The Makeover Page 6

  “Do you even want her to take him back? If she does, she’s never going to let him spend time with you.”

  She shrugged casually, belying the sudden tightness in her chest at the thought of losing his friendship. But it was because he was funny and sweet. He deserved so much more than a woman who would leave him for another man. “This is what he wants,” she said simply. “I’d like to think that we’ll remain friends. I’ve told him that he can’t let her run roughshod over him or she won’t respect him.”

  “Patterns are hard to break. Even if she does take him back, who says she won’t leave again when someone better comes along?”

  “There’s no one better. Greg is a great guy.”

  Tania pointed at her. “That. That is what I’m talking about. You’re falling for this guy.”

  “I am not. There’s nothing but platonic love between us.”

  “Mm hmm.”

  Mykal turned her attention back to her drink. Her new manicure matched the pale pink concoction. She and Tania had gotten their hair and nails done as part of their girl’s day out. “I liked the new girl at the nail salon. Look at these flowers. They’re flawless.”

  “Don’t try to change the subject. But my nails are fierce, too.” She held out her hand so that Mykal could examine her classic French manicure. “I’ve been thinking about their break up. It had to be something more.”

  Mykal’s eyebrows rose. “You’ve been… Shouldn’t school keep you too busy to worry about stuff like that?”

  “I’m never too busy to think about my friend. Since you’ve been spending so much time with him, and it’s become obvious that the two of you were growing close, I couldn’t help but worry. In my spare time.”

  Shaking her head, she laughed. “I’m so sorry to be taking up your rare spare moments. So what conclusion did you come to that Greg didn’t tell me?”

  “I’m thinking he didn’t tell you because he didn’t know.”

  “What do you think you know that he didn’t?”

  “Sex.”

  “I’m almost afraid to ask.”

  “Think about it, how much fumbling around is a woman expected to put up with? I mean, come on, he’s admitted to being a nerd. He’s probably clueless in that area.”

  She didn’t want to think about Greg and Daria having sex. And if he was bad in bed what could she do about it? Hand him a book? “How am I supposed to find out?” Why was she even listening to Tania? She shook her head to dispel the idea. “Tania, I don’t even know why you’d go there. That’s just so far out into left field.”

  “Would you leave a man who had his own house and car and was dynamite in bed?”

  “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never met such a man,” she said dryly.

  Tania laughed. “Join the club.”

  ***

  Greg cast a surreptitious glance at his watch. Jeff and Ben were playing his Xbox One. The guys had been at his house since before lunch and it was almost time for dinner. He shoved his hands into his hair. Mykal should be home soon and he wanted to be with her.

  It was ironic. When he was with Daria, many nights they’d cuddle and watch the movies she wanted to see. Usually romances or films designed to make a person cry. While he enjoyed some of the films, he couldn’t really understand the logic in crying over fictional characters. Those quiet moments with Daria were good, but she wanted him to be with her all the time, excluding his friends. Even once a month with his friends was more than she was willing to give. Whenever he’d risked her wrath and went out with them, he’d come home to find her pouting. And then she’d give him the silent treatment for days.

  Mykal was different. She liked comic book superhero movies and she didn’t like sappy, emotional films. She let him talk about any topic, be it his games or cartoons without rolling her eyes or yawning. She was the best friend who also happened to have a pair of amazing boobs that a guy like him could ask for.

  “Uh, oh, guys, it’s time to go,” Max said with a grin.

  Greg wasn’t going to object. But he was curious. “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re about to pull out your mane.”

  He dropped his hands. He did tend to pull his hair when he was stressed. It did resemble a mane at the moment, thick and growing well past his collar. He hadn’t cut it since Daria left him. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

  Max glanced at the clock on the wall where Daria’s picture used to hang. “Is Mykal coming over for dinner tonight?”

