Chapter 36: The Unexpected Effect of Not Wearing Lipstick

“Finally! A week to myself.” Octavia sighed, flopping onto the couch.

Gracie peeked over the edge of the mechanical design textbook she was reading. “The entire week? Don’t you mean ‘weekend’?”

Octavia shook her head gleefully. “I mean week. I get the whole week off.”

Sierra was sitting at the nearby dining table molding lumpy balls out of a powdery concoction in a large metal bowl.

She had several odd-shaped lumps laid out on squares of plastic paper with labels stuck to them reading ‘Sierra Suds Bath Bomb.’

“What about work?” Sierra asked. Her face brightened. “Did you get fired?”

“No,” Octavia answered, frowning. “Mr. Raemon Kentworth is out of the office this week. He leaves for a trip tomorrow morning.”

“Aren’t you supposed to go where he goes?” Sierra asked sulkily.

“Not this time. This trip of his is more pleasure than business, I think,” Octavia said. “He’s spending a week at the Bridlington-Scott beach mansion with none other than Lila Bridlington-Scott.”

Sierra’s jaw gaped. “The Lila Scott?”

“Self-made millionaire model-slash-heiress? Yes.” Octavia responded.

Sierra’s eyes glazed over, the gray lump of bath bomb fell out of her hands and back onto the table. “It’s…it’s over,” she said in a small voice. “There’s no way I can compete with that.”

“With who? Lila Scott?” Octavia asked.

“Duh,” Sierra snapped. “If she and Raemon are dating…it’s over for me. No way would he choose me over her.”

“I honestly think the chances of him choosing Lila are just as strong as him choosing you,” Octavia said.

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better,” Sierra said.

“I’m really not,” Octavia replied.

“I’m surprised he didn’t make you go along with him,” Gracie spoke up.

“To be honest, so am I,” Octavia said.

“It seems like the sort of sadistic thing he would do. Force me to tag along and watch him wine-and-dine an heiress. Just to hand him a pencil or something. Thank god he’s not that much of a sociopath.”

“He must really be into that woman,” Gracie said.

Octavia shrugged. “He wants to strike up some kind of business deal with her father. Her family owns—”

“Voyage Express, I know,” Gracie said, “a deal between them and Icarus Tech would undoubtedly be advantageous.”

“Isn’t it weird he has to flirt with the guy’s daughter to do that though?” Octavia said.

“You’d think Raemon would just straight up ask him to go into business or something. But I guess being Mr. Bridlington-Scott’s daughter’s boyfriend gives him some sort of advantage.”

“Even more weird that her father is okay using his daughter’s romantic partners to initiate business deals,” Gracie added.

“That’s how the Bridlington-Scotts do business, I guess.” Octavia frowned. “Why do they have to be called the Bridlington-Scotts? Why can’t they just officially shorten it to ‘Scott’?”

“Old family names,” Gracie said. “Many years ago, an Oscar Bridlington married a Rosemary Scott. Their combined family wealth resulted in the Bridlington-Scotts fortune of today.

“I don’t think either side wants to see their name disappear.”

“Well, Bridlington is definitely losing,” Octavia said. “Why not just combine the names? How about ‘Bridlinotts’?”

“Sounds like curse word in a foreign language,” Gracie said.

“Okay, why not just use initials, then? It could be Mr. and Mrs. B.S.—actually, never mind,” Octavia said.

“Now that’s just a plain curse word,” Gracie said.

“Hello?!” Sierra interjected. “The real issue here is that he’s going to end up engaged to Lila Scott—and I haven’t even met him!” she wailed.

“He’s really not all that nice to meet,” Octavia said.

“You would say that. You’re trying to cut me out. I knew you would do this to me.” Sierra moaned.

“Jeez,” Octavia said, “what do you expect me to do? Say, ‘Hey, Mr. Kentworth, my housemate would really like to meet you in hopes you fall for her and propose marriage right way.

“You’ve got an opening on your schedule for two thirty tomorrow. Shall I pencil her in?’”

Sierra glared at Octavia with enough venom in her eyes to paralyze a cobra. She went back to molding her bath bombs.

“Say what you want. But I hate to break it to you, neither one of us is getting him. Not with Lila Scott in the picture,” Sierra said.

“I am eternally grateful to her,” Octavia said complacently.

