Lily's Playlist

"Ok...how many strikes before you're out?" I questioned.

"3!" EJ said, with no hesitation.

"That was easy... How many innings?" I asked EJ, tossing him a soft plush baseball from Rocky's couch.

He thought about it after he caught the ball effortlessly. "9" EJ answered correctly tossing it back.

"Ok. What are you gonna make Jake buy you at the game?" I asked, tossing the ball up to myself.

"Peanuts and Cracker Jacks!!!" He exclaimed, jumping up, trying to intercept the ball from me.

I laughed, and let him catch the ball.

"I think you're ready for the baseball game." I told him. "Are you excited for Hurricane Harbor too?"

"Yeah. Its gonna be awesome. Jake said he'll take me down the big water slide! " EJ exclaimed.

"Do you like hanging out with Jake?" I asked EJ, curiously.

I know, I was calling on a 7 year old to be a character witness. Sue me, I need a second opinion. Besides, kids were supposed to have an intuition. Since I was getting to know Jake all on my own, I figured I could use EJ's intuition to guide my opinion.

"Yeah. We always have fun. Brandon and Jake took me on a dirt bike before." EJ recalled.

See? Jake was fun. And we already determined what Jake and I were doing was more fun then riding a bike, so EJ's intuition was spot on. Unfortunately, he didn't tell me anything I didn't know.

I smiled at EJ. "Well that's good. Do you remember how much fun you're allowed to have without me?"

EJ smirked. He looked just like Ethan when he did. It was freaking adorable.

"This much!" He stretched out his arms out as wide as he could, so his hands are far apart. I shook my head.

"No! Absolutely not. You know it's this much!" I scolded him, mockingly. I held out my hands, a ruler length away from each other.

"I'm gonna have this much!" He grinned, spreading my hands out. I grabbed him and started tickling him. He erupted in laughter.

"Ok. Ok...." EJ yelled between laughs.

"Ok what?" I looked up to see Ethan walking into the living room. He was wearing charcoal slacks with a pale purple dress shirt. Obviously, he headed straight over to Rocky and Brandon's house after work. Even after a full day of work, he looked impeccable.

EJ looked at his dad. "Lily said I can only have a little fun with Jake this weekend at the game and Hurricane Harbor."

I smiled at Ethan as he came and joined us on the couch. "I think Lily is jealous." He told EJ.

"That's right. I wanna have fun. It's not fair!" I pouted.

"We can have fun too!" EJ rationalized.

"We can?" I asked.

EJ nodded. "Yes!"

"Ok. You can have as much fun as possible." I relented.

"EJ, go ahead and put the ball away so we can get ready to go." Ethan said to EJ.

EJ ran to put the ball away.

"Thanks for watching him when Brandon went to work." Ethan turned to me.

"You know it's not a problem. You know my schedule too. I can still watch him when you need me. I'll come over here if it makes you more comfortable." I offered.

"You don't have to do that. If I need you to babysit, your apartment is fine. I might need you these next few months." Ethan explained.

"Oh. Hectic at work?" I asked.

"Yes. One of the partner's, Anthony, is opening his own business. Still in association of our firm, just mostly residential and small businesses only. It's the first time it's been done." Ethan explained.

"So is that a good or bad thing?"

"Neither. Just new. The plan is to send smaller projects to him but we're still losing a partner. Anthony asked me to leave with him." Ethan said.

"And?"

He paused as he watched as EJ hopped back in the room. "Go ahead and put your shoes on." Ethan told him. When he ran off to get his shoes, Ethan turned back to me. "I thought about it but I need the stability of where I'm at. Anthony can't offer me that. At least not right now. He's recommending me for partner instead." Ethan informed me.

I smiled, widely. "You're up for partner? Ohmigosh, Ethan that's huge. Congratulations!"

"It's not guaranteed. They may decide not to add another partner until they see how Anthony does. We'll see what happens." Ethan explained.

"Don't act like this is not a big deal. This is amazing. You work so hard. You completely deserve it."

"Thanks Lily. Guess 'all work no play' paid off." He smiled.

I laughed. "I guess so. If you make partner, you have to play hard with a huge party."

Rocky arrived home and Ethan and I greeted her as she joined us in the living room.

"C'mere little man!" Rocky called to EJ. EJ finished tying his shoes and rushed over to give her a hug.

"Any plans this weekend?" Ethan asked me.

"I don't know yet. Amber's kids are with her parents, so we're trying to do a girl's night. Rocky, did Amber decide what she wanted to do?" I asked her.

