Beg Me (Power Play Series) Read Free Page A

decision to bed the mover.  I throw the items in and start the washer. 
    At the sight of him coming down the steps, I regret having him in my loft, in my bed all over again. I grab the money from the table in the foyer.
    “Thank you so much for your help today.”  I smile and hand him his fee. He takes it and puts in his pocket.
    “Well, you have my number.  Maybe we can get together and do this again sometime.” He says lowering his face, trying to get me to look at him. I hate this part.  I hear voices and look behind me to where Cheri and Lauren are in the kitchen pretending to be occupied with something on the counter.
    “Um sure, this was fun, but I’ve got a really crazy schedule.” I lie. 
    He leans in and we share an awkward kiss goodbye.  I watch him walk back to his truck as I close the door and lock it.   I hear Cheri’s voice first.
    “I hope she doesn’t plan on banging every guy in the tri-state area, there won’t be a single man left for us.” She says mockingly “And I don’t know about you Lauren, but I don’t want to play pass the penis with Viv.”
    “Maybe we just need an intervention.” Lauren says softly and puts her hand on my arm. “I don’t know what is worse, seeing you in the pain from what happened or watching you turn yourself into the Nympho of the North” 
    How dare she bring that up!    I glare at her in warning, and she knows she has gone too far.
    “I’m sorry Viv.  I’m not trying to hurt you, I love you…we both love you.” Lauren quickly says, taking a step back.
    Now I’m angry, I feel so filled with hate. My past starts to play back in my head like a movie.
    “For what you get from these guys that you see,” Lauren continues and makes air quotes at the word see.  “It’s like you’re just letting them use you.”  
    I am so not in the mood for their comments or judgments right now.
    “Ignoring your pain isn’t going to make it go away.” She does it again.  I am so disgusted with her using those fucking air quotes when she talks to me.  I lose it. “Since when do you get to be so damn condescending to me?”  I say angrily.
    “I don’t know what you mean.” Lauren replies, with a shocked look.
    “YOU !” I say as I take a step closer and poke her in the chest, “and those fucking air quotes that you make.  Just come out and say what’s on your mind.  Oh wait, that’s right, standing up for yourself isn’t your style, Mouse.” I retort using her childhood nickname as an insult.
    “Viv, stop it.”  Cheri says.  “I don’t want us to fight.”
    But I am ready for a fight; I need to get rid of the rage that has set up shop in my chest.
    “ Oh, no. You wanted an intervention, let’s have it”, I yell.
    “How d are you be so quick to judge me? You always judge me. I think you need to quit being jealous of me and stop trying to control my life. Go live your own.   Don’t forget, I know your secrets too, and you are both just as fucked up as I am” I blurt out without thinking.
    I know that I have hurt them, but that’s just how it is when you yourself are hurting.  You hurt those that are closest to you, the ones you love. 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Two
    “I didn’t mean it.  I’m sorry.”  I say softly as I extend my arms out in hopes of a group hug.
    Lauren doesn’t even acknowledge me.  I watch as she grabs her purse and walks out the back door, and I start to feel that familiar pain in my chest.
    “Geezus Viv!  If there is going to be all this drama, we may need to rethink this whole living arrangement.  You are not the only one hurting you know, Lauren has been going through a lot lately.” Cheri says scolding me.
    “I didn’t know, she didn’t say anything to me.” I reply defensively.
    We usually tell each other everything; I wonder why I don’t know what’s going on.
    “Well maybe you would know if you took your head out of your