Page 47 of Asher Black (The Five Syndicates)
He holds his hand out for her to shake, but she leaves him hanging. There’s another minute of silence before a look of understanding spreads across her face.
She whips her gaze from Xavier to me and says, “You kinky bitch! You had a threesome, didn’t you?” She waves the NDA that is still in her hands. “That’s what this is about, isn’t it?! You didn’t even think to invite me?! That hurts! Do you guys need a fourth?” Her eyes rake over Xavier’s form as she licks her lips. “I volunteer as tribute!” She stands up and lifts a leg and an arm in a buzz light year pose.
“Aimee,” I groan. “That’s Buzz Lightyear. You’re trying to do Katniss Everdeen.”
But she isn’t done. She sits back down with a dramatic humph. “Tell me, Loosey Goosey.” She rolls her eyes at my cringe. She knows how much I hate the nickname. “I signed the damn thing.” She waves the NDA again. It flaps wildly in her hands. “Was it MMF? MFM? You have to at least tell me that.”
Before she rips it with all of her waving, I pluck the nondisclosure agreement from her fingers and place it safely in a folder from my desk. I hand it to Xavier, who slips it into the front of his suit.
I turn back to Aimee. “What are you talking about? What do those letters even mean?”
I look to Xavier for help, but he has an amused expression on his face that hasn’t left his chiseled features since he met Aimee. He quirks an eyebrow at me.
That’s helpful.
“Gosh, Lucy,” Aimee says. “You need to read more.” Under her breath, she mutters, “And to think I thought she’s the smart one…”
“I—”
She starts to cut me off. Before she can say anything else, I cover Aimee’s mouth with my palm. It’s my bloody one.
Oops.
“Ew!” she shrieks.
Xavier passes her a handkerchief, and I swear she swoons. I groan. We’re getting nowhere at this rate.
I grab a new tube of Starbursts from my secret stash in my dresser and hold it up. “This is the Holy Stick,” I wince at my dirty choice of words, “and whoever is holding it gets to speak. Everyone else has to stay quiet.”
I look pointedly at Aimee, because, really, Xavier hasn’t even said five words since he entered the room. The stick is to shut Aimee up and no one else. She leaps for the stick, but Xavier cuts in front of me, quicker than lightning, preventing Aimee’s body from reaching mine. It’s then that I realize that he isn’t just here to help me move out. He’s my bodyguard.
Holy Hell.
I have a personal bodyguard.
This is a crazy reminder of the kind of life Asher lives, the kind of life I’ve gotten myself into.
I clear my throat. And then I clear it again, because I can feel a panic attack coming on. I take a deep breath and answer Aimee’s questions one by one. “As far as I can tell, the only similarities between Asher Black and Christian Grey are their wealth, reclusiveness, and attractiveness. Oh, and both of their last names are the names of colors!
“I’m not sure if Asher’s into BDSM. I wouldn’t know. No, he doesn’t want me to be his submissive. I don’t think he has a red room. No, we didn’t have a threesome. We didn’t even have a twosome,” though we almost did. “That isn’t what this is about.
“We’re not going to have a foursome either, and,” I take a much needed breath, “if I were to have a foursome, you would not be in it, you weirdo!” I pause, wondering if I covered all of her questions. “Oh, and I also don’t know what MMM and FM or whatever you said means, so I can’t answer that.”
Aimee backs away from Xavier and returns to her perch on my bed. “Okay,” she drags out the word. “So, if you guys didn’t have sex and he didn’t ask you to be his submissive, what did he want?”
I steal a glance at Xavier, wondering if he knows that my engagement with Asher is fake. He was there when Asher announced our engagement, but I’m not sure if he heard Asher and me talking afterward or if Asher told him that it’s not real. This might be another test. I can ask Xavier if he has an NDA, but even if he says yes, he can easily be lying.
I turn back to Aimee and say, “Hold that thought.”
I pull out my phone and text Asher.
Lucy: Does Xavier know about our deal?
I wait a few minutes, but he doesn’t reply. Aimee is looking antsy, her mouth already opened. I wave the Starburst tube, aka the Holy Stick of permission granting powers. She closes her mouth. Another minute passes, and I lose my patience.
“Be right back,” I say and dart into the hall.
I run into the bathroom and slam the door in front of Xavier’s face. No way am I letting him follow me into the bathroom. I have boundaries. I dial Asher’s number, tapping my toes on the tile as I wait for him to pick up.
