LUCY Read online

  ©2018 Danielle James All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, place, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  CHAPTER ONE

  My days of sucking dick for a place to stay were over once I saw my new landlord. She was short and angry with a pinched face that seemed to be stuck in a perpetual frown. My forehead grew warm sitting in the rental office. I couldn’t stop squirming in my seat and rubbing my palms against my bare knees.

  “Miss Waters, you’re twelve months behind on rent. How is this possible?” She looked at me over her glasses and I flashed her a smile. It sucked most people in but not her. Not Miss Pinched Face. The space between us was filled with dead air while she waited for my response. Why the hell did that office feel so small?

  “Well, Mr. Campbell and I had an arrangement,” I said, clearing my throat.

  “An arrangement? What pray tell was that arrangement?” I gave her another smile but she didn’t want to take it so it kind of fell flat between us. The moment was smeared with awkward seconds that seemed to drag on.

  “Well, I’d do things for him and in exchange, he’d let me stay in the apartment. As long as I didn’t destroy the place or anything he was okay with it. I’m sure you and I could work something out.” I wasn’t putting my face in her pussy that was for damn sure. It wasn’t because she was a little older but she seemed too mean. What if she tasted as harsh as her attitude? Like car keys or something?

  No thanks.

  “I’m not interested in whatever you’re offering. I also don’t want any more details on whatever deals you had going on with Mr. Campbell. Miss Waters, I want the entire twelve months of back rent by next week or you can count yourself as evicted.” She seemed all too happy to put me out. Like she hated me before she even knew me.

  She was no different than anyone else though. Everyone judged me the minute they saw me. Maybe I gave off that hippy bohemian vibe that older people and people with sticks up their ass hated.

  I toyed with my long, chestnut brown waves and laughed a little, trying in vain to lighten the mood. “By next week? Do you know how much money that is? Mrs. Pinched Face, um—Mrs. Pinckney, that’s impossible. You’re required by law to give me thirty days at least.” My voice squeaked a bit but I never broke eye contact with her. I never backed down. It didn’t matter how much my nerves jittered or my stomach quivered.

  “Listen, I said what I said, Miss Waters.”

  “Lucy. My fucking name is Lucy,” I snapped.

  “Yeah, well, see yourself out and I’ll be waiting for my money…Lucy.” I pushed backward in my chair and stood to my feet with narrowed eyes. If looks could kill, Mrs. Pinched Face would be a scorched patch of carpet beneath my feet.

  “Fuck you,” I shoved my middle finger in the air and went back to my apartment in a huff. It wouldn’t be my apartment for much longer though, not with the stiff ass stipulations Mrs. Pinckney put on me. Getting her all the money by next week would mean over twenty thousand dollars in seven days. How the fuck was I supposed to get that kind of money that fast? I made good money bartending at On the Rocks but nothing that would begin to dig me out of a hole that was thousands of dollars deep.

  I poured myself a glass of whiskey and called Abel. He’d know what to do. I was not calling Nora though. No matter how much my gut begged me to.

  “Hey, Hell Raiser. What’s up?” His smooth voice put me at ease instantly. It was either that or the Jack Daniels burning its way down my throat. Whatever. I was relaxed.

  “Hey, um…I need advice.” I poured a second glass and raked anxious fingers through my thick mane.

  “Uh-oh. What did you fuck up this time, Lucy?”

  “Nothing!” I squeaked.

  “I’m listening.”

  “My landlord, Mr. Campbell…little motherfucker, up and left without warning and I woke up to this bitch of a landlord, Mrs. Pinckney. She wants the back rent for the past year by the end of next week.”

  “Why the fuck haven’t you paid rent for an entire year, Luce?”

  “Well, I had an arrangement.” I ran my finger around the rim of the glass and rounded my shoulders.

  “An arrangement? Do I want to know?” Abel groaned.

  “I sucked his dick. I sucked it so good he never asked for rent. He never asked for pussy either and that right there goes to show how amazing my mouth is.”

