Kahlen Aymes - Angel After Dark

“Put that sexy little shit on the phone, Darian.”

“No.”

“No one cuts me off, D. Put her on the damn phone! I want to speak to her. Either that or give me her number. I’ll call her myself.”

“No! Uh, Alex, she’s not here right now. She went to the bathroom.”

“Stop fucking around, D! I know she’s right there.” Alex waited, but Darian didn’t respond. “Call me when you leave.”

“Okay, sure.”

“And Darian, from what I see, I concede, she’s gorgeous,” he said softly as he ran his hand through his mop of hair. “Fucking beautiful.”

“Completely, Alex.”

“Look, I know you can’t talk, but this is not over.”

“Later.”

Alex flopped down on the bed and let his arms fall to the side as he waited for Darian to call him back. Angeline Hemming, you certainly are intriguing.

A few minutes passed before his phone rang, and he answered it quickly, not moving from his position on the bed.

“What’d I tell you? She’s amazing, right?” Darian said smugly.

“What was your goal here, Darian? You’re obviously a walking boner for this woman yourself, but now… Well, let’s just say, I’m not sure you’re a good enough friend for me to back down.”

“Yes, I do think she’s hotter than hell, but unfortunately, I can’t date her. It blows, but I can’t, at least for now,” Darian groaned.

“I’m not sure what you were toying with, but I’m worked up now, and want to know more. I want to see her face. I want… hell, I just want. I’ve never been so aroused by a conversation in my entire life. Thanks for that.”

“Hey, I didn’t make you pick up that goddamned phone. That was all you, so don’t blame me, brother! Mark my words, Alex. You’re in for a big surprise when it comes to Angel. She won’t be like the women you’re used to. She’s beautiful, smart, and tough as nails.”

“What’s her number, Darian?”

“Sorry, man. No can do. She’d cut my balls off.”

“Stop being such a pussy. You’re her boss, for Christ’s sake!”

“Not really. She’s doing this for her own reasons. She could walk tomorrow and not blink twice but I need her for the ratings. She’s only doing this for the public service announcements she’s weaseled out of me.”

“If you won’t tell me, fine. It isn’t like I don’t have the resources to find out anything I want to know, which will be much more than her phone number.”

“Dude, don’t get your hopes up. She’s untouchable, even for the great Alex Avery. I have faith that she’ll kick your ass from one end of Chicago to the other, which is why I’ve baited you this way. I’d love to see you work for it, just once.”

Alex snorted as his mouth lifted in a smirk. As if that was possible. He was more than ready to take on the challenge that Angel Hemming presented. He was more excited by the prospect, and by this woman, than he’d been since he couldn’t remember when. Maybe even, ever. “Well, you started this shit. If you want her, you’ll have to beat me to it, and I won’t play fair. I don’t give a shit if you are my best friend.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to, Alex. You wouldn’t be you if you did, but like I said, Angel is untouchable. She’s different than most women.”

Alex laughed, not doubting his ability to win her over and get his way. “Mark my words, D.” He was up to any challenge, especially one with rewards as delectable as this. “I’m telling you now that I will touch her. In all sorts of places. And if anyone is gonna be in control of her orgasms, it will be me. Me.”

Angel rolled over at the sound of Christina Aguilera’s song, Dirty, coming from her phone on the nightstand for the third time. Her best friend, Becca James, was no doubt calling to remind her of their gym appointment. It was a standing thing every Saturday, but ever since Angel began at KKIS, it was harder and harder for her to drag herself out of bed.

“For God’s sake!” she mumbled as she finally peeled away the pillow she was holding over her eyes, flung it brutally toward the foot of the bed, and glanced at the clock.

Reluctantly, she leaned over and grabbed the phone just as the ringing stopped. “Oops. Too bad, Becs.”

Angel flopped back onto her plush pillows and dropped the phone on the bed, closing her eyes in hope of a couple more hours of sleep. Her hope was short-lived when the phone immediately started playing the song again. Angel picked it up and answered with unveiled irritation. “What!”

“Are you still in bed? You have twenty minutes to get to the gym or your ass is mine,” Becca answered shortly.

Angel and Becca both had studied social science and liberal arts at Northwestern, which quickly led to becoming fast friends. A study in contrasts; they complimented each other well. Angel was subdued and focused, while Becca was outgoing, wild, and easily distracted. They balanced each other over the years; each adopting some of the other’s traits.

