SAM
Phoenix’s mouth hangs open as he stares at me for a good minute, then he finally blinks and laughs out loud. A whimper slips from my lips, and as fast as lightning, I am pressed underneath him, and he is grinning like an idiot.
“Shouldn’t you at least say it back?” I raise a brow.
“Nah,” that’s all he says before he crashes his lips on mine and kisses me slow, sweet, and innocent. “Sorry, princess but I’m not having sex with you tonight.”
I fake a pout. “Not even a dry humping?”
“Are you that desperate, my love?”
I nod, biting my lip, then we burst into a laugh while our body pressed together.
“I love you, Samantha. So fucking much!”
“Good, Phoenix,” I reply.
He then kisses my forehead, my eyes, my nose, my cheeks, and my lips. “Never expect to be that easy to chase you, princess.”
“Excuse me? I just said I love you, but it doesn’t mean I take you back as my boyfriend. You still have to take me out to a dinner date, then I will decide if you pass my test or not.” I roll my eyes.
“Seriously? That’s childish, don’t you think?” He moves away from me, then lies back flat beside me, placing his arms under his head.
I cover myself with his blanket and inhale his scent on it. “Night, boyfriend.”
He laughs and hugs me back. “I knew it! You can’t live without me.”
“I want you naked now,” I tell him, but more like a demand.
“Yes, your majesty.” I feel him pulling his boxers and kick it down his feet. “Done.”
“Now, strip me off.”
“Of course, one of my expertise.”
I’m stark naked in less than a minute. He rakes his gaze from head to toe of my naked body. His eyes glow with amazement.
“What are you waiting for?”
“Are you sure?”
“If I change my mind?”
“I hope you won’t.”
“Nah, I don’t want to pleasure myself alone while you are here,” I say biting my lip, then wink at him.
“Jesus!” Just like that, he devours me like a starved animal. I’ve never been so drained and limp until tonight. I can’t even move. The only strength I have left is to breathe. After my uncountable orgasms. I closed my eyes.
“Night, my love,” he says, still panting.
“Hmm.” I don’t even have strength left to say a word.
“I love you, Samantha.”
Phoenix will be busy tonight due to some business meetings. My apartment won’t be finished until the end of this week. I guess Phoenix spent too much money to meets his taste.
I can’t complain though because he made his point last night that he will spend his weekdays in my apartment, and I will be at his apartment during the weekend.
“So, how was your night with your hot Alexander Phoenix?” Sandy gives a few glances at me then focuses back on the road.
We agree to have pizza in her apartment tonight and watch reruns of Arrow, She’s into DC. Well, who can complain when Oliver Queen’s abs showed on the TV screen. Maya loves this show too so, I’m kinda updated about it.
“What’s with the full name? Can you call him Alex or Phoenix? Where is your boyfriend? Never heard about him lately? Are you and him still together?” I ask to avoid spilling to her about what happened last night in his bed, on the couch, in the kitchen, in his Jacuzzi, then back in his bed.
“We broke up. There are no sparks anymore. The problem is we have a lot in common,” she answers but it seems that it doesn’t even bother her.
“How’s that a problem? I mean if you have a lot in common?” I am a little bit curious.
“Because it’s boring,” she snorts and that makes me laugh.
“Do you fight sometimes?” she asks me.
“Oh, we fight a lot,” I say proudly. “I mean not fight, like a big fight. We banter because he is annoying and loves to annoy me. He’s relentless, but he always accepts his mistakes. He’s bossy, but he’s also fair with me.”
“See, it’s exciting and mysterious if you have differences because you don’t know what comes next. The thrill is there, but if you both like the same thing, it’s boring. You eat the same pizza toppings, drink the same taste of coffee, read the same books, and the same positions during sex. No adventure and no experiments.” She shakes her heads.
I laugh at her reactions. “Kind of true.”
“You are a very lucky bitch!” She slaps her hand on my thigh.
I jerk in surprise. “What was that?”
She laughs at me. “He isn’t kinky, is he?” Sandy’swiggling her brows on me with a cunning smile on her face.
“What’s kinky?” I ask back rolling my eyes.
She barks out laughing. “So, he isn’t kinky if you don’t even know what does kinky means. I guess he has his own way in bed. Is he Christian Grey then?” Her smile widens even.
“He’s not kinky or whatever is that means, and he isn’t Christian Grey. He never tied me up or hang me, yet.” I scowl at her.
“Do you agree with threesomes?”
My jaw drops and my eyes widen with her bluntness. I swallow hard. I can’t imagine myself and Phoenix with another man or woman will be joining us.
I flinch at the thought. “Gross! No way. Not happening!”
She shakes with laughter. “You are a selfish bitch! But he has a horse size, isn’t he?”
“Oh, my God! You are worse than Amy! Can’t I just run away from people like you?” I tell her, blinking my eyes.
“Who’s Amy?”
“Oh, my best friend back in my home. She has a mouth like yours.” I reply while wrapping my arms over my chest.
She giggles. “But you love someone like us.”
I just roll my eyes and I can’t answer anymore.
We order pizza as soon as we arrive at her apartment. Her apartment is almost the same size as mine. Two bedrooms, a small living room, and a small kitchen. She’s living alone now since her former roommate stayed with her boyfriend already.
