The Arrangement 5 by H. M. Ward

wide. I twitch and cover my breasts with my arm. When I catch myself in the mirror, I groan.
    He smirks. “You look like you could use some help.”
    “I don’t need your help. Go away.” I want to push him out the door, but then I’d have to flash my boobs at him and I don’t want to. “Scat.”
    “Scat? Seriously? You’re going to throw me out, but you let him in?” Sean’s tone is light, playful. He glances around the room and walks over to the things that I’ve already tried on. They are in a pile on the padded bench against the wall.
    “He’s gay—”
    “Keep telling yourself that—”
    “Oh my god. You are unbelievable. You’re jealous of a gay guy.” I tilt my head to the side and give him my best are-you-fucking-serious face, but I’m naked—so he laughs.
    “Damn, you’re cute.” Sean takes the red bra from where I dropped it on the floor and looks at it. “I’m not jealous. I just don’t like liars and I don’t want anyone to hurt you. Turn around.”
    “Sean—” I try to protest but he turns me toward the mirror. I don’t drop my arm.
    “I’ve already seen and had them, Avery. Drop your arm.” Sean is standing behind me with the bra in his hands. I’m stubborn. I feel my spine straightening. I don’t want to do it. I don’t want him here, but part of me does. Part of me likes this. Part of me is obviously defective.
    “Fine,” I bite back, “but this didn’t happen. My friends hate your guts and I don’t want Black to know I’ve been talking to you.”
    Sean gives me a lopsided grin as he reaches around me and slips the bra on. His fingers brush against my skin as he fastens it in back. Involuntarily, I suck in a sharp breath at the light touch. I’m staring at myself in the mirror, with Sean—who is fully dressed and beyond beautiful—standing behind me. My stomach curls and I feel hot. I glance away, hoping he doesn’t notice, but now I’m noticing everything. I’m breathing too much, too loudly. I don’t know where to put my hands, but they feel stupid dangling at my sides. But the worst part is this bra. The front holds me up and adds a cup size, which makes my taut nipples glaringly obvious.
    Sean looks up into the mirror, but he doesn’t step back. I feel his breath on my skin and resist the urge to climb on him. Because that’s what I want to do. With him here, looking at me like that, and standing so close—oh God—I want to touch him and feel his skin under my fingertips. I wish he wasn’t so fucked up. Or maybe, I wish I was more messed up so I could let him do what he wanted, but I can’t. I shiver thinking about it.
    I see Sean’s gaze in the mirror. It locks with mine. After a moment, he says, “Is this for a client?”
    “Yes.” There’s a lump in my throat that won’t go away. My fingers twitch at my sides. I want to touch him. I wish he’d turn me around, but he doesn’t. Sean stands so close that we should be touching, but we aren’t. Every inch of my skin is sensitive, dying for contact.
    “It needs something else.” Sean pulls a bag out of his pocket. He must have purchased something before he came back. “This is what I’d want to see you in.” I take the bag. Sean’s fingers brush against mine. My heart pounds harder. I suck in air like I haven’t taken a breath in five minutes. It’s too loud, too raspy. “Open it.”
    I look into the bag. There’s a black box at the bottom. I take it out and open it. Inside are two silver rings shaped in a C. There’s a single crystal on each one. I look up at him.
    He smiles at me. “Put them on.”
    My stomach flips. His voice is so much deeper. It’s that voice that makes me do stupid things. I take one out of the box and look at it. I’m not sure what it is, but it looks like an earring, so I pull my hair back and go to put it on my ear.
    Sean smiles and takes my hand. He steps closer to me, pressing his front against my back. Sean moves my hand to my breast and breathes, “It