Naughty Match

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 12

…………….

You free today?

I looked over at Dex, staring intently at the baseball game rerun on the screen. “Do we have plans today?”

Without looking at me he answered, “I was planning on going into the studio for a little while.” I replied to Nora.

No, why?

We’re going out. I’ll swing by your place in an hour. I’m actually not at home.

???

I hesitated when trying

to figure out my reply. Did I tell her I had spent the night with my boss or divulge something more. Was Dex my boyfriend?

I stayed over a friend’s last night.

This friend doesn’t happen to be a well- known local artist, would it? Come pick me up and find out.

After texting Nora Dex’s address, I had just enough time to take a shower and dress myself before she showed up. Dex had already gone, giving me a deep, panty- wetting kiss goodbye with promises to check in, in a bit.

Instead of ringing the bell like a normal person, Nora texted me to inform me of her arrival.

“Holy shit, dude!” she exclaimed once I was safely inside of her little black car. “This place is amazing.”

I laughed at her excitement, nodding my head in agreement. “You should see the inside.”

“God, Rosaline.” Nora clutched her chest dramatically, looking over at me with simpering eyes. “Gorgeous, rich, and talented. You sure know how to pick ‘em.”

“Start the damn car, Nora.”

Nora drove us to some hip downtown restaurant for brunch. The interior somehow managed to be rustic and modern at the same time. It had an air of pretentiousness that made you feel cool for being there, but not too much that it made you hate yourself for thinking that way. It reminded me a lot of the trendy New York City restaurants I would visit with my friends when I was still in college.

“So, what the hell is going on with you and this “friend” of yours?” She used air- quotes around the word ”friend.”

“Technically, he’s my boss.” I shrugged. “But things have changed recently.”

Nora laughed. “No shit! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me your boss was Dex Quinn!”

“I didn’t know it mattered.” I was a little embarrassed. “I didn’t even know who he was, to be completely honest.”

I still had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that Dex was somewhat famous. He didn’t have paparazzi following him around or people begging for autographs. But his name definitely carried a lot of clout in certain circles.

I quickly recounted the story to Nora, including every horny little detail. It felt so good to have someone to talk to. Hell, it felt great to have something to talk about. I never had girlfriends to gush over boys with and I sure as hell hadn’t had any boys worth gushing over. Most of my friendships were superficial and uncaring, formed due to close proximity and social status.

Nora seemed different. She was completely genuine. Listening to my story with intent, commenting when she felt like it and offering her opinion on certain aspects, fully enraptured with the still ongoing story of Dex and I.

She said nothing as I ended the tale, finishing off with the details about the night before. “Wow…”

I nodded my head……..

“That is some love story, Rosaline Reed.”

I chuckled a bit, not replying but inwardly agreeing with her assessment. “I think so. I’ve never really been in love before.” I admitted.

She laughed, her pretty face lighting up in the early afternoon sun. “Lucky you. You didn’t have to go through a bunch of awful assholes before you found your Mr. Right.”

“Enough about me, what’s going on in your world? Is that gross guy still bothering you at work?”

Nora groaned, her hand running through her dark brown shoulder length hair. “No, thank God! He grabbed my ass the other night and Terry banned him from the bar.” She took a sip of her mimosa. “The fucking prick.”

She kept going, prattling on about her classes at college and the rebellious stage her younger sister was going through. And I let her. I loved hearing about her life. So full of love and color. Nora always seemed to be working on four projects on top of her schooling and work. I didn’t know how she did it. She was completely tireless, relentlessly ambitious, and totally amazing.

She was probably the most effortlessly cool person I had ever met in my entire life. Besides, Dex, of course. I silently prayed a little bit of her rubbed off on me during our time together.

After Brunch, Nora dropped me off at Dex’s studio, making me promise to check in with her every once in awhile so she could make sure “that fucking Casanova boyfriend of yours hasn’t killed you with the power of good dick.”

“Dex.” My voice held a sing- songy tone as I announced my presence in the warehouse.

“I’m back here, baby.” His voice came from a secluded corner of the studio, one he normally used to house unfinished paintings and other projects.

He was stationed in front of a large canvas, looking over the painting towards me. “Come here.” He beckoned me closer. “I want you to see this.”

The painting was beautiful, just as every piece of work created by his hands was, but it was the subject of the art that made me choke up. It was me. Kind of. The slate grey background of the painting held my face in the center. Both abstract and not, half of the portrait of me was covered in colorful brushstrokes; choppy, messy, and endlessly beautiful.

Dex had somehow gotten every detail of my face down perfectly while also transforming my likeness into something more extraordinary than I could have ever hoped to be.

I wondered if this was how he always saw me. If this was how he saw everyone.

The flood of emotions that filled me was unbelievable. I never saw myself depicted so wonderfully before. I never had anyone devote the time and effort into knowing me the way Dex had.

In that moment, filled with love and overflowing with wonderment at the man beside me, I could do nothing but tear up.

