Beyond the Breaking Point (8 page)

Despite her best efforts to put it out of her mind, as she drove to the hotel to deposit her belongings, another memory surfaced.

“Is that what you want,” she’d asked Phillip, pointing at the screen. “A woman who looks and acts like that?”

The woman in question had big tits, an impossibly small waist, and a firm high butt—the classic Coca-Cola bottle figure. This one also had long blonde hair and acted as if she’d die if she didn’t get some cock in her soon. Anything the male lead asked—or rather ordered—her to do, she was eager to comply.

“No, baby,” he’d denied. “You know I love your body.” But Cassidy noted his gaze barely left the screen before flicking back.

Their marriage counselor had explained that men were visual creatures, which was why porn appealed to them. Watching the film, Cassidy concluded it must be true. There was no acting to speak of to recommend it. That was for sure. Just a brief skit containing dialogue too corny for anyone but the most naïve to find believable.

The over-endowed leading lady spent the first part of the film running around in skimpy clothes meant to be sexy, which Cassidy simply found tasteless. But then, she wasn’t a man and it was obvious the film was tailored to the male audience. The rest of the film she was naked, looking eager and sultry.

Then there were the close-ups and the sound effects. The camera panned close to capture, in intimate detail, the man’s hardened shaft sliding in and out of the woman’s pouty red lips. Or as the action changed, his glistening cock thrusting into the woman’s well- lubricated pussy while she moaned, sighed, and groaned theatrically.

Not interested in viewing more and wondering why she’d allowed herself to be talked into this in the first place, she’d glanced over at Phillip to find him totally enthralled. His hand absently played with the length of his jean-covered erection. Cassidy had the fleeting thought that if she hadn’t been there, sitting right next to him, he’d have masturbated.

Immediately after the film ended, he’d turned to her for sex. Though still not the least bit aroused, Cassidy had responded to his touch even as part of her mind had insisted on wondering, “Is that what he wanted in a woman?”

A woman, Cassidy now realized, who had a body like Amber’s.

Chapter Five

After a day of searching potential apartments, Cassidy settled on The Commons. The building was old, “vintage” the ad called it, but had controlled access and an attached, restricted parking garage for residents. The apartment was spacious, with large rooms, generous closet space, and a kitchen that didn’t suck. The many windows provided plenty of light and since she would be on the third floor of five, security wasn’t an issue except for the fire escape. The elevators worked, and the highway was less than a five-minute drive away. The only drawback she could see was the bathroom, which though clean, needed to be retiled.

Another plus was that she’d been able to get a two-bedroom for the price of what other complexes charged for one. The building wasn’t that large, containing only twenty-two apartments. The neighborhood was located in an area that was slowly being renovated and rejuvenated, so crime was low. If any area of Philly could be considered safe, this one was, and another plus was that she didn’t have to drive too far to get to work.

She signed the lease, paid the deposit, and was given the go-ahead to begin moving in. Collecting the keys and parking pass handed to her, Cassidy said, “Thank you so much, Ms. Brown.”

The apartment manager smiled. “We’re glad to have you as a tenant. It’s always nice to have a doctor in residence. I’m sorry for your circumstances, though.”

“Me, too.” Though Cassidy hadn’t wanted to, prudence dictated she tell the manager her story on the off chance the woman would bend the rules and allow her to move in early. It had worked, and now Cassidy didn’t have to worry about Phillip being able to worm his way into the apartment manager’s good graces and gain access to her apartment.

Next, she went to the electric and gas companies and paid the deposits to have the utilities cut on in her name. At the house they were in Phillip’s. When that was completed, she smiled grimly as she called the cable company and had the cable and Internet service, which were in her name, transferred.

Last of all, she went furniture shopping. Cassidy really wished she could call her friend, Erika, to come with her. Shopping was always better when you had someone with you, but calling Erika would mean telling her what happened. And Cassidy wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. No more than she had to.

Never had Cassidy been happier that her parents had taught her good money management skills. Her grade-A credit rating came in handy as she selected and charged a living room, dining room, and bedroom set to her credit card. Now that she had no one but her own tastes to consider, she went with color. Lots of vibrant colors and comfy cushions that cradled a body after a hard day of work. Furniture that cheered her just by looking at it.

Then she went to a nearby Wal-Mart and bought linens, bath supplies, pots, pans, kitchen utensils, and everything else that she thought she might need. She wasn’t naïve enough to think she’d bought it all, but she’d made a good start.