  “Lucy, Lucy, Lucy,” Abel chuckled.

  “I know. I don’t even want to be in this fucking apartment right now.” My words slurred a bit after my third glass of whiskey.

  “I should have known there was no way you were being responsible enough to keep up with that nice ass apartment for an entire year without asking me or Nora for money.”

  “Fuck you, Abel.” I shut my eyes and pushed out a breath.

  “Are you drunk?” He already knew the answer to that question so I just grunted at him. “Jesus Christ, it’s nine in the morning.”

  “It’s five somewhere,” I shrugged.

  “Meet me for lunch after you sleep it off,” he sighed.

  “Sure. Fine. Whatever.” Before we hung up, I opened my eyes and called his name.

  “What is it, Hell Raiser?”

  “You think you could lend me the money?”

  “Goodbye, Lucy.” He hung up and I threw a tantrum on the couch complete with legs flailing. I really shouldn’t have though because it made the room spin violently. I calmed down the moment colors began to blur and took a few deep breaths.

  I would be okay.

  I was always okay.

  Getting evicted now was no different than any other time. Before I stumbled upon the little gem of an apartment I was staying at, I got kicked out of a shitty spot near the city because I was a few months behind and I had way too many parties. Before that I stayed with my parents, then Nora, then Abel.

  Abel put me out because I ran off all his little girlfriends. That, and he got a great job that required him to take trips all over the country and he didn’t want me fucking up his house. Nora felt the same way. When we graduated from college we moved in together and quickly realized it wasn’t going to work.

  I let thought after thought spill out of my memories and into the air. I sat on the couch, watching them like home movies before passing out two glasses of Jack Daniels later.

  **

  When I woke up from my mini-drinking binge, my mouth felt like sandpaper. I rifled through the fridge, knocking aside old Chinese food containers and leftovers from months ago until I found a couple of water bottles stashed in the back. Sweet, sweet water.

  I chugged them both in two seconds flat.

  I tossed the empty bottles to the floor and went into my room. Abel probably wanted to go somewhere fancy for lunch. I had no idea what to wear. After a few minutes of getting frustrated looking through mountains of clothes piled on my chair, I decided to wear what I had on. There was nothing wrong with a flowy white tank and a pair of denim shorts, right?

  I fluffed my hair a little, slid on a coat of lip-gloss, and walked out of the door. My gas tank was nearly on empty and I crossed my fingers that I’d get across town in time to ask Abel to fill it up for me. “Come on you little piece of shit, let’s go.” I rubbed my palms together and threw the little yellow Volkswagen Bug in drive.

  I was at Abel’s office in fifteen minutes flat.

  It had to be some kind of record. It usually took me thirty minutes to get there but I was going about eighty down the highway. Maybe that had something to do with it.

  When I walked in, the secretary at the front tilted her aquiline nose up at me like she thought I was walking
contamination or something. I rolled my eyes and kept strolling until I found Abel’s office.

  Everything was glass. The door, the walls, and the windows. Well, they wouldn’t be anything but glass, but the effect of it all made me feel like I was in a damn fish tank. I watched him on the phone while I stood outside. His back was to me but I could still make out the strong lines of his shoulders and his chiseled profile.

  I ran my fingertips over his name. Abel M. Waters was etched in bold letters on a silver plate fixed to the door. When he swiveled around in his seat, he locked eyes with me and motioned for me to come in. I pushed the heavy door open and stood near his desk while he finished up the call.

  “Luce, what’s up?” He flashed me a smile then stood to hug me. I jumped into his strong arms, burying my face in the crook of his neck. It had been a while since we saw each other because he was always busy working and jet-setting and I was just busy working.

  We liked to hang out at least once a month but sometimes that wasn’t enough for me. Abel sat down and I sat on his lap. “What do you want for lunch?” He asked, mindlessly playing in my hair.

  “Wings.”

  “I know a great spot. It’s new and it’s downtown, you’ll love it. Then maybe we can figure out this situation you’ve gotten yourself into.” He poked my side and I laughed a little. As pissed off as I was about getting evicted out of the blue, I was happy to see Abel. He was my security blanket.

