Hello Lovely Reader,
I was working on a completely different story when this one reared its head and demanded to take up all of my thoughts until I wrote it. Please note that it has themes of BDSM, so if that is not your cup of tea, I recommend another one of my tamer stories. Hope you all enjoy it! As always, leave some comments!
XOXO SkylerLuv
******
Eve is hiding something, but I can’t figure it out.
She gives me a playful smile behind the menu in her hand. Her dark eyes have a small glint that I’ve yet to see since we met two years ago. She brushes her short and wavy brown hair until she decides to just put her sunglasses over her head to hold it back. Eve is conventionally pretty. Her almond eyes are a product of her American mother and Korean father. Her skin isn’t necessarily fair but it’s definitely lighter than mine and she has some freckles on her cheeks. Although we’re around the same height, she has proportionate-sized boobs and a butt. She works out a lot more so she’s more on the lean side.
Meanwhile, I have big boobs and a nice rump due to genetics. My mom, who is black, has blessed me with a wonderful body and amazing genes. She’s well into her 50s but looks young enough to be my sister. My skin is dark and my body is firm but I still work out just in case. I got my long curly hair from my father’s Latin side of the family. I would be considered cute whereas Eve is pretty or even beautiful. I brush my hair aside, ignoring the wind around us as we eat by the water.
It is a typical Sunday morning, and we’re doing what we typically do on a Sunday: recover from the night before by drinking mimosas for brunch. Unless we already have plans, we both try to keep this tradition alive at least twice a month.
“I’m going to figure it out.” I look down at the menu. I’m feeling something sweet today.
“Bri, I wish you would just drop it.” Her soft tone is as assertive as it will ever get.
Eve and I met right at a point in my life when I was going through a big change. I decided to quit my previous sales rep position because of the emotional and mentally draining trauma I was constantly being put through. It wasn’t enough for me to quit but I also decided to move out of my ex-boyfriend’s place and end our three-year-long relationship because I was unhappy and he didn’t seem to care enough to try. I only moved a few hours away but it was far away enough that I felt like I could start a new chapter. Now, I work in a small marketing company as an executive assistant. It doesn’t pay as much as my previous job did but I haven’t regretted it once. I’m still proud of myself for taking that big leap that led me here.
I joined a new gym after moving the last of my things to a one-bedroom apartment and that is where I first saw Eve. We both happen to go to the gym either early in the morning before the workday or late at night after it was mostly vacant. I saw her a few times, lifting really heavy weights and doing a lot of cardio, while I stuck to my basic workouts just to keep my legs, arms, and abs tight. Eventually, we got to saying small hellos while we filled our water bottles and after about three weeks, I got the guts to ask her if she knew of any good places around the area. Apparently, she was fairly new as well and had previously lived a few states away, so she wasn’t too familiar with any good spots. We decided to exchange numbers and she became the first friend I made here.
I think back to the first couple of times we went out together. Eve is more reserved than I am but is still up for a good time. Her humor is not as outright goofy as mine but she has her moments where she can be charming- or flirty even- when guys notice us at the bars. We’ve received plenty of free drinks because of her. She has a way of making anyone feel important in a short period of time, which is why she did more of the talking. I’m better at surface-level conversation with strangers until I feel more comfortable around them. Eve on the other hand is always composed and has a natural way of getting people to open up to her.
Becoming friends felt very natural and before I knew it, we built a comfortable routine of seeing each other enough to get our work and personal gossip out of our system. Although we are close, we also keep a healthy distance so we’re not too dependent on each other. She still has her own friends and hobbies and I have mine. I still love and appreciate every moment we do get to spend together though.
“Are you ladies ready to order?” Our waiter has a notepad out.
“Yes, I’ll have the ham and cheese omelet and she will have the breakfast combo with the blueberry pancakes please.” Eve folds her menu and takes mine out of my hand to give it to him.
He makes a small note and then leaves after retrieving the menus from her.
“What if I wanted something else?” I pretend to be annoyed.
She rolls her eyes. “Then that means something is wrong and the world might end soon.”
