Follow Me Darkly (Follow Me #1) - Helen Hardt Page 0,20

and I got in.

He drove me home.

All of this took place in a span of about a half hour.

It seemed like a year.

When I finally got home, I went to bed in my clothes without washing my face, something I never do, only to wake up this morning with racoon mascara eyes, a huge reminder of the previous evening.

And now Braden wants to follow me on Instagram.

Why? I rarely post. Instagram is my job, and I don’t take my work home. I don’t have much of a private life. This afternoon, Tessa posted us at lunch. That’s her thing. Apparently she thinks her followers want to know everything she eats. Maybe they do. I have no idea. Taking a photo of a BLT with avocado isn’t exactly art.

Of course, neither is a photo of Addie wearing lip plumper.

Addie returns, hair coiffed and purple lips freshly plumped, delaying my decision whether to accept Braden’s request. Good. It’s too much to ponder at the moment.

“Ugh,” Addie whispers to me. “Is it just me, or is this shade horrendous?”

“Not just you,” I whisper back. Then, in a normal voice, “I’ve scouted out the lighting in here. I think the selfie will look best at the other end of the counter. Plus, there’s less in the background to detract from your image.”

“Sounds good.”

We set up the photo with Addie puckering her lips and holding the tube of plumper in one hand, her other arm outstretched in the “selfie” pose. I take several, choose the best, and do some quick edits. I hand the phone to her.

“Skye, there has to be a filter to make this shade look a little less…purple Kool-Aid.”

“I figured we shouldn’t use it. Fair advertising and all.”

She hands the phone back to me. “Sorry. Use a filter. I can’t be seen like this.”

“But—”

“The filter, Skye. I’ll deal with the fallout from Susanne, if there is any. My bet is there won’t be. They’ll be super psyched about the mega increase in sales.”

“You’re the boss.” I make the necessary adjustments and hand the phone back to Addie.

“Looks great. Post it.”

“What about copy?”

“Susanne didn’t send any?”

I shake my head. “Nope.”

She sighs. “God. You write something. I just can’t find the words to say how much I love this awful shade.” She pulls a tissue from the box sitting on the counter and wipes furiously at her lips.

“I’ll come up with something.” It won’t be the first time I’ve had to get creative.

Absolutely in love with @susannecosmetics new Burgundy Orchid lip plumper! Grab yours before they sell out! #sponsored #bigkisses #kissme #lipgloss #lips #kiss

Not my best, but it’ll do the job. I post the photo.

So luscious! Ordering mine now, @realaddisonames.

Gorgeous!

What a great color on you!

Their lip plumper is the best. Love this new shade!

I hold back an eye roll as I scan for anything negative. I delete a few questionable comments.

Then I look back at Braden’s request to follow me.

What the heck? He won’t find much on my Instagram.

I quickly hit Confirm.

Maybe he’ll see I’m living my best life without him. Although my last two pics were of the interesting way a shadow played across a city sidewalk and a lonely fire hydrant in the heat.

I need to up my Insta game.

Chapter Thirteen

Two vibrators, a dildo, and a set of Ben Wa balls sit on my bed—all products of my earlier attempts to achieve the elusive orgasm.

I dug them out of my drawer when I got home from work. Am I going to take Tessa’s advice and try to re-create what Braden did to me?

Apparently I am.

I laugh aloud. I didn’t achieve anything previously when I used these toys. What makes me think I can now?

Because now you know what you’re after.

Maybe. Now that I’ve experienced a real climax and am familiar with the magnificence of it, I may be able to do it again.

I reached both orgasms while Braden was penetrating me, but that alone hadn’t gotten me off. It was the clitoral stimulation paired with Braden’s delicious cock. I eye the blue dildo. Yeah, it’s pretty big, but not quite as big as Braden.

Next to the dildo sits a pink vibrator with a built-in clitoral stimulator. Problem is the dildo part of the vibrator isn’t even close to Braden’s size.

The other vibrator, in clear, is just a dildo with batteries, no clit stimulator.

Then the Ben Wa balls. They look like large silver marbles, and honestly, I’m not sure what they’re supposed to do. I know they go in the vagina, but that’s