Only You

"Alright kids, just give me one more big smile...there we go!" Tegan smiled down at the laughing kids who were too busy shoveling way too pricey cake into their cute mouths to pay her any attention.

It was a slightly overcast day in Central Park and Tegan was on a job. She was supposed to be walking around, snapping pictures for the Westing family; Upper East Side royalty. Tegan had gone to the same private school as Cabot Westing. Cabot had married young, the wife of an ambitious senator wannabe. Tegan was surprised when Cabot contacted her to photograph her daughter Aspen's birthday party.

It was a hellish assignment. Central Park was overrun with sugar-induced two year olds. It was all Tegan could do to not to pull her hair out. She was tired of chasing after kids, tired of framing the light, and worst of all, she couldn't get Derek Ryan out of her mind.

Just thinking about his hands, his mouth, his breath warm on her neck made her ache for some alone time. She was ready to leave to prepare for their date, but Cabot was nowhere to be found. She needed to let her know the pictures would be done in a few days.

Her phone rang and she hurriedly fished it out her jeans pocket. "Hey you," she said, trying to mask the tremor of excitement in her voice.

A deep chuckle greeted her. "Hey gorgeous," Derek replied. "What are you up to?"

"Just finishing up with this job."

"Mmm. And what are you doing afterwards?"

"I dunno. Maybe knock over a bank. Pick up a drug habit, the usual."

He laughed loudly. "You're a wild one, James. You'll never guess where I am."

"Um, I have no idea."

"Guess."

"Empire State Building?"

"Fuck no. I wouldn't be caught dead at that tourist trap."

She laughed. "Well, then where are you?"

"Mm, right behind you."

Tegan whipped around and gasped. He was indeed right behind her, cell up to his ear, the same half smile on his lips. "What the...how did you know I was here?" she asked.

"Drea told me. That doesn't look like 'happy to see me' face," he said with a mock pout.

He looked so sexy doing that, she thought. He did look hot today. Jeans ripped in an artsy fashion paired with a navy blue t-shirt with his company's logo on the front, the blue of the shirt matching his eyes.

"I am totally happy to see you," she replied. She snapped her phone shut and hugged him. When he tried to cup her ass, she squealed. "Derek! There are kids around!"

He laughed loudly. "Aww, come on Tegan J. You need to be bad once in a while."

She didn't bother to mention that letting a guy stroke her to a star-blazing orgasm in the bathroom of a swanky club was as bad as she got.

"Be more bad. Check." She kissed him lightly on the lips. When she tried to pull away, he grabbed her tighter, his tongue sliding into her mouth before she could protest.

"Mm, Derek." She gently shoved him away. "Down boy."

The sound of someone clearing her throat made them both turn.

"Tegan James. I sincerely hope I'm not interrupting anything." Cabot Westing was standing in front of the pair, a slightly amused expression on her classical face.

"Cabot! I am so sorry." Tegan felt her cheeks flush. Damn you Derek and your sexy self.

"Mmm-hmm. Don't mind us. I'm just having a child's party."

"I apologize. This is Derek Ryan. He's a friend of mine."

Cabot extended her hand and Derek could smell the breeding, right down to her casual designer wear complete with pearls and Chanel No. 5. "Charmed I'm sure." Her eyebrow rose in surprise. "Ryan? As in Dex Ryan?"

Derek smiled tightly. "One in the same. He's my brother."

Cabot seemed impressed. "Well. Tegan, nice one. Anyway, thanks so much for helping me out today."

Tegan smiled. "No problem Cabot. I'll be getting the pictures to you no later than Tuesday. See you later." Grabbing Derek's hand, they walked out towards the street.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You seem kind of antsy."

"I'm good." He turned to her, all sense of irritation gone. "How the hell do you know someone named Cabot?"

Tegan grinned. "I went to school with her."

"Oh my god!" he gasped. "Don't tell me you're a private school girl!"

She nodded. "Since I was about six years old."

The grin on his face was positively lascivious. "Do you still have the outfit?"

"So, you really have a dirty mind."

"Baby, it's one of my best qualities. So, where are we going today?"

"Um." Tegan was finding it hard to think straight. He was rubbing his thumb idly across the top of her hand. It was sending tiny sparks all over her body. "We can go hang out at my house for a little bit. Then I have something planned for us."

