Second Chances (14 page)

“I’m good, man. How’s the little woman?” Dustin had introduced Reggie to his wife three years ago.

“Laura’s good. She’s pregnant again, but we’re really excited. I’m hoping for a boy this time.” Reggie had a sixteen-month-old daughter.

“Wow, you guys aren’t wasting any time, are you? I want you to meet someone.” Dustin pulled Stacy into his side. “Reggie, this is Stacy Hutchins, my girlfriend. Stacy, this is Reggie Daniels, owner of Allure.”

***

Stacy smiled at the gorgeous African-American man standing in front of her. She held her hand out to shake his. “Hi, Reggie, it’s nice to meet you. Your place is gorgeous.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, darlin’, and thank you very much. So what are you doing with a dickhead like this guy right here?” Reggie asked her with a bright smile on his face.

“Oh, you know, his mom pays me well,” she said with a laugh.

Girlfriend: he called her his girlfriend. That should’ve scared the shit out of her, but it didn’t. A part of Stacy wondered if Dustin said it just because he didn’t want to introduce her as his friend. They hadn’t really clarified what they were to each other. Stacy decided to just go with it.

Dustin grabbed her hand as Reggie took them around so they could show her everything. She was thoroughly impressed. The floors were black and tan tiles, and there were tall circular tables spread throughout with no chairs around them. The bar didn’t have any stools, either. The bar was a dark polished wood. The bar back was decorated with what looked like stained glass with black and tan designs on it, with mirrors in between them. Reggie led them towards the dance floor, which was a typical one, but the lights above it were soft and made it more romantic.

He led them to a section that had black couches against the walls with little glass tables in front of them. Both men pointed out different spots in the club and told her what they looked like before. Stacy squeezed Dustin’s hand. “This place is just gorgeous, guys.” She meant it, too.

“Well, thank you, Stacy, I appreciate it. Go order some drinks; the first round’s on me,” Reggie said. He clapped Dustin on the back and took off down a hallway. Probably his office, Stacy presumed.

“Come on, baby, let’s get a drink,” Dustin told her as he led her to the bar.

Dustin ordered what looked like a specialty beer. Stacy ordered herself a dirty martini. He led her to one of the couches. Stacy smiled when he pulled her into his side and wrapped his arm around her.

“So how did you meet Reggie?” Stacy asked.

“He was a year younger than us in school. Don’t you remember him?” She shook her head. “We played baseball and football together. He’s been opening bars all over South Carolina and when he bought this place, he contacted Luke and I to see if we could do something with it. It took us a good six months, but I love this place.”

Stacy could see the pride in his eyes as he let his gaze wonder through club. He certainly had a creative eye. She’d been there when they had the first big showing of the Bartlett Plantation. They’d taken a place that looked ready to tumble and turned it into a masterpiece. Stacy had been asked by Dustin’s dad to take the pictures. They’d worked long and hard to return the place to its former glory.

“You should be proud. This place would photograph beautifully.” She took a drink of her cocktail and settled into the crook of his arm. She watched as the place filled up and the soft playing music had start increasing in volume.

They talked for a bit while they finished their drinks. Couples had been entering and exiting the dance floor for the last ten minutes. Dustin had been right; the music was slower paced than regular clubs, but still upbeat enough to get people out on the dance floor.

Dustin stood and held out his hand to Stacy. “Would you care to dance?”

She smiled and felt her insides melt as she took his hand and he hauled her up. With an arm around Stacy’s waist Dustin led her to the middle of the dance floor.

***

Dustin pulled Stacy flush against his body as he starting moving to the music. He’d always been able to dance. It was always something that came easily to him. Dustin’s mom had taught him and his brother to dance when they were younger. He was never embarrassed because it always helped him score points with the ladies. Stacy made it so easy to dance her around the floor. She moved with an easy grace, which wasn’t surprising since she had danced as long as his sister.

The DJ had started with some slower songs, but they slowly built to faster ones. Dustin had to get her off of the dance floor. If he didn’t, he wasn’t going to be responsible for what he did. Every time she rubbed her body against him he could feel an erection starting. Her scent was wrapping around him like little tentacles and he was going to make a fool of himself if they didn’t stop. Dustin led Stacy from the dance floor. They settled against the bar and Dustin ordered them a couple more drinks. Stacy excused herself to head towards the bathrooms, she gave him a quick kiss before she left. Dustin tried to keep his tongue in his mouth as he watched the sultry sway of her hips as she walked away from him. He watched when she looked over her shoulder at him. She flashed him a smile that made him hard almost instantly.

