Alex - The Novella

A ridiculous surge of jealousy heated my belly and I walked over to the table.

"Hello again," I said, taking a deep drag from the rapidly depleting stick. Whatever they made cigarettes from these days really didn't make them last any longer. Which just made me feel like smoking more.

Maya pulled back from her friend, startled. Her wide eyes took me in - although I wasn't sure why. I was still wearing the same tank top and jeans I was this morning.

"Hi," she said and a blush stole across her cheeks. Her friend spoke in another language and Maya nodded, the heat in her cheeks only getting worse. I raised an eyebrow at the pair of them.

Her friend stuck out her hand. "Alex," she said. "Nice to meet you."

Her handshake was strong. "Gray."

I took another drag of the cigarette and stubbed it out in a nearby ashtray. "So what was all the screaming about?" I asked.

"Oh!" Maya's face lit up instantly, her eyes wider than I've ever seen them. "Alex is getting married!"

Seriously? At least that assuaged the surprising spark of jealousy. "How old are you, kid?"

She didn't take that well. "That's really none of your business, grandma," she returned. I felt a spark of anger in my chest but tamped it down with a big breath. My mentor would be proud, god rest her soul.

"I didn't mean to offend you," I clarified. "You just look a little young to be getting married."

She shrugged. "When you know, you know."

Maya seemed to be vibrating with excitement. "I don't care when it is, Alex. I'll lie to amma anytime if it means I get to see you on your big day."

Alex laughed. But it was Maya who held my attention. She was happy, genuinely happy, and the twin dimples on her cheeks made an appearance every time she smiled. My gaze followed the curve of a cheek to the lashes that framed her doe-like brown eyes. I wondered what they would look like glazed over with passion.

I realized a little too late that they were talking to me. "What?" I asked, pulling up my shades.

"Would you like to join us?" Maya asked, and for the second time that day, I pulled up a chair to join her. I waved to Miranda inside the café, indicating that I'd like my usual.

"So who's the lucky lady?" I asked as I sat down, propping a booted leg over my knee.

Alex opened her mouth to reply but Maya beat her to it. "It's Cady. They met in Singapore two years ago and fell in love when Alex was her student. How romantic is that?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "That's also very inaccurate. We never dated while she was my teacher."

"Sure." I said with a snort.

"I'm serious!" Alex insisted. "It was hell. But, you know, happy ending and all that."

"I can't believe it, Alex. I can't believe everything you've done to get here."

Alex's smile was sad. "I know. But I'm okay. I'm learning to live with it."

I raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"So what do you do?" Alex directed the question at me.

"I own the tattoo shop two blocks over." I noticed that she didn't seem to have any visible ink. "You should come by sometime. Take a look."

"Yeah, right. Any tattoo on me would just look like a giant bruise."

That surprised a laugh out of me. "That's not true."

But Alex was already shaking her head. "No offense, but I know a tattoo would look cool up close. But with my skin color, from afar, it'll just look like someone beat me up. So, no, but thanks."

"Suit yourself."

"Yours look amazing, though. This one here," she indicated Maya, "is a sucker for tattoos. Always has been."

I turned my attention to the beauty who seemed to be permanently in a state of mid-blush. "That right?"

"Um..." She bit that thick bottom lip of hers. "Maybe."

I thought she looked a little like a frightened rabbit. Testing the waters a little, I leaned forward and flexed my bicep muscles.

"Does this do anything for ya?" I teased, tongue-in-cheek.

Her cheeks flamed even more.

Alex laughed so loudly that it drew stares. "If you're quiet enough," she said, eyes filled with tears of laughter, "you may even hear her panties drop."

I sat back, holding Maya's gaze. Nothing like being outed by your friends. A warm feeling of satisfaction - or what is anticipation? - trickled through me. Now that I had my answer, what was I gonna do about it?

She met my gaze squarely, her eyes filled with longing and... was it trepidation? Before I could comment on it, Alex called out a greeting, snapping our eyes to her. A lovely little blonde in a short, pleated red skirt and heels walked up to the table. In her hands was a bejeweled iPhone.

"Hi, baby," Alex's voice dropped several octaves as she pressed a kiss to her fiancée's lips. At least I hoped this was her fiancée.

It took a while for the kiss to end but when it did, Alex pulled a chair up for Cady and introduced us.

"Cady, this is Gray. She owns a tattoo shop nearby."

