Breakfast at Tiffany’s Read online

  Breakfast at Tiffany’s

  By Ann Cory

  Resplendence Publishing, LLC

  http://www.resplendencepublishing.com

  Resplendence Publishing, LLC

  P.O. Box 992

  Edgewater, Florida, 32132

  Breakfast at Tiffany’s

  Copyright © 2009, Ann Cory

  Edited by Tiffany Mason

  Cover art by Rika Singh

  Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-049-1

  Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Electronic release: July, 2009

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

  For my Resplendence editor, Tiffany, for making edits such a smooth experience

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Her hand wrapped around its full, firm base. The silky smooth texture warm against her palm. With careful strokes, her fingers glided along its long, thick length. Her mouth watered. Lips tingled. Nothing else compared to its taste. Pure decadence. She rested the tip against her tongue and noted the sweetness. Her belly rumbled its desire. She slid her lips midway, hardly able to control herself. Teeth light against the exterior, she took a bite. The sugary banana flavor hit her taste buds with an all-out zing. What would accompany the exquisite fruit? Cinnamon. Coconut milk. Pineapple sorbet. Honey. A pinch of nutmeg.

  Perfection.

  Tiffany Woods bolted upright and grabbed a pen and notepad from her bedside table. In her own version of shorthand, she jotted down her newest idea for a smoothie recipe. Her dreams of late had strayed from erotic fantasies to creative fruit-based concoctions. Though the phallic shape of the banana had been somewhat arousing. Still, smoothies were her focus, and with good reason. Her future depended on them. As a result, she learned to keep paper nearby so her ideas wouldn’t be forgotten once her feet touched the sandstone-colored carpet.

  She yawned away the last remnants of sleep and stretched her arms above her head. Silvery rays of dawn washed over her skin from the large bay windows. After tomorrow, she hoped her mind would cut her some slack and allow her a good night’s rest.

  One more lingering moment in the confines of her cozy sleigh bed, and then she knew it was time to get moving. The soft down of the comforter beckoned her to stay, but the day called to her. With a sigh, Tiffany slid out of bed and shuffled into the shower. Warm mist coated her skin. She tilted her head back and let the water drench her hair. Deep breath in, she mentally prepared herself. The day would be busy, but fun, too. With Marcus and Shane set to come over, fun was guaranteed.

  Towel-dried and somewhat awake, she chose a simple outfit from the closet. A creamy tank top with a touch of lace at the chest, a cotton green shirt left unbuttoned, and a dark denim skirt that hung an inch above her knees. From the dresser she pulled out a cringe-worthy pair of turquoise and gray striped panties, part of a set she received as a gag gift when she’d graduated from University. Not only unsightly, but each one had an attitude-laced saying stitched on them. To her horror, they were all she had to choose from. That would teach her to put off laundry for weeks.

  With a groan she slipped them on and didn’t even bother to look at what the waistband said. It was humiliating enough to know that she didn’t own a single pair of pretty panties. Or a sexy bra for that matter. Since the tank top and shirt concealed enough, she decided against wearing a bra altogether. Some day she’d splurge on herself with lacy lingerie from Victoria’s Secret. For now she wasn’t too concerned. It’s not like there was anyone to get all dolled up for.

  She finished getting dressed and rolled the shirtsleeves to her elbows. Now to tackle the tangled mess that was her long dark brown hair. After trying it up and in different styles, she put it in a ponytail with a few soft tendrils to frame her face. She kept her makeup soft and light. With the state of her nerves she’d probably sweat the stuff off anyways.

  Tiffany did a final circle in front of the mirror and headed down the hallway to the kitchen. She had an hour before her favorite guys would arrive. As supporters of her dream to start up a smoothie bar, she thought it fitting they pick her five best recipes. Their opinions had always mattered to her. They’d seen her at her worst and witnessed the changes she’d made over time, mainly physical ones. Growing up, she’d been ridiculed about her weight. While proud of how she looked now, past insecurities still plagued her. Even her parents had given her a hard time and treated her like an outcast.

  Now, a decade later, the relationship with her parents was still strained. They’d been considerate enough to send her a card when she graduated, but didn’t bother to show up in person. Funny considering they lived the next state over. However hurtful, Tiffany came to realize she didn’t require their approval. She had Marcus and Shane.

  They were good for her confidence and often talked her up on low days. She confided in them about her dreams of the future and often sought their advice. Plus they were devastatingly handsome and possessed intelligence and sharp wit. The total package. If only she could find the courage to convey that she envisioned her future to include them, as more than friends.

  * * * *

  Shane Anderson pumped his arms to keep pace with his friend’s swift stride. The cool morning breeze licked at his face. Since January, they made it a point to get up and jog to stay in shape. Even on the weekends. At first he hated it, much preferring to sleep in, but after a couple months it turned into a habit. Now he used the time to reflect on his week, and try to make sense out of all the weird stuff that filtered into his head. Which nine times out of ten the weird stuff had to do with his quest to understand the female mind.

