I try not to stare at the tattoos that grace his body. They take a warrior’s body and make it into a dangerous looking work of art. My spine tingles in unrequited lust as he hands me a package. It’s a black plastic bag.
“For you, love,” he says with a smirk.
“What is it?” I ask, taken aback.
“I think it’ll help with all the adrenaline you have going through your body,” he says. “It’ll take an edge off.”
He’s grinning and I open the bag.
“Since there's no more Jake, it's something to get you through the long nights,” he says.
I take the package and open it, and I don’t know what to say.
It’s a set of two clamps. I eye them for a bit and read the packaging. But it doesn’t dawn on me that until I see the picture.
These are nipple clamps. They show a picture that shows a woman with the clamps, and the box shows her getting an electric buzzing.
Next to it is a small vibrator bullet. And next to that is a wireless remote.
Oh. My. God.
What do I do? What do I say? I’m holding these two packages and I don’t know what to do here.
“What is all this,” I ask, deciding that confusion is easier to use to hide my embarrassment.
Derrick simply shrugs. "I figured it would help you, love."
“Help me do what?” I ask again. What is he thinking? Just because he looks so delicious and gets my mind all twisted he can give me these…these sex toys for presents?!
“It’ll give you all the pleasure you need, love,” Derrick says with a smile. “Without ever having to deal with a man again.”
Oh. My. God. Again, I’m speechless.
Who the hell does he think he is? That because I pretended to be a stripper that makes me a prostitute?!
I throw the package on the bed.
“Gross!” I yell out loud. “I barely know you!”
“Okay, Daphne, love, listen to me okay,” Derrick says and comes inside my room. Oh God, I can smell his musk. His sweat. His scent. It’s heady and it fogs my brain with desire.
Derrick continues, “You’ve been with this guys for what? 6 months? You’re going to get fucking lonely. And you don’t want to go back to relationship that you know is shit because your body has needs, okay?”
“So what if I could take care of it myself?” I ask. “Maybe I have a whole chest of sex toys.”
Derrick cocks an eye. “Oh really,” he says. “Tell me one thing that you have.”
Right. I have nothing. And nothing to say either.
Derrick continues and I listen to him in silence, trying my best to glare. He continues, “And if you don’t do something about it, Daphne, you and I are going to get in trouble. I know you’re not the kind to go around and casually sleep around with blokes. So fuck me, it’s going to be me. You’re too fucking gorgeous.”
Oh Jeez! Now he’s complimenting me.
“And you remind me too much of a girl I used to know. A girl that I’m realizing I was a fool to let go. If I ever had her in the first place,” he says.
Now my curiosity is unleashed. Could it be the story I’m looking for?
“Why?” I ask. Then I ask again with more urgency. “Who?”
He turns around and walks away, but stops before he crosses the threshold. “Her name was Alicia,” he says. “And I didn’t know it at the time, but seeing you, I can’t get away from the fact that I was in love with her, only I was too stupid to realize it.”
Oh. My.
I don’t know what to say.
Well, it’s a good thing he’s walking out of the apartment. Looks like this conversation was too much for him, too.
I hear the door shut below and Derrick call the elevator and I tremble.
Not because I'm grossed out. I should be, but all I can manage is a pathetic Ew. Gross. And that's only because you're watching.
I'm not grossed out.
I'm so incredibly wet. If I took my panties off right now and threw them against the wall, they’d stick to that wall.
Yes, it’s because I'm thinking about Derrick, okay? How he thought enough about me in his messed up way.
What is going on with him? He’s not supposed to be like this.
He took me out on a beautiful morning and he became a hero. He didn’t even get any of the credit.
Then, he went out to God knows where and bought me some pretty crazy sex toys.
Okay, the last one is a bit out there, but Derrick is completely out there. And when he was standing in my door, with no shirt that's showing off his rippling muscles and I can see the bulge in his crotch, it's a bit hard not to get turned on when I'm looking at nipple clamps and a vibrator.
I've never had a vibrator before.
I guess I've always sort of wanted a vibrator, but I was too embarrassed to go into a store on my own and buy it.