Pulse Read online

  “…What?”

  “There will be other nights. What do you say we take our chances then?”

  “Wait, you’re serious? You don’t want to go all the way tonight?”

  “Is that all I am? Just some fling for you to have some fun with?”

  “Well… Yeah. I mean we don’t have to use the alley…”

  I chuckled at him and he started to do the same. This had never happened before. We were in the middle of something and all of a sudden he was turning me down just because we got caught.

  What kind of game is this guy playing?

  “Am I going to see you again?” I asked him.

  “Does it matter?”

  “Of course. I thought you said you wanted to fuck a Natasha.”

  “I do. Do you know one?”

  He smirked at me and I began to laugh. His hands slowly dropped out of mine. He leaned in close to me and kissed me on the lips. I was immediately reminded of what it felt like in the alley just moments ago. I didn’t want to let him go. At least not without getting what I wanted from him.

  “Maybe I’ll see you around,” he said.

  “Wait. You’re just going to leave me here?”

  “Isn’t your friend waiting for you?”

  “Well, yeah, she is. But—”

  “Then I suggest you should go check on her.”

  He slowly began to back away. I stood there dumbfounded. He winked at me then turned away from me. I watched him disappear down the street. Not only did I not get what I wanted from him, I still had no clue who he was. None of it made any sense. But instead of trying to figure it out, I headed back into the club in search of my friend and another man who could satisfy the fire started by a man I called James.

  Chapter 4

  My head wasn’t throbbing as much as I thought it would. When I finally opened my eyes, I found myself alone in my bed. I drank more than I thought I would but the memory of last night was still clear in my head. It was already late in the afternoon and the sun was high in the sky. When I finally regained my senses, the most vivid memory from last night returned to me.

  I didn’t know who he was. James—or whatever his name might be—ran off on me without giving me a chance to get to know him better. I didn’t even get to know him in the way my body was craving. When I got back inside of the club, I was too disappointed to hook-up with any of the scraps remaining. Danica had more fun than I did.

  Who was that guy?

  I was still intrigued. It wasn’t just because I was so attracted to him. The mystery surrounding his identity was bothering me just as much. I sighed and shoved myself out of bed. I decided that now wasn’t the time to think any longer about the man who almost fucked me in a back alley.

  I took a shower to wash away the filth of a night at the club then drank a lot of water to try and rehydrate myself. The hangover I was experiencing wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I still had work to do today but thankfully, I wouldn’t have to dress up to do it.

  I plopped myself down in front of my computer and looked over all of my information. Now that I was finally graduating, I didn’t want to waste any time in taking the next step. I made sure that all of my credentials were correct as I typed out my resume. There were dozens of jobs available to me and I would be happy to take any of them. Now it was just a matter of convincing someone to hire me.

  Most of my studying was in business and market analysis. I figured that the best paying jobs were the ones that involved money directly. Ideally, I would find myself making important decisions for a company when it came to making investments and spending money. Of course, I knew that I wouldn’t just be handed some job just because I had a college degree. I was prepared to work my way to the top and I was starting as soon as possible.

  Despite the task, it was a lazy Friday morning. It was rare that I had this opportunity to myself. Usually I was in class, attending some lecture or studying for an exam. I was free to spend this time however I wanted. After taking an early night out to myself, I figured it was only fair to get some work done during the day. As I typed away at computer, I heard a knock at my door. I wasn’t expecting anybody. I tried to ignore it but there was another knock.

  “Alice, are you home? Open up.”

  I sighed as I got up out of my chair. I opened the door and was surprised to see my entire family standing there.

  “Alice!” my mom exclaimed. “It’s so great to see you!”

  “Mom? What are you doing here?”

  “What do you mean?” she asked as she hugged me. “We got your message. We know that your graduation is this weekend. You think we’d miss it?”

  “No… It’s just that I didn’t expect you to be in town so soon.”

  “It’s only a couple of days,” my dad joined in. “We’ll be gone before you know it. Don’t worry. We got a hotel room. We have a place to stay.”

  “You didn’t have to—”

  “Are we interrupting something?” he asked.

  “No. No, it’s fine.”

  “We wouldn’t have stopped by if you’d answered your phone. How come you didn’t pick up?”

  “I guess… I was busy, that’s all.”

  I forgot about checking my phone. After spending a night out on the town, the last thing I needed to do was try to get in touch with people. I was usually too drunk or hungover to do anything else.

  “Come in,” I said. “Come in.”

  “Hey, sis.”

  “Hey, Brian.”

  My younger brother Brian was there behind my parents. I hadn’t seen him in so long that he looked completely different from the last time. He looked just like a teenager on the verge of high school would. I gave him a hug while my parents examined my apartment.

  “Look at this place!” my mom exclaimed. “It’s a mess! Can’t you find the time to clean-up?”

  “No, I can’t,” I told her. “What does it matter? It’s not like I have anybody over.”