Rocky rolled her eyes. "No. And she's driving me nuts. She keeps shooting everything down. I said a lounge, I think Gigi said a movie night. Amber wants something like an adult slumber party. It would have to be here and I just don't have the energy to try to pull that together this fast."

I nodded. "Yeah I hate that it's last minute, but between her, her husband, and the kid's schedules, I don't think she had much of a choice." I said.

Rocky shrugged, unmoved.

"What about Winstar? Even if she doesn't gamble, there's plenty to do." Ethan suggested.

"The casino in Oklahoma? I went out there when I first moved to Dallas. Wasn't impressed." Rocky made a face.

"That's why they did renovations. I know someone who helped with the renovations and the second hotel. I might be able to get you a couple of rooms. Let me make a call and I'll get back to you today." Ethan told Rocky. I'd never been, but a Casino sounded fun and I trusted Ethan's recommendation.

After Ethan and EJ left, I rushed home. Sammy's Honey B's preview event was that night, and I had to go home and get ready.

"Where have you been?!?" Sammy greeted me at the door.

"Rocky's. EJ needed a babysitter." I said, heading up the stairs.

"I already picked you out an outfit. Hurry up. Lamar and Patrick should be here in 30 minutes." Sammy snapped.

"Alright! You look great!" I called to her. She was wearing a pretty orange mini dress, with a lace covering and a modest neckline. The back was completely out, elevating the simple dress to a stunning, sexy piece. Her hair had already grown out past her shoulders and she curled and left it down. Her make-up was dark and dramatic. Sexy gold stilettos and gold jewelry finished her look.

I glanced briefly at the dress Sammy laid out for me. It was a floral mini dress that I brought from Macy's with a v-neck, pleated waist, and a keyhole back. Nowhere near as sexy as Sammy's, but that was a good thing. I planned to be the crazy conservative, protective, best friend to interrogate her new boss Ron. I needed to look that part.

I hopped in the shower, careful not to get my hair wet. I hopped out, dried off, threw on my dress and white wedge sandals. I put on white gold hoops, and do my go-to quick make-up routine: tinted moisturizer, gold shimmer, brown liner and pink lips. I gave my hair a quick brush, leaving it down and wavy and rushed back down the stairs.

Lamar and Patrick are already here. They both looked handsome and sexy. Lamar was wearing dark denim jeans, a pressed white dress shirt and a cool navy blazer. Patrick wore white denim, a fitted white tee, and black graphic vest.

Sammy gave me a once over, approvingly. "It'll do. Lets go!"

I hade to work in the morning, so I opted to be designated driver. Patrick and Lamar had to work too, but they didn't have a boss constantly on their asses. I explained the situation as we drove.

"Maybe he has a hard on for you?" Patrick asked.

"No way. Wouldn't he be nice to me?" I rejected, as I navigated to the Quixotic World Theater in Dallas.

"Not necessarily. He's your boss. He knows it's inappropriate- Maybe that's why he so hard on you." Patrick explained.

"Makes sense to me." Lamar egged him on with a grin.

"You should seduce him!" Sammy blurted out of nowhere.

"No! Y'all are crazy!" I exclaimed as they laughed.

They playfully debated it until we arrived at the venue. I tried not to be impressed, but as soon as we walked in, I was. The space itself has a whimsical feeling. The walls are dark, but the decorations and furniture are vibrant and colorful. It was like cabaret meets gypsy circus. My eyes feasted on the décor and soaked in the ambiance. The event was for a new artist's album release. His music was like Miguel meets The Weeknd. Sultry, urban, and soulful. His music was playing in the background but the stage was set up for a performance. The large bar was being tended by 6 women. They were all wearing black tube top dresses with bold yellow stripes down the sides. Sammy led us to the bar.

"Ron." Sammy called to an older gentleman. He was tall and looked distinguished in a black suit.

"Samantha. So glad you could make it." He said, charmingly.

"Wouldn't have missed it for anything. Lily, Lamar, Patrick, this is Ron Jackson. Ron, these are my friends." Sammy introduced us.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Jackson." Lamar said, as he shook his hand.

"Please. Ron is fine." Ron said. I reached to shake his hand. He kissed the back of my hand instead.

"Pleasure to meet you Lily."

"Thanks for having us, Mr. Jackson." I said, pulling my hand away. He just turned to Sammy.

"Did you find this place ok?" He asked.

"No problem at all. This place is fabulous." Sammy gushed.

"Good. We book a lot of events here. Glad you like it." Ron smiled.

"So how do you book jobs anyway?" I asked.

"Word of mouth. My girls are amazing, so we're constantly getting referrals. I'm glad to have Samantha join the team." Ron said, gesturing to the bar. "Please, don't let me bore you with business talk. Grab a drink."