"Ohh," he said, pulling her close to him. "Something dirty?"

It was Tegan's turn to smile roguishly. "You never know."

********

They rode the subway to Tegan's Village apartment, hands entwined the entire time. They traded stories about their lives. Tegan told Derek about growing up on the Upper East Side with her mother and stepfather. Her real father had exited the scene when she was five years old. Her mother had married Harlan James, an investment banker from old money.

It was a big scandal for Harlan's family. They had vehemently opposed to their handsome white son marrying a black woman beneath his class level. And she had a child, gasp! But Harlan loved Catherine and treated Tegan like his own.

She had played the role of an Upper East princess, graduating from her snooty prep school with honors. She was accepted to Columbia University and went for three years before promptly dropping out.

Her parents were understandably furious, but Tegan knew that college just wasn't for her. She was bored, more interested in exploring the world around her than studying to be a doctor.

Derek was surprised she was telling her so much about her life. He had taken her to be very stand-offish, preferring to listen rather than talk. It was refreshing to see her look so relaxed. He had watched her some time before calling her, observing the way she moved while taking pictures. Like her DJing, it was natural and graceful. She was simply beautiful.

"Okay, this is it" she said as they stood in front of a warehouse type building.

"This is pretty cool" he remarked.

"Yeah, it used to be some type of meat-packing warehouse. Some company bought it over and turned it into high-priced apartments. Welcome to New York."

They rode the elevator up with Tegan secretly praying she left her house in some sort of order. She wasn't used to having people at her house. She always visited her parents in their penthouse apartment and was always at Drea and Teddy's.

She realized with a shock that it would be the first time a guy would set foot in her space. The very thought was exciting and mortifying at the same time.

"So, are we just going to stand outside and observe the door?"

"Huh?" Tegan looked at Derek, who was staring at her curiously.

"I mean, it's a nice door but I'd kind of like to see what's going on inside."

Laughing she unlocked the door and pulled him inside. "Welcome to my humble abode," she said with a dramatic arm sweep of the room.

Derek stepped inside and uttered a low whistle. "Whoa, nice digs." It was a large, open space; high walls that led up to exposed steel beams for the ceiling. A large panel of windows on one wall gave an excellent view to the city below. There was a tiny kitchen in one corner and a walled off portion that Derek supposed was her bedroom. "This is such a New York apartment."

Tegan laughed. "Yeah. Excuse the clutter. I'm an organized mess kind of girl."

He took in the stacks of movies, books, and music scattered about the apartment. It seemed to be in a haphazard manner, yet neatly organized. He chuckled. Even in mess, Tegan James seemed like a walking contradiction. "I can definitely see that," he remarked. "So what are doing at your house?"

Tegan glanced at her watch. "Well, it's 6:30 now. We've got about three hours before the real fun starts. I'm going to change out of these clothes real quick. You can watch TV while I do that. Then we can head out to catch a bite."

"Ms. James what exactly do you have up your sleeve?"

She smiled. "Like I said, be a good boy and you'll find out." She walked down the short hallway to her bedroom.

Derek flipped on the television, but turned his attention to her collection of stuff. There were tons of photographs on the walls. He noticed that even the walls were art. Some had copper and metal sheet plates hammered on them, while others were painted a deep red and splattered with different colors.

There were several pictures of Tegan, Drea, and Teddy. He stopped at the picture with Tegan and someone he guessed to be her mother and stepfather. Her mother was definitely beautiful.

She was tall and thin, her high cheekbones and the elegant curve of her neck giving her a regal look. They shared the same light brown eyes and glossy dark hair, although her mother's was done up in a tidy chignon while Tegan's was its usual shaggy, layered state.

Her stepfather was a nice-looking guy with wavy brown hair and kind hazel eyes. They looked like a happy family.

Derek was drawn out of the moment by a soft stream of curses. He walked over to her room. "Babe, are you okay?"

"I'm...fine. Just finishing up."

He walked over to the kitchen area. Opening her stocked refrigerator he grabbed bottled water and took a sip.

"Derek?" she called out.

"In the kitchen, babe." He heard the clipped tones of her shoes as she walked towards the kitchen. What he saw next nearly made the water shoot from his mouth.

She was dressed in a short pleated black miniskirt, the bottom of which barely reached mid-thigh which gave him a glorious view of her sepia toned skin. She was wearing a red short sleeved button up shirt, the top two buttons undone to reveal some sexy cleavage.

