Another Mazzy Monday (14 page)

“What are you doing for dinner?” Drew has now turned his attention to me. The question sounds strange and I’m not sure if he’s inviting me to come along or warning me that I should stay. I don’t know how to respond so I just shrug.

“I can make a reservation at Herman’s.”

Mazzy is still nodding. She hasn’t actually stopped.

“Have you ever been there before?” Drew asks.

That finally stops her head from bobbing. “No. Never.”

He smiles. “You’ll love it. It’s not formal, but it’s not causal either. Maybe that black silk dress and heels.”

“Okay,” Mazzy agrees.

Drew just stares at her for a few moments until he finally says, “Is thirty minutes enough time to get ready?”

“Yes, sure.” She hurries upstairs.

Once she’s out of earshot my brother glares at me. “What’s going on, Austin?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I can’t believe you’re going to stand there and lie to my face.”

I laugh. “As if you’re not the king of liars. You’re living a lie.”

He frowns. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean.”

He shakes his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You and Mazzy aren’t real, Andrew. I hope you’re not starting to believe your own lies.”

His mouth is now a thin, angry line. I don’t care that he’s mad. I push him even harder. “All your lies are like a house of cards. They’re all going to come falling down. I just don’t want Mazzy to get hurt when that happens.”

“And why do you care so much about her?” As he cocks his head it’s like a realization comes over his face. “Are you falling for her?”

“Don’t hurt her,” I repeat a little more forcefully.

“She’s being well compensated for her efforts,” my brother reminds me.

Before I have a chance to reply Mazzy hurries back down the stairs. The short black dress she’s wearing hugs her body in all the right places. And her heels make her legs look a mile long.

“I’m going with you,” I announce.

“I don’t remember inviting you,” he fires back.

“Try and stop me.” We both glare at each other. But I know my brother will back down because when push comes to shove he’s no fighter. He’s a politician. He lives for negotiation and using his words instead of his fists.

“Fine.” He heaves a small sigh of defeat. “Is that what you’re going to wear?” He eyes my black shirt and jeans.

“This is what I’m going to wear.”

I hate the fact that Mazzy stands next to Drew instead of me and it takes every ounce of self-restraint I have not to grab her hand and pull her close.

“Ready to go?” Drew asks Mazzy.

She nods.

“You look great,” I tell her.

She gives me a quick smile in return.

As if he’s suddenly realized he’s supposed to say something, Drew says, “You look nice, Mazzy.”

Isn’t that just like my brother? He always does exactly what he’s supposed to do for no other reason than he’s supposed to do it. 

Standing at Drew’s car is awkward. Mazzy and I aren’t sure which of us should sit in the front with Drew and which of us should sit in the back. Mazzy finally offers to get into the back seat and I take the front passenger’s side.

The car ride is completely silent. I can hear myself breathing it’s so quiet. Finally when I can’t take the silence one moment longer I say, “What do you like about Herman’s?”

I know it’s an expensive restaurant, but I generally don’t frequent places that don’t have at least a few motorcycles parked out front. Something tells me the parking lot of Herman’s will be crowded with the most expensive luxury vehicles.

“It’s quiet.” I’m a little surprised by Drew’s response. He usually likes to frequent places where he can be the center of attention and the star of the show.

Herman’s is everything I would expect in a place my brother would select, from the stuffy décor to the score of old money patrons that pack the place.

When Drew takes Mazzy’s hand to help her out of the car I’m taken aback by the surge of jealously that rushes through my body. I take in a deep breath and try to control my urge to rip my brother’s hand from Mazzy’s.

We’re seated at a small table tucked away from the main dining area. Very private and very quiet.

Mazzy is seated between Drew and I and I’m right across from my brother. I could easily touch Mazzy’s leg without my brother seeing, and I’m tempted. Seeing Mazzy sitting there, looking absolutely gorgeous, and not being able to touch her, is nearly killing me.

When the waiter arrives my brother orders a bottle of wine for the table without even bothering to ask what anyone wants to drink.

After spending so much time so far away from my family I had forgotten that my brother is used to being in charge of situations and getting his own way. I think he sees most people as tools that he can use in one way or another to achieve his goal. He’s certainly using Mazzy that way, although she’s getting paid and is a willing participant. I probably couldn’t stand by and watch the charade if he was using some girl who wasn’t completely aware of the situation. 

When we pick up our menus, Drew says, “The salmon is excellent. I highly recommend it.”

I know that’s his way of saying that’s what we’re to order, because in his world everyone needs to do exactly what he wants. I debate whether I should play along or if it’s worth the energy to give him a little push back.

I decide to push back just for the fun of it. “Steak,” I announce as I close my menu. “Rare and bloody.”

