Grace sat cross-legged in her oversized t-shirt staring out the window. The snow was coming down pretty thick now, and she took another sip of hot chocolate as she watched the swirling flakes from the 12
th
floor of her apartment building.
Her phone suddenly buzzed, breaking the tranquility of a snowy morning. Checking the message, it seemed to come from an unknown number.
"Hey."
Grace rolled her eyes. "Sorry, who is this?" she texted back absently.
"Jeremey"
Grace nearly spat out her hot chocolate as she suddenly sat bolt upright. Jeremey?
That
Jeremey? It couldn't be....
"How did you get this number?" she quickly typed, suddenly nervous.
Grace felt her heart racing.
There's no way.
She thought,
it has to be a weird coincidence
.
Her thoughts came to a screeching halt when a second text came in.
"Oh Grace, don't tell me you don't remember me"
Grace read and re-read this message until the image went blurry.
It can't be....
She repeated quietly to herself.
Looking back out the window, her tranquil snowfall had turned to freezing rain.
***
Grace began pacing her apartment, chewing on her thumbnail as she contemplated her next move. Should she reply?
No,
she thought.
That part of my life is behind me now. How can I go back?
Another buzz:
"If you're looking to jog your memory, why don't you meet me at McGillian's at 10"
Grace was shocked,
How could he possibly expect me to go back?
She contemplated her options as she slowly walked to her full-length mirror. She did a slow turn, inspecting herself more closely than she had in months.
Her long legs had gained a little extra padding, but it only helped to accentuate her extraordinarily curvy hips. Her slim waist was as striking as ever, though her tummy had lost some of its tightness.
But if I suck it in a bit, they'll never notice
. Her large breasts were full and perky, and hung well on her tall figure. Her messy, dark curls were pulled back in a sloppy bun, but with a little coaxing they would be as shiny as ever. Her dark eyes and shapely lips both curved into a smile, as she reached for her phone.
"I'll be there"
***
Grace arrived at McGillian's around 10:15.
No need to get there before Jeremey
, she thought. She felt eyes on her as she made her way to the back of the bar, where she was sure her caller was waiting.
Grace had opted for dark, high-waisted jeans that showed off her curvy ass and tiny waist. She paired them with a tight black sweater with a plunging neckline.
The double D's are on display tonight, gentlemen.
Her dark curls were springy and shiny, and hung down to her mid-back. A bold red lip completed her look.
Man, I've missed this
she thought to herself as man after man lusted hungrily after her.
At last she reached the back of the bar, and spotted him.
He was sitting casually, wearing jeans and a white collared shirt drinking what Grace only guessed was whiskey.
He glanced up from his drink and locked eyes with her, and Grace felt her heart do a backflip.
"Grace! I half expected you not to show up! Come, sit!" he said as he stood up to hug her as if they hadn't seen each other in decades.
Grace hugged him back stiffly, then sat down.
"I'm so glad to see you Grace, and
damn
do you still have it..." Jeremey said, slyly eyeing her exposed cleavage.
Grace rolled her eyes, "Jeremey, really. I've only been gone a few months. I'm not one of your bleach blonde bimbos, remember? All this shit is natural."
"That's why I'm so surprised!" Jeremey said, laughing, "It's the natural stuff that deteriorates, silicone is forever."
"Anyyyyway..." Grace began, noting that they had already veered far off course, "Care to tell me why I should give you the time of day coming here? I'm counting the last two minutes as a waste so far."
Jeremey took a long sip of his...whiskey? Rum? Grace still wasn't sure, and leaned back in his chair. Jeremey was a bit older than Grace, around 35, and well-built.
Pretty sure that's how he gets girls like me to agree to these sorts of things
she thought with a touch of bitterness.
"I've got a proposition for you."
"No shit," Grace replied, annoyed. "Yeah I thought you just
really
wanted to get a drink and catch up."
Jeremey put his hands up, feigning surrender
"Alright, alright" he said, "here's the mission, should you choose to accept it:"
Grace truly thought if she rolled her eyes any more times, they would get permanently stuck behind her head.
As Jeremey explained his proposition, Grace was reminded of the first time she met him, and how he had approached her with the same mix of excitement and authority.
****
Jeremey had gotten all the details he needed from John and Kyle yesterday. The type of girl they were looking for, down to eye color and what type of perfume she wears. He always had a knack for this sort of thing—matchmaking. In a perfect world, Jeremey would have liked to make matches for love.
But quite frankly,
he chuckled to himself,
sex was a whole lot more lucrative.
He met Grace 2 years ago when she was in her final year of college. Young, gorgeous, and short on cash, she was his dream girl. He approached her much like he had tonight: in a bar, with a proposition. After her first deal, Jeremey was sure that was the last he would see of Grace. Instead, she kept coming back for more and more clients. Jeremey was sure she was making enough money for school, yet her appetite for work was insatiable. A few months ago, she stopped returning his calls.
But he knew she'd be back.
***
"What do you say?" Jeremey concluded, finally finished his pitch for her evening with John and Kyle.
Grace sat silently for a moment.
"You wanna know the reason I stopped coming back?" she said as her cosmopolitan finally arrived. "Because I loved it too much."
She raised the wide-rimmed glass to her red lips, and sipped slowly.
"Back then I could have a different man every night....all excellent lovers, I must admit, thanks to you." raising her glass in his direction.
Jeremey laughed, "I always did my part for you! And what I'm hearing isn't really telling me why you left—sounds like a pretty good deal to me."
Grace glared at him, "Coke is pretty good too until it kills you. I'm a fucking sex addict, Jeremey, and you know it. That's why I've always been such a perfect match girl for you."
"Well that and that you're gorgeous." he replied.
Grace crossed her arms in front of her chest, slowly twirling her martini glass on the table, angry that she had ever decided to come. As she sat up to leave, Jeremey grabbed her arm,
"Wait! I'm sorry, Grace. I mean, you
are
gorgeous but I'm sorry for taking advantage. It's just, I think you're being over-dramatic!"
Grace tried to pull her arm away, but Jeremey's grip only got tighter,
"Grace, sex isn't going to kill you. Not on my watch. Sex only makes you feel good—no chance of overdose. Besides," he leaned in and spoke into her ear, "I know you can't resist two at once."
Grace turned to look at Jeremey and saw that familiar gleam in his eye.
Christ, he only gets that look when he knows he's got something really good for me.
Turning around to face him, Grace picked up her cosmopolitan and downed the remaining drink.
"Game on" she said.
Jeremey smiled, finished his drink, and threw $20 on the table. "Let's go!"
***
Sitting in the passenger seat of Jeremey's car, Grace was fidgeting with her sweater and instinctually twirling her long curls around her finger.
