More Than Just Roommates

MORE THAN JUST ROOMMATES

By

Terri Carnis

&

Justine Mayne

© copyright March 2008, Terri Carnis & Justine Mayne
Cover art by Alex DeShanks, © March 2008

ISBN 978-1-60394-636-0

New Concept Publishing
Lake Park, GA 31636
www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events and places are of the authors’ imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

CHAPTER ONE

“Young lady, you’ve lost a week’s worth of data!”

Jada flinched at her boss’s nasty tone.

“But Mr. Quirk ....”

“You’re fired!”

“But,” she said, “my shift just started. I’ve barely signed onto to my workstation. How could I have lost ....”

“Fired,” he said. “Don’t blame it on someone else!”

Jada spilled her steaming latté across the computer keyboard.

“And that’ll be sixty dollars, docked from your final check for ruining company equipment!”

This can’t be happening, she thought. Not now. Not with my first job in six months. Especially with Philip insisting that I start paying my share of the rent and living expenses.

But it was happening. And in less than five minutes she was fired over someone else’s mistake, then rudely escorted out of the Chrysler building, into a New York downpour.

She checked her purse, which held two crumpled fives and a ten. She watched a Yellow Cab cruise by, looking for fares, but decided to walk. From now on every dollar had to count. And it would be three days before she got her final paycheck.

By the time she’d hiked two miles to the Manhattan loft she shared with Philip, she’d been soaked by the rain, splashed with mud from a passing garbage truck, and nearly run over by a platinum blonde in a sportscar. To top it all off, the elevator was out of service in her building, so she would have to climb three flights of stairs to the fancy loft Philip rented, solely because it went with the high-powered self-image he’d become so consumed with creating.

As she started up the stairway, shivering, she wondered how things had gotten so bad between her and Philip. He’d seemed nice enough when she’d met him--a sharp dresser, well spoken, and determined to make his mark as a financial advisor. When they’d first met six months ago, he’d taken her on some whirlwind dates to the fanciest restaurants and plays in town, wooing her like Prince Charming. Feeling like she’d at last found true love, she’d gladly taken the plunge, leaving her upstate job to move into Manhattan, to be with him.

But things had gone down hill ever since.

Water squished in her shoes as she crossed the landing and started up the next flight of stairs. Soon after she moved in, Philip’s expectations of her had turned to criticisms, and he’d become obsessed with “improving her.” Suggestions for changes in her wardrobe soon expanded to every aspect of her life … that she should eat less, let her hair grow longer, and that it was her responsibility to keep the loft spotless while he paid the rent.

She sighed, trudging up the second flight of stairs, thinking today couldn’t get any worse. Two weeks ago, Philip had suggested they could improve their love life with some role-playing, and she’d welcomed the notion of something new in what had become his totally predictable and seldom inspiring bedroom routine. She’d hoped that they would take turns spicing things up. But this had also turned into another one of Philip’s maneuvers to remain in control.

She hated to admit it--especially after just getting fired, but their relationship was in trouble, and she wasn’t happy.

So far, the only sexual fantasies allowed had been Philip’s, in which he practiced being the “Alpha male,” dominating her with his “manliness.” Since he dealt with Japanese investors, whose culture was male-dominated, he claimed this could help his career as well as improving their love life. And that wouldn’t have been so bad, if he’d given equal time to her fantasies. But he hadn’t shown the slightest interest in hearing about or acting out her fantasies.

She sighed, pausing on the final flight of stairs and wrung some of the water from her hair. If only Philip had a big cock and the physical stamina to match his fantasy, she’d be all too glad to experience a little domination from an Alpha male. But that was hardly the case.

Dripping water, she cleared the last landing, stepped down the hall and opened the door to their loft, where she found yet another of Philip’s notes.

Before she unfolded it, she wondered which aspect of her looks or personality he felt compelled to address this time, with his endless suggestions for improvement. Or would this be the note she’d been waiting for--where he finally expressed some degree of satisfaction with her?

Taking a breath, she opened the note and read.