My brother tries to hide his disgust, but I can see a flash of it on his face. He’s never been a red meat eater. It’s much too crude and uncivilized a food for his refined palate.

We both glance over at Mazzy and her eyes are wide like she’s confused. She looks back and forth between the two of us and then says, “Just a salad, I guess.”

“Are you sure you don’t want steak?” I tempt her.

She licks her lips and I can see she’s considering it, but when she glances at Drew he has a scowl on his face that clearly says he’s not in favor of the steak at all.

When she turns to me her big, blue eyes search mine and time stands still for a few brief moments. I realize that I want to be the one to take Mazzy out to any restaurant she likes. And hold her hand and kiss her, and even feed her bites of my food, without anyone giving us a second look.

But I can’t. Not now anyway. And maybe not ever. Who knows what the future holds if my brother actually wins the election? If they do break up quietly post-election how would it look to the press for the two of us to suddenly be a couple?

I try to push all those thoughts out of my mind. For right now I have Mazzy, even if it is in secret, in the shadows, behind closed doors. At least it’s better than not having her at all.

The three of us are quiet as we eat our meals. Mazzy is basically just picking at her salad. I’ve seen her eat, when she’s cooked her own food, so I know she’s not one of those girls who seem to live on air because you never actually see them put food in their mouths. Mazzy can eat like a champ when she wants to.

Her entire body looks tense like she’s extremely uncomfortable. Not that I blame her. I’m not that comfortable either.

At least the steak is decent.

Once our plates are cleared we all just stare at each other. Drew being at a loss for words is something I’m not used to. But he seems a little off tonight. I’m not sure why.

After we turn down dessert I’m surprised to see Drew’s assistant, George, hurry over to our table.

When I glance at Mazzy she raises an eyebrow indicating she’s just as surprised as I am. The only person who doesn’t look surprised is Drew. He’s actually breathing a sigh of relief.

“I’m glad I caught you.” George is a little breathless. Of course nearly every time I see the guy he seems to be breathless. Not that I’m surprised. I’m sure being my brother’s assistant isn’t an easy job.

“I had to schedule a meeting this evening.” He looks in Mazzy’s direction. “Sorry about that.”

Drew turns to me and says, “Do you mind taking Mazzy home in my car? I can get a ride with George.”

Before I have a chance to respond Drew reaches into his pocket and tosses me his car keys. As he rises from his chair he says, “I’ll handle the tab on the way out.”

He turns to leave, but then almost as an afterthought, he turns back and leans down to give Mazzy a quick peck on the cheek. “Don’t wait up for me. I’m sure it will be another late night.”

After he and George disappear into the dining room I turn to Mazzy and ask if she’s okay.

“That was a little awkward,” she admits.

“Which part?”

“All of it.”

We both can’t help but laugh.

I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t wait, so I grab her hand under the table. When she turns to me and gives me a sexy little grin I’m sure she’s thinking the same thing I am. How fast can we make it back to the lake house?”

Nine

Mazzy

Austin pulls me up the stairs so fast I feel like I’m going to step out of my heels. But I don’t mind. I want to get behind a closed door with him just as quickly as he does.

“Your room or mine?” He asks between pants.

“A little out of shape?” I tease.

“We’ll be getting plenty of exercise in about thirty seconds.”

He pulls me into his bedroom and triple checks the lock. Then he ravages me. And I do mean ravage. He’s like a wild animal that can’t get to his prey fast enough. And I have to admit that I’m equally ravenous.

It took every ounce of self-restraint I had not to put my hands all over him at the restaurant. When I see Austin and Drew together it’s hard for me to believe that they have the same parents. They’re so different in every way. Drew is calm and cool, almost aloof, well-rehearsed and dignified. He’s perfect in every way, like a walking-talking cover for
GQ
magazine.

Austin is everything his brother isn’t. He’s tough and gritty, fiercely independent and feisty, and says what he thinks without regard for the consequences. Everything about Austin turns me on in a way no one has ever turned me on before.

“You’re sexy has hell in that dress,” he says as he looks me up and down. “But you’re even sexier without it.”

I take that as my cue to do a little striptease for him. I point to the bed and order him to sit. He eagerly obeys.

As his eyes scan my body I take my time slowly removing the dress from my shoulders and letting the straps slide down my upper arms. Then I turn around and give him a good view of my posterior as I unzip the dress and let it fall the rest of the way down.

Now in just my bra, panties, stockings and high heels I turn and do a little strut toward him on the bed. I bite my bottom lip as I place my heeled foot right between his legs on the bed.

His eyes remain on mine as he kisses my knee. Then I playfully pull my leg away and model my lingerie for him for a few moments.

