Soraya: How’s your tattoo?
Graham: Fine. We can play I’ll show you mine/you show me yours if you want later.
Soraya: I have a few you haven’t seen.
Graham: I’m painfully aware of this.
Soraya: Maybe if you’re good tonight, I’ll let you see one.
Graham: And if you’re good, I’ll let you look under the table.
Soraya: LOL
Graham: You’re evil, Soraya Venedetta. Taunting me with your tattoos. How the fuck am I supposed to work now?
Soraya: ;-)
After work, I went by Bergdorf’s to purchase my dress. I had two on hold and hadn’t decided which I liked best. At the fitting room, I gave my name and waited for the salesperson to return with my selections.
“Here you go, my dear.”
“Thank you. But that one isn’t mine.” I pointed to a gorgeous green dress. It was actually the first dress that had caught my attention earlier in the day, but it was a designer I could never afford. The price tag was almost ten times the other two put together.
“That’s the one your husband added this afternoon.”
“My husband?”
“I assumed he was your husband. I’m sorry, I didn’t ask his name. Boyfriend, perhaps? Not very many men who look like that walk into the women’s dress parlor. Or pay the bill for that matter.”
“Pay the bill?”
“The gentleman who added this dress to your selections. He also paid the bill for the green one. And instructed the manager to put any other dresses you like on his account as well. He also had us pick out shoes to go with the green and paid for those as well.” She hung the dresses in a fitting room and disappeared for a moment. When she came back, she opened the box to show me an amazing pair of Louboutins that I could never afford.
I shot off a text before stripping out of my clothes.
Soraya: Do you shop in the ladies department often?
Graham: That was a first. You should see the items I took with me.
Soraya: You purchased other items?
Graham: Yes. The woman in lingerie looked at me like she thought I was playing dress-up.
Soraya: LOL. You went to lingerie, too? What did you buy?
Graham: Those purchases you won’t get to see so soon. Since I won’t be seeing them modeled quite yet. Unless you’ve changed your mind…
The idea of Graham shopping in the lingerie department both amused and aroused me. I pictured him running his hand through his hair in frustration, completely hating that he was doing it, but not being able to stop himself.
Soraya: The green dress is beautiful, but I can’t accept it. It’s too much.
Graham: It’s final sale. Donate it if you don’t like it.
Seriously? The dress was nearly three thousand dollars.
Soraya: You’re crazy, you know that.
Graham: Does it fit?
Soraya: I haven’t tried it on yet.
The rapid fire of texts we were exchanging came to a halt for a few minutes.
Soraya: You still there?
Graham: Are you in the fitting room?
Soraya: Yes.
Graham: I just had a small fantasy of you standing in the fitting room, looking at your gorgeous naked body in the mirror.
Soraya: And…
Graham: You want to hear more of my fantasy?
Soraya: I might…
Graham: I’d like to join you in that fitting room. Bend you over with your hands pressed against the mirror, fingers splayed wide, and take you from behind while you watch us. You’d still be wearing the shoes I picked out.
This time, I was the one who went quiet. I looked in the mirror and actually saw Graham standing behind me. If the illusion was that hot, there was a good chance I’d melt when the real thing happened. When. I was no longer even attempting to fool myself by saying if. Eventually, my phone buzzed.
Graham: I know what you’re doing.
Soraya: See you tonight, Mr. Big Prick.
When I arrived at my apartment carrying a garment bag, I noticed a black town car parked outside. As I neared, the uniformed driver got out. Graham’s driver.
“Ms. Venedetta, Mr. Morgan requested that this be delivered to you.” He handed me two sealed manila envelopes.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know, ma’am. I was instructed to deliver it, so here I am.” He gave a polite nod and opened the car door. “You have a good afternoon.”
My hands were full, so I waited until I was upstairs before attempting to open the envelopes. After hanging my dress, I sat down on my bed and ripped open the first of the packages. Inside was a box of La Riche Alpine Green hair dye. The color was an exact match for the dress.
Graham J. Morgan had a serious sweet side.
Curious, I tore open the next envelope. It was a box of green Betty Down There Hair Color with a sticky note that read, I wasn’t sure if the carpet matched the curtains.
Smiling from ear to ear, I thought to myself, you’re going to find out for yourself very soon if you keep this up.
***
THE BUZZER RANG AT PROMPTLY 7:30. I spoke into the intercom before pressing the button to unbolt the main door downstairs. “Is this Celibate in Manhattan?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”