Chapter 9

Chapter

Nine

TREY

I sit back in the restaurant booth and rub my tummy in complete and total satisfaction. “This is your best stew yet, Lady Di.”

My sister smiles warmly. Besides our eyes, we don’t look alike at all. She’s got much lighter hair and skin tones than me. I resemble my mother, and she resembles my father.

“Thank you. I’ve been working on a new recipe for our revamped menu.”

I look around the mostly busy restaurant. “How’s business?”

“Pretty good.” She tilts her head and looks at me lovingly. “It’s a lot easier when you have no debt.”

I bought this building and all the equipment for her so she could open the restaurant without big bills hanging over her head. She worked her ass off for years, sweating as a chef and moving from restaurant to restaurant until she and Sherrece decided to take the plunge and open their own. Their previous lifestyle wasn’t conducive to family life, and they were struggling. I’m more than happy to have been able to help create this opportunity for them.

I wink at her. “Isn’t that what little brothers are for?”

I rub my nose with Leo’s. “Right, buddy? Always take care of the special women in your life.”

Diana raises an eyebrow. “Speaking of special ladies, anything new for you in that department?” She has a hopeful look on her face.

I can’t help the smile that finds mine.

Her chin drops. “You’ve met someone?”

“I met the one. I have zero doubts. Di, she’s incredible. She’s smart, funny, sexy, and just…everything.”

“Wow, Trey. I’ve never heard you talk like this.”

“I never had a reason to until now.”

“Tell me about her.”

“She’s an attorney and an author. Very smart and upscale. She’s easily the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life. I love how she’s incredibly feminine yet super into sports, but I think my favorite thing about her is that she considers her grandmother her best friend. They have the sweetest relationship.”

“Does she work in The City?”

“She works in a city.”

“What city is that?”

I scrunch my face. “That’s the only problem. She lives in Philly and doesn’t know I live in New York City.”

“Don’t people assume that you live in New York considering you play for the Bombers?”

I turn my face, unable to make eye contact. “She doesn’t know who I am.”

“Trey—”

“Listen, Di, it’s hard to be me sometimes.”

“An attractive baseball player who’s treated like royalty, makes stupid money, and can have any woman he wants? It sounds like a real struggle. ”

I blow out a breath. “I meant finding women who are interested in Trey the regular guy, not Trey DePaul, the famous baseball player. You know how some of the women can be.”

“That’s because you look for women in clubs. Not real places.”

“Well, I didn’t find her in a club. She thinks I’m a plumber and she doesn’t care.”

“She didn’t recognize your name?”

I mumble, “She doesn’t know my real last name.”

She gives me a flat look of disapproval. “Oh, Trey, this isn’t you. You’re not a deceitful guy. If she’s the one, you need to tell her. She’s going to find out eventually.”

Sherrece plops down at the table, leans over, and softly kisses Diana’s lips. In her accent, she says, “Sorry, love. It’s a madhouse in the kitchen tonight. Franco never showed. I just tried your new stew though. It’s amazing.” She smiles. “Maggie is in the back helping them with desserts.” She pops a piece of bread in her mouth. “Catch me up.”

Sherrece and my sister have been together since college. She’s very tall, nearly my height, and used to have long, dark hair, but now it’s blonde and shorter. My sister is curvier while Sherrece is rail thin.

Diana sighs. “The good news is that Trey is in love. The bad news is that he’s been lying to her.”

Sherrece’s eyebrows furrow. “Lying? That’s not like you, Trey.”

I go on to tell them the whole crazy story. By the time I’m done, they’re both speechless.

Sherrece blows out a breath. “You have to tell her who you are.”

I run my fingers through my hair. “I know. It’s just that…I want her to fall in love with me first, so she has no choice but to accept it.”

Diana shakes her head. “You’re a fucking idiot.”

Leo mimics, “Fuck, fuck, fuck. ”

Diana closes her eyes. “Shit.”

Leo then mimics, “Shit, shit, shit.”

I can’t help but let out a laugh. “Leo, say go Bombers .”

He looks at me for a moment before saying, “Go Toogars.”

Sherrece laughs. For some unknown reason, she’s a huge Cougars fan. “I’ve trained our son well. He’ll never be a Bombers fan.”

Diana sighs. “You know the right thing to do.”