“I’m serious,” Sierra said. “You don’t stand a chance with him. It doesn’t matter how smart you are.”

“And once again, beauty wins over brains. Tragic,” Octavia said.

The textbook in Gracie’s hands dropped. “I don’t know,” she started thoughtfully.

“He’s always had beautiful women around him, and it’s not like their superior looks kept him interested. Octavia may not be much to look at, but he’s still keeping her around.”

“Thanks,” Octavia said dryly.

“She’s his employee,” Sierra said. “It’s not like he’s sleeping with her.”

“She did sleep in his bed, though,” Gracie said.

Sierra’s jaw dropped even farther this time. “You…did…WHAT????”

Octavia’s face whipped to Gracie’s with a look of betrayal. “I am never telling you anything ever again,” she stated.

“She slept in his bed,” Gracie supplied, ignoring Octavia. “In fact, he basically tucked her in.”

Octavia’s face dropped into both of her palms with a muffled groan.

“HOW IS THIS HAPPENING?????” Sierra howled.

“It’s nothing,” Octavia said, “he only acted like that because I blackma—” she stopped herself.

“Because you what?” Sierra demanded.

“Um…because…he…wants me to, uh…not sue for psychological damages.”

Sierra was still despondent. “This is SO unfair. I should have slept in his bed. I should have been the one he tucked in. I would have made it worth his while, at least.”

Octavia raised her eyebrows but didn’t say anything. Gracie, however, asked, “How so?”

Sierra gave them both a superior look. “I know things, okay? I know how to make a man happy.”

“A useful skill,” Octavia commented.

“Especially in this economy,” Gracie added.

Sierra crossed her arms over her chest.

“What do you two know about it? Do you know what to do with a man’s cock in your mouth? Guys love that. A woman needs to know how to give good head. It’s like, our feminine power.”

The corners of Octavia’s mouth twitched. “Really?”

“Absolutely,” Sierra said.

“Can’t guys suck dick too?” Gracie asked.

“They’re probably better at it,” Octavia said, “bigger jaws, you know. Stronger mouth muscles.”

“I guess that make the ‘feminine power’ both masculine and feminine,” Gracie added. “Who would have thought you’d find equality in blow jobs?”

“I’d prefer to leave dick-sucking to the males,” Octavia said. “It’s basically a choking hazard.”

“What about women? Who’s going to go down on the female sex?” Gracie asked.

“Hell, men can do that too,” Octavia said with a grin. “We should get to enjoy those jaw muscles. That can be the ‘masculine power.’”

“So men get both the ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ power? Figures. They always get everything,” Gracie said with a mock scowl.

“Oh, I don’t think we’d mind it in this case,” Octavia answered.

“MY POINT IS,” Sierra announced, drawing the conversation back to herself, “I’m the better choice for him. I’m a more sexually satisfying partner.”

“Compared to who?” Octavia asked.

“You, obviously. Even to most women,” Sierra said.

“Want proof? I can show you all the texts I’ve got from guys after sex telling me how amazing I was. The last guy I fucked told me I gave him the best blow job ever.”

“I’m sure you appreciated the honest feedback,” Octavia said. “Was he as good at it as you were?”

Sierra’s face went blank. “What do you mean?”

“Didn’t he go down on you?” Octavia asked.

“Well…no. But he didn’t have to,” Sierra answered.

“Do you not like someone going down on you?” Octavia asked.

“Of course, I do.”

“Then why didn’t he return the favor?”

“Because…he didn’t have to,” Sierra said. “I…I wanted to do that for him. It didn’t matter that I didn’t get anything from him.”

“So you sucked his dick, he patted you on the head, and just left it at that?” Octavia asked. “And you just accepted it?”

“It would appear the feminine power is only meant to give and not receive,” Gracie remarked, turning a page in her book.

“How convenient for the male sex,” Octavia added sarcastically.

“I didn’t care, okay?” Sierra said. “I’m not one of those needy girls who always demands things from guys. I just want to have a good time.”

“Also convenient for the male sex,” Gracie said.

“You would have had a better time if you got back some of what you were so happy to give out,” Octavia said.

Sierra rolled her eyes. “Whatever. What do you know? You’re still a virgin anyway.”

Octavia looked at Sierra in amused disbelief. “What makes you think that?”

“Come on, look at you. No offense, but who’d want to have sex with that?” Sierra said, gesturing to Octavia’s sprawled form on the couch.

