Cousins (Cousins #2) (16 page)

It's been a little over three weeks and I haven't heard one peep from Mr. Lambert or the investment group. No one in the house has asked me about it either. Not my aunt, my uncle, or least of all Roman. They all seem to be quite content with the fact that I'm busy networking computers everyday for the betterment of the family business.

My mother hasn't asked me much either. All she's been doing lately is texting me with random tidbits about what's been going in Penn Washington. My seventh grade life science teacher Mr. Basil is dating someone that my mother knows from church, and she can't stop going on about it. My neighbor's daughter Cecilia has moved back home from college and is some sort of tax specialist with the township. Great for her Mom. Also my father recently received a pay increase from the township. The first one he's received in two years. My parents celebrated with dinner out at The Cheesecake Factory.

It's funny how she thinks sending me all these bits of trivia are going to encourage me to move back home when they are having the complete opposite effect. I want to stay as far away from all of that as I can possibly can. Which is why I'm a little anxious that I haven't heard anything from Mr. Lambert.
 

I've put my quest to move out of my aunt's house on hold for now. Not until I'm sure of what my plan is. Roman giving me seventeen thousand dollars has kind of put a whole new spin on things. I could technically go back to the original plan I had in place.
 

Hire a full time coder and live off of that money while I put my everything into School Bucks. Of course I know that money will go fast. No one can live off of seventeen thousand dollars for very long. I'd still need to find a job. Find an affordable place to live. Hire a coder from out of the country, because American freelancers cost way too much money.
 

Hmmm … now that I take a longer look at things, I'm not so sure that was ever really a solid plan. That's why I'm still hoping to hear good news from Mr. Lambert. More money can't hurt. It can only help my situation.

Sloan: Whatcha doing?

Me: Contemplating my life.

Sloan: No, really.

Me: About to go to work.

Sloan: Where to today?

Me: Your favorite place.

Sloan: Lotus!

Me: Yep.

Sloan: I heard it’s a lot better in there now. We should party there again.

Me: Uh, really?

Sloan: Why not? We've got the family hook up to get in and you need to have some fun.

Me: Why do you always insinuate that my life is sad and boring.

Sloan: Umm well…

Me: Ha ha. Very funny. I'll let u know about Lotus later jerk.

Sloan: LOL. Later:)

I don't want to go to the club with Sloan tonight because I know for a fact that Roman will be there. There's some big event going on there tonight, which is why he wants me to double check the computers there today.
 

For the last three weeks, I've been able to dodge any personal scrutiny in regards to the two of us, because I've either been having my brains banged out by him in his penthouse, or we've gone out on more
non-dates
where no one knows us.
 

We've been out for some scrumptious dinners across town several times, we caught a show at Silk City last week, and we've been touring the city at random times via the double decker tour buses. You can hop on and hop off of them at any given time. So together we've visited the Liberty Bell for my first time, Betsy Ross's house, and Love Park.

While technically Roman is giving me some space to accept that we should be together, to go public, people that we know would know immediately that something was up if they saw us together. That's why I make myself scarce when he comes to the house to meet with Joseph, and that's why I haven't brought him around Sloan again. She thinks my “fling” with Roman is over.
 

Clearly I'm not ready to go public yet.
 

Explaining to Sloan about my feelings for Roman would probably involve a long night of drinking, screaming and insults. She would not be supportive. She would have lots of things to say about it and not good things. I'm just not in the mood for a fight tonight.
 

Translation … I'm a big ass chicken.

***

The Lotus has transformed even more since I was last here. Since I have access to the club's computer database, I see that there are some very high profile new members of the club. Celebrities who are always in the tabloids or the gossip blogs. Many of them are athletes, and a few of them are well known entertainers.
 

Roman asked me the other night while I was on all fours and he was ramming into me slow, deep, and hard from behind, if I'd be his date to the club tonight. It took every ounce of will power I had to say no.

"Are you sure, Duchess?"

"Yes."

"Head down and ass up."
His voice echoed in the room.
 

Whack!
 

"That's good baby. Now stay just like that while I work you just the way you like."

I whimpered a few words of gibberish, because it felt so good.

"So tell me, Duchess, are you absolutely sure you're aren't going to come with me? You want me to take someone else?"

"No."
I cried.

"No what?"

"No I don't want you to take anyone else."

"So then maybe you should make sure I don't take anyone else and be my date. You can come on my dick right now like a good girl, and then you can come to the club with me tomorrow."
He chuckled.

Whack!

"No." I howled.

"No? That answer doesn't make me happy, Duchess."

He stopped his deep strokes.
 

He stopped everything
…
the bastard.

"I know."
I whispered regretfully.

He pulled out and told me,
"Let's go watch Frasier in the den."

"NOW?"
I asked pitifully.

"Yep."

The orgasm bully strikes again.
 

That Neanderthal wouldn't let me come no matter what I tried. I tried rubbing up on him on the couch. He didn't flinch. I tried giving him a blowjob, but he just pushed me off of him and told me to “just watch the show.” I even stooped to the level of saying I had to use the bathroom, so that I could take a minute and rub myself off. That's how frackin' wired he had me. But the orgasm bully was too smart for his own good, and ordered me to “go ahead and pee” after he barged inside the bathroom and bandaged some imaginary cut on his finger.