I stick my tongue out istanbul travesti and take another sip of my mimosa. She’s not wrong. I’m pretty predictable when it comes to food. We try lots of different restaurants and I do sometimes stray from what I typically get but I’m more of a breakfast person and pancakes are always a must. It is still mildly annoying to not be able to catch her off guard. Eve is always on it and is sure of her place in this world. She’s observant and thoughtful which makes it hard to differentiate what she really likes to do from what she is doing just to appease someone.
“Okay, smartass.” I move around, shifting in my yellow sundress. “But when I find out your secret, I will have the upper hand.”
She scoffs but otherwise ignores my comment. “Have I told you how yellow compliments your skin tone?”
“Yes, thank you.” I lift my chin slightly. She’s not going to budge on this and it’s starting to get to me.
Why would she want to keep anything from me? I feel like we have gotten much closer than when we first became friends but maybe she just doesn’t feel comfortable enough to confide in me. Not with whatever she is hiding at least. I mean, I don’t tell her everything about my life, but my minor omissions are not groundbreaking. Although I know she would be a great listener, she doesn’t need me talking her ear off about the latest thing my mom has guilt-tripped me into doing.
She reaches over and places her hand over mine.
Her dark eyes are no longer playful. “Please, let it go.”
This is her putting her foot down and I don’t want to make things awkward between us. I will just have to be okay with staying in the dark on this one. Even if it is eating me up inside. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable and maybe I should just trust that she is choosing to keep this from me because it won’t be as exciting as I’m making it out to be. Whatever her reasons, I will try to respect them.
My shoulders sag but I nod.
“Fine, fine. If you want to keep secrets from me, then okay. Who am I other than some random girl you met recently?” I throw my hands up.
“Now you get it.” She smiles and sips her drink.
“Ha ha.” I motion to the waiter to bring another round of mimosas.
******
Eve’s car is parked halfway around the block from her job.
I grab the lunch bag I made for her and wave to the girl at the front desk as I walk by. They all know me around here. I’ve visited before and Eve always introduces me to anyone that doesn’t know me. She would prefer it that way so no one ever gives me a hard time when I drop by and wander around. I’m always made to feel welcomed though. She should be getting ready for her lunch break, based on the time I pulled in. I peek into the windowless lunchroom and see two other guys that work under her. They wave me over, and one of them pulls out a chair for me.
“Eve should be down soon.” The older one of the two comments.
I smile and nod before asking them about their day. It is nice to talk to them and catch up on their personal life, wife and kids, and everything in between. I like talking to them but it has taken me a while to find common ground with them. Eve is used to working in a warehouse and talking to blue-collar workers. They like her and respect her because she is thoughtful and fair with them. I don’t really find myself coming across a lot of people like them in my life. Deep down they are all very sweet and respectful.
“Well, this is a lovely surprise!” Eve comes up behind me and gives me a hug. “Is that for me?” She’s wearing khakis and a blue polo. Her cheeks are slightly pink from walking around all morning, I assume.
I get up and hand her the bag, smiling wide. “Thought you would like a nice home-cooked meal.”
We both know our way around the kitchen, but I prefer to cook more than she does. She also likes my cooking, which makes me feel good when I have enough leftovers for both of us. Even if she brought lunch for today, I know she won’t turn my food down.
“Let’s go to my office, I can use a small break.” She waves to the two guys eating.
I sit across from her desk as she digs into her food. There are piles and piles of papers all over. Some are in piles and others are stacked in alternating lengths. I would love to have a moment to organize everything for her but I know she’s particular about her things. I lean over to organize the pencils in the coffee cup in front of me. She doesn’t say anything, digging into the salmon. I move on to the paper clips on the corner of her desk.
“This is exactly what I needed.” Her lips are glossy from the glaze I paired with the dish.
I clasp my hands to stop myself from organizing more accessories on her desk. She has pictures of her parents and another one from a college roommate the lives on the other side of the country.
“It is a ‘sorry for being pushy this weekend’ lunch”. I look at her under my eyelashes.
I behaved childishly and should have istanbul travestileri dropped the subject. As the guilt wormed its way into my conscience, I cooked and decided to make up for it. I will try not to do it again. If Eve has a secret and doesn’t want me to know, I will just have to learn to live with it.
