Page 18 of The Toy Maker (The Pink Cherrie #1)
SIXTEEN
Ethan sipped his steaming latte carefully after I stepped out the front door of the coffee shop, leading the way into the cold. “So, how did you end up being a Cherry?”
“I enjoy having a roof over my head.” I laughed softly.
Cars whizzed past Ethan and I as we strolled down the sidewalk. The coffee shop was only a block away from Pink Cherrie, but the area was bright and lively. Families walked together, some carrying shopping bags.
Ethan returned my grin and chuckled. “That’s a pretty big motivator.”
I shrugged. “My choices were to either be a Cherry or move home.”
His laughter increased.
“What’s so funny?” I frowned slightly.
The city lights twinkled above us as we strolled down the street. Pink Cherrie’s stream of clientele had settled inside the massive brick building and left the sidewalk open for coffee chats on the wrong side of town.
“That’s exactly why I started stripping in college,” he explained.
I nearly choked on my drink and struggled to speak through the coughing. “You were a stripper?” I struggled to push away the image forming in my mind. His eyes reflected the neon lights illuminating the city and for a moment, I paused to watch them.
“No,” he teased me for the shocked expression on my face, “but you definitely pictured me as Magic Mike for a moment there.”
My cheeks burned. “Whatever you say.” He didn’t mean anything by it, which might have been the problem. For a moment, he understood. I tried to avoid his gaze and change the subject.
“So,” I said, fidgeting with the bracelet on my wrist, “why did you come to Pink Cherrie tonight?”
Ethan sighed and stuffed his free hand into his pocket. “Curiosity.”
“That’s it?” I took another sip of my coffee.
“Is there a better reason?” Being kinky beyond comprehension?
The corners of my mouth lifted. “I suppose not.”
We took a few more steps before Ethan spoke up again, “Actually, I came because a friend recommended it. He said I needed to relax and blow off some steam.”
“Interesting friend.”
Ethan sucked in a breath and nodded. “Yeah, he’s something.”
We rounded a corner and faced the familiar entrance to Pink Cherrie.
I tugged on the hem of my jacket and tilted my head up.
The memory of Jason’s breath rolling down my neck sparked something inside me, something I wasn’t sure I wanted.
And although I was supposed to be paying attention to Ethan, that seemed damn near impossible.
“Well, I suppose my two hours are up.” Ethan’s wistful goodbye made me hope that I would see him again, just not under the same circumstances.
“Thanks for the coffee break.” I lifted my half-empty cup and watched his eyes gleam underneath the neon lights one last time.
“Anytime.” He bowed playfully.
I opened the door and braced myself for the swarm of questions waiting inside for me. “See you next month?”
“If you’re lucky.” Ethan’s teasing wink put another smile on my face before he walked into the crowd of people trickling out of bars and other adult establishments.
It was nice to feel normal again, dressed in clothes that covered more than a square inch of my body, with a warm drink in my hand. But I didn’t feel like I belonged in that warm, safe world anymore, even if I longed to.
I sucked in a deep breath and entered the building. When I saw Sarah on the floor with a collar around her neck, I froze. It didn’t matter how many times I was told what to expect; I’d never be prepared to see my friends that way.
She stood when she reached the front desk and shook the hand of the customer trailing behind her. Once he left, her focus shifted to me.
“Tara.” She ran over and wrapped her arms around me. Her naked body pressed into my clothes. “Are you alright?” she exclaimed.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” The owner of the store only tormented me in front of a crowd of horny people and my friends. Everything is just peachy.
But I did disappear with a strange man in the middle of the event, and that wasn’t technically allowed. She was right to be worried.
Sarah crinkled her nose. “I’m sorry about Jason.”
“I’ll live,” I sighed and returned the hug before Jade and Kitty wandered into the conversation.
“Okay, hear me out, we really should put a mandatory multiple orgasm clause on our contracts.” Jade pulled her dark hair down and started the long process of pulling out a dozen bobby pins.
