“Yes! I do because I don’t believe you.”
“Okay. Hang up and FaceTime me back.”
Damn it, she did. Once we were live, she wanted me to prove it. So I walked around her house, pointing things out to her to show her where I was. She finally came around and admitted, “Well, I’ll be damned. I don’t know how you did it Justin, but if you mess with her and screw her over, I’ll personally put a knot in your balls so big, you’ll never reproduce as long as you live. Do you hear me?”
What the hell! My sister was supposed to be on my side!
“Jesus, Ava, what kind of creep do you think I am. I’m dating her, and by the way, we’re exclusive.”
“What the hell Justin?”
“I’m not some man whore Ava. I’m not going to fuck her over.”
“Well, that’s not the reputation of the brother I know. Just a few months ago I remember...”
I had to cut this convo off fast. I was getting hot under the collar now.
“Listen Ava, don’t you dare go there. That ship’s sailed in my book and it better have in yours too. You got it?”
“Yeah, but it’s not my book I’m concerned about. You’re the bad boy Justin, not me.”
“Fuck.” I rubbed the tension that had grown into the jaws of life clamping down on the muscles in my neck.
“Yeah. You certainly have dear brother.”
“Ava. Listen to me. I’ll not deny my erroneous ways of the past. But I’m trying to do right by Terri. I swear it. She’s different and I’ve known it from the first time I met her.” That little thing in my chest just prodded me again when I said those words. Now I moved my hand from my neck to my chest so I could rub it.
“I hope so Justin, because I wasn’t kidding about what I said earlier. I will contort the hell out of your balls if you hurt her. I love that girl. Don’t you mess with her head.”
“Lingerie store, please,” I bit out.
“Tiny Touches of Lace. On King Street. Ask for Casey. You know her. She’s my friend. I think you fucked her a time or two.” I winced as she ended the call.
Damn it! That’s the last time I would ask Ava for help. She didn’t need to contort my balls. She already had. They felt swollen and bruised. And I felt sick. I was a shit and had been to a number of women over the years. The thing is, back when it was going on, I didn’t think for a second about what I was doing. I was always honest with them about not wanting to be involved. I was a free agent and told them. They never complained, that is until I wanted to part ways. The no strings thing was never real. There were always strings. And then I was the asshat. That’s why I had built up that wall because I had been lied to so many times. “Oh Justin, I don’t want to be involved either.” Or, “Oh Justin, that’s exactly what I want too. You can come and go as you please.” They were always lying. I never trusted women after that. I dated them as I felt necessary, slept with the ones I wanted and never cared about a serious relationship.
I showered and left for my place because I didn’t want to shop for lingerie in my scrubs. Not long after that, I found myself in the most awkward situation ever...buying lingerie from Casey for Terri. And yes, Ava was right. I had slept with Casey a few years back. It was all I could do to buy those two dozen pairs of panties, which set me back about five c notes (but they were worth ten times that much), have them gift wrapped and get the hell out of that store. I would’ve rather walked across a bed of nails.
I got the panties home and called a local courier service. They were at my house twenty minutes later. I attached a note and told the courier to deliver them to Terri Mitchell at Mitchell Properties. Then I waited for my phone to ring.
My reward came about an hour later.
“Went a little crazy in there didn’t you?” she asked. I could tell she was smiling.
“Not at all. I just heard that someone close to me was in dire need of some panties.”
“Oh? Is that a fact?”
“Uh huh. And, I had an idea or two.
“What kind of idea?”
“Hmm. You’ll just have to find out.”
“You play dirty mister.”
“You have no idea ma’am.”
She cleared her throat and didn’t say anything for a second. “Well,” she went on, her voice had now turned husky, “it’s a good thing you brought more than one pair.”
“Oh? Why’s that?”
“Because the pair I put on when they arrived are already damp. You know you have that effect on me.”
Now it was my turn to clear my throat. “Um Terri?”