She thinks hard about what I say and then realization takes over her face. “Don’t worry about it!” She scoops up another bite and then drinks some soda before talking again. “It is nothing worth obsessing over, trust me.”
Instead of easing my curiosity, I actually feel it growing. If it isn’t anything special, why can’t I know?
I shake my head, that is the whole point of coming today. I will stop obsessing over it. I will not be pushy and I will not ask. No matter how badly I want to.
“What is your week looking like? Maybe we can go grocery shopping together?” She moves on.
“Sure, just let me know when.”
I get up when she looks down at her watch. She must be really busy today and I did what I came here to do. I made my peace and she accepted my apology salmon.
“You don’t have to leave yet. We can talk some more if you’d like.” She sits up.
I shake my head, knowing she is being polite. This is how her lunches go here, which is why I don’t drop by very often. She rarely gets time to take a true break. I still go around the desk to give her a hug and take the Tupperware from her hands.
“I’ll text you later.” She hugs me back.
******
We see each other twice the following week.
Once to work out and the other to grab dinner after work. We also make plans to see each other again Friday night and watch a new movie we had been talking about for weeks. It is a rom-com that I know will pull at my heartstrings and Eve likes the main actress so I know she’ll enjoy it just as much, if not more. I’ve been looking forward to it all week.
I get a text Thursday night from her, canceling our plans, and call her immediately.
“You can’t!” I whine over the phone. I should be understanding and not sound so clingy, but these are old plans.
This isn’t like her. Eve is dependable and always down to hang out. Sometimes life does get in the way and we don’t always get to follow through with all of our plans but it has become rare in recent months. I get another nagging suspicion that this has to do with her secret. Again, very unlike her.
“I know, I’m sorry! There is this last-minute shift that I have to cover and I can’t say no after accepting it.” She sounds distracted.
I look at the time displayed on my oven. She’s working night shifts this week so I know she’s probably just heading in.
“You shouldn’t have accepted in the first place!” It is hard to hide the annoyance in my tone.
“Brianna,” She sighs into the phone.
“Okay,” I back off. “I’ll just make other plans I guess.”
We both know this is as much complaining as I’ll allow. I never want her to feel like she can’t say no or that I will throw a fit if things don’t go as planned. I don’t want to scare her away and make her think that I can’t have fun without her. As I’ve said, we both live separate lives. I just wish this was any other night.
“I’ll make it up to you, I promise!” She hangs up without saying goodbye.
******
Friday night I reach out to another friend, Lori, to see if she wants to grab a drink.
“Wow, Eve must be busy if you’re reaching out to me.” She teases me.
Lori is easy going and nothing ever gets to her. We have been friends since high school but have managed to keep in touch after all of these years. I don’t get to see her as often as I did before I moved here, but we still make time for each other and catch up when we can. I wish what she said was a lie, but I have found myself spending more time with Eve than my other friends and they are probably feeling like Lori too. I should be better about that. I shouldn’t neglect them.
“I’m sorry, I’m the worst.” I look through my closet, trying to find the black, leather mini-skirt I bought the other day. Eve was with me that day and said it looked good on me. Let’s see how many free drinks I can get tonight. If Lori comes, I will hit the jackpot. She’s my blonde bombshell.
“It’s okay,” She talks to someone else, away from the phone, and then gets back to me. “Drinks sound like a great way to make it up to me.”
I grin. “First and second round on me.”
“Text me the details! Bye!” She hangs up.
I stand in the middle of my closet and see a shopping bag I never emptied out on the floor. I rummage through it and see the black skirt in there. I look through the other contents, seeing an aqua shirt I will also wear tonight and then another black bag inside. Oh yeah, Eve asked me to hold on to that while we walked around the mall, window shopping. I forgot I had put it in my bag.
I want to peek inside but it is tied in a knot.
I take a picture of it instead and send it to Eve.
‘Forgot travesti istanbul to give this to you after shopping the other day. Let me know when we can meet and I’ll give it to you.’ I text her.
We haven’t made any plans to see each other next week.
I get up and start getting ready. I’m in the process of doing my makeup when I get a ping on my phone.