"Can't that wait until I'm finished in here?"
I asked clearly frustrated that he wouldn't leave.

"I'm bleeding and you have to pee. What's more important?"

"Gah!"

So now I have the two most important people in my life wanting me to go to The Lotus with them tonight and neither one is happy with me. There's no pleasing Roman at this point. All he wants is a yes. All he ever wants is a yes from me.
 

But maybe I can at least salvage things with Sloan.
 

***

Me: Instead of The Lotus why don't we go somewhere a little more edgy.
 

Sloan: You? Edgy?

Me: Yeah I mean The Lotus is real slick and over the top now. Those aren't my type of people.

Sloan: Neither is edgy but fuck it. I'm down for whatever.

Me: Ok so you have any suggestions?

Sloan: Just wear black and I'll pick you up at nine. I'll have it all worked out by then.

Me: Thx Sloan:)

Going out with Sloan tonight is going to be pretty easy, because Roman doesn't seem to be speaking to me. I didn't hear from him at all after I left his apartment and nothing yet this morning. I almost broke down and texted him, but I refuse to give him the upper hand. That is until I stare at the laptop sitting on my dresser. My beautiful, shiny, new laptop that moves lightening fast. A gift that will always remind me of the giver, because he gave it to me to make me happy.

Me: Where are you?

Crickets.

Me: You better be in intensive care or something because, otherwise I don't know why you aren't responding.

Still nothing.

One lone tear rolls down my face.
 

I hate this.
 

I hate him being mad at me.
 

It's not like I don't want to be with him. I do, but not at the risk of alienating every other single person in my life or his. I'm not strong like him. I mean I'm tough, but not in the same way that he is. My family can be annoying and smothering, but I love them. I don't want to lose them.
 

Roman seems to be able to push people away so easily. I don't know how he can sleep not knowing or caring where his mother is. As far as I know, he has zero contact with her, although I haven't once been able to convince him to talk about her for more than sixty seconds.

Baby steps I guess.

I decide to take the long way to The Lotus for no real reason except that the more Roman avoids me, the angrier I'm growing with him; so now I don't really feel much like helping him with his stupid computers. I've got my own work to do.
 

Since there's a very real chance that I'm not going to get the money from Mr. Lambert, I need to figure out some alternative ways to get the money. I need to fund my business. Not take care of his.

Since I'm later than I intended, there are several staff people who have already arrived at The Lotus and are setting up for what looks like some sort of performance tonight.

"Hey Elizabeth." I'm greeted at the door.

"Hey Jarrett." Jarrett is The Lotus's new manager. Larry has been made a weekend manager, and Marco is still the bar manager.
 

"Office is open; go on inside."

"Getting ready I see."

"Yeah it should be a fun night."

"What's going on tonight again?"

"Surprise performance. It's going to be an acoustic set by Maroon 5"

"Wow!"

Jarrett cocks his head to the side.

"You didn't know?"

"Uh, no."

"It's going to be a real sexy event. Lots of celebrities will be here. I'm surprised your cousin didn't tell you."

"I'm sure he meant to." I lie. "I've just been so swamped with work, I probably didn't give him much of an opportunity to tell me."

"Sure. Well I've got to go check on the sound people, so help yourself to the office. Holler if you need anything."

"Thanks Jarrett."

After about twenty minutes running the computer's new database software through it's paces, I pop my head up after hearing the door lock click.
 

It's him.

"Elizabeth."

"Asshole." I greet Roman in return.
 

Except I don't really mean it. My anger dissipated the moment he walked through the threshold. Roman looks absolutely, without a doubt, hot. He's wearing his usual go to uniform of a worn tee, snug jeans, boots and a custom blazer. His five o'clock shadow is heavy and his head freshly shorn. And those eyes…

"You're here late," He comments.

"I'll be finished in about ten more minutes."

"Then you're leaving?"

"Sure am."

"What's wrong with you?"
 

"Nothing."

"Stop lying."

"Did you get a text from me today?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah?! Why didn't you respond?"

"I was tied up."

The first image that pops into my head when he says this is that he has been tied up all day banging some other woman. A woman with long legs and fake breasts. A type of woman who's never heard of the national debt and who only knows football players based on the salaries they make or the celebrities they've screwed. A type of woman that would jump at the chance to shout off of the rooftop that she was with Roman. A woman who he's conveniently not related to. So basically a woman that is the complete opposite of me.

"What's with all the black?"

He probably is asking me about my outfit, because it's so clearly obvious that I'm either about to go clubbing or about to rob a bank. I never wear all black; but tonight I have on a black tank top, tight black skinny jeans with a gold skinny belt, my favorite black pumps, and probably entirely too much make up.

"I have plans."

"Is that right."

"Yep."

Roman walks slowly up to and around the desk I'm sitting at. I can smell him. He's been drinking already tonight. Cognac I think. He pops a few M&M's in his mouth and sits on the edge of the desk directly in front of me.