“Take it all off,” he insists.

I do as I’m told. First I unsnap my strapless bra and let it fall to the floor. Then I move my hands slowly down my body, caressing myself, before I place my thumbs at the top of my underwear and push them down to join my bra and dress on the floor.

Then I kick off the heels and peel off the stockings.

As his eyes move up and down my body he says, “I changed my mind. Keep the heels on. There are very few things sexier than a naked woman in heels.”

I put the heels back on and strut around for a few seconds giving him equal views of both my front and back assets. When I finally stop to face him again I can see pure desire burning in his eyes.

At that moment I feel a power I have never felt before. The power to completely and utterly turn a man on without even touching him.

“Come here.” His voice is husky with need.

As I close the small distance between us he stands up and grabs me. He pulls me close so that I can feel how hard he is and how much I turned him on.

“You’re impossible to resist,” he whispers into my ear. “I’m going to go completely insane if I can’t be inside you right now.”

“I don’t want to be responsible for driving you insane,” I tease.

“Good.”

Within moments he reclaims my mouth with savage intensity. Then his mouth moves to my already erect nipples and he licks and sucks them with tantalizing possessiveness.

My entire body responds turning warm and I tremble with anticipation.

I reach for the buttons on his shirt and fumble a bit as I try to quickly undo them. Once the last button is undone Austin is quick to remove the garment and he wastes no time removing his pants and underwear as well.

As my eyes wander south I lick my lips with anticipation. He’s definitely hard and ready.

He swiftly pulls me onto the bed with him and our lips and hands are all over each other again.

“Shit,” he exclaims. “Don’t move.”

I laugh. “Where would I go?”

He hops up from the bed and grabs a condom from his pocket. He removes it from the package and then quickly sheaths himself.

“I need to be inside of you,” he states as he climbs back in bed.

“Hurry up then. I don’t want you to go insane.”

He gives me a sexy grin as he pushes inside of me. My body quickly molds to his as we establish a rhythm. It’s amazing how well our bodies fit together. Like pieces of a puzzle that had been dropped, found again then slid into place.

It’s not long before I feel a wave of ecstasy wash over me. As Austin continues to thrust hard and deep inside of me I’m overcome by a floodtide of pure bliss.

As I cry out his name Austin gives one final push and lets out his own exclamation.

When he rests his forehead on my chest it’s sweaty from the intense workout.

“You’re amazing,” he says as he places a soft kiss on my forehead.

“And you’re not insane,” I tease.

“There’s only one problem,” he says as he withdraws from me. “I can never get enough of you. So where does that leave us?”

I smile. “It depends.”

“On what?”

“On how much energy you have and how many condoms.”   

***

I’ve been pacing the house for what seems like hours waiting for Drew’s mom to arrive. It’s not that she’s late. On the contrary, she’s not supposed to be here for another fifteen minutes. I’ve just been a nervous wreck. I couldn’t even eat the omelet I cooked for myself this morning. My stomach was tied into a huge knot. And it feels like it’s getting worse. I debate phoning her to tell her I’m not feeling well, but I know I’d only be postponing the inevitable.

I glance down at the camel pantsuit and sensible brown heels I’m wearing. I’ve looked at the outfit about a hundred times, but it still hasn’t gotten any better. George picked it out for me. Apparently he’s a big fan of women wearing pantsuits. I’ve never given them a second thought and I feel a little awkward wearing it. It’s like I’m trying too hard to be grown up and sophisticated and just look like a little girl playing dress-up in her mother’s clothes.

When I round the corner to head back into the foyer for what feels like the fiftieth time I run right into a wall of naked chest.

It’s Austin in nothing but boxer shorts.

“Good morning.” He gives me a huge grin. Even though I’ve seen him naked, that was in a private setting. I’m a little embarrassed by his lack of clothing out here in the open where anyone in his family can apparently walk in on us at any moment.

He looks me up and down and then laughs. “I can’t believe they’ve already got you in a pantsuit. That didn’t take long.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I place my hands on my hips and glare at him. Even though I know I look ridiculous he doesn’t have to rub it in or point it out.

He bites back a laugh. “You look like Hillary Clinton.”

“I don’t get it.” I’m not into politics, but at least I know who Hillary Clinton is. I just don’t understand what she has to do with pantsuits.

“I guess I’m not as funny as I think I am if I have to explain my jokes. Hillary Clinton is known for her pantsuits. She even jokes about it herself. She has a
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits
. Her pantsuits got a lot of publicity when she ran for President in 2008.”

“I was still in high school in 2008. I couldn’t even vote.”

He clutches his very sexy chest. “You’re making me feel very old right now.”

“You were ancient. You were probably in college.”

“Guilty as charged,” he says.