"Don't have to ask me twice." Patrick joked. We all smiled and got settled. Sammy on one side of Ron. Me on the other. Once Lamar and Patrick got their drinks, they headed off to explore.

"Business talk doesn't bore me. I'm always curious to how successful entrepreneurs conduct their business." I said, while Sammy ordered a drink.

"It's simple really. Have a great product, treat your employees and customers fairly." He answered.

"That's so true. It's sad most businesses don't provide that." Sammy nodded.

"Don't be modest. My dad owns a few businesses. I know it takes a lot more than that if they're successful." I replied.

When it was my turn to order a drink, I quizzed the bartender on types of wines and wells and cocktail recipes. I wanted to make sure she was truly a bartender, and not just a pretty face that could fill out their ridiculous short and tight uniforms. She was knowledgeable and polite, giving me a charming smile even when we both know I was testing her. After she passed, I ordered a glass of wine.

"Sammy didn't tell me you're a bartender too." Ron commented.

"I'm not." I said, taking a sip of my wine.

"She used to be. That's where we met. At Dave and Buster's." Sammy supplied.

"Where are you working now? Any chance of stealing you over?" Ron smiled at me. It didn't quite reach his eyes.

"No. I don't bartend anymore. I just did it to get through grad school. I'm hopping Sammy does the same." I said, matter of factly.

"I didn't know you were in school Samantha." Ron said.

"I'm not." Sammy said quickly, before I could say anything, another guy joined us.

"Ladies, please excuse me. Business calls. Sammy would you like to join me? It's your business now too." Ron offered her his arm.

Sammy joined him and I went off to explore. I eventually found Lamar and Patrick sitting on oversized couches, jamming to the music. I joined them. I pulled out my phone and recorded a pan around the room for a snapchat. At the end, I aimed the phone at me and asked "Cabaret wedding?" I then sent it to Forrest.

Sammy eventually rejoined us and we took a stroll around the venue. We took pictures and selfies and even got to meet the new artist. By the end of the night, I didn't know how I felt about Sammy's new job but I knew Sammy was convinced. She excitedly chatted about it all the way home while posting pictures on her Instagram and Facebook. I hoped she would keep her Dave and Buster's job too, even if it was only part time. She need something to fallback on if this didn't work out. After we dropped Lamar and Patrick off, we went home. I checked my beeping phone. It was a new text.

Jake: That dress you wore tonight looked sexy. Bet it would look better on my floor.

I giggled. I know it was a line. An old one at that, but I loved his attention. I already noticed he liked the pictures on my social media, I was glad he reached out to me too.

Me: You think so?

Jake: I would know so if you came over

Me: Well, I can't pass up a bet. omw

I waited for Sammy to leave before heading to Jake's apartment. While I did, I noticed Forrest responded to my snapchat.

Forrest: Maybe for the bachelor party. Set it up

I laughed as I packed an overnight bag. The commute was gonna suck in the morning, but bringing my work clothes to get ready at Jake's instead of going home would save me a ton of time. Once I arrived at Jake's, I knocked on the door to his apartment. He answered quickly, looking sexy in basketball shorts and a shirt. The smile on his face faltered when he saw my overnight bag.

"What's this?" He said, taking the bag from me.

"Whips and handcuffs." I said, sarcastically, stepping into the apartment.

He set the bag down and unzipped it. "Looks like work clothes."

"Oops, wrong bag." I teased.

"Poptarts? Really?" Jake smiled, holding up a package of poptarts.

"Breakfast remember?" I answered.

He chuckled and walked over to me, checking me out in my dress. "Yep. Sexy. Now let's see it on my floor."

"No. I haven't shown you how sexy I can be in it yet." I smiled, pushing him back on his couch. I kneeled in front of him.

"Condom?" I asked, as I played with the waist band of his shorts.

"In my pocket." he exhaled.

I retrieved it from his pocket, before pulling his shorts down. I grabbed him and moved my mouth to his growing erection. I kissed all over him before taking him in my mouth. He moaned when I swirled my tongue around the head. He grew harder as I sucked him deeper in my mouth.

"Mirame Cariño." He groaned, stroking his hand on my face. I stopped, peering up at him but keeping him in my mouth. "I wanna see you. Keep your eyes on me."

I moaned and complied, alternating between licking all over him to pushing to see how far I could swallow him, all while keeping eye contact. When I held him, stroking the base with my hand and sucking his head, he gasped. Hearing his groans and seeing the predatorial way he was looking at me turned me on. I kept it up until he pulled my mouth away.

