A Rose By Any Another Name Ch. 06

I had originally planned to write at least one sex scene per chapter, but I had to work on the plot so that changed... I hope you all enjoy it anyway! Please comment, I love hearing what you all think!

***

The following day, Nicole called me at work to say that she was going out with some of our old classmates from college that night, and she would love it if Mike and I joined them. Since Mike said he wouldn't get off work until late, I decided I would tag along on my own. I was looking forward to seeing my old friends and I hadn't been out clubbing in a long time, so I was very excited by the time I got home from work to start getting ready. After a quick shower I slipped into a beige sleeveless top, a tight black skirt that ended a few inches above my knees and a pair of black leather boots. I let my hair down and ruffled it a little, giving it a wild and messy feel, then I searched through my bathroom drawers for the bright red lipstick I knew I owned but hadn't used in a very long time.

Nicole came by my apartment a few hours before we were supposed to meet the rest of the gang so that we could have dinner together, just the two of us. Before we left, she ran her fingers through my hair and applied some extra blush on my cheeks.

"There," she said, turning me around so that I could admire myself in the bathroom mirror. "Now you look absolutely perfect. Sorry Michael had to work tonight. The guys are going to be so upset when they find out you're already taken!"

I laughed as I put my jacket on and closed the door.

"You're going to have to flirt with them for me," I joked.

"You don't need to tell me twice," she said and gave me a wink.

She hooked her arm in mine and we started walking.

"So what was that all about yesterday?" she asked. "You have found the perfect boyfriend. He is a doctor, he is smart, funny, not to mention hot... What's wrong?"

I hesitated for a few seconds but decided to tell her everything. After all, I really needed to talk to someone, and no one was a better listener than Nicole.

"He is amazing," I agreed. "He swept me off my feet with his good looks and his charm. And the sex, by the way, which is better than anything I've ever experienced in my entire life."

Nicole rolled her eyes, but I ignored her and continued. "I just never thought I'd get these feelings for him, and the problem is that he never wants to get married or have kids. He told me once that I should be with someone else, someone who wants what I do, but I just couldn't stand the thought of not being with him anymore."

"So you told him you don't want that either," Nicole guessed. "And now you regret it."

"Something like that," I sighed. "I do want that. I've always wanted to get married to the man of my dreams and have a big family, but now it feels like I can't have both."

"Maybe he'll change his mind?" Nicole said in an attempt to comfort me. "Maybe he's just waiting for the right person?"

"Something happened when he was young," I explained. "He won't tell me what. All I know is that he was in a serious relationship and when they broke up he decided he would never date anyone ever again."

"Well, in that case he has already changed his mind," Nicole pointed out, "since he's dating you."

"There is a huge difference between dating and getting married."

"I know that," she said. "But if he changed his mind once, he might do it again. Maybe he got his heart broken. She must have hurt him somehow, maybe she cheated on him. We all say things we regret when we're miserable, that doesn't mean we can't change our minds later."

I wanted to believe her but somehow I just couldn't. As I thought about the fact that I might have to break things off with him, tears started rolling down my cheek. Nicole stopped walking, wiped them off with her thumb and gave me a long hug.

"He would be a fool if he didn't want to marry you," she consoled me. "You are the most amazing person I've ever met. You know that, right?"

I nodded.

"I promise you that he really likes you," she continued. "I saw it yesterday. The way he looked at you, the way he held your hand... You have to believe me. I'm sure he will change his mind about getting married and having kids when he realizes how much he loves you."

"You are so sweet," I sobbed, trying to dry my tears.

"I'm just telling the truth," she said and smiled. "But right now, you're going to have to stop crying because you have mascara running down your cheeks and I want you looking your best tonight."

I laughed, grateful that I had such a great friend.

"I made you laugh," she said, proud of herself. "Now that you're feeling a tiny bit better, I need to ask you something I've been dying to know. What was the sex like?"

"Come on, Nikki," I teased. "Let's keep some things private."

"Privacy is overrated," she said. "I want details."

"All right," I succumbed. "I'll tell you. The sex has been very..." I was trying to find an appropriate word that would describe it. "It's intense. Very intense."

"Intense as in he likes it rough?" she asked curiously.

"You have no idea," I chuckled, making Nicole even more inquisitive.

"I said I wanted details," she reminded me with a strict look on her face.

"He is very dominating," I explained. "Sex with him involves spanking, bondage, blindfolds, butt plugs and nipple clamps, among other things. He even made me take my panties off in a restaurant and go completely naked underneath my dress for the rest of the evening."

Nicole looked at me with her eyes wide open.

"Are you for real?" she asked, obviously a bit shocked. I smiled and nodded. "What's it like? Do you like it?"

"Honestly, if you had asked me a month ago I would have told you there was no way I would ever do something like that. But now... It's the best sex I've ever had. He gives me orgasms that are more intense than I even thought was possible. They make my entire body quiver."

"I would never have guessed that in a million years," Nicole said. "I mean, he's a pediatrician..."

