Arranged love

Workers have been in and out every day doing the finishing touches so I can open Monday. I just set my purse on the counter when I see the front door open. “Hey.”

“What’s up, ho?” Jasmine asks, removing her sunglasses and eyeing the guy’s ass bent over cleaning up his mess off the floor. She winks and gives me a smile.

“What are you girls doing here?” I ask.

Haven places her Louis Vuitton on the counter next to my fifteen-dollar purse. I have a feeling these women grew up with money. “We wanted to stop by and see the shop.”

I haven’t told them about what happened. I’m too ashamed and afraid they will judge Ethan. He’s really a good kid who just made some bad choices. Haven’t we all done that at some point? “Thanks. It should be ready for business on Monday.” As far as they know, I’m remodeling, and they have no clue that Grave is footing the bill.

“I saw the boutique next door to you is for sale,” Jasmine adds. “Have you thought about buying it? Expanding?”

“No. But that would be a good idea.” If that was an option. I don’t get enough business to justify that kind of expansion, but a girl can dream.

The door opens, and Emilee walks in followed by Titan. I swallow nervously. He knows what happened here and that the Mason brothers are responsible for the destruction. I’m praying he doesn’t say anything.

“You look like you just rolled out of bed,” Jasmine says to Emilee.

Her dark hair is up in a messy bun, and she’s wearing one of Titan’s T-shirts that’s hanging off one shoulder with a pair of gray yoga pants and tennis shoes.

Emilee waves her off. “We just had a couples massage. Dear Lord, it was amazing!” She sighs, rubbing her neck.

Titan walks up to the counter and pulls an envelope out of his back pocket, sliding it toward me.

“What’s this?” I ask, picking it up.

“That is your deposit for our wedding,” he answers.

I open it up. “Deposit ….?” I trail off as I pull the check out. It’s written out to me for twenty-five thousand dollars. “What?” I breathe.

“I figured that would be enough to get started.” He knocks his knuckles on the counter, then turns, giving Emilee a kiss. “You ladies have fun today,” he calls out before he leaves.

“Emilee?” I cough out her name. “This is …”

“Not enough?” she asks, tilting her head. “I can write you another one for the difference.”

Is she joking? “…insane.”

She waves me off as though she just bought me a five dollar lunch.

“No. Seriously.” I put it down and walk over to her. “I don’t even have the ability to produce that much. It’s just me …”

“You have us.” Jasmine throws her arm over my shoulders, pulling me into her side. “We will help make it happen.”

“What?” I look up at her in a daze. The shop has been down for a week, so I’m already behind. I would love nothing more than to do this for Emilee and Titan, but it’s just not possible.

“We’re the kind of girls who have your back. No matter what,” Jasmine adds with a wink.

Haven nods. “We got it.”

Emilee smiles. “Just let me know when and where you need me.”

Jasmine pulls away from me and places her eyes back on the guy who is now on his knees, back to setting the tile. “I know where I wanna be.” She whistles.

_______________

I sit at the table eating lunch with the girls. They talked me into walking down the street to a sub shop. My mind is still reeling from the check Titan wrote out to me and trying to figure out how I can give Emilee what she wants. My biggest fear has always been failure. Having to close the shop that my mother loved so much. And if it wasn’t for Grave, I would have had to do that a week ago when it got destroyed.

Jasmine starts digging through her Saint Laurent purse next to me. Emilee and Haven sit across from us in our booth next to the window.

“What are you girls doing tonight?” I ask, trying to get my mind off it.

“Titan is getting off early today and we’re leaving town. Flying to New York for the weekend.” Emilee answers first.

“What are you doing there?” Haven asks, taking a sip of her water.

“Are you going to that sex club?” Jasmine asks excitedly. “If so, I want to come.”

“No.” Emilee laughs. “One of Titan’s friends is opening his restaurant tonight, and he invited us.”

“Sex club?” I ask Jasmine.

She nods quickly, pulling a lip balm container out of her purse. “It is cool as fuck. Membership only. Like a secret society, BDSM style.”

Haven rolls her eyes, and Emilee chuckles.This is from NôvelDrama.Org.

“Interesting,” I mumble, taking a sip of my diet Coke.

“I so want to open one here,” Jasmine goes on.

“Grave said he was going to the Airport tonight. I wanted to go,” I say. Obviously, it’s not McCarran or he would have said that. I can’t see the guy having a second job. Kingdom already takes up too much of his time. But what the fuck else would he be doing there? He didn’t say hey I’m going out of town for the night, be back tomorrow. So he can’t be flying somewhere.

“Oh, there’s no way Luca would let me go there.” Haven shakes her head. “I’m not even going to ask.”

“I would if we were in town.” Emilee frowns. “I can go with you girls next weekend for sure, though.”

“I’ll go with you,” Jasmine says, unscrewing the lid. “What about Alexa?”

“She can’t. She has to work the bar at night until she can hire more help.” I don’t get to see her all that much unless I go up there to hang out. The woman is a hustler. Owning two businesses doesn’t allow much time to play.

Jasmine runs her fingers through the lip balm and goes to put the lid back on. “Anyone want some?”

“Sure.” I reach out and dig my finger into it before smearing it across my lips. Then I rub them together. “Mmm, tastes like watermelon.”

“So good.” She agrees.

My lips start to tingle immediately. “What is this?” I lick them. The tingle intensifies to a burning sensation. “My lips are stinging.”

She looks at the container. “It’s actually nipple enhancer.”

“What?” I squeak, dipping my napkin in Emilee’s water and placing it on my lips.

“It makes them tingle,” she explains as if I don’t understand. “Enhances them for nipple play.”

“Shit. They’re on fire, Jasmine.” I hiss in a breath. I can feel them expanding like a balloon.

“I know.” She smiles. “I like it.”

“I wanna try.” Emilee reaches across the table and puts some on her lips.

“Why are you using that?” Haven asks.

“It makes your lips plump,” Jasmine answers in a duh voice.

“Why don’t you just get your lips done?” Haven offers.

“I’m not quite ready for that commitment,” she replies.

“Hmm.” Emilee nods. “I like it too.”

“What even made you think to put it on your lips?” I ask, holding the soaked napkin to my mouth.

“I tried it on my nipples one night. A guy was sucking on them, then kissed me. Boom! It’s my newest lip balm.”

Note to self: never use anything that Jasmine has on her. It’s like just say no when a stranger offers you candy. “What time are we going to the Airport tonight?” I manage to mumble, running an ice cube over my swollen lips. It reminds me of going to the dentist and your mouth going numb from the injections.

“I’ll pick you up around ten, and we’ll get ready at my house,” Jasmine answers.

“Isn’t that late?” I ask, the ice melting and running down my chin.

“If Grave is at the Airport, then he’s there to fight. And he’ll be the main event. That doesn’t happen until two or three a. m.”

“Fight?” My brows rise.

Emilee nods. “Oh, yeah. Grave kicks ass at fighting. The guy can’t lose.”

“He’s never mentioned it,” I mumble, wondering just how much I don’t know about him. We don’t have heart-to-heart conversations. I’ve never been the type of woman to push a guy to give me details about their life. Maybe because I’m not one for sharing either. But my life is pretty boring.