Guilty Pleasure

Rumor Has It

How does Hailey know I had s*x with Damon? Did she spy on us while we were on the couch!? Take a deep breath. I got this. I need to play dumb. 

Jalissa: What are you talking about 

Hailey: U know what. 

Jalissa: No I don't. 

Hailey: U didn't hook up with the new guy u talked about?!

Oh, she's talking about Cody!

Jalissa: No. 

Hailey: That sucks

Damon enters my room at that moment. Unsurprisingly, he woke up earlier than I did, so he's already showered and dressed. He smells amazing and to my relief, he doesn't seem to pretend last night never happened. "Good morning."

"Hey... morning."

"What do you want for breakfast?"

"You."

"As much as I want you right now too, I'm starving. I'll go make something. My head is killing me. I can't remember when's the last time I had a hangover."

"I hope the breakfast helps."

"Oh, it will."

As he walks away, I stretch in my bed, thinking about how amazing last night was. Thinking about making love to Damon makes me feel excited. I wonder what kind of adventure awaits me if I spend more time with Damon. 

DAMON'S POV

If I didn't drink last night, would I have still done what I did? If I didn't drink, would I have better self-control? How am I going to talk to Kara now?

"Hey." 

"Hey."

"Um, your phone is ringing?"

"Oh." 

I put my phone on the counter and put Kara on speaker. "Damon, I have bad news. I think I need to tell you about this now before it drives me crazy."

"What happened?"

*Jalissa: Damon looks busy with breakfast, but he's still attentive to mom. 

"Patricia Smith outsmarted me. She argued my research. She embarrassed me in front of everyone. I... I don't know what to do. I feel like my hard work means nothing now." 

"Oh, Kara, calm down. You're smart. You can change your lecture. You can use the criticism to improve."

"But she made me feel stupid."

"You know you're not stupid." 

*Jalissa: Damon sounds like he still cares about her... 

"There's no reason to feel that way. You can find a solution, I know it."

"I think you're right. Thanks, Damon. You're the first decent man I met after... you know, my divorce."

I turn the speaker off and put the phone to my ear. 

** Jalissa: Great! I can't hear what mom says now! But Damon sounds nice and gentle. 

"I'm looking forward to that."'

* Jalissa: What are they talking about? Why does he sound seductive? 

JALISSA'S POV

Damon puts his phone down, and I can see guilt covered on his face. "Jalissa?"

Oh no. "Yeah?"

"About last night... I think we should just forget that it ever happened. You're a wonderful girl, but the relationship wouldn't work. We... have no future together. I don't know how I'd go about dating a daughter of my ex. I mean, would it make sense? We barely know each other." 

Him saying that after I shared myself with him hurts. I feel like I'm about to cry. "If that's what you want, that's fine. I guess it's for the best." 

As I leave the room, he doesn't stop me. I can't afford to stay in bed crying all day. I should get ready for work and hook up with someone new there! 

*** Later that day: I need to find more about Damon. He's right-we're basically strangers. I want to know what kind of person he is. My train of thought is interrupted by Rita. She casually leans on the desk and gives me a sly look. "Have you heard what people are saying about your mom and Damon?"

"No, I'm not interested in gossip."

"I understand. You want to focus on your job, and that's a good thing. But don't you want to know a thing or two about your mom's boyfriend?"

"Are you talking about what people are gossiping about him?"

"No. I'm talking about something that people never talk about. Honestly, I think most people are reluctant to say anything negative about him."

"Why?"

RITA'S POV

"Got her. I guess I'm one step closer to getting him away from that witch Kara. 

"Well, about that... I think some people don't know much about Damon in the first place. I have worked here for years and Damon's been bringing his clients over for a while now."

"What do you know that other people don't?"

"He's... God. I hate to say this, but..." She leans in to whisper, "He's manipulative. He grew up in a broken foster home, and it turned him into a bad guy. He prefers smart, independent, older women. It's good for him because he can take advantage of their wealth. I mean... did I forget to mention that his former fiancé, an older woman, died in weird circumstances? And just a few weeks after they got engaged. Had they gotten married, he would've taken her assets!"

"Oh." 

Rita moves away as soon as someone walks in. "Hey, there."

"Cody? Hi! What are you doing here?"

"I want to sign up for the membership."

"I guess I'll leave this to you. See you later, Jalissa."

Rita leaves and Cody smiles the moment we're alone. "So, you're signing up to work next to Damon, eh? That's cute."

"Actually... I'm signing up because of you. I can't stop imagining you between my sheets."

"Aww."

"If you think that way, why don't you make my fantasy real? I mean... Look at us. We could be a match." 

"I'm not supposed to flirt at work. Any reason why you should be an exception?"

"First, I'm smart and good looking. We could make wonderful children together."

"What if I'm not interested in having kids yet? I'm still in college. I think my mom's going to kill me if I get pregnant."

"That's fine. Even if you're not interested, we can practice."

"Cody"

"Hey, I think we met through Damon for a reason. It's kind of like destiny. Maybe we're meant to be together. It doesn't have to last forever, but we might find a moment that can last forever. Know what I mean?"

"Yeah. It means you just want to get laid and walk away."

"Is that so bad?"

He leans over the desk. "I just feel we have a connection. I might say something like... Are you wifi? cause I'm feeling a connection. But I won't. I think you're tired of pickup lines and I bet your excited for it." 

