. "I'd like to do a little better than, 'I guess.'"
I'm not sure I can do much better. Love is too overwhelming, as a concept, at the moment.
That's the other reason I'm here. Because I can't talk about love on the show anymore. Because I can’t handle the topic of love anymore.
Because I have to focus strictly on sex. And that means exciting stories.
I don't want to kiss her. Not in particular.
But I need the practice. And I need the material.
This could be an episode. The time two sex workers taught me how to kiss.
Who wouldn't listen to that?
"I could use the reminder," I say.
She smiles and sets her teacup on the table. "Watch and learn, lover boy."
Romeo rolls his eyes.
Sasha stands and offers her hand.
When I place my palm in hers, she pulls me to my feet and guides me towards her.
Her hands go to my hips.
Her eyes go to my eyes.
She smiles, a little shy, a lot affectionate. "You look gorgeous today, baby." She brings her hand to my cheek and brushes a stray hair behind my ear.
She draws a line over my jaw with her thumb.
She moves closer.
My eyelids flutter closed.
My lips find hers.
She kisses me softly. Gently. With tenderness.
Her lips part for my tongue. An invitation, not a demand.
When I don't answer, she pulls back with a soft smile. She looks at me, all hazy and in love, then she steps back, and snaps to attention. "Not bad. Not perfect. But not bad."
"Are you judging your kiss?" Romeo asks.
"Did you believe it or not?" Sasha asks.
Romeo folds his arms in protest, but he doesn't quite hold a poker face this time. His dark eyes are expressive.
He bought it.
Those dark eyes find mine. "Did you feel it?"
I didn't feel butterflies, but I felt something. The satisfaction of physically connecting with someone who knows what they're doing. "It only matters if your family believes it, right?"
"Yes, Rome, don't be such a guy about it. It's not about whether or not I make her swoon." And it won't be about whether or not he makes me see stars.
We're just faking it, after all.
"If you didn't catch it that time, I can demonstrate again…" Sasha shoots me a flirty wink. "Or maybe Ivy is ready to show you how it's done."
"I've got it." Romeo stands. He takes a step towards me. Then another.
Then he's in my space.
He repeats Sasha's gestures.
His hands go to my hips. They pull me closer.
Already, it's different. Already, I'm different.
My body melts into his. One hand goes to his waist. The other to his neck.
My fingers curl into his skin.
My eyes find his eyes.