Tired, she returned to her now-crowded hotel room. Looking at all the boxes she’d accumulated, Cassidy realized she’d need a small truck to carry it all, or a U-Haul. She might need to call Erika after all. Cassidy sighed.

She stuck a frozen dinner in the microwave and clicked on the television while it nuked. Flipping channels, she settled on Comedy Central. God knows she could use a laugh. The microwave beeped, signaling it was finished. Normally one of her favorite meals, the food looked and smelled delicious, but she found she simply didn’t have an appetite. Knowing she needed to eat and that the only thing she’d had all day was a half-eaten container of yogurt, Cassidy forced down the food and then went and took a shower.

Later, as she snuggled under the covers, her last thought before drifting off was that she might have to take Max up on his offer to help her move after all.

“Sir, what would you like to drink?” the flight attendant asked and rattled off the list of drink choices.

All I want is for this hunk of tin to fly faster
, Phillip thought.
I need to get home
.

When he didn’t respond fast enough, Amber placed a hand on his thigh, leaned forward to get the flight attendant’s attention and said, “I’d like a Coke.”

Phillip knocked it off, an expression of pure disgust on his face.

“There’s no need to be mean,” Amber muttered under her breath before smiling her thanks at the flight attendant who handed her the requested drink and a napkin.

“I don’t want your hands on me,” he told her, quiet fury underlying his tone. To the attendant he said, “Nothing for me.”

She nodded her acknowledgment and moved on.

Amber rolled her eyes and took a sip from the clear cup. “You weren’t saying that the other afternoon. Anyway, I don’t see why you’re upset.”

“My wife left me on our second honeymoon vacation and you don’t see why I’m angry?” His voice rose at the end and he noticed a few passengers casting uneasy glances in his direction.

She huffed, “It’s not like we had sex. We just fooled around a little.”

Hearing Amber spout the same words he’d spoken to Cassidy made him feel a little sick inside, which pissed him off even more. He leaned close and said in a furious whisper, “I’m a happily married man, or I was. Thanks to your little stunt my marriage might be over. If that happens, I’ll find a way to make you regret it.” The look he gave her was so cold, so deadly, he saw the little flare of fear that sparked deep in her eyes.

She shifted closer to the window in an attempt to put more space between them.

He still didn’t know how she’d managed to get his shorts loose without waking him. He wasn’t that deep of a sleeper and hadn’t had more than two beers. He’d sat, sprawled wide-legged on the couch, watching a golf tournament.  Phillip remembered leaning his head back and closing his gritty eyes to rest them for a moment. The next thing he knew, Amber’s hot breath had been caressing his rapidly hardening dick. Before he was fully alert, she’d had him in hand, taking him to the back of her throat like a pro. It had felt good. Damn good. He felt his cock stir as he remembered.

Damned cunt
, he thought savagely.

Amber shifted again, crossing one leg over the other. A long, toned and golden length of thigh as hairless as her pussy caught Phillip’s attention as the mini skirt she wore rose. He’d run his hands up the length of those legs and she’d opened for him—

“Don’t act like this situation is all my fault,” she snarled, obviously finding her courage when she noticed him staring at her legs. “I know when a man wants me. I could see it in your eyes, how you looked at me when I came out of the room to head to the pool. Just like you’re looking at me now.”

“You’ve got big tits, a tight ass, and your pussy was barely covered. Of course I looked. You wanted me to or you wouldn’t have been prancing around half-naked. The question is, why the hell would I want a money-grubbing cunt like you when I have Cassidy?”

She sucked in a shocked breath and his gaze momentarily caught on her titties, on display in a low-cut top. He doubted she was wearing a bra. Her type didn’t. They dressed to attract a man’s attention but then complained when a man took what was offered.

He’d cautioned Max against getting too attached to Amber when Max first introduced her. As his daddy used to say, “There’s women you fuck, and women you marry.” Phillip had pegged Amber as the first type from day one.

“Fuck her, man, if you need to and get her out of your system. But don’t get crazy and fall in love with her,” he’d told Max.

Max had shaken his head. “I know she looks like a playboy model and she seems a little standoffish, but she’s a really nice woman. Give her a chance. You’ll see.”

Phillip had, but neither he nor Cassidy had ever warmed up to her. She’d been accepted because of Max. Cassidy had never said so aloud, but he knew she thought Amber was nothing but a gold-digger who’d latched onto Max because of his money.