………

Dex

Watching Rosie try to hide her little sniffles had me cursing myself. Maybe the painting had been too much too soon. I put my heart, soul, and the entire extent of my feelings for her inside of the piece. I hadn’t expected her to see it so soon, definitely not while it was still unfinished, but I didn’t think viewing it for the first time would reduce her to tears either.

“Fuck!” I took her into my arms, bringing her head into the crook of my neck. “Don’t cry, baby.”

Rosie sobbed harder, her body shivering in my arms and her tears sliding against my warm skin. I tightened my arms around her and said nothing, waiting for her to calm down.

A couple minutes of vehement crying quietly turned into soft sniffles as she calmed herself down, prompting me to apologize.

“Shit, Rosie. I didn’t mean to make you upset. You weren’t even supposed to see the damn thing.”

It felt weird, apologizing for my art. It wasn’t something I ever did before and sure as hell didn’t plan on doing it again, but as it stood, I probably would have done anything to ensure the happiness of my Rosie.

She shook her head, her dirty blonde curls falling around her face. “No, no. I’m not crying because I’m sad, Dex.”

I was confused. What the hell else would she be crying for?

“I’m just…” she trailed off, looking up into my eyes, her pretty mouth curled into a small smile. “I’m really honored. No one has ever done anything like this for me before.”

I didn’t know what to say; it seemed almost impossible. Rosie was the most awe- inspiring person I had ever met, so full of mystery and goodness. It was hard to believe she had never been used as inspiration fodder by some poor asshole who had been knocked off of his feet by her presence.

I captured her again, wrapping myself around her, thankful that I hadn’t actually upset her.

“What can I say, sweetheart. You inspire the hell out of me.”

“Do you want to go to an exhibit with me tomorrow night?” I asked Rosie immediately as she finished a phone call with a local art supplier.

“Huh?” She didn’t even look up at me, distracted by the notes she was jotting down. I chuckled. “You know. An art exhibit. At a gallery.”

Rosie looked up from her paper, her face adorably unimpressed. “I know what an exhibit is, smartass.” She reached over to open the calendar on the desktop computer in front of her, clicking on the calendar app. “I just don’t see one on your schedule.”

“I know.” I leaned against the doorframe, watching her seamlessly complete multiple tasks at once. naijatea stories. Our budding relationship aside, she really was the best assistant I ever had. Endlessly efficient and hardworking. “It was scheduled before you started. I forgot to mention it.”

She nodded her head but ignored my previous question. I scoffed. “Say you’ll go with me.”

“I don’t have anything nice enough to wear to an art exhibit.”

I looked down at her outfit, a pair of ass- hugging skinny jeans and a loose fitting cotton tank top. “You can go in what you have on now for all I care.”

The frown on her face deepened. “I think you keep forgetting that I don’t know anything about art. I wouldn’t be very good company.”

I laughed. “Rosie, no one at these things ever knows a goddamn thing about art.” “So why do you want to go?”

“I don’t. But as it stands, one of my pieces is going to be shown so I kind of have to show my face.” “And why do you want me to go?”

I narrowed my eyes. “I thought that was pretty damn obvious.” Rosie relinquished, grinning up at my expectant face. “Fine.”

I dragged her out of the office chair by her face, claiming my victory with my mouth.

I was completely speechless when I picked Rosie up from her apartment the next evening. There was nothing I could have said, no words or expressions that could accurately convey how fucking

stunning she looked.

Her plump, curvy body was covered in a low- cut pale yellow dress that flared out into large pleats at the waist and showed off the gorgeous expanse of her neck, her lightly freckled shoulders and the tops of her full breasts. Her hair was swept up into a curly up- do, giving me full view of her lightly made up face, and her dainty little feet were encased in a pair of white, strappy heels.

“You like?” She spoke first before closing her door and stepping out into the hallway, giving me a coy little twirl.

“You look good enough to eat, baby.”

Rosie grinned, her glossy lips curling upwards to reveal her pearly teeth. Her beauty was almost too much for me to handle. “Is it appropriate for the occasion? I’ve never been to one of these before so I wasn’t sure.”

“It’s perfect. You’re perfect.” A thought pop

ped into my head. “I thought you said you didn’t have anything to wear?” She shrugged. “It was on sale.”

Our drive to the gallery was spent in relative silence, we enjoyed the soft sounds of a local radio personality announcing the chart- topping hits as we made our way further downtown. As we pulled up and parked out front, I heard Rosie take a deep, shaky breath next to me.

I looked over at her, my expression concerned. “Hey, you alright?”

Rosie stared at the group lingering on the sidewalk outside, all impeccably dressed and laughing amongst one another. “Yeah, I’m just a little nervous.”

Taking her hand I prompted her to turn around and face me. “Everything is going to be okay, Rosie. You have nothing to be nervous about.”

She did nothing but nod, visibly steadying herself before unbuckling her seatbelt. I quickly exited the car and made my way around the other side, offering her a soft peck on the forehead as she stepped out.