  We walked out of his office with our fingers locked as usual. The secretary shot us a few dirty glances and when Abel wasn’t looking, I flipped her off with a smile. She got so flustered she started moving pictures and plants around on her desk to look occupied.

  “I don’t think your secretary likes me, Abel.”

  “Lauren? She’s fine. She’s new so she doesn’t know you yet.” We walked past my car in the parking lot and Abel slowed in his stride, eyeing the old beetle. “Luce, why is your car such a goddamn dumpster?”

  “What? It’s not. Okay…maybe it’s a little junky but it’s fine.” I looked inside and spotted a Fruit Rollups box that I needed to take in the house with me. They were my favorite.

  “Yeah, okay.” Of course, he’d make fun of my car. His Audi was in perfect condition and it smelled like leather and oak. Not one speck of dust anywhere. I was afraid to put on my damn seatbelt.

  While Abel drove, I zoned out to the music pumping through the speakers and stared at him. I missed him so much. Why did we only get together once a month? We needed to do it more often.

  “I’m coming home with you tonight,” I declared right before he parked.

  “What?” He laughed out the word.

  “You heard me. I’m coming home with you tonight. I miss you, Abel.” He pulled into a parking space and exhaled heavily.

  “Lucy…”

  “Nope. Don’t care what you say. You’re going to have to call the police to get me off your porch if you don’t agree.”

  “Fine. Whatever,” he fussed and got out of the car. “You could have worn something to actually cover you up,” Abel frowned, looking at my shorts and tank.

  “I’m covered,” I beamed with a smile and spun around for him. His eyes traveled from my legs up to my face and he shook his head.

  “Not covered enough,” he huffed and grabbed my hand in his. I felt the eyes of nearby men checking me out but I didn’t care because I was with Abel. He may have toned down significantly as he got older but he was still the same hot head I knew and loved. If any of those men looked too hard, he’d say something and I loved it.

  The thrill excited me.

  “Seriously, Lucy, what did I tell you about dressing like that? Those shorts barely cover your ass and that shirt is see-through. I can see your…nipple rings,” he lowered his voice and I looked down at my boobs. “You don’t even have on a bra.”

  “I didn’t need one when I woke up to go to the rental office,” I shrugged.

  “You should have changed when I invited you to lunch.”

  “You should have told me to,” I countered with a grin. My grins always pulled Abel in. He was a sucker for them.

  “You two ready to order?” A busty waitress waltzed over to our table and couldn’t stop smiling at Abel. He smiled back and nodded at her.

  “Absolutely, she’ll have the whiskey wings with fries, broccoli, and a lemonade. I’ll have steak with roasted vegetables, and a lager.”

  “Whiskey wings?” I nearly drooled on the table. “Oh my God, I think I’m going to cum on myself.” The waitress shot me a wide-eyed look and Abel laughed.

  “Calm down,” he chuckled. “I knew you’d like this place.”

  “Fuck yeah. Now, if I could get the waitress to stop staring at you that would be great.” He was mine. I was spending time with him and I hated sharing Abel’s time. He stared at me for a moment and I studied his hazel eyes.

  “Behave, Hell Raiser,” he warned in a low tone that made my stomach clench.

  “I’m behaving. I told you I miss you and that means I’m not sharing my time with anyone. Not even a fucking waitress.”

  “Well, I miss you too, Lucy and I don’t appreciate having to stare down every asshole staring at you in that…outfit.”

  “You like it?” I purred. Abel’s eyes blazed to life but he snuffed the flames quickly.

  “Anyway, what is the game plan for your apartment?”

  “Is it bad that I don’t have one?” I asked, looking up at him.

  “Yes. But I also don’t expect much else from you. You’re being Lucy right now.”

  “Aww, thanks for that unwavering vote of confidence, Abel. Makes me all warm inside.”