“It wasn’t that bad,” I lied as my body ached for Jason to finish what he started. His last words to me flashed in my mind; they were highlighted in red with a giant circle around the first word. When he fucks me, not if.
“Well, I think he should have asked the Cherries before putting our names into the bowl,” Kitty said with her clipboard still in hand. “That way no one is pressured to participate unless they volunteered.”
Kitty met my eyes, and I nodded, knowing that although it was embarrassing, if the situation was different, and Jason and I were in the workshop… never mind that. We agreed the system was flawed. Next time, I told Kitty to leave my name out of it.
“At least it’s over.” I tugged off my coat and revealed the sparkling lingerie underneath.
“Yeah,” Jade laughed. “And at least you got a hot date out of it.”
I frowned, glancing at my coffee on the desk beside me. “It wasn’t a date.”
They brushed off my objection and Sarah continued, “I saw how he was holding you.”
“And I saw how hard it was for him not to finish what Jason started,” Jade snickered at her word choice.
“He’s just nice,” I tried to defend him.
“Just nice?” Sarah feigned offense. “That man is gorgeous!”
I struggled to disagree, and they laughed. Ethan was gorgeous, and funny, and kind in a way that Jason wasn’t. I didn’t want to tell them the truth, that I had been comparing every man I saw on the street to Jason, wondering when he would make good on his promise.
Sarah wrapped her pale arm around me, her chest bouncing with every movement she made. “And it looked like he has a nice…” The waggle of her eyebrows made me roll my eyes.
“He’s a customer.” I glanced to Kitty for the proper reaction. “There’s got to be a rule against it, right?”
Kitty chuckled with a shrug, “Not really.”
“So… we can go out with the customers?” My brows furrowed.
“It probably isn’t the smartest choice, but it’s allowed.” Surely, they’d had issues with this before. What happened if the others weren’t as nice as Ethan was?
I shook off the new information. “He’s still just a customer.”
“Who took you out for coffee,” Jade reminded me.
“He also left you a pretty large tip.” Kitty glanced at the list on her clipboard.
I tilted my head. “Tip?”
“It’s not the kind of tip she wanted,” Sarah teased with encouragement from Jade.
Kitty went behind the desk and called me to the computer, reading the screen. “See, he paid his bill and then left you a hundred dollars.” Plus, free coffee.
I blinked at the numbers in front of me. I needed the money, but everything inside of me screamed that it was too much for so little return.
Unless he wants something else…
There was only so far I could stoop to keep myself away from my verbally incontinent mother and her relentless criticism. Ethan would just have to understand that, if he ever asked.
Kitty’s bright pink phone vibrated against the glass countertop, and she glanced at it. “Jason wants to talk to you,” she said before typing a message and sending it back.
My stomach flipped; I’d had enough of him for one night, but the memory of his stunt sparked my imagination. The thoughts were dirty— too dirty .
If I went back to his lair again, I knew I might give in to his deal.
I needed to stay away from him. “He can wait,” I bristled.
“Bold move,” Jade said before leaning in. “Even for a Cherry.”
I laughed. “I’m off the clock, and he has done nothing but stress me out.”
The girls exchanged confused glances.
I corrected myself, “Like when he acted unhappy with my initiation.”
Jade nodded, pursing her lips. “Well, we’d hate to see you stressed.”
I held my middle finger up for her to see.
A sarcastic smirk formed on her face. “Go for it.” Jade let out a low porn star moan while dragging her fingers over her crotch. I rolled my eyes at her show.
Sarah smacked her ass. “C’mon, I’ll play with you.”
“Finally.” Jade winked in my direction and flew off into the back room with Sarah close behind.
Kitty excused herself and headed to Jason’s lair, not that I noticed for any particular reason.
They spent a lot of time alone together.
When the curtains closed, Kitty grabbed her clipboard of dirty numbers and rushed off to report the news to Jason.
And I couldn’t help but wonder if I wasn’t the only one connected to him.
I stood alone on the showroom floor with toys scattered around me, wet from thirty eager Cherries.