Give me Moore - A no strings attached contract

Present day—Fifteen years later I looked at my watch and hurried along the crosswalk. The main street was busy today, so I was careful not to get hit by a passing car as I crossed. Once on the other side, I picked up speed so I wouldn’t be late for my appointment. My cell phone rang, and I had to fight through everything I had in my purse to grab it. I smiled when I saw the caller ID and quickly swiped the screen to answer. “Hey, you! Are you at the airport already?” My best friend Lena was travelling across the country to meet her boyfriend. Chuck had nabbed a job as a graphic designer, but if he wanted it, he had to uproot and move to the other coast. Lena had been on the fence about moving. She had never left this town, and I knew it was hard for her to drop everything she knew behind. Her life was here. “The fucking plane was delayed! I’m stuck here for another four hours. Come pick me up and never let me do something stupid like this again.” Lena pleaded on the other side of

Thursday arrived, and I got ready for my shift at the pub. I had seen little of Kat, and I certainly didn’t have time to tell her all about my encounter with her brother. I had to hand it to Dominic; I thought it was sweet to have his sister’s back the way he did, but it also insulted me he didn’t trust her more—or me, for that matter. It made me wonder if something had happened in the past to warrant such protectiveness toward Kat. I took a quick shower, then put on my Crowns uniform, which consisted of a green, low-cut T-shirt, an embroidered crown on my left breast, and tight black pants. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and put some mascara on. As much as I hated it, the more makeup I wore, the better my tips were. The same went for the amount of cleavage I showed, which meant I needed to buy good bras that showed the girls off—not that I needed any because I was naturally busty. But when in Rome, right? I went into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat and came face to face with a

The first snowflakes fell over the city and covered the ground with a light blanket of cold dust. The Christmas season would be upon us soon, and I loathed that time of year. Thanksgiving was only a few short weeks away, and I wondered what I would do. Had it been possible, I would have liked to fall asleep now and only wake up after the first of January. Missing that time of year would be less painful, as it brought so much anger, sadness, and regret. My life would be better if I could skip it entirely each year. There was a knock on my bedroom door. It opened, and Kat slipped her head in the crack. “Hey, Liv, do you have any plans for today?” Yes. Banging my head against my desk until words bleed out from me. “Not particularly. I’ve been sitting in front of my computer and waiting for words to appear magically on the screen.” I pouted. “Missing inspiration?” “I’m not sure if we can even call it that. I don’t understand. I have an idea, an outline, but it’s just not coming to me

The girls from the pub usually went out for drinks and a late-night snack after work. I had never gone with them since I used to live on the other side of town, so they were ecstatic when I asked to tag along. We ended our shift and left to get a cup of coffee. Then I wondered if I could spend the night at Jody’s, and she was happy to lend me her couch when I mentioned it was a little too late for me to walk home alone. I texted Kat to let her know I was sleeping over at my friend’s house just so she wouldn’t worry. When morning came, I got up, had breakfast with Jody, and then walked home in dread. My legs were heavy coming up the few steps to the house, and I closed my eyes when I entered, thinking Dominic would come charging in. But it was silent, so I quickly closed the door and hurried through the hallway. Kat was on a sofa in the sitting room. She lifted her eyes from the book and frowned at me. “What happened last night?” She called, jumping from her seat. “Dominic came ove

I didn't wake up for the first time in a long while because of my nightmare. Immense heat was the culprit. It became unbearable, and I stuck my arms outside the covers and tried to turn over but couldn’t. A mysterious weight was pinning me in place. When I opened my eyes, I spotted a thick arm over my stomach and groaned, remembering what had happened the night before. I instinctively looked at my clock and saw it was 9 AM. Shit. Kat could be home any minute, and her brother was still here. His body was draped over my own, and his breathing was steady and slow, still deep in sleep. I shook Dominic vigorously, pleading with him to get up and leave. He groaned and rolled over, refusing to move. I rolled my eyes. “You’re getting too comfortable for my taste, Dominic. If Kat finds you here… I don’t know what I’m going to do….” Dominic threw himself over me and captured my wrists, raising them above my head so I couldn’t hit him. He also wedged his knees under my thighs and widened t