I met Jessica at a popular nightclub in Adelaide. We had sex. Hot, demanding sex; exactly how I liked it. I considered myself to be a respectable guy, always treating women with admiration. We dated for six months before we got engaged. Jessica gave me exactly what I needed in bed, which a lot of women couldn't. We were together for almost three years. For three years I cherished her, had given her everything. I thought I'd found perfection but all I found was disillusion instead.
My eyes narrowed as I cast my mind back to that afternoon when I caught her in bed with one of the young rookies I had been training at work. That was why Mia's friendship with young Brandon really pissed me off.
To add insult to injury, Jessica wanted me back and came grovelling back to me the very next day.
I didn't. Told her I never would.
My eyes closed as I pictured that horrible day...
"Hey, Zane, why are you leaving so early? You never leave the office this early," my assistant Bruce asked.
"I'm surprising Jessica. She's always complaining I work too much, so I'd thought I'd pick up some dinner from that new place down Frome Street and be home early for a change."
"Zane, you're whipped, man," Bruce said with a smile. "I've not been here long, but you've never left this place before eight pm. Jessica will be surprised, that's for sure."
"Whipped?" I laughed. "I haven't heard that word in years. She's my fiancée and I've been neglecting her. I need to make it up to her somehow. Okay, wish me luck to get back into her good books."
I said goodbye to Bruce and quickly breezed into the florist after picking up the dinner before going home. When I arrived, I couldn’t find Jessica anywhere downstairs. I grinned with the anticipation that she may be upstairs, sprawled out on the bed waiting for me, in her sexy lingerie and perhaps with a few of my favourite toys.
When I opened the door, I most definitely found her in bed, minus the sexy lingerie – hell, she wasn’t dressed at all! And she wasn’t alone. I froze as shock filled me.
“Ohhh, Ricky!” Jessica cried out. The minute I heard her crying out another man’s name, a man who was supposedly my friend, all my illusions of happily ever after were shattered.
I stood in the dim light, watching as one of my mates screwed my fiancée. The bastard. I cleared my throat as I heard her scream again in the throes of ecstasy. The two of them froze – locked in their torrid embrace – before their heads turned and they looked at me in horror.
I walked out of the room and waited downstairs. Soon after, Ricky scurried out of the house with his head down. Jessica came rushing toward me and started begging for my forgiveness.
She had no chance. No chance in Hell.
I shook off the unpleasant memory as I exited the car. I was shattered but only for a second. For almost three years, I had sacrificed so much of myself to please her, gave her everything she wanted, but none of that was ever enough. She’d wanted everything from me.
Once again, she wanted me back, yet I needed to move on. The only person I'd even consider entering a relationship with, was Mia. Mia was different; I knew her family, her background. I’d seen her mature into a woman but I had to admit it, I was scared.
Scared of failure.
***
MIA
Working with Zane was agonising and frustrating. I wanted him but Jada advised me to make him squirm and I sure as hell was going to make him squirm.
After our little meeting with Max, Zane had been on his best behaviour. In fact, he was acting like the perfect gentleman. I wasn’t not sure I liked it; I wanted him to be annoying and infuriating. I wanted him to be flirtatious and rub himself against me at every opportunity, just like he used to. But he didn’t.
It was getting late in the day and I hadn’t seen Zane all afternoon. If I needed to make him squirm, I at least had to see him; or better yet, him see me. I made sure I dressed in sexier clothing, still ensuring it was still appropriate office attire. I was wearing a chic black dress which hugged my curves like a second skin. It moulded my breasts, showing a hint of cleavage and it ended modestly at my knees. Unfortunately, Zane had been in and out of meetings all day with Max and Marco, so he barely had the time to notice me.
Damn it, why did he have to be so nice all of a sudden?
“Mia, can you watch the front desk for a bit while I step out to go grab some coffees?” Winter knocked on my door but I must have been oblivious to her because I was daydreaming again, about Zane, of course.
“Mia, did you hear what I said?” Winter asked again.
“Oh, sorry, I was in deep thought. What was it you wanted me to do again?” I stared at her blankly.
Winter giggled. “What is wrong with you today? You are acting strange for some reason.”