"Put the condom on me." Jake said, breathing heavily.

I ripped it open and slid it on him.

He lifted me from my knees and laid me on the couch. He quickly positioned himself between my legs. Lifting my dress out the way, he pulled my panties aside, and rubbed up my wetness to my clitoris.

"Jake!" I gasped.

"Wrap your legs around me." Jake muttered. I did, and he positioned himself to enter me. I cried out as he pushed inside me. At first, I tried to match his pace, grinding my pelvis into his. Soon, I couldn't keep up. He was going so fast and hard. I held on to him, enjoying him as he thrust wildly into me. After a few minutes, he was coming.

"That's it old man?" I grinned at him, when he caught his breath. He laughed, burying his head into my hair.

I squealed when he lifted me up.

"Nope. I still need to see that dress on my floor." He replied, carrying me to his room.

The next morning, I woke up extra early. Jake kept me up late, proving to me how young and vital he still was. We teased each other a lot, but quite frankly, I think I handle him well. The same is true vice versa. I loved being around him, and not only just in bed. We got along great. I crept out of Jake's bed and made a quick breakfast for us. I tried to sneak in poptarts and leave them as a joke, but Jake already saw them when he went through my bag. I made bacon, eggs, and toast. As I cooked, I thought about Jake and I. We needed to have 'the talk' but I didn't wanna make it weird or too much pressure. I just needed to know how he felt- was this just hooking up for him or could he see us growing into something more? I decided to write Jake a note with breakfast.

It read:

After research, I have concluded that the whole staying over/breakfast thing only applies if the persons actually care about each other- not for casual sex. So enjoy, but only if you care about me too. If not, throw it away and help yourself to a poptart.

I then went to Jake's room and got dressed. He was still sleeping when I was done

"Jake." I said softly, rubbing his thick hair. He groaned, but started to stir.

"Hey. I gotta go to work. Come lock up." I said.

He sat up, pulled on his shorts and followed me out the room.

"You cooked?" He said, sleepily, genuinely surprised.

"I did... but don't eat until you read this." I explained, handing him the note.

He looked confused, then worried. "Lily, just talk to me. We can be honest with each other. Just tell me."

I leaned in and kissed him on the mouth. "Just read it babe."

He relaxed. "That's the first nice thing you've ever called me."

I smiled. "Remember that while you read the note." I gave him one last kiss before I left.

On the way to work, I heard my phone beep, but I didn't look at it. I really wanted to, but texting and driving was dumb enough. In Dallas, texting during rush hour traffic was just suicidal. When I got to work, I sat in my car and checked my phone. My heart thumped when I saw it was from Jake. I opened the text. It was a picture of the empty plate of food I left for him. The Poptarts sat there unopened. The text read:

Jake: I ate and enjoyed every bite cariño. Next time, I'll cook for you.

I couldn't erase the grin off my face.

Rocky: Ladies, we decided on Winstar Saturday night. We will be having a spa day, followed by drinks at the pool, and dinner and gambling in the evening. Please pack accordingly. We will be leaving for Oklahoma at 12:00pm on Saturday from my house, returning at 11am Sunday. Please be on time, or you will be left!

I smiled as I read the text after work Friday afternoon. Ethan came through with 2 double queen rooms that worked out perfect for our group. It was me, Rocky, her friend Jackie, Amber, her best friend Gigi, Sammy, Peyton and Becca all going to spend the night at the Winstar Casino Resort. I was going to drive Amber's Pathfinder and Rocky was driving Brandon's Explorer so we would have plenty of rooms. The plans were set for our girl's night: I just needed to go shopping and pack to be ready.

Jake and I met up after he got off from work so we could go to the mall. He needed a new Rangers shirt because his only one had Nelson Cruz on the back, and he was no longer on the team. I needed a few new bathing suits and I wanted a new outfit for the casino. All the girls decided to match and wear black and white with a pop of red.

Shopping with Jake was interesting, to say the least. I was used to shopping with men like my brother and Trevor. They grabbed what they needed and left. Jake was a browser. He liked to look in every store and every department that interest him- even for stuff he didn't need. He had bought us both sunglasses, a new pair of shoes for work and shorts for himself before he even looked at Rangers shirts. Even though I was 'a get it and go' type of girl, I was having fun teasing and bantering with him. Besides, it was a confidence boost to have a hot man to go shopping with- A hot man who recently disclosed he cared for me. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world, until he started shopping for me. He pointed out skimpy swimsuits and told me how great I would look in them. Maybe he thought it was flattering, but all I could think of was my stretch marks.