  He shared dinner with Mykal every night except for Sundays when she ate at her parents’. Sharing meals made sticking to his diet easier. Besides, Mykal wasn’t dating and was usually available. And so was he. Or at least he would be as soon as he could get his friends out of his house. He understood the gaming addiction. Hell, he’d watched the sun rise the first two weeks after buying the Xbox One. Well, he would have seen it if he could have taken his eyes off his television screen. But he’d gotten his addiction under control. And managed to create a small gaming app while working on a more detailed game for gaming systems.

  “Yeah. She’s out with a friend, but she promised to be home for dinner.”

  “Home?” Max lifted a brow. “Did she move in already?”

  “You know what I mean. We take turns.”

  Max nodded. “Come on, guys. Let’s head out.” When Ben and Jeff ignored him, he sighed. Grabbing the remote from the coffee table, he cut off the television. “Time to go,” he repeated patiently as Ben and Jeff let out loud groans.

  “Bathroom break,” Jeff said and ambled off.

  Ben drained his soda can. “You know she’s a lesbian, right?”

  Ben believed any woman who spurned his advances had to be a lesbian. He’d been royally pissed when Mykal wouldn’t go out with him. Though he hadn’t said much, his lips had thinned and his face had turned brick red. “She’s just on a break from men,” Greg replied.

  Ben smirked. “Isn’t that what I said?”

  Greg shook his head. The guys gathered up their stuff and left. He cleaned up their potato chip bags and soda cans. By the time Mykal arrived half an hour later, he’d picked up and vacuumed.

  “Tomorrow after church, we go shopping. We’ve been putting it off long enough.” She slid her fingers into his hair and he wanted to purr as they massaged his scalp. His eyes fluttered to half-mast. “And it’s time for a haircut.” She ran her hands over his shoulders and squeezed his biceps on her way down. There were times when he wondered if she thought he was a puppy. Or an eunuch. It was a good thing he wore baggy pants and long t-shirts that prevented her from seeing the swelling taking place at his groin.

  Mykal was hot and she liked to touch. She cupped his face, stroked his sideburns, and rubbed his jawline. The stubble there made a rasping sound. He’d grown accustomed to her touchy feely ways and he wondered if she treated everyone this way. The idea made him burn with jealousy.

  “You are so handsome,” she murmured. She smiled as he blushed. “Wait until I get you in a proper wardrobe. Daria won’t be able to resist you.”

  He nodded, but the truth was the pain of losing Daria had long since faded. On the rare occasions when he thought of his ex-girlfriend, it was with acceptance that their relationship was over and with the realization that things between them had never been ideal. He’d let Daria lead him around by the nose—or more truthfully, the dick. Without a doubt, she was the hottest woman he’d ever been with and he’d done everything in his power to please her. But it hadn’t been enough. He simply wasn’t what she wanted. He was beginning to realize that outside of the bedroom maybe he hadn’t been so happy after all. And when he wasn’t dreaming about doughnuts at night, it was no longer Daria who he dreamed of fucking. It was no longer her name he ground out when he came in his hand in the shower.

  Mykal tilted her head to the side, causing her severely straight hair, as dark and sleek as a bird’s feath
ers, to fan over her smooth cheek. Her expression was curious. “That’s what you want, right?”

  “Of course,” he answered automatically. If he let her know that he’d changed his mind, there would be no need for her to continue to help him, no reason for her to come over for dinner, no cause to keep her in his life. That Mykal would disappear and that they’d go back to being distant neighbors scared him more than anything.

  Chapter Six

  Since Tania needed a break from studying, Mykal asked her to tag along while she helped Greg purchase clothes. She thought a second woman’s opinion might be helpful. They got off to a shaky start with her having to steer him away from some gaudy shirts and oversized shorts. She decided to begin with casual wear but she wasn’t leaving the mall without at least one suit.

  “Oh, this would look so cute with my turquoise mini skirt.”

  Mykal turned her attention away from the dressing room door where she’d been patiently waiting for Greg to emerge. Tania held up a pair of silver pumps. “We’re not shopping for you,” she reminded her friend for the third time in this store alone.