  “I’m serious.” The corners of his mouth turned downward. “You need to think about what you’re going to do.”

  “That’s what I have you for,” I touched his hand from across the table and he sighed. Even if he wanted to stay mad at me, he couldn’t. I was his weak spot.

  “If you’re asking for advice then I’d say start packing your shit and find an affordable place that you can live in. You make decent money and you should have a nice cushion in savings. You can coast through this, Lucy.” The waitress was back with our drinks and she couldn’t set them down without grinning in Abel’s fucking face. Annoyance quickly blossomed into anger; heating my chest and making my fingers itch to make a fist.

  “Can you smile somewhere else? We’re talking. Thanks,” I nearly hissed.

  “Excuse me?” She cocked an eyebrow up and eyed me.

  “You heard me.”

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart. What’s your name?” Abel stepped in with his suave voice and achingly gorgeous grin.

  “Anna.”

  “Nice to meet you, Anna. I’m Abel. I’m sorry for her attitude. This is Lucy. She’s on edge. Ignore her.”

  “Uh huh, I’ll try.” She smacked her lips and walked away while I sank a straw into my glass.

  “Don’t apologize for me. You know I hate that.”

  “And you know I hate when you’re rude for no reason. I’m here with you right now. Nobody else matters.” He took a gulp of his beer and sighed like I drove him to drink. “Now, how much do you have in savings? I’m sure you have enough to swing a security deposit or first and last month’s rent on a new place, right?” I sucked down the sour, sweet drink and looked everywhere else but in his eyes.

  “Lucy, how much do you have in savings?” He repeated himself but that time his teeth were clenched like he knew what answer was coming.

  “I don’t have a savings account.” I cringed as the words landed between us.

  “What? How the fuck don’t you have a savings account when Mom and Dad got us all one before we moved out.”

  “I went on a few girl’s trips and I needed outfits for the trips and bags…shoes too.” Abel was not pleased. His eyes shut and his jaw flexed rapidly.

  “You’re telling me you blew your fucking savings on trips and clothes? Lucy, come on!”

  “Bags and shoe
s too,” I added before sipping more lemonade.

  “I see exactly why Mom and Dad said you can’t come back home. You’re a mess. You’re a living, breathing tornado.”

  “I know, I know,” I sighed. “You can let me stay with you until I get back on my feet, right Abel?” My wings came out and the waitress glared at me but smiled at Abel. I wanted to say something smart but the whiskey wings smelled so fucking good I didn’t care about the waitress after a while.

  “Eat. We’ll talk more tonight. I’m pissed at you and I might say something to make you cry.” If there were anyone who could make me cry, it would be Abel. I was a tough girl and I didn’t give a shit about anyone’s opinion of me, but Abel was my world and what he thought meant a lot.

  **

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Are you really mad at me?” I pouted as I walked into Abel’s house. I dropped my keys on the kitchen counter and walked up behind him, wrapping my arms around his middle. It felt like he was chiseled from marble.

  “Yes, I’m mad at you, Lucy.” He moved around the kitchen putting things away so that everything was neat and tidy. He was avoiding me. Whenever Abel avoided things, he cleaned. I hopped on the counter and stopped him from moving away from me. I locked my legs around him and he didn’t look pleased.

  “Don’t be mad, Abel,” I whined, locking my arms around his neck next. Reluctantly, his hands skimmed my waist and he rested his forehead on mine.

  “How can you be such a fuck up? It’s like we’re not even related.”

  “We’re not. You’re adopted,” I reminded him, wrinkling my nose.

  “We call the same people mom and dad and we grew up in the same house. Adopted or not, you’re my little sister.” His fingers hooked into the belt loops on my shorts and he tugged me closer to him.

  “So stop being mad at me. Let me stay here with you,” I begged.

  “I can’t and you know that. I’m gone too much.”

  “You think I’ll burn the house down?”

  “No…well, yes.” He cracked a smile and I hit his chest.

  “Abel, you smell good,” I buried my nose in his collar and groaned from the rich scent on his skin.