X | Phone Sex

"Hello, delivery for Halle Prescott."

"Hi. That's me." Halle stood in the middle of the doorway, hoping to obscure the package, and presented her I.D.

"Great! Just sign here, and I'll be out of your hair." He handed her an ipad, and she hastily jotted down her initials.

"Since when do we have... alcohol, is it... delivered to the house?" Rowan raised an eyebrow as he buttoned his suit from the living room.

Damn.

"Oh, it's just a one time thing." She turned around, clutching the paper bag to her chest. "I was reminiscing over the wine we had at the vineyard, and figured I'd get some. Maybe we could sip it later."

He read the label before she placed it into the refrigerator."Ehh, I have no interest in sweet beverages. Please, hurry up though, I don't want to miss any speeches."

Halle scurried back into the bathroom to wipe her setting powder off and line her lips. She had decided that she wanted some inches for the occasion, and gotten an HD frontal installed this morning. It was chocolate brown with voluminous curls that framed her round features nicely. She'd gone from Betty Boop to Marilyn Monroe.

"Hal?" Rowan's impatience grew.

"Coming!" She shrugged out of her robe, and met him in the hallway.

When he laid eyes on her attire, he didn't gush over her, nor did his eyes linger on her curves. He cocked his head to the side, and pinched his temples.

"Are you sure about that? It may be chilly inside."

"Yes, I am." Her expression hardened. "You don't like it?"

"It's... a lot. Look, we don't have time. Let's just go." He turned his back on her and headed out.

ꨄꨄꨄꨄꨄ

"You wouldn't have to keep fixing it if you'd have worn something else," Rowan reminded her through clenched teeth. His expression was simply taken as a friendly smile to passersby as they entered the building.

Halle dropped the act before she could really begin, and cut her eyes to him. "How many times are you going to say that? I heard you the first two times."

The car ride there had been nothing short of staticky, and it wasn't from the radio. Aside from the occasional passive aggressive comment, there was hardly any dialogue.

I should've just stayed home.

She kept her arm around Rowan's bicep anyway, not wanting his peers to speculate about the state of their relationship. Especially women.

The posters and life-size cutouts of Nikita Foxx were right on brand for her cookie-cutter, "can do no wrong" image. Her angular-shaped face, harsh contour, and coal burning eyes hinted at her true character though. At least in Halle's opinion.

"Well, don't you look amazing." Violet waddled up to them, her feet swollen in her sandals.

"Thank you!" Halle hugged her. "Vi, what are you doing here? You should be at home resting."

"Hubby just kept raving about the woman of the hour, so I had to come and show some love. Plus, this is the perfect time to invite everyone to our baby shower."

Oh, I see. She's here for the same reason I am: to keep an eye on her man.

"I know what you mean. Just text me the details, and we'll be there." This time, Halle's grin was genuine.

And then Violet walked away, and it evaporated.

Halle stopped a server toting miniature quiches in on a silver platter, and grabbed one to ease her raging appetite. The flavor was impeccable, so she went in for another.

"Pardon her," Rowan apologized. "We haven't eaten dinner."

Halle paused mid-chew.

Was he always this judgemental?

Or am I being overly sensitive?

Her period wasn't due for another few days, so maybe that's where all of her grievances were coming from. Womanhood had gotten the best of her again. She swallowed most of the hors d'oeuvre, and politely covered her mouth.

"He's right. I got a little carried away."

"I don't blame you," the woman replied high-spiritedly, and tended to a different guest.

Halle kept her head up while Rowan led her over to a group of his peers, but she could see his agitation materializing when he noticed their interest in Halle. From her appearance to her input on the topic. She was a professional at redirecting any and everything right back to praising Rowan. He still wasn't pleased.

He moved closer so that nobody else could hear him. "Next time, just let me choose your dress. That's all I'm asking."

"Ro Ro, you've actually made it!"

Her voice hit Halle's eardrum like nails on a chalkboard, but it's her boyfriend's actions that were the most disheartening. Rowan opened his arms to Nikita as she sped towards them, and encased her narrow waist while she embraced his neck, subsequently removing Halle's hand from his bicep.

"You know I wouldn't miss this." He laughed. "My parents have been talking about you a lot. Everyone is super proud of you Nikita."

"Oh, really." She batted her eyelashes. "I guess I will have to pay my old family a little visit soon."

The space between their bodies grew slightly, but not enough for Halle's liking. She grabbed Rowan's upper arm, and pointedly glowered at the other woman.

"Oh, that's right! Halle, how are you?" Nikita's kindness was as unbelievable as her accent.

She'd recently taken up a second residency in London for business, and it became her whole personality via social media.

I guess in real life too.

"Fine. Where's your man?" Halle's nails dug deeper into Rowan's skin, and he pried her hand off before she drew blood.

"Hal, please." He nervously chuckled.

He also knew about her highly publicized breakup with a B-list celebrity soccer player who resided overseas. No doubt he was the real reason for her move.

"Hmm, I see you've done your research." Nikita raked her fingers through her dark hair, bringing it over her shoulder. "I wasn't able to find anything about you."