I nod, acknowledging that she’s right. “I just need a little more time.”

Diana and Sherrece share a disapproving glance with each other.

GEMMA

I fall over on the couch. “Ugh, I can’t eat any more pizza.”

Val rolls his big brown eyes. “Why are you in nice pants, weirdo? We’re watching a basketball game while eating pizza and drinking beer. That calls for old cotton sweatpants.”

I scrunch my nose. “I don’t think I own any old cotton sweatpants.”

CJ lets out a laugh as his shaggy blond hair falls over his handsome face. “How are we still friends?”

I sigh. “I wonder that myself all the time.” I look around at the piles of beer cans, dishes, and dirty clothes. “You two live in absolute filth. I can’t believe I spend time in this frat house. You both make real money. Get a housekeeper.”

CJ lifts one of his ass cheeks and lets out a huge fart. “Ah, much better. I think I’m getting old. Cheese is starting to upset my system.”

I shake my head. “You’re gross.”

“You queefed in front of us last Sunday. ”

I wave my hand in a dismissive fashion. “Can’t prove a thing.”

He winks and blows me a kiss. “You love us.”

“Hmm. I suppose. It’s only because girls are high maintenance. You two are easy.”

Val chuckles. “CJ is definitely easy. You should have seen the brown-bagger he was with last weekend.”

I shake my head. “Ugh. You know I hate that term. It’s so wrong.” It’s what they’ve always termed women with attractive bodies and unattractive faces. You put a brown bag over her face, and all is good.

CJ winks at me in his casual hoodie and sweatpants. “They can’t all be tens in both face and body like you.”

I bat my eyelashes. “You flatter me.”

He chugs the rest of his beer, burps loudly, and then asks, “What about your love life? Have you been knocking boots with anyone lately?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Knocking boots? You’re so unoriginal. Even my grandmother and her friends are more creative than that. Come up with something better, and then I’ll answer you.”

“Doing the dirty deed?”

I toggle my head back and forth in contemplation. “Hmm, better, but not good enough.”

Val shouts, “Stuffin’ the muffin!”

I smile and nod. “Yes, using food is always good.”

CJ thinks for a moment. “Makin’ the bacon?”

“Now you two are thinking like writers. So proud of my boys.”

They both smile with pride.

I straighten my shoulders. “I am, in fact, riding the Bony Express. Thanks for asking.”

CJ laughs. “Bony Express. Good one. It’s not another finance dickwad, is it? Our friendship barely survived Aiden. ”

“Definitely not like Aiden. In fact, he put Aiden in his place earlier this week when we ran into him.”

Val wiggles his eyebrows. “I like him already. When are we going to meet him? Ya know, give him the brotherly shakedown.”

I smile with affection for my two best friends. I’m fully a guy’s girl. I always have been. I simply get along better with men. CJ and Val have been my best friends since middle school. The number of threesome jokes I’ve endured throughout the years has got to be in the tens of thousands. I don’t know why people can’t comprehend opposite-sex friendships, especially a tight trio. Never for a single second have any of the three of us entertained the notion of something physical. They see me as one of the guys or even as a sister. It’s not that they’re unattractive, just the opposite, but it’s simply not what we are.

At this point, we mostly watch games together. Sunday football is our weekly tradition, but we’ll occasionally do a Friday night basketball game over pizza and beer, like tonight. And on rare occasions, I’ll go out to clubs with them. They always go home with random women, so I don’t love doing that with them, but watching sports with my two boys is my happy place. It’s how I relax.

My phone pings, and I look down at an unfamiliar number. It’s photos of me from today. One at work and one while I was on my way to lunch.

I write back.

Me: Who is this?

Unknown: A secret admirer.

Huh? A secret admirer? Wait a minute. I smile. I bet it’s Trey. I click on Trey’s contact information and call him. He answers right away, “Hey, beautiful. I was just thinking about you.”

“What were you thinking? ”

“Dirtier thoughts than I can admit in my present company.”

“Oh, where are you?”

“Still in Connecticut. I’ll head out when the kids go to bed. I need my fill of them.”

That’s sweet. “Oh, I…umm…got a text from an unknown number. I thought it might be you?”

“Nope. Not me. We just finished dinner, and the kids are about to get baths. What are you doing?”

“Watching the basketball game with Val and CJ.”

