Scandalous Series

HALEY

“I waited five fucking months for this?” Aaron complained as I shook beneath him. “You aren’t even wet, Haley!”

I let out a sharp breath as my face began to heat with embarrassment. “I… I’m sorry. I’m just nervous.” I croaked.

Aaron flicked my extremely dry clit but to his disappointment I was completely moisture free and closed up. He couldn’t even get his pinky finger inside me, let alone his dick.

This night was supposed to have been special. Aaron had been promoted to Head of IT earlier that day and we’d agreed that tonight would be the night.

You know… except, I was a 25-year-old virgin who didn’t have a clue what she was doing.

Aaron had started off really patient but even I was shocked at how quickly he switched into someone else. His look of adoration had turned cold and distant real quick.

Even the candles I had lit couldn’t warm the shivery atmosphere in this room.

“Fuck sake!” He slammed the headboard with his fist.

I flinched beneath him, not knowing what to do while panicking inside. “Calm down, we can try next time.” I tried to soothe him with my palm on his cheek.

“Nah.” He laughed cruelly, lifting his weight off me and pulling up his jeans. “I can’t be with someone who’s a shit fuck, Hale.”

“What?” I sat up, dumbfounded.

“Look, baby, we had a good thing going but I didn’t realize you weren’t experienced.”

“I… I am experienced, I told you it’s been a long time!” I lied, trying to save whatever dignity I had left.

“Haley, I’m sorry. You’re too, like, stiff and shit.” Aaron slipped on his T-shirt and sat at edge of my bed while I pricked back the sting of tears trying to escape. “Bye Haley.” He kissed the top of my head and left my tiny apartment within minutes.

What the fuck just happened?

I lowered my naked body into the blanket and sobbed into the night, feeling alone, ashamed and utterly humiliated.

I can’t believe I thought that piece of shit was a good guy. I was going to give him my virginity. He didn’t even want it. How could I have been so stupid? All this time I thought he was serious about me.

Now I would have to see Aaron at work tomorrow and act like nothing happened. He’d made me keep this whole relationship a secret because of the ‘no dating your colleagues’ policy.

The next morning, I gathered all of my might and stepped out of the car outside my office building. I breathed deeply before I walked in through the entrance and took the elevator to the third floor.

My mind was still all over the place. I should have really stayed home today. But I was one of those crazy people who loved her job. Numbers were my thing and that’s why I was the top accountant at this gigantic finance firm.

I swiped my shaking hands down my pencil skirt and hurried toward the office kitchen for a cup of coffee but a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Where’s the proof you fucked her?” Jim from IT asked.

My heart sunk as I froze outside the kitchen.

“Please, like I need proof.” Aaron stated cockily.

“Stop lying,” Regina, the busty receptionist, teased. “Haley Waitson did not fuck you, she hardly looks at you.” She sniggered.

“You jealous, baby?” Aaron drawled

“You weren’t all that when we slept together last week,” Regina retorted.

Laughter filled the room. I stood outside, fidgeting with my purse as my eyes filled with tears. I felt like a complete idiot.

“Alright, alright!” Aaron tried to hush down the laugher. “If you want the truth, Haley Waitson is a frigid virgin.”

The room went quiet and I bit back a strangled cry.

“I tried to fuck her last night, but her pussy was dry as fuck.”

“Aaron.” Regina’s tone released a warning. “That’s fucked up, even for you.”

I heard her move toward the door but I was frozen to the spot. Her blue eyes met my hazel ones when she came through the door, then widened, taking in the sheen in mine.

“Ah shit. Sorry, hon.” She gave me a sympathetic smile, shaking her head as she walked past me.

Humiliated, I took in a deep breath and willed myself to stand up straight, but instead of walking into the kitchen, I strode toward my office and shut the door behind me. I collapsed into my chair sobbed onto my desk.

God, I am pathetic! I should have seen this coming. I should have known. And all those bastards in that office kitchen, not one of them stood up for me.

Fuck Aaron. Fuck him!

I didn’t need him; I didn’t need anybody. Frigid. What the hell was frigid anyway?

I’d done everything he asked me to last night. It wasn’t my fault that I’d closed up. Did I need to see someone about this? I never touched myself. Perhaps there was a problem with me.

I was so inexperienced at sex and had no one to talk to because, like the pathetic fool I was, I lied. I told my friends that I had sex, a lot! I would giggle and nod at sex jokes and listen in to the sex stories that they would tell me. But in my head I wouldn’t have a clue what they were talking about.

I switched my computer on, wiping angry tears away from my face. My phone pinged as I typed in my password. I saw my brother’s name flash up on the screen.