  “Still, that’s no excuse to be living like a slob. This place is a sty!”

  “All right, mom! I get it. I’ll clean my apartment as soon as I get the chance. I’ll have more time to now that I’m done with school anyway.”

  “Good. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”

  “This isn’t my room…”

  I muttered under my breath. Despite having been away from home for college for four years now, my mother never stopped. Every time she stopped by she treated me like a child still living under her roof. It felt like I was back in my parents’ house once again.

  “Make yourself at home,” I said. “I just need to get some work done on the computer.”

  “Work?” my dad asked. “I thought you said you were finished.”

  “I am. I just need to get my resume ready and start applying for work. My loans are piling up and I don’t have much money in my account—”

  “What’s wrong? Do you need money? Do you need help, Alice?”

  “Dad! I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”

  “Alice, you know that we’re always here to help you. We’re there when you need it.”

  “I know… I know you are. Just… let me do this on my own. Don’t worry. I’m not desperate. I’m sure I’ll find a job and start paying back my debt real soon.”

  “I know you will.”

  My dad walked over to me and gave me a hug. He looked down at me with his hands upon my shoulders. When he stared into my eyes, I could see the emotion inside of him.

  “I can hardly believe it,” he said. “My little girl is graduating. You know you’re the first person in our family to get her college degree.”

  “I know, dad.”

  I was constantly reminded that if I managed to get through school, I would be the first to do it. I had aunts and uncles and distant cousins that gave it a shot but they never stuck with it. Even my parents themselves tried it out before realizing it wasn’t for them. Even though I would never admit it, part of the reason I worked
so hard was because I knew it meant so much to them. And now that this time was finally here, I had to tell myself not to get too emotional. I felt embarrassed just being with my family in my apartment even though there was nobody here to laugh at me.

  “So what are you guys going to do?” I asked. “My graduation ceremony isn’t for a couple of days.”

  “Oh, Alice,” my mother laughed. “Do you really want to be rid of us so soon?”

  “No. No, that’s not it. I just don’t know what you plan on doing here. There’s not much to do in the city except—”

  “We don’t have to do anything. We just want to spend time with you and enjoy the weekend. Isn’t that enough, sweetheart?”

  “…Yeah,” I sighed. “Of course. I… I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  “Listen, you go ahead and get your work done. I’ll clean this place up a little. Your father and brother will make you something for lunch. And when you’re done, you can show us around the city. It doesn’t matter if it’s nothing special.”

  “Okay.”

  I nodded to her. I knew better than to argue. The truth was that I was really happy to see them. I just didn’t know what else they expected from me with my graduation still a ways off. But true to her word, my mother stayed out of my business. I was more than capable of cleaning up my apartment for myself but I let her do it anyway. While I worked on my resume and filled out my first few applications, I inhaled the scent of the food my father was cooking for my late lunch. It felt like I was back home and for a moment, I wasn’t worried about anything else.

  * * *

  I managed to finally finish my resume but there were still dozens of applications I had to send out. There were a lot of job openings in the city but I wasn’t going to leave it to chance. If more than one offer were given to me, I would be able to choose the best opportunity to start my career.

  I spent the rest of my time lounging around in my apartment with my family. I asked them how things were back home and they were just fine, as expected. The only thing that had changed was that I no longer lived with them. When I left for school, I knew that my life would no longer be the same. For the past four years, I focused entirely on my studies, not counting the occasional weekend excursions. Now that school was finally over, I realized that work would take its place. I figured I might as well enjoy my time with my family now that they were here. They were part of the reason I worked so hard in the first place.

  My parents insisted on going out for dinner. We ended up in a restaurant downtown that I had only heard about. With no money in my purse or my bank account, I never had the opportunity to try it out. I sat there in the restaurant with my parents and my younger brother.

  “How is this place?” my father asked me as he examined a menu.

  “I don’t know,” I replied. “I’ve never been here before.”

  “You’ve never been here? Then why would you take us here.”

  “Because I’ve heard good things. A lot of good things. That many people can’t be wrong.”

  “Alice, just because some place is popular doesn’t mean you’re going to enjoy it, too.”

  “I know. But you don’t know that you’re not going to enjoy it either. Dad, trust me. This is what I do. This is the kind of work I’m looking for.”

  “Picking out which restaurants to eat at?”

  “Kind of.”

  I explained to my family what it was I studied and what I planned on doing. I told them about the nature of businesses and how important decisions hinged upon understanding the market. It was true that some decisions were made based on intuition and a gut feeling but the correct choices were usually made by people who knew what they were doing.

  “That sounds like a lot of work,” my mother said to me. “Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

  “I am,” I said. “And even if I wasn’t, it’s not like I have much of a choice.”

  “Still, Alice. That sounds like a lot of pressure. Did they really teach you how to handle that in school?”