Behind her shades, I could make out Cady's eyes ping-ponging between me and Maya. Then she looked at Alex, who shrugged as though to say, 'none of my business'.

"Hi," she said finally, offering me her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"I hear you're getting married," I said. "Congratulations."

"Yeah." The smile on her face was brighter than the diamond ring she wore. "We haven't started planning or anything." She turned to Maya. "But we'd like you to be a part of it, if you can."

"I'd love to," Maya said, reaching out for Cady's hand. "Anything you want me to do."

I didn't understand the next words out of Cady's mouth. "What's that?" I asked, taking a large sip of the double espresso set in front of me. The too-hot coffee instantly made me feel like world peace was attainable.

"Oh, it's Tamil. I'm learning how to speak it." Cady beamed. I watched as Alex's eyes clouded over with affection. I felt a ridiculously out of place pang of envy lance through me. I didn't like it. "Yeah, I figure that if she can already speak my mother tongue, I should learn to speak hers."

"And she's getting really good, too," Maya commented.

"Well," I said, standing with a rough scrape of the chair. "I have to get back to the shop sometime today." I tipped the paper coffee cup in lieu of a wave. "It was really lovely meeting you two. And good luck."

I turned to Maya, who seemed rattled by my abrupt departure. "I'll see you around," I said, retreating from the uncomfortable cloud of love hormones that seemed to be dancing around the table.

*

And hour later, I was working on a stencil in my office when there was a hesitant knock on my door.

I frowned immediately. None of the employees ever knocked; they had no sense of privacy and took the 'what's mine is yours' theory to the limit. And I doubted it would be a client. Melissa wouldn't be silly enough to let someone through to my office without booking an appointment at least two weeks in advance. It was important to be available but unavailable, you know what I mean?

"Come in," I called out.

There was a moment of hesitation before the doorknob turned. And there she was, standing right in my office, the girl I'd been thinking about all day. She had a backpack slung over her shoulder and thick textbooks clutched to the front of her Columbia hoodie.

Her lips had a fresh coat of red that hadn't been there an hour ago. With the black glasses perched on her nose, she looked a like a naughty little librarian. It was kinda hot.

"Hi," she said, still standing in the doorway.

"This is a surprise." I leaned back in my swivel chair, watching her fidget, trying to calm the sudden butterflies in my belly. "What's up?"

"Well, I..." she started and then turned around to shut the door. That was probably wise. I was almost certain Melissa was eavesdropping on our conversation.

She turned back to me and walked around my desk, stopping a foot away and resting her hip against the table. She was smiling, those twin dimples almost making an appearance.

"I was wondering if you're doing anything tonight." The words came out in a rush, like she'd wanted to get it all out before she lost her nerve. I simply stared, wondering if this little doe-eyed cutie was asking me out. Jesus, I couldn't remember the last time someone had done that. I'd always had to make the first move.

I cleared my throat.

"No, nothing," I said, trying to keep my cool.

"Well," she toyed with the pencil I'd been using. "Maybe you'd like to have dinner? I mean, only if you want to. I can cook; I'm a good cook. I won't poison you or anything..."

She rattled on nervously, and I watched her lips work. My brain had somehow tuned out the noise and all I could see was the movement of her lips - the generous curve of her bottom lip meeting her top lip as she spoke. Red lips, beautifully painted. I couldn't wait to smudge it... maybe with my fist holding her hair back. Her breath escaping her lips in little pants, echoing the word 'please'...

"So, would you like to?" she asked, snapping me out of my cloud of fanciful thinking.

"Yeah, sounds great. When and where?"

"My apartment. It's the building just above the café. Buzz 2B."

She smiled in earnest now and the two dimples were endearing. Inviting.

"Great." I glanced at the clock. It was almost three. "I'll see you around eight or eight thirty?"

"Okay. I'll see you then."

She turned and walked towards the door, giving me the chance to admire her generous ass in skinny jeans. Then, just as she reached the door, she turned and walked quickly back to the desk.

"You might need that back," she said, handing over the pencil she'd been playing with earlier. "I'll go now so you can get back to work. Okay, bye."

With a quick wave, she ducked out the door, leaving me just a tiny bit - okay, a lot - confused. I usually prided myself on being able to read people but I'd already been so wrong on so many levels with this girl.

But did it really matter? I had a date!