“Would you mind putting on some clothes?” I try not to look at his half naked body, but it’s a little difficult with him standing so close.

Much to my chagrin he moves even closer. “See something you want?”

“Your mother will be here any minute,” I remind him.

He laughs. “No doubt also wearing a pantsuit.”

“You have kind of a weird obsession with pantsuits.”

He shakes his head. “Pantsuits send off a weird vibe. They’re not quite feminine, but they’re not quite masculine either. It’s like they’re trying to straddle the line between men’s and women’s clothing.”

I can’t help but laugh. “That could be one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard in my life.”

“Anything to make you smile.” He winks at me and it sends a little shiver right through me.

We both freeze when we hear a car pull into the driveway.

“Gotta go,” Austin says quickly.

“Don’t you want to stay and say hello to your mom?” I ask hopefully.

“Oh, hell no. It’s way too early in the morning to deal with my mother. Have fun.”

Before I can even get in another word he’s already disappeared up the staircase.

When I hear a loud knock at the front door my heart skips a few beats and then starts to race. I try to take in a deep breath, but to no avail. My chest is already too constricted.

“Be calm,” I try to will my body to obey, but it’s not working. My heart feels like it’s going to leap right out of my chest.

As I head towards the door my legs turn to jelly. It’s nothing short of a miracle that I don’t pass out before I get the door open.

Drew’s mom is looking surly as ever, but when she enters the foyer and sees my pantsuit she plasters a gigantic fake smile on her face.

“It’s so great to see you again, Mazzy.” Her voice oozes insincerity.

When I try to reply my words stick in my throat. So I cough a few times and then say, “It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Graham.”

She laughs. “Call me, Margaret or Mom, whichever you prefer.”

Since I don’t even call my own mother, Mom, I decide Margaret might be a better choice.

Before I know what’s hit me she grabs my elbow and pulls me out of the house.

“I’ve got a fabulous day planned for us,” she exclaims as she drags me towards her Mercedes. Then she stops and stares at my shoes. “I’m so glad you wore sensible shoes for shopping. Great pantsuit, by the way. Compliments your coloring beautifully. You’ll look wonderful for the cameras. I may have let it slip to a few of my PR friends that we’ll be wedding dress shopping today.” 

Great. My guess is that we’ll spend the day followed by the paparazzi. I’m starting to think this shopping excursion isn’t as much a great-to-know-you girl’s day out as it is another media op for the Drew Graham campaign.

“Be sure to buckle up,” Margaret reminds me as we both take seats in her car.

“I didn’t realize you were being forced to ride around on the back of Austin’s nasty motorcycle,” she comments as she pulls out of the driveway.

“He offered me a ride, which I thought was very kind.” I refrain from telling her how much I actually enjoyed riding on it with him. She obviously doesn’t think much of her younger son’s choices.

“My husband and I would like Drew to purchase you a Mercedes, maybe a C-Class C350 Coupe. That way you could get yourself around town when Drew is busy.”

I gulp. I’m not sure how I feel about Drew buying me a car, a very expensive one, on top of everything else. Especially when I’m sleeping with his brother behind his back. I didn’t realize I’d be plagued with so much guilt. The sad thing is that I still want to be with Austin, even though I know it’s wrong on so many levels.

He was right. I didn’t really need to worry about carrying on a conversation with his mother. She’s doing a terrific job all by herself. I’ve never seen a woman who could talk for ninety seconds without taking a breath, but Margaret is a marathon talker. I’ve been timing her.

She’s told me Drew’s entire history, from when he was a new born until the day he launched his campaign for governor. I noticed she didn’t mention Austin once. Not even in the context of his older brother.

Is it sad that I’d much rather hear about Austin’s first steps, and what cartoons he liked to watch as an eight-year-old, and what sports he played in high school. But I know I can’t ask without arousing suspicion.

When we make our first stop at Larry’s Bridal I notice there are a few guys with cameras already waiting outside the door.

Once Margaret has parked she turns to me and says, “When you pose for the camera be sure to turn slightly to the left. I think that’s your best angle. Place your right hand on your right hip and give a slight wave with the other hand. Tilt your head back ever so slightly to give the appearance that you’re looking up just a bit. You’ll thank me in twenty years when things start to sag. It lifts the neck.”

“Okay,” is all I can manage. I feel like she’s already choreographing my every move. 

“And it never hurts to give your lips a little touch up,” she says as she pulls her own dark red lipstick out of her purse.

I do as I’m told. I remove my light pink gloss from my bag and refresh my lips just a bit.

“Ready?” she asks as she carefully inspects me.

“I think so.”

She pats my arm in the same way you might pat a dog’s head. “You’ll be fine.”