Page 93 of Three, Two, One [321]

She sends me a little picture of a Christmas tree and then a heart.

No, I don’t love JD as just a man.

But I do love Blue as just a woman.

I would definitely be happy with her all by herself.

The tree lot is full of people as I pass, and I notice they are low in inventory, so I step into the roped-off area and figure I might as well pick a tree first. Then I can drop it off at home and go back out for the other stuff.

There’s not a lot to choose from, so I grab the tallest one they have left and wait patiently as my tree goes into the checkout line where they will wrap it in a net and take my money. Fifteen minutes later, I’m walking back across the street with my first Christmas tree purchased as an adult.

Before I came to Denver, I lived in Miami. And Miami just wasn’t the same at Christmas. I never had time for a serious relationship back then, so I never bothered to get a tree. But this is meaningful for partners. Celebrating holidays is part of strengthening the bonds of love.

JD and I never got a tree either. The holidays were always a busy season for us. Lots of girls need money at Christmas. We never had a shortage of willing participants.

I drag the tree inside the building and then inside the elevator, picturing how nice the loft will look once it’s decorated.

The car dings and the doors open, so I drag my tree out and head to the door.

I expect squealing when I enter the loft. And I do hear that. But it’s not for the tree I dump in the foyer.

It’s Blue, screaming like she’s getting a beating.

I run down the hallway to JD’s room and fling the door open. It takes me whole seconds of silence to come to terms with what I’m seeing.

Blue is face down on the floor, her cheek pressed so hard against the polished concrete I can’t even see her left eye. The right eye is wide open, looking up at me. Makeup runs down her cheek from the tears. Her face is red, like she was just slapped. Her breathing hitches, letting me know she’s really crying.

JD’s dick is in her ass, her dress ripped open up the back to give him access. And her panties are still on, but skewed off to the side. One hand is wrapped around her throat, his thumb pressed over her artery. The other is pulling her hair.

“It’s not what you think,” JD growls. Almost like he’s pissed off I’m interrupting his fuck.

I walk over and punch him in the face, and he goes reeling across the floor.

“I told you,” he yells. “It’s not what you think!”

I pull Blue up from the floor and pull her close. “Are you OK?”

She can’t or won’t meet my gaze. But she nods.

“Ark—”

“Shut the fuck up, JD!” I yell it. My voice booms up to the very top of his high ceilings, making Blue jump in my arms.

He’s up off the floor now, his dick still hard, his eyes raging with anger. “We had an arrangement.”

“Yeah, our arrangement was that you’d treat her nice.”

“Not me and you, Ark. Me and her.”

His words stop me cold.

“She likes it rough, man. She does. Just ask her. She loves to be ravished—”

“Raped!”

“I’m not raping her, asshole. It’s fantasy.”

“It’s sick!”