"Hey, pediatricians love kinky sex, too," I chuckled.

"What is the spanking all about?" she asked. "Doesn't it hurt?"

"It does hurt a little," I admitted. "But it's a good kind of pain. It turns me on, sort of like the pain and the pleasure go hand in hand."

"Well, I'm shocked," she said. "I don't know whether it sounds sexy or messed up. He hasn't hurt you or anything, right? Do I need to be worried?"

"Definitely not," I assured her. "He hasn't done anything without my permission and the truth is I love it all, the pain, the submissiveness, the vulnerability... They all build up and make the orgasms so much better."

"It sounds pretty nice," Nicole admitted. "Most guys I've been with have sucked at giving orgasms. You're a lucky girl."

I smiled, trying not to think about what we had discussed earlier. Nicole was right - Michel was an amazing boyfriend. I just hoped our relationship would last.

After a wonderful dinner, Nicole and I jumped into a cab that took us to the nightclub where we were supposed to meet our old classmates. We were a little early so we sat outside, talking about everything and nothing and looking at everyone who was walking by. Right in the middle of a conversation about one of Nicole's ex-boyfriends, she grabbed my arm.

"Didn't Michael say he was going to work tonight?" she asked, concern in her voice.

"Yes, he did," I said. "Why? What's wrong?"

She pointed discreetly to a man sitting on a bench with a flower bouquet in his hand, and it didn't take me long to realize that it was Mike. I immediately got a lump in my throat, confused as to why he would lie to me.

"It may not be what it looks like," Nicole said, even though she didn't sound convinced. "Do you want to go and talk to him?"

I hesitated.

"No," I decided. "Let's see what happens."

We waited for a few minutes, hoping we would find an explanation, but when a blonde woman approached him and he gave her a hug, I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces.

"That son of a bitch!" Nicole scolded. "What does he think he is doing?"

The woman sat down next to Mike. He put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm going to kill him," Nicole raged through gritted teeth.

She got up from her seat but I grabbed hold of her jacket and pulled her down again.

"Don't," I said. "We came here to have fun, so that's what I'm going to do. I'll talk to him tomorrow."

"You should kick his ass tomorrow," she corrected me. "That fucking piece of shit."

"I'm going to demand an explanation," I said. "If it's not good enough, I'll kick his ass, trust me."

"Are you sure you don't want me to go over there?" she asked.

"I'm sure," I said. "Let's just have some fun tonight."

I watched Mike and the woman until they left, the bouquet of flowers still in his hand. I kept hearing his voice inside my head telling me that he was going to work late, telling me that he really liked me and that he needed me. In hindsight, all of it seemed like a single big lie. I felt so betrayed and humiliated, and even though I hoped there was a perfectly good explanation, it didn't seem very likely.

My thoughts were interrupted by our old classmates Sarah, Luke and David who ran up to hug us, excited to see us again after graduation.

"Beautiful as always, Rose," David said and kissed me on the cheek.

"Flirty as always," I teased, making David smile.

"Well, a man can always hope," he said. "You might say yes someday."

David had had a crush on me in college and had gathered the courage to ask me out, but I had said no because I had a hard time seeing him as anything else than a really good friend. I assumed his feelings had changed since then but we still joked about it from time to time.

"We really have some catching up to do," Sarah said as we went inside. "I can't believe we're all registered nurses now!"

"First things first," Luke said and winked at Sarah. "Who wants a beer? First round is on me."

We sat down at the bar and ordered five beers. Luke had just started his new job a few days ago since he had spent two weeks in Hawaii with his girlfriend, so he told us all about how amazing the trip was and how much fun they had had. The whole thing with Mike was gnawing at me so I found it difficult to concentrate. I couldn't stop wondering if there might be a logical explanation even though all the signs pointed to the fact that he was cheating on me. Not only had he lied about working late, but he had straight out told me that he wasn't boyfriend material and that I should find someone else if I wanted to get married. How could I not have seen this coming?

I ordered another beer, two margaritas and a few shots in an attempt to forget about Mike, but it didn't work as I had planned. I was getting lightheaded and while Nicole, Sarah and Luke were deep in conversation, David turned to me and put his hand on my thigh.

"Are you okay?" he asked, leaning closer so as to make himself heard above the loud music.

"I'm fine," I lied. "What about you?"

David ignored my question.

"You don't look fine," he said. "You're usually the most talkative person I know and you've hardly said a word since we got here."

"It's just some boy troubles," I said and drank my fourth shot. "Nothing interesting."

"I'm interested, Rose," he said amicably. "Come on. Talking to someone is better than trying to drown your sorrows."

"All right," I gave in. "I met this guy and I think he's cheating on me."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because he lied about being at work tonight and I just saw him with a bouquet of flowers and another woman," I told him, rolling my eyes.

David put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer.

"I'm sorry, honey," he said. "I can't believe how a guy could ever cheat on you. If you were mine, I'd be the luckiest guy in the entire world. I'd make you feel like a queen every single day."