‘Gym, Tuesday night?’ She texts back.
‘Sure!’ I add a smiling emoji.
After applying the last of my dark blue lipstick, I put on my knee-high boots and zip them up. I glance at myself once more in the mirror. I brush some of the curls back and decide to add a clip to hold them in place.
Not too shabby.
I get another notification on my phone. My ride should be here in five minutes.
I grab my keys and small purse. I manage to make it downstairs just as the car pulls up. The drive there takes about half an hour. The driver plays some soft music in the background and I share my location with Eve. We do this sometimes just so that the other feels safer wherever they go. I do it more often than she does but that’s because I go out more than she does. She won’t need to share hers with me if she’ll just be working tonight.
Lori is outside of the bar with a guy when I pull up. She’s wearing a short neon pink dress with glossy white boots. Her long blonde hair is pulled back into a wavy ponytail. The guy next to her is wearing a plaid red and black shirt with black jeans. He’s cute and his skin is flawless.
Are they dating? She hasn’t mentioned a Phil before.
“Hey!” She gives me a quick hug and introduces her friend. “This is Phil. He’s new at my job and I wanted to show him around the city.”
“Hi Phil, I’m Brianna.” I give him a hug as well and we get back in line.
“Phil is gay!” Lori says with an excited grin.
“Lori!” I give her a look.
He laughs it off and shrugs. “It’s okay. I am.”
I smile and shake my head. “She usually has better manners.” I nudge her.
“Well, the reason I brought it up is that there is a gay bar a few blocks south that I thought we could check out later.” She gives him another grin and then looks at me. “What do you think?”
Hm, I didn’t expect my night to go that way, but I’m not one to turn down a good time.
“Why wait? We can go there now if you want.”
They both agree and we begin making our way down the street.
The line to get into Tilly’s is much longer than the other bars around. The pride flag soars proudly over the front entrance. There are a lot of couples handing on to one another and some singles out with their friends. We wait in the back, getting more information from Phil about his current relationship status. He’s open to new experiences and wouldn’t mind finding someone to hook up with. Lori wraps her arm around him.
“We will get you laid tonight!” The determination in her voice makes him laugh.
Once we get inside, Lori and I go to the restroom while Phil finds us a standing table. The bar is packed and I can’t imagine being so lucky to find anything decent any time soon. The main floor has been set up as a dance floor. Everything inside is neon colors, mostly pink, and lots of pictures from old movie posters on every inch of the walls. The bathrooms are the only things in the bar not touched by the multicolor of madness.
“I like Phil,” Lori tells me as we wash our hands. “He was so shy when he started, it is taking a while to get him out of his shell.”
“He seems nice.” I agree. “Have you been here before?” My curiosity is evident. Does Lori frequent a lot of gay bars? I know she did some experimenting in college but I thought she was strictly into guys now.
“Are you asking if I’m a lesbian?” She giggles at my reaction and waves my worries away. “I like to give into whatever mood I am in. Today I so happen to want to kiss a girl.”
I giggle and shake my head. It is not as scandalous as I thought it would be. Lori does what she wants and I admire that about her.
We walk out in time to see Phil grabbing two seats at the bar. A couple is leaving and he’s hanging on to the chairs.
I barely glance at the two girls leaving the bar before I see the black glasses in her hair. I do a double take and see Eve walking hand in hand with a short brunette. My mouth drops and my eyes widen as they walk by, barely looking in our direction. Lori grabs my arm and pulls me towards the empty seats. My eyes are glued to the back of Eve’s head as she moves through the crowd, toward the exit. It is hard to see what she’s wearing as the bodies around her swallow her whole. I’m forced to look away when I can no longer see them.
What the fuck?
“Hey, are you okay?” Phil is leaning against the bar, looking at me.
Lori is sitting between us, trying to wave the bartender down She looks at me as well and her brows pull in confusion. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I shake my head and turn back to see if maybe I am just seeing things. But Eve doesn’t return. I don’t see the girl with her either. It was real, I know what I saw. But why and how?
I nod. “I got the first round, remember?” I plaster a fake smile on my face and throw my card down.
They both cheer and that seems to grab the bartender’s attention.