Angel continued for two more degrees while Becca had taken her physical education and nutritional science bachelor’s and became a personal trainer. And boy did she train! There were times Angel wished Becca had done anything else, but that. She was merciless in the gym and literally worked Angel’s ass off. She rolled over and scratched her flat stomach beneath the lime green cotton of her pajama top.

“Becca, I’m so tired. How about we just meet for brunch?” Angel sat up and ran a hand through her hair, squinting in protest at the bright sunlight streaming in around her tightly drawn blinds.

“Uh… no! Get. Your. Ass. Here. Now!” Becca punctuated her words with a giggle. “Angel, you owe that tight little bod to me, so suck it up. Don’t punish me because you’ve suddenly taken to giving advice to the lovelorn until all hours of the night.”

“It’s not just the lovelorn, you Nazi trainer bitch!” Angel groaned. “It’s also the codependent, dysfunctional, and mentally unbalanced. Why can’t I just run five miles on the treadmill here?”

The apartment that she lived in was first-class with a well equipped-gym where residents had twenty-four hour access; so, it was more for friendship than for necessity that made Angel trek to the Bally where Becca worked. Angel overpaid her outrageously for their sessions since it was the only way that Becca’s pride would allow Angel to help her financially.

“Because, I said so. Get moving.”

“You have no idea how long these nights are,” Angel lamented while she hugged one of the huge white pillows to her, wishing again that she could just sleep. “I hate you.”

“I know you love me,” Becca teased. “You can whine to me at the gym. I need to hear all about that guy you talked to last night. Holy hell, that was hot.”

“Seriously? You heard the same thing that I did, so what else can I tell you? He’s an arrogant prick who thinks he can get his dick wet whenever and with whomever he wants. I wanted to reach through the phone and strangle him on the spot. He was so friggin’ infuriating.”

She flushed at the memory, the heat infusing beneath her pale skin in a hot rush. In truth, his confident arrogance turned her on in a big way, and she bristled at the thought of his sultry voice and the way he’d made her feel. He pushed every one of her invisible buttons. She’d actually been aroused.

“Whatever. Just get here. Jillian wants to see you, and I have to pick her up by ten-thirty.”

Angel smiled as she thought of the beautiful little girl with golden blonde curls and sparkling blue eyes, whose chubby little cheeks got even chubbier when she giggled. Her heart swelled with love. Becca had the misfortune of getting pregnant, and her loser boyfriend left her to deal with the hardships of single parenthood. Now, Jillian’s father saw her only on rare occasions. It was harder on the poor thing than it was worth, and the little girl suffered terribly from separation anxiety from her mother. Angel had stuck by Becca’s side, been her birth coach, and was now Jillian’s godmother. The two shared a very special bond and simply adored each other.

Angel got up out of the bed and went to her dresser to select her clothes. She pulled her gym bag down from her closet shelf and packed the street clothes she would need after her workout.

“Okay. I won’t shower since you’re gonna make me sweat my butt off anyway. See you in twenty.”

“Angel… 20 extra squats for every single minute you’re late.”

“You whore,” Angel said, but she was laughing out loud as she padded back into the bedroom. Becca joined in, her high-pitched laughter tinkling over the phone. “I have to go now or my slave driver best friend will kill me.”

“The clock starts now.”

“Guh!” Angel giggled and shut the phone off, carelessly tossing it on the bed. She hurriedly dressed in black yoga pants and a lavender top, grabbed some socks and her New Balance trainers. She rushed to pull her long, thick hair up into a messy knot on the top her head before grabbing the bag and darting down to the parking garage in the basement of her building.

She glanced at her watch and tossed her gym bag in the passenger seat of her Lexus HS hybrid before sliding in behind the wheel. The car was luxurious without going overboard. Angel’s conscience wouldn’t allow her to spend unnecessary money when she didn’t have to. She’d rather send it to her dad or give it to one of her causes than waste it on things she didn’t need to be happy. Her three bedroom apartment was her one splurge. It was more than she needed, but it had extra room for Becca and Jill in case they needed to stay with her, and it offered convenient access to her office and the courthouse. In Angel’s hectic world, time was much more valuable than money.