"You're so sweet," I said and leaned my head against his chest. "Maybe I shouldn't have said no when you asked me out before."

"Maybe you shouldn't have," he repeated, carefully stroking my hair.

"Why are men such assholes?" I asked. "Why can't I be into girls instead?"

"Now, that would have been interesting," David teased. "I would pay a lot to see you make out with another girl."

As usual, David knew what to say to make me laugh and I realized I was starting to feel a little better after all. I called for the bartender and ordered another margarita. David softly put my hand on his.

"Maybe that should be your last one," he cautioned.

"Since when do you tell me what to do?" I blurted out. "I'm going to drink until I forget Michael's name, and apparently, I haven't yet."

The bartender came back with my margarita which I started gulping down immediately. David asked for a glass of water, then turned to me, grabbed my margarita and put it down on the bar.

"You like him that much?" he asked.

I nodded and leaned closer to him.

"He's the best sex I've ever had," I whispered in his arm.

"Here, drink this," he instructed and handed me the glass of water that the bartender had brought.

I stuck my tongue out at him defiantly but did as I was told.

"I want to dance," I said, taking his hand in mine. "Come on!"

He tried to protest but I led him to the dancefloor. It only took a few seconds before I got dizzy and grabbed David's arm so that I wouldn't fall.

"Rose, are you okay?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"I'm great!" I exclaimed, still holding onto him.

"Follow me," he said and led me away from the crowded dancefloor to a bar table by the wall. "Maybe I should take you home."

"Home?" I snorted. "No way! I'm having fun!"

David looked worried. "Let's just stay here for a while, then," he said.

"I'm going to go get my margarita," I told him.

"I'm sorry that guy is such a jerk," David said, grabbing my arms so that I couldn't go back to the bar. "I know you think you'll feel better if you get drunk but trust me, you've had enough."

He held me close to him and his firm hands on my arms reminded me of Mike. I looked into his eyes and slowly leaned forward to kiss him.

"Don't, Rose," he said and moved his head away. "I really like you, but I don't want you this way."

"I'm fine," I said, trying to convince him. "Let's go back to my place."

"I can't," he whispered, his hands still on my arms. "I'm sorry."

Suddenly I heard a familiar voice.

"Get your hands off my girlfriend!"

David backed away and I had to hold onto the bar table to keep myself from falling. All eyes were on Mike as he seized my wrist.

"Are you drunk?" he asked angrily.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" I snapped and pulled my arm out of his grip.

"I got off earlier than I thought," he hissed. "And I thought I'd find you here so I could join for a little while. But apparently you were busy flirting with someone else!"

"So what if I was?" I countered. "You lied to me! You weren't working! Why do you care if I was flirting with someone else when you were cheating on me with that blonde bitch?"

Mike was immediately taken aback.

"I'm sorry I lied," he said in a low voice, looking me straight in the eyes. "But I didn't cheat on you."

"So what were you doing?" I demanded.

Mike looked around and realized that everyone was watching us. I was feeling dizzier and dizzier and leaned against the table for support.

"You need to get home," he scolded. "Where is Nicole?"

I pointed at the bar. Mike's grip tightened on my arm as he dragged me along with him. He let her know that we were leaving, and she was so surprised and confused to see him there that all she could do was nod. Mike led me out to his car, helped me get into the passenger seat and buckled my seatbelt.

"Who is she?" I asked as he started driving.

He was quiet for a while as if he was thinking about whether or not to tell me the truth.

"You already lied to me once today," I said coldly. "Don't do it again."

He took a deep breath.

"She is my ex-girlfriend," he said matter-of-factly, his eyes on the road.

"Why the hell did you lie to me about meeting your ex-girlfriend?" I cried out.

"I can't tell you," he whispered. "I'm sorry, I just can't."

I crossed my arms tightly across my chest and looked out the window.

"Do you believe me when I say I'm not cheating on you?" he asked.

I didn't want to look him in the eyes. I felt hurt and betrayed and didn't want to give him that satisfaction.

"I don't know," I said. "Why can't you just tell me what you were doing?"

"Because it hurts too much," he confessed. "I haven't told anyone before."

I didn't know what to say, so I stayed quiet.

"I want to tell you," he said. "I really do. Please, trust me. I'm just not ready yet."

Once again, I was silent.

"Is that why you got drunk and flirted with that guy?" he asked.

I nodded. This time it was Mike's turn to be quiet.

"I have a headache," I said.

"I'll take care of you."

Mike parked the car and led me up to my apartment. He carried me to my bed, undressed me and tucked me in under the blanket.

"Do you want me to sleep on the couch?" he asked, embarrassed.

"No, you idiot," I said. "I want you next to me."

A hint of a smile appeared on his face as he took his clothes off and joined me in bed. I curled up next to him and rested my head on his chest and he started stroking my hair. I lay in that position listening to the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat until I fell asleep.