Tantalizing His Obsession

Chapter 3 The Morning After

I wake up with a massive hangover and my body aching all over, especially my v****a. Groaning, I sit up and realize I’m the only one in the bed. Pulling back the sheets, I see blood. Oh s**t, I lost my virginity to a drunk one-night stand I can’t even f*****g remember. I stand up, my head throbbing, and look around the room. I find my bra, underwear, dress, and shoes scattered everywhere. As I’m zipping up my dress, the bathroom door opens, and my mouth drops. It’s Lazarus Yates. Oh f**k! Lazarus Yates took my f*****g virginity!

He saunters out, looking all too pleased with himself. "Where do you think you’re going?" he asks, blocking my exit.

"I’m leaving," I snap, trying to push past him.

"Don’t you want to talk about this?" He steps in front of the door.

"Talk about what?" I glare at him. "We had s*x, there is nothing to talk about."

He tries to touch my face. "You came on to me, and I couldn’t resist. So, do you want money?"

I explode. "No, I don’t want money! I’m not a f*****g prostitute."

He sighs. "Then do you want a favor?"

I’m beyond pissed. "I don’t want anything from you except for you to not tell anyone about this. Do I need to get tested for an STD now? I know you’ve been around the block many times."

He laughs. "No worries, I’m clean."

I feel a little relieved then say, "I don’t have any STDs. I am a virgin." I stop myself, correcting, "I mean, I was a virgin."

He tries to move closer. "If I had known you were a virgin, I wouldn’t have done this, but you just kept coming on to me. You wanted me bad."

I look him dead in the eye. "You know what, Mr. Yates? I quit. Find someone else to take care of your mother." I grab my purse and storm out.

I walk to the elevator, feeling a mix of rage and embarrassment. I slept with the one person I said I’d never sleep with, and on top of that, it’s my father’s worst enemy. I’m so f****d.

When I make it to the lobby and start walking, I feel so embarrassed. I rush away from the hotel, realizing I’m not on birth control. I need a day-after pill. I try opening my Uber app, but it keeps crashing. I switch to Lyft, but it says there are no drivers available. This sucks. I start walking, hoping to find a taxi or a pharmacy. I feel like a w***e and probably look like one with smeared makeup and messy hair.

A black SUV pulls up, matching my pace. The back window rolls down, and there he is, Mr. Yates himself. "Do you need a ride?" I keep walking. "Come on, Phoebe, let me at least give you a ride. I swear nothing will happen." I ignore him, but then it starts raining. Great. "Come on, Phoebe, it’s raining. I can take you wherever you need to go."

"Fine," I mutter and get into the SUV. "Take me to the closest pharmacy."

He looks confused. "Do you need to pick up a prescription or something?"

I glare at him. "I need a day-after pill, I’m not on birth control. I wasn’t planning on having sex."

"Oh s**t. Okay, let’s go to the pharmacy," he says.

His blond-haired driver takes us to the nearest pharmacy. I stare out the window, avoiding eye contact with Lazarus. When we arrive, I get out, but he follows.

"You don’t need to follow me," I say. "Trust me, I’ll be taking the pill."

He sighs, "It’s not that. I can buy it for you."

"I don’t need or want your money." I turn and walk into the pharmacy, but he follows me. I grab Tylenol first.

He looks confused. "Why do you need that? I thought you just needed the day-after pill."

I roll my eyes. "Lazarus, I need the Tylenol because I am sore as hell and hurting."

He smirks, seemingly proud of himself. I ask the pharmacist for the day-after pill and ring it up. Lazarus tries to pay, but I grab his card and shove it back to him. "No, I can pay for my own medicine. It’s my body."

I swipe my card and pay for my medicine, then walk out of the store. Checking my Uber app again, Lazarus says, "Come on, it’s still raining. Let me take you home, and I’ll leave you alone. It’s going to be hell getting an Uber this early in the morning and in the rain."

"Fine," I sigh and get back into his SUV. I give the driver my address, and he plugs it into the GPS.

I start trying to open the day-after pill container, but I grow increasingly frustrated trying to open this damn packaging. My fingers fumble, my anxiety rising with each failed attempt. Just as I’m about to throw the pill container in my purse, Lazarus steps in.

Without a word, he takes the pill container from my hands, his movements calm and precise. He pops the pill out effortlessly and hands it to me, his eyes never leaving mine. There’s a silent understanding between us, an unspoken Apollogy and reassurance.

I take the pill from him, feeling a strange mix of gratitude and vulnerability. He throws the empty packaging into his pocket, a gesture that speaks volumes about his protective nature. I swallow the pill, the act feeling more intimate than it should. Lazarus watches me, his gaze intense and unwavering.

As we drive, Lazarus speaks up. "Phoebe, I can’t have you quit. You’re the only one who can get my mother to eat, and she likes you."

I turn to him, my voice firm. "No, Lazarus, I quit. I have other clients, and I can’t deal with you. I’m sorry about your mother, but I am done."

The driver says, "Ms. Daniels, we’re at your apartment building."

Lazarus looks disgusted. "You live here?"

"Yes, I live here. Not everyone can be handed mommy and daddy’s money. Some people have to work for a living." I slam the door and walk into the apartment complex.

Once inside, I sit down on my couch, looking around. I don’t have much, but at least what I do have is mine. I worked for it. I pull out my phone and see seven missed calls from Bria. I call her back.

"Hey, B, sorry I missed your calls."

She immediately responds, "What happened to you last night? I saw you making out with some guy, so I started dancing with Nate. Then guess what? I slept with Nate, and he is huge, girl. I mean huge!"

I laugh weakly. "I ended up sleeping with Lazarus Yates."

In a loud voice she yells, "Holy s**t! Are you serious? The real f*****g Lazarus Yates?"

I laugh awkwardly. "Yes, and guess what? He’s just as arrogant as ever."

"So how was the s*x with him?" Bria asks.

"To be honest, I’m sore as f**k and can’t remember any of it."

She laughs. "That sucks, but at least he kept your mind off Jack. But be careful."

"I know, B. I will be careful, but I can no longer take care of his mother. I’ll talk to your aunt on Monday."

"I understand. That will probably be awkward," she says.

I do an awkward laugh. "You bet it will be."

"I need to take a shower and go to bed. Love you, B."

"Love you too, Pheebs."

I hang up, head to the shower, and let the hot water wash away the remnants of last night. As I lie in bed, I remind myself that I’m stronger than this. Lazarus Yates might have been a mistake, but I won’t let him define me. Tomorrow is a new day, and I’m ready to face it head-on.