Octavia grinned. “You’d be surprised.”

“So…you’re NOT a virgin?”

“Amazingly enough,” Octavia said, “there are some males who actually have wanted to put their penises in my vagina.”

“Is that the plural form of penis?” Gracie said. “I feel like it should be peni.”

“It is a weird word to pluralize,” Octavia agreed.

“Wait…so you’ve actually slept with…men?” Sierra asked, even more incredulously.

“Yes,” Octavia answered slowly, “the word ‘penis’ is usually used in reference to the male species.”

“I…I thought you were a lesbian,” Sierra said. “You know…with the clothes and all. You’re always wearing hoodies…you never wear makeup. You can’t even wear heels.”

Octavia glanced down to her Converse, then back to Sierra. “Ah yes, it’s a well-known fact that the absence of a heel on one’s shoe alters the wearer’s sexuality.”

Sierra scowled. “Seriously, I’ve never seen you with a man.”

“Yes, you have.”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Yes, you have.”

“Who?”

“My ex-boyfriend for one.”

“Who?”

“My ex-boyfriend.”

“What? Are you sure?”

“It’s not the sort of thing I’d forget.”

“I never met him.”

“Yes, you did.”

“When?”

“Remember a few months ago? The guy I would hang out with a lot? He spent a few nights here.”

Sierra’s face remained blank.

“You almost called the cops on him when you found him making coffee in the kitchen one morning?”

Recognition hit Sierra. “That guy? He was your boyfriend?”

“What did you think he was?”

Sierra shrugged. “I dunno, your cousin or something.”

Octavia almost choked on thin air. “Cousin?! He spent the night in my room!”

“I don’t know what weird things you do with your cousins,” Sierra said defensively.

“Well…I don’t do anything weird with cousins…and he wasn’t one of them,” Octavia answered. Her opinion about her housemate had changed drastically in only a few seconds.

“Still, you can’t blame me for thinking that,” Sierra said. “After all, you spend so much time with Gracie, and she’s definitely a lesbian.”

Octavia sighed. “Oh, fuck.”

Gracie looked up from her book. “Someone mention me?”

“Admit it,” Sierra said, giving Gracie’s baseball cap and sports jersey a pointed look, “you’re a lesbian.”

“I’m flattered you think so,” Gracie said calmly. “All the lesbians I know are seriously cool people.”

“Right?” Octavia added. “Isn’t it funny how as soon as you take men out of the picture, women become a lot cooler?”

“It’s telling, that’s what it is,” Gracie replied. She said to Sierra, “But I’m asexual, Sierra.”

Once again, there was blankness on Sierra’s part.

“So…you’re into…animals?”

Octavia had been taking a sip from a soda can when Sierra spoke. A spray of liquid flew out of her mouth at her words. “Sierra!” she spluttered, utterly mortified.

Gracie looked mildly amused. “Not sexually,” Gracie said calmly. “Asexual means not being sexually attracted to anyone. Human, that is.”

“Huh?” Sierra asked dumbly.

“It means I’m not particularly motivated to exercise my feminine power,” Gracie said, “or have anyone exercise that power on me.”

“So you’ve never had sex? Ever?”

“I did once, before I knew being asexual was a thing,” Gracie said. “It was not an experience I wanted to repeat.”

“But how is that possible?” Sierra asked.

“It’s remarkably easy to not do things you don’t want to do actually,” Gracie said.

“But how come—” Sierra started.

“Seriously, Sierra,” Octavia interrupted, “just google it.”

Sierra scowled but turned back to her bath bomb procedure.

Octavia stood.

“Gracie, would you like to join me in my bedroom for a completely nonsexual activity of video games?” Octavia asked pompously.

Gracie set aside her book. “I don’t know. Between my baseball cap and your shoes, we may end up in bed together.”

“I think I have a tube of lipstick somewhere in my room,” Octavia said. “We can fight the effect of our clothing choices with that.”

“I know you’re making fun of me,” Sierra said, glowering at them.

“Us? Why?” Octavia said. “We respect you too much to mock you, Sierra.”

“You inspire us to be better people,” Gracie added earnestly.

Sierra scowled and flipped her hair, snatching one of her bath bombs off the table.

With polite smiles, Octavia and Gracie left for Octavia’s room.