Role Play(Plaything #4)(3)

"Well, since I have exactly zero dollars to my name, I guess I'll dish. Otherwise, we'll both be washing dishes." I smiled. "See how I did that?'

"Janey, you're stalling. What happened?"

"It's stupid really. There's this guy, this really big, and, if I must admit, handsome guy who lives in the apartment across the hall."

A wide grin crossed Russell's face. "Yes, go on."

"He invited me to his place to eat something. I don't know why, but I said yes."

"Uh, you said yes because he's big and handsome. You are human, after all."

"But I don't even know the guy. Although now I probably know too much."

Russell tried to scoot closer to the table in his enthusiastic attempt to hear more of the story. "What's too much?"

I sighed in surrender. I'd started the tale, and I was going to have to finish it or endure Russell's pleading texts for the next week. I glanced around as if anyone else in the restaurant cared to listen in on my silly conversation. Still, I lowered my voice. "There were these things on his coffee table."

Russell's well groomed eyebrow arched. "Things? A bong? Cocaine mirror?"

"No. Not drug things." I leaned forward and dropped my voice to a whisper. "Sex things. Dildos and some other things that looked quite innovative."

Russell's short, dry laugh barked loud enough through the room to stop a few conversations and draw curious stares our direction. I could feel my cheeks warm with a blush as if they could figure out exactly what we were talking about.

"So, he's into kinky fun." Russell shrugged and pushed his glasses up higher on his nose. This time I laughed.

"Somehow those super intellect glasses don't work with the words kinky fun."

"Look, Janey, I'm just saying maybe you need to stretch your repertoire a bit. It might even help with your acting."

I tilted my head and stared at him. "Thanks but I highly doubt that a dildo will help me fine tune my acting skills."

"No but they sure can fine tune other things." He waved off the comment. "I don't mean the sex toys as your repertoire. I mean stretch yourself when it comes to relationships. You were experiencing complete emotional stagnation with Brock. I didn't want to say anything, but he was erasing all of that spunk you had. Now maybe you can get back to your old self and experience all the joys of a racy, erotic sex life. With a big, handsome guy who comes with his own supply of feel good toys."

"Thanks but no thanks. Besides, I think he's some kind of big shot. He left me a note to explain the stuff on his table. I guess he was worried that the girl who freaked out and ran from his apartment might turn him in as a pervert or something. He says the reason he had all those things was because he is part owner of some big company called Plaything."

The chair scraped the floor as Russell sat upright. "What? He owns Plaything? No fucking way. Then he's not just big and handsome, he's rich. That company is climbing up to the top of the pleasure business chain. I read about them in Bloomford Business news. Four guys from humble beginnings who started a multimillion dollar subscription service for pleasure. Why the heck would he be living in that ramshackle apartment building?" He noticed my annoyed look. "No offense, Jane, but that place sucks."

"Trust me I know. The sad thing about that is I can barely afford to keep my place. And I have no idea why someone who is owner in a successful company would be living there. Maybe he lied. Maybe he just made that up so I wouldn't think he was creepy. Although, he's not the least bit creepy. Even with sex toys on his coffee table."

"Well, you should probably avoid him just in case." He picked up the script and handed it over to me. "Guard with your life. Now, I've got you an audition with the casting director and producers next Friday so you have until then to rehearse. It's some dramatic, angsty romance, and they're having a hard time finding the right people for the main parts."

"They are never going to want a nobody for the leading lady."

Russell cast me his pep talk expression, and I knew what would follow. "If you start off with one foot in a hole, you're just going to stay stuck there." I mouthed the words along with him and he tossed his napkin at me. "Stinker. But it's true. You need to keep a more positive attitude, Jane. The casting people can sense it if you walk in already convinced that you won't get the part."

I patted the script. "As always, you are right, my wise, designer suit wearing Yoda. I will stay positive."





Chapter Six





Aidan





“Hey, boss, the last truck just left the dock," Heath called as he walked back into the warehouse.