  “So? That doesn’t mean I can’t buy things, too.”

  Mykal rolled her eyes. Before she could comment, Greg strolled out in a pale blue t-shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders and a pair of jeans that molded themselves to his thighs. She smiled. “You look fantastic. How does it feel?” She stroked her hands down his belly. The shirt was soft and seemed comfy, but for some reason Greg appeared discomfited.

  “It feels fine.”

  She walked around him. The jeans did nice things for his ass, too. “Oh, we’re definitely getting these,” she said on the trip back to his front. There she stopped, a frown forming between her brows. The fit was weird and bulgy in the genital region. She was reaching for his waistband, ready to adjust it when it occurred to her that he might object. Then she realized what she was staring at. He’d stuffed his jeans. Such a male thing to do. She almost rolled her eyes. But as it was a sensitive subject, she’d tackle it when they were alone.

  She cleared her throat. “You can go change and we’ll buy these.”

  “You are so doing him,” Tania whispered once they were alone. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “What are you talking about? I am not.”

  “Really? Then it won’t be long. You can’t keep your hands off him. I’ve never seen you like this with a guy. Not even when you were with Mario.”

  That brought her up short. She did touch Greg a lot. But it didn’t mean anything. “I’m just checking out the fit of his clothes.”

  “Is that what you call staring at his crotch?” She giggled. “Don’t get me wrong. It was hilarious, watching him go as red as a tomato, but did you have to be so obvious?”

  Mykal scoffed at this. “He stuffed his briefs. I was stunned speechless. I’ll talk to him about it later. Size doesn’t matter. When will guys learn that?”

  “Speak for yourself,” Tania muttered as Greg rejoined them.

  They shopped in three more stores before deciding to stop for dinner. Mykal had already discussed her plans for today with her parents while at the morning church service. They knew not to expect her at dinner.

  As usual, they were seated as soon as they walked into Tania’s aunt’s restaurant. The waiter had barely walked away before Tania leaned forward, her gaze intense. “So why did you and Daria break up?” Tania asked.

  Mykal, sitting in the booth next to Greg and opposite Tania, slid down in an attempt to kick her friend in the ankle. But Tania twisted her legs out of her reach so she had to settle for trying to glare her friend into silence. It proved to be an ineffective method.

  Greg shoved his hands into his hair, a habit that indicated he was stressed or uncomfortable. The thick wavy locks were shapeless and utterly without style. She’d get him to cut his hair today if she had to wield the scissors herself. “Um, she said I wasn’t ambitious enough for her.”

  “Uh huh, and what else?”

  “That was pretty much it.” He shot Mykal a pleading look.

  “We’re trying to help here, Greg,” Tania continued. “Were there some…um…problems in the bedroom?”

  ***

  Greg glanced from one beautiful woman to the other. They thought Daria had left him because he was lousy in bed? He didn’t think that was the case as he recalled their sexual encounters. She’d wanted him often. Most times, she was the instigator. He didn’t think she would have done that if he’d been mediocre or worse. It was definitely what he missed most about her. She knew what she wanted and she never hesitated to make her wants known. And she certainly seemed to enjoy the sex. He’d hate to think her eardrum shattering squeals were simply for show.

  He cleared his throat. “She never complained.” He refused to elaborate further. If he were alone with Mykal, he might be willing to say more. Though it did disturb him that she also seemed to harbor some doubt about his abilities.

  Tania shook her head. “We never do.”

  And then he began to wonder. Did she leave because he didn’t satisfy her? Is that why she’d turned to Gary? Why she didn’t hesitate to leave him? He always gave her whatever she wanted. All she had to do was ask and it was hers. It was enough to have him pulling on his hair again.

  After dinner, Mykal took him to a barber. She slid her fingers over his scalp as she detailed to the stylist what she wanted done with his hair. There were times when he felt like her Ken doll. He kept in mind that she’d assured him if he ever disagreed with her, he could always object. But that was difficult to do when she had her hands on him. His dick had been hard throughout half their shopping trip.

