"Just another lousy night," Riley muttered as she walked out into the night, leaving the whine and scream of the rock bar where she waitressed behind her. Lately it seemed that the tips were getting smaller and the numbers of hands groping her nightly were getting bigger. At first it was fun, dressing up in 80's grunge, going to work, getting a little slap and tickle and a big chunk of change all seemed worth it. The novelty of the place was wearing off and instead of enjoying the crowd and the night life; Riley dreaded walking this stretch of pavement to work more and more. Tonight everything just seemed to be going wrong.
First she was late to work for which she got prime ass-ripping for, and then Riley was assigned to serve the men there for poker night. All old, lecherous men with their leering eyes and grabbing fingers. One had had the audacity to grab her and spank her repeatedly in his excitement over winning a big pot. Her butt was still sore from the thrashing she received for the rest of the night. She wouldn't have minded so much if it was from a young, virile man, instead of a wrinkly, limp geezer. Sighing, she put her head down, clutched the night's earnings in her coat pocket and walked faster, the cool November breeze freezing her bare legs.
She watched the pattern of the street lamps on the pavement and thought of her dreary life. No friends, no family, no love...and a bad excuse for a job. After leaving her husband and their cold marriage behind in Iowa, Riley had moved west, hoping to find some place to begin a new life. Las Vegas seemed like a good choice, a place were everything could easily be forgotten. And so she settled in, found a cheap but decent apartment and went looking for work. She had waitressed a bit in college, before she had gotten married, so Riley thought it would be a good way to make some quick money to start out. And three years later she was still at the same joint she had started out in, in just about the same financial shape.
Riley shook her head and looked forward, the click of her high heels echoing against the dark store fronts. She hugged herself against the chill and hurried on, the neon sign on her apartment building coming into view. Using her key code, Riley entered the building and walked up the four flights to her apartment, opened the door, tossed her stuff on the floor and leaned back against the closed door. The darkness and hush of the living room was welcoming, enveloping her in its soft caress. All depressed thoughts were shed from her mind as she removed each layer of clothing, dropping it on the floor as she walked to the bedroom.
Moonlight fell in the windows, casting a silvery glow on the mirror beside her bed. A woman with tussled midnight locks, lush, feminine curves, and strong, silky legs stared back at her. Running her hands down her side, Riley caressed the sides of her soft white bosom, and down the flaring curves of her hips. Turning, one milky buttock was red, with the defined outline of a large hand. She chuckled, thinking that must have been one lusty man, and gently touched the rosy skin. A tingle of pain inflamed the flesh, sending a sliver of heat throughout her.
It had disturbed her husband that she needed to feel pain to achieve real orgasm, but he also balked at anything other than missionary position once they had been married. How could a man go from wild and full of curiosity to pure conservatism? Shaking her head at the memory, Riley moved to the bed, pulling back the rich Egyptian cotton. It was cool against her bare flesh, chilling her arousal. She closed her eyes, the fringe of her lashes tickling the skin, and cleared her mind for sleep.
A sharp knocking on the door startled her awake, pulling her from a dream of men and leather. Looking around the room for her robe it was still dark, moonlight still littering her bedroom floor. The knocking continued, getting louder. Peering through the peephole, Riley groaned. Jack, fuck. "Go away, I'm sleeping Jack," she ground out.
"Ri, answer the door. Come on, please," he whined, putting his hands down to his sides. Growling in frustration she opened the door and Jack hurried past chased by the scent of pure male musk. Why did he always have to smell so damn good, she thought, closing and locking the door. Turning around she watched him pace back and forth in the dark, fists clenched at his sides.
"What happened this time?"
"Ri, I didn't do anything. She just kicked me out. I haven't cheated on her since before we went to therapy. Things were going great and then tonight, I get home, and my stuff is sitting on the front steps and the locks are changed," Jack said, running a hand through his short, salt and pepper hair. He had started turning gray when they were sophomores in high school. Jack always said they made him look more sophisticated. Riley had thought so too until he crushed her by wanting to date her best friend instead of her. Then they had the bad taste to go and get married while she was away on her honeymoon. Some how they had stayed friends, though Riley still kept a healthy dose of resentment towards him and the fact that he didn't know how much she secretly loved him.
Looking away from him before that resentment rose up and bubbled out of her mouth, she flopped down on the couch as he cursed and rambled about his wife and how she was crazy. Finally, after listening to him rant and rave for an hour, Riley sat up. "Will you just quit bitching about her Jack? Please? Fuck, I had a shitty night, you woke me up, and then you make me sit here and hear about a fucking woman who doesn't give a fuck about you!"
Jack stopped in his tracks and stared at Riley in shock, further feeding the fire. "I don't give a shit if you stay here, but don't make me listen to you moan over that stupid bitch!" she cried, throwing her hands down, standing up and stomping up to him to poke him in the chest.
Grabbing her hand, Jack stopped her and held her in front of him. Riley glared up at him, her body vibrating with irritation. "What the hell has gotten in to you? Christ, if you're gonna be like that forget it. I'll stay at James'," he yelled, pushing her back and stalking to the door.
"Oh fuck Jack. Don't be such a god-damn baby," Riley growled, pulling him back over to the couch. "I'll get you a pillow. You can sleep here." Pushing him onto the couch she went to her room.
Digging through the cedar chest, she muttered to herself about men and manipulation. A soft caress on her bum made her yelp and jump forward, clutching at the robe. "What the hell Jack!" she screamed at him, tying the belt tightly.
"What happened to your butt? Looks like you took a helluva beating," he said as he reached forward, wanting to inspect it again. "You've got handprints all over the back of your thigh and butt!"