"Because I don't need to suck dick to get famous." Halle shrugged callously.

"Okay, that's enough." Rowan physically got in between the two women.

"Yeah, it is," Nikita yelled, pointing her finger around his body. "Get this bitch out of my spot!"

Security rushed forward, and Halle snatched away before they made contact. "Don't fucking touch me! Let's go, Rowan."

Rowan was frozen in place, his eyes darting from his girlfriend to the entrance where his parents had just walked in.

"Oh, perfect timing." Halle laughed dryly. "This is all just so fucking perfect."

Refusing to acknowledge the bewildered couple, Halle stormed out of the building. She knew that she was angry enough to curse anyone out, and thought better of inflicting her wrath on her loved one's parents. Even if they deserved it.

Halle grabbed the rail when she got to the top of the concrete steps, and a bald man with pale skin coming up accidentally dropped his wallet right in front of her. Coins, cards, and receipts were dislodged from there slits.

"Sorry, I'll get it." His eyes were a bit sunken in and his movements weren't the sharpest.

She sighed and bent down, snatching up his belongings before someone else tried to take them, and gave them back.

"You're gonna have to get the coins yourself. My nails are too long." Halle offered him a somber smile, and he chuckled.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Belliair."

"You can just call me Halle. Mrs. Belliair is inside actually. And you are?"

"Fair enough. I'm Wolfe. Is Rowan leaving as well?"

"No. Goodnight." Halle carefully descended the stairs, her vision blurring as tears threatened to spill over her waterline.

With a figure like hers, hailing a taxi was rather easy. Putting up with a nosey, gawking taxi driver on the other hand, was not. Her disinterested, nonverbal cues weren't enough for his motor mouth, so she unlocked her phone and pressed her most recent mobile contact.

"Hello?" Chiko brung the glass of dark liquor to his lips, and lowered the volume on the TV. The sound of a male's voice on the other line made the service man disengage.

"Hey." She sniffled. "Are you busy?"

"What's wrong with you?"

"I... a lot," she admitted. "I'm just tired, and I'm frustrated, and —"

"You need me to come and get you?" He sat up, and checked the time. It was 7:31 PM so traffic would probably still be heavy.

"No! I mean, I'll be okay. I just need to vent, I think." She patted her under eyes dry with the back of her hand.

"Okay," Chiko slowly leaned back against the sofa cushion. "Tell me wassup then."

Halle watched the city lights through the window. They were so enchanting, so bright in all the darkness. So different from the feelings sitting on her chest.

"I hate that bitch," was where she began as they merged onto the highway.

"And I hate not being appreciated," was where she ended when they arrived in front of the penthouse. Her pain had retransformed into anger, vengefulness lurking in her mind.

Who did Rowan think he was?

He didn't follow her out of the building, he still hadn't tried to reach her cell either. Does he even care? Nikita was a childhood friend, but did she have to matter that much?

"I feel you. That shit lame." Chiko validated her feelings, both spoken and unspoken the entire time. "You should've whooped her ass."

Tipping the driver, Halle got out of the cab and headed to the elevator. The wall behind reflected her red eyes, and the glitter on her shoulders.

"Maybe this is your fault." She mused.

"Me?" He got up to refill his beverage.

"Yes, you suggested this dress, oh and you sent the bottle to the house." Halle realized that that's really where the foolishness had begun.

"And who gave me the address?"

"Chill." She giggled. "I still haven't tasted it."

She threw the front door open and immediately kicked off her shoes. The Sauternes was chilled nicely when she pulled it out of the fridge, and her mouth watered when she got a whiff.

"Mmm," she hummed when she took the first sip.

"I know what I'm talking about, huh?" Chiko gloated.

"Mhm, I'll give you that."

Two and a half glasses later, she found herself in a thong, makeup free, searching for something comfortable to change into. Chiko had taken over the majority of the conversation, his voice becoming akin to a lullaby.

"Halle?"

She pulled an oversized white t-shirt over her head, her dark areolas visible underneath the thin cotton. "Yes?"

"Just making sure you ain't sleep. Why're you so quiet?"

"'Cause," she crawled into the bed, stifling a yawn. "You sound so good."

The words had left before she could reel them back in, but once they were out, she didn't have the mental capacity to be ashamed.

The corners of his mouth lifted into a smirk. "I know."

Normally, she would laugh at his cockiness, but right now she wanted to hear more. The wine had worked its way into her system.

"Say something else," Halle requested.

Her hands moved over her ribcage to cup her breasts, and she closed her eyes.

"Like what? Like you sexy as fuck and should've ended your night with your legs between my head? Like I been waiting on you to give me the okay since we went to the bar?"

Soft breathing was all he heard on the other line as her fingers navigated south.

"Or... like I wouldn't even have to touch you to make you cum? I know that you'll do anything that I say right now. Spread your pussy."

His pants became tighter, and he wanted so badly to see what was going on, but for now, he'd deal with the sounds of her whimpering.

Chiko was going to get there one step at a time.

~

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- So, who do you think is wrong?

- Is Halle a hypocrite?

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