  “Remember when Billy Crystal said something like men and women can’t be friends?” he blurted out. “I think it was in that movie When Harry Met Sally?”

  His best mate Marcus Zimmerman nodded beside him. “Sounds familiar. What about it?”

  “I thought the guy was nuts at the time.” He dabbed at his forehead with his sweatshirt sleeve. “I can’t even count how many girls as friends I had back in high school.”

  “I take it you have a different view now?”

  Shane rolled his shoulders. “Sort of. I mean, depending on the situation it can be possible, but as an adult I find it doesn’t work the same way. Especially in an office situation.”

  His friend frowned. “It’s a bad idea to see someone from work.”

  “I know.” Bad ideas didn’t necessarily dissuade him. “Lately, when I start out friends with a woman, it moves right into more, and then turns into a big complicated mess. The only female friends I’ve managed to keep are either engaged or married. Not a single one in the mix. Aside from Tiffany, of course.”

  “Dude, I’m the same way.”

  “Remember that new administrative assistant I told you about the other week?”

  His friend cocked a brow and then grinned. “Ah yes, Monica.”

  Shane winced at the mention of her name. He worried the sky would open up and send down lightning bolts at him. “Yea, Monica, the she-devil in fishnet stockings. Well I made small talk with her a couple times, just to be friendly and make her feel more comfortable.”

  “I can see where
this is going.”

  “You’d think, right? I didn’t want to tell you, but it’s killing me not to. About five nights ago she showed up at the door wearing nothing but fishnet stockings and a man’s dinner jacket.”

  Marcus groaned. “Whoa. Where was I?”

  “At a staff meeting.”

  “Damn. Talk about timing.”

  His lips twisted. “Believe me, I considered sending you a text.”

  “Why, to share?”

  “Why do you think?” His words were more of a statement than a question. “So nothing would happen.”

  “Did you at least try to keep things platonic?”

  Shane shot him a look. “Fuck no. Did you hear what I said? She had nothing on but the stockings and a jacket. The raging hard on I got took my brain hostage and turned it into paste. I was helpless.”

  He ignored his friend’s chuckle.

  “You’d have done the same thing in my shoes.”

  Marcus flashed him a wide grin. “Damn straight. But you didn’t stand a chance. She came over with an agenda.”

  “Exactly,” he agreed. “And for three days she followed me around everywhere, and even flirted with me in front of the boss. Finally I took her aside and told her I didn’t want a relationship, and she put some sort of curse on me.”

  “A curse?”

  “She carved the word “dick” on my desk and told people she made a voodoo doll of me.”

  His friend whistled. “That’s fucked up.”

  “No kidding.” He didn’t even want to mention the freaky nightmares he’d been having. “I keep thinking that at any moment my leg is going to bend in some odd shape. Or I’m going to feel a sharp stabbing pain in my lower region.”

  “Whatever happens, I hope I’m around to see it.”

  He patted his friend’s shoulder. “You’re such a pal. Seriously though, I’m about ready to take myself out of the dating pool altogether.”

  “Might be safer,” Marcus pointed out.

  “Unless, of course, a certain longtime infatuation picked up on the signals being sent her way.” Even the thought of Tiffany made his pulse double. “For her I’d made an exception.”

  “Yes, our gal has been a tough cookie to make crumble at our feet. Little miss content in her world of fruit and blenders. Too busy to notice how we worship her.”

  While they waited at a crosswalk for the signal to change, Shane did some quick calf stretches. “Do you recall the last time she went on a date?”

  Marcus shrugged. “I wanna say two years. Nah, wait, can that be right? Damn.”

  “I bet she hasn’t been laid for about that long either,” he concluded.

  “Which doesn’t make sense. She’s a sweetheart and a total babe. Course, she has had a lot on her plate the past couple of years.”

  He knew Marcus was right. Between her getting into shape, graduating from University, and immersing herself in Smoothies 101, she didn’t have as much time for them. Which is why they jumped at the chance to come over, despite not knowing a single thing about how a smoothie should taste.

  The signal changed and they started up jogging again. Shane couldn’t let go of how little Tiffany dated. “Girl has got to be in a serious state of need.” He could only imagine how tight her pussy was and wondered how often she got herself off. “If we were any kind of gentlemen, we’d do something to change that.”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “I don’t know.” Shane slowed his gait, and then stopped altogether. “I mean, we’ve talked about this before. If given the chance we’d show her one hell of a good time. But we’re both too chicken to fuck things up. It could backfire and then our friendship would be screwed. Which only further proves that Billy Crystal knows what he’s talking about.”

  Marcus jogged in place. “Hm. She’s not even seeing one guy. What do you think she’ll do if two hit on her at the same time?”

  “Freak out. As I see it, she needs to make up for lost time. It will take two guys to satisfy her. That way she’ll be taken care of in all the right places. She deserves nothing less.”