I laugh and shake my head. "I appreciate your honesty. I was feeling a little off today, but you definitely turned me on."

"Nice. I think I should take you to dinner sometime. We can have it in our room. No food needed."

"I'll consider it. But for now... I think we should do something more immediate. Why wait?"

"Uh, really? Wow." He smiles. "You're one thirsty little girl."

"Only when the drink is delicious. It's about time I take my lunch break, you know... How about you keep me company, we can do registration later?"

"Of course." 

I get up and take his hand, leading him to the hallway. "Um, where are we going? Do you have a kitchen here?"

"Nothing fancy but I'd prefer more privacy."

I giggle and he smirks. "You weren't joking."

"But I still intend to make you smile." 

He laughs and I shush him. Looking around to make sure no one is paying attention, I slip inside a room, pulling Cody in. 

"Nice." 

As soon as I lock the door, he kisses me. His mouth is hot on mine, and he tastes like cinnamon. "Mmm... not wasting time, are you?"

"I've waited since last night. That's longer than usual."

"You're so bad."

"Oh, you'll see."

He kisses me again, and his hands slide up my shirt, feeling my breasts. He plays with me until I feel my n*****s begin to get hard then moves his hand lower, caressing my skin. We're kissing and his tongue claims mine. It's just what I've been looking for. A bit of fun away from all the drama. I let my mind go empty and focus on Cody and how hot he is. He's not as ripped as Damon, but he's very fit. He's fingers slide into my underwear, beginning to touch me. I quietly moan, and he wraps his other arms around my waist, holding my close while he touches me. He knows what he's doing and pressed his hot body and lost in his kiss, I find my release. "Wow. You're good."

"And I'm hard." 

I look down, seeing his hands undo the zipper on his jeans. "Let me take care of that."

I get on my knees and pull his zipper and boxers down. He's hard and needing my touch."

I move my hand up and down his length, closing my lips around the tip. Hearing his moans make me continue. I move my head until he's deep inside and I continue to work him pausing to tease him with a few kisses.

He leans against the door, asking me to go faster. I press my lips against his hardness, enjoying every moment. Cody is the type of guy to have fun with. I grip his hips, and he moves them a bit, slowly moving deep and within seconds, he's done. I lick my lips and zip up his pants.

He's still heavily breathing when I stand up, fixing my clothes. "f**k, babe, that was hot."

"That's what you get when you play with fire."

I wink at him and he chuckles. "Shh! Someone might hear us."

"Oh, right. But damn, this was good. You're my favorite."

"Oh, you are so full of yourself."

"You're full of my... well."

I shake my head. "Dirty. Now come on. I gotta get back." 

We sneak out through the hallway and hurry back to my desk. Luckily, no one notices. "So, you still want that membership?"

"Sure."

"Okay, and to be honest... I want to know more about you and Damon. How did you meet?"

We were like neighbors. My parents are college professors. Damon went to the college they worked in. He was popular, and I heard a lot about him. I tried to be his friend, and we clicked. He became like a big bro and I always looked up to him."

"Was he smart or something?"

"He's hot. Honestly, people value him for looks more than his intelligence."

"Oh."

"Doesn't mean he's stupid, but people only look at the surface. When you look like someone out of a magazine, your life's easier. And when your friend is an attractive guy with social skills, your life gets easier too. He would help me get a superhot one-night stand or set me up with a girlfriend. Meanwhile, he would wake up next to different girls everyday and then he would ditch them. Life was fun and we still hung out. Partied together. We've been each other's wingmen for a while."

"Is it true that Damon used to have an older fiancé?"

"What? No! He was like me, a free bird until your mom came into the picture. I feel like she changed him, for better or worse."

Rita lied about Damon's past! Meanwhile, Cody's still talking. "I mean, Damon isn't the kind who gets attached and then there's this no offense, random older woman who takes him. The playboy turns into a domesticated husband-material who cooks everyday. Seriously, no offense, but it's weird."

"No offense taken, but I need to process your payment. How would you like to pay?"

Cody gives me his credit card. "You know... I think Damon seems happier lately. So, even though I still think his relationship with your mom doesn't make sense, I'm happy for him. 

"Oh, that's good."

"See you later, Jalissa. I'm gonna go say hi to Damon while I'm here. And... we're good, right? You won't expect me to take you our because we had fun?" 

I roll my eyes. "Don't worry. I don't expect anything from you."

"You're a cool one, babe. See ya around."

"Sure. Bye."

He winks and leaves. 

*** That evening: After everything that happened, I'm not ready to face Damon yet. Maybe I should go out tonight. I should have fun with my friends, or better yet, find someone new to love!

Jalissa: Hey girl! Bored af. Want to meet me at the club? 

Hmm no reply. I'll just try to find her once I get there.

Before I leave, I run into Damon who's back. "Um, hey."

"Hey."

"Going somewhere?"

"Not your business."

"You're right. It's not. By the way... you look great. Really hot. Some guy will be happy to hook up with you."

"As long as it's not you, right?"

"Please don't make this harder."

"You're the one making it hard." He stays silent, looking at me. He looks sad, but I don't need the drama. "Have a nice evening, Damon." 

** 30 minutes later: I relax the moment I step into the club. This is awesome. The music is amazing, and I hit the dancefloor, hoping to see a familiar face and then I see two of them. 

Hailey and Mike are dancing together... making out. My best friend and my ex are all over each other. Are you kidding me?!