Chapter 1
“Soraya, I can feel my coochie getting drier by the minute.”
Soraya smirked at her friend through the mirror as she applied eyeshadow. Doing a smoky eye was much harder than the beauty guru on her phone was letting on. “That sounds like a personal problem, Jesmine.”
Jesmine groaned from where she lay on Soraya’s bed. Her short, tight dress hiked up enough for her black thong to peek out. “You’re taking forever. You should've let me do your makeup. We could have been at the club by now,” she complained to the ceiling.
“If I had, then when would I learn?”
She threw her hands in the air. “When it doesn’t infringe on my Friday night!”
Soraya laughed at her impatience. “I’m almost done, you goon,” she said before hitting play on the YouTube tutorial.
She continued to follow the difficult yet simple instructions.
She was putting the finishing touches of the golden eyeshadow just as the beauty guru told her to like and follow for more.
Taking a moment to admire her work in the mirror above her dorm desk, Soraya felt satisfied and reached for her lip liner and dark red lipstick called Underage Red.
She may not have known anything when it came to foundation or eyeshadow, but she knew how to line her lips and apply lipstick with ease.
Jesmine rolled into a sitting position to look at her and gave a low whistle.
Through hooded eyes, Soraya smiled at her. “Not bad, huh?”
Soraya knew she looked damn good, and the women of Los Angeles were lucky that she didn’t make a habit of doing her makeup every day. She had to leave some men for the rest of them—not that she’d gotten any dick the past couple of months. Or years. But they didn’t need to know that.
She’d only had one friend with benefits in the past, and a one-night stand that had left her wanting more.
That was over four years ago, and she had been dry since.
And not to mention, guys don’t ever approach her…
or anyone for that matter, unless she approached them first. In fact, if she didn’t take charge and ask guys out herself, she wouldn’t have any intimate encounters to speak of, which was fine by her.
Jesmine moved to stand behind her. “Not bad at all. And with this ass of yours,” she said while giving a quick tap on said ass, “—you’re going to be keeping all of the intimidated males away from us.”
Soraya snorted. “We’ll be lucky if we don’t encounter any creeps tonight.”
Jesmine chuckled. “Normally, I agree, but our roomie sure knows how to pick places with absolutely mouth-watering—and respectable—hunks.” She paused to bat her eyelashes dreamily.
“I mean seriously, the last place she took me to—God damn! I didn’t know how to act.
Not a single ugly man or woman, so hurry up!
Ahvi is waiting for us, and I want to get there before all the good ones get taken! ”
Laughing, Soraya elbowed Jesmine as she turned around to get her clutch. “Alright, alright. And this place better be worth the hype you’re giving it.”
Jesmine knew Soraya hadn’t been to a club in years.
It wasn’t really her scene, but it sounded like heaven on earth the way Jesmine sold it.
And considering it was the last semester in Soraya’s master’s program, she really wanted the experience before entering the workforce and having bills to worry about.
Not that she couldn’t go clubbing once she started work, but it would be her last chance to go completely carefree.
Plus, she really, really wanted to have her “hoe phase.”
She’d spent years with her nose in books, and she sure as hell didn’t want to come out with just a degree. She wanted some fun experiences she could look back on when she was graying and had smile lines hugging her mouth.
She also wanted to explore her sexuality and make sure she understood what was out there, so she knew how to please herself and potential future partners—but mostly just how to please herself.
As of yet, marriage wasn’t something she saw in her foreseeable future.
Being chained to someone for the rest of her life?
It was not a pleasant thought. Maybe she would have considered it if she lived in a different time—a different world.
For now, her dream was to live with her friends and convince them to buy a cottage near flowing water, where they could raise kids together among their farm animals. It sounded like a peaceful life to her.
“Night only lasts so long, Soraya, hurry up! We need to snag you a nice strapping young man—”
“Not too young—” Soraya interrupted dryly. She was 26 years old; she DID NOT want some 21-year-old humps-a-lot in her sheets.
“Of course not.” Jesmine patted her shoulder to assure her that no such thing would happen. “You need a good down-to-earth fucking so you can give your vibrator a vacation and the rest of us some sleep.”
Soraya blew out a steady stream of air through her mouth before “accidentally” hitting Jesmine with her clutch. It only served to send her into a fit of giggles.
Embarrassment crept into her cheeks. She’d never picked up a guy from a bar before; she didn’t even know how to, but it shouldn’t be that hard…right? And she really did need to get laid.
“Hey, don’t psych yourself out now,” Jesmine teased, putting her hand on her head to give it a little shake.
Soraya swatted a laughing Jesmine away. She danced out of reach before Soraya could do it again. “You know how long it took me to get my hair exactly how I wanted it!”
She laughed, “It’s not like it’s going to stay that way for long.”
“Ass.” Jesmine laughed at that, too. Soraya fidgeted with her bobby pins to ensure her upside-down French twist was in place. “Alright, alright, last check, and then we’ve got to go downstairs to meet our ride before it leaves us.”
They both looked in the mirror. Jesmine wore a mini black strapless dress with a pair of green lace-up high heels. She’d completed her look with a nude lipstick and gold hoop earrings that almost touched her shoulders.
Soraya pulled down her dark blue satin minidress that hugged her waist. It followed the flare of her hips, the material stopping midway down her thighs and exposing her legs all the way down to her gold strappy heels.
Underneath, she was wearing a purple and black lace sling bra set—and saying it had her feeling some type of way was an understatement.
Tonight was her choice.
“Ready?”
Soraya straightened her shoulders. “Let’s go.”