But what really set him off were the boots. Those fucking boots, his body screamed. Long, black stiletto boots that zipped up to her kneecap, a pair of black tube socks with two white stripes peeking out from the top.

"Dear Lord," he managed to gasp out. "Sweet dear Lord."

She smiled. Her lips were glossy and she wore smoky black eyeliner and shadow. "I take it you like the look?"

He was gripping the water bottle so tightly he feared it might snap in two. His body was practically begging him to take her on the dining room table, wanting nothing more than to drive home between her lovely dark thighs, the soft leather of the boots wrapped around his waist...

Derek cleared his throat. "We should leave. Right now."

********

Tegan was beaming. Derek had almost spent himself in his pants when he saw her. She knew the night was going to be fantastic after that. She had grabbed a black summer cardigan and her camera bag before he practically frog-marched her out of her own place.

They had grabbed a quick bite to eat at Sal's Deli, which was a couple of blocks from Tegan's apartment. Tegan loved the restaurant for their good eats and good service. The way Derek kept staring at her made her slightly uncomfortable but so hot at the same time.

After dinner, they walked around some more. She showed him the small park she liked to take pictures in and a couple of her favorite stores. One of the last places they visited was her favorite haunt, Ducky's Records. She had discovered the little gem a few years back and now she was one of Ducky's most loyal customers.

She introduced Derek to Ducky Tavares, the namesake. He was a retired member of Iron Will, a semi-famous punk band from the old-school days. Derek liked him instantly. Ducky was a punk rock brat through and through, from the straight-edge tattoos and snobbish music tastes. He was a decent guy and thoroughly loved Tegan, especially when she argued with him about music.

Derek played the part of dutiful tourist. He was charmed by all the things that she held dear in her little existence but he was growing a little impatient, wanting to get on with the rest of the night, especially with the festivities he planned for later—mainly involving her on all fours while he fucked her from behind. Watching her walk, her lovely ass swaying in that short skirt, especially when the back rose up when she flounced...god, she was driving him crazy and she didn't even realize. Damn, how he loved that.

It faintly occurred to him that he had gotten up this morning and hadn't even bothered to dial Lottie. In fact, she called him twice during his tour of the Village with Tegan but luckily his phone was on vibrate. Part of him thought he should at least give Tegan a heads-up about the state of his dating life, but the majority, the part he clearly was listening to was shouting a big 'Hell No'.

As they left Ducky's promising the old man they'll return tomorrow, she grabbed his hand once more and pulled him across the street.

"Tegan, as much fun as it's been to watch you walk in that miniskirt...I have to ask—where the hell are we going tonight?"

She stopped in front of a black building. "I have a slight confession," she said. "I have a mini-job to do tonight. A friend of mine is having a performance at this club and she wanted me to snap some shots. Is that okay? I know it's not a real date, but..."

He silenced her ramblings with a short kiss. "It's okay, luv. Really. Just being around you is enough for me. Besides, I can think of a way for you to make it up to me." He winked dramatically.

Tegan gulped nervously. So he did want to sleep with her! This was perfect. She pointed up to the sign outside the building. "Okay, this is it."

Derek looked up at the sign. It was a silhouette of a woman arching her back. Next to that in tasteful neon lighting were the words "La Salon Rouge".

He shot her a quizzical look. "The Red Parlor? What exactly is this place?"

A coy smile played on her full lips. "You'll see," she said as she pulled him inside.

The door opened up to a dark hallway, illuminated only by softly light wall sconces. The hallway gave way to a large room filled round tables decorated in red and black lace and silk. There was a large stage with a deep red velvet curtain. All along the walls were black wall sconces.

Derek felt he was inside some twisted Gothic novel brought to life by Tim Burton. There were already people filing into the area. He noticed most of the tables were occupied. The guests ranged from men in expensive business suits to guys and girls with piercings and tattoos.

Tegan walked over to a table near the front but off to the side in a darkened corner, which had a tiny white card with 'reserve' etched on the front. "This is us," she said as she removed her cardigan.

They sat down and as a raven haired girl approached . She was extremely pale and wore blood red lipstick and dark eyeshadow. Her hair was in retro curls and she wore a red and black lace corset and garter with matching low cut panties. She was really pretty, reminding Derek of that burlesque girl Dita Von Teese.