He chuckles. “I love your sporty side. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Actually, I’m looking forward to Sunday morning.”

“Why Sunday morning?”

“Waking up with you in my arms. It’s suddenly very lonely when you’re not there.”

I bite back my smile. “Swoony fucker. Cheez, what did you do, go to some romance book-boyfriend academy?”

He lets out a laugh. “I may have done that, but it doesn’t make it any less true. I loved waking up with your naked body pressed to mine. I’m counting the seconds until it happens again.”

“It’s kind of presumptuous for you to assume that I’ll be sleeping with you on our first official date,” I joke. “I’m not that kind of girl.”

I can hear him step away from the sounds of water running until he’s in the quiet.

“Baby, I’m going to be inside your body for so long tomorrow night that you’ll be feeling me all week. First, my tongue will taste your sweetness, and then my cock will pound you and fill you with my come. Fuck, I love when I first enter you and your eyes roll back in pleasure. And when you’re about to orgasm, your eyes turn a brighter shade of green. You’ll be coming over and over again as your juices coat my cock and drip down all over me.”

I swallow hard as the thought of all that seems mighty appealing. I look up to see Val and CJ staring at me. I’m undoubtedly red in my very guilty-looking face and smiling like a schoolgirl.

“Answer something for me.”

I whisper, “What?”

“Which one makes you more wet, the thought of coming on my tongue or the thought of coming on my cock?”

I shift in my seat and then breathlessly respond, “Both.”

I can hear his breathing pick up. “Good, ’cause you’re getting both tomorrow night. Speaking of which, I had something sent for you to wear.”

“You’re picking out my clothes? I’m very particular in that department.”

“I know my girl. Just wait until you see it.”

I hear a little girl’s voice say, “Uncle Twey, huwwy up.”

“I’m being summoned to the bath. Tell your girlfriends hello and that I can’t wait to meet them. I want to know all things Gemma Fairchild.”

Before I can correct him, he hangs up.

I lean my head back on the sofa pillow. Damn, that was hot.

Val and CJ are still staring. I lift my head and take a breath. “Boys, I highly suggest you up your dirty talk game.” I fan between my legs with my hand. “Nothing gets a girl wetter than some quality dirty talk.”

CJ stands up and throws his arms in the air like he’s performing in a play. In a deep voice, he bellows, “Fair maiden, I want to caress your ample bosom.”

I shake my head and giggle. “You’re a fuckwit. It’s not the eighteen hundreds. That’s not dirty. I feel bad for the women you date.”

Val asks, “What did he say?”

“That he wants to fuck me until I can’t walk and then fill me with his come. That he wants my juices leaking all over him. That he can’t wait for me to come on both his tongue and cock.”

His eyes pop open. “Holy shit. That’s some grade-A dirty talk. Maybe I do need to up my game. ”

I nod. “His dirty talk is off-the-charts hot. And the sex is even better.”

CJ asks, “Better than that football player you dated our senior year? What was his name?”

Val answers, “Troy, the quarterback. And he drove a cheesy yellow Trans Am. Tell me you’re an eighties high school date rapist without telling me you’re an eighties high school date rapist.”

I burst into laughter. “Oh my god, that’s so funny. And so true. Trans Ams are the official bat signal of pushy guys.”

Val smirks and he nods in agreement while CJ raises his eyebrows. “Well? Answer the question.”

“Yes, it’s way better than Troy. His name is actually Trey. I didn’t even think about the similarity. Trey has a magical dick that also happens to be pierced. He blew my mind.”

Val looks impressed. “Magical dick, huh? You’re not easy to please, so good for Trey.”

I pout. “I’m not hard to please.”

Val scoffs, “Yes, Princess Gemma, you are. And it’s only gotten worse since you started writing because now you create these fake, over-sensationalized men. No real man can ever live up to your fictitious men. That’s why you haven’t dated a single person in six months.”

I contemplate that. Is it true? Am I expecting too much from real-life men due to the perfect men I create?

CJ interrupts my thoughts. “When are we meeting him?”

I scrunch my face. “Not yet. It’s new. We have some…obstacles to overcome.”

“Like what?”

“Nothing I want to discuss. Let’s watch the second half.”

They both eye me skeptically. It’s rare that I keep anything from them, but I want to talk about this with my grandmother when I see her. She’s my voice of reason.