Dustin turned to face the bar so no one would notice the erection he was sporting. He smiled just thinking about her. Dustin took a drink of his beer, savoring the taste. He almost choked when he felt a hand slide up his back to his shoulder. “Hey, that was quick.” He turned and almost groaned aloud when he was face to face with Sasha. She was someone that he’d slept with a few times. She was actually the last person he slept with before things with Stacy started last summer.

He’d admit that she was gorgeous. Sasha was around five feet ten inches. She had red hair that hung in big curls down to her waist. The woman had legs so long they could wrap around a man twice, but when you got past the looks, a person would learn quickly that she was a shallow woman and only cared about money.

“Hello, Sasha.” He tried to keep his tone bored sounding so hopefully she’d move along.

“Dustin Carmichael, it’s been too long. How have you been?” she asked. He felt his skin crawl when she tried to sound seductive; it only made her sound desperate.

“I’m good, thanks.” Dustin turned away from her, hoping she’d get the hint. No such luck when he heard another voice behind him that made him want to run for the hills. It was Kristy, Sasha’s best friend. Unfortunately, Sasha had talked him into a threesome and he ended up fucking both women.

“Dustin!” She squealed, latching onto his arm. “Has Sasha convinced you to come back to our place yet?”

“Not interested, ladies. I’m here with a date,” Dustin told them and turned away again.

“Oh, don’t make me laugh, sugar. You don’t date. Plus I wouldn’t call that girl you’re here with a date. Did she have the night off from the strip club? She looks more suited for lap dancing or porn then she does dating someone like you,” Sasha said with bitchiness in her voice.

That was exactly why he’d never touch her again. She was a shallow bitch. He needed to tread carefully here so he didn’t give her any inclination that her opinion mattered because it didn’t.

“Jealousy doesn’t look good on you, sweetheart.” He kept his tone casual. “We had fun and now it’s over. Has been for a long time. Why don’t you ladies find some other guy to latch on to?”

Dustin watched her eyes drift to her right and then gave him a smile that made him uncomfortable.

“Come on, Dustin, don’t you remember what it felt like when Kristy and I both sucked your cock together? My favorite was when I rode your cock and Kristy rode your face. God, you were such an animal. A repeat could be just what we both need.” She licked her lips when she said it.

Was he seriously that big of a douchebag? Were these the type of woman he used to fuck all of the time? Dustin was almost embarrassed by it. These girls used him as much as he used them, but it still made him feel ill. Good thing Stacy wasn’t witnessing this. He knew she had self-esteem issues thanks to girls like Sasha who always assumed that just because she had a curvy body that she was easy. Thinking of Stacy, he looked towards the bathroom and didn’t see her. Dustin put his beer bottle down and moved Sasha out of his way so he could see where Stacy went.

“Are you looking for that tramp you’re here with?” Sasha sneered.

“You know what, I’ve tried to be nice, but I don’t give a fuck now. Stacy is a much better person than any of us.” Dustin wanted to say so much more, but he wasn’t going to stoop to her level.

“Whatever. Your precious little date heard me talk about our threesome and took off for the door. The poor darling looked like she was going to cry.” Sasha made a pouty face and then started to laugh.

“Don’t ever speak to me again,” Dustin growled and turned away. He stalked towards the front entrance and about got knocked on his ass from running in to Reggie. “Have you seen Stacy?”

“I just got her settled into a cab. What happened, man? I was outside talking to one of my bouncers and she came tearing out of here with tears running down her face.

“Fuck! Damn it. A couple girls I made the mistake of messing with a long time ago were talking bad about Stacy and then one of them decided to mention specific details of a night I wish like hell I could forget.” He watched Reggie wince and knew how bad it sounded. “What address did she give the driver?”

“Tenth or Eleventh Street or something.”

Dustin was running to his truck when he heard Reggie yell “good luck.” He had no clue how he was going to fix this but he needed to try.

***

Stacy paid the driver and quickly made her way up her steps. She unlocked her door and ran inside, slamming it shut with quick, jerky movements. Stacy dropped her purse by the door and walked numbly to the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror, disgusted by what she saw. Why were women so mean? She didn’t even know an answer to that question. The painful memories of when she was a naïve fifteen year old girl hit her like a ton of bricks.