"Hey Tegan," she drawled. Her voice was husky and tinged with an accent Derek couldn't recognize.

"Hey Syn. I'm still helping you out tonight, right?"

The woman nodded. "Absolutely. I'm thinking about using the snapshots for my portfolio." The woman's violet eyes gazed at Derek and her red lips parted to reveal white teeth. "And who is this one? He's dreamy."

Tegan laughed as Syn sat boldly on Derek's lap. She stroked his chest and batted her long lashes at him. "Syn, meet my friend Derek."

Syn winked at Derek who smiled cheekily at her. "Hello Derek. I take it you're the recipient for the special prize tonight?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about gorgeous, but I'm definitely game."

Syn chuckled. "Oh, I like him T. He's a shameless flirt."

"You have no idea, Syn."

She bounced off Derek's lap. "Well, as much as I'd like to stick around I've got to prepare for the show. See you in a bit," she said, giving Derek a sexy wink over her pale shoulder as she walked away.

Derek was flabbergasted. "Show?" he asked, turning to Tegan who was setting up her camera. "What kind of show?"

Tegan stared at him. "La Salon Rouge is a burlesque house, Derek."

His signature half smile turned into a full-on grin. "Holy shit, seriously?"

"Sure. Can't you tell by the atmosphere?"

"And here I thought it was just a very sexy reading parlor." He chuckled. "You have a very odd perception of first date etiquette."

Tegan shrugged. "I was never one for normal."

"I'm slowly beginning to understand that. So, I take it Syn is a dancer?"

"You would be correct."

"And is Syn her real name?"

"As far as I know. Her full name is Synister La Rue."

He laughed loudly, drawing looks from the other patrons. "I officially love your friends. You're a weird ass girl, you know that?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I know. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to get ready to take some shots. Have fun ogling the talent."

As she rose to get up, he caught her hand, drawing her closer to him. His hand traveled up her skirt to cup the one thing he'd been fantasizing about since the night before. "The only talent I want to see is what you've got under here," he said. His voice was barely a whisper, but Tegan felt his words echoing through her body as his hand stroked her ass.

Her knees dipped when he gave her a playful, but sharp slap that made her pussy throb with need. "You need to behave yourself, sir." She tugged his curls, lifting his head "We don't allow that kind of touching here at Le Salon Rouge."

"Oh yeah?" he challenged. His hands dipped lower, pushing aside her panties and reaching in to give her pussy a light but pressured squeeze. "And who the hell's going to stop me from taking what I want?" His blue eyes blazed with a desire so fierce it sent shivers down her spine.

Tegan was well aware of the fact they were in front of people, and even though the corner where they were was kind of hidden, there was still a chance people could see.

"Derek..." she trailed off.

"Hmm?" he replied lazily as he continued to squeeze her pussy lightly.

Her hips began to grind involuntarily against his hand. "You...n-need to stop." Her hand was still clasped tight in his curls.

The smile on his face was positively devilish as he pulled away. "Whatever you say, Tegan J." His tone was deceptively bright but she could see the lust in his eyes yearning to break free.

Tegan let out a ragged breath. "You are so bad." She smoothed down her skirt and tried to collect herself.

As she turned to leave, he gave her bum a sharp slap. "Don't I know it," he whispered.

Tegan grabbed her camera and moved away from the table as quick as possible.

Derek smiled to himself. He was definitely going to have a nice time tonight.

********

He was still beaming as they walked back to Tegan's apartment.

"That was seriously one of the hottest things ever!"

"I'm glad you liked it," she said.

"Are you kidding? What man wouldn't like a bunch of half naked gorgeous women prancing around on stage to gothic rock?"

Tegan laughed. "It's kind of something you have to get used to. I used to be so nervous around the girls. They're just so beautiful and sexy; they can make a normal girl feel a little inadequate." She didn't know why she was telling him this. Dammit, now he's going to think I'm some insecure basket case.

As they got to Tegan's building, Derek stopped her. Smiling, he took her in his arms and kissed her gently. "Babe, you're just as lovely as those girls." He kissed her once more. "In fact, you're even better. Know why?"

Tegan shook her head. He loved the naïve way her whiskey-colored eyes stared up at him.

"Because you don't know how sexy you really are. That, and you can dance for me anytime you want." The lopsided grin was back.