*

She buzzed me in at twenty past eight and I felt almost lightheaded as I walked up the carpeted stairs. In almost 15 years of dating, I don't think I'd ever anticipated a date quite as much. She was attractive, yes, but I didn't think it was lust. Okay, I didn't think it was just lust. Whatever. I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Wine bottle in hand, I rang the doorbell, giving my patterned bowtie one last corrective tug. Yes, I was wearing a bowtie on a date - you got a problem with that? It was too hot for a blazer and I wanted to seem like I'd dressed up for her.

I heard multiple locks being pulled back before the door opened. Remember when I said I felt lightheaded? Multiply that by 10. Or 100. I think I stopped breathing for a second as I (tried) to take in what she was (not) wearing.

"I'm early," I croaked. My eyes probably looked comically wide but I couldn't seem to control my face.

She smiled, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ears. A floral scent drifted into the hallway. "Don't worry about it. Come in."

She stepped back, the silky robe she wore parting just enough to provide a tantalizing view of her breasts. I felt my feet move into the apartment, although I doubted my movements looked remotely human.

"You can put the wine on the kitchen counter. I'll get us some glasses."

I nodded and set the bottle down, as instructed, just in time to see her slide the last bolt into place. She turned, the robe swishing against the tops of her thighs.

Her dark hair was tied up in one of those Japanese-style buns at the back of her head with two elegant gold chopsticks. As I watched, she tugged at the sticks and the waves tumbled over her shoulder, the curls ending at her waist.

I couldn't move. It felt like my every wet dream come true. Her eyes met mine and a fierce blush crossed her cheeks. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Mind?" I echoed.

"I thought this would be much easier. No pretenses."

"Pretenses?"

"Yes," she said, her fingers entwining nervously. She hesitated a moment, an irresistible blend of hesitance and half-nakedness. Then she walked towards me in what I now realized were 5-inch heels.

"I'm sure our date would have been fantastic." She pulled on the ribbon that held her robe together. A sleeve fell down her arm, revealing a lace black cage bra that seemed to lift her generous breasts like an invitation. "But what's the point when we both know that this is what we truly want?"

I'm dreaming. This has to be a dream.

I didn't say anything. I don't think I could've.

"Gray," she breathed, placing both her palms on my chest and sliding them up to my collar. A flush still coated her cheeks. "If this isn't what you want, you can tell me. I'll stop."

Her eyes were wide, seeking.

SPEAK! Say something. Anything. Maybe just nod?

Her fingers unclipped the bowtie and let it fall to the floor. Then they found the buttons on my shirt. I was probably in a state of shock but that didn't stop me from noticing that her fingers fumbled, possibly in fear.

"You know," she said, her voice low. "The first time I saw you, I knew I wanted you. You're so beautiful." She traced the outline of the tattoos she revealed across my chest. "The way you looked at me was so... bold."

"You looked frightened to death." Was that huskiness actually my voice? Where had it been all my adult life?

"I was so attracted to you. Of course I was frightened. I think I still am. But it's not going to stop me." Her fingers undid the last button of my shirt, baring my midriff - I still wore my chest binder. She stepped back and let her robe fall to the floor, engulfing my bowtie in a sea of satin.

Her rounded hips were encased in a matching pair of black lace panties that revealed and concealed just enough for my salivary glands to kick into overdrive. She reached for my hands and placed them on her generous bare ass.

"What do you think of the outfit? Cady helped me pick it out today." She leaned forward and placed a kiss to the base of my throat. I trembled and tried to conceal it by digging my fingers into the flesh of her ass. She pressed herself closer to my body.

"You got this for me?" I asked and she nodded, looking extremely satisfied with herself. Too satisfied.

"Then I think I'd better get a good look." I felt my control returning somewhat. I think anyone would find it difficult to recover from being slapped in the face with so much... beauty. And skin. I leaned close to her ear, pulling several locks of hair out of the way to make room for my lips. "Face the wall, baby. Hands up, ass out."

"W-what?" she stammered as her eyes widened.

"You heard me." I ran a finger down her neck and her breath hitched. "If we're doing this, we're doing it the right way. Now turn." I slapped her ass lightly. "Hands up, ass out."

She moved away slowly until her back hit the wall, then she turned, displaying the cheeks of her luscious ass in the black lace thong. With her hands up, it jutted out invitingly - more so when she shrugged her hair out of the way and looked at me over her shoulder.

Nervous. Breathless. Turned on. Trembling. Perfect.

I jerked my belt out of its loops. It landed on the satin with a muted jangle.

*