I wished I could call him right now, tell him everything. I needed my big brother but there were just some things I couldn’t discuss with him.

Leon was everything you would expect a big brother to be: protective, caring, a big softie when it came to his little sister. Growing up Leon was the school stud, every guy wanted to be him and every girl wanted to be with him. I was just the shadow created by his spotlight. But Leon always had a special place in his heart for me.

I wiped another tear as I read his text.

I sniffed away the last of my tears and started to think about what I should cook if Leon was coming over for dinner. I wondered what he wanted to talk to me about. Leon was not really the talking type; his jet setting lifestyle spoke for itself. He was a well-established photographer and was invited to take part in many projects around the world.

He loved traveling, looking for his next gig. His work was amazing. I had a photo he took of a giraffe from one of his many trips to Africa up on my wall. He knew how much I loved giraffes and gave me that photo on my birthday.

I tried to forget what a disaster last night was and tried my best to focus on Leon coming over. Luckily, I managed to avoid Aaron all day.

***

I parked outside my apartment and welcomed the chilly winter air as I got out of the car. I loved the winter, I loved the crisp air and smell of bonfire. By the time I had showered, thrown on some sweats and a hoodie, I realized I hadn’t even prepared any dinner.

The doorbell rang and I ran down the stairs. When I opened the door, there he was, my big brother. He flashed me his handsome toothy grin and pulled me in for a big hug.

I closed my eyes and fought away tears. Don’t tell him you’re hurting. “Hey, big bro.” I squeezed him too tightly. I missed him; he still smelled like our childhood. His dark hair had grown a little since I last saw him and his beard was longer too.

“How have you been, Haley bear?”

“Good,” I nodded. Totally not fighting humiliation. Leon shrugged out of his leather jacket and made his way into my kitchen. “What brings you here?” I asked casually, taking a beer out of the fridge.

“What, can’t I come visit my baby sister?” There was that toothy grin again.

I narrowed my eyes at him and folded my arms across my chest. “Leon?” I said accusingly.

“Alright, okay,” he said calmly taking the beer from my hand. “I need a favor.”

“Ah ha! I knew it!” I pointed an accusing finger his way.

He smiled and sat down on the couch in the lounge. “So I need you to talk to mom for me.”

“Why?”

“Because, my beautiful baby sister, she’s trying to set me up with her friend’s daughter.”

“Oh my God! Which one now?” I laughed.

“I don’t know, some estate agent.” He took another sip of his beer.

“Wow, she never gives up does she?” I shook my head. “What do you want me to say to her? She never listens to me; you’re the golden child, remember?”

Growing up Leon could do no wrong while I could just sneeze a little too loudly and she’d be lecturing me about manners. Our mom was from a rich family but our dad—rest his soul—was poor as fuck. She’d secretly married my dad who was her chauffeur at the time.

Yes, it had been quite the scandal. Her family had disowned her but she got to keep her trust fund which she had received from her great-grandmother.

Now she lived in the Upper East Side of New York City, hosting tea parties and charity dinners.

“She wants me to meet this, Fiona chick next week at the fundraiser.”

“Of course she does,” I smiled. “What if this Fiona turns out to be smokin’?” I winked, earning a groan from Leon.

“Hale, I’m serious. Mom doesn’t stop calling me and asking me when I’m free. I just don’t need this right now.”

“Okay, okay, I hear you.” I put my hands up in mock defense.

Leon could never say no to our mom; she was his kryptonite. When our dad had died, Leon had stepped up and taken care of us. He never wanted to see us unhappy.

“Leon, you need to be honest with her. Tell her you aren’t ready to date just yet.”

“No. The last time I mentioned I wasn’t ready to date, she told me it was okay if I was gay.” He smirked at the memory. “And then she gave me the number of her nurse’s son, who is also gay, by the way.”

I couldn’t help myself, I burst out laughing and watched him shake his head at me. My brother was so adorable; he was so stressed out about hurting my mom’s feelings. “God, you’re so dramatic, big bro!” I sat closer to him. “Lee, be honest. I’m sure Fiona will understand if you told her.”

“Yeah, I guess so. But if she’s like the rest of them she’s probably already planned our wedding and the names of our future kids.” He huffed. “Mom sure knows how to pick ’em. You’re lucky she got off your back. Aren’t you seeing someone at work?” he asked.

I jumped up like my ass was on fire and nodded a little too quickly. “Mm hm.” Leon frowned at my sudden weird behavior. “What’s up Hale?”

“I… we… kind of broke up last night.” I sighed. “Just didn’t work out.”