Chase's brother, Heath, had been hired in shipping. He had been laid off from his previous job and desperately needed the work. Heath had a lot of experience, and I had needed a supervisor on the floor of the warehouse.

Growing up, Heath had been the one England brother, aside from Chase, who I didn't mind hanging out with. Like all his siblings, Heath had been a heart throb in high school. Although he was a little rougher around the edges than Chase.

Heath reached my office as I was shutting down my computer for the night. He picked up my stapler and clicked it a few times for no reason except to litter my desk with used staples. "Chase and I were going to go have a few beers. You interested?" The heavy metal door to the shipping area opened and shut. Heath leaned his head out of the office to see who had entered the warehouse.

"Speak of the devil, here he is now. Hey, little brother, you're looking kind of like a dumpling. Macy needs to stop giving you all those bakery leftovers."

Chase walked into the office patting his perfectly flat stomach. "Yeah, I know. In fact, that's why I'm here. I'm heading to the gym instead of out for beers. I need to start working out again."

I laughed. "You start and stop workout routines as often as I change my socks."

"Just because you're such a fucking giant that you burn calories just by breathing doesn't mean we normal sized humans can do the same." Chase headed right over to the dish of mini chocolate bars my assistant had put on the side desk and grabbed a handful.

It took him a second to notice that Heath and I were watching him with amused grins.

"What? In case I get low blood sugar at the gym." He dropped the candy back into the dish. "That sounded stupid even to my own ears."

"Come on, bro," Heath said. "I was counting on splitting a pitcher of beer with you."

"You mean you were counting on me to pay for the beer."

"That too."

Chase lifted his chin at me. "Are you going?"

"Nah. I'm going to head home."

Chase leaned his hip up on my desk. "Haven't seen you much lately. What's new? Did anything ever happen with the hot new neighbor?"

"Yeah, something happened all right. I scared her off for good."

Heath and Chase both had the same laugh. "What the hell did you do, Cyclops? Scare her off with that super human sized dick of yours?" Heath asked and then sealed his mouth shut, suddenly remembering that I wasn't just a kid in the neighborhood anymore but the man with control over his job. "Sorry, boss. It's going to take me some time to get used to you not being Aidan, the annoying brat who used to jump his bike off the back steps."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Those steps were perfect for jumping."

Chase was like his brother in so many annoying ways. He picked up the stapler and clicked it a few times. "It was only fun as long as you didn't get caught riding your BMX bike through the kitchen to get a good running start. Dad saw tire tracks once and I had to lie and tell him the black marks were from the treads on my shoes, which was a joke since I was wearing hand me downs that had no tread left. So what happened? How'd you scare off the neighbor?"

I thought about that night and the look on Jane's face when she saw all the sex paraphernalia on my table. "Let's just say I'm a big slob, and I should clean my apartment up before inviting people over."

"Shit, what happened?" Heath asked. "Dirty underwear on the kitchen table?"

"Yuck, no, not that. What kind of a pig do you think I am? I was trying to figure out the packing order for the Yes, Yes box, and I'd forgotten the stuff was out when I invited my neighbor in to eat dinner."

Chase laughed. "Classic. So she saw a table full of dildos and clit vibrators and ran for the door."

"Something like that." I shoved my paperwork into a semi pile and got up. "Well, I guess I could drink a few beers before I head home. Maybe if I'm drunk enough I won't hear the guy next door start his fart concert."

Heath blew out a sad whistle. "Damn, Swift, your life sucks right now."

"My life?" I asked. "Who's the one who has to hang out with his little brother just to get free beer?"

"Good point."





Chapter Seven





Jane





My feet were killing me and I decided to soak them while I settled down to study the script. I smothered my face in a clay mask and filled the portable foot soaker with hot water. It was always another feat getting the water to the couch without sloshing it on the already mildew-stained carpet.

Without Brock around, I'd fallen into a pampering routine. I was still lonely and feeling a bit like a social outcast, but my skin was glowing and my feet were as soft as a baby's bottom.