Elizabeth rubbed her tired eyes as she shuffled into the kitchen, her hair a messy bun and wearing an oversized t-shirt and flannel pajama pants. She had been up late, hunched over her laptop, finishing a project for a client who always seemed to need things yesterday. The smell of fresh coffee hit her first, comforting and warm, as she saw Bree already sitting at the kitchen table, dressed in her smart office attire--a fitted blouse and pencil skirt, with her long dark hair perfectly styled. She looked every inch the young professional ready to face the city.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Bree said, a teasing smile on her lips as she sipped from her travel mug. "Rough night?"
Elizabeth grunted something resembling a greeting and made a beeline for the coffee pot. "Late deadline," she muttered, filling her mug to the brim before taking a grateful sip. "What's got you so chipper?"
Bree's grin widened, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Oh, you're going to love this," she said, leaning back in her chair. "Do you remember that sugar mama website I mentioned last week?"
Elizabeth turned, mug halfway to her mouth, already feeling a sense of dread. "Oh no. What did you do?"
Bree's laugh was light and careless. "I set up a profile," she said, barely able to contain her amusement. "And let me tell you, the messages I've gotten are wiiild."
Elizabeth's eyes narrowed as she sat down at the table across from Bree, the coffee warming her hands. "What kind of messages?"
Bree's smile turned almost wicked, and she leaned forward conspiratorially. "Let's just say... some people are offering a lot more than dinner and a nice bottle of wine." She winked. "Some of them have some very specific requests. One woman told me that I needed to work on my nipples. She said she'd pay me 1000 dollars if I pumped my nipples and then she sent me a picture. Thats some freaky nipples I can say Liz."
Elizabeth's face flushed as she imagined what that might mean. "Bree, you can do that, what if they find out who you are?"
"Oh, don't worry," Bree said, waving a hand dismissively. "I didn't use any of my real information. In fact--" she paused, biting back a laugh, "I didn't even use my own picture."
Elizabeth's eyes widened in confusion. "What? Whose picture did you use?"
Bree bit her lip, trying to hold back her laughter. "Your prom photo."
Elizabeth's face went slack with shock. "You did what?"
"Oh, come on," Bree said, unable to hold back a giggle. "It's perfect! You look so sweet and sexy in that photo. It's just for fun, Liz."
Elizabeth's cheeks burned with a mix of embarrassment and anger. "Bree! You can't just use my picture for something like that! You could get me into trouble!"
Bree shrugged, unbothered. "No worries, I edited out your face so there is no danger of ending up in the claws of one of these cougars. Unless you go on a date with one of them, that is. You were always too meek for your own good."
Elizabeth glared at her, gripping her coffee mug a little tighter. "Please, take those images down Bree. My mom would die of a heart attack if someone found out that you put my pictures on a sex site." She used her pleading voice, and Bree caved.
Bree's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Alright, alright. Don't worry, I'll take it down. But you have to admit, it's kind of hilarious, right?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "Only you would think that's funny," she muttered. But despite her best effort, a reluctant smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, the absurdity of the situation making it hard to stay angry.
Bree grinned, giving her a playful nudge with her foot under the table. "See? You do have a sense of humor. I promise I'll be good--this time."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but her smile lingered. "You'd better, Bree. I don't need any sugar mama drama in my life."
"Fair enough," Bree said with a wink. "But if one of them sends me a holiday gift, I'm totally sharing it with you." She then turned a little more serieous. "But you should meet someone soon. Living like a nun is not becoming of a beautiful woman like you. I know Angela would love to hook up, just say the words." Angela was one of Bree's colleagues and she had met her several times. She was nice enough but Elizabeth was too afraid to tell her how she felt.
Elizabeth laughed, feeling the last of her irritation slip away. "I know Bee. But no more using my pictures, ok?"
"Got it," Bree said, holding up her hands in mock surrender. "For now, anyway."
***
Elizabeth had just finished lunch and tried to focus on the project in front of her, staring at the blinking cursor on the screen, but her mind kept drifting back to Bree's smile and the mention of her prom photo. What picture did she use? She had no idea Bree even kept that old photo--it was from years ago, back when Elizabeth had worn a pale blue dress had a nervous smile plastered on her face, trying to blend in at a school dance that had made her uncomfortable. She felt herself blush, that dress had been a tad to small up top and her breasts had threatened to pop out all night.
She shook her head, scolding herself. 'Forget about it. It's just Bree being Bree.' But the thought wouldn't leave her alone. Curiosity itched at the back of her mind, pulling her away from her work and making her wonder what kind of messages Bree had received. Her fingers tapped anxiously on the keyboard as she tried to focus, but it was no use.
What did Bree mean by 'some very specific requests'? Her pulse quickened. She tried to remind herself that this was Bree's game, not hers. Elizabeth was the sensible one, the reliable one--she didn't do reckless things like sign up for a sugar mama website. And yet, the idea of sneaking just a peek had her curiosity humming with anticipation.
She managed to work half heartedly for an hour before she caved and convinced herself that it would be a good idea to hack Bree's account and take a quick look. Bree had used the same passwords for ages and Elizabeth knew them all. She was a computer nerd after all.