Leon stared at me for a moment, like he was trying to look for hidden messages in my face. “Sorry to hear that. Need me to kick his ass?” He grinned and I smiled.

“No, it just wasn’t meant to be. but I’m ok,” I lied.

“Alright, well, I’m ordering pizza,” Leon stretched as he walked over to the telephone stand where I kept all my takeaway leaflets.

I was thankful he dropped the subject of Aaron—I really couldn’t get into that with him.

“Hale?”

I broke out of my thoughts to look up at Leon.

“I didn’t like that bastard anyway.”

***

A week passed and I became pretty good at avoiding the office kitchen at work. I didn’t want to see Aaron or even hear his name. Maybe I should have let Leon kick his sleazy butt, but he wasn’t even a worthy opponent.

I had to forget about men, sex, dating. I just couldn’t deal with it all right now. After Aaron, I don’t think I would ever try to have sex again.

Nope. Not in this century.

I left work early on Friday and started to get ready for the event my mom was hosting to raise funds for the local children’s hospital. I slipped into a tight black dress with nude heels and then took my hair out of my high bun and brushed my golden brown curls out into voluptuous waves. After applying a little mascara and tinted lip gloss, I was ready.

The taxi took exactly 35 minutes to get to the lavish hotel venue in the Upper East Side my mom had hired out for this event. I could just hear my mom in my head now: “No date?” I had to tell her about Aaron at some point and assumed tonight would be the night, she’d just have to deal.

I spotted Leon as soon as I walked in; he stood tall with his huge DSLR camera, taking photographs. I smiled as I hugged him from behind.

“Fuck! You scared me!” He held his hand to his heart.

“Did you think I was Fiona?” I laughed.

“Maybe.” He looked around suspiciously.

“Leon, there you are!” I heard my mom yell over the jazz band.

“Hey mom!” I hugged her when she reached us, a gorgeous blonde woman by her side.

Leon’s eyes bugged out of his head as he faced the blue eyed beauty. “Hi.” He smiled at her.

“This is Fiona Harris, Maggie’s daughter,” my mom announced proudly.

Fiona threw Leon a confident smile and flicked her shiny hair to the side. By the look on Leon’s face, he was pretty damn happy right now.

Ten minutes later Leon was grinning from ear to ear as he spoke to Fiona. I had to refrain from rolling my eyes at his antics. But even I couldn’t deny how beautiful she was. Her sparkly floor length dress hugged her petite and slender figure perfectly.

“Fiona darling, this is my daughter, Haley.” My mom waved her hand toward me finally. I smiled and waved awkwardly. Fiona smiled back. She seemed cool—I liked her. I bet she had loads of sex and wasn’t as dry as prune down there. I blushed and hid behind my champagne glass.

Leaving my brother and Fiona talking, I wondered around the beautiful venue by myself. I found myself out in the gardens where it was quieter, before me stood a stunning water fountain. It was a statue of a woman with opening hands, from which water flowed out into a small pool. I sighed at how beautiful it was but then noticed something floating on the surface.

A cigarette. It was still lit at the very tip and I watched it slowly fizzle out.

Who would litter here?

I heard someone clearing their throat and then I noticed the man standing across the fountain from me. He was tall—really fucking tall—and dressed all in black: his suit, his shirt. His dark, almost jet black hair was tousled. When I looked more closely at his face, I saw that his lip was bleeding.

His dark obsidian eyes glanced my way—they captivated me, hypnotized me. His large hand reached into his pocket and out came another cigarette. “What the fuck are you staring at?” he mumbled with the cigarette between his lips.

“Oh. Sorry!” Mortified, I ran away. My heart was beating a hundred miles per minute as I tried to regain composure.

What the fuck was that?

I found my brother and his new blonde friend sitting at one of the tables, so I made my way over. Fiona was laughing at something Leon said as I sat beside them.

“Hey Hales.” He squeezed my shoulder but continued his conversation with Fiona.

I looked around, profusely hoping that the mysterious man didn’t follow me.

Those eyes, those beautiful scary eyes.

I knocked back the whole flute of champagne.

“Easy,” Leon laughed.

“So, Haley, Leon tells me you’re an accountant,” Fiona stated, flashing me a bright set of pearly whites.

“Yep, I’m all about the numbers.”

She giggled and then looked at Leon who was staring at her longingly. This time I think I did roll my eyes.

“So what do you do?” I asked Fiona, trying to make polite chit chat.

“I’m a model, mostly underwear.” She took an elegant sip of her wine.