  “Yes, mom,” I laughed. “Not everybody handles the situation the same way but I know everything that it encompasses. I’ve read books and written papers on this kind of stuff. I’m ready to apply it to some real work.”

  “You hear that, Brian?” my father said to my brother. “Your sister sounds really intelligent, doesn’t she?”

  “I guess,” Brian shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t really see what the big deal is.”

  “Alice, say something to your brother,” my father instructed me.

  I turned and looked at him. The young teenager I saw sitting there reminded me of how I used to be. So free-spirited without a care in the world. I knew that he was worried more about playing video games and spending time with girls than studying. I didn’t want to force him to focus on getting good grades and getting into a good university. I wasn’t sure what to say to him.

  “How is school, by the way?” I asked Brian.

  “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “It’s fine, I guess.”

  “Yeah,” I nodded. “I’m sure it is. Is there anything you like studying in particular?”

  “Not really. I guess I like music.”

  “Music? Maybe you should join the marching band.”

  “Band? Yeah, right! Those guys are dorks!”

  I laughed at my brother’s disgust. I turned back to my father and saw him staring back at me.

  “Don’t worry about him,” I said. “Just let Brian figure things out for himself. Just like you did with me. You remember that I didn’t do too well in high school.”

  “Don’t remind us,” my mother chimed in.

  “I know, I know. But I finally focused. And I’m here. I’m… I’m good now.”

  “Well, I don’t know if you’re ready for the real world,” my father said. “I still don’t understand exactly what you plan on doing… But we’re proud of you, Alice. We’re real proud of you.”

  “I can’t believe it,” my mother said. “Our daughter…”

  She reached over from the seat next to me and squeezed my hand. I bit my lip and nodded my head. The moment had finally come and I found myself struggling not to let my emotions get the best of me.

  “Where is our waiter?” I said as I shook my head. “I’m starving and he hasn’t even taken our order.”

  “And you heard so many good things about this place,” my dad said. “This isn’t looking too good for the start of your career.”

  He raised his eyebrows at me. My family began to laugh. I smiled then buried my head in my palm in embarrassment. It was good to feel like I was home again.

  Chapter 5

  “So, what did they say?”

  “They didn’t say anything,” I shrugged. “They told me to go out and have some fun. ”

  “That’s it? So, they just let you go?”

  “They insisted, Danica. I offered to show them around the city but they figured that they’d have more fun if they did it by themselves. Besides, they’re just here for the graduation.”

  “I guess it means that you can’t bring some guy back to your apartment.”

  “They gave me my space. They got a hotel room.”

  “Wow. You have some really understanding parents. Did you tell them how much of a slut you are?”

  “Danica!”

  My friend snickered at me. I shook my head at her as she drove into the city toward our next destination, home to alcohol, music and plenty of good-looking people.

  I spent most of Friday with my family. On Saturday, they made the decision to head out into the city on their own. I insisted that I enjoyed their company but they forced me out of my own apartment. So while my family was now enjoying the sights and sounds of the city, I was back out on the town with my friend Danica in search of another good time. I made sure that we were on the other side of the city in case we might run into them.

  With my graduation scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, this was the last time I would ever clas
sify myself as a college student. After that, I would be some poor woman looking for a job. I was dressed in something a little more glamorous tonight. Glamorous by my standards, anyway. I pulled out a satin red dress. The thin straps were barely enough to hold it up. The skirt was low around my knees. I had a matching pair of heels and with some cherry red lipstick, the ensemble was complete. It was a Saturday night. After my pre-celebration was interrupted by a mysterious man who suddenly no longer had any interest in me, it was time to look for another present for myself.

  “Where are we headed?” I asked. “New club?”

  “No, the same one.”

  “The same club? Danica, we were there just two nights ago.”

  “Right. But it’s different. It’s Saturday. It’s going to be a different crowd.”

  “How was George, by the way? I don’t really remember what happened after that.”

  Danica turned and looked at me. She shrugged her shoulders and made a sour face.

  “Well, hopefully we do see a different crowd tonight,” I laughed.

  It was clear that Danica wasn’t interested in another run-in with George. When the club came into view, I was immediately reminded of the man who had left me dangling on the edge of a cliff. I knew that I was looking for a good time but another part of me wanted it to be with him. I still remembered what he looked like. The way his ass fit in his jeans. The way his shirt draped his muscular frame. The way his light brown eyes were so striking. The way his cock felt in my…

  “Alice!”

  I jerked my head toward my friend.

  “What?”

  “Are you all right?”

  “What? Of course. What kind of question is that?”

  “Well, are you going to get out of the car now?”

  I looked around and realized that she had already parked. I was so lost in my memory that I didn’t even know what was going on.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked me as I got out of the car.

  “I’m fine. I was just thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “About how much fun we’re going to have tonight.”

  “That’s what I like to hear. How does it feel to be a college graduate? Maybe you can use that on one of these poor saps. You’re some poor college grad eager for some cock.”