Sandy doesn’t want another roommate since she has no problem paying the rent. She said at least she has her privacy and she won’t catch someone’s shoving a tongue on someone’s throat on the couch.
“Nothing much to see here, Sam. I turn that empty room into an office and a stock room,” she says shyly.
“Phoenix asked someone to fix my apartment, so I’m staying with him for a while,” I tell her, then take a seat on her couch.
“You are so lucky with him, Sam. Don’t let him go again, and stay away from Tyler. I can see the way Phoenix looks at you. He loves you and cares for you. You can’t find someone like him on this frigging earth.”
I give her a genuine smile. I somehow told her what happened to me and Phoenix without the full details. She doesn’t pry and just listens to me.
“You’ll have someone who’s kinky and has a horse size. Just have a little patience,” I tell her as she carries our drinks and places them on a small round dining table.
“Huh! I’ve been waiting for him all my life. I doubt if he even exists,” she snorts then sits across the table.
“I never even expected I will meet Phoenix that night, you know? But I feel something towards him the moment I hear his voice. I know it sounds cliché and it only exists in books, but I swear sometimes I do believe in the cliché-ness because that’s how I felt for him that night.” I laugh at what I’ve just said.
Sandy just looks at me with a smile on her face. “You love him so much, Sam. I swear if you will break his heart, I will break yours.” Her face suddenly becomes serious, and it gives me shiver.
I feel the hair at the nape of my neck stands, and I wrap my arms around me. I jerk in my seat when the doorbell rings.
“That’s the pizza!” she announces and stands up from her seat.
My heart thunders from my chest, and I’m still freezing in my seat when she comes back with two boxes of pizza on her hands. She takes her seat back then opens the boxes of pizza one by one.
“I always eat pizza from the box. Do you want a plate?” she asks.
I shake my head. “I also eat from the box.”
She picks a slice of pizza and I do the same.
“Wow! This is delicious. I can taste the oregano and the basil from the sauce. I never order from that pizza house,” I announce.
“Really? Then you almost missed half of your life,” Sandy chuckles. “That’s the nearest to our apartment.”
“Yeah, Tyler used to order, but not from that one near here.”
“I see, now you taste the real Italian pizza,” she says proudly. She has Italian ancestry. Her eyes and skin tell most of it.
“Yeah, the original taste. It’s really good.”
“So, where are your parents?” I take another bite then ask her.
She stops from chewing, then licks her lips.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Forget that I asked.”
“Nope, it’s okay. You shared your story, and I did most of the listening. I never meet my dad. My mom died from liver cirrhosis when I was in high school. Mom said it was a one-night stand with a drunk man, that’s how she got pregnant with me.” She seems not so much affected.
“But do you know him?” I ask cautiously.
“Yep, he’s dead,” she answers casually.
My mouth gapes for a few moments. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Before my mom died. She left me money and a house. My dad was sending her money until she died, which two weeks before I turned eighteen. He was aware I existed, but Mom was so stubborn. She didn’t allow my dad to even take a glimpse of me,” she explains. “He has his own family at that time when they slept together. Mom was a singer who was just trying to start living her dreams, then she got knocked up by a drunk man.” She laughs at the end.
“Mom’s family is a close-knit, the typical Italian, you know. They hid her when her pregnancy was growing big. I was born in Italy, then Mom brought me back here when I was two. They met again when Mom was singing at the hotel lounge.”
I listen to her intently, and I even forget to blink. I put down the half-eaten slice of pizza when I realize that there is something more about the secret her mother was keeping until she died. Why is she telling me this?
“I don’t want to do anything with them. My mother is dead and my dad is also dead. They have better lives, and I somehow survived without them.” She shrugs.
I can’t even form a word because I don’t know what to say.
I grab a can of soda with my shaking hand. I tried to flip it open, but instead, the content bursts out to our faces which causes us both to squeal with surprise. We both stand up quickly. I look down at my now wet front dress. She does the same, then bursts out laughing.
She shakes her head and looks amused.
“I’m so sorry. I messed up your dress and our food,” I say guiltily.
She’s still laughing, and I can’t help but join her. “It’s okay silly. That soda is frozen, and I forgot to warn you. Let’s get inside the bathroom so that you can change. I let you borrow my shirt and a pair of jeans. We’re the same size.”
I nod and follow her. “Thank you.”
Her room is decorated with pastel red wallpaper. Her queen-size bed is situated in the middle covered with deep red color sheets. The closet and dresser are of the same red color as well. I guess red is her favorite color-that tells me why she always wears red lipstick and her handbag is also red sometimes.
I walk into her bathroom. The smell of vanilla and wildflowers wafting in the air.
“Here are the clothes, Sam.” She knocks on the door then slips her hand at the ajar door with a red shirt and dark blue jeans.
“Thanks.” I take them from her.
After cleaning the stained soda from my face and my arms. I strip my clothes off then wear the clothes she lends me. I comb my hair with my fingers then look at myself in the mirror one last time.
I get out of her bathroom after taking my dirty clothes with me. I scan her room, but Sandy is nowhere to find. She probably waiting for me in her living room to watch the show.
I walk towards her bedroom door when a photo framed hanging on the wall catches my eyes. I gasp, and my hand flies to my mouth.