  “I’m all for it. We’ve wanted to seduce her for a long time. The question is, when?”

  A wicked idea came to him. “Why not this morning? Her mind will be focused on her interview tomorrow, so let’s have a little fun.”

  Marcus stopped jogging. “I like the way you think, my man.”

  “It’s going to be fun.” He could picture her all doe-eyed and innocent, lips trembling as they simultaneously brought her to a thunderous orgasm. “Now, I’d never share a woman with just any guy, but you I can stand.”

  “Thanks?”

  “Sure thing. You’re like an extension of me, minus the hard body.”

  His friend crossed his arms. “You didn’t just go there.”

  “Yeah, I went there. Did you forget who got the most votes on that popularity poll we sent out online?”

  “Dude, I didn’t want to say anything at the time, but I checked the ISP afterwards and guess which one came up for over half the votes. You totally rigged it.”

  Shane felt his face turn red hot. “What, you’re a computer geek now?”

  “Nope, but I knew you didn’t get those votes fair and square.”

  “I’ll never confess,” he said with a wry smile.

  “Good thing you’re not my brother.”

  “Why?”

  “I’d disown you.”

  “Ouch.” Shane checked his watch. “We should head back so there’s enough time to get cleaned up. If we’re late this morning Tiffany will never forgive us.”

  “I’m proud of our girl for going forward with this business venture. Of anyone I know I’ve always thought her destined for big things.”

  “And two of those big things could happen today.” Shane couldn’t wait to see how far their sexy siren would let them go.

  Marcus groaned. “Man, you’d be wise to make your shower a cold one.”

  “You might be right.”

  “There’s no might about it.”

  They turned around and started a light jog back.

  “Race you to the apartment,” Marcus challenged. “Winner makes the first move on Tiffany.”

  Shane liked the sound of that. “You’re on.” In fact, the words motivated him to run harder than he ever had before.

  Chapter Two

  Tiffany took a step back and smiled at the colorful display on the big island in her kitchen. Pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, watermelon, oranges, lemons and more. Everything had been measured, cleaned, sliced, and cut up into bowls just waiting to be whipped up and blended into scrumptious smoothies. The pleasant aromatic mix of citrus fruits and berries wafted throughout the kitchen, her favorite room in the whole house. It was also the room she spent most of her time in.

  The two-bedroom cottage style home had been a bit big for just one person, but she couldn’t resist the openness of the kitchen, all the counter space, the large island and brand new stainless steel appliances. She’d worked her butt off to afford the down payment and manage the monthly mortgage. If everything worked in her favor, she’d be paying back her student loan and getting caught up on bills in no time. She had a good chunk in savings as a reserve for her business, just in case.

  After a quick check to make sure she had plenty of soymilk, sorbet, yogurt, ice, and her usual spices, she released a held breath. Everything was in place and ready, the only things missing were the boys.

  Restless, she decided to sit and read a magazine when the doorbell rang. Tiffany stole a sidelong glance at the clock and almost did a double take. It would be a first if they were early. Unheard of, even.

  A smile worked its way on her lips as she opened the door, only to freeze midway at the sight of her sometimes friend-sometimes acquaintance, Jordan.

  “Hey Tiff.”

  She struggled to not show total disappointment. “Oh, hi Jordan.”

  They stood and stared at one
another until the platinum blonde broke the silence. “Can I come in a sec? I can’t stay or anything. Lots to do. Never have time to sit around for long.”

  “Yeah, sure. That’s cool. Come on in.”

  Tiffany stood back to let her in and then stuck her head out the door. She scanned the street from both sides, but didn’t see any sign of Shane or Marcus. Other than a dog barking off in the distance, the neighborhood was quiet. She bent down and picked up yesterday’s newspaper, impressed the paperboy got it on her porch this time.

  With a sigh she closed the door and plastered a smile on her face. Jordan had made herself at home on the couch with her legs folded underneath her. A look of disdain etched on her flawless face while she thumbed through a gardening magazine.

  Tiffany smoothed down her skirt and sat across from her unwelcome guest on the loveseat. “So, are you on your way to work or are you off Sundays?”

  “Neither. I quit my job yesterday,” she answered without looking up.

  “Ah, so heading anywhere special?”

  “Yeah. Shopping. Gotta drown my sorrows somehow.”

  It amazed her how nonchalant she spoke. “So you’re upset because you quit your job?”

  Jordan closed the magazine and leaned back against the cushion. “No. I’m upset because I wasted all that time learning about beauty products and junk only to find that the job doesn’t suit me. I thought it would be a more exciting field to work in, but it’s boring and overrated.”

  Another wave of confusion hit her. “Didn’t you just start last week?”

  “Four days ago to be exact, and I knew it wasn’t for me within the first hour. I have standards and I’m not going to work just anywhere. What’s with all the questions?”

  She had no idea. Nervous energy? The questions made her sound like she cared when she didn’t. “I’m just making conversation.”

  “Anyway. Shopping is my stress reliever.”