  The barber, a girl with a white hair styled into a Mohawk with pink tipped spikes and earrings running the length of her ears, nodded at Mykal’s instructions. She wet his hair with water from a spray bottle. And then she began cutting. Locks of his hair floated silently to the floor. Fifteen minutes passed and then she spun him in the chair.

  His hair was close-cut on the sides, slightly longer on top and spiky. This way his sideburns stood out. Those had been trimmed also so that they were even and ended mid-ear.

  He ran a hand over the back of his head. Such a small thing, but it changed his appearance entirely. The new haircut, the new clothes, and the weight loss had him staring at his own reflection in wonder.

  Mykal stood behind him with her hands clasped together. “Do you like it?” From her barely contained enthusiasm, he could tell that she liked the look.

  He nodded. “Yeah, I think I do.”

  “Great. Now we should discuss our final steps.”

  Greg took a deep breath. He should be looking forward to what came next. Instead his belly cramped. They were so close. Staring at himself, he knew that the guy in the mirror could win Daria back. The question was…did he still want that? That empty, lonely feeling he’d had when she first left him was gone. Other than when Mykal mentioned her, he didn’t even think about Daria anymore. “Come over to my place for a movie tonight?” he asked.

  “Sure.”

  ***

  Balancing a large bowl of popcorn in one hand, Mykal climbed onto Greg’s bed. Greg set up the DVD player and turned out the light. He joined her on the bed before starting the movie. She fluffed up the pillows at her back before settling down. This wasn’t the first time they’d watched movies in his bedroom. She’d even fallen asleep on a few occasions. Greg would wake her up and walk her home when the movie ended. Of course, she didn’t tell Tania or she would never hear the end of it.

  Greg grabbed a handful of popcorn. “So…what’s next?”

  “You have to run into Daria accidentally.”

  “How am I going to do that?”

  “I know a club she frequents.”

  He frowned. “Does she go alone or with Gary?”

  “I think it’s a girl’s night thing. She’s usually with a group of fri
ends.”

  “She never did that when we were together. At least, I don’t think she did.”

  Mykal smiled and scooped up some popcorn. “Maybe she’s bored with Gary. It could be a good sign.”

  “Or she’s living it up and she won’t want to come back.” He sighed and tried to run his hands through his hair. He laughed as his fingers grasped air. “I forgot.”

  She grinned. “It suits you. It’s sexy.” And it was. The shorter hair made his pale eyes appear larger and more luminous. His lashes were thick. They were longer at the edge of his eye, giving him a sleepy, sexy look. He’d taken to the diet with a determination that proved his love for Daria. He’d lost the extra weight and carved out muscles by lifting weights. His arms were cut and his abdomen was flat. Even now in a simple t-shirt and sweat pants, he was yummy. And all she could think was that Daria sure as hell didn’t deserve him.

  Greg cleared his throat. “Um, what if Tania is right? What if she left me because I’m lousy in bed?”

  “Oh, Greg, don’t let Tania mess with your confidence.” She should have tried harder to kick Tania! “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” But he wouldn’t meet her gaze. Sighing, she moved the popcorn bowl to a nightstand table. She grabbed the remote and paused the movie. “Okay, give me your repertoire.”

  “My what?”

  “What do you do in bed? If we were going to do it, what would be your first move?”

  “If we…” Face red, he cleared his throat. “Um, I guess I’d start with a kiss.” He stared at her mouth and she could feel her lips tingle. “I’d kiss you deep to see if you taste as good as you smell. I’d kiss your earlobes and your neck, breath in your sweet fragrance.” He took a shuddering breath. “I’d take your clothes off, undressing you slowly to reveal each inch of your beautiful body. I imagine your breasts to be like mounds of toffee topped with chocolate kisses. I’d hold them in my hands as I sucked the centers.” His voice had taken on a rough husky tone. His pupils had enlarged to the point that there was little light blue left at all.