Wow. Wow. Wow. God if I could only have an ounce of her confidence. “That’s great!” I said a little too loudly but Fiona smiled, tucked her hair behind her ear and gave Leon what I could only call sex eyes.

After eating, and then almost throwing up my food by witnessing my brother flirting, I sat alone, staring at all the couples dancing. “Haley May Waitson. Why on earth are you here alone?”

Fuck!

“Hey, Mom, how are you doing?”

“Don’t be smart with me young lady.”

I sighed. “We split up, Mom, Aaron and me.”

I stared ahead and watched Fiona pull Leon up on the dance floor. He looked happy—I hadn’t seen him smile like that in forever.

I waited for the lecture to start, for my mom to tell me how disappointed she was in me, how I was too fussy, how I needed to settle down. But it didn’t come.

Instead she put her arm around my shoulder. “My beautiful Haley, the man that ends up with you, well”—she stroked my cheek—“he will be special.”

I teared up; this was the first time she had ever spoken to me this way. Whatever brought it on, I don’t know. I thought of my dad in that moment—mom always said I was the apple of his eye. God, I wish I could have known him better, I wish he wasn’t taken from us when I was so darn little.

“Thanks, Mom,” I whispered and dropped my head on her shoulder.

The night was coming to an end and I was absolutely exhausted, counting down the minutes to when I would get home, jump into my Scooby Doo pajamas and binge-watch that new show on Netflix.

I looked around for Leon, but couldn’t find him anywhere. I didn’t really want to hassle him if he was enjoying himself. I mean, he’d found his model, I was sure he didn’t want his little sister getting in the way of that. I smiled as I made my way toward the taxi stand, the misty dark night was dotted with twinkling stars.

“Hello again.”

I jumped at the sound of the low, velvety voice and turned to find its owner. He stood a few feet away, leaning against a wall at the side of the building. His full lip was still red and swollen. I frowned as he stepped out of the shadows.

“Do you smoke?” he asked, a small smirk playing on his lips as he offered me a cigarette.

“No,” I replied but it came out as a weak whisper.

“Of course you don’t.” He lit the cigarette between his lips and my eyes were instantly drawn there. He was so beautiful in a brooding, mysterious sort of way. He made me feel uneasy but at the same time something inside me came to life when he looked at me with those dark, dark eyes.

“You’re hurt,” I found myself saying. “You may need stitches.” I gestured at his lip.

“Are you a nurse?” he asked, blowing out a cloud of smoke in my face.

I coughed a little and waved the smoke away. “No, but it can get infected.”

Why did I even care? I didn’t even know this man.

“Why don’t you nurse it better for me?” he said, his voice as smooth as liquid.

I felt my cheeks flame like an inferno. I realized he had stepped closer; his huge body was towering over me now. I had to strain my neck to look up at him.

“I have to go,” I announced and turned to call a taxi over. I heard the man snigger to himself as he watched me.

“Haley!” Leon’s voice cut through the air like a bullet. He rushed over and stood in front of me like a shield. His body stiff and tall. “What the hell are you doing out here alone?”

“We were getting to know each other,” the mysterious man in black answered.

“You stay the fuck away from her!” Leon roared.

But if the man was frightened, he didn’t show it, not one little bit. He didn’t even flinch. “Relax, Leon,” the man teased, “I wasn’t planning on fucking her, I just thought she might enjoy sucking my cock.”

Everything that happened after I’d heard those words was a blur. Leon lunged for the man and they both rolled on the floor, throwing fists at each other. I screamed and called for help. The hotel security ran out and split them up. Leon’s hair had been ruffled up but he didn’t look too injured, just angry as hell.

The other man’s lip was bleeding all over again. His tongue came over the wound and he bit his bottom lip all while his eyes were on me. In that moment I pictured the big bad wolf hunting down the innocent girl.

My heart nearly tore out of my chest it was beating so frantically. My body had turned on me, making me feel things for this man that I couldn’t explain. I watched in silence as the valet parked his matte black Lamborghini at the front of the hotel.

The man laughed under his breath as he got into his car and drove away but not before rolling down his windows. “See you around, nurse,” he rasped as he sped off into the night.

I stood there, dumbfounded, adrenaline pumping through my veins. But then I blinked it all away and turned toward Leon who was staring daggers at the empty space where the car had been.

“Leon, what the fuck was that?” I asked.

“Haley, you stay the fuck away from that guy. You hear me?” Leon was dead serious; in fact, I had never seen him so serious in my life. I nodded quietly, it wasn’t like me and the mysterious man ran in the same circles.

But there were two things I knew right now.

One: I had just met my brother’s arch nemesis.

And two: My panties were soaked.

Fuck!