She could still hear Chad’s voice when he announced to everyone that Stacy was an easy fuck and that his friends should get a turn, too. That had devastated her. Over the next year she slept with whoever whenever. It was stupid, but she’d decided that since the girls and boys at school called her easy that she might as well live up to the name. Thank god for Bellamy and her mom because who knows what would’ve happened if she hadn’t stopped her dangerous behavior.

She shook her head and came back to the present. Stacy pulled the pins from her hair, shook it out, and let it fall in big waves. She unzipped her dress, let it fall into a pile around her feet and then kicked it away. Stacy was wearing a black lace bra and panty set that she’d bought just for her date.

She put her hands on her hips and inspected herself in the mirror. “Why couldn’t I be skinny?” Stacy did a 360-degree turn, inspecting every inch of her. Her hips were too wide, her stomach slightly rounded, her breasts too big and heavy. “I could stand to lose at least fifteen pounds,” she said as the tears started to fall. Stacy didn’t want to be this girl again; she didn’t want to hate looking at herself in the mirror.

Stacy should’ve been used to hurtful words by now, but she wasn’t. She’d felt jealous when she had walked out from the bathrooms to see the two modelesque women hanging all over Dustin, but when the one said Stacy would be more suited for lap dancing, she’d wanted to cry. She’d heard it all before, but it never got any easier. It hurt when Dustin didn’t even defend her to those women. When the one went into detail about a threesome they had with him, that was the final nail in the coffin. Stacy knew the bitch only said it because she saw Stacy standing there shocked.

Now she wanted to just forget the whole thing. Stacy stepped into the shower and let the water run down her body. She lathered up and then rinsed. Stacy stayed under the spray until it started running cold. She shut off the water and grabbed a towel and began to dry herself off, throwing on her robe to prevent herself from getting cold. Stacy slathered moisturizer all over her face and body. After brushing her teeth, she decided the only thing she wanted to do was go crawl into bed and forget the night ever happened.

Stacy made her way into the living room to check the front door was locked and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Dustin sitting on her couch.

She watched him stand up holding up his hands. “I’m sorry, baby, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Why are you here, Dustin? How did you get in?” Stacy swore she locked the door when she got home.

“Your door wasn’t locked. I wanted to apologize about tonight and explain.”

Stacy didn’t move from where she stood, but she could see the sadness in his eyes. She wanted so bad to go to him and take comfort in his warmth, but she just couldn’t. Not yet.

“I’m so fucking sorry about tonight. I wanted it to be so special and it was ruined. I can’t even blame it all on her because I used to be a douchebag, and up until last year, I slept with a lot of women. It hit me tonight when Sasha approached me at the bar just how shallow I used to be. I felt something I’ve never felt before and that was shame. I never hurt the women I was with and made it clear up front that is was purely physical. I didn’t date and the only way I was out with any of them was if I met them while I was out somewhere.” Stacy watched as Dustin walked towards her and stopped when they were an arm’s length away from each other.

“As soon as I hit puberty I was girl crazy, but I was also a romantic. Dylan used to give me so much shit about it, too. When I hit sixteen I had started to date Emily Peters. Do you remember her?” She nodded and he continued. “Well, we dated all through high school and during the summer before our freshman year, we decided to get married. We were going to wait until our sophomore year and then we were going to do it. Hell, I went to Tulane just to be close to her. Not even one semester in, however, and it all fell apart. I was so head over heels in love with the girl that I couldn’t stay away. So I borrowed my roommate’s car and drove over two hours to see her. I got there just before they locked the doors to the dorm. I ran up to her room, and not thinking, threw the door open. I found her with her face buried in her roommate’s pussy and her roommate’s boyfriend’s dick in her. I won’t go into detail what happened after that, but it wasn’t pretty. At first I was numb, and then I just started fucking any girl I could. I-I understand if you don’t want to see me anymore, but you have to know that after last summer, everything changed. I didn’t want to be that person anymore. It’s all because of you, Stacy. I love you. And last summer when you decided you just wanted to be friends, I was hurt, because it hit me how I felt about you. I know it’s too soon and you have a lot going on right now, but please believe me when I say I’m sorry for everything.”