Page 5 of Cruel Delights
Tonight.
The thing about pot is, you lose concept of time. I don’t know how long I dangle upside down off my bed and stare absently at my desk. It must be minutes though. At some point, there’s a sharp, insistent knock.
Immediately following, the door busts open.
Jael struts inside, placing her hands on her slim hips. How the hell does she manage to make entering a room look like a fashion show?
Legs impossibly long. Her waist basically nonexistent. Her face camera ready at all times.
She appears almost like a figment of my imagination. I blink several times to make sure she’s real. Though Jael and I have been roommates for almost a year, we’re not close. She’s too cool and sociable for me.
The girl looks like Naomi Campbell. I’m her vertically challenged, baby-faced, less glamorous cousin, twice removed. The one you keep locked in the basement (at least in my head).
“Jael?”
“Get up, Lyra. We’re going out.”
“We… are?”
“You good to go or are you too high? Your eyes are pink.”
I squint and sit up, my thick braids hanging down my shoulders. “I’m too high. You’re kinda spinning right now.”
“Girl, stop. Come with me. I’ll fix you up.”
“But… why?”
She shrugs. “I heard you got fired.”
“How did you—”
“I’ve got some things you can try on. You’ve got a cute little figure.Somebody’llbe interested.”
“Wait… what… I’m not…”
“I’ll sober you up.”
“I’ve taken off my bra.”
As far as I’m concerned, that’s a definitive end to any discussion. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Jael disagrees. She hacks out a sharp laugh. “Lyra, your tits are B at best. You don’t need no fucking bra. Besides, it might work better if you don’t wear one. It’s provocative. Are you interested?”
“But where? I’m confused.” I rub my temples, my mind muddled. “What kind of party is this?”
“Very upscale. Very highbrow and elite. Invite only.”
“How’d you…”
“I snagged one thanks to Paulo, the guy I’ve been… seeing. I can bring one guest. Preferably a young and attractive female for his friend.”
“No, I don’t think—”
“When was the last time you had a dick in your pussy, girl?” She snatches hold of my hand and yanks me off my bed so suddenly, I trip over my own feet. “What I mean is—when was the last time you were on a date?”
“I’m not sleeping with some friend of your fuckbuddy, Jael.”
“You don’t have to sleep with him. Just be fun and flirty for a night. It’ll be fun. I do it all the time. How do you think I met Paolo? You might like this, getting dressed up, made to feel beautiful and adored by rich men! Who knows? You might meet somebody you reallydolike.