Free The Suicide Princess by Anthony Bryan Page A

clothes and freshened with perfume, Stephanie put her makeup on. She applied just enough to be almost bordering on too much; she not only wanted to be bad, she also wanted to look the part in every way. She left her work heels on as she left the office, only putting her playtime heels on once she was safely in the privacy of her car. The wheels on Stephanie's car chirped loudly as she excitedly pulled out of the parking garage and made her way to Derrick.
    Stephanie parked her car a few blocks from the coffee shop where she was to meet with Derrick. She was frustrated by having to walk so far in the heels, but she also felt lucky to have even found a parking spot at this time of day. Stephanie did everything she could to stay focused and not crumble from anxiety. As Stephanie walked to the coffee shop, she felt the stare of every man she walked past. Their gazes made her feel like they knew of the secret lingerie beneath her clothes, but in fact, it was just the sexuality she was exuding which they were picking up on. Her makeup, her strut, her heels, she was a woman any man would be happy to even fantasize about, but tonight she was all Derrick's.
    Stephanie was quite early for her meeting, so she stopped into a nearby pub to grab a bite befor e meeting with Derrick. The bar-tender, while still wiping a pint glass dry, turned and welcomed her to the bar.
    “Hi, can I get you a menu, or are you just here for a drink?” he asked.
    “Do you have a Caesar salad?”
    “No, I'm sorry,” he apologetically replied. “We do have a house salad, though.”
    “Can I get chicken on that?”
    “Yeah, we have chicken tenders. I can just cut a couple up and throw them in.”
    “That would be perfect,” Stephanie said with a smile.
    “And to drink?” he asked.
    “Water with a lemon, please.”
    “Water with a lemon, and a house salad with some chicken thrown in,” the bartender repeated.
    “You know what,” Stephanie paused before continuing, “Make it a Jack and Coke.”
    Stephanie knew she was going to be tested once she was with Derrick, and she knew there may be things that she might not be one hundred percent comfortable with, but she did not want to disappoint him. Stephanie recognized this as the opportunity to actually live out her fantasies, and she didn't want to look back with disappointment. She promised to remove the word “no” from her vocabulary for one night.
    After she barely touched her salad, but easily washed down three cocktails, Stephanie realized it was time to go meet her fate. The bartender handed her the bill, and she passed him her debit card to pay. The bartender was back at the point of sale register, and he was just about to swipe her card, when Stephanie yelled, “Stop! Stop! Don't swipe it.”
    Stephanie was intent on only having a short affair with Derrick, and she absolutely never wanted Jacob to ever find out about her indiscretions. As an attorney, she was also something of an investigator, and she knew even the smallest slip up could lead to her being caught. Having her bar visit appear on her and Jacob's bank statement could be the first step to her secret unraveling, and Stephanie knew better than to leave such a clue.
    “What's wrong?” asked the bartender.
    “Don't use that card, please. I just realized that's the wrong one. Here, let me pay in cash.”
    “Cash works just fine for me,” the bartender said as he returned her debit card.
    Stephanie left the bar and walked to the coffee shop. She looked at her watch and she knew she was going to be right on time. The buzz of her cocktails had alleviated nearly all of her earlier anxiety, and the anxiety had shifted into complete anticipation. The heels of her shoes made a distinct clicking sound with each step.
    Stephanie walked into the small coffee shop where she saw Derrick sitting on a plush loveseat in the back corner. Derrick had one ankle resting on the